Lockdown Diary - Thursday 6th August 2020

Got up quite early in an attempt to be showered, dressed and exercised before the cleaner arrived, but only managed two out of three.  Finished off the last set of exercises after she arrived then set about removing the piles of books, CDs, magazines, and letters, from my office and bedroom floors, so she could clean easily.

Next step breakfast, then get started on work, if only to find out if I still have work to do on the bid today.

Good news! I'm no longer needed on the bid, which means I can at least eat my porridge and drink my coffee in peace, though it does mean I'll have to chase the work I was due to start next week.

As I've got a phone interview for a new role, I have to ask the cleaner to do my office next.  Not easy to work at desk piled high with CDs, letters and miscellaneous stuff! Nor do I want her in here vacuuming whilst I'm having an interview over the phone.

Phone interview done. Work life is getting complicated - my name is down for four roles at four different clients. Which will win?  I think I know which I'd most like to do, and hopefully I can make that happen.

Hectic afternoon of work interspersed with a few chats with sons #1 and #2 about their future plans: I've shown son #2 how I can help support his ambitions and am trying to help son #1 crystallise a plan from the ideas he's shared.

Mid-afternoon I had a call from an old school friend, which was a general catch up and a bit of a chat about the return of some problems post the hospital outpatient visit on Tuesday. It was a useful conversation as it shifted my thinking about the problem slightly, which has meant I'm taking a different approach. Hopefully that will pay off.  We always have good calls.

Suddenly had an urgent request to create a new profile for the client bid I'd been working - they're going to put me forward as Lead Integration Architect, though that may be an irrelevance.  As is always the case with bids, they want the profile done immediately, if not sooner. I drop everything to get it written, which was quite embarrassing for the carers.

Next thing I know my resourcing manager is messaging me saying she'd like a call, have i got time? Naturally the answer is yes, given where I next end up working is probably at stake.

Looks like I've got the client project I want (which turns out to be a doubly good move as my boss's boss wants me to do it) and, fingers crossed, I should start on 1st September.

Although technically I'm benched today, it's been a very busy day work-wise, and as a result I've had no time to listen to music or read, before it was time to make dinner.

Things seem to be settling down again, post-operatively, so perhaps I am on the home straight to some kind of new normal, whatever that may be.

We watched the first episode of series 2 of 'Umbrella Academy', which, as openers go, was visually impressive as well as being frenetic action and story-wise. Hokum, of course, but enjoyable hokum.

Managed to read more of 'Ulysses' and 'Kindred' before sleep plus this week's poem which is by Robert Browning, and is 'Meeting at Night'.

One of several singles released ahead of her latest album tomorrow, this is Liela Moss with 'Watching the Wolf'. The new album from which this is called 'Who The Power'.  [For those who may be concerned, the lyrics do include one very rude word. You have been warned!]

[[]]