After some very hot, humid, dry weather which was great for hanging laundry from the rigging, today we have rain. The rain is very welcome (by me anyway) the wind not so much, and it was the wind lashing the rain against the window that woke me at 2.40 this morning. An hour later, I was still awake so rescued a book from my hammock and settled down to read. By 5am I was feeling sleepy again, turned off the light, and tried to get a little more sleep. I don’t much like the wind and always fret about things like the chimney, roof tiles, and the plants. This morning, all looks fine though we’ve had to batten down the hatches and can’t open any windows. I find double glazing very good, however unlike the windows of old, there is no latch (I think) to secure an open window with, so they blow open, or blow shut. Total pain. In a previous house we had secondary glazing and it was marvellous. The inner window slid open, the outer opened on a latch and we could get a lot of fresh air, without too much wind in the house, by sliding open the window next too, rather than opposite the open window. Does that make sense? I also found it great for keeping ornaments such as paper weights in the gap because it was about 3 inches deep, unlike a double-glazed window. Very little dust got in there, so it was great.

Thursday was a little cooler than of late, and feeling a little ‘antsy’ I took the Ship’s Dog for a second walk. He’s had quite a few extra walks, when it’s cooler, and he’s spent most evenings totally exhausted. I have to remind the Deckhand not to take him too far; he’s 9 after all and though he still acts like a puppy some days, he’s definitely slowing down other days. I know the feeling!

I had an email catch-up with an old colleague who I used to have lunch with at the closer site, that was nice. I haven’t been replaced at that site, though I did see my post being advertised for the further site. I feel sorry for whoever gets the post as they’ll be denied a proper coffee break, sometime no lunchbreak either, and be expected to work until 7pm some days for classes. They’ll have to tolerate being bossed about by a workaholic, nit picking, backstabbing freak too. No mention of that on the job advert! The post is advertised at well under what I was being paid, and by the time they reach the top of the pay scale, they’ll be paid more than 3K less than the other technician. It was this disparity in pay, and work and conditions, that so many of us found hard to swallow following the so-called merger. I don’t regret leaving, not one little bit.

My ex-boss is still on sick leave, and I guess he’s going for medical redundancy which will mean he has access to his full pension despite being too young. I did toy with this, briefly, but decided it would take too long, be too stressful, and I doubt my GP would have deemed me to be unfit for work, for that long a period. I made the right choice for me, and that’s all that matters.

This weather is in for the next few days, and I’m just glad I don’t have to go anywhere at all. The cupboards and fridge are well stocked, the meals planned for the next week, and we can stay in and keep warm and dry. Apart from walking the Ship’s Dog of course; a little wind and rain never stops him!

Take care out there, have a good day, and a great weekend. Oh, school finishes today in these parts, and the great getaway will be underway, so take extra care on the roads.