Guess Who's Back?

... back again.

You’ll have noted the three week gap, which has pretty much coincided with me being on holiday. I took the decision that, given my working life involves a lot of time looking at a computer screen, my holiday shouldn't. So I haven’t. Just checked the email each day, largely to control the inflow of stuff.

So, what to tell you?

I've had a wonderful break. I’ve caught up with a few friends, and also visited my parents. I've caught up with the kids – always it seems in ones and twos, but they are so busy doing their own stuff. And in my brief offspring-related detour, I was delighted by middle son’s frankly stellar GCSE results – he has learned a great lesson that hard work brings results. I learned that lesson at age 40.

Health? Well. I set myself what with my work head on I would call a stretch goal – if everything went well then one day I might get there. And I am now only 2.5Kg* off it. That means I have since Easter now lost 30 pounds^. Over the holiday, with the exception of two days at my parents, I have walked at least four miles every day (except today because of the rain) and gone to the gym every day except one. And I have eaten healthily. I am absolutely ecstatic with my achievement – my stretch goal looks possible for September.

Which meant I had to buy some new clothes. Not my favourite experience, but feels good to have reduced the size that much. Of course (up pops the negative part of Brain) it’s the keeping it off that is difficult. To which I say frankly “bollocks”, let’s see in six months’ time.

Music? I am loving my Ukulele playing with Balham Ukulele Society. It’s fun, and low pressure, but still something to work at. More seriously, I sang at the Proms on Monday 18^th – the Rachmaninov Choral Symphony – “The Bells”. Wow. What a choir, what an orchestra, what a conductor, what a reception. It was on Radio 3 and is still on IPlayer. The music may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it was such an experience. Hard work. Really hard work, but certainly worth it.

So, that’s the catch-up download. Not a mention of Kate Bush (23 days and counting and the tickets have arrived) or Peter Capaldi’s Doctor Who (though I want a coat like that). And no mention of the stuff I have read over the break – I’ll give you all that lot over the coming weeks.

It’s great to have been away, but it’s just as lovely to come back.

* I’ve decided to go metric

^ It didn’t last – I can only think in imperial measures

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

I woke up this morning (du nu nu nu NUH) .

No seriously, today has been one of those days where everything has been an effort. To tell you how lazy I have been, I had to plug the I-Pad in to charge up half an hour ago. Yes, without any movies or music, I drained an I-Pad battery in a day. I guess there are some days when you need to have a bit of a recharge yourself, and for me, this must have been one of them.

I've drunk lots of hot drinks, listened to some music - today's soundtrack is Loss by Mull Historical Society - charmingly eccentric, tried to learn some Britten (but I don't think it went in) read about half a book, watched some snooker, and talked to my kids.

Do you have children, dear reader? If you do, then (unless they are creatures born in the 2010s) you will know how they change so much, and your relationship changes with them. In our fathers' age, two of mine would now be working - and the third one only a year off. They would have had many of the responsibilities of adulthood, though I suspect fewer of the privileges. And, gradually, without that Damascene, donkey-barbecuing moment being apparent, they have turned into adults in many ways.

I never really expected this. OK, I expected it in one sense. But it did not occur to me that we could be talking about snooker, football, holidays etc, on a completely adult basis. And it's really lovely that we can. I am sure that arguments lie ahead (one very soon if the dishwasher hasn't been attended to by the time I finish this post) and their umbilical links of the two younger ones to my wallet remain as strong as ever, but it is a privilege for all of us to spend the day sitting in our dressing gowns and shooting the breeze.

Next week looks a pretty normal one for me - largely office-based, nothing exciting to do or expected, but if anything does happen, I'll be sure to let you know.