Summertime and the living isn't yet easy...

The end of a tough week and the start of another one. Last week was emotionally challenging, but we all got through it and I held my head up and stayed strong, especially for those that needed that to be. Not quite the same "behind closed doors" mind, but you do realise what's important in your world and that's a great comfort. Generally, it's alright - no longer the same, but alright.

 

Tuesday and Wednesday were the funeral and we started tidying up her loose ends. I'm becoming extremely well versed in the way that probate works and the importance of getting this subject as sorted as possible for your future whilst not allowing the money grabbing solicitors to dip their hands in when families are most vulnerable. It's not as complex as they would have you believe - and a bit of research goes a by long way.

 

Thursday was back to work, but from home, and what seems to be a general level of chaos going on. Friday was a day off. To be fair, I haven't been particularly focused on the work (for obvious reasons) so I'm not really sure what sort of condition it's in. I do realise though, that the tall fella has got a lot on his plate. This week, "The Hedge" is on holiday still as is "the church seating" and so it's just him and me. On top of that the bid budget has been stripped to a minimum in the run up to BAFO. Methinks someone doesn't want to win this, and I hope that's true. Might well be best to just put it out of its misery. But mine is not to reason why and all that...

 

Friday and Saturday saw both daughter and Mrs G tucked up in bed with the flu, well some sort of virus thing. Aching and spluttering, both the same. I seem to have dodged the bullet, but spent Friday with daughter sat on the sofa watching films and generally feeling sorry for herself. By Saturday she was greatly recovered and while not 100% had elected to join some of her friends to watch the Rugby. Experience tells me this would be a bad move, but this is how your kids learn....

 

Just as you feel you've recovered, you need another 8 hours - just to be certain. Probably best not to go out in the cold and party. So by Sunday morning she was back to square one - poor love. Mrs G on the other hand, had fully recovered by taking it easy. Just as well, because Sunday also saw us moving in the first of our two lodgers.

 

Son is back. Having bought him some eye catching travel books for christmas, the penny has dropped and he's announced he's going on a "Grand Tour" - which I think is a particularly good idea of his - even with a tiny nudge from us, and it turns out that I'm quite jealous about it. He's off to Africa as a volunteer for a couple of months, and then on his return is taking a further 9 months to travel the globe - having procured a round the world ticket. Now is the right time for him, before he gets a mortgage and married and kids and a general level of commitment that might stop him from doing it. He'll keep in touch on his travels, and I'm very much looking forward to hearing all about it - although I'd far rather be doing it too. Still, no regrets and that. He's a lucky fella, and our contribution will be the savings he makes in rent while he's with us for a couple of months.

 

The upside here, is that his mother is very much looking forward to having him around for a while. The downside is she'll be in a constant state of worry when he goes off again. There is no way to win this though. It will be what it will be.

 

The second lodger is joining us from this evening. This is just a short term thing (I think :-s) where a friend of Mrs G's (and latterly mine) just needs a place to stay while she finds her feet after a change of job from London back to the countryshire. She's a good person, and fun to be around, so it'll be interesting for Mrs G and I to have a full house again - albeit just for a short while.

 

For now, it's Monday, and as has become the norm (of sorts) once again I'm back on the train to our capital city. It's damn cold - in fact, this has to be the coldest March (almost April) that I've ever known. There's been some serious amounts of snow in the northern parts of the country and it genuinely feels like winter bis back already. Bizarre when this coming weekend is Easter and the clocks will be going forward for the start of British Summer Time...

 

This week also sees the arrival of superfast broadband in the golfyball household. The lightening speeds of fibre optic should be arriving on Thursday I believe, and I'm very much hoping that a download speed of 40megabits will be achieved. I write this number here, so that in the not too distant future, I'll be able to look back and laugh at the pathetic speeds we endure. Before long, speed won't be an issue to anyone, and things will just happen... This is entirely a first world issue though - and on that basis hardly worth mentioning but I will add, that it wasn't that long ago that 600, 1200 and even 2400 baud was considered a very fast connection. And so the world turns.

 

Stay safe, until next time...

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