f4f3 | Easter Monday

So today was not terrible.

It started terribly, when I woke up after about five hours sleep, and rolled over to find out I was on my own. In my half-awake state I was confused and a little scared, and then terribly sad.

I did manage to get up and get showered, after about an hour, because there were things I had to do.

One of them was to unpack the rest of the stuff that I didn't unpack yesterday. Until the spare room at the cottage gets sorted out, I'm very short of space, and can't afford to leave anything else lying around. So I packed my clothes into the one wardrobe I have, and the small chest of drawers I brought up yesterday. I wouldn't say things are tidy, but they aren't too chaotic.

Since I was nominally in charge of the programme today, I did some work on that - some emails and a report I didn't have time to write last week. That took me up until about two, when I finally got fed up waiting for the rain to go off, and set off on my bike for some exercise. I made it about halfway, four and a bit miles, along the canal, and decided that the rain was on for good, and cut back along the main road into Lochgilphead. I didn't feel much like eating, but I'd been on the bike, and no how quickly that drains my energy reserves. So I had something in the local coffee shop and cycled back to the flat.

I didn't get much done this afternoon, just enough that I won't feel bad about charging for the day.

Next week is complicated. Actually, the next two weeks are complicated. In fact, April is like one of those very complicated things that make Open University programme makers reach for the rubber sheets and ball bearings. I've agreed to go on a cycle trip with Eric, a friend of mine. It's an interesting route, which I've cycled before, usually known (for reasons I've explained elsewhere) as The Five Ferries Route. It involves two train journeys, five ferries, and about sixty miles of cycling. It can be done in a day, but makes an easy two day ride. Eric wants to do it in three, starting from Glasgow at lunchtime on Friday, and arriving back in Glasgow on Sunday evening. This is complicated slightly by the fact that I don't have anywhere to stay in Glasgow, so Eric is kindly putting me up on Thursday and Sunday. On Friday we will make it as far as the Lochranza hotel on Arran, on Saturday night we will make it to the cottage, and on Sunday we will be back in Glasgow. On Monday, I'll be back at work in Edinburgh, and staying at a local hotel till Thursday, when I'll head back up here for Friday and the weekend. Is that clear?

So packing today means packing for 7 days at work and 3 days on a bike. All of which leaves with me tomorrow at as near to 6 a.m. as I can manage. I've packed everything I think I need. wonder what I've forgotten?

Now I'm completely wiped out, and I'm heading off to bed as soon as clean the place up and empty the bins. Mostly what I feel is tired. Hopefully I can do something about that.