Late Note

To my countless fans, I'm sorry this weeks drivel is delayed.

• Remember I said I'd update you on my new glasses but didn't? Well. That's because it was a boring update. I went for a different style and I like them a lot. EYEYE Sheffield did an excellent job.
• Remember I said I'd keep you posted about the Kombucha from scratch attempt? No scoby formed. I tried again. It's mouldy now.
• I finished reading Resilient Management by Lara Hogan. I recommend it even if, like me, you don't have direct reports. It's helpful to understand what you should expect from your manager for one, but I also found a bunch of tips useful for my non-manager role e.g. on communication and project management – I'm definitely going to look at new projects through the lens of a responsibility assignment matrix.
• We visited R's family for a holiday, it was great to spend time with them, and it really did feel like a holiday because they live close to a beach – reminder that a UK holiday is a holiday, not a staycation. The weather really came through. We did lots of walking and ate lots of good food (and ice cream). One cool, misty morning I got in the sea (where I belong) for a bracing splish-splash, and was joined by a couple of swans. 😍
• Two lateral flow tests later we spent a few days with friends in Cambridge. 🙌 I had a punt at punting but didn’t do well 😂 We ended up colliding with a boat selling drinks, which was awkward, then into a willow tree. I didn’t quite get that I could use the…stick? as a rudder. I was too focused on trying to push off in the right direction. Fortunately one of our friends knew what he was doing and navigated most of the time like a champion (it's hard work!)
• Sadly we missed Sheffield Docfest and a cute yard sale back home, damn-it, hopefully next year!
• Pandemic reality has returned with vengeance. Today we've been alerted by the Covid-19 contact tracing app that we've been in close contact with someone who has tested positive. The timing means the contact happened on the train home. The app says we must self isolate fully at home for 9 days, even if we get a negative test 😭

Stressful. We're going to need another holiday.