Ideas welcome...

 Well, it's been quite the month. Unexpected travels, annoying bugs, disappointing weather.
It's funny how the act of writing this blog makes me get quite reflective on the last day of each month, as I look back on my life and my efforts and try to make sense of what has just happened. I never used to do that in everyday life but now it's become a bit of a thing.
Assuming I don't make a cataclysmic error with this writing today, I will achieve my Challenge for August - every posting being exactly 200 words in length. I've really enjoyed this one and it's kept me focussed, disciplined and controlled. Now I have to decide what I'm going to set myself up for in September. It needs to be something new; different; exciting. Something I can stick to quite easily but something that will stretch me and make me work a bit. I've just done limited word production in August, and before that it was poetry in July. So what, oh what, shall my September Blog Challenge be? Maybe I have to write them all while naked, or post at the same time every morning? I just don't know...

RC 31-8-

My 20th 200 this month...

 Still feeling knackered and a wee bit confused, if I'm honest. I don't know if it's a result of having Covid again, or a combination of factors - busiest spell of the year, being sent to Devon, dealing with Gavin's stresses - with Covid then piled on top. But my brain definitely doesn't seem to be working properly this week. It feels like I'm fighting a hangover and a spell of dementia at the same time. I keep forgetting what time of year it is (the weather has not helped in that regard) and getting genuinely surprised when I look outside and seeing that we have loads of people milling about on the site.
I've kept my fluids up, sticking mostly to water and squash rather than caffeinated hot drinks and fizzy sodas, but that doesn't seem to have helped much. I still feel undernourished and underslept.  Maybe yet another early night will sort me out. Although that hasn't been working so far.
This is all putting me off ever having a foreign holiday again. If two internal flights across Britain leaves me in this condition, I hate to think what a flight through international airspace might do to me.

RC 30-8-23

Written (but not posted) on Sunday. (I forgot).

Sun 27th - "Reaffected and Renamed"

The tiredness kicked into me again today. Apart from a croaky voice, Covid has left me pretty much unscathed, but Jeez I felt exhausted this morning. Those two days I've just had back at work (even, admittedly, on light duties) obviously wiped me out! I slept for about 11 hours and felt much better for it though. Stupid virus.
I really fancy a walk somewhere, but Philippa has reacted to that idea as if I had suggested giving Mathew a plutonium sandwich. Apparently I'm an idiot who doesn't know what's good for me, and I'm risking overdoing it too soon and ending up dealing with 'Long Covid.' I think she's wrong, of course. I also think it's time we came up with a better name for that condition. Lots of people have it and I don't think they gave it enough thought when they originally christened it, so now it's a constant in our society it should have a moniker to suit. I'm thinking something like "Post Corona Hell Fatigue" or "Oriental Tiredness" or "SARS-induced Arbitrary Apathy" but you may have your own suggestions.
And Philippa's wrong, by the way. I DO know what's good for me - she is.

RC 29-8-23

1.5 out of 5

While struggling through my latest bout of... you know... I managed to watch the movie "The Irishman". Jesus, it's long. It took me four sittings across three days to get through it all, and I'm not really sure it was worth the effort. The story is an interesting one, but is probably a complete fabrication, or parts of it at least. Frank Sheeran and his biographer almost certainly exaggerated a lot of his importance. No-one was going to buy the book without the 'big reveal' about his involvement in Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance, I imagine, so how far that is rooted in truth, who can say?
And as for the 'ground-breaking' de-aging process, I thought they all looked like they had weird masks stretched across their faces. And the effects were wasted anyway, because these alien-looking youthful faces were being imposed on actors in their 70s, who moved exactly like you would expect 70-year-olds to move. De Niro is a fantastic actor, but he can't leap around like a lithe 35-year-old, so the physical scenes (especially when he attacked people) looked clumsy and awkward and just, well, weird.
Good to see Joe Pesci in a film again, though. He was great.

RC 26-8-23

Panting and Painting

I feel so much better today. More energy, less breathy, less fatigued. Whatever this new variant is called, it seems to be affecting people in very different ways. A colleague back in Norfolk said it has flattened him for a week, whereas for me it's been a few days of mild discomfort.
And I'll stop writing about that now, because I think we all had enough virus talk back in 2020/21.

This little spell of unwellness is provoking me to think about my fitness levels, which can only be a good thing. Normally I do a lot of walking, cycling and swimming during Spring and Summer, but with a new young 'un in the house, and with the awful weather, I just haven't exercised as much, and that needs to change.

Philippa has developed a sudden urge to redecorate, so we may end up going paint shopping on Sunday. It would never be my idea of a good time, but I know she loves looking at colour schemes and I know how much I love making her happy, so a few hours perusing the B&Q shelves and discussing Dulux is a small price to pay for keeping my wife smiling.

RC 25-8-2

PCSD?

Yesterday seemed a bit of a pointless blog, so I'll try harder today.
Been back to work for the first time in nearly two weeks and I have to admit it was good to be back! I'm absolutely shattered though. Covid didn't hit me too hard this time but bloody hell I feel drained from it! Fortunately, I didn't have to stray too far from my office today. Even though isolation is no longer necessary, we thought it best if I keep away from everyone - staff and customers alike - for a few more days; at least until I look more human and less like a person who is obviously recovering from Covid. I have that strange, pasty, clammy look, with a hint of yellow in my skin, that I remember so well in others during the height of the lockdowns.
I think that's been the worst thing about getting it again this week - it brought back all those awful memories of the past few years when we were all stuck in narrow lives and dreading the appearance of a superstrain. I'm still not convinced the psychological aftereffects are really being acknowledged, but who am I to say?

RC 24-8-23

Still sticking to 200 words, by the way...

I did have more thoughts about yesterday's topic, but - even through my Covid confusion - I was determined not to go over my allocated August allowance of 200 words per posting. It's been a good thing, I think. Putting a cap on my ramblings has stopped me waffling on incessantly and forced me to be more careful about my topics. Having an upper limit means I am doing something I have never done before with this blogsite - I've edited some of my writings after finishing them. I'm not saying the quality has improved at all, but I've certainly taken more care and put more thought into everything. I can't guarantee that will continue once we hit September, but it's nice to dream...

I have been enjoying these monthly challenges, and I'm already thinking about what the next one might be. It's crazy to consider that I am almost at the end of the busiest month at work! Waiting for Summer weather to start, and then being sent away from the site, have contributed to me losing track of where the hell we are in the calendar, and we're two-thirds of the way through the school holidays already! Madness....

RC 23-8-23

temperature falling; spirits rising

 I am feeling remarkably close to myself again this evening. I slept for 11 hours last night, after drinking lots and lots of water, and most of my 'symptoms' seemed to have dissipated rapidly as the day has gone on.  I spoke to Gavin a little while ago and he asked me to stay home tomorrow just to be sure I'm not going to spread anything, and then to go back into work on Thursday. I'm not sure what the incubation period is for these new strains, or what the 'R' number is these days, but no-one seems to care so I guess we just carry on as if I have a cold?
It felt weird writing 'the R number' in that paragraph! Those virus-related phrases were almost an obsession back in 2020/21 but I'd forgotten it was even an important thing until I just typed it. Funny how we've all fallen back into our old lives, almost collectively ignoring the whole 'pandemic pause' as if it was just an embarrassing date that we pretend never really happened to us. I'm not sure that's the best way of dealing with it all, but I do seem to be joining in..

RC 22-8-23

The strain of the strain...

Well, I'm back in Suffolk, and I brought back Covid with me for good measure. (Imagine me inserting a 'rolling your eyes' emoji here). Yep - having escaped the unpleasant, Covid-like cold bug that was tearing its way through the site a couple of weeks ago, I have picked up The Actual Virus again while seconded away in Devon.
Bloody Hell.
I don't feel too bad actually. More pissed off than anything else. I had a raging sore throat on Saturday, and a hell of a temperature yesterday, but today I feel a wee bit better. Just very sleepy. I keep drifting off while trying to read e-mails and I keep forgetting what I'm talking about halfway through phone calls. (I am, you see, being a real trooper and continuing to work from home as much as I can). Thankfully, there's no isolation or any of that avoidance malarkey going on these days (probably why I caught it in the first place) so I know I can go back to my office on the site as soon as I feel up to it. Which I really hope will be soon, because I have to admit I have missed the place!

RC 21-8-23

This time tomorrow, I'll be back with my boys

Greetings from my rather lovely onsite managerial 'super-suite' caravan somewhere on the Devon coast. It has been quite the week and I am glad I am traveling back tomorrow. It's been nowhere near as bad as I was anticipating, and actually I'm not entirely sure why it was necessary to be here at all, as the rest of the senior staff seemed to have everything under control despite Gavin's worries, but I suppose he felt better knowing he had sent me, and I suppose they have benefitted from having an outside eye looking in.
I have to admit as well that there has been an unexpectedly nice benefit to me personally. Because I was sent in as a troubleshooter, with Gavin praising my work at my usual site, I was instantly given respect from staff and thanked for riding in on my white horse (or plane) to help them. When I started at the site in Suffolk, I was the new guy from another industry who had to learn as he went along; here I'm seen as an experienced hand who has already proved himself and is worth listening to, and that's been really nice.
Maybe I SHOULD move here!

RC 17-8-23

Flight of (no) fancy

So this is it then. It's all real. In less than an hour I will be getting dropped off at an airport for a flight across the South of England to Exeter airport. I think, for the past few days, I have been convincing myself that this would not be really happening, and that at some point the plans would be changed.
But no.
I really am being sent to a different workplace, hundreds of miles away from my usual site, during the busiest month of the year for my industry.
But let's not go on about that, as I've been boring you with it all week.
Trying to see it as a positive, and trying to turn it into a fun working holiday in my head, I suppose I get to see a part of the country I'm not very familiar with, I get to enjoy a plane ride, and I get to swim in a completely different sea (assuming the weather is nice enough and assuming I get 10 minutes spare somewhere to do it).
Packing is a pain as God knows whether it will be suitable for shorts or whether I should be taking a raincoat.
Christ...

RC 13-8-23

August unhappiness

Today has been a tough day.
Either I've had a weird onset of serious hay fever or I've gone down with the cold that everybody else at work had last week. (And please God, don't let it be that.)
My legs have been aching anytime I've walked more than ten steps and my face feels like someone has hit it with a hammer AND filled it with cement. I think it might be the extra stress brought about by this ridiculous sojourn Southwards that I have to take on Sunday.
I've been simultaneously trying to deal with day-to-day problems as they surface and plan for a week of firefighting down in Devon.  We're in the height of Summer season, the place is packed, everyone who left today has been moaning about the fact that the weather turned better just as they headed home - as if it's completely my fault! - and we seem to be missing members of staff in every department.  At one point today I was tempted to just chuck it all in and jump in the sea.
At least the England women won at the World Cup this morning so everyone was in a good mood!

RC 12-8-23

Ladies

Right, something that isn't about, y'know, my wandering work woes...
I have to say I'm enjoying the success of the England Women's sports teams this week, and the effect it seems to have had on people generally. It's almost like members of the public who are keen on supporting their national teams are delighted to be able to support people who are enjoying the sport for the sake of it, rather than their overpaid, over-egotistical male counterparts. I don't want to buy into all the 'inspirational females on an amazing journey' crap that seems to be dominating the TV coverage, but I have to say that both the netball roses and the football lionesses are very likeable, down-to-earth squads of players who genuinely seem to like each other and genuinely seem to be proud of their achievements. I don't remember the diamond-earring-wearing, excuse-spouting, media-trained-to-within-an-inch-of-their-lives Men's teams coming across quite so well in tournaments past.
Philippa says I should stop being so judgemental and opinionated and just enjoy it for the spectacle of it. But the truth is, if I wasn't with her, I wouldn't be paying much attention to it all anyway, so it's not that much of a spectacle.

RC 11-8-23

Ownership doesn't guarantee intelligence

No-one is happy that Gavin is stepping in to 'fill my shoes' while I am away in Devon. The common consensus is that the sensible move would be for HIM to travel down to sort out his other site, leaving me to run things where I'm used to being. I keep having to explain to people that I pointed that out to him the second I got the e-mail suggesting this ridiculous adventure.
What makes even less sense to me is the way he is sending me loads of information about what has been going on down in the South. I'm flat out busy every second I'm at work, I haven't got time to sit and look at spreadsheets and rotas and staffing details, and I'm sure as Hell not going to take them home to look at. When is he expecting me to absorb all this stuff, and come up with a plan to reverse the damage? While sleeping? I feel he may be over-hoping and overhyping my abilities.
Anyway, it is what it is, and I'm sick of filling this blogsite with it, so I'll try very hard to spend tomorrow's 200 words on a completely different topic!

RC 9-8-23

...and down

So, I am now committed to a flight to Devon late on Sunday night, followed by four days leading a project that I am calling "Operation Sinking Ship" because I have zero confidence that anything I try to do will make even an atom of difference. Philippa is pissed off and can't understand why I didn't stand up for myself and say 'No'. Mathew is distraught because he doesn't understand why dad is going on holiday without him. The only member of the family who hasn't reacted badly is Rian, but that might be down to his age and complete lack of understanding of the situation, and as he is still a long way away from being able to talk to me, I'm feeling a bit lonely, even if he is still on my side.
Most of the staff at work aren't happy either. August is ridiculously hard for everyone already and they can't see the logic in sending one of the managers away to help out somewhere else, saying it seems to be 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' etc. I have to say I agree, but Gavin Knows Best, apparently.
(Except when he doesn't.)
(Logic is not his strength.)

RC 8-8-23

South-West bound

Just an afterthought to yesterday's posting - if we ever have another son, "Devon Folly Chesworth" is definitely a name I'll consider.

Gavin and I had a meeting this afternoon to go over plans for next week. Which makes perfect sense, because it's the busiest time of the year, and the crap weather has meant loads of outdoor activities being cancelled, loads of rushing around to set up indoor-based alternatives, and loads of complaining people who have paid a small fortune to have a lovely, fun, sunny, family holiday only to end up ankle deep in puddles, so obviously there's nothing else for me to do besides sit down with my boss to discuss problems that are occurring somewhere else.
Anyway, after that ridiculously long sentence, I will tell you that he has agreed to fly me most of the way, then arrange taxis to and from the airport. He will also give me a generous per diem for meals and tack some extra days onto my holiday entitlement for this year.
He has also assured me this isn't some crafty way to get me down there just so he can keep me there, which believe me I had suspected.

RC 7-8-23

News I didn't want...

Gavin (my boss) has decided to send me down to the South-West of the country for a few days next week. His Devon Folly needs some desperate attention and for some reason he thinks it makes more sense for me to go and have a look at it, than him. I am not happy about this, and as you can imagine, the wife at home is not particularly thrilled either. Gavin leapt on that and said, "Why don't take them? A nice chance for an unexpected Summer break with the family!" But it won't be that, will it? It'll be a 9-hour drive with two young children, followed by me working 12-hour days and coming back stressed and tired.
Then a 9-hour drive back to Suffolk.
Not exactly an ideal recipe for August fun and delights.
Someone has quit, apparently, and left things in a bit of a mess. And apparently my particular skill set and style of management is exactly what Gavin thinks is needed to dig everything out of a hole and ensure the site survives the Summer Holidays.
Personally, I think he just can't be bothered to go himself; but I'll do as I'm told, I suppose.

RC 6-8-23

Wash-out woes

You know those Summer days that you dream about when it's dark and cold in Winter? This hasn't been one of those days. You know those lovely long walks in a T-shirt and shorts that are nice to take on a lovely August evening? I won't be having one of those tonight. You know those fun outside barbecues that we only get to have for a few months of the year, when you have friends round and enjoy sitting in the garden together with a cold drink and a burger or three? That won't be happening tonight.
I am having to accept that this year is going to be an absolute bag of shit for people who are fans of nice weather. It's going to be cold and damp and cloudy and crap right through until the end of September, then we'll get a couple of weeks of glorious sunshine just to show us all what we've been missing.
And then we'll be back into Winter....
Small wonder that people aren't enjoying their holidays, and are complaining about every tiny thing that isn't perfect, and are walking around the site in their jackets looking miserable.
I probably look the same.

RC 5-8-23

Cold Avoidance Continues

Another two members of staff have been hit by the non-Covid, Covidy virus thing. I've now taken to spraying everyone with anti-bac spray every time they walk past, and holding my breath any time I'm indoors. I do NOT want to have a Summertime illness. To be fair, no-one seems too poorly. It's not like they're keeling over in the office or taking three days off to recover and get their strength back, but still... Summer colds are bastards, and I would like to avoid this one if I can. Even if it means being horrible to colleagues to make sure they keep the Hell away from me.
In other news, we've been invited to a wedding back in Norfolk. One of Philippa's sporty chums from her badminton days has foolishly decided to legally hitch herself to the waste of space she's been spending time with recently, so poor old Rory is committed to another crappy wedding. I tried convincing Philippa to convince her friend to use one of my work sites as a venue for The Big Day, but she scoffed at the idea. Very selfish of her when I'm trying to tap into the lucrative Marriage Market...

RC 3-8-23

Double-Century Chesworth

Ok - Monthly Challenge decided upon...
Yesterday's blog was exactly 200 words in length. So I've decided that's how it's going to be throughout the month of August, my friends. Any posting that I post will be exactly 200 words in length, or you can tattoo the word 'LAZY' across my forehead and force me to eat raw onions.
I have to be careful now not to get carried away and type too much, meaning I'll then have to edit things down, which is awkward. Nor must I be too pithy - short, concise, witty paragraphs are great in the blogsphere but they're not going to work if I have to elongate them to fit them within the context of this challenge. But that's the whole point of a challenge, isn't it? If challenges aren't a challenge and are quite unchallenging, then they're not really a challenge at all, are they?
Jeez - I wonder how many of my 200 words today will be variations of the word 'challenge'?

In other non-challenge news, there is a nasty Summer cold ripping through the office staff at work. I'm keeping all the windows open, and I've gone back to wearing a mask.

RC 2-8-23

So.... what's next?...

The poetry kind of ground to a halt towards the end of the month, but I have to say I am very, very happy with my efforts and impressed by the way I stuck to the challenge throughout July. There are now, if I counted correctly, 20 new poems in the world that didn't exist at the end of June, plus a handful of haikus that I threw in for good measure.
The exercise has done me good, I feel. I am now considering another, similar creative endeavour to see me through August. Maybe a novella where I write a chapter a day, and it's finished by the 31st, or a long-form article about music where I analyse my favourite songs one by one as the days go by.
Really, I guess, I'm just looking for ways to avoid going back to writing about myself all the time. I never thought this blogsite would evolve into an outlet for my amateurish creativity, but maybe that's the way forward, and you can enjoy ignoring my pathetic product instead of ignoring my journaling, like has happened for the past 15 years or so.
My God, it really is 15 years and counting...

RC 1-8-23