Misfits Mid-Life Crisis Adventures in Surrey & East London.

Week 373, Saturday 7^th until Friday 13^th August 2021.

A work e-mail arrived this week, one I have been expecting for the last six weeks. In late September/Early October staff will be expected to return to the office. It was not said if this will be for a few days each week on a rota basis or permanently. Anyone continuing to choose to homework will have to sign an agreement. I desperately do not want to return to the office, on a busy day there were 50 to 60 people in there, imagine NASA mission control (sadly nowhere near as exciting) full of people staring at screen talking into headsets. 

The e-mail confirmed what I had been thinking for a while that I desperately do not want to step foot in that office again. My feelings have nothing to do with the virus, I just don’t want to sit in a huge office, more importantly I cannot bear the ridiculously long commute there and back. Receiving that e-mail force me to send a message to my manager saying that I intend to leave towards the end of September. I have been thinking of this for well over a month now, it was only a matter of time before I would have to say something. Receiving that e-mail just confirmed what I have needed to do. As expected my boss was on the phone a few minutes later, he totally understood my feelings.

The surprise came the next day, when the boss rang again asking if I would be interested in (if there are any) back office admin roles in the same organisation. All I want is to escape the call centre environment. My answer came out of my mouth straight away; I didn’t need to think. Any admin role would probably be in an office, unless I can work from home of course. Importantly it would definitely be a less stressful job than taking call after call all day. Over the last month or so I have applied for a number of jobs and will continue to do so (unless my boss can arrange a new role). My fingers are constantly crossed that someone might like my CV and give me a chance.

Any new job won’t be for long, because my plan is to go travelling in January 22. The money earned will help go towards my travel fund so I can stay away for as long as possible.  I really think that the next couple of months work wise will to be challenging, but very exciting.

And Now For Something Completely Different……

Over the last 17 months I have really enjoyed the garden. One task out the back I particularly like is watering the plants I am attempting to grow. Until this week I have done this using a watering can, making multiple trips through the garden. Everything has changed, because a tap has been plumbed in on the outside wall. Recently I enjoyed watering my mum and sisters garden with a hose. Now I get to use a hose every day, something so simple for me is therapeutic and satisfying. As soon as I logged off after a stressful day, I rush outside to feed the birds then water the garden. I have never been a gardener, I don’t have green fingers but I am enjoying getting messy.

On Monday I moved the Tomato plants and a couple of other planters to a sunnier part of the garden. I spent the best part of 3 hours amusing myself with bamboo canes and string creating structures to be covered with netting. When the rain started I naturally thought “it will pass”, for days before it had rained for periods before stopping.

Not that day, it got harder and harder.  If the neighbours saw me in my shorts, vest top with sunglasses and hat (made of paper, according to the label. And it shouldn’t get wet) they would have through that I had finally flipped. I soldered on determined to finish the job. Because I didn’t want my phone to get wet (it was playing podcasts) I rushed in and put a cost on. By the time I had finished I was totally drenched, the coat clinged to every contour of my lardy frame. I ending up stripping off in the kitchen, the clothes went straight in to the washing machine. Monty Don would not be impressed with what I had done in the garden, but I don’t care. I am not particularly bothered if fruit doesn’t appear, personally I love to look and watch the plants growing because of my care and attention.  

And Finally……

Last week at my sisters while going up to bed I found an apple in my bag. Without thinking I put it on top of her fruit bowl as I passed. I love apples but, thought her kids would like the fruit. The next day working in her living room, my sister approached and placed my apple in front of me saying “have this on your break”. She didn’t know I had placed it there the night before; she was being caring and not wanting me to pass out from being hungry. All I could do was laugh. Karma is a bitch, I was destined to consume that apple. I did and it was good.

My Mid Life Crisis Conts……

This week I have watched:

“Antares Rocket & Cygnus launch (ISS Resupply Mission)”, (NASA TV)((TX: 10/08/21). “Bad Samaritans”, (2018). “Best Of The Best, Provides New Views, Commentary Of Space Shuttle Launches”, (YouTube)(TX: 16/12/10). “Blake’s 7”, (SA, ep 12 & ep 13)(SB, ep 1). “Challenger Shuttle Disaster – RAW Uncut Footage”, (YouTube)(TX: 30/09/09). “Chef”, (2014). “Clementine”, (2019). “Click”, (TX: 07/08/21). “Colony”, (S2, ep 13)(S3, ep 1). “Craig And Bruno’s Great British Road Trips”, (S1, ep 5, TX: 11/08/21). “Farscape” (S4, ep 18). “Ghosts”, (S3, ep 1 to ep 6). “How Deep Is The Earth’s Core”, (Facebook)(TX: 11/10/20). “In The Heart Of The Sea”, (2015). “Jerk”, (S2, ep 1 to ep 4). “Monsters At Work”, (S1, ep 4 & ep 5). “Old Dogs”, (2009). “Please Help”, (BBC Three short)(07/07/21). “Roger And Val Have Just Got In”, (S2, ep 5 & ep 6). “Safelight”, (2015). “Shuttle Atlantis STS-132 – Amazing Shuttle Launch Experience”, (YouTube)(TX: 14/05/10). “Snowpiercer”, (S1,ep 4 to 6). “Soyuz Rendezvous And Docking Explained”, (YouTube)(TX: 21/11/14). “Soyuz Undocking, Reentry And Landing Explained”, (YouTube)(TX: 11/11/13). “Space Shuttle Cockpit Video STS-118 Endeavour”,(YouTube)(TX: 13/02/16). “Space Shuttle Columbia STS-107, Cockpit Footage Just Before The Accident”, (YouTube)(TX: 13/02/16). “Space Shuttle Discovery Landing STS-128 Edward’s Air Force Base”, (YouTube)(TX: 03/04/10). “Stargate Atlantis”, (S2, ep 9). “Sunshine”, (2007). “Take off With Bradley and Holly”, (S1, ep 3, TX: 08/08/21). “Taskmaster”, (S2, ep 2, TX: 28/06/16)(ep 3, TX: 05/07/16)(ep 4, TX: 12/07/16)(ep 5, TX: 19/07/16)(S3, ep 1, TX: 04/10/16)(ep 2, TX: 11/10/16). “The Bureau Of Magical Things”, (S1, ep 6). “The Grand Tour Presents: A Massive Hunt”, (S4, ep 1, TX: 17/12/20). “The Grand Tour Presents: Seamen”, (S4, ep 2, TX: 13/12/19). “The Other Woman”, (2014). “The Sky At Night”, (TX: 08/08/21). “The Soyuz Launch Sequence Explained”, (YouTube)(TX: 08/08/13). “The Walking Dead”, (S10, ep 1 to ep 6). “Three Space Station Crew Members Return Home Aboard Soyuz Spacecraft”, (YouTube)(TX: 17/04/21). “Tomorrowland: A World Beyond”, (2015). “Tribes of Europa”, (S1, ep 5). “Van Helsing”, (S3, ep 9 to ep 11).  

This week I have listening to:

“30 Animals That Made Us Smarter”,(BBC World Service/Sounds)(S2, ep 7, 09/08/21). “Anti Social Show”, (ep 95, 07/08/21). “Betamax Video Club“, (ep 2, 13/10/17). “Coronavirus Global Update”, (BBC World Service/Sounds)(07/08/21) (08/08/21)(09/08/21)(10/08/21)(11/08/21)(12/08/21)(13/08/21). “Doctor Who”, (The Incomparable/TeeVee)(S11, ep 3, 22/10/18). “Farscape”, (The Incomparable) (11/08/21). “Mystery Hour”, (12/08/21). “Nick Abbot Whole Show”, (07/08/21) (08/08/21)(13/08/21). “Radio Astronomy, (The Sky At Night Magazine Podcast)”, (ep 1, 10/06/16)(ep 103, 12/08/21). “Rob Beckett And Josh Widdecombe Parenting Hell”, (S3, ep 9, 10/08/21)(ep 10, 13/06/21). “Smersh Pod”, (01/04/18). “Space Boffins”, (12/08/21). “Space Soldiers Podcast – Flash Gordon’s Trip To Mars“, (Chapter Eight,“The Black Sapphire Of Kalu”, 31/07/21)(Chapter Nine,“Symbol Of Death”, 07/08/22) . “The Audio Guide To Babylon 5”, (The Incomparable/TeeVee)(ep 41, 29/11/15). “The Friendship Onion”, (S1, ep 13, 10/08/21). “The Incomparable”, (The Incomparable)(ep 575, 08/08/21). “The Nick Abbot Habit”, (09/08/21).  “The Space Above Us”, (112, 23/07/20)(113, 06/08/20)(114, 20/08/20)(115, 03/09/20)(116, 17/09/20)(117, 01/10/20)(118, 15/10/20). “This Week In Time Travel”, (The Incomparable)(22/10/18). “Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels – Happy Times And Places”, (20.3, “The Time Warrior”, pt 3, 09/08/21) (20.4 “The Time Warrior”, pt 4, 13/06/21). “WTB”, (S1, ep 17, 13/11/20). “What’s Your Problem With Nick Abbot And Carol Mcgiffin”, (09/08/21). “Wolf And Owl”, (ep 36, 11/08/21). 

Songs I enjoyed this week, were by:

“Morrissey”, “Alanis Morissette”, “Catatonia”, “Coldplay”, “Dexys Midnight Runners”, “Dusty Springfield”, “Elbow”, “Electronic”, “Grace Jones”, “Kirsty MacCall”, “Lilly Allen”, “Lulu”, “Ocean Colour Scene”, “Radiohead”, “Saint Etienne”, “Travis”, “The Stone Roses”, “Underworld”.