Jamie worked till 8 tonight but still found time to cook herself and the kids some tea leaving me lots of time once I’d finished work and taken Billy, so I had an hour in me shed playing darts.

A great way to unwind and forget about the 2 hour meeting I had to finish my day, although I am pleased to report that under a barrage of waffle I rose above being side stepped and ignored even using some not so subtle sarcasm to make it through the clown show. I even had time earlier to put them in their place over incompetence and ignorance in an email reply.

Can’t wait to disappear for two and a half weeks at a really critical stage of converting my company to a new piece of software and literally forgetting about it and enjoying our vacation

Seven days and counting

It was really good to get away walking in the Lakes yesterday and enjoyed a night out last night too but this morning I was already looking forward to getting home again.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing that if either me or Jamie go away alone, we always crave to come back to “normality” which for me is my family its what makes me happy. Being away makes me realise what I have and that I have such a great life so why would I want to be away from that for any longer than necessary?

Now, back to normality today was pegging washing out, going to the store for groceries, cooking a Sunday roast and washing up afterwards then taking the dog for a walk but I loved it. We chatted about the American adventure and it was brilliant to see both children’s growing excitement and how they are planning their trips in their heads things like what to pack or what they’ll need for the plane journeys its just cute to see.

Jamie is now getting small details sorted like plug adapters and what tech to take, it just all getting very real now with 10 days to go. I have setup a Google Drive folder that syncs to Plex and shared it with Nannie so we can upload photos during our trip and she can keep up with what we’re doing which will be really good for her to see.

Hate to keep harping on about my job, but it can be all consuming at times it’s great if that consuming is good, but as I’ve written recently, it’s like I don’t exist in meetings. I had 2 today and in the first, which they asked me to attend because they needed my input and knowledge, yet my only contribution was to recommend which server they connect to. Once they knew that they did not require me and I just sat there as they led themselves to do what they needed to, and I left?

In the second meeting the subject was data collection and the movement of that data and there was a problem that could not be resolved so they named all the people who were needed, to come up with a resolution and the rest could leave….I was one of those to leave the meeting?

I was telling Jamie what had happened at lunch time and while I was talking she turned her favourite TV show on and it made feel exactly how the same as the meetings were making me feel, like there has to be something better than listening to Alan Forster

I’d forgotten my new mantra of “FUCK ‘EM” I had let it get under my skin again and it just shouldn’t have done I shouldn’t have let them make me feel like that again but….

The teachers went out on strike again today and will be on strike again tomorrow, too, and this is the third and fourth day of industrial action this year. Reagans school is closed, but Lincoln’s school has said year six need to attend because it is an important year for them as they prepare to move up to Middlewich High School in the summer. We sent him for the first two days, but he told us that because his teachers were not there, they were just told to read or they went over stuff that they had already done numerous times.

Although it goes against everything I believe in I said that if they strike again, Mommy and me will not make you go in so today both children stayed home from school and will again tomorrow due to the teachers strike action.

Two weeks today we get on a plane to America for our holidays and that means both Reagan and Lincoln will miss 3 more days of school but part of me thinks it doesn’t matter because the teachers have already decided fighting for better pay is better than teaching my children four days this term so they can not object to 3 more days or even worse fine us for the absence? I am not sure I could hold my tongue if they did….

Reagan went back to school today after spending the weekend convalescing and as her Mom waved her off I just saw that glimmer of empowerment she has and just thought, she won’t spend the whole day at school, they’ll phone to say she needs to be picked up.

Lincoln just gets on with life wearing the smile he has on most of the time not allowing anything to phase him. School is just one of those things he accepts and attends every day, although this week we are not going to make him go in during Wednesday and Thursday’s strike action by teachers so he will get a couple of days off.

Mommy is working hard to make extra money for our holiday which will be here in no time, well, 16 days to be precise! She is already worrying about switching off and enjoying a break wondering if she should take her laptop in case of an emergency at work. I may allow it but I will never encourage it, she needs a break and she deserves to spend two weeks with her family and friends in Denver without having to think about work!

Me, I tried to stay dead calm all day sorting out the usual work crises hacked email accounts and such like before attending Irene Morrison’s funeral. I never reacted upon my return to find as expected Reagan was already home after being collected by Mommy at the school’s request, nor did I rise to any of the incompetent drivel at either of this afternoon’s meetings even managing to talk and get a point across, although who knows if they listened? All in all for me a good day ending with Jamie and a glass of red wine finished it off perfectly!