work/life unbalanced

0919, not long up, and already feeling stressed again; more so if anything. It’s Judy's birthday and I feel it matters enormously that I should get there today, but I so wish it wasn’t for noon; I need to leave at 10:30 to maybe get there in time.

I can’t do this; the effective scenario is was: words on the right are the update
1. leave for East London and Judy's irthday at 10am Birthday card/gift
2. arrive at Becton at noon Took the wrong exit on the A406 and had to retrace. Found her house but they were at the pub. Directions were wrong and I overflowed
3. share Judy's birthday Got to the pub at about 1330; Judy loved her pink presents and recognised the silk of the scarf *happy*
4. travel to Victoria and the O’Brien’s birthday for 5:30 Cancelled
5. stay in London at Mark’s Cancelled
6. leave for Heathrow at 12:30 Re-scheduled for Paul to drive me at 1pm from home
7. flight to Amsterdam at 1600
7a train to s'Hertzogenbosch consorting with squeaky again but at least we won't be sitting together and I have my new Kindle to play with
Groan* working with the blonde boss. I actually HAVE done some thinking; if he and 80% set objectives, then I want to know what they are – NOW. I also want to know specifics of milestones and deliverables. How we get there is manageable even if impossible
8. 2 days in Veghel working too hard need Laptop, Business clothes and shoes
9. Taxi to station ½ hour Noon latest to leave. Thankfully alone to unwind and de-stress
10. Train to Schiphol 1 hour More unwind and de-stress time
11. Flight to Heathrow 1.5 hours => 15:30 Even MORE unwind and de-stress time
12. Home or Mark’s?? Mark’s.
13. Brickhouse for 7pm. From home 2 hrs, from Mark’s 1 hr Party clothes and shoes
14. Day off at Mark’s
15. Office by 9am Laptop, Business clothes and shoes in place

1934 NOW, AT HOME. Sid called just after I got back to the house, and we were on the phone for almost an hour. I have promised I will go over there; ironing, packing and sorting myself out are once more in abeyance.

I went back to Judy’s after the pub and met her adorable little dog, leaving at 1640 and still managing to screw up directions. Maybe I’m short of B-vitamins.

So, the revised plan. I get Paul to drive me to the airport tomorrow; I go to Mark’s from Heathrow on Tuesday, from his to the Brickhouse for my birthday celebration and to work on Thursday by train from Mark’s, leaving my clothes at his to collect at the weekend.

Weekend 16th is the poker regional finals at Brighton. Mark sounds very keen that I should go with him. (*item: Mathijs wants me to be in Verden some days of the week 18th-22nd – I am on holiday 21-24, flight gets into Luton at 22.30 and I need to be at home and organised the evening of the 20th.)

Weekend 23/24 I will still be away but need to get to Viersen on the Sunday night ready for PAM workshop 2. That will be another nightmare since, although I may be able to get a flight direct to Amsterdam, it will mean taking the laptop and business clothes with me.

Weekend 30th I am invited to, and plan to attend a do N&N are running on the Saturday afternoon, I missed their first one and need to show some support! At least the next workshop, location tba - Dusseldorf??? is planned for the 4th/5th and not the Monday/Tuesday

Weekend November 6th I will have got back from 2 days in Viersen, Veghel or Verden. Will life seem less frantic then? It might be the first available weekend to have some quality time with the shorts. I did see them on Monday evening after work; the gorgeous blonde is reading everything he can lay his hands on and the minxcat from hell is being pretty gorgeous. We won’t mention the lipstick scribbles on the mirror in the cloakroom, it means she loves me (and that I need to keep my makeup out of her reach)

Fighting off the guilt and sad I'm missing the candlelit dinner Mark had planned for me tonight. He's forgiven me, so he says. I've almost forgiven myself. At any rate I am much more calm than I have beeen since yesterday morning