The Importance of Being Idle

A Post In Search Of A Title

Today was my second day back at work. Or more accurately, my second half-day back at work. I was planning to be back full time, but Rachel (my supervisor) took one look at me at lunchtime yesterday, and suggested that I should only do half days until I was feeling better. I have to admit that everybody is being really nice about it and not working me too hard, letting me take breaks to get myself together when I need to, and just generally being supportive. I don't think I've ever worked anywhere where your employers are actually nice to you before, it's a little unnerving. Incidentally Rachel was absolutely right to send me home yesterday, by that time of the day I was fairly convinced that my head was going to split completely in half and that a foul mixture of blood and brain fragments was going to pour out all over my workstation. As it was I struggled home and slept in a darkened room for four hours until I felt less crap.
It's been a while hasn't it? So let's briefly recap: I had a birthday (ridiculous old age of 37 now), went on a surprise camping trip to Hertsmonceux in Sussex for the astronomy festival there, which was pretty damn good fun, except I felt like crap occasionally, and there was only one good night for star-gazing. We also discovered that our tent was water proof on the first night (slightly unfortunate) and caught the edge of a little hurricane the next night which actually managed to rip our tent a little bit! Also, people had a tendency to trip over the ropes holding our tent down (it being an astronomy fest torches were strictly discouraged so people didn't have their night vision ruined). But we had a nice time, and visited the castle, popped into a vineyard on the way home and had a good time.
Other wise I've mainly been ill.
We went out to karaoke night a week or so back, for the first time in ages. That was pretty much the first week I was able to go anywhere or do anything even remotely normal, and that was fun. Over the weeked we did a little crawl round the local pubs trying to find one we liked. Sadly the one we liked isn't the one that's just round the corner from us which is too impersonal, expensive, and generally chavy. I thought it was like going into a McDonalds that served (over-priced) beer. Next village over (it's really only about a mile walk) in Werrington we came to the Blue Bell, but that was dingy and dark, and I didn't feel like it was a very welcoming place at all (I just wanted to drink up and get out of there to be honest. Maybe it's just 'cos I come to pubs late in life, but I always find I'm very sensitive to the atmosphere within). Then we got to the Three Horseshoes just up the road, and that was great! It felt friendly and welcoming (both staff and locals!), had a nice lounge for lounging and a cracking little public bar with a pool table, dart board, juke box and quiz machines! So I think we've decided that will be our regular haunt, when we can afford to haunt anywhere with any regularity!
I can't think what else happened to be honest, although I doubt there was anything very much, my condition still kinda limits how long I can do anything and I've only really started to feel normal in the past couple of weeks. I've pottered about a bit, become a bit of a Lord of the Rings obsessive (I've been watching the extras on the DVDs in little segments, and playing various related games when I can - Battle for Middle Earth on PC and Third Age on my Xbox. I even imagine the music when I'm going to sleep at night!). I know, I'm a nerd.

posted by BadMonkey @ 4:25 PM