So the day continues. Despite redundancy, I have come to the Annual Kick Off meeting. First thoughts were no way, but then… hotel for the night in London plus free booze for the evening at Company expense, can take that. Plus it will be good to say farewell face to face to long standing colleagues.

Skipped the initial three hour sales/promotion death by PowerPoint section. Came here instead

Bike Shed, quiet but ever cool. Waiting for the meeting to end and then meeting up with Dave.

This morning I passed Microsoft Architect exam AZ-303. Now this significant for me. One, good high level qualification which will help hugely job wise. Two, it has raised confidence in my capabilities. This is a difficult exam. Three, this is the start of my new career adventure, failing it would have knocked me back psychologically.

Knowing that I have put in many hours over the last four days, and not sleeping well on it, I would have a found it really tough to pick myself up. This is a massive tonic.

The last few weeks have been incredibly stressful, redundancy and Alice putting restrictions on how and when I see Mabel. To have that in the background and have to focus on studying hard has been challenging. As is said “That which does not kill you makes you stronger”.

Mabel did the Maspalomas dune walk today. Well done, that is long, sandy and hot!

Picinic in the park. Last day of Spring Term, Mabel finished at 12.00 so picked her up, walked home.

Beautiful day for end of March. Played soft tennis, oddly Mabel’s eye ball co-ordination is not naturally great. However from Parents Consultation on Thursday :

Literacy: her handwriting has got smaller; she is writing little passages herself with connectives and correcting her own work

Reading: doing really well, linking more complex sounds, starting to read for pleasure

Mathematics: despite being so creative and imaginative, Mabel is very good at following processes in maths and she is very capable, choosing to complete more challenging activities

So Academic?

Tomorrow she is going to GC with Alice, same resort we have gone to for years. I couldn’t do that, want to keep the good memories from there in the past box.

Stopped smoking today. Day 1. Odd, coughing a lot but that is a result of quitting.

Have to do this. Be positive, be strong.

Odd day. Thing is I have spent this year building myself up to realise I am not a complete waster or more importantly a bad person. And nothing special either.

So the next 12 months, from 15 January need to be different. Enough thinking and analysis. Time to look forward and plan ahead.

Haha…. watch this space. Need to move forward now.

After a sequence of Beckley’s going under, and Mabel having close contact, have done LFT to Mabel today. Positive. My last LFT pack but assume I have it. Neither of us have any symptoms but Alice is suffering so I will take Mabel back tomorrow morning. Bank Holiday today, back to work tomorrow.

Bit miffed tbh, Alice knew that almost all Mallard’s household had tested positive. Charlie, Bertie, Una, but let Mabel come over for the weekend. In my view purely so they could have New Year weekend, then test after. So exposing me. Should have kept Mabel.

We had a chilled weekend. Saw Clifford the big red dog, brilliant. First time I have heard her laugh in a grown up kind of way.

Sales shopping. Lego, drawing. David Bowie. Too much pad, resolution this year, more outdoors and movement.

Christmas day mark 2 for Mabel. In pictures

One more beer and back to cook Gammon, Champagne chilling and watch something stimulating, or more likely trite rubbish. Hey, it’s Christmas Day, don’t beat yourself up (note to self as New Year resolution)