Stress Relief

Starting to feel quite relaxed about things, at least as much as I ever seem to nowadays. With the exception of work and a few things around renting my flat out, everything's either completed, can be managed fairly hands-off, or is not going to get done so I've given up worrying about it.

Work's going pretty badly though. It's clear to me now exactly why it was taking so much out of me at valuation time - I've been holding things together by sheer effort of will. As I've not been able to do that this time round (partly because of Australia, partly because I've had to spend a lot of time with my replacement and partly because of having left my head in the Gran Sabana for the first week back), everything seems to have fallen apart. I'm not the sort of person that can easily accept this as out of my control and, having only 7 days left in the office, would be unfixable even if I could spend 100% of my effort on it for the remaining time available to me. The same old conversations were had today with team member #2 - I can't see any more that I can do to solve this particular problem. I'm going to get a barrage of e-mails over the next few months, I just know.

I'm going to meet Richard, my new boss, tomorrow - finally! It's almost 4 months to the day that he rang me to offer me the job, and hiring someone when you've no idea what they look like still seems weird to me. (Likewise going to work somewhere in a foreign country where you've never met any of the staff, but I like adventure and surprises!) Concern over making a good first impression also seems somewhat misplaced.

My last badminton in York tonight - probably last anywhere for several months, as my racket will be on a boat heading Ozwards next Tuesday. It was, as predicted, nowhere near as good as last week, but still really enjoyable, and slightly sad to think I won't be going there again for a very long time. I've made several friends as a result of the "club" - Steve P, Matt H and Steve H are people I'd probably never have got to know if not for badminton.