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Sulky Monday Morning

Bit of a shitty start to the week, after an active weekend, and a run to start my week, I have dropped into a bit of a slump. Not sure if I am just feeling quiet, being a bit sulky or just repercussions of the end of last week (second assessments, of which I am still yet to blog about.)

Withdrawn…. That’s the word I was looking for. Edited to pop this in. I feel withdrawn today.

First session in class and I am yet to speak, I just don’t feel very engaging today. I have my suspicions of why, so thought I would write this to explore them. Hopefully during writing this I will understand it a little more. Usually how it works anyway.

So let’s start with the oldest and work forwards. Thursday and Friday last week was the end of Week 7 and time for our second assessments. As with the first ones, I was not stressed, but quietly confident that I would at least achieve a pass mark (which I did).

Before the assessment I had been feeling a bit ill, but got through the assessment OK. Getting my results the next day I was happy with the mark, especially given how I had felt on the day.

However as the weekend progressed I started to feel a little self aware. Knowing a couple of the others marks, somehow the mark I received no longer felt as good as it had, and slowly I started to feel a little less confident, and started beating myself up about it.

The weekend was a bit of a slow burner, so I dug in and did some running and cycle training to try and distract myself. The rest of the weekend was a bit dull, and didn’t really keep me as distracted as I needed to. A bit of shopping, some relaxing and tried soaking it off in the bath.

I was hoping that coming back to work and getting stuck into the workplace, but that has not been the case. I have instead sat in silence mulling everything over in my head, so it’s even harder as I am distracted and missing half the lesson while I sit here in a bit of a mini spiral, sulking over things that are out of my control, and a situation am actually satisfied with.

Another of those moments where I really question the rationale of my mind. There is no good reason to feel this was, but even when I try and take a deep breath and snap out of it, it’s not happening.

Maybe I am just suddenly realising I am a bit mentally exhausted at this point, and setting expectations too high for myself. Not doubting my abilities, but maybe realising that I am not as upbeat as I thought I was. To be honest, I am quite pissed off with myself at this very moment and just want to curl up for a bit and hide. Maybe that’s on my to do list for lunch time.

Front writing this I have realised that I just want to be quiet today, but am also aware of what that can lead to. So do I push myself to engage, or do I just have a day out of the moment and just see if things reset?

Newsflash Just heard we are getting our watches this week too. More to over think, great.!

Woooah, we’re half way there!

What a blur! Hard to believe that SIX weeks of training have passed already, consisting of three in the classroom, two on the floor actually doing part of the role, and another back in the classroom. From walking into the reception area on the first day, and looking around at the people in there wondering if we were all new starters, to now casually walking around the place with confidence. 

First and foremost I am proud of myself, for overcoming my inhibitions, putting the right foot forwards and starting as I mean to go on. From the first day I was offered the role I was determined that I would not be my old self of recent years, and instead project the confidence I remember having so many years ago. My aim was to stand out, without STANDING OUT!! If that makes sense. Be noticed and talked about for the right reasons, and not be the topic of gossip.

From day one I have tried to make bonds and support my fellow trainees in any way I could. Looking out for people, giving encouragement and praise, and most of all, trying to be a team player, and make sure we all made it through being the best versions of ourselves possible. All the while trying not to revert back to previous fake versions of myself. Not becoming a person I needed to be, but be the person I wanted to be known as. And dare I say, I think I have done it. 

Donning a mask, creating a character, and acting in a way I need to is something I am familiar with, and any person who has read these blogs over the years will know of my journey, and the pitfalls I have encountered over the decades of doing this. So to have a totally fresh start, be known as me, Michael, and not the previous iterations of me was key. For the first few weeks I honestly questioned was I being genuine? Was the real me coming across, or was I trying too hard?

Reading back through the  entries here has given me the confirmation that I needed, that I have indeed simply found the real me hidden inside the complex mixtures or personalities I have encountered and emulated over many years. It is SO refreshing to feel myself again. Feel that I am being honest with people and only showing them who I am, and not something or someone I want to be seen as.  I really think this is important in this role, and being in touch with yourself is a great asset to dealing with the things the role expose you to. Being human and relatable above all. 

I have had my doubts along the way, questioning if I was capable of doing it in the first place, how I would get on in a class environment, given the last time I was in one was 1989 and I walked away with nothing. I say nothing, I had the knowledge and the experience, just not the certification and proof that I had it all. Not that it has hindered me in life one bit. I am pleased to report however that I am enjoying the experience, and feel like I am learning so much. I have done more writing, as in pen and paper, in the past six weeks than I think I did my entire time at school. But that is a good thing. Like blogging, writing things helps me remember them, as it is a manual processing of my thoughts. 

Having finally managed to catch up with one of the seniors earlier this week, I am happy with the feedback I received, and that has given me a little more confidence and spark to dig ever deeper to reach the standard I expect of myself. There is a midway test coming up next week, which I am kinda looking forward to, just to see where I am and see what I need to improve on over the coming five weeks. It is incredible to think that in six weeks time I will hopefully have passed my last validation, been assigned to a work group and be starting my journey in a qualified (yet probationary) role. Fingers crossed anyway!

At the end of the working week this week I also had the opportunity to sit down with the trainers and discuss both my progress and have a welfare check to see all was well. From my side of things I am in a good place, happy with how things are in the classroom, confident things are sinking in, and not fazed by any of the topics or discussions. When asked if I had any questions or concerns, I simply asked how I was perceived. Not in an insecure way, but more to make sure that it was seen that I could be part of a team, and integrate within one of the work groups. There didn’t seem to be any concern there whatsoever, so again that was a nice boost for me. 

Another thing I realised was that all this incessant blogging and babbling on about things has really helped with my typing speed and keyboard confidence. Not that I ever thought I was slow, or struggled with IT, but it has definitely helped me when it comes to parts of the role where being familiar with the keyboard really helps. Random but factual.

So…..Here I am, past the half way mark, energised by what I have learned and experienced so far, excited about what lays ahead. Unfazed by the environment, really happy to be around lots of people (a phrase I never thought I would be saying). There is a lot to fit in over the coming weeks, but I have confidence in myself, my fellow trainees and most of all,  the trainers and the system. 

Here’s to my/ our successful passing out at the end of Oct…. fingers crossed

Big shout out to my support network both new and old.

Thank you.

Yes you!

I have finished my first rotation,  and feel so pumped about it all. After three weeks in the classroom, being out there and putting my new skills into practise, albeit with oversight and guidance, has been amazing.

I have learned so much, and have so so much more to learn, and then lots more to experience before I can honestly say I know what I am doing. But I am in good hands, and feel that the road ahead is a good one.

The trainers and people I am learning with on the job have gone a long way to make me feel so positive about it all, but there is another part…. And that part is YOU.

Well, some of you anyway lol. From the point of applying for this job, all the way through the assessments, tests, and interviews, not to mention while waiting on the dreaded DBS, there have been voices in my ear, keeping me on track, making sure all was OK, and giving me the encouragement and positivity I needed to get me to where I am today.

So to you, I say thank you. I am well aware we all have busy lives, and some of the people on my cheer team have really had a lot going on in their lives. Things I am very aware of and would have understood if you gave me a wide berth. But no, you have stood by me, encouraged me, kept me motivated and helped me reach the state of mind I am in now.

This is a place I have not been for a long time, and it feels amazing, so all the more reason to say thank you and thank you again.

People I have known decades, others that I have know just a few years. Some I have met regularly since I still had hair, others as little as once. But regardless, you guys have taken the time to check in on me regularly, express an interest in how things are going, and to prop me up and set me straight when I have wobbled a bit.

You are all quite frankly amazing, so if I haven’t already said it…. Thank you.

That’s all. As you were!

Tonight is the night!

Tonight I will do the first night-shift I have done in over a decade. Sure there have been times when I have been up throughout the night for various reasons, but it has been a long time since I actually worked all night. Especially whilst doing a completely new role too.

The past couple of shifts have varied in time and duration, Tuesday was a 12 hour shift during the day, Wednesday was an eight hour shift finishing much earlier in the afternoon. All the while my body is starting to adjust to it all. Having just come off the back of three weeks of 8 til 4 Mon to Fri, it is once again another shift. With tonights night shift being a total jolt to the circadian rhythm. But that is OK, I am ready for it, and looking forward to it too. 

In the last six months I have gone from working from 12 til 5pm, (five hour day) to not working at all for a few months, to Mon to Fri full days, to the rolling shift patterns I am on now. 
The current pattern consists of 3 working days, a 12 hour day shift, an 8 hour day shift and a 12 hour night shift, then three rest days (inc the day I finish on). I will be on this pattern for a couple of weeks, before returning to my Mon to Fri pattern til the end of training, hopefully by the end of October. 

As far as I know I will be doing the same role I was on Tuesday, just on a night shift tonight, but am aware the dynamic will change somewhat. The pattern in which we work will also change to allow for the differences in how a night unfolds in the role. Hopefully there will be an extended rest period available if all is going well. If not, then it will be a long night. Either way I am sure I will get by just fine, and won’t have too many issues.

Long term, after the end of training and as my probation begins on a “normal”working pattern, the rolling shifts of 3 on 3 off that is, I am sure I will be able to fine tune my routine to allow me to make the most of my days off, while ensuring I am well rested for the next rotation. But for now, I just have to muddle through it all, just like the rest of the group I am training with will. 

I of course have the bonus of having my adopted grandson on shift rotations with me, so I am sure one way or another there will be some entertainment provided by him and the rest of the group I am with. 

As a note for myself, the first 12 hr day shift left a small but adequate rest period before being in for the next day shift. Poor planning by me led to less rest than I had hoped for, so felt tired for my second day. I had a late night last night to try and get a couple of extra hours of sleep this morning, which seems to have worked. I actually managed to sleep beyond 5.15am today! I am hoping to have a couple of short naps this afternoon, before heading to work a little later than I have on day shifts.

I have made a habit of being at work 90-120 mins before day shifts to allow me to wake up and have a run or gym session, but no need for that for tonight, so I will get in a bit before the start today and settle in.

Right, I have some chores to do, then a nap to catch, so I better be getting on. 

Here goes….

Well that was a rough night’s sleep if I ever had one. OK… I have had worse for sure but it wasn’t great. My minor insecurities have caught up with me, and I had a few dreams where I was running away from it all.

I have to say it feels good to have some ‘worries’ about today, rathe than arrogantly and over confidently strolling in like a boss and then messing up.

Stay humble, be honest, highlight concerns and take it one step at a time. That’s the way I am trying to do this. Confidence in the system. Although there have been some points where it didn’t all sink in as well, now is the time to rectify that.

Six shifts of using what I have learned in real life. Putting to practice the theories and mock tests, and filling in the gaps to make me more prepared for the end of training.

Although I am saying all the right things, I am of course nervous. I have met some of the people I am working with this week and next, but still more to meet. I have had messages of confidence from others, but this is still my journey.

Awake since 4am I have tried to distract myself from my thoughts, with varying levels of success, instead thinking about having enough food and drink for the shift, wondering why I still have not sorted out food in the mess for myself yet and so on.

Small details, all which can be addressed in good time. For now my aims are simple. Get to work early, don’t get caught up in the post school holidays traffic, give myself time for a walk and mindfulness, and just be myself and be honest with my doubts and worries about my knowledge. And if course, get stuck in and try try try!

The traffic part should be interesting. If I leave 10 mins later than usual the traffic is already starting to build, and that was during the school holidays. This week the schools are back, so we shall see how that changes things. I will of course plan to be  at work silly early just to allow myself time to wake up properly and prepare mentally and physically for the day.

Right, I better get ready… Here goes!

Brain jam!

After a relaxing weekend to try and help the cold sore and ulcers heal up a bit, and ease up on myself a little, it is a new week, and my first long shift on the floor starts tomorrow. Of course I will not be alone, and I am sure I have a good understanding of what I need to be doing, with a few gaps here and there in my knowledge and experience for now. 

So all I need is some legible notes to help me through the early stages, and remind me of some of the thing I need to be doing. Processes, codes, and structure. I have three weeks worth of notes all written up, so I just need to compress some of the important bits down to a quick reference for me to look at as and when needed. 

I have a couple of nice empty note pads to use, even a nice indexed one, but the problem is, right now I have constipation of the brain. It is just not willing to let the information go, or even work properly to format it in the way I want to be able to use it. As you can probably tell I am just rambling, in the hope that it gets things moving and that I can start to get it together.

Does tomorrow rest on me getting it done…. No! But it would make things easier if I had something to turn to if I am unsure, instead of freezing up and looking like a deer in the headlights. 
I can’t say I am scared about tomorrow, although my stomach is churning right now. I have a positive mindset and know that with the right opportunities to practise, everything will start to fall into place. I can however say it is the most unsettled and possibly nervous I have been throughout the process. But there is a reason for that…. Shit is getting real!

I am sure over the course of today I will get some stuff written up, only need a few pages and some other pages cut down and ready to refer to. But I do want to make sure it is all right, and I don’t make a mess of my notes, so want to be of sound mind before doing it. 

Currently I have two dogs behind me chomping away on bones, which is not distracting at all. But it is lovely that they can both have bones in the same room and not fight over them. I have not had that with any dogs before, so it is nice in a strange way… If they could just shut up for 10 mins so I can write my notes after this. 

I have also just heard back from someone on my course who is doing their first day on the floor today, and they report that it’s fine, so that makes me feel a little more at ease. 

Please don’t picture me sitting here terrified, that really is not the case. I am just abundantly aware that tomorrow is the real deal, and I want to get off on the right foot. 

Right, I’m off to write some notes.. Pray for me lol

It’s me, hi, I’m the problem..

…or not as the case may be!

Excuse the Taylor Swift opening, but I happen to frickin love that song, and it nudged me into writing this entry, and of course the thought process that got me to this point. 

Anyone one who has read my blogs for the past few years will have seen that I put a lot of the fault and blame for the way I am, and the way I have felt for a while, at my own feet. It’s true to say that for a long time I have been dealing with the fact that I have become some sort of anti-social, people hating monster. The latter may still be true to be honest, as I do have an aversion for irritating people, especially the overly entitled. But that is another blog all together. 

Let’s get back to the point of this one for now, and take a look at what has been going on in my life. 
For quite some time I have felt that I was not cut out for working in teams, being around lots of people and anything else that removed me from my self created cocoon of safety and sanctitude. All the signs seemed to be there, low mood, anxiety, and small panic attacks at the thought of being around people again.

Let me skip forward for a moment here, into the current day. For the past few weeks I have been introduced to dozens of new people, in a totally new environment, and exposed to all sorts of information and learning methods that would have had the 2023 me running for the hills. Based on the past four or five years I would have written that off as impossible, and immediately sought counselling at the mere suggestion of it. Yet here I am, loving it! So what has happened. Did I get something wrong, have I changed, what’s the story.

Only one thing to do, break it down and take a look, so here goes.
First and foremost, people! It’s not people, it’s THE people! Huh? Well yeah, it’s just that. It turns out that it isn’t all people, just some people. Given the opportunity to be around like-minded people, who share a common interest, but have different mannerisms and behaviours, I am actually fine with that. All there for the same purpose, no-one better than the other, and all at least on the same chapter, if not the same page.

Looking back many years, say to when I was working in Sainsburys, I can recall a sense of camaraderie, enjoying being there, feeling part of a well oiled machine, and being able to kick into overdrive when the need arose. All would pull together, with the same goal in mind, and by jove we always came out on top. At some point towards the end of that period my daughter was born, I changed jobs, lost contact with my daughter, and turned into someone else. 

To this day I can honestly say a period of about six years is a complete blur to me. During the time I was an ops manager at a security company I went through a lot of change, and became someone I was not sure I liked. Slowly slipping into a rut. I can’t really say much more about that time as I don’t remember too much. Working too much, not being social enough, spending a lot of time in the gym believing a better me, meant a physical transformation. OK I got in good shape, but inside I was a mess. At no point around that time, or the few years that came after can I say I realised this was the case. It is only retrospectively I can see how much things changed, and as I try to recall to write this, as usual things are a little clearer. 

Things changed, probably for the worse, around the time I went to work for Fedex. Now I am not saying I didn’t like working there, especially for the first decade. I made some good friends, and lost a few along the way, both death and dislike. However the new job meant a new car, and the new car along with the rise of the WWW meant a new me. Suddenly I was thrust into the new online car scene. Able to reinvent myself for the world stage. Michael became Snazy, and so it begun!

The next few years were a blast, meeting people, having all sorts of encounters, becoming a very minor personality, which of course came with perks you might say. No disrespect intended. Working with magazines and a few TV production crews, becoming a popular name on the modified car scene, and feeling like I finally had a place, I had found my people. Or had I?

I have written about this before but will quickly recap, being known as a personality, of which people have beliefs and expectations is exhausting. Worse still it is soul destroying when you realise that no-one knows who you actually are. You are just a character to them, and one who can give them things they want. Nothing more. Realising after two or three years that no one even knows what your real name is, not even your first name can really be a painful reality check. 

At the same time I was trying to form relationships, and connect, be human, and have a love life rather than just a social life. Bumpy relationships, brief encounters, etc can really start a wobble going, and one that it seems can take quite a long time to recover from.  So by 2004 I was Snazy the showman, but Michael the empty vessel. In the infancy of a new relationship, but one that turned out was really just a convenient companionship more than anything else. 

Skip forward a decade or so, and after a few bouts of depression and anxiety, quite a few years on meds, and some soul searching, I was finally starting to make progress. Kinda! The companionship ended, I was back to being very much my own person. Having lost my mother a few years before, I was now pretty much alone. With the exception of a few amazing friends. The next year or so I dabbled in life, all the while working into my second decade working for Fedex, in the same role, with the same people, and the same unhealthy working environment.

In 2016 I met Ann, my now wife, but shortly after meeting her and getting together I went through another bout of depression due to other factors going on around me. Thankfully that was quite short lived, and I started to get back on my feet. But there was something wrong, I was not who I was before, no familiar version of myself was to be found. This is not something I was openly aware of at the time, however in the coming years it became apparent. Especially after some deep thinking and mindfulness. 

We now reach 2020, and we know what happens next, especially if you have read my blogs since that time. Oh and of course, the C word! NOT that one, Covid!!
Working from home was the beginning of the rediscovery of myself. Having documented the three or four years that followed on from the initial WFH home order that Boris gave, there are signs all along the way, but none of them really signposted the destination I currently find myself at. 

Being away from the office, the people I had been stuck in an office with for so many years opened my eyes. Working on my own felt so good, and the restrictions of Covid meant that places were emptier, interactions were limited, and seeing only the creme-de-la creme of friends was perfection personified. THIS was who I was, THIS was a good life for me. 
By mid 2021 there was talk about returning to the office, people arrgh, no! I spiralled and fled to the doctors, feeling that familiar feeling of anxiety and dread. Meds, CBT, company doctor, appeals to HR, anything I could do to avoid the inevitable. And thankfully, eventually, I was told I never needed to work from the office again. As I sit here at my WFH desk writing this entry, I remember the sense of empowerment and happiness I was filled with at this news. 

From that point on I seemed to find a new me, which contradicted everything I thought I knew about myself. Catching up with people I had not seen in 15 years, going to concerts rammed to the rafters, putting myself in situations I had sworn I would never do again. I can thank Ann for that, helping my challenge my demons, and push my limits more than I would alone. I still didn’t like places crammed with people, and was not a fan of public transport (but who is?), however I was able to be a bit more human.

At the end of 2023 rumours started that my efforts to WFH forever more were all in vain.. We were being made redundant! Jan 2024 confirmed this, and all of a sudden my world felt like it was being upended again. But this is where it gets strange. 

Somewhere inside of me there was a realisation that this was the first time since 2000 that I had a chance to reinvent myself again, or should I say, finally come out from behind the mask of Snazy, and start being my authentic self again. But what about my anxiety of people, how would I cope meeting new people and working in a new role in a new environment. Was this all going to be too much for me. Especially seeing as from 2020 to 2023 I was convinced I finally knew what I needed to be happy.

Well…. no!
It turns out that it would all be fine. As we approach the current day in this story, I think it is only fair to look at the last six months. Applying for jobs I thought I might like, going through a few interviews and realising how much the employment world had changed, and coming to the realisation that at some point I was going to have to settle in somewhere new, and start over. Eventually I found myself applying for the role I am now in. Bizarrely I felt confident and outgoing throughout the process. There were of course moments of doubt which I shared in earlier blogs, but in general when crunch time came, there were no nerves, just a “go get ’em” feeling inside of me. Which seems to have paid off. 

From day one, I was able to be authentic, myself, and project confidence that I honestly thought I had lost in my twenties around the time I lost contact with Sian. But nope, there it was, like it was yesterday.

I have spent the past few weeks wondering when the bubble would burst, when I would start to feel like the more recent version of myself again, and if the walls would come tumbling down. But it appears I was not giving myself enough credit. It seems that I AM me, this IS me, and I DO feel empowered and determined to not only be my authentic self, but also be the best version of that I have ever been.

Getting to know new people has been amazing, bonds have started to form, my mask of self protection has been left in the locker room, and no defensive walls are being built up. I feel I could actually make a new friend or two here, and for anyone who knows me, the word “friend” is a very powerful and important one to me, so lets see how that goes. 

Last week we had a checkpoint test to see how we were doing, next week we are split up from our training group and thrown into the real world of how the organisation really works. Once again meeting new people and forming new bonds, trusting people to guide me the right way, and even turning my body clock on its head as I work through some different shift patterns. I have two weeks of this before returning to my group and continuing with the classroom training, and again changing my working hours. 

You know the crazy bit? I love it, and can’t wait to get stuck in to some discomfort, a hint of panic, maybe a spot of imposter syndrome for a moment. Who knows, but that is the exciting part, the unknown!

Wow I have rambled on for a long time here, but it has flowed out of me so nicely, so I just wanted to summarise what I have learned whilst writing this.

It’s not people, it’s THE people. Yup I said it earlier and will say it again. It turns out I just didn’t really get on with the people I worked with, in the environment I was working in. Who knew it! Well, me secretly I guess, but other than moan about them to others, I did nothing about it. Nor did the company. Instead the group had festered for too long, and the situation had become untenable. In reality, I don’t think it was too obvious to anyone, and was just a result of circumstances. 
Circumstances that would be changed with a strange twist of fate, by being made redundant. Who know the universe was SO calculated! So it turns out I wasn’t a total fuck up all long. Just had some wobbles along the way, and dealt a few crap hands. 

I am more than aware that most reading this have glazed over while reading, and skipped huge swathes of the blog. But that is OK, as this is simply my record of a moment of clarity I have felt, being shared with the world to read. 

Here’s to the future, to new people, making a difference, feeling like I am part of something, and maybe, just maybe, that new friendship blossoming. 

Thanks for reading, now go grab a glass of something!

Week 3 done.

Quick update to how things are going. Short one though as I’m fried!

The past three weeks have been pretty full on with learning things, and getting in the mindset for the role. I’m a long way off yet, but things are starting to take shape.

Most importantly and may I say impressively is my sudden new spurt of confidence, having found my voice again. Slowly but surely the info is sinking in, and the pieces falling into place.

It’s lovely that our little cohort has really started to gel now. Meeting new people has never been a favourite activity of mine, let alone working closely and studying together. Last time I did that was the in the late 80s and I hated it.

Yet strangely I feel at peace now. Enjoying sharing the experience, getting to know people, again I ask myself… Who have I become.

I will write something that makes a bit more sense soon, but for now I have to get ready to go and kinda do the job for real (supervised) for two weeks, so am taking the weekend for a rest and reset.

Just a quick shout out to my new bestie who has really make the whole experience so much more bearable. I hope (and think) the feeling is mutual. Don’t leave meeeee! 😂

It’s getting real!

Mid way through week two, as we get to the last two days it’s assessment time. In the past 8 days a lot of information has been absorbed, or at least I hope it has. Most of it has stuck, now I just have to make sense of it all.

As I say, the first assessment is nigh. I feel I am starting to get to grips with it. Confident in certain functions, able to muddle through other bits, but I’m getting there. 1/6th of the way through the course, it’s not like I should be a fully fledged Control Officer yet, but there are times when I wonder what stage I’m really at.

The group as a whole seem to all be at the same point, so I don’t feel like I am flagging in any way. I am also surprised at how confident in general I feel. Able to converse with others without feeling like a fraud or a fake, stepping up when I need to do something.

It feels good be in this kinda mental space, it is not something in thought I would be saying. Certainly not based on my past few years. Goes to show how toxic environments can be for the mind. But I am happy to say this is very different.

Lots of revising and practicing tonight, then an early start for an angry gym session to get the day going.

On a side note, I had a beautiful early morning run by the LOC today, who knew Merton was so scenic.

I realise this didn’t make much sense, but just wanted to keep people up to speed on what’s happening. Exciting times, and I still love it.

Week 2 begins.

Gonna be a short and sweet entry this one, as I need some sleep.

Early start today, trying to put a new routine in place. Well a temp new routine as my hours change for a couple of weeks in two weeks time. At the same time I go onto watch for a couple of weeks, the schools to back too. Great timing!

For now the plan is to get to work early, around 6am, get some physical activities in, then grab breakfast and do some revision. I still have some ice to break to work out the inner workings of the building. With food storage being quite organised, I have to find out what I can keep and where.

On top of that, a locker would be handy too, which is coming, but for now I can use my car to put dirty running or gym clothes in, so not the end of the world.

Today I got in for about 6.30, got changed and went for a 5k run. Nice easy one, discovering the new area, nice to tread new roads. Then back to the LOC and jumped in the showers, before heading up for a coffee and some book time.

Right, lots more to tell but that’s for another day. Now I need sleep ready for another early start. Gym tomorrow! 💪