Yesterday I Made A Significant Lifestyle Choice

As I have only 2 weeks left, and it was Friday (and there’s not much to do on a Friday – it’s like Sunday in a Welsh village 40 years ago…….), I was whiling away my day reading, sunbathing (or burning as it’s often called in my case) and contemplating my navel (which I have burnt in the past it has to be noted), and I decided that I need to find a new way of passing the time.

I’ve settled on being annoyingly cheerful. 

I’m trying to find the good things in people, clapping people on the back and laughing a lot, telling them that everything will be OK.  Patrick says it’s working already……which is nice !

I find that if you just walk around with a smile on your face it seems to contribute to annoying people – as a hobby, I think it’s got a lot going for it !  People are already asking me if I’m OK, which is great because I can tell them how happy I am, and then ask them deep and meaningful questions about their wellbeing.  I wonder how long I can keep it up ?

Did I mention that I’m coming home in 2 weeks ?

I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t start counting down until I was in single figures (Tuesday…..).  I have also promised myself that I’m not going to say that I’m “going home next week” until tomorrow, just in case there’s any confusion with this coming week.  I seem to have ended up with a spare day at the end of next week, which is great because I have to get some shopping and admin done before I fly back.  I’ve also been invited to dinner at my favourite beach bar because someone has a voucher for 2 free dinners that expires at the end of July………as well as my mate in Dubai (where I’m staying the night before I fly) who thinks that as I have to be up at 5.30 to get to the airport it’s hardly worth going to bed……..I can tell you that I got on that flight once before after very little sleep, and it was a jolly uncomfortable 7 hours – I’ll let you know as I’ve become fond of saying.

My trip up to Abu Dhabi to sign my Visa cancellation papers and hand over my passport was fun.  I went out for a drink with someone I trust from the company and cleared up a few rumours in my own mind, as well as putting my name in the frame for a non-existent job on her next contract.  Somehow someone else ended up picking up the bar tab (voluntarily, I hasten to add) so that was a bonus, and then I went for a curry (no Lebanese Mill…….might have to grab one on the way to Dubai…..) with the MD and a couple of others.  This also helped me to sort out a few un-answered questions in my own mind – all of this has helped to concentrate my mind into the happy approach.  I’m definitely getting out at the right time, and although I would happily work with and for some people I’ve met here, it won’t be for him, even, I think, if he had some work !  The word Duck springs to mind – and if you want to know why you’ll have to ask me privately !

The job hunting goes on at a pace, and I can imagine that I’m going to get about 20 offers shortly after I accept the first thing that comes along.  Mrs G is getting a bit stressed not knowing what I’m going to do next and understandably so.  I just want to be able to enjoy my holiday without having to worry.  So fingers crossed all around (the annoyingly happy attitude may not go down too well with Mrs G on this particular subject), but I’m used to this waiting and uncertainty – I don’t like it, but I am at least used to it.  Something usually turns up, and I’ve never worked as hard at finding my next job as I have in the last 2 months.  Lets just hope I’ve got the timing right !

Having another job lined up will also smooth the way for all the “meetings” I’m going to have to do to catch up with people across the country when I’m back – there’s already a proposal on the table for a Le Mans reunion in London at some point……no doubt so that people can tell me all about it in graphic detail……

I need a training partner to maintain my 6 pack push whilst I’m at home as well.  I’m sure Mrs G will run with me but I need a circuit training partner (I’ve got great plans for the adventure playground on the Racecourse) and there are loads of runs that I want to map and actually find out how far they are (with my new GPS toy thing) – so it if there are any volunteers…….. ?

Now lastly, I thought I’d give the inventory an airing (and a couple of confessions):

Gym – madness.  I think I’m getting about 10 sessions in a week at the moment.  I don’t think I’ve ever been fitter, or stronger.  Most of the credit has to go to Psycho who has given me a reason to do most of my training.  Having allowed me to tag along for a couple of runs in the early days and made me realise exactly how unfit I was, she has kept it going for the last 3 plus months, at least twice a week with long runs or bike rides, as well as circuits in the park ( I finish only 10 seconds behind on Wednesday – I couldn’t breath but that’s a minor point !).  All the rest of my training has been for two reasons, firstly, to make myself even more attractive to women, and secondly, so that I don’t continue to embarrass myself in front of Psycho on a Tuesday and Wednesday night !  What will I do without her……..only time will tell !

Alcohol – less and less (well, apart from Thursday night obviously !).  Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy a drink with the best of them, it’s just I can’t be bothered to do it on my own most of the time.  I am looking forward to sitting on my patio at home with a glass of wine and a cigar, and I don’t care if that’s on my own or not !

Cigars – I have fallen off the wagon.  Well, to be fair, I’ve fallen onto a slightly different wagon.  It remains to be seen whether I can stay on this one but currently the principle seems sound enough.  I do seem to be able to go days without craving a cigar, and then, like last night, I can sit out on the terrace with some friends and smoke a nice cigar, and not crave another one today.  The real test will be out on the golf course, or outside a bar somewhere, when I have a pack of five………once again, only time will tell !

Food – I’m sure it’s wonderful, and I’m sure I’m being ungrateful, but the longer I’m faced with the buffet here in the hotel, the less interesting it’s getting.  It might be me or it might just be that it’s low season now and apart from business people who are generally going to be there anyway (because there’s zero choice), they seemed to have stopped trying to make it interesting.  Still, did I mention that I’ve got less than two weeks left here, so I guess I can live on what they prepare for that long……..but if I see another plate of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for breakfast (told you it looked like I was being ungrateful !)………..

Weather – it’s getting silly hot now.  I managed to miss a bit with the sun tan lotion yesterday, probably because I put it on by the side of the pool instead of in the room.  The problem with that is, because it’s so stupidly hot you start to sweat before you’ve even sat down and then the application of lotions and creams takes on a whole new dimension !  It’s just gone past Mad Dogs and Englishmen time today and I haven’t ventured out yet (apart from the gym and breakfast), and I think I’ll have a nap in a minute but then I’m going to have to go and spit roast for a bit (before going back to the gym for a circuits session before dinner), otherwise I’ll never have the bronzed body of a Greek God……these things are important when you’ve only got two weeks to go……did I mention that ?  We did have beautiful clear skies for the eclipse last week.  One of our number here, who is a good family friend of Sir Patrick Moore, got a photograph onto the BBC (of the eclipse obviously) because the skies were so clear – I was asleep at the time, as everyone else delights in reminding me, so I can only surmise that it was all lovely !

Money – I haven’t really spent anything in the last few days.  A bit on a curry (AED35) and some petrol which I’ll claim back anyway, but generally nothing.  This is largely down to the fact that I haven’t got any, but that’s an entirely different story !  The wrangle over my dental claim continues unabated (as does the subsidence of my temper on the matter !).  The latest flaming hurdle that the insurance company has put in front of me is further proof of payment (the receipt from the dentists is clearly not good enough……) and as I can’t find the debit card receipt I’ve been trying to get a copy of my bank statement (I’ve reset the SIX different passwords for my HSBC UAE bank account but to date I still don’t have access to it.  I did go to the branch in Abu Dhabi on Thursday afternoon but at 20 past 3 it was shut) – I’ll let you know !

On that note I’m going to try again to access my own information on the internet and see if I can download a copy and e-mail it to myself so that I can e-mail it to someone else who can e-mail it on to someone else…….don’t ever loose a filling is all the advice I can give you !