24 hours in Two Halves

Today started with me waking up in the second of four different beds and wondering where I was for a few minutes…….It all comes back to you eventually I suppose and I’ve become better at not being surprised when I can’t remember where I am for a few waking moments – I guess I should be grateful that it’s not drink related (I’m not looking forward to my first hangover, and you can all stop thinking bad things about me cause we all know it’s going to happen !)

I was back at the COB on leg one of a three phase escape plan – I am sitting typing the first half of this mid-way through Phase 2 (I’m in Basra airport having gone through all the formalities in less than 20 minutes and have now been killing the best part of two and half hours in the departure lounge with no bar and a tiny duty free shop. All current indications point to the plane leaving at 1630hrs as planned…….we wait with baited breath ! (post event note – revised o leave at 1700hrs and eventually left at 1730 but I would have taken that at any time)

I have been basically killing time all day. I had one handover report to write this morning and thought I would get it out of the way early and then I would have the rest of the morning to do what I wanted. So having woken up at six I decided that I would breakfast and go to the office early to get it done only to discover that the internal door was locked and I had to doss around until eight before I could even get into a desk. The upshot was that I finished work at about ten and decided that the only thing to do was to go to the gym. I did 45 mins on the treadmill before I got bored and decided that enough was enough (I have a lovely sweat soaked set of kit as a present for my wife when I get back – 24hrs in my bag should just get it going nicely !).

Then lunch and more hanging around, then back to the office to get taken to the airport, where I hung around some more (I’m now an expert at wasting time……). I’m now hanging around at the airport !

Part two of this story should see me in Dubai, taxi to a friends flat and then dinner in the pub opposite his apartment. Then up at 0530 to be at the airport for 0600 for check-in, shopping and flight to Birmingham. I’ll fill you in on the evening the next time I can get onto some free internet.

Part 2

I’ve arrived.


Briefly, Dubai was a few glasses of red wine and a bit of pub grub with some friends and work colleagues after getting to my friends flat at about 9 in the evening following one of those hairy taxi rides (we went past the traffic courts at 120kph in a 60kph zone whilst the driver was on the phone, which I thought was possibly bordering on foolish but what do I know…….). I then repaired back to my friends flat at 11.30 for a sensible early night – well, that was the plan anyway. I got to bed at about 1.30 after rather a lot of brandy with a 5.15 alarm call programmed into the phone (but we have a pointing picture……). That bit was a struggle but the upshot was that I got to the airport hours before I could have done, dropped my luggage off and was through security in a matter of minutes. It’s then up the escalators to the shopping mall – where chaos reigned. By 7.30 I was panicking that I didn’t have everything I needed and it would all be a disaster…….but I ducked and dived, dodged and weaved and damn well got it done, achieving the greatest victory since the Winchester Flower Arranging Team beat Harrow by 12 sore bottoms to 1 !

A long flight back, the usual wait for luggage (we’ll gloss over the other smelly noisy passengers and leave that for another day I think……). Shouting children with a big banner saying “Dad” and I was back – a sandwich and a drive home, Close your eyes for the big surprise……




Chinese takeaway, couple of glasses of red and the rest, as the say, is history.

I’ve lost 2 inches off my waste and just under a stone in weight for those of you that are interested…….and my huge bed never felt so good. A big thank you to one of my regular readers for my welcome home gift – I shall put that to very good use this evening when I get reacquainted with my BBQ.

I’m back out on the 5th September with “Who the Hell Are Leicester Tigers” ringing in my ears and by popular request (although I’m willing to negotiate……) the blog will return. It will probably have a different name so keep an eye out for the new link. The paperback version will be in the shops soon……..

A massive thank you to my family for keeping it all in perspective and to my followers (is that the right name ?) some of whom commented in one way or another, and some of whom read it incognito – they’re the one’s who’ll not be basking in the reflected glory when I win a booker prize, and don’t say you weren’t warned.