One Sheep Short of 500

It is late tonight, and I am heading home tomorrow, but I just can’t get to sleep. There is something on my mind. I just need to ramble on for a little time, more for myself rather than posting some words of wisdom or insight or poetic prose which I have been able to generate.

It has been a good day. No, it has been a great day. Spirited dialogic with colleagues, problems solved on several fronts and business seems to have bottomed out with reasonable optimism of an upturn in the economy. And I am getting on with my latest goal of running a half. Still much more work to do. But the distances are increasing and the recovery is shorter. This weekend I will complete my long run. I will complete my long run. And some of the kids were on line for a brief chat. Which I always enjoy.

And then with work done (well it is never really done but you just have to call it quits sometime) , it’s on to dinner. Time to crack open Jamie again. He does keep it simple. And easy to follow. Although some of the ingredients have been a challenge. Tonight is sushi night. Not those little bits that Blade would gulp in one swipe. But a whole tuna steak. Not too thick. Just the right size for a quick broil. Rub on a little olive oil, season with sea salt and pepper. Sizzle for 2 – 3 minutes and voila. A meal anyone could die for. Truly one of the best to date. And there I was, eating this fabulous meal, sipping a little wine, enjoying each and every mouthful, when it started to sink in. This would have been the perfect meal to share with someone. Especially someone special.

It has now been almost two months. And you would have thought it was going well. I did. At least until dinner was halfway over. You do mask over the challenges by keeping yourself busy. There are plenty of things to do when you are on your own covering all the necessities of life. But it finally hit home today. It didn’t help that I had Leonard Cohen playing in the background. “they sentenced me to twenty years of boredom..”.

So this is for my friends and especially my family. Whether you are in the four corners of the world or right at home. I do miss you all. Even a quick chat, just for a moment is appreciated. And one day soon that last sheep will come home.