Aug/060
Rain and Routine
It sounds awful doesn’t it, but actually it’s exactly what I want today. Firstly the rain – it’s been very hot here for the past few weeks which has been lovely but I’ve got some serious work on and frankly the rain suits my mood. It cools things down and makes everything calmer. You can barely even see the mountains for the cloud and rain today. Lovely.
As for the routine, it’s something I’ve been struggling without. It’s hard to work from home, and harder still when you’re working all over the place, moving your computers about all the time. Now I’m settled into my new flat, which is blessedly free of internet and the office is fully operational, things are settling down. For the first time this week I’m starting to develop a routine that I like.
I’m leaving the flat around 8:30 and driving into town. Parking by the Albert Premiere hotel, I pick up a croissant or something from the bakery and stop in at Grand Central Café for a takeaway coffee and a chat with Lotta or Lisa, whichever of the two Swedish girls who run the place are working that morning. Then wander down through the centre of town to the office and am at my desk for 9am.
There’s coffee here in the office, a fridge and if I need to take a break for half an hour when the coding gets a bit much, I’m halfway through Call of Duty 2 on the X-Box. Taking Aachen from ze Germans.
So that’s my day, and at the end of it a drink. The clubhouse is great for that. It’s quiet, but there’s always people I know. Then off back to les Houches where if it’s not too late and I haven’t eaten, dinner and listen to a bit of music, read a little and sleep.
Routine is good. I never thought so in my 20’s. I wanted constant excitement, randomness and unpredictability every day. Maybe I still want that from time to time, but I’m older now. Slower and more set in my ways.
