Back to work

I followed up my visit to the office on Friday with a further foray today. It was absolutely necessary to get out of the flat because of the jackhammer, which was making the place shake. However, Mr A told me that I had barely gone up the road to drop my bike off for its annual service (and go from there to the office) than the jackhammer went off to another part of the site. However, it was eventually replaced on the side nearest our road with a digger, which rather than breaking up the concrete was pulling it up in slabs. That was fine except when he then dropped the bits of concrete in a pile and broke them up with the digger bucket, which apparently made the building shake again. Mr A sent me a couple of videos which conveyed the sense of the activities, but not the noise or vibration.

I had not been the only one to complain. The man three floors above us, whom we generally regard as an irritating busybody had been onto both the demolition contractors and the Council. I followed up with the Council again today and apparently they have promised a visit onsite and meanwhile the demolition contractors have promised not to use the jackhammer. However, as I said, it's not any better if they insist on dropping great slabs of concrete and then smashing them with the bucket....

In contrast, all was peace and calm in the office, and so it was at home by the time I got there just in time for a quick zoom to celebrate the publication of a book to which I contributed....not much. An endorsement, which got me a free book! Such is the publishing economy.

And after its service my bike feels like the two-wheeled equivalent of an F1 car. I will probably go to the office again tomorrow, but use the bike this time, in order to get my money's worth out of the pleasant sensations of it being freshly serviced. As there are so many roads and paths blocked between here and the office, however, I will have to give some thought as to the best way to go, whilst getting a decent amount of exercise, but whilst avoiding cobbles.

I was late blipping for yesterday, but it's a pretty pink flower, so you might want to check it out.