Eday, again (Day 2145)

My day started way too early so I could get to town and catch the ferry to Eday, a crossing which takes two and a half hours.
The job for the day was to replace a leaking hot water cylinder, but on the way the customer messaged to tell me that there was a burst pipe to deal with too. I arrived to find a connection above the main stopcock in a shed had popped apart when the pipe froze, and high pressure water was gushing out. Initially there looked like there was no way to approach the pipe without getting drenched, but an old door used in the style of a large shield worked remarkably well. It probably looked really comical, but I got the water off and only got slightly damp.
The cylinder was easy enough to change, and with the water main re-connected I had the new cylinder filled and heating up by lunchtime.
There isn't a lot to do on a bitterly cold day in Eday, and after lunch and a drive up and down the island, I sat in the van at the pier waiting for the boat home - another two and a half hour trip. This crossing I was accompanied by a bunch of little kids who have spent their time running up and down, fighting over their iPad and doing that really horrible high pitch screaming thing which kids do. All whilst mother sits around and lets them run riot. Maybe it is the 5.15 start this morning making me a little short tempered, but I am fairly sure my parents would have had me sitting quietly rather than screaming for two and a half hours.
I only have another half an hour or so to put up with them I suppose, then I can drive home to my beautiful wife.