As soon as we finished our Mothers Day lunch we went back home and I put all my luggage in the car. After which I drove to Gosport where I was going to be staying for the next few days.
I was already exhausted when I arrived and so I went to bed at about 20:30 and had one of the best night's sleep I'd had in ages (which is lucky because I've barely slept since). The next morning I got myself up and ready to go to my official office where I was taking part in 3 days of training.
On getting dressed I discovered that I'd forgotten to pack my deodorant - so I went into motor mode because I was going to have to do a diversion to a supermarket before work began. Before I left the hotel I went to the breakfast room to grab some fruit for lunch - only to discover that I'd forgotten to include breakfast in my booking - sigh. Though I was heading for a supermarket so all I needed to do was to pick some up when there - so not a disaster.
Arriving at work we went straight into our training session. A really interesting session, but the person training us had a very well developed ego. He kept diverting off topic into long stories about how amazing he was, these did link back to the topic eventually. I managed ok with this on the first day, but by day 3 I was having to hold myself back from punching him!
I have never done well in face-to-face training. I understand everything, but it takes a while to be absorbed. If I'm learning alone I can sit back and spend time planting new things I've learnt into my long-term memory. In a classroom environment they've already moved to the next thing.
I also discovered something interesting about myself. They kept setting activities about the learning and every time they did my brain was literally blank. I put it down to my colander brain. But then we came to a point where we had to come up with 3 different fruits and write them on a post it note. I wrote down 2 and then literally couldn't think of another fruit. One of my lovely colleagues spotted I was stuck and literally had to mouth the word banana at me. This happened again later in the session where we had to write down the names of 2 famous people. I immediately wrote down Stephen Fry, but after that I literally couldn't think of the name of another famous person IN THE WHOLE WORLD!
So actually it was a useful exercise. I can stop beating myself up because classroom traning just isn't for me. I do need to spend a bit more time reflecting on the knowledge though because I have to complete an exam in the next 90 days. I'm not that worried about it because if you fail you do get another attempt and the second time around I'll be prepared. But hopefully I'll pass first time. I just need to spend a bit of time reflecting on my learning notes and embedding into my long-term memory.
I never sleep well in hotels and the three days were no different. As mentioned I slept well the first night, but I think that was the only proper sleep I had for the rest of the week. I just got more exhausted. Plus I had that problem I sometimes get where I can't (hmm how to say), errr - have proper 'movements' when not at home. Hmm that doesn't make sense - ok - I don't poo! So by the end of the week I was feeling like a baloon.
On Wednesday when the session finished I headed home. I made amazing time all the way back until I got to Hove. When I hit Hove the traffic was absolutely gridlocked. I still had about 8 miles before home. After an hour we'd inched to the Hove turnoff - so I took this and used my old muscle memory to find a route through town to where I live. Fortunately I've lived in a lot of different places in the area and so I know a multitude of routes that only the most local of locals will know. It still took me an hour to do that 9 miles though.
By the time I got home I was on my knees. I walked into the house and literally nothing had been done since I left. To be fair on husband he'd been feeling really ill. But given that we left the house rapidly on the Sunday morning and I'd then headed off - everything was the same. The chairs at the dining table from Saturday night were still pushed out, my mothers day card envelope was still on the side. Shoes from when everybody got back from lunch on Sunday were still where they were kicked off. It was as if time had stood still (well tidying time anyway).
I was so keyed up by the journey I couldn't sleep - another night wide awake.
Back at work on Thursday and Friday and I could barely keep my eyes open.
Saturday morning woke up and immediately had to get ready - we were leaving at 10:00 for a wedding back in Portsmouth - the other side of the water from where I'd been staying in another hotel all week.
This time we were headed to the Queens Hotel in Southsea - something of a step up from my previous hotel.
As it turns out we really lucked in. It was for my husband's nieces wedding. She was marrying a lovely man who treats her like a princess - we're all thrilled - she deserves it.
We turned up at the hotel and there were a mass of people all hoping to check in before the wedding. The poor woman behind reception was really struggling, because everybody had the same surname!!! In the end we think we somewhat lucked in because of this. We ended up in one of the best rooms in the hotel with a huge balcony overlooking the water. This week's photo is the view from our room.
As husband is the youngest son (by 18 years) we are very used to getting the 'room at the back' booked for us because you know what family politics is like. Back when he was a kid they kinda shuffled him in with the rest and old habits die hard.
The father and mother of the bride ended up in a room at the back with frosted glass windows - and thus no view. We're reasonably confident we'd got their room - but we weren't going to give it up for anybody. Son also had a separate room off ours so it was a really luxurious night.
The wedding was lovely and in fact the food was some of the best wedding food I've ever had. The bride and groom spent the whole event smiling and kissing - and essentially that's all you want from a wedding - a happy bride and groom. They also really lucked in - the weather has been lovely and really sunny - the day couldn't have been more lovely. Though I think the ushers and groom were a little over hot because they were in wool suits expecting a far cooler day.
Husband was still feeling a bit ropey and so at about 21:30 we went and sat in the foyer to have a bit of a break from the evening music. After about 30 mins we decided that actually that was us. So we headed for bed.
Our room was directly above the party with music blaring through the floor - but this didn't keep either of us awake and son was already asleep. I slept soundly.................. for 2 hours.
I woke up with a desperately dodgy tummy - nobody else suffered so I don't think it was anything to do with the food. That saw me in the loo every 30 minutes for the whole of the rest of the night. At least it had cleared me out from my week away.
Around 09:00 feeling somewhat weak from my night time activities we wandered down for Breakfast. The whole room was filled with husband's family - quite a cheery event - well as cheery as you can feel at that time of morning.
After breakfast we headed back home. Once again as we got to Hove the traffic was gridlocked. I have to say the council have got a lot to answer to. They have closed lanes in both directions on the A27. Right where there are 3 lanes. So you have 3 lanes of traffic going down to one. Add to that the fact that it was also the Brighton marathon this weekend. So they'd closed all the roads in the city as well. Given that the only other route to travel around there is by boat you can imagine the chaos it caused.
So we sat there in direct sunlight and did a mile in an hour. We couldn't divert because we needed to pick up dog. We eventually got to dog and then had to head back into the traffic because all other routes had been closed for the marathon. An hour later we were desperate so we ended up diverting, going down the A23 and then heading to Ditchling to try to circumnavigate the traffic.
Now I'm struggling not to say I told you so here. I suggested this to husband from the offset and was getting more and more wound up as we just sat in traffic for an hour with the sliproad to the A23 on our left. My agitation pissed off husband so he took the junction to prove me it was not a better idea.
25 minutes later we were home. I guarantee if we'd stayed where we were we'd still have been in the traffic - but we'll never know. Husband is convinced that the delay would have cleared about 200m from where we were (I don't believe him).
I just about had enough energy to unpack (but not completely) and spent the evening watching telly.
Shattered I went to bed early to try to catch up on sleep. About an hour later son came storming out of his bedroom trying to find his dad - who was in the utility room so not obviously anywhere. By the time grumpy, tired son had stomped around I was wide awake again. Then husband decided to come to bed. Now I can't sleep without a radio on for the first 30 mins - there's too much going on in my head. But I was awake now anyway.
So I headed down for another night on the sofa - where I sat wide awake until 01:30. In the end I did get to sleep but not for long - my alarm went off at 05:30 for work.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TIRED.
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