Pre-dissertation conference guest

My conservatory is full of Martin’s plants. Martin has now moved away from the area, and it will be after Easter that he can move back up. But that also means that if he has to come into the office, he has a very long commute.

He had to be there for the dissertation presentations. And it is not feasible for him to travel in on the day, so I had told him he can spend the night at my place if he wants. And he took me up on that.

There was one complication with this arrangement! It basically meant I had to be ready with all preparations by the time he would show up. I wanted to be able to just put my feet up with a beer once he got there. But I managed it! And that did involve me, other staff, and students finding mistakes in my preparatory work, but so be it. All the work I was doing was not about making the dissertation presentations possible; that was already done. What I was doing now was make them run smoothly. And well, the occasional small bump is acceptable. 

I was knackered when I left the office. On the way home I popped by the shop for emergency Martin supplies. I live on instant coffee and oat milk, and he sure doesn’t! The real products were required. And when I got home I had time for a shower. And only minutes later he appeared. 

His suggestion had been that he would just get us a curry. I figured he saw it coming that I wasn't going to be home early, and that I would be tired, so that not having to cook would be a blessing. And he appeared with beer and snacks. So we first ordered some takeaway on his laptop, and then retreated into the garden with the beer and the snacks. And then we went to get the food.

It's actually really nice to round off a lot of hectic work with sitting in the garden with a beer and a friend, and have lovely food afterwards. And we made it even better still. Martin had basically spent all day sitting on his bum; initially, in trains that would get him from the Southeast to Blaenau Ffestiniog (don't ask), and then in his car, his office, and his car again, respectively. So he was really keen on stretching his legs. We did a nice Moel Faban loop, the latter part thereof in moonlight. Lovely! 

Watching the sunset from the flanks of Pen-y-Gaer

 

After the stroll I needed tea, of course. But then it was bedtime. And it was also time for an experiment. I had noticed that my cat really likes him. She rather insultingly sat on his lap before she ever sat on mine. So I figured if she would ever have the opportunity of sleeping with him, she totally would. So I suggest he leave the bedroom door open so we would find out. He was willing to do that.

When I went to bed there was no cat to be seen. She later showed up, but I noticed she was coming from inside the house; not through the cat flap. Suspicious!

The next morning I got up before Martin, and made sure I got ready for everything: make my packed lunch, get my running kit ready, buy breakfast from the cornershop (a guest merits fancy breakfast). It was nice to have an opportunity to have a fancy breakfast! And I found out that indeed, as soon as he had gone to bed, the cat had been with him. But she has strong opinions of what behaviour is acceptable at night, and he had moved too much; hence that she had decamped to me. She has trained me better!

After breakfast we headed for the office. There were presentations to attend…