Palace

I haven't talked about the Premier League and Crystal Palace this season yet.  Mainly because I've made a conscious effort not to follow football so much this season.  I haven't seen any highlights of games yet this season, nor any live games.  And I haven't been following all the transfer news - so I don't know who is playing for who nowadays.  None of this stuff particularly interests me.  The games are just less interesting than they used to be - an over-reliance on set pieces and tactical safety, and very little open-play flair.  And it doesn't help that I am extremely worried about Palace this season.  I think we will be deep in the relegation battle.  Not so much because we've started 0-0-2 (losses against our bogey side - Everton - and Man City is not really a surprise) but more to do with the fact that our squad has definitely taken a step back in quality.  Many of our best players have left or want to leave.  I don't think our ownership is giving our new manager a fair chance to prove himself.  There is just too much negativity around the side right now.  Not good.

Disorientation

I fell asleep in front of the TV tonight, and when I woke up I was convinced that it was Tuesday evening and that I had slept through an entire day.  Then I was convinced that it was Tuesday morning and that I had slept for an entire 12 hours.  And then I realized that in fact I had only fallen asleep for a couple of hours and it was still Monday evening.  What a ride.  And what an anticlimax.     

Holiday

Not for the first time, I think I really need a holiday after a holiday.  I am still feeling utterly out of sync with everything.  I suspect the week ahead with work is not going to be very easy.  At least I shouldn't be as busy as I feared - one of the tasks I was supposed to be working on has been canceled.  But then another urgent request has come up - so maybe not.  But considering I was off work for over 3 weeks, I was surprised that the number of unread emails I had was as low as it was.  A not particularly promising sign about how important and irreplaceable I am.   

Jet Lag

Jet lag hit me hard today.  It started with being unable to get any sleep last night.  I simply wasn't tired.  But then over the course of the day, I've just had no energy.  And it's affected everything from my meals (I haven't had anything to eat this evening), to not being able to get anything done (I've got a list of things I need to do this weekend that I've still got so much to get through), to not being able to concentrate on anything.  So much for my hope of watching some of the few shows that I recorded while I was away.  As I write this now, at about 10.30 pm, I am feeling really tired.  I suspect I will be able to fall asleep very quickly.  But it will probably be a deep but short sleep, and I'll be wide awake again very early in the morning - well before sunrise.  Less than ideal, and in my experience it could be like this for a while. 

Thank You

I just want to take this opportunity to thank the people that hosted me during my stay in the UK.  To S and E in Manchester, where I had a great time and made a new young friend.  And of course my Mum, who had to put up with my presence for way too long.  I hope I didn't disturb your routines too much!  As much as I love my Mum, I don't always show it - especially because staying with her sometimes brings out the worst in me.  I don't always agree with everything she does, but I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks - so I do my best to bite my tongue, not always successfully.  But I appreciate that both the dog and the garden take priority, and if those routines keep her busy and work successfully for her - then the last thing I want to do is disturb that.  After all, she will probably outlive me!

Home

I'm back in the US.  Or should I say back home?  Or is the UK my home and the US just my residence?  Hmmm, that is one to ponder.  Anyway, a bit of a nightmare journey back.  Starting with an unexpected overweight fee on my luggage.  I didn't think I brought back that much more than what I brought into the UK, after all it's not like crisps weigh a lot.  So I really question whether the scales at the airport were calibrated correctly.  And then we were stuck on the runway for an hour and a half before we could take off - thanks to some heavy rain near Heathrow.  Basically the only time it rained in my entire 3 week stay.  But I've made it back in one piece.  Despite it probably being close to 24 hours that I've been awake now - between waking up early this morning (UK time), not sleeping on the flight, and the time difference meaning the sun still hasn't set on the Thursday evening here yet.  The longer I can stay awake, the better chance I'll have of overcoming any jet lag.  It normally hits me bad when I return to the US, but I'm feeling OK right now.

Insect Bites

My last post before I fly back to the US.  And with typical timing, at some point yesterday some insect got me good.  I've got bites on both my legs and on one of my arms.  And these are not just any small bites, but have turned into these large red welts.  Quite painful, and extremely itchy.  Between these and the various rashes I've had, this trip has not been good for my skin.  I am really starting to show my age.  Especially compared to a photo I saw of myself today from 25 years ago, when I looked so young and healthy.  The ravages of time... sobering.