Disclaimer

No safeguarding officers, blood donors, or hairdressers were harmed in the making of this blog

Tomorrow officially marks the start of my short holiday — a grand total of four and a half days, which in NHS time feels like two hours and a nap.

My wife has already been off since last Friday because it’s Half-Term in Somerset, which means she’s five days ahead of me in the relaxation game (and she knows it).

My first order of business tomorrow: a haircut. Not because I’m going anywhere fancy — more because my hair currently looks like it’s applying for asylum on both sides of my head.

After that, we’re going offline for the next few days. No emails, no Microsoft Teams pings, no work chatter. Just glorious nothingness — until someone inevitably reminds me that “nothingness” still involves the school run, cooking, and sorting the recycling.

Today’s highlight? I gave blood for the first time. Surprisingly painless and straightforward, though that needle was not small — it looked suspiciously like a grey cannula, and I briefly wondered if they were planning to transfuse me instead.

Still, it’s a good feeling knowing my blood might help someone else… assuming it hasn’t been diluted by excessive caffeine.

After that brief excitement came seven hours of Safeguarding Adults Level 3 training. Seven. Hours. To be fair, it’s important stuff — vital, even — but it’s one of those sessions where the interesting parts are slowly suffocated by PowerPoint slides and acronyms. Inter-agency protocols, endless forms, case studies that could double as bedtime stories… you get the picture.

Meanwhile, our son hasn’t played a tennis tournament since the last Grade 3 event in Taunton. That changes soon — he’s now entered into the Grade 3 in Bath on 9 November, a national qualifier just like the previous one. It already looks like a strong field, with several of his Somerset teammates joining the fray. Only 16 players make the cut, and 18 have entered — so it’s basically The Hunger Games with forehands.

For now though, I’m switching off, trimming down (hair-wise), and recharging.

I’ll be back next week with more blog material, a game review or two, and perhaps fewer split ends.