Night Shift - A Bridge Between Two Days

It is Sunday morning. The sun is shining brightly and it was very cold when I drove home. It probably still is but I am sitting next to a radiator and the central heating has been active, at least intermittently, for a few days. Yesterday was rather disappointing and today will bring only what energy levels and the prospect of second night duty allow. My first was eased by the people I work  with, my immediate colleague in particular. Unusually, I got my workload completed leaving only intentionally undone tasks for more timely completion tonight. I also took my '4am Project' photograph (now on Flickr) and felt quite excited. The picture itself is unexciting but is, indeed, my view of the world at 4am which is, when I am Watch Supervisor, the suite of Traffic Management screens. I have recently requested and received a liberalisation of the photography policy and I think the new generous approach will give rise to some exciting opportunities in winter.

The day behind me at that stage was a disappointment of missed opportunities and fragile weather. We had been to see my Mum but on that journey had seen that a return to Portsmouth could be fraught with delay. There had been a massive accident on the opposite carriageway of the M27, possibly with fatalities, and the tailback was substantial. Whilst I acknowledge that the emergency services were pretty heavily involved at the scene, I am frequently critical of the police for failing to institute and direct viable diversions. Today traffic was just allowed to join the already long queue and it seemed likely that a protracted investigation and thus continuing closure, would follow vehicle clearance. We wanted to go to a PC World for Greg and I decided we would go instead to Guildford and make a little trip of it. I am increasingly resistant to simply wasting the day ahead of my night duties. We would also be able to return on a route completely avoiding any possible accident aftermath. From this point though the weather was not kind to us with periods of darkness, spotting rain and even rather sharp showers. This meant that I saw some of the features I wanted to see in Guidlford and liked them but was not well placed to stop or photograph them. It was attractive enough to justify a return or a stop on one of our occasional journeys between home and London. The return route then was planned via the A31 with the intention of visiting Ropley as the main stock base of the Mid-Hants Railway. Two obstacles presented themselves apart from gathering tiredness and the need for some rest before my night. Firstly I remembered only fragments of the directions I was given last week to what curiously is a non-signposted destination. Secondly when we arrived in the area the weather was at its worst. It was all rather discouraging and we simply went home. There is always another day and, for the time being, that is this sunny day on which I write and admire anew my boyfriend's new hairstyle. He looks so nice.