A tricky day, and a good interview

Tricky day with myself increasingly irritated. Keith ill but soldiering on with a hacking cough in an uncommunicative way, but still somehow producing the odd flash of creative gold in between non verbal bouts. 

Lorraine working from home today because her school was interviewing head teachers and they get them to do stuff in situ. She didn't see me at my best today as I was grouchy. We did have half an hour at lunch to walk down to the Viaduct together and pick up her car, which was the most relaxing part of the day. She also bought us treats to eat and it was normalising to talk to her.

Beth has covid. Lorraine spent Sunday afternoon with her. I just want to be able to get through this week if I can.

Work culminated in a presentation, which did not go especially well. I was presenting and felt rather ambushed by the CD who decided to become suddenly challenging. I need a holiday. I am stale and not doing a particularly good job. All done a bit before six, and then I had to prep like mad for the Jo Morgan interview. 

Because Jo lives in a remote place in the Scottish Lowlands, and doesn't have wifi, we did the interview over the phone, but he rigged up microphones at his end, and then sent me a sound file later. I used my normal podcast software just to record my voice. Some half an hour of getting this kit right, with a bit of a running commentary from Jo about the fiddling he was doing, but then we had a good interview and he read his work excellently. I liked him a lot.  I wasn't quite as well prepared for the interview as I like to be, but was at least familiar with the book we were talking about: The Martian's Regress. It worked out well in the end. 

Done before nine. A long day, but it ended on a good note at least. I had been a bit of a bear this evening, which stressed everyone. Ended with me feeling washed out, and sipping a much needed lager before an early bed.