I’ve read again what I wrote last year, and history repeats itself, or at least I do. Ironically, I’m cash-strapped again, after resolving last year to sort my financial situation out.

We went to Kent, near Hever Castle for a week and had a great time. Really good weather and lots of interesting places to visit. We included a 5.5 mile walk so that gave us some good exercise, and a sun tan.

I start back at work today, after a two and a half week break.

Our holiday in Crete is over and we’ve come from blazing sunshine and temperatures around 100 degree F every day, to showers and temperatures in the high 50s F (if we are lucky).

It’s not all bad though, at least not to my mind. The summer days in Greece are too hot for me to bear for more than a couple of weeks.  And, unles I’m doing a fair amount of sightseeing and exploring, just lounging around by the pool quickly loses it’s attraction. To be back now in a temperate climate, with work and hobbies to resume and friends to catch up with, is actually very welcome.

Whether I’ll be quite so happy after a full day at work remains to be seen. Apart from the shock of being back at my desk for over 7 hours, there may have been some significant changes. Including the possibility that I may no longer have a role.

Before I went on leave there were moves to restructure and remove resources in my group. I may have been absent at a crucial time. Not that my presence would have made much difference,  I’m not in a position of influence in these matters.

I’m beginning to think about our summer holiday which is fast approaching. We fly out from Manchester on 16 August for two week in Crete.

Because of a small oversight on my part, it is actually just over two weeks. Earlier in the year I’d been attempting to make an exchange of my timeshare weeks in Spain for a holiday on Crete via RCI. First of all, a single week became available and the check-in day was Friday, 17 August, checking out on the following Friday, 24 August.

It was two or three weeks later before another timeshare week was offered. I booked that one before realising that it began on Saturday 25 August.

So now we have to find somewhere to stay on the night of Friday 24 August. The other complication this has brought is that of booking the flights.

None of the budget deals on offer were for a 15 day holiday. As a result I’ve paid quite a bit more than I expected to for the plane tickets. Such is life!