Understatement

Well, the only thing I can say about this past weekend is that I learned a new way of being tired. Not just tired, but so tired I could even look cross-eyed!!!

On Friday I got out of bed at midday. I didn't do too much and went to bed again at a quarter past five. Of course I didn't get to sleep until well past seven and I had to get up again at nine, but every hour counted to be honest. At eleven I set off towards the company I had to pick up. At half past one in the morning I left there and drove straight towards Calais (France) to take the ferry to Dover (England). Because of the weather and some mechanical problems with one of the ferries, we were half an hour delayed... Not so good.

When I got to London, I knew a really quick way to the center of town. And it worked, right up to the Tower of London. From there it normally is only two minutes to the London Bridge, but they had decided to close down that road, leading all traffic through all those narrow streets: twenty minutes later I finally got to London Bridge! I finally dropped them off in the center of London and drove to the parking lot. Which is always very muddy and this time very full as well! It was pouring down with rain, so I decided to get a taxi to my hotel. I put my head on the pillow at half past eleven in the morning.

An hour later I was still wide awake, there was just too much noise outside. Fortunately I dozed off for a few hours, but in the end I only managed to catch three hours. So by the time I had to start driving again at a quarter past seven, I had only had five hours sleep in 33 hours!

I drove back to the ferry (another delay there) and decided to catch an hour of sleep there, because I was in serious danger of not making it otherwise. So, in the driver's restaurant I put my head down and fell asleep. When I woke up again, we were in the port of Calais and they were just getting everyone to go back to their vehicles... But I was somewhat refreshed and would be able to make it for at least a few hours. During the way back one of the women on board (she was the leader of the group) came and sat next to me. She hadn't slept for nearly two days by then, but she chatted to me all night, sitting in the cold as well, so that was very sweet of her. Mind you, it's also self-preservation I guess, a driver falling asleep at the wheel must be a horrible thought!

Arriving back at the company's headquarters I stayed there for nearly an hour, cleaning up, clearing up and doing the accounts and paperwork. I then started to drive, but after about half an hour, it started to become extremely difficult to keep my eyes open. In the end (with only 25 miles left to go) I opted to find a parking place and just shut my eyes for an hour. After all, I didn't want to end up up-side down in a ditch. The hour asleep really helped and I managed to get home at around nine in the morning. I cleaned the coach thorougly and went home.

I didn't go straight to bed though, it's always best to go back to your normal routine, so I stayed up until six and then I just couldn't take anymore and went to bed. And now? Well, I've had a lovely twelve hours sleep and feel great again. However, not great enough to go to London like that again...