Going nowhere fast

There's a routine in our house: at 6.45am the radio clicks in with the sound of the Today programme. Jac and I stir slowly. At 7am I shout 'It's seven o'clock L-B' ......and a few minutes later there's the clunk, stomp, stumble, click of our 15 year old wandering into the bathroom. Over the next

hour and a half it's five showers, three kids leaving at different times to different schools - the last one walked to primary by me as Jac heads off to her office. I return about 8.45am, grab that second cup of coffee, and if I'm working from here, settle into the routine of the rest of the day.

Except it hasn't been like that this week. The seven o'clock shout has prompted L-B to scuttle down the stairs and into the office to crank up the PC. On three days out of four it has shown that all three of my kids' schools have closed for the day. On Monday, Jac reappeared after a couple of hours. On Tuesday she worked from home. On both days at the start of the week, hardly any of my clients made it to their offices. Phone interviews have been rescheduled, planning meetings put on ice...literally.

Yesterday was better and a sense of normality returned, briefly. But we've had a heavy snow fall again overnight and things have returned to that surreal state where normal working life is suspended.

(That's my office)

The view from my office window is once again a magical white against a heavy steel sky, but I wonder how much work will actually get done here today? I'm geared up, but the three kids consider today another extra holiday. Jac has headed off for Hughenden with our coal scuttle as a shovel and my high vis jacket just in case. But I doubt her office will stay open all day. Who knows how many of my contacts have made it to work - and how many are stuck in the same situation as me with schools closed and children at home.

We live in a temperate country in a maritime clime completely unprepared for snow. But climate change does seem to be making its effect felt - sharper winters, warmer springs, wetter summers. But as a country we're reacting slowly. We had four inches of snow last night. It seems to have paralysed the whole district. That shouldn't happen.

Just another manic Monday....err, not yet

The world is very slowly getting back into gear with the first working week of 2009.....but it has started pretty slowly out this way. The snow's falling, the kids aren't yet back at school and all seems quiet in semi-rural Bucks.

It seems that way in London too - I've a few emails out to clients, but no replies yet as they struggle into work to pick up the threads after what has been for many, a two-week break.

I need to start earning my keep fairly promptly this month. The last three months of 2008 were pretty tricky and I reckon my income was about 30 per cent down. At least I had income - but the fun this week will be two fold: first getting payment for work done in November/December, and second turning all the possible work opportunities into reality. Thankfully, the last week before Christmas threw up a number of potential assignments - training for a private client and also through CiB; the next stage on an on-going sales transformation project; the opportunity to do some writing for a hotel group and more writing both for one of my existing magazines and for one I picked up only in December. Now's the time to find out how solid these pieces are - and get out and do 'em.

As ever, I'm raring to go - I just reckon it'll take my clients a day or so longer to get into the swing of this work lark. Anyway, 'til then I can watch the snow swirl around. It's very pretty!

Perfect day...almost

My work ethic is based on rewarding myself - but only when the job's done. So today, with the kids off on half-term and a deliberately light work schedule, I bashed out what I needed to do by 10.30am. I'll do some more after 3pm when Jac's back, but have just come back from spending an hour and a half on top of Whiteleaf Hill overlooking Risborough.

Last night we went to football at Wycombe Wanderers, but the game was called off after just 22 minutes due to heavy snow. It was an icy and dicey drive back home (I miss my 4 wheel drive Subaru!) but we awoke this morning to a good two inch blanket of snow.

Sophie and I headed up into the Chilterns mid-morning and found a lot of timber down across the minor roads, collapsed under the weight of snow. While it's melting off now, I can't remember having this heavy a snowfall in October.

Up on the Chiltern escarpment the snow was deep, powdery and crisp, the sky blue and cloudless and the scene was beautiful. Frankly there's no-one better to spend an hour and half in the snow with than an eight year old.

Taking a bit of time off is one of the great perks of freelancedom.........I just wish I'd remembered to bring my camera......!