Saturday February 21^st 2009. Launch -54 days.

Last night I got home absolutely exhausted. After the adrenalin high of the race to finish compiling the test report by 4pm there was the massive letdown of adrenalin shutdown. By 5pm I was so tired that it was a struggle to stay awake in my office and colleagues who had worked so hard over the last three weeks were beginning to leave and start the weekend early because they felt the same way. A slow motion ride home followed, enlivened only by a rare moment of glory as I accelerated past a farm tractor on the final climb home! Not too many drivers have suffered the indignity of being overtaken by me on a clear road, especially when my legs feel so heavy that it felt like riding through treacle, although just once, a long time ago, I did, briefly, out-accelerate a sports car, presumably driven by someone who was half asleep, on a steep climb onto a roundabout!

After the necessity of going out, going over to the dry cleaner and doing some shopping, my body just shut down completely: I was deeply asleep on the sofa for three hours. The evening ended by watching the last episode of Season Four of “Star Trek: the Next Generation”. Last year I subscribed to the complete series on DVD and, each month, receive a box with two DVDs, four episodes on each: it’s a big moment when the box arrives each month as I have seen very few of the episodes previously. The collection will end with the original series and then the movies. It is wonderful entertainment. Over the years I have bought a number of “Next Generation” novels but had never really appreciated the characters until seeing them on screen.

Today, I have had my first normal Saturday for 3 weeks. Cleaning, tidying, vacuuming and cleaning the hamsters. Just what a normal person would do! And no e-mail to read.