Just as I was getting out of bed for my last day at work the doorbell rang. I was as surprised to see see three representatives of the building firm that visited two weeks ago to work out a quote as they were to see me in my dressing gown. It seemed that the architect had forgotten to tell me they were coming. I dressed while they looked round again downstairs, then I answered some questions, before leaving them in the house while I went off to work - thankfully remembering the farewell biscuits I baked last night.

Work was mostly about handing things over to my predecessor/successor and having a diplomatic conversation about how great everyone is at pulling together and supporting each other in the face of difficulties with someone who was at risk of doing the opposite. I consulted him about how we could make a small office usable as a room he can teach in, promised to move the furniture round before Thursday, donated him my own white-board markers and got him back on board. Then two others hefted the furniture around with me.

Early afternoon I was summoned to help with a problem that had cropped up in the other building. As I got to the top of the stairs and saw how many people were on the landing I thought there'd been an accident. Then I looked up and saw all the smiles. My farewell: a bouquet, a card, kind words. Lovely people.

Around 3.30 I got a message from the architect to say that another builder was coming round at 4.30. I said I'd get home at 5, I tidied up as many of the remaining flapping ends as I could, I said my farewells and I left. Then realised that my set of office keys was still in my pocket so I turned round and took them back. Kind of symbolic of the way I do endings. 

The builder finally showed up at 6.45.

Tonight will be an early night and tomorrow will be a late morning.