One particularly enjoyable thing about having a day job again is that it got me back onto remotely reasonable hours for remotely reasonable people to keep. After three nights waking up without an alarm clock around 8:30, and two nights being snuggled up in bed by midnight, I awoke cheerily at 9 on a day off.

Like any good day off, I started with a read of the paper, a coffee and some toast. I wrote a bit, I gossipped, I turned the light on while I waited for the sun to come up. The sun came up, up to light the snow on esja, the snow on the windowsill, the snow on the roof and the street and the cars on the street.

I had some errands to run, but all the time in the world to do them, so I rugged up, forwent the beanie in favour of a jaunty hat, and strode out into the midday snow. I had a very pleasant stroll walking up town and back, warmly shrugging off the snow and sticking my tongue out to catch the odd flake or three.

I returned home white from head to toe, and starting to chill, but with almost all errands completed, and at only 4pm. Unfortunately, despite the thick blanket of snow all over town, the ski resort still insisted on being closed, so I retired to a leisurely warm evening by the crackling fires of home.