Those three weeks felt like a vacation. Even though my wife and I worked long days (the children stayed with grandpa and grandma for the duration) it felt relaxing. While my wife painted all the walls, I ran dozens of meters of electrical and network wiring all over the place, laid floors, installed bug screens, and helped install the kitchen. The kind of physical work I'm not accustomed to, with the net result that for the first time on vacation I lost some weight.

We are now living in our new home and almost everything we wanted to bring from our old house is here with us. For a couple more weeks we'll be using our old house as storage. Outdoors, the gardener is still laying some paving but my vacation is over. On June 24th, I was due back at the office, in other words, at my new bedroom, with a new virtual background courtesy of Microsoft Teams. With hundreds of unanswered emails and a full diary, I was able to get back to work.

As the curtains have not yet been delivered, ditto the sunblinds and air conditioner, last week was not very pleasant. An indoor temperature pushing 30 degrees ensured my days were not very productive. What's more, there's the ever-present temptation to slip away from my desk and install a door handle or glue on a skirting board.

I cannot wait to go back to the office. And enjoy a moment's relaxation in Metaforum between hanging up lamps and unpacking boxes. But alas. Metaforum is staying closed for the time being. That it's more spacious than IKEA makes no difference. TU/e is implacable. We work from home. Sure we do. The whole of the Netherlands is working from home, which is why the D.I.Y. stores are so busy.

I'll start work in a minute. The gardener just needs someone to hand him the paving stones.