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I experienced one of the most luxurious days (up to a point) last Monday, but that is probably because my definition of luxury is very odd and perhaps different to the conventional view.

Here’s a description of the day:

I woke up at 7am when my son came in. That is luxury, because if I’m going to ride my bike on a Monday morning I usually have to be up at 6am to walk the dog before getting ready to be on my bike by 6:30am.

I was able to ‘lie in’ because my day was scheduled for admin – that in itself is luxury.

I got up, had a little coffee and walked the dog whilst listening to Erratic Cinematic by Gerry Cinnamon, it’s one of the best albums I have heard for a long, long time but you might have to be Scottish to appreciate it.

I got back and got to make my breakfast while my kids got ready for school. I got to chat to them and got to have a laugh with them as Rosie went off to school and I helped get Callum ready for school.

I then got to take Callum to school because I was working from home. That was a pure luxury and something I don’t get to do often enough. Then I got to come home and go on my bike for three hours!!

For some people three hours off would be the ideal opportunity to turn on Netflix, and I completely understand that, but for me luxury is the time allowed to spend on my bike.

I got home, was able to have a shower and was able to have lunch with my daughter (who finished her GCSEs a few weeks ago). We had lunch in the garden before I started working in the afternoon.

I could work from home, with my dog, catching up on paperwork and things I need to do for the practice overall before I finished up about 6pm to meet my friend Stuart for cinema club.

For me, this was a totally luxurious and self-indulgent day.

The chance to ride my bike, the chance to have lunch with my daughter, the chance to catch up on work and the chance to go to the cinema.

It was spoiled a bit in the middle by 90 minutes of IT support to get my laptop working again to dial into the practice, but even with that these are some of the happiest days. The ones which allow me to love what I do when I see patients and the ones which allow me to love what I do when I’m not at work at all.

Just for a short while on Monday, it felt like I had the balance (it won’t last for long)

Blog Post Number: 1705