The wildlife pond in the garden seems dead this year. I haven’t seen any tadpoles or frogs.

The garden also has a wild, abandoned feel to it – overgrown with long grasses and weeds.

Late last week and then again earlier this week, I had a couple of “venting chats” with a girl at work, someone in my broader team. I would say she’s probably one of the better ones. Among other things, I spoke to her about resilience, and the concept of reserves. Whether she has enough reserves to pull her through to the light at the end of the tunnel.

This week, I also finally reached out to someone who had left the company in the last round of cost cuts. I remember one day a few months back, he asked me about the strike price of our company stock options. I guessed it might have been the day he was told he lost his jobs, or soon before or after. I knew it was coming down the pipe, but didn’t know timing – these things are so weirdly secretive. He’s a good guy, and I had wanted to reach out before, but I didn’t have the strength and energy.

Visited AJ’s new flat today – very nice. And great location.