Some days after the return to work and there seems to be a return to the position in which we found ourselves before I departed for the festivities. Things look much as they did before providing a sense of ambivalence - on the one hand things are no worse than when I left, on the other, neither have they improved. Hence the stasis.

I even looked the word up and found an slightly unexpected application for the word

Pathology Stoppage of the normal flow of a body substance, as of blood through an artery or of intestinal contents through the bowels.

I feel a desperate urge to share here, but in the interests of decorum, I shall instead just blame the meds...

Sleep since the return has been at a premium. 02:00 alarms for 03:00 taxis off the back of 30 minutes sleep do not make for good travel companions. When combined with 3 hour waits for aircraft that take-off late, barely getting to the connecting flight in time to wait on the tarmac for a further 3 hours whilst the aircraft sits in the anti-icing queue, you begin to understand the rather disjointed feeling AM and I had on finally making it to Riyadh. It was a kind of an odd weekend where sleep fell wherever it came. It's finally coming right, but the tiredness persists, compounded no doubt by the New Year imperative to exercise.

Reality is starting to kick in though, its inbox cleared of its assorted detritus and evidence of carefully laid plans discarded in absentia. Recalibration is being applied and asserted where needed, concerns assuaged and strategies reviewed. This too will come to pass...

Closer to home there are the inevitable piles of newly acquired gifts stacked on the dining table, the sense of not quite being home and the next escape to be planned. Calls to book flights already as strong as the northerly wind outside - OK, so it is in February, before when I need a new visa, a new driving licence and a new iqama (residents permit). Bureaucracy here is such that these things must align with the precision more commonly associated with a Cruise missile strike if I am to escape these parts in a little over 6 weeks time.

Before then there is the music PC to resurrect, whilst away, it died. It has been resuscitated, fitted with a pacemaker, has died again and must now face surgery. What I really need is for a Gregory House like figure to step into the breach and identify the true cause of the emergency before I undertake a wholly unnecessary (and expensive) procedure with limited hope of success. Time I think to contact 'GomezMan' - where are you Eddie?

Of necessity, this post needs to be short, as despite the lateness of the hour, I need to go and exercise - a circuit of compound walking should do.

About 10 days ago, I went off for my annual company medical - 'they' feel it's important, and I wouldn't want to disagree with 'them'. Inevitably, the blood tests showed that all was not as rosy in the garden as I would have liked to believe, but they would send it off to the lab and get a 2nd opinion. I suppose it was only fair to get the full treatment as I had 'paid' for it with a needle in either arm.

A couple of days ago I was invited in for 'a chat'. This morning I headed in there to see what was occurring. It would seem that they have confirmed that my blood sugar levels are somewhat out of kilter and rather up on where they should be. I had a similar conversation about 3 years back and a oral glucose tolerance test confirmed that I was in the pre-diabetic range. A series of dietary changes later and on subsequent medicals it would seem that all was under control. Not so this time though.

This time it turns out that my readings are above where 'they' want them and I'm due another OGTT to confirm the doctor's expectation that this will now confirm that I have moved on a stage and will be considered a diabetic. This is not the greatest news I could have had today, or any other day for that matter. This is very early stage stuff and I should not expect to notice any symptoms yet, nor do I need to start on tablets of any form - just more dietary care and some exercise (see above).

With that, I'll go and put my training shoes on and head off out - delightful stuff...