Genuinely had to check the calendar this morning. Friday was Matariki, the country had the day off, and somewhere between the long weekend and an early alarm to watch the football, the days have completely lost their shape. Worth it though.
England's World Cup quarter-final against Norway kicked off Saturday evening in Miami, which meant a Sunday morning couch session for anyone watching it live here. It delivered exactly the kind of stress we've come to expect. Norway went ahead through Schjelderup, Bellingham equalised right on half-time, and it stayed locked at 1-1 through 90 minutes before Bellingham popped up again in extra time to send England through, 2-1, into the semi-final.
Not being a huge football fan myself, it's always struck me how England's textbook, patient style of play seems to manufacture its own stress. You rarely see genuine pace or flair cutting through the opposition's box, it's long passes and set plays, working the ball into position rather than anyone just running at people. When it comes off, it's genuinely great to watch. But at home or down the pub, you go in expecting to be on the wrong side of the result, and you're almost surprised when you're not. This time, we weren't. Come on England.
Now, of course, it just starts again, edge of the seat, hoping, for the semi-final. And so it goes on.
The bit that actually matters
Underneath the football, the real story of this weekend is just having one. A Friday public holiday tacked onto a normal weekend turns into something different, time actually stretches out a bit, there's room for a lazy morning, an unhurried catch-up with the people who matter, and getting outside without watching the clock the whole time.
Long weekends like this one don't come around that often, and they're easy to take for granted until you're in one. Whatever you did with the extra day, hopefully some of it was outside, some of it was with family or friends, and none of it involved checking work email. That's really the whole point of a bank holiday weekend, not just an extra day off, but a proper chance to reset before diving back in.
Tomorrow it's back to it, meters, consents, and compliance deadlines included. But we're going into the week recharged, and hopefully you are too.