.... idle hands

It's been a bad week. I promise never to moan about workload again.
The job I do is a funny one, it's either non-stop or nothing at all ("feast or famine" doesn't seem an appropriate phrase when covering Africa!), and this week has definitely fallen into the latter category.
I'm at my worst when left idle. There's plenty I could be doing, the kids' bikes need fixed, I need a new suit for an upcoming trip to the 'States and I promised myself I'd learn some Spanish ahead of our trip to Argentina this Christmas. But I've done none of the above. Apart from the odd school run, I've stared at a computer screen for five days, re-reading details about the one story we're hoping to start work on next week.
African communications are doing nothing to ease my frustration. I emailed a contact about the story on Tuesday, as I write (four days later), he still hasn't replied. My hourly attempts to raise him have a 100% failure rate. Apparently there's no power where he is at the moment so his mobile is dead. On the few occasions I have managed to get a call through to his home number, the line has been so bad I've spent a minute or two shouting, then given up.
I never thought I'd say it, but I really miss "on the day" news. The stories which start with a call from the newsdesk at 7am and are filmed, filed and forgotten by the end of that day. True, you rarely get the time to apply the polish you'd like to those pieces, but boy do the hours pass more quickly!
I'm sure a big story will come along soon and run me ragged, but I promise I won't complain if it does.
I don't expect any sympathy... as work problems go, having too much free time is not a bad one. I'm simply writing this to remind myself that my stint out here hasn't all been adventures and derring-do. It's also another great diversion from fixing those bloody bikes!