Halfway through writing this, the power in my block went out. Normally no more fuss than a blown fuse or power cut.
But I immediately got a text from my upstairs neighbour that read: “ Russians?”
It was not, I don’t think, unless they had imperial designs on a shepherd’s pie I had made. But this is a world in which everything has changed.
Wednesday was my birthday, which was its usual amount of fun. Tanks circling Ukraine. The takeaway turned up cold. Leeds got beat 6-0 at Anfield.
I went to bed miserable and was woken at 5am by a phone call to tell me: “My God, it’s happened.”
“They’ve sacked Bielsa? Surely not.”
Of course it wasn’t that. Not yet anyway. It was the only thing worse. Mr Putin had ordered the invasion and Russian troops were entering Ukraine.
What has followed has been heartbreaking. The stories of people fleeing their homes, of indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets and the terrifying advance on Kyiv.
My friend’s ex lives out there. Early in the week she was nervous but getting on with life. Wednesday she was worrying about the internet, about the banks closing, about having enough petrol to get out of the capital.
Thursday she was sleeping in a Metro station as the shelling started.
In the blink of an eye, the whole way of life of a peaceful country had gone.
The response from the West so far has been measured.
We can’t go in, obviously, first because Ukraine is not in Nato, second because it would cause utter, utter carnage. But we have to do something. The behaviour of Mr Putin is in danger of giving every maniac the world over the green light.
Taiwan is looking around nervously and Kashmir is more dangerous than ever. There are plotters in Tehran, Pyongyang, other hotspots who are wondering if it’s time to try their luck.
Mr Putin has set the tone. These are the actions of someone out of control, a man inspired by lunatic dreams of the Tsars and a disregard for the fragile peace so delicately protected. A disregard also for the rights of an independent nation.
Whatever comes next, the world has changed. This is unlikely to develop into a “hot war”, although the shadow of the cold one is back, with all that brings – America and Russia moving pieces around Europe rather than the Middle East.
Former National Security Adviser Lord Darroch said: “We are going to see scenes on the European mainland we haven’t seen for 80 years.”
Our tough sanctions will be met by cyber-attacks, control over our energy and constant brinkmanship.
Nato reinforcements will need to embed in Poland, Romania, the Baltic States. It is not going to be pleasant, and is going to last for a long time.
I keep looking for a quote to sum up the menace that’s fallen over Europe.
“The lamps are going out,” one from the First World War, is good.
But I keep reading Tom Holland’s book about the splintering of Rome after the death of Julius Caesar: “Meanwhile, in Rome, in legionary camps and in cities across the empire, hard men spoke fine words and methodically planned for war.
“And wolves, in lofty cities, made the nights echo with their howls.”
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