Tuesday 4 October 2016

A Normal Day


Autumn brings with it dark mornings.  Midsummer sees the sun shining brightly at five, or at least waiting to appear over the houses, Autumn means it hangs about there till seven and then often hides behind clouds.  Struggling out from under the fetid blankets a glance at the window shows what the day has in store, dim sky, wind shaking the branches of trees, glacial air pouring through the gaps in the aged window frames.  Oh joy.
This morning I clambered out into the world and waited while the boiler decided whether or not to work.  During the summer it took ages to find a thermostat point that satisfied the brute and now the chill has arrived it has shown signs of working almost properly, normality for the thermostat has returned it appears.  Eventually there was enough water for my weekly bath, after which I chomped on the remaining almost but not quite stales bread before eventually dragging my bulk towards the museum.
My head was still asleep as I had woken at 5:15 am or so the man rather too cheerfully told me on the wireless, but sleep would not return to me until I decided to rise just on seven.  Why can I not get back to sleep in this situation?  If I was going nowhere I am sure I would sleep again but no, today I drowsily lie there soaked in wakefulness my head filled with fears, failures, worries and thoughts of a debilitating kind.  Twenty minutes more sleep and I would rise refreshed, cheery, and ready for almost anything, but no, instead my gloom is heightened by the arrival of a song, Nina Simone with 'My baby cares for me' going around and around my head until the arrival of the songstress in my abode would lead to twenty years solitary for what I would do to her!   It's a decent enough song but not one I wish to hear, or bits of one, that I wish to hear for hours every morning!


Drowsiness suffused my hulking body as I arrived at the museum and found the doors locked.  This meant walking all the way to the other door and ringing the bell, such stress at this time of the day.  Once inside I found the 'Star Wars exhibit' gone completely and work begun on setting up the next one, old postcards and other bits.  Clearly I had to take immediate action, I hid and made coffee.
On around the third mug, and I usually don't drink coffee, I noticed both eyes were now open and I began to see people walking about once again.  The thing about exhibitions ending is that few people arrive in the 'in between' time and only the much wanted gas fitter came in early on.  The boiler has been giving trouble and has not worked properly since February as far as I can tell.  After a few minutes fussing he had it working, if you call three hours a few minutes.  When I left the heating was on but by then I had been moving about and could not tell if it was working because I had been.
During the clear up some boxes had to be carted to a car and I was called upon by the disgraceful use of guilt by the females in the party to carry the heavy ones in spite of my condition.  The constant refrain 'We can manage' from women as you know means 'DO IT!'  I did it but my back hurts now.  Can I claim compensation I wonder?


One lass today had a problem with a child.  He had misbehaved badly and she felt guilty for slapping his bahookey.  In the circumstances I thought she had acted rightly but parents do feel guilty when disciplining children.  I told her not to feel bad, I would have been angry too at his behaviour and young as he is he is a human creature and requires the slap occasionally.  Get it now so he knows how far he can go I say.  A good family, proper parents, and the children are well cared for, such behaviour upsets the parents more than the child but that is what parents are for, they suffer, the brats merely learn about real life.  These kids will make it and make it well in the end.


No visitors disturbed the peace today bar one lass checking the shop and another regular having a quick look round.  Only staff running (I use the word advisedly) in and out kept me awake.  I was forced to make my own tea as Peggy took the day off again but I accidentally swallowed a slice of chocolate cake left from yesterday by mistake while doing so.  Actually two others did arrive one lass enquiring re a hotel we had never heard off.  All the clever people were involved, all were ignorant of this building.  We did however have educated guesses as to where it had stood and decided the Liberal club is probably the place under a new name.  However we truly did not know the answer and gave the best help we could.  Most annoying and meant I would have some checking to do when I got home. 
The other chap donated a pile of pamphlets and papers of great interest, I found this out by going through them afterwards, great stuff!  I mentioned to him out previous query and he answered it right away!  Not only was it the club we had considered but I was in there with him only the other week!  Someone told me it had been a restaurant but I had forgotten the name and did not know it did wedding receptions, which was part of the previous lassies query.  
That is a good result and what we want from people in this town, knowledge that we have not got, and there is a lot of ignorance amongst us I can tell thee!

 
Home satisfied that one query was dealt with.  happily I ate what passes for lunch and discovered I drank so much coffee I could not sleep.  I still cannot get my eyes to close...

3 comments:

Kay G. said...

You know you need to have a woman to leave a comment to tell you not to drink so much coffee.
So, here I am!
Ha, you can't murder me, I am too far away!

the fly in the web said...

We might be nearer the equator than you but here too we notice the difference as we creep towards the shortest day...
And, contrary as always, now we live in a coffee producing place - and used to produce our own - we generally drink tea...

Lettuce soup is good for inducing sleep....

carol in cairns said...

Wake up and smell the coffee beans ~ that way too hey won't keep you awake at the other end of the day. You're welcome ☕️