Head spinning

Today I had to go from A to B, then from C to D, from B to A, D to C, drive around in E, followed by F to G and then H(ome). If you're confused now, imagine how I felt today! Four different sets of paperwork, all going through each other. In the end F to G was cancelled and I got to go H early!

Fortunately I had a sat-nav with round-trip options, so I put every single destination in there and just followed the little box. That way, I did everything in order and wouldn't forget about part of my shift today.

Tomorrow my shift is a bit easier. I'm going to a football match. I actually hope to be able to get in as well, which might surprise you, since I don't really like the game. But, when it's the national team playing and there might be a possibility to actually see the game... After all, the atmosphere counts for over half the enjoyment of a game.

Spring

My spirits are lifting. Slowly but surely they're coming up out of the blue depths they've been wallowing in and arriving in the sunshine. Helped by a day off, a good book ("First among sequels" by Jasper Fforde), sunshine and rising temperatures. So, out we all went, annoying the neighbour's cats, hanging up the laundry and trying to get a photograph of those little metallic beetles in the end of the branch (nope).

While out in the garden I discovered a plant I hadn't seen before. Well, only in other people's gardens, never in mine. Ground crawlers and only found in the spring, they are considered by some gardeners to be quite a pest. However, since my garden is an eclectic mix of 'never doing much' and trees that came blowing in, a butterfly bush, a berry bush and my christmas tree of two years ago, I probably wouldn't be the authority to ask. I did take a photo however. I think it's of the speedwell family. I like the flowers, they are cheerful and in the absence of any other flowers in my garden, they herald spring to me.

Blue

Over the last few days I've felt a bit dejected. The weather of course not really helping, nor did the washed-out wishy-washy things to keep my windscreen water free, the blown radio fuse or the soaking wet feet (and all that only on Saturday). But I think what was bothering me most was (is) the fact that when I get home, nobody is there to greet me with a kiss (not counting the monsters), nor is dinner waiting on the table for me. I get home to a cold house, mail still on the doormat and dinner yet to be prepared.

I am single and most of the time I'm not really bothered by it. After all, having sole ownership of the remote control... But on occasion, I just wish for that significant other, that soulmate, that person who will listen to me ramble on, instead of me writing it down and throwing it to the world.

So, if anyone knows someone who: likes cats; doesn't mind a very talkative woman who can cook and do laundry, but who hates cleaning; is not too much into football (soccer); non-smoking; over 21; is single; please send him my way.

Thank you...

Rain

Well, yesterday basically was everything I expected from it. It started off with rain, rain and even more rain. It was just bucketing down when I left home. And as soon as I arrived at work, I realised the shoes I wore were wrong, letting in more water than the Titanic! My feet were soaking...

So, with cold and wet feet I had to start work. First of all, I needed to know whether the football match was still on, if not, I could go home. But apparently the weather at the match site was better, so the match was on. After buying beer I drove to the team I had to pick up, while it was still raining (this is a recurring theme in this post). It dried up a bit while I was waiting for the team to come to the coach, but as soon as I started driving again, the rain started up as well.

I got on the motorway and about ten kilometers later, my windshield wipers started doing weird things. In stead of the down being its resting place, it decided the up would be the resting place. And then after about three more kilometers of this (at least they were still working), they did want to come down, but they didn't at the same time and then they just stopped! While it was pouring!!! The way they had stopped though was in the middle of my windscreen so I didn't see much. I stopped the coach, pushed the wipers in the down position and carried on driving. A bit slower, but those guys needed to play a match.

Fortunately the closer we got to the match site, the drier it became and when we arrived, the sun did so as well. Everyone got off the coach and I tried the wipers again. Well, I could hear the wiper motor (or engine), but the wipers had decided to go on strike. I called the emergency mechanics and about an hour and a half later they showed up. Half an hour later they left again: nothing they could do, they knew where the problem was, but without taking the coach apart, they couldn't reach it (don't you just love modern technology?). The weather had cleared up, so I decided I would risk driving home without windscreen wipers.

After waiting for about three hours, the team was due back. I started the coach, which only caused a lot of lights on my dashboard to start flickering and doing weird stuff, but the coach wouldn't start. I was about to throw in the towel, when I realised the coach was in gear (thank you mechanic) and wouldn't start as a result of that. I put it in neutral and the coach started first time (phew...). But all that flickering of lights and other weird stuff had caused the fuse to the radio and everything related to that medium to blow, so apart from the windscreen wipers not working, now the radio had given up the ghost as well.

I left with the team on board and instead of going straight home, they wanted to have dinner on the way. A small restaurant in a small village was our destination. After good food (including a great desert) we left again. By now it was dark, but more importantly, it was absolutely pouring down. And driving without windscreen wipers during the day is one thing, but at night... Horrendous! I had to drive slowly to be able to see anything. Fortunately it didn't last long, but I hope never to have to do that again. As soon as the rain dried up, I was able to gain some speed and drive the team back home. And then I still had to do over thirty minutes to get home myself. About three hours later than originally planned!

Today I still have to clean the coach, I was so not up to it last night. Hopefully it won't rain when I cycle to work...

Spiders

A friend of mine had this posted on her blog and it made me laugh. So, I had to share it, didn't I?

Feline Friday 5

This is Julius making sure my roses are topped according to the laws of the Addams Family. About two hours later, all the blooms were on the floor and only the stems were left in the vase!

One more reason not to take flowers home too often...

Walking the dog

Today I saw a car driving very slowly. The window was rolled down and a leash was coming out of that window. And on the other end was a dog. Walking alongside this car.

Funny way of walking him...

The work blues

I don't know what's wrong with me, but I just don't want to go to work today. Calling in a sickie is definitely not an option and once I get going, I will be fine, but yuck!
It has a lot to do with the weather of course. It's grey, it's overcast, it's windy, there's rain all the time and it's chilly. Basic March weather, but still. Next week is supposed to be a bit better with temperatures going up to about 15 degrees (Celsius).

I can't wait!

J is for...

Jedburgh Abbey

When I was in Scotland last year we had to visit this Abbey. It's in a small village called Jedburgh halfway between Edinburgh and the Scottish/English border. The Abbey was built in the twelft century and destroyed during border wars between Scotland and England in the sixteenth century. It has remained as you see in this photo ever since (well, they cleaned it up a bit). Apart from the scaffolding on the left side of the abbey of course, that was there because of works to the remaining building.

Was it worth the visit? Yes, it was, but probably not for the amount of money they asked. After all, most people were in and out in under twenty minutes! However, since it was the last day, most people didn't really mind that much I think, because they just wanted to go home...

For more J words please check out: ABC Wednesday

Sophie (yep, again)

Yesterday I had to visit the vet once more. Sophie had to have her stitches out. She didn't like it of course and this time I had to use a smaller carry case as well. The one I normally use is open at the top, but it was raining and really windy, so I wanted a closed one, so she wouldn't get too wet. At the vet's she was also weighed again and she is not as weighty as she used to be. She used to be about four kilograms and yesterday she was only 3,6 (a loss of 10 percent!)! That could be due to the operation and the subsequent stress, but it could also be due to the medication.

She gets an aspirin-based fluid medication. Now, if a human takes to many aspirins, he will get severe problems with his stomach (and I'm experienced in that, having taken between 4 and 6 aspirins every day for nearly three years). The same goes for animals. So, it might be that the medication is causing some stomach problems. For this coming week I've had to reduce the amount of medication and hopefully it will get better. If it doesn't get better, she might have to come off the medication completely, which in turn means the cancer doesn't get treated.

She's causing me some grieve this nervous little pussycat!