Seeing
it wasn’t raining when I emerged from my pit I took the dogs out right away. As
we drove to the woods the pundits on the radio were interviewing the head of
the British Football Association who was being incredibly tactful and diplomatic,
but made no secret that the (football) world cup hasn’t turned out to be
quite that which had been expected.
We
got to the woods; the car park was nearly empty; the threat of rain had clearly
scared a lot of people off. As we walked out of the car park we saw a woman
with two Labradors, and a hundred yards later we played for a couple of minutes
with a Dalmatian. And that was it for the normal people for today. We walked
what is fast becoming our usual four-mile route without seeing anyone else at
all. The woods are so much better during the week; most of the (very few)
people we meet are sensible dog-walkers. There’s none of the horse-riding
brigade screaming at everyone to get out of the way or the thugs with their
muzzled death-hounds trying to look impressive that can infest the place at the
weekends… well, not that much.
I
must admit that things did look a bit dodgy at the furthest point from the car;
the sky did turn an ominous shade of grey. But we got back to the car (and
drove home) before any rain came.
We
had a quick bath. Fortunately for my nerves there was no fox poo, but small
dogs do get grubby tummies. And once home I was (quite frankly) amazed
to see the fish tank thermometers I’d ordered from Amazon yesterday lunch time
had arrived. I was rather impressed with that.
I
had a quick cuppa and had a look at the Internet. It was still there, but I thought
better of wasting too much time in it today.
Leaving “er indoors TM”
and the hounds in charge at home I set off in the general direction of work. I
got in the car, started it, and it immediately told me to change the battery in
the key. The battery in the key of my
old car once went flat on me; this car gives me prior warning. That was a
result. It was only a shame that the car left me to my own devices as to
actually sorting a new battery and installing the thing.
I
went to Halfords and looked pathetic, and the nice lady sorted me out, which
was a result.
From
Halfords I went to the bank. I had a cheque to pay in (the ongoing saga of
Dad's estate)... because the cheque was for more than five hundred pounds I
couldn't scan it in with the mobile app. The woman on the bank's phone line said
I had to hand it in over the counter in a bank. She was insistent - I had to go
to a real live person in a branch of the bank because of the sum of money
involved.
I
got to the bank and queued up. And waited. And waited. Eventually I got to the
head of the queue where some rather harassed-looking woman (in a bank
uniform) told me I could use the paying
in machine to pay the cheque in to my account. I explained that I had
been told I had to hand it to someone in the bank personally, and I *couldn't*
use a machine. The woman (in the bank
uniform) said I didn't, and she paid it in for me, using the paying in
machine whilst I stood and watched. I took the opportunity to tell her that the
bank was far better when it was a proper bank with a counter rather than a load
of machines and three staff looking like they are about to cry. The woman (in
a bank uniform) agreed with me; she said she hears that a lot.
As
I came out of the bank I noticed the bakery. Rather than getting myself a
sandwich for lunch I had a brainwave and I got a broccoli and cheese quiche and
a lump of bread pudding.
I
then drove up to Lenham to return the leaf blower (sucker) I borrowed a
couple of weeks ago. Having established that it did the trick, I needed it out
of the shed to make room for one of my own.
I
delivered it back to Joe, and we had a little chat whilst I fussed his dog.
And
then on to work. It was at this point that the heavens really opened. I got to
the car park and scoffed lunch whilst waiting for the rain to subside.
Here's
a tip - if you want a seriously impressive gets ache that will last all
afternoon, I'd thoroughly recommend a broccoli and cheese quiche followed by a
lump of bread pudding.
No comments:
Post a Comment