Sunday Night and Monday Morning
In my head it's late on Sunday 3rd July, but a glance at the clock alongside the bed tells me it's 12:42am – so Monday 4th July. My friends in America will have the day off today. In a few hours time I will be cycling to work, and preparing to fill out the paperwork involved in the aftermath of travel – expense claims, timesheets, and so on.
It's been a quiet weekend – spent mostly trying to catch up on things around the house – the kind of things that slide when you both work full time, and have kids involved in all sorts of clubs and/or activities. As you might imagine – if either of us goes away for whatever reason, life for the remaining one becomes a decision between either being present for the kids, or doing chores – you can't do both single handed.
Given the scarsity of news to share, I'm going to expand on a few notes I've scribbled over the last few days. Things that caught my attention.
First up has to be two young girls waiting for the arrival of their Dad at Euston Station on Friday evening. As the mob of disembarking passengers left the train I was on, I could see them facing us – standing on tip-toes, searching the crowd for their Dad, with their Mum standing behind them. After a few moments – as I drew close – they obviously caught sight of him, and broke into beaming smiles. I couldn't help smiling too as I passed by.
Next up – an hour later – I had to endure half an hour sitting on another train while a trophy wife talked at length with a friend she had bumped into about her tiring life of restaurant lunches, and the horrors of having to survive the train with the “people who work”. I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing, and in the end had to put my headphones on and listen to some music to block her out. I know I live in an affluent town, but hadn't really considered what the people I often see around town are really like. Well now I know...
While walking into town to get groceries this morning, I found myself walking behind quite the most peculiar person I have seen in quite some time. He was walking with his girlfriend (or wife?), and either had a bad back, or walked in the manner you might if your testicles were the size of bowling balls. He projected his belly in front of him, with a very straight back, and waddled, with his knees turned out on each step. I marvelled at it for quite some time while walking behind him.
On the way back from town, I became trapped behind an old woman. I was carrying two heavy shopping bags, so wasn't hanging around – I have long enough arms already, without stretching them a few more inches. She seemed to delight in taking up the entire path, even though she must have heard me approach behind her. We finally reached a wider section of path, and I began walking past – and she blocked me! I couldn't quite believe it at first. Something inside me snapped, and rather than just trudge along behind her, I immediately skipped to the other side of the path, and ran for a step or two – before resuming the pace I would have been walking at if she had not been in my way. I didn't dare look behind me to see her wasp chewing face.
Did I ever tell you about the old lady that passed me on a narrow footpath in town one evening? She forced me into the hedge at the side of the path, and I remarked that she shouldn't be riding bikes on the path – in response she unloaded a torrent of abusive language.
This all sounds tremendously negative. I need to start writing notes down about good things that happen from day to day – because good things dohappen – I guess they're just not as noteworthy as the bullshit.
Anyway. It's 1am. I should sleep. Happy 4th July to my friends in the US.