2008 — 23 Jan: Wednesday: time for some more supplies

You know that bit about "it's always darkest just before dawn"? What's that all about? I woke at 06:30 or so, and after listening to the individual soloists (the dawn chorus doesn't seem to get going as an ensemble at this time of year) I managed to force myself back to sleep, somehow. Consequently, the next thing I know it's after 09:00 but at least I feel more rested now, despite the relative darkness of my thoughts during that pre-dawn darkness.

Stuff obviously goes on going on in the old noggin under the surface, no matter what I think (or think I think) about things. I continue to be surprised at how well I sleep, and how little I appear to dream. I figure if I can carry on sleeping well, eating and exercising healthily, and avoiding hitting or getting hit while out in the car, then I'm winning a certain amount of the ground on the way back to Planet Normal. (Not that the planet has struck me as normal for a very long time.)

Anyway. No time for more — busy day today; feed myself, shop, out to a mini-adventure lunch at The pub with no name1 with my main co-pilot. Back for a shower and shave (I'll probably skip the shave) and dig out a posh shirt. Over to Landford, rendezvous with Cathy and Louise, convey them to a restaurant for Cathy's retirement dinner, and back home hopefully unscathed.

Sorry to hear it's so cold in Dallas, Big Bro, and just got your postcard from Angthong Islands, thanks, son!

Last of the Summer Winge... department

Well, it was one of my furthest-flung readers2 who made the obvious crack about yesterday's gorgeous photo of the three old devils — Mike took the (excellent) photo, as usual.

As others see us... department

It's nice to realise that Big Bro approves, somehow. He has just sent me a letter that went to our Aged P on 9 December. Here's a paragraph from it:

Of course Christa's passing was the major event of recent times and I was so glad that I had called in and seen her on both my recent trips to UK. Certainly she had a very difficult time and David has done marvelously both during those final months and now since her passing. We exchange emails quite a lot and are watching his progress towards his driving license with interest. We are also hoping that he will come out here for a while in the new year.

Big Bro


Of course, I have no idea if she replied (but will be a bit jealous if I find out that she did!) I like the sound of "marvelously" even as I know only too well that I am still just floundering from one day to the next. But my friends are helping pull me slowly out of the mire.

  

Footnotes

1  As I told Mike when he asked: Just got back, via Alresford where we walked a little by the river. There's actually a brown "tourist" road sign that gives the name away, as does a Google search, of course. We used the same bar you used to, but didn't sit too close to the fire. Very pleasant; Peter enjoyed his half of No Name strong and bacon/cheese thingy. I went for the steak and ale pie and a tonic. Tiny bit of change from a £20 (not counting the 50 miles or so of the uneventful trip). Still, it was paid for by Mama, so who cares?
2  Thanks, Ian!