A Weak Week!

I have been late into the office every day this week; not because I have overslept, in fact I was in the bath at 5:30 on Monday morning listening to the early morning music on LBC, but I just couldn’t get my stumps moving.  As it happened my boss did know about my Doctors’ appointment on the Thursday and I had said I might have to make a call to the Surgery on the Monday to let her know the results of the tests I’d done, so when I was still pottering around at home at 9am (when I should have started work) I just rang through and said I was going to let my Doctor know the results so would be a bit late!  I then rang the Surgery and spoke to Dr. Kenyon and, eventually, arrived in the office.  It was another of my ‘lies by default’ because my boss jumped to the conclusion that I way paying a personal visit to the Surgery!

Before actually going into the office I went to Woolwich to draw some cash from the Abbey National as I was a bit boracic (Cockney rhyming slang, boracic lint, for skint, penniless).  The Abbey National is situated quite near ‘Fosters the Mans’ Clothes shop where Justice works; I fostered his dog when his Mother had the new flat at Charlton.  As I have one of those Capital Cards I travel to Woolwich on the bus, getting off just behind ‘Marks & Spencer’ and walking through the side street, past Fosters and on to the Building Society; and this I did on Monday, waving out to Justice as I went by and he, in turn, giving me a wave and warm smile of greeting.  Having got my cash I then walked back to Littlewoods and had a coffee before getting a train, after which I again walked past Fosters to get to the Station and, once more waved to Justice and he waved back, albeit with a rather puzzled expression.  However, having got just a few shops further on I decided that as I was late anyway and as I was in Woolwich I may as well take the opportunity of getting some porridge etc., cheap in Prestos, so retraced my steps past Fosters and bought my Porridge and other small items, and, YET AGAIN, walked past Fosters and waved to Justice who, this time didn’t wave back; just stood there with a most peculiar look on his face.  Later on that evening he phoned me and checked up that I had, in fact, walked past his shop three times that morning because by some strange quirk he hadn’t noticed the two times I had walked BACK, only the three times I had gone past the shop.  He felt he had a bad case of the whatsits, you know, the French word déjà vu.  Anyway, poor Justice was very relieved to hear I HAD been tripping to and fro in front of his shop that day.

Tuesday I was again awake at 5 a.m. and listened to the music on LBC in bed all nice and comfy, then dropped off to sleep and didn’t wake up until 8 o’clock, but managed, by some freak of nature, or maybe a miracle, to catch the 8:30 train which was running late so got into the office at 9:30.

On Wednesday again, although I was awake early, I wasted time searching for my shoes because they had announced snow was on the way and I though my summer sandals I have been wearing would not be quite suitable for such weather, but couldn’t find them anywhere and, in the end, had to give up the search and go in wearing my sandals anyway… only to discover my shoes in my desk drawer in the office all the time!  I then remembered, the last time I had worn them they hurt my toe that was broken so I left them off and wore my sandals home.

Today, I was so warm and comfy in bed that I just couldn’t drag myself out.  It wasn’t that I was tired, in fact I felt more alert than I have for quite some time.  I think it was just the fact that I could see all the white roofs and smell the cold on the cats’ fur when they came in to remind me it was way past their breakfast time.  I eventually forced myself to get up and out and got in at 9:30 so hope I can be on time tomorrow as it will be my last day here for a week. 

Mind you, now that I am here there is no work for me.  We were discussing this yesterday among ourselves, saying the omens are not good.  We peaked in July/August and since then our orders have been travelling south-east on a gradual decline, according to the graph we did for the Conference the other week.  Already management are beginning to talk about ‘cutting costs’, ‘budget s and forecasts’ etc. and holding little mini meetings behind their closed office doors.  Still, IF I should find myself out of a job once again I really don’t think it would affect me quite so badly as before, I would still be concerned of course, but by the time you get to your third redundancy you have become rather blasé about it all!

I had Beryl visit me on Monday evening and I went to her house straight from work last night.  She gave me a lovely tea/supper of two pieces of haddock (steamed) with two grilled tomatoes.  With salt and pepper sprinkled on the top it was a very tasty meal and, because I enjoyed it so much, she did the same for her husband when he came home at 9:15.  He was quite surprised to have fish as she normally doesn’t to that kind of meal; the fish was out of a large pack of 12 frozen pieces she had bought in ASDA for £2.06 for her cat!

Having recently had two colds within a month I had to splash out for an umbrella to try to ward off any further bouts.  As all my other umbrellas have been given to British Rail, along with numerous single gloves, this time I decided to go for one of those with a strap attached so I could hook it on myself somewhere, somehow.  This is great, or it was, until I was climbing up the steps at the Station last night and the girl behind me tripped and grabbed my umbrella (which I had slung across my back with the strap over one shoulder and under the other arm; like children wear their satchels.  I was nearly strangled by my own umbrella!  It was just by a freak that I, too, didn’t lose my balance or I would have bowled all the people below me over like a row of soldiers.  Mind you, being on the top I would probably have been ok but some of them would be badly squashed!

Grace Russ - 28th November 1985