Maisie Paws
http://20six.co.uk/maisiepaws
powered by
20six.co.uk
|
|
the snails did not eat my sister
However, they did go into hibernation. They went right inside their shells and sealed them up with something that looks a bit like ricepaper. This was a protest of course. I have woken them both up with a water squirter (it's OK they quite enjoy that). Then they had a hearty dinner involving spinach leaves, raspberry, sweet corn and red pepper. It's fun to be back.
I didn't do a very good job of getting back actually. My mother had a million things to tell me about while I was getting packed and I subsequently remembered most things (I am excellent at not listening), like the phone and the phone charger, the laptop, the scanner, the camera, the camera to computer lead, the door keys, all my socks, my new books and Indian DVDs. But... I didn't remember about the train ticket.
I realised this half way up the road but couldn't bear the thought of going back and starting the goodbye ceremony again so decided to play things by ear. As i entered the station a man dressed in a multicoloured balloon design print waistcoat walked past me with a black box containing a white rabbit. I think he was probably a magic man. That's a normal sort of occupation for people living around South Hampstead you know.
When I got to the ticket barrier I found my oyster ticket had just run out so i stuck some credit on that. On with the journey. No problem. When I got to King's Cross I fondly hoped that being able to produce my confirmation email for my online booking might mean a replacement ticket. No. Oh dear. So the cheapest ticket back home then. £71.90! Oh well, still better than going back and starting again. i will try to do something about it in yorkshire (they're very nice there you know).
Pleasant journey, watched a hindi film until it started to visually disintegrate. I got a message from a bluetooth device called 'Snoop Dog' saying it wanted to pair with my computer. I wasn't sure what that was about. Then it started sending me a file called sex.gip - I quickly closed the lid. I wasn't sure I actually needed whatever that was! I asked the girl sitting next to me if maybe her mobile phone (which she was playing with) might be called Snoop Dog but she confirmed it was not. Most strange. My computer has it's own friends it would seem.
I got chatting to the girl next to me as she was curious to know if I had just been watching my film in hindi as there were no subtitles and I had the headphones on. Yes, I had picked up abouy 25% of the plot. Some significant missing bits though, like 'why did her husband leave her and the baby?' and 'who was that other woman?' but apart from that not too bad. I have found the subtitles since I got home and it turns out i got most of it right (congratulations to myself).
So, I got off he train with my new friend and we went to our separate platforms. I decided to ring a great mate of mine to see if she might take pity on me and pick me up at my station in about half an hour. As she answered the phone I thought. 'Why have I not got a big luggage bag on wheels with me?'. Whoops. I said I would ring her back in a bit. Well, actually it was more like her saying 'why don't you ring me back in a bit' as she is the sensible one.
I rushed back to the train, which was fortunately still in the station. No bag. The train cleaner was there. She said there had been a big drama over my bag and they had nearly called the police to get it destroyed but she thought they might have changed their mind and done something else with it. I went to ask the staff she had pointed to. I explained about leaving my bag on the train. They asked me what colour it was. They knew which one it was. Apparently they had all been very worried about it and, understandably, didn't want to go near it etc. It had ended up at the left luggage office and I went off there to collect it (you have to pay a fine to get things back). When I got there I had to wait a little bit as there was someone in the queue before me, being served by a young man at the counter. Under the counter was another man doing something I coudn't see. It became clear though when he suddenly cried out my mother's name, which he had found written on something. Oh dear again.
I made myself known and said 'I think it's my bag you are looking in there'. I was not able to put to the back of my mind the ghastly rememberance of this morning's method of packing (I was under duress you must remember). I had stuffed all my clothes and other stuff in the bag any old way, dresses, toothbrush, knickers and socks (worn ones, yes) all in a pile and just squashed the lid down. It's true what parents tell you about always being ready for an accident you know. I was relieved to get the bag back for £3.50 and even, with the help of the x-ray picture they had taken, locate the front door key so i wouldn't have to unpack my bag in the front garden (on the front path which I share with the neighbour to be exact, as usually happens). I was told to put the key straight in my pocket. Which I did.
When I went back through the barrier to the platforms area (concourse?) the ticket checker helpfully pointed out that what I was showing him was not actually my newly acquired expensive £71.90 ticket but merely a receipt for one. And therefore of course not valid for travel.
OK.
He kindly allowed me through anyway but said I must have a ticket to go on the train. I went for my train. The train driver said he wasn't going my way but another one was only he had just taken his train and left. Not to worry though because there would be another on the same platform in exactly an hour. There was even a seat to wait on. he suggested I go back through the barrier and get a cup of tea. I decided I had better not, the way things were going.
A few minutes later the train driver ran over to me to say he had just noticed on the monitor that a previous train had been delayed so if I went to platform 9b (as opposed to 5c) I could still maybe get it. This was the platform I had been on when I rang my friend. There are a lot of stairs and escalators at Leeds. Actually I am not very good at getting on the right train at Leeds (I went to York instead of Huddesfield the other day) though I do manage to hang on to my bags as a rule.
The train arrived. The now huge crowd milled around its doors. The doors stayed closed.
The train separated into two and opened its doors. I amazingly managed to pick the right half to occupy.
The conductor was rushing about all over the place in a very important manner 'excuse me excuse me' and pressing buttons and unlocking things with keys and making sure nobody was trying to Sheffield. One family didn't notice and had to get off at the next stop and go back.
With all this commotion I had hoped he might be so busily happy he would not bother to look at our tickets. So he asked to look at my ticket... Before I showed him my not ticket I told him a jolly way what an extraordinary day i had been having so far. He thought it was funny too and charged me £5.50 as I didn't have a ticket.
This has to be the most expensive trip to London I ever made. Not even including the two lovely Israeli girls on separate days who managed to convince me I needed beauty products made with minerals from the dead sea for £20 a go (originally £50 of course but a special deal for that day only and for me being a very special lady, how nice). One of these items was for acheiving beautifully shiny nails, which considering I have spent the last fifty years chewing mine to the bone would seem to be a bit of locking the stable door after the horse has bolted but you know, they made me feel so special...
My friend rescued me in her car at the station and guess what? I didn't leave any bags in the car park. I remembered to put them all in the car and even remembered to take them out again at my house. (Like I did with her handbag once. she had asked me to hold it for a minute while she got in the car and I found it still in my hand in the kitchen 15 minutes later and her on her way to the shops without it). So maybe I am a bit absent minded. Still, the cats and snails were pleased to see me. At least they made an effort to look like they were anyway! Back to work tomorrow. Just as well!
Maisie
|
|
|
To date 3 Comment(s)
TrackBack-URL
(20.11.05 23:07)
You're correct about the cold. I wear a lot of layers in bed these days. Hair made of wool? Lucky girl...
Your weekend sounds very eventful - I don't know how you cope!
|
(21.11.05 08:20)
I didn't cope too well with the journey did I Vicky! Still, got to keep laughing! Thanks for reading my blog.
Maisie
|
|