Z catches up

Yesterday, work finally had to come first, second and third, though I managed to cook dinner in the evening (very quick and easy, haddock on a base of tomatoes, garlic and onions).  But the meeting that I’d allowed all day for was over by lunchtime today, so things are looking up.

Deadlines always come one on top of the other, don’t they?  I’ve been getting ready for the East Angular Area meeting and it’s been really difficult.  I’m about to hand over to a new secretary and we’d asked one form to be posted to me with a cheque and one document to be downloaded to her.  There are twenty-five societies, obviously things were sent to either of us randomly, or not at all, because that’s the way it is.  And both she and I are very busy so, though we liaised as best we could, one of two things slipped.  I’d have passed it all on to her already, but she can’t come to tomorrow’s meeting.

Anyway, all done now, I hope, and I’ve just got to do a final count of the cheques and note who’s going to bring theirs tomorrow.

On top of this, last Friday was the deadline for applicants to the Headteacher’s post.  He’s retiring at Christmas, but we’re looking to next September.  Today was the shortlisting meeting and I’ve had great difficulty finding time to go through the applications thoroughly.  I’d read them all of course, a few times, but studying them against our criteria and looking between the lines had to wait until last night.

An extra event yesterday was the opening of our Skills Academy, which was quite a do.  This vocational centre has been running for a few years, but my school has just taken it over and we’ve added aeronautical engineering to what’s on offer.  I could enthuse about this for a long time, and did to our guests yesterday (a number of them from the RAF and BAE Systems, I made my number with them quickly by saying how enthusiastic aviators are, which they liked, but it’s completely true.  Pilots love flying).  Our catering students made delicious canapés and the sun just about shone.

IMG_2542
The students can, if they wish, help to build a plane like this. It’a a voluntary thing, mentors are coming along to tutor them evenings and weekends. Those who take part will have it on their CV of course and they are going to be offered a joyride at the end. Not necessarily in the plane they’ve built, mind you… As you might imagine, I have dropped the strongest of hints that I’d like a flight too.

On Saturday (I always seem to do this when catching up, travel back in time rather than chronologically), we went over to Thetford to meet Weeza and co in search of their new floor.  Because of the under-floor heating, they can’t simply lay floorboards, solid wood could warp or shrink, so it has to be engineered.  There was an excellent choice, we had a lot of comparing of finishes, shades, wideness of board, thickness of veneer (the one we bought has a 6 mm veneer which is thicker than it sounds).  It came down to two and the final choice, because there was very little between them otherwise, came down to price.  Even so, my credit card couldn’t take it and I paid a deposit, paying the balance yesterday from another card (this is our housewarming present to them).  It’ll be delivered tomorrow and then needs to acclimatise for a few weeks before being laid.  It’s going to be wonderful.  They’ve tiled the kitchen floor and are living in there for a few weeks.

Edweena seems to have finally gone to sleep, she hasn’t been moving about for the past few days, so I’ve transferred her box to the coldest spare room.  It’s Tortoise Club tomorrow night, we’ll get further advice then.  If she’s only supposed to go another three months or so without food, it’ll be far too cold for her and she may need to go into lodgings with someone who has other tortoises.  I’d like to make it clear that I’m not joining a Tortoise Club, by the way.  I’m just being conscientious.

10 comments on “Z catches up

  1. Beryl Ament

    Zoe, spellcheck is at work—unless you really are part of the East Angular Area! I’m allowed to be snarky after my problems logging in. Am I really that brain dead?

    Reply
  2. nick

    I never tried keeping a tortoise when I was a kid. It must be much easier than keeping a frisky and demanding dog, which is what we did have. And I didn’t realise a tortoise could go for months without food.

    Reply
  3. Z Post author

    I’ve been in a really rickety biplane, a 9-seater prewar model, wave-hopping over the Indian Ocean. Brilliant fun. The smallest plane was a 4-seater, when the pilot let me take the controls. But I’ve no ambition to apply for a pilot’s licence, I know when I’ve reached my limit.

    They have to fast for a month before hibernation, so that there’s no food in the gut when they go to sleep. And of course they don’t then eat until they wake up. But stopping eating in September and not waking until the Spring would be too long, apparently. Another year, I’d bring her into the porch to extend her summer for a few weeks, but I didn’t think of it until she’d already stopped eating.

    Reply
  4. Z Post author

    Hello Beryl and sorry about the difficulty. It’s very kind of you to persevere. Your comment won’t go for moderation again, only the first time, by the way.
    East Angular is, I’m afraid, the jocular way many of us who live here refer to the area, not a spelling mistake.

    Indeed, Rog…

    Reply

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