Z listens

Tonight, I’m mostly winding down.  A week ago, we were halfway through the Sage’s final auction, but we’ve been so busy since then that, when I had a query this afternoon, I had to refresh my memory about a bid made by phone that I’d dealt with.

I’d rather put it all behind me, I’ve managed to clear the decks for the weekend pretty well and I’m not going to call myself lazy for at least a week as a consequence.  Tomorrow, I’m having a new mattress delivered, which was only ordered this afternoon – the local shop is fabulous.  Al and Dilly bought a new bed when they moved and left their wooden bedstead behind, telling us that it could do with a new mattress and, since the room will probably be called into use over the blog party weekend, I knew I had to deal with it.  But there were a number of more pressing matters and it’s a mark of my getting on with things that I can look a whole fortnight ahead now.  And it was easy.  I walked in, was taken up to the top floor where they keep the stock, I chose a mattress and agreed a delivery time of 8.30 tomorrow morning, paid and walked out, all within ten minutes.  It’s the best shop in the world.  You can buy a reel of cotton, a ball of wool or a pair of gloves, or else a glamourous nightie or some old-fashioned big knickers, you can carpet your house and go some way towards furnishing it and you can buy your bed, duvet and pillows there and have a reasonable choice of linen for it, as well as a range of materials for the curtains.  Which they will make for you if you aren’t that sort of needleperson.  And it’s all done at a fair price, promptly.  Yagnub is a lucky town.

But I’m a pretty lucky Z too, as far as customer service goes.  I’ve had to deal with a good many firms by phone  yesterday and today and they have all been fabulous.  It’s turned a dreary and tedious amount of work into something that has given me satisfaction for a job that’s been well completed, even if it’s left me drained.

Tonight, I’m listening to Radio 3 iPlayer, the recording of Peter Grimes.  When I went on Sunday, they were recording for the beach performances, but on Friday it was being played live on Radio 3 and that’s what I’ve got on.  Lovely, brings back the feel of five nights ago.

Last night, after an hour’s sleep, I woke and couldn’t sleep again.  At 1.30 there was the ping of an email from a member of staff.  A few minutes later, another and then a third.  I was being copied into emails, they weren’t addressed to me, but all the same, I emailed back … “M, shouldn’t you get some sleep?” I asked mildly.  I received the reply at 7.24.  H’m.  A work/life balance slippage there.

This evening, I combed Ben.  I filled the wastepaper basket with hair.  At least the carpet (which is Ben-coloured) should be spared for the next couple of days.  The Sage has been splendid, doing most of the dog-walking, but Ben and I had a lovely cuddle and a frolic this afternoon and he knows I still love him, however busy I am.  A bit earlier, the Sage had called me.  “Ben’s got something in his mouth.”  He picks up all sorts of things he shouldn’t, so I addressed him sternly.  “Give, Ben, give,” and prised his mouth open.  Staring him in the eye made him submit.  On his tongue was one of his own dog biscuits, uneaten.  He’d have let me take it, too.  Of course, I let him go and said he could eat it.  But I’m not sure there has ever been a sweeter-natured dog, ever.

12 comments on “Z listens

  1. Blue Witch

    a sweeter-natured dog, ever

    I read that as ‘sweater natured’, but then I’d thought about how one could spin Ben’s spare fur into yarn just before.

    Reply
  2. Z

    If there’s nothing much to do, I don’t feel guilty about not doing it, but I do seem to feel obliged to take on things. It’s something I haven’t yet quite worked out about myself. I know you’re having to take things easier for now, Mike, do you feel guilty when you take time off?

    Reply
  3. Z

    I know, BW, the thought occurred to me, but it’ll go on the compost heap and birds can use it for nesting if they wish. it looks like a lot, but it would take months to make enough to spin. However, if you’re interested, I’ll keep it from now on!

    Reply
  4. Mike and Ann

    Yes. I know it’s silly, but during the time I’ve been ‘taking it easy’ I’ve cleared a tremendous backlog of things I’d meant to do ‘one of these days’. I’ve done these things at a fairly easy pace, but now I’m nearing the end of the list, I feel a bit guilty if I don’t get on with something. Mark you, I think my body dictates what I can do (and Ann dictates what she thinks I aught not to try and do). Oh well…….

    Reply
  5. janerowena

    I was thinking about that work-ethic thing this evening, as I forced myself to paint some trellis. The raising of the retirement age or even removal of it, means that there will be no age at which one feels entitled to just stop and be. Ben sounds perfect.

    Reply
  6. Z

    There are always jobs here but I mostly ignore them unless there’s a deadline.

    When my mother reached the age and degree of unwellness that she stopped being too busy, she was unhappy that she felt useless. Not easy to keep a balance in these things.

    ben is quite a handful, but has a lovely nature.

    Reply
  7. Z

    The concerts I’m going to have done my state of mind a lot of good, BW, and I’m making every effort to allow for time for myself. There’s a major item on my agenda I’m not able to talk about that’s taken hours of work this week and last – but the deadline has been met, a whole day early.

    Reply

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