Monday January 27th.
Walked the woof and went for the swim as usual this morning.
We were able to dodge the spots on the walk but it had started once more when
we left the pool. We both managed our 100 lengths again today and felt
sufficiently self-righteous about our achievement.
Then it was back to the chalk face, as it were. I had a
meeting with our supervisor first thing for updates and progress reports and
then I met up with some of my tutees for a mentoring session. One of the guys
has apparently dropped out altogether and won’t be coming back to University.
His friend did garble some reason to me but I couldn’t quite follow the
convoluted tale or logic he was trying to tell me. It is a shame the chap has
dropped out but he’ll have paid his student loan for the year so the Uni won’t
be out of pocket. I know it is mercenary of me to think this way but his money
pays my wages and keeps me in a job [to some extent at least].
Mandy was the last one this morning and she actually gave me
a big hug when she entered the office [broom cupboard] which was nice. We had a
long old chat about just about everything and she had some good news; she has
found herself a BF. It happened last week during the round of student parties
to celebrate coming back. [We used to do this too.] He is a second year student
doing something connected with Media. She certainly seems much happier than she
did at the end of last term. [I will have to get out of the habit of calling
the semesters terms, I sound like a school teacher!] I am pleased about Mandy
though, it means I won’t have to worry about her having a crush on me!
Lunch with Laura and Felice in the refectory was a nice
return to normality and to our daily routine. I told Felice about the Reduced
Shakespeare Company’s play being banned in Ireland and she was appalled. She wondered
if we could take her to Nottingham when we are going to see them, if she can
get a ticket for the show. I agreed we had room in the car for another bod.
Failing that we could lend her a rope and a pair of roller blades, to drag her
along behind us! She thought this was a good idea and she then asked if I still
went roller blading at Meadowhall. I had
to tell her we hadn’t done that since 2011 when Kaybers and I were detained by their
mall security and we had to phone Mrs Briggs to get us released. Felice
suggested we go there on Sunday morning to blade around the car park and then
try to skate in the Mall too. I was a bit sceptical of her seriousness but she
assured me she was so stupidly we have arranged to go there on Sunday morning
before the shops open to skate round the car parks and maybe go inside too!
I was hoping Laura would poo-poo the idea but she seemed
really up for it too. Oh dear. I predict there could be trouble ahead!
The afternoon flew by as we knuckled down with our work. I
am really enjoying what we are doing here and it is so much better with Felice
as lead than I imagine it would have been with the dour Andrea in charge. We
mess about and joke so much, which is something I can’t imagine Andrea would
have done at all.
At home time we zoomed off pronto to buy our groceries for
the week from our local huge supermarket [Morrison’s] and I took over main
cooking duties for the night. We have our menu for the week as usual and we
shopped for that. Tonight was salmon fillets; yummy in our tummy!
Laura went off to Dom’s restaurant as usual and I felt quite
alone without her. I know the feeling is silly as she is only gone for just
over four hours at the most but I still miss her company lots. Even if all we
are doing is sitting in the same room reading or studying or sewing or
whatever; it is just so companionable to have her presence there with me. I
didn’t feel this last week when I was at XXX & Y and she was at University
alone, maybe it is because we are together at various points throughout the day
again. I am not sure how to explain it.
Tuesday 28th January.
Arrgghhh! More rain. This time during dog walking time. No,
I need to correct that – half way through dog walking time. I took a chance and
went out dressed in my short waterproof with Callie, instead of my Stockman’s
coat and as a result I was drenched from the bum down. I seriously hate these
short cagoules, why don’t they make long ones anymore, like they did when I was
a wee lassie? I got back home and had to change out of my jeans, socks and
knickers, Laura was keen to help and we were a little late getting to the pool.
[OK, very late!]
Today was back to our usual half day Tuesday routine and
Laura was back on chef duty for when I got back in – steamed chicken with
courgettes.
Nothing much of note happened today really. Mrs Briggs was
else where all afternoon and I was delegated as the person in charge. That was
a bit of a feather in the cap I guess. All it meant in practice was I did the
digital transfers from Mrs Briggs office and stood by on phone answering duty.
I handled four phone calls all day and two of those wanted Mrs B specifically
so I couldn’t help.
Once again Laura was at the restaurant so I was left on my
ownsome lonesome again for the majority of the evening which I coped with
extremely well by falling asleep on the hearth rug with Callie snuggled up next
to me. She proved herself completely crap as a guard dog as she allowed Laura
to sneak back in without a single bark. The first I knew of her arrival was
having my ear being nibbled, still it was a very nice way of being woken up. What
happened next I will not mention.
Wednesday 29th January.
Yaay! Way to go England’s women cricket team. Ashes held!
That shows the bloody useless men up doesn’t it? I am so chuffed for them. Why
isn’t there more coverage of Women’s Sport on TV in general. I guess it’s
because men only want to watch women playing sport wearing outfits they can
wank over, like beach volleyball, rather than watching a sport for its own
sake.
Yet more bloody rain! I am jumping ahead with the chronology
but it was so wet today that this evening’s football match at Bramall Lane was
cancelled because the pitch was waterlogged! No great loss really. I can’t see
the point of watching a set of moronic, overpaid men chasing a bag of wind
about for 90 minutes. Watching the grass grow would be infinitely more
interesting – or seeing the pitch disappear below the waves! LOL
I was Mrs Briggs’ stand-in again today which proved a bit
more intimidating than yesterday. She actually called the office at just before
9 and gave me a huge list of instructions but the main one was to take as
detailed notes as I could at the Department Head’s meeting this afternoon! Head
of Department’s Meeting? What the hell? She told me not to panic. I simply had
to read her report and then sit down. I couldn’t take questions as I was not in
a position to be able to answer them. I could write down any questions for Mrs
B to answer at a later date.
I had the distinct feeling I was being used as a pawn in
some sort of powerplay. [It turns out I was!]
I got on with the digitising during the morning and
answering the phone. Far more calls than yesterday. I had a visit from Mr Carr
[call me Tim] who sat and talked for ages and ages about how long I had known I
was going to be Mrs B’s stand in; had I ever done it before; had she given me
detailed instructions? It was quite intimidating until he realised I was just
an innocent in all that was going on, then the focus of the conversation turned
to more ordinary, mundane, chatty stuff. He asked about Mum, Me & Laura,
Dad’s visit to Australia, how I was coping with the attentions of Christopher S
in accounts [how did he know about that, I had to wonder?]. I asked him about
his Christmas and was treated to a detailed description of crossing the North
Sea to Denmark in his yacht. It sounded pretty terrible and I wondered if there
isn’t a certain amount of masochism involved in yachting in winter. It was so
grotty, apparently, he has paid for temporary mooring on one of the islands and
came back to the UK by plane! What you can do if you have money, eh?
Instead of lunchtime I went through Mrs B’s report to make
sure I understood it and was able to present it in a way which would sound
natural and as though I understood what was being said. It was pretty
straightforward and seemed to be a paean to the work done in ARR and how to be
more effective more staff needed to be recruited or existing staff encouraged
to do more [did she mean me?] . There were massed of statistics and a hand out
to distribute as well.
The whole thing went off quite painlessly. I was introduced
to everyone in the room and then treated as though I was a “real” staff member.
The fact was I did know everyone round the table even if only by name and
appearance in some cases. I think they all knew who I was, too. What was
scheduled to be a short meeting lasted two hours. I scribbled away for all I
was worth recording as much as I possibly could so that Mrs B would have a copy
from my point of view and the official minutes of the meeting too.
Back home to an awaiting meal. Toad in the hole with
butcher’s sausages, not ones bought from the supermarket.
I filled Laura in my day and she was immediately suspicious
of what Mrs B might be planning, she is a much less trusting soul than I at
times. I can’t see what she may be doing at all, TBH. I just will carry on my
own sweet way and hope not to upset anyone.
Laura was at the restaurant again tonight, which is three
nights in a row I have missed her company. I know it is selfish of me but I do
want her to be here. When she got back we spent ages in the shower together and
even longer proving our love for each other. She will be working tomorrow night
too. I hope this display of affection will last me long enough or should I
claim a top up during the day tomorrow?
Thursday 30th January.
Not so wet, but quite a bit colder. Walked Callie this
morning and had my stockman’s coat on, just in case, which was probably why it
didn’t rain on me. I obviously invoked Murphy’s law in reverse by wearing the coat.
Another double hundred for the girl swimmers in the pool
this morning and it was nice to be leaving the pool in what almost passes for
daylight at this time of year. OK, we were a little late leaving the pool as we
shared a cubicle and one thing lead to lots more….
Back home we shared the shower and let the ‘lots more’
continue for quite a while. I wonder if my libido was as high when I was
engaged to Richard? Thinking about it, it definitely was; I used to avail
myself of his morning glory whenever he had one, for example, so I must have
been just as sexed-up with him. I am amazed at how Laura responds to every
sexual idea I have and even suggests variations of her own. When you consider
she was a virgin when we started dating [technically she still is, I suppose]
her libido is certainly keeping pace with mine – in fact at times it outstrips
it!
Dad Skyped again this morning; interrupting our sexual
shower shenanigans in the process. He has had news of our Caravan on Arran. It
is all up and running and waiting for its first use! There are four large gas
bottle set up and he has had a local electrician put some sort of heating
element cable around the water pipes to prevent them from freezing up during
the cold weather when we are staying there and have the water on. All the pipe
work has been lagged and insulated, so all we have to do is go and stay. [Oh,
and pay for our gas and electricity use during the year too.] We are planning
to go at Easter, weather permitting.
Into University together this morning and more work on our
translations. I think we are making slow but steady progress through the
documents and if we keep going at this sort of speed we should have them all
transcribed into modern English well before our three years are up. I mentioned
this to Felice who said we could drag our feet a little from time to time and
also do some work on our casket research. That may produce a paper in its own
right, with all the photographs we have taken of our examples, maybe even a
book!
She has signed us in for three days tuition at the Royal
School of Needlework during the next semester [there, I did it] to get some insight
into Elizabethan and pre-Tudor embroidery. This should prove an interesting
diversion. It is based in Hampton Court Palace and we have been looking at
places to stay nearby. It is quite exciting. I am not sure which is the most
exciting, the thought of our very own static caravan on Arran or going to a
needlework course at Hampton Court Palace.
I will be amused to watch Felice during the course as she is
too needlework what Daniel lambert would have been to hang gliding [England’s
fattest man, who lived in Stamford in Lincolnshire]. She is astounded at the
simple pieces which I do so watching her under expert tutelage will be an
amusing experience – especially if she displays her renown gallic short temper
when things don’t go quite how she wants.
Mrs Briggs called this morning and asked if she could come
and share lunch at Uni. Naturally I said “Yes”. She joined Felice, Laura and me
in the refectory and had a cooked, subsidised meal with us. She wanted to
apologise for dropping me in it on Wednesday but she and the head or HR have
had a major spat over who should be her 2-i-c.
Me being her stand in was her way of showing the HR person that she
would do things her way and not be dictated to from above! Bloody office
politics! I really did think that XXX & Y were above that sort of
pettiness, it seems I was wrong [again]. I am obviously a naïve, innocent
abroad when it comes to how organisations actually work. She is going to put my
name down as her permanent deputy on the days I am in work! It won’t mean any
extra money but it will mean she has poked the HR person in the eye big time,
as Tim [Mr Carr] has approved her choice so HR can “go and swivel”, to quote
her exact words.
When they tried to persuade me to come back, full time,
after my MA, that was a carrot which I had dangled before me; viz 2nd
in ARR under Mrs Brigg’s leadership. It was very tempting and if I hadn’t
already been offered the Research Assistant post I would probably have bitten
their arm off.
Mrs B said she really enjoyed being in the University as it
reminded her of her own college days. She was surprised that so little seemed
to have changed from her time as a student apart from the electronic gadgets
that seemed glued into almost everyone’s hands, that is! She left us with a
quick wave and feeling that we still hadn’t quite been told the entire story. I
expect all will reveal itself in the fullness of time.
We zoomed home as soon as possible after our final session
for the day and had a swift collaborative tea of salad wraps with chicken or
beef and cold new potatoes. I was so peckish I had three wraps and a mountain
of spuds.
Once again Laura was at Dominic’s for the night so I spent
another lonesome evening looking through my Arran books and maps, planning what
we’d do at Easter. I walked Callie down to meet her at the restaurant in time
for closing and Dom gave Callie a plate of spag bol that had been ordered and
left. Thanks Dom, that meant I had to walk her home too or the food would want
to leave her system at some ungodly hour in the morning! I was so engrossed in
what Laura was telling me about a party in the restaurant I had completely
failed to register what Dom was doing until Callie had cleaned the plate! She
drove home, alone, and I walked back up the steep hill to our little house;
pausing on the way to bag up Callie’s second message of the walk courtesy of
Julio’s restaurant!
We decided to abandon the night’s shower and do something
much dirtier instead.
Libido?
No comments:
Post a Comment