I had 40 steps short of 10,000 when I went to bed last night. I did a number of jogging steps by the bed and ended up at 10,000. I have never ended a day on the exact number but I bet Fitbit counted the step I took to climb onto the mattress.
I decided today to have a stationery clean out, focusing on pens, pencils and bits and bobs. Why are we all permanent pen borrowers or thieves. I'm one of them - I love pens and I remember every single person who borrowed one and never returned it. Last year, on my flight to Taipei, I sat next to a Pakistani young man who needed a pen to fill in his immigration form. He borrowed one from the attendant and he even had it in his hand when he walked off the plane; he just couldn't bring himself to return it.
Today, I went to every place in the house where I knew pens and pencils were kept and I tried all of them, chucking aside those that wouldn't write. I filled a whole bag and now I, and other people who will remain nameless, also have space. It's depressing as it's so much plastic.
Lunch was interesting; we had lamb chops. Jenny likes to bake them with a slice of onion and a slice of tangy cheese on top - they are very tasty. Today, the bone was very unusual; it looked like a miniature backbone from a whale. I asked her what kind of chops they were but she'd forgotten.
I relaxed on the bed with Allan Bennett. I read until he said another of those Anglo Saxon words and then I got ready for my walk. Today the frogs were croaking. We have two colonies in one of our ponds and they have different sounds. The group doing its so-called singing today always sound as if they have a sore throat. The pond is so small I'm sure they meet in the middle for a natter but I'm not sure they do anything else. When I approach the pond I always move off the path and into the soft grass but they always know I'm there and they stop singing. I can stand still all day and they won't sing any more. I wonder if they have the frog equivalent of a watchdog? Even when I walk past the pond they refuse to start singing; it's obvious they want to see me off the property before they start enjoying what frogs do best in the spring.
I accidentally walked through a swarm of insects. They flew into the air and hovered above my head for a while. I've no idea what they were; they looked like miniature butterflies or moths - they definitely weren't flies. They settled into a willow tree and that was that. I felt single spots of rain as I returned to the farm. I'd like rain for the rain barrel as I need to wash my car, but I don't want my roads through the farm muddier than what they are. I wish we could be like other people and simply use a hosepipe to wash the car; unfortunately, our well water has soda in it which leaves a white film on the car and kills the plants if we use it in the garden.
I tried all day to contact my car insurance people but they kept telling me the wait was over 30 minutes. I kept trying but finally gave up; at 4pm I tried again and was happy to hear it would be only 10 minutes. The kitchen phone cord is so long I can wander around doing things while I wait so I set the breakfast table and did other odd jobs. In the end it was a 30 minute wait. I wonder if I can complain? If a train or plane is late in Europe passengers can get a refund. If my car insurance people are late, why can't I get a refund on my policy?
Today I receive all my financial documents from the bank and somebody had opened the envelope. I'm wondering if I should be worried. I also got a letter about being give a few dollars credit for the Alberta Environmental Leadership something or other. I haven't a clue what it's about. I asked a friend and he said it was because I was poor.
I'm feeling a bit betwixt and between at the moment but it'll most likely go away when I start moving off the farm and seeing people. I must be a weird character as there's very little I want to "do" here, and it's the same in Asia - I just want to see how friends are doing. I phoned my friend Letty in England. I started work in 1954 with John who became her husband, so she's my oldest friend outside family. She's 90 now and quite a stroppy character. She's had a gardener for years and when he came the last time he said he wanted £189. She nearly had a heart attack and told him where to go. She doesn't know how it's happened but since then a man comes from the town council and does it for her. She doesn't have to pay and she's no idea who he is because he comes and goes and she never sees him.
Alan Bennett has given all his papers to Oxford University. When he spoke at the ceremony he said he was grateful for his state education - he went through school and university without paying a single penny, but that was in the 50s. Times have changed and the poor young men and women have to pay an arm and a leg if they want a higher education. I love socialism!
Here's that notice I said I was going to put on the blog each day for this week.
A couple of times a reader has complained about something I've written. I have told people this is my diary so I should be able to say what I want to say. This time something I'd written was passed around and others wrote to me. I refused to read them as I couldn't be bothered; I decided it was their problem not mine. Anyway, I'm getting a bit fed up of criticisms so I'm thinking of a new plan.
If you want me to continue sending my diary to you please let me know. You can send me a short email to that effect. I'll attach this note to my daily writings for the rest of the week. Then, I'll create a group of those who have said they'd like to receive it and I'll send it by email. I'll then close down the public blog and not bother with it anymore. We'll just keep it to a select group of people. I hope this makes sense.
