The House Husband

with occasional entries by The Dean

Working from home

Some strange night visitor (I’m pretty sure it’s nothing more mysterious than a cat) knocked over a few of the gladiolus spears. They refused to stand up straight this morning so I clipped them and plonked them in a vase – I felt like Dame Edna carrying them into the house, cradling them in my arms. They are amazingly long. Anyway, they were quite happy to be moved to a much nicer environment than lying face down in the ex-nettle patch.

Glads in a vase

Apart from glad-rescue, today was mostly about housework and general organisation. All very dull and not a bit like my usual Friday’s. Tomorrow I’m off to the Globe with the Weasels, so I’m sure I’ll have much more to say.

Here’s a photo of the sun behind the Avenue of Trees this evening. We took the poodles out for an early evening walk to the castle and back during which Carmen managed an FSI. Grrrrrrr.

A summer evening in Farnham Park

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Bambi spotted at castle

And after the storm we have a glorious day with the temperature a reasonable 26º. Heavenly and just right for tennis. I’m sure mum would agree since she seems to have become obsessed with the weather at Wimbledon. Apparently Dawn (who loves Wimbledon) spent a large part of the day watching the men’s quarter finals today including Murray’s win. I’m sure she’s very happy tonight.

As Mirinda was in Manchester today (for work…like she’d go there for pleasure! Not!) we didn’t have our usual lunch date so I was at home, doing my house husbandly duties. As I’m off up north myself tomorrow, I’ve made the house lovely for her and the poodles.

Other than shopping, I went out to the park with the girls. Such a lovely day for a walk. Following the increasing prevalence of FSIs, I decided to make them wear their coats. I counted them rolling in some foul remains no less than 8 times. Rotten dogs: Excellent coats.

As we swung up towards the castle, I spotted what I first thought was a giant hare. Actually, that’s not true but Mirinda will understand. I thought it was a Rhodesian ridgeback, standing on top of the defensive ditch that runs around the castle. Then I realised it had a very long neck and was eating grass. Now I’m no authority on Rhodesian ridgebacks but this seemed unlikely behaviour. Then it looked up, staring at me and the poodles.

It was a deer, having a midday munch. I immediately stopped and signalled the dogs to stop. One really handy thing the dogs seemed to have learnt is that when I put my hand (or in fact, a finger) out at them, they just stop and stare at it. Works most of the time and today was no exception. All three of us stood like statues until the deer figured we were just trees that hadn’t been there shortly before, and went back to its meal.

I slowly walked in a circle, keeping my eyes on the deer and the dogs trotting at my heels, eyes glued on my hand. I stopped when we reached one of the Avenue of Trees trees and took out my camera. The deer was still quite a distance from us but, using the tree as an improvised sideways tripod, I snapped a few shots of it, willing it to look up at me.

Deer in Farnham Park

It is so rare to catch them out during the day, I was thrilled. The deer is looking down the hill from me where a woman and two Labradors were approaching. It bolted soon afterwards, as all the dogs spotted each other and the four of them started talking in overly loud dog language.

Speaking of the girls…while I was taking my blip for today, Carmen decided to sit on the patio table, giving me moral support (or wondering what the hell I was doing crouched over the cotton lavender). She looked so cute, I snapped her too.

Carmen in her favourite sunny position

I won’t have my netbook with me for the next few days as I go north to watch the cricket and drink beer so my ravings will be having a rest until Sunday when I can type again.

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Mistaken identity

After the excitement of yesterday, it was with a sigh of relief that today rumbled along full of…nothing. Much.

I was mostly occupied with housework, enjoying the mundanity and the lack of pressing bodies squeezed into a metal cylinder. Though the weather has been extremely changeable, it’s not been too bad. To prove it, the guy was out trimming the cricket pitch up in the park. Not that he looked too impressed.

The Farnham cricket ground and pavillion

One highlight (there were two) was when Day-z ran off into the woods (Carmen is still on the lead). We left her to run around for a few minutes and then, when she hadn’t returned, I called her. She almost never returns on the first call so I called again and whistled.

I felt Carmen tugging on the lead and looked down. Standing there, looking at me all quizzical, was a white Westie, sitting, her tail wagging beneath her. I bent down and patted her, wondering where her owner was. Carmen said hello in her dog way, which was difficult given the Westie was sitting down.

I heard a voice in the distance calling out “Daisy?” and looked up. An old chap was striding towards us and the Westie looked around and ran off towards him.

Meanwhile, Day-z burst from the woods and ran straight towards this old chap as if it was me. When she reached him, she immediately realised her mistake. Her tail went down and she searched frantically for me. The old chap bent over to pat her but she was gone, running towards me like a frightened pheasant.

I smiled at Carmen as Day-z reached us. Carmen winked at me, realising this would never happen to her. I’ve yet to meet another dog called Carmen. I looked up, wanting to share the jape with the old chap but he’d turned around and wandered off with his Daisy.

The second highlight was a little more disastrous. While I was burning the cardboard and bits of paper with our names and address on them, Carmen decided she wanted to play with her sister. In order to do this, she grabbed Day-z’s favourite toy and ran around the garden with it in her mouth, teasing her sister mercilessly.

The first few times Carmen ran passed her, Day-z gave a few tentative snaps at the toy but generally pretended she wasn’t interested. This never lasts long and she suddenly made a successful grab at it, grabbing hold of one of the ends. Then ensued a rough and tumble tug of war with the toy as the rope. And then it happened.

They suddenly split apart, rolling around, dazed and confused. Day-z dropped a round bit out her mouth and Carmen looked at the remaining piece at her feet where she’d dropped it. Day-z was very, very confused. She picked up her piece and took it over to Carmen’s piece. Carmen, thinking she had to make herself scarce, came over to join me at the burn bin.

We watched as Day-z proceeded to move both pieces from safe place to safe place. She does this with her toys all the time. From the twisty tree to the bird table and back again. I have no idea what she’s doing or why. It’s also what she does when she’s sick of playing the retrieval game with me.

And so, for the rest of the day, poor Day-z has been playing with both bits. Her favourite game of placing the toy on the arm of the long lounge and watching it drop, is much quicker now with the ball end and a little less so with the other bit. Some times it’s tough for a poodle.

One becomes two

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Damp Days

What a miserable day we’ve had. One of those drizzle days when the rain doesn’t quite rain but everything is wet and sticky from the humidity. Even the poodles are miserable. Still, I managed to stay dry, which is a bonus.

Another bonus is that Nicktor’s gout has almost gone. He was amazed when I told him one minute it would hurt and then, suddenly, as if by magic, it would be fine again. And then it happened. He was amazed he could walk once more. He was most pleased because he can come over next week for a Nicktor night.

I have been busy writing test scripts and tidying the house as we have visitors coming over on Saturday. Susanne and Rafi are coming for lunch. Apparently, Rafi can’t wait. He’s even picked out the movie we’re going to not watch.

I find, with my dissertation now under way, that Thursday has become my housework day. Not the minor things like washing but the big dust and sweep jobs. And we get a lot of dust! I assume it has something to do with the poodles. They may not shed hair but they cause a lot of dirt to traverse the house!

I particularly like cleaning the lounge because I can put the SoundBridge on and blast the street with either opera or musical comedy or, like today, some 1970s glam rock. David Bowie is still warbling from the speakers as I type…

Ch-ch-ch-changes,
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Oh, look out you rock ‘n rollers…

I’m sitting typing at the dining table and it reminds me yet again that I MUST get some speakers for the dining room. It’s only because the house is so small that I can hear the music in the other room. Of course it is regularly punctuated with rain drops.

Oh, you pretty things (oh, you pretty things)
Don’t you know you’re driving your
Mamas and papas insane…

David Bowie always reminds me of how I first started in theatre. I was at a party in Cammeray when I was 19. At some stage during the party someone put Life on Mars on the turntable (I assume it was a turntable but I guess it could have been a cassette). This was, at the time, my favourite song. I sang it with gusto.

After I’d finished, aglow in the final high note, I was approached by Wim (who lived in the house where the party was and where I had just taken over a room from a lesbian who had left) who, glassy eyed asked if I’d ever been in musicals. To be fair, I had no idea what a musical was. Obviously I said no. He then explained that he was choreographing The Boyfriend and one of the males had dropped out. He claimed, with my voice, I’d have no problem handling the part. He could teach me the choreography so I could catch up.

I was drunk, I was happy, I was easily swayed. I said “Sure, why not” and that was me hooked. Theatre had me in it’s talons for a very long time. While I preferred straight theatre, I have never forgotten the fun that musical comedy can be. I guess that explains why I still like them. I quite like singing as well…

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Staying awake

Not much happened today. I didn’t even go into Farnham. I did manage to leave the house for an hour and a half when I took the puppies to the park but otherwise I was tied to my desk!

I managed to get the most boring part of my second essay almost complete. Though I made a few pleasant diversions by cleaning the bathroom, burning the rubbish and doing all the washing as little breaks through the day.

Still, though dreary to the extreme, I think I’ve broken the back of this one and just waiting for a book to arrive for a citation for the first one. Things are looking better. I will have Monday and Tuesday to complete them both.

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One of our patches of tulips has sprouted one single flower. Although there’s about 12 in the patch. It looks a bit weird among the green foliage. The colour in this photo is a long way off correct. It’s actually a darker red with a yellow fringe around it.

Smallest tulip in the garden

Smallest tulip in the garden

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