A woman on the train, sitting opposite me, was happily crunching away on her fresh salad, unaware of the pain she was causing me. When she stopped and put the lid back on the plastic container, a huge tsunami of relief washed over me. She then took her phone out and rang a dental office.
Naturally I only heard her side of the conversation but it was so loud that I figured she wouldn’t mind if I let a few other people know her business. I mean as well as the carriage full that heard anyway. The following is not an exact quote but it’s pretty close and the ellipses indicate her pauses to listen:
WOMAN: I’d like to make an appointment for my son…I’m not sure. I didn’t look because I was in a bit of a hurry this morning but he said one of them was very sore…Harrison [not her real name]…yes, Troy [not his real name]…WHAT? Next week? Really? That’s your first available appointment?…Well, that won’t do. He doesn’t like her. It’ll have to be another dentist…yes, Troy Harrison…[a long pause during which she managed to get a piece of extra crunchy celery out of the food box and eat it]…next Thursday then – hello? Hello? Damn! Hello? Oh, hi, I’m on a train and the signal has – cut out. Damn it!
She then tried to ring back a number of times because she wasn’t sure if the appointment had actually been made or not. Train journeys can be so entertaining…though I feel a bit sorry for Troy and his toothache.
In other news…Dame Vera Lynn turned 100 today so, to celebrate, her face was projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover and a lot of people gathered at the cliff edge and sang about bluebirds flying over them. Two Spitfires were also supposed to fly over them today in homage but, sadly, the weather didn’t shine down and they remained grounded.
As for me, I set off for the flat after the gym because today was Book Group Without a Book Day and although Mirinda didn’t bother going, it didn’t change the fact that I was off to clean the flat. Which was why I was on the train. The day was a bit wet but nothing uncomfortable.
Here’s the Maine Tower progress for this month.
Maine Tower still growing
The central riser is up to level 15 now. There’s still many, many floors to go. Speaking of high rise…Bob’s hotel is well and truly complete and, I assume, open for business.
Given Mirinda has been home sick for the last week and a bit meant the flat wasn’t that time consuming to tidy up so I was soon back at Waterloo boarding the 3:30 train home. Farnham was lovely in the prevening as the clouds started to gradually disperse as all good clouds should. This made the walk from the station to Waitrose very pleasant.
The building in the photo below is being added to. It fronts onto South Street and looks across at Gostrey Meadow. At the front, it houses the place that designed us a kitchen back when we weren’t going to get the extension. I have no idea what was at the back before but the stuff on top is going to be “luxury apartments overlooking the river.” Or so the big ad on the side of the building says.
What I think is interesting is how they’re building behind and, it seems, on top of an existing building. I’ve never seen that before…well, outside of our extension I guess. (I also rather love the daffs on the south bank of the River Wey. A few more than we have.) Years ago, we looked at one of the flats on the left of the photograph, when we were wanting to move away from Aldershot. Instead we ended up up Folly Hill.
To finish off the day beautifully, the clouds all went away and the sun came out against a pure blue sky. I guess it’s because it’s the (real) first day of spring.
It was so beautiful that I turned up to an empty house, Mirinda having taken the girls for a very late ramble across Thursley. I think she’s more or less over her cold and will be returning to London tomorrow.
Wow the building at the flat has grown and I excpect Bob will stay in his hotel next time he is over hum hum love mum xxxxx