March 27th
I left for another seven hour journey back to Christchurch with Nigel.

Actually it only felt like a couple of hours, and I did most of the driving on the way down and the way back, as Nigel wanted to show me his photos on his lap-top.

I drove in a newly discovered 6th gear most of the way back. I bet the car-hire girl was pleased to see the car back in one piece.

Brent looked fairly relieved to see me back in one piece. Now that I’ve promised to send an apology card to his sister for berating her child, he’s talking to me again.

I’ll get around to it, I promise…

March 28th
My back is so sore from all that sitting around in the car, I can barely move. Exhaustion has overtaken me like a warm wet blanket and all I’ve done is sleep and sleep.

The cats think it’s great, they’ve all piled on top of me and the five of us spent the day lying in a heap on the bed.

To think I’d planned to spend the day cleaning windows, but then, as my Father was fond of saying… ”it’s the thought that counts”, and I’m running with that although, come to think of it, thinking about cleaning windows hasn’t done much to improve the visual acuity, which could be a good thing because at least it stops me walking into them.   
*Come to think of it Dad may have been speaking about thoughts counting in another context.

 

March 29th
I can’t stop sleeping. I get up, stagger around for a bit then crash again. I might as well be a plush untidy sort of decoration for the bed.

I picked up Brent’s book on Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, intending to have it read and ready to discuss it with him by dinner but I only got as far as the title before sinking into unconsciousness again.

*This may or may not be due to my complete lack of actual interest in Einstein’s Theory

March 30th
At last, I am reasonably alert again.
Brent got sent to Hokitika for a job which was a shame as today is the first day in ages I am actually Compos Mentis and have been actually able to complete a conversation and remain awake while listening to him.

 

 

 

 

March 31st

Life is settling into ‘normality’ again.

I’m reading a great book by Bill Bryson – The short History of Nearly everything and I’ve learned something truly spooky.

As if I didn’t have enough to worry about, now, along with my increasing girth, tax stuff, bill payments and noisy child allergy, I also need to worry about a large meteor obliterating life as we know it.

Imagine our surprise if we got hit by one, right in the middle of a cup of tea.

There wouldn’t even be time to write to The Women’s Weekly about it.

April 1st

At last I was able to ride today.

I’ve just been either asleep or too busy; two ends of the extreme, both equally exasperating.

The Phantom has been extremely apologetic lately because he was a complete Gobshite while Jess was here.

I don’t know what got in to him.

“What was your problem?” I said to him sternly as I saddled him up.

“No problem”, he said.

“Well why were you such a pain in the bum?”

“BECAUSE I COULD,” he boomed, then, remembering who he was talking to, added hastily, “but I would never do that to you of course”.

Too right he won’t, Jess is much softer than I am; I have MY Mother’s genes in me and all I need to do is give him THE LOOK. It stops him in his tracks.

I gave it to him then, and he shuffled about apologetically.

He was a gem for the entire ride; even giving me a great big hairy slobbery kiss when I let him go.

 

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