Tankas, tantrums and the Undead

Managed to get through last night okay. I have to say it was fine, but I did feel really uncomfortable a couple of times and utterly exhausted when it was over. Seeing the old University gals is in some ways like revisiting a section of my past that is long since over. I'm not convinced I'm that person any more. At all. They did talk about meeting up later in the year, but I kept my mouth shut (now, there's a novelty ...) as I honestly don't want to. It makes me feel I'm wearing a coat that no longer fits. Hell, I've just said the same thing twice, but I rather like the coat image, so I'm keeping it in. Anyway, it was just soooooo good to be home! And Lord H had done some cleaning while I was out too, so now has way too many SuperHusband Points. I just can't keep up, sigh ...

This morning, I opened my copy of Writing Magazine to discover I've been shortlisted in the Tanka competition. Yattah! As Hiro would say. That's certainly given me a boost. If only I could ruddy well remember what a tanka actually is (or even be bothered to look it up), I would write more of them. Bugger, eh.

The rest of the morning has been spent playing golf with Marian - we didn't do too badly, and it was bliss to play while nobody else was around (how we love the school terms ...). And I even got a par on the last hole - double yattah! Afterwards, I popped into Godalming to stock up on essentials such as De-stress oil and a 2008 diary - which I now have, you'll be glad to hear, so next year will definitely happen. Hurrah. I also spent five or ten minutes having a tantrum in the Godalming Pharmacy as I've spent three weeks trying to order some Carex Bodywash from them (as nowhere else in Godalming sells it) and they've never bothered to ring me up and tell me it's been discontinued. Even though I've been in twice since ordering and given them my phone number each time. Naturally, I was not amused. I like to think my rather long but impressive speech to the no-brain slapper girl behind the counter was firm, assertive and calm. I would really have liked to have leaped, snarling, over the counter, torn her ridiculous and irritating smile from her face and stuffed it up her arse, but I thought Kunu wouldn't approve, so refrained from so doing. Ye gods, they should give me a medal. At the very least, I hope it improves their standards of customer care.

Fresh from this battle, I delivered my dry-cleaning to Mucky Pup (yes, that is the name) and found a member of the church I left in April standing in front of me in the queue. Frankly, I couldn't be bothered to attract her attention, so I simply waited to see if she'd see me and acknowledge me or not. When she did, it was fairly obvious she was desperate to go - so somewhere between then and now I must have indeed become one of the Unclean, or possibly the Undead - as she half ran out of the door telling me she was parked illegally and couldn't stay and chat. It was on the tip of my tongue to say, with a bright smile of course, that that suited me fine as I had no intention of chatting and, besides, she'd been so meaningless to me even during the time I was at church that I couldn't even remember her name. Damn it, I wish I had said it now - but I do want to be allowed back into at least some shops in Godalming one day.

Talking of which, there's a new posh clothes shop in town, so I entered the door, looked at a jumper which in M&S would probably cost about £25, and found their price tag was £249!!! Ye gods, you'd be better off buying a sheep and making your own. Badly done, Cotton Blue, badly done. And I can't say I'm that keen on your name either. I won't be paying you a second visit. Needless to say.

After all this excitement, I dropped in to see Gladys on my way back - who was in the middle of a Meals on Wheels meal. She was quite perky but agreed with me that it was very hard to tell the difference between the fish section and the mashed potato section of the pot. Though we could both identify the carrots. I'm sure that when Mother and I used to deliver them to the Executively-Aged Gentlefolk back in sunny Essex, the meals were definitely larger. Perhaps cut-backs have affected them too?? Honestly, no wonder the elderly tend to be frail.

This afternoon, I've written another 1,000 words of The Bones of Summer, but am getting muddled by my own dialogue now, so will give it a miss for the rest of the day. I need to introduce a new character in the next scene, so that'll stir up the waters, aha! Tonight, I'm chilling in front of the TV, though I really must do the rest of the cleaning. Can't have Lord H garnering all the marital points after all.

Today's nice things:

1. The tanka shortlisting
2. Golf
3. Writing.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website