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Monday, May 30, 2016

WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAMME....!

Swimming on a Sunday afternoon, and chatting with a few neighbours who were like minded and did not need to wait until the weather men told us the temperature was going to hit triple figures before venturing to test the water, confirmed that we are about to embark upon the (not so) lazy days of Sumner.  Winter has a habit of interrupting my routine!

Dana joined me for a few hours, although he was not brave enough to swim a few laps.  I was delighted at the prospect of being able to swim again, and exercised enough to feel that I had earned my burger and chips/fries, which has become a Sunday tradition. 

Monday was raining again.  My swimming plans had been interrupted yet again! The storms ensured not only the cooling of the water, but also the prospect of danger, should I want to defy all sensible advice and plunge into the water, as the lightening forks struck all around.  Out came the plastic ponchos, and Samantha and I decided that fashion was in the eye of the beholder, as we walked to the supermarket dodging puddles and rain drops large enough to stun a small animal, should it be struck!  I had decided that I was not going to be tempted by delicious bargains this week, and successfully avoided filling a basket, for at least fifteen minutes.  However, the apple chips that were on offer on the way out, would keep me in lunchtime snacks for a considerable time, and at four to the dollar, it would have been criminal to have left them on the shelf!  Although each pack is very light, a ton of feathers is still a ton, and a whole box of lightweight snacks, weighs a reasonable amount.  When I say it was criminal to leave them on the shelf, I really meant that it would be highly irresponsible not to take every last pack! 

My purse breathed a sigh of relief when the sun shone through on Tuesday morning, and the steam rose from the wet roads, drying them by the time we got to work, causing me to brave the water again at lunchtime.  Samantha joined me, although she did not plunge into the water as did I!  Having been born and bred in England, I was used to the cold water in a pool.  'Kingsbury swimming baths', I am sure would have been labelled with an 'historical marker' if it had not been demolished, probably due to its infamy!  As children, our school held its end of year swimming gala at said baths, and we were required to 'get in' without a fuss!  Bearing in mind, early morning in June may have been sunny, but it was not hot and the pool was not heated.  Although never treated for frost bite, many of us were probably on the verge of hypothermia by the time the gala had reached its conclusion! Suffice it to say, I am used to swimming in icy conditions. It was a pool, and we thought it was luxury at the time! However, I digress.  The pool was really at a very pleasant temperature, and Samantha eventually acclimated. 

Wednesday saw the same scenario.  I plunged, Samantha did not!  It took her a little less time to get used to the water, and we spent the obligatory half an hour swimming and performing our own version of water aerobics.  As the surrounding areas had been quite stormy, the humidity was high, and I found my breathing to be a little more laboured, but I fought through the 'burn'.  I thought that we had finally reached the new lunchtime constitutional and was rather relieved.  Although  do enjoy walking at lunchtime, once the temperature rises, it can become quite the challenge, especially when the humidity is high.  However, we do not suffer with very high humidity in the height of the Sumner, and the pool area is rather shaded and a little bit cooler.  The 'dangerous' weather cells pushed back on Thursday, and as I left the office for a walk, as we had been expecting thunder storms, I went back inside to get the car keys and head for home.  However, the storms made their way back around and shortly after eight o'clock, I heard the vague rumbles of what was, unmistakably, thunder. 

Dana was dozing, and competing with the noise that was coming from outside, although he would deny anything more than an occasional sigh whilst asleep!  I took the remote control from his grasp, and attempted to work out how to change the channels.  Although it may sound simple, I so rarely 'work' the television, I am not sure which control to use, and 'which does what'.  I did manage to find a suitable broadcast, and became quite engrossed.  Of course, just as the programme was reaching its conclusion, Dana awoke, picked up the remote, hit a couple of buttons and asked, "What is on tonight?". My laughter alerted him to the fact that he had 'done it again', and attempted to find the channel that I had been watching, in order that I may see how the hero managed to escape from the villain.  I had no idea what the programme was, let alone the channel, and told him that it was unnecessary to spend a great deal of time checking each station.  We agreed on another programme, and watched almost to its conclusion.  This time we were interrupted by the weather man.  He said that he felt it imperative that he interrupt the current programming due to the seriousness of the atmospheric conditions.  He suggested that we did not leave home after we had finished watching the current programme!  I told him (although it was a one way conversation) that I could not finish watching the current programme, as it had been interrupted!  He continued that it was unwise to make any travel plans for the next few hours.  As it was eleven in the evening, and a 'school night', I did not have any travel plans for the next few hours!  It was intimated that we had not noticed that it was raining, and he felt obliged to interrupt the programme to make sure that we were aware of the fact. I stared to wonder if he had actually interrupted the programme, five minutes before the end, just because!  If I been allowed to watch the programme to its conclusion, and had then stepped outside of my house, I think it would be quite obvious that it was not only raining, but pouring!  In fact, I could just look out of the window!  Now there was a novel idea!  He promised that he would return to interrupt programming (I kid you not, he used those words) throughout the night!  Oh joy!  He bid me farewell and I was returned to see the credits from the show I had been enjoying!  Perhaps I am a little cynical, but when it looks as if someone has turned on a light outside, and it is constantly flickering, I believe that is an indication that there is a serious electric storm either upon us, or very near. That coupled with deafening cracks of thunder really does 'seal the deal'!

I did not sleep very well, due to the flickering lights, and deafening thunder claps, but all was calm when I rose on Friday morning. The temperature had dropped over twenty degrees, and the clouds were still covering the sky.  It was not going to be a swimming day.  It did get slightly warmer throughout the morning, but not warm enough to brave the water!  We readied ourselves for a walk, ponchos in bags, as a precaution, and headed out of the building.  One of our neighbours was by the tree, watching something in the grass.  Upon further inspection, it looked like he was walking a chinchilla.  A small ball of fluff was hopping around, doing somersaults, and other gymnastic moves.  Curiosity got the better of me, and I walked over, and politely inquired as to what was rolling around I the lawn?  It was a Pomeranian puppy.  It appeared to find me as interesting as I found it, and jumped as high as it could up my leg. Fortunately, it could not jump very high!  We made the appropriate amount of fuss and then after wishing each other a good rest of the day, my daughter and I continued on with our walk.  "It's a handbag, dog", said Samantha.  "He doesn't appear to have a handbag", I remarked!  "Perhaps it's a service dog", she continued.  We mused over how it would be easy to take the tiny dog travelling, and Samantha then attempted to find ways of taking Frank with her, and trying to pass him off as a 'service dog',  "How do I explain the constant barking, if a service dog is supposed to be calming," she asked, "Especially as I always travel with my noise reducing headphones"!  I thought for a moment, and came up with a solution.  Perhaps we could suggest that she was having a problem with shrill noises, and Frank was helping her condition!  We did not think anyone would fall for this!  It would probably be as annoying for those around as a weather man interrupting current programming!

Friday was a very long day, work wise, as it had been all week. The phone rang constantly, and work was interrupted continuously, with calls that were both for work, and those recorded messages that were just aggravating interruptions.  Everyone wanted everything served before the long weekend, and Dana and I wanted to get out of the office, to go home and pack for our trip.  Did I mention we were going to see Niagara Falls?  Well hold on to your hats, because the next installment is going to be bumpy, buckle up for ................ another story!

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