LIVE AND LET DIE!

I do not remember a week lasting so long.  It seemed to never end.  Everything seemed to be topsy turvy!  It was going to be a week of adjustment.

The phone seemed to be constantly ringing on Monday morning, and with two thirds of the calls being solicitors, I was not in the best frame of mind by lunchtime.  I went swimming and Samantha tried to sleep.  However, Richard rang us half way through my routine, and I could not get back into stroke.  We returned to the office. 

"Tinkerbell!" was shouted across the phone, by one of our servers, 'in the field'.  I am still unsure as to why I was given this alias, but it is not unflattering, and I have met a 'Peter Pan' or two in my life!  However, I think it is the image that I portray across the phone, rather than the physical being, and the original character in J.M. Barrie's book probably did have an English accent!  "I missed that accent", he said after I enquired as to his well being.  "Do you know, I have changed my 'Siri' voice to the English woman, because she sounds like you!"  I took the compliment!  "Only problem is", I said to him, in English that would have had me standing on a chair with 'dunce' around my neck in Victorian times, "When my daughter asks her a question, she doesn't understand!"  He thought this was highly amusing.  "What about you?  Does she understand you?"  I sighed.  "I don't need to ask her anything.  I'm Tinkerbell!  I know everything!"  This seemed to tickle him further.  

Apart from this brief interlude of frivolity, the afternoon dragged on, but despite the second hand seeming to take forever to click around the clock, we stayed late!  There was so much to do!  

"I have never won anything", said Grant, as I explained what I was doing on Tuesday morning, when he came to ask me a question.  "This is my contest time!" I told him, as I clicked back and forth from page to page on my screen.  "Do you like.....?" I asked, as opportunities arose to enter competitions for concerts and 'meet and greet' options.  "Yes, ma'am", he said to all.  "I shall enter you into the contest then!" I said, thinking that as a 'newbie' he may be more likely to have his name picked out of the electronic hat!  He smiled, and thanked me, repeating that he had never won anything 'in his entire life'. 

The 'tree fellers' (and there were tree of them - the jokes keep coming!) were on site on Tuesday.  They were having lunch when I arrived and suggested I stay in the shallow end of the pool.  I set my timer and swam.  I was not sure whether they were still 'at lunch' for the duration of my swim, but despite letting them know that I would stop when they were ready to continue, they did not interrupt me.  I was very grateful!  

Another long day came to an end and I did not feel like going home.  I knew that I should get back into routine, something which I feel I have been 'out of' since my return from England, but I felt in a bit of a fog.  The loss of Frank reiterated how much my life had changed over the past fourteen years, and brought back both unpleasant and good memories.  I had left my home and started anew, and it was only a year later that I had to return when my dad died.  However, over time I have been able to remember all the good times we had an all the happy memories.  As I said last week, I never knew that an animal could cause the same impact, but I do not want to dwell on the unpleasant aspect!  Dana took me out for dinner and when the waiter asked for my beverage order, I asked for 'water'.  "Hot tea?" said the waiter.  I wonder if the "Hot tea?" is an assumption rather than an audible misquote, as the English are renowned for their love of the leaf!  I repeated my request, and he looked at Dana for help.  "It has taken me fourteen years to try and get her to change", said my husband, with a large smile on his face.  This comment must have impacted our waiter, as at the end of the meal, he asked, quite genuinely, "Separate checks?"

Joe was flat on his back, apparently, on Wednesday morning, having done something 'stupid' whilst cleaning out one of the large roasters.  I did not go for coffee.  Instead I took my olive scones to the office, and set about clearing the pile of work that had accumulated, somehow, between the hours of my departure on Tuesday and my arrival Wednesday.  

Cori, Samantha's friend arrived at around 11:30, to take my daughter out for lunch.  She gave me an enormous hug and an array of compliments, which is fairly typical. I sometimes wish I could bottle her!  The word 'sassy' is often used. Despite the term being described in the dictionary as, 'impudent; impertinent; presumptuous; insolent', and even 'brazen', I am told, with an authority Cori seems to possess, that it actually mean, 'hot', and I should take it 'very much' as a compliment!   However, as she arrived today, I was in the process of 'de-pony tailing' my hair, and as my silver locks cascaded down, on to my shoulders, she gasped.  "You are like a snow princess!"  As I said, I wish I could 'bottle' her!  

"No!" I said to Samantha as she asked, "Is that like an ice queen?"  I revelled in my compliment as I took myself home, and then went swimming.  It was a beautiful day, and the water was very pleasant.  The 'cleaner' arrived a few minutes before I finished, and was joined by our maintenance man, and the 'chair' of our homeowners association.  They all agreed the pool was looking good, and with the trees having been cut back, the option on whether or not to drain the pool, at some stage, was back on the table.  I was sure I would be informed, if not consulted, but they all went their separate ways before I had finished my laps.  I chatted a while with another neighbour, who had braved the drop in temperature (albeit a couple of degrees, but we are in Texas, and anything under ninety is positively freezing) and then went back to my house.  Our maintenance man asked me why I was alone.  "Is your daughter cross with you?" he joked.  "She is always cross with me!" I told him.  He laughed.  He has a daughter!

"He says I have the best answering service of all time!" said Dana, when talking about one of our attorney clients.  "Is it a compliment?" I asked.  "I would think so", said my husband.  It appears that the said attorney refers to me as 'Miss Moneypenny'. I thought I would accept it on the merit of those who held the role!  Lois Maxwell was not only efficient, but rather 'classy'.  Her accent did veer towards her native Canada, but it was superbly rendered!  However, Samantha Bond not only speaks with a beautiful English accent, she is also, somewhat, sassy! Of course, if her real name was her 'role' name, she could have used it as leverage!  However, I digress! I accepted the compliment, although I was not entirely sure I was not being used. Like Miss Moneypenny, I had the feeling that no matter how appealing, there was something better to be had.  "Can you tell me............?" asked the attorney when he called, and I explained the 'issuing' system of the particular court about which his question was being posed.  When I had finished, giving a very detailed explanation, he thanked me and then said, "Can I speak to Dana, to clarify?"  I should have given him one of Lois' replies, but ever the professional, I refrained!

"Check your emails", I told Grant, as I saw the familiar "Congratulations" heading.  He sat dumbfounded, as he clicked on the tab.  "I have never won anything in my life!" he repeated.  "Leave it to Moneypenny!" I said, as I slid back to my desk, in my 'snow princess' stance.  

Dinner on Wednesday was at home.  I decided to go with 'traditional'.  I wasn't feeling home sick, but there was a certain 'j'nais se quoi' (sorry to bring in yet another nationality) about the week.  I wanted 'different', and yet not!  When I arrived home, I went swimming, as the weather reports were definitely not showing any opportunity to take a dip over the next few days.  Swimming has become my 'stress reliever'.  After the short 'relief' session, I came back to the kitchen and made fish, chips and mushy peas!  It was a great success!

"I won again!" said a particularly happy Grant.  He had won a second contest that I had failed to tell him about.  "Stick with Moneypenny", said Dana.  Thursday was stormy.  We did come home to swim, but the thunder rattled across the sky and the volume was such that I knew the lightning must have been seconds before, putting the storm quite likely overhead.  The rain poured for a while, stopped, started again, then stopped.  

The phone call on Friday followed an email to say that I had won another 'meet and greet'.  "The concert is on Sunday, so you will have to pick up the tickets today, before five.  Is that okay?"  Of course it was okay!  "See how easy it is", I said to a rather dazed looking Grant, who could only utter the word, "Awesome!"  As the radio station was just down the road from Joe, I sent him a text to see if I could go and get some coffee before collecting the prize.  We stopped at the coffee shop, and he informed me that Dana had asked him out for dinner that evening.  "Well, I hope the two of you have fun!" I said, tongue in cheek!  Joe said that he was feeling much better and had been a 'miserable' patient.  "I am a pain in the 'you know what' when I'm sick" he said to Samantha.  "So what is different?" she asked.  He laughed, and said, "I have missed you and your British wit!"  

Dinner with Joe and Gail was lovely.  It made a very nice change.  We agreed to 'do it again soon', which we promise every time we get together, but rarely stick to the plan!

Saturday was not easy.  Samantha took Dana coffee and donuts as usual.  (I made a note that the reason they are donuts here, rather than doughnuts, is because they lack the 'dough'.  Cake nuts would be more fitting!  Yes, I am a doughnut snob!)  She then came to me and we went on our way.  The first stop was the craft store, but I chose to go to Sprouts, my preferred veggie place, instead.  As if to remind me that home was not too far away, and my teenage memories were still quite accessible, Elton John came over the speakers.  "I remember when rock was young", he sang.  I bopped in the line for the check out.  My phone rang, but I did not hear it.  Samantha appeared.  "I wondered why you weren't answering", she said, and then pointed to all the people who were standing, smiling, as they watched me unable to keep still.  

Elton came on the radio twice while we were out, making it an unusual hat trick for a Saturday morning.We shopped and then went to the Humane Society to drop off some dog food that my daughter wanted to donate.  We could not resist looking in at the animals.  Xavier, a three year old doberman caught our eye.  He looked as 'sweet' as a doberman could.  "Imagine him on Dana's desk", I said.  "I think I shall get him", said Samantha, "And then go on holiday, and leave him with you.  What do you think?"  I ran! Lois and Samantha would have probably had an answer, and Tinkerbell would have just waved her wand!  The snow princess would have smiled sweetly and made everything wonderful!  Living up to my nicknames was a challenge!

I slept on Saturday afternoon.  It was only for an hour, but it helped.  Routine will return in good time, but for now, I am slowly coming to terms with reality.  The two are mutually exclusive!  However, we did watch the 'football' on Saturday night, and I 'whooped' and 'hollered' as usual.  

Storm clouds gathered this morning, but there was no rain on the radar.  The temperature was nice enough to 'sit out'.  I did swim for a while, as the water was not too cold.  I read for a short while, but started to feel a chill so back to my house.  Storm clouds gather, storms come and go.  Next week will come and go.  I shall continue to look on the bright side and continue to thwart all efforts to discourage.  After all, Miss Moneypenny never gave up hope!  Time and tide waits for no man, or woman, and onwards I shall march to another chapter and .............. another story!