THOUGH THE WORLD IS FAST ASLEEP....!

As hard as I tried, I could not write a post last week.  My weekend had been taken over and I found myself with a variation of writers' block.  Samantha had announced on the Friday that her friends were in Florida.  That was nice!  She then said that they suggested to Edward that he might like to join them for the weekend.  Of course, being that the message was received at around three in the afternoon on Friday, I thought (only for a brief, delusional second) that they would definitely not go.  "We would be back Sunday night", she continued, but then followed up with, "But it probably wont happen".  I knew then, that it would!  

I am an early riser.  I have always been an early riser, yet on a weekend, I like to have maybe an extra thirty minutes or so, just to differentiate between the days.  I don't have to be in the supermarket by eight.  I don't have to be back before two.  I set myself the times, but I am not on a work schedule.  "Five thirty.  We will drop the boys off at five thirty.  Okay?"  It was a question.  Did I have plans for the weekend?  Was I leaving town?  Was I going to be out of the house overnight?  When all the answers were "No", I had little choice but to say, "Okay".  It was not that I minded having the dogs overnight.  It was not that I minded my daughter throwing caution to the wind and doing what I would have loved to have done at her age.  (Although at her age, Florida overnight would have been an impossibility being that I lived five thousand miles away.)  What bothered me was the memory of the last time she left the dogs.   It is still very, very raw.  I know, we had it easy compared to some, but it was my experience, and having the added responsibility of the dogs for the week was a challenge for me.  However, that was then, and this was now.  They had their flights booked, and should, should be back on my doorstep a little before midnight on Sunday night.  They would be burning the candle at both ends, and spending time at the beach, whilst I would be burning the candle at both ends, awaiting their arrival on both counts! I went to bed on Friday night and had fitful dozes accompanied by strange dreams.  I awoke at five-twenty-five, in a wild panic.  

It started to rain last Saturday, very, very hard, and despite having an umbrella, I did not take a coat.  I realised my mistake when I put the shopping trolley back, and left my car door open.  In I sat on a big puddle that had formed on my seat.  The 'cart-park' was right next to my car!  Walking around with a damp patch on the seat of my jeans was not embarrassing.  Everyone else was just as wet!  I had changed before leaving the house as the temperatures were quite balmy but by the time I was ready to get into the car, they had dropped.  I arrived home soaked to the skin, and could not get warm all afternoon. Miami was enjoying a lovely, dry seventy five degrees, which was rising.  

The dogs were very well behaved.  The flight back on Sunday was early, so our farewells were at eleven, rather than midnight.  I was able to close my eyes to go to sleep at a reasonable time.  The lights went out a little after eleven-fifteen and I fell into a deep sleep.  I awoke feeling fully refreshed at ..... eleven fifty!  The rest of the night was spent wondering if I would be able to cope with work the following day!

Having worked in two schools, each for four years, does not me a teacher make!  However, I am sometimes looked upon as the authority to whom to ask in a variety of matters.  "What is an enjy?" I was asked.  "A what?" I responded.  "An enjy?" was repeated.  I admitted that I had no idea and asked for the word to be put into a sentence, hoping that it would shed some light on the matter. "I thought you would know.  The band was English".  I was totally lost now, and wondered if the last sentence was a riddle or a clue.  The lack of sleep was beginning to take its toll, so I decided to go with neither.  "What band?" I asked.  "The Stones!"  I would imagine that most have worked it out by now, but I was still rather baffled.  I was sitting at my desk, deciphering an email that had been sent to me, written entirely in Texan, with the 'y'all's and 'finer'n's included.  The email was a detailed description of someone's account of an attempt to serve a paper.  I should have left well alone and allowed Dana or Grant to deal with it!  I turned and addressed the person to whom was posing the question.  "An enjy?  E.N.J.Y?  Is that how it is spelt?"  A sigh followed, and it was put to music.  "Enjy.  E'e-e-enjeee".  Patience is a virtue.  Patience is a virtue that I lack more and more; a virtue that I should strive to claim, and practice!  "It's Angie!" I said quietly.  "Angie".  The look of confusion came across the face of the one to whom I was talking.  I will not mention names so as to protect the innocent!  "Rarely", came the response.  "What is rarely?" I said, wondering if I was being secretly filmed for a sit-com.  "Rarely.  It's Onjee".  I smiled, and gave up.  However, the voice persisted.  "It's Onjee is it.  Onjee, Oh-oh-ohnjeee".  I retorted.  "Reeeleeee!  It's Ahnnnjeeee.....Annnjeeeee".  The attempt to impersonate an English accent had failed, and I wondered if a sense of humour was a virtue also, as I was fast losing that too!  I did regain composure, mercy and grace!  I had to so as not to embarrass said person, when the next question, in all seriousness, (and I can assure you that I knew it was said in sincerity,) came out.  "So what is an Anjy?"  After explaining that it was a "Who" rather than a what, I wondered how Jerry Hall, the former Mrs. Jagger, managed to understand her ex-husband.  Ms Hall was a born and bred Texan, and would have been able to translate the email which I had been attempting to decipher!  I was rather disappointed in myself as I am sure we have had this "Angie" conversation before!

The general consensus of opinion was that swimming would probably be a viable option to walking this week, providing the overnight temperatures remained steady.  It was still a little too cold for my liking but as I appear to be the complex barometer, I have been testing the water each day.  

It has been suggested, by some, that my daughter and I share the

same brain.  For example, when she said "It probably wont happen", I knew that she knew, it would.  I know we are not unique, as my sister and I could finish each other's sentences, and I recall the headteacher (principal) at the school where we both worked, telling us to "stop it" as he had to "put up" with" the same sort of thing at home.  His wife and three daughters could speak two or three words and the others knew what they were talking about.  Half sentences were understood by all except him.  Samantha and I will often give the same response, verbatim, at the same time, to a comment made by anyone in our office.  Grant sometimes smiles, sometimes laughs, and sometimes walks out as it is 'uncanny'.  I would imagine it stems from the early years when we were trying to 'acclimatise', and despite being made to feel most welcome, and surrounded by many who cared, we felt rather alone and definitely outsiders.  From memory, it was us against the world, or at least the State of Texas!  Of course things have changed in the acclimatising, but we still think the same.  Suffice it to say, when I got home on Tuesday, and the 'work out' team were waiting to set up their gym in my carport, my daughter simply said, "You going?" and I simply answered, "sun's off".  The two men in our midst looked and shrugged their shoulders.  She was referring to my attempt at swimming, and I to the fact that this time of year it would be too cold once the sun has left the area.  

I changed my mind on Thursday, despite 'sun's off' and went for a dip. It was freezing.  So much so, instead of acclimatising, and the feeling coming back into my fingers and toes, my legs and arms went numb. I exited after five lengths up and back, and sat in the warm evening air, but that did not do the trick!  Grant had considered jumping in the pool after his 'workout', but when he saw me emerge from the back door, looking like I had just come in from searching for Captain Oates, and Samantha saying, "You didn't", and my answering, "I thought I could", and her explaining that the two short comments meant that I had braved the icy pond, he decided against it.  

Deciphering emails was working both ways.  Once again I had occasion to call a courthouse and let them know that their writs were wrong.  I am most courteous and do not demand they change them, nor do I lay blame.  I try, in a most apologetic tone, to alert them to the fact that they are in violation of a very important rule change.  Two courthouses have apparently decided that they are 'above' the law, and if the attorneys want this language, they can prepare their own writs!  One clerk told me that she wasn't going to do it and that was that, so "goodbye"!  "Can we tell the Supreme Court?" I asked Dana.  He thought that was a good idea and said I should email the Office of Court Administration.  I can imagine that it can be rather condescending to have a foreign voice tell you that you are not adhering to the rules, no matter how sweet that voice sounds.  Having been told by the clerk, categorically, that she was not going to change what they have been "doing for decades", I had to call another clerk.  I braced myself.  "Oh my goodness.  Really?  I had no idea.  Thank you.  Can you email me the details?"  I was rather stunned, but thanked her for being so kind.  "No, thank you for bringing it to my attention!"  I emailed the new rule, together with the 'docket' number, and suggested she may wish to look at the 'others' as there were a few changes that did not affect us, but may affect her, in her official capacity.  She sent me one back.  It took a while to decipher as she wrote as she spoke, with all the 'fixins'.  "So the little English girl is training the clerks", said my husband.  "Don't let them hear you say that!" I retorted!

"Who sings 'Up up and away'?" came the question.  I was unsure, but said I thought it was probably the Fifth Dimension.  "Rarely!" came the response. "No, often!" I replied.  The look of confusion confirmed that my sarcasm had not been detected.  My sleep patterns had not altered, and I was finding myself awake for most of the night, each night of the week.  When I slept, it was fitful.  I had no idea why.  The dogs were not staying this weekend!  My lack of tolerance reflected the lack of sleep.

"So", Samantha and I said at exactly the same time, as we got back in the truck after leaving Sams.  Then, after a short intake of breath, at exactly the same time, we said, "Go on".   We looked at each other, laughed, and then again, at the same time, said, "Grant would be...." and laughed again.  Silence followed as we were both thinking the same thing but neither one wanted to speak, as we assumed it would be the same as the other would say.  I put my hand out, in deference.  "We will have to tell him when he is sitting down", said my daughter. We continued with our shopping.  Once home, I went down to the pool and saw my neighbour with his two children.  The kids were rather pleased to see me.  "The water is okay once you get in and used to it", said the ten year old girl. "Yeah, it's okay" said her brother.  "No, it's freezing", said the dad.  I agreed with the kids as I got in, and then swam.  It felt a little cool at first, but then rather than going numb, I warmed up.  It was amazing how much difference just one more day of post 90 temperatures could make!  Of course, as is typical, the temperatures are meant to be dropping next week, and it may be another week or two before a morning swim can be expected. Our chair of governors came down.  "How long have you been swimming?" he asked. "About fifteen minutes", I said, in all sincerity. "No, how many days, weeks?"  I understood.  "Thursday.  I tried two weeks ago, in March, but it was too cold.  Thursday was freezing, but today is good".  He nodded.  I could hear him thinking to himself, "So by the first week of May it may be warm enough".  I laughed. Strangely enough, I think he knew what I was thinking!  

I read and swam, and it was a wonderful afternoon. I then vacuumed my sun room, as I did not do it last week, due to the rain, and placed my final piece of turf.  Although it all needs to be cut into shape, it looks quite good!  Ideas are churning in my head!  

The pool had felt rather good yesterday morning, and I had planned to swim this morning, but the outside temperature was rather cold, and I thought better of it.  Common sense prevails on occasion!  I shall probably take a dip later!

Spring is definitely in the air here, and we are bracing ourselves for the hot summer.  A few neighbours have already left town for cooler climes, anticipating a heat wave!  "I never thought I would hear myself say, 'It's lovely and cool'!" I told my next door neighbour, who is born and bred Texan.  She will be staying in town!  

On this beautiful Sunday, I am thankful that the 'block' did not last, as these posts are like writing a diary for me, and keep my memory in tact!  I hope they are still enjoyable to those reading, and shall continue on with ........... another story!