ONLY ONE PAIR OF HANDS!

It is that time of year again.  Although it did not feel cold, at the beginning of the week, there was a possibility of torrential rain, flash floods, and a drop in temperature.  There is never a set pattern from one day to the next.  Suffice it to say, the sun goes down just that bit earlier, and the evening starts just that bit sooner.  My plants have started to flourish, as the intense heat is now in the past, and the sun is still shining.  I spent some of Sunday tending to my garden, and actually got out the garden hoover to clear up some leaves that had seen fit to ignore my 'no trespassing leaves' poster!  

The pool guy kindly took care of his paperwork whilst I was swimming, and did not start cleaning until I was done.  I was most grateful.  Raul said his weekend was pleasant, and we all stood and looked up at the sky, wondering if we really would get any rain.  

Although there are frames, not all the rooms at the office have doors, and although I am unsure as to why they were never provided, or offered, it has not been a problem.  My office has an external door, as does Samantha and Grant's room, albeit rarely used.  There is is no barrier between me and the corridor.  Suffice it to say, we have put a dog gate in the space.  This stops the over excitable hounds from flying at visitors.  Despite the fact they just want to be petted, and made a fuss of, it can be disconcerting for those who are not expecting four legged creatures to come bounding out of nowhere! The original gate opened, and I could step through.  The new gate does not, and up until recently, I have been climbing over this barrier.  A couple of weeks ago, I began to ache a little and decided that hurdling, at my age, is not such a good idea.  Instead, I made a decision to walk out of my office door, around the external corridor, and enter back through the other door,  The first time I took this course of action, with an arm load of paperwork, I felt like I was back in the accountants firm where I worked pre children!  "I feel like I am in a huge office building, and am very important, walking with all this paperwork from one office to another", I told a bemused Samantha and Grant. The second time, I created a new office worker and as is my whim, a whole story surrounding her created life.  Imogen is a friendly girl, hails from 'Norf Lundon' and is very vivacious.  My daughter, who is used to my somewhat bizarre sense of humour, played along in the first act, but Grant was somewhat befuddled.  However, over the past couple of weeks, Imogen has ingratiated herself into the workplace, and her stories of her colleagues 'on the first' are quite elaborate!  Of course, Imogen only exists in the back office, and has never met 'the lady who works up front'.  Suffice it to say, I have never met Imogen!  

There would never have been a better week to take on an assistant, and if Imogen was as good a 'girl Friday' as she reports herself to be, she would be invaluable.  However, a pseudonym, no matter how believable (or not) can only be in one place at one time, and that is the same place as her reality!  Another pair of hands would have been most agreeable.  The same pair on a different named person is as useful as a chocolate teapot!  

I had to make a cake.  Admittedly, I was given the idea by the very person for whom the cake was to be made.  My daughter's birthday was looming and I had not a clue how to decorate!  However, last weekend, when finishing the book, 'The Dry', I happened to send a text to her and Grant, just before finishing, announcing that I thought it would end with a storm brewing.  The book, among other plots, was set in a drought!  "That is the sequel", she had responded.  "It's called, 'The Wet!'".  I now had my idea!  A book cover!  There was a lot of mention of shooting rabbits in the book, so some bunny ears would be dotted around for good effect!  There was too much to do, and not enough time.

With Monday firmly behind us, I spent Tuesday morning making fondant icing.  I had to make the icing, get it rolled and hidden before my daughter came to collect me.  This was quite the challenge, as I had decided to make choux buns for dessert on Wednesday.  The plan was to make the choux buns alongside the icing, and blame the mess on the pastry!  However, as good a 'girl Friday' as my pseudonym is, in theory, in practice, she shares the same mind as me!  Her organisational skills are somewhat akin to mine!  However, all was cleared up by the time the truck drove into the car port!

The choux buns, and croutons were made after work, and I felt slightly better about my 'time and motion study'.  The cake would have to be made, but when was the question!

Imogen continued to come and go through the other office door, and her stories of the 'first floor' were more and more elaborate.  She shared the first floor with an array of interesting people, all of whom came to her with their problems.  My ability to 'spin a yarn' is not without merit, and Imogen is my outlet!  

Atop the logistical problems of trying to make a secret cake, work, be two people at once, and keep the puns and anecdotes going, the air conditioning in our office and the one next door broke down.  Apparently, a large block of ice had formed in one of the outlet trays, and our options were to have the heating on to melt it in a couple of days, or let it thaw on its own.  To me, they were not options, and why the maintenance people could not melt this thing artificially was beyond me.  Our management agency, at the office, was handing over to a new entity at the end of the week, so there was no point in complaining.  It was, to say the least, hot!

Imogen was 'sweating up a storm', during the week, and was rather worn out as (apaparently) the "lift aint working", and the stairs from the first to the fifteenth floor (where apparently we are located) is "an 'eck of a trek".  I, on the other hand, met the chief of the new management agency.  He was rather perturbed as to our heating, or over heating problem.  

Samantha has a habit of facetiming me on a Wednesday evening, as I am preparing dinner.  This was most inconvenient this week, as I wanted to make her cake.  However, I managed to put the mixer out of site, and set her up in my kitchen, with a blinkered view of my workspace.  Under the false assumption that I was making patisserie cream, she continued to chat.  The cake went in and came out of the oven without her seeing, and I set it to cool.  

The torrential rain and flash floods did indeed materialise.  Around nine on Wednesday night, my plants were swimming and the electricity lit up the sky with applause following.  This went on for most of the night, but by the time the sun rose, the rain had dissipated. I had too much to do.  Imogen was nowhere to be seen! I 'dirty iced' the cake, and made mini quiches.  Why mini quiches? I had some corned beef (salt beef) left over and (apparently) my corned beef (salt beef) quiches are second to none!  Why make them with so much else to do? Once again, I had to sway my daughter 'off the scent'.  The kitchen was a bit of a disaster when she arrived, and as she looked at the pastry cases, and bowls containing the mixture, she was fooled.  In actuality, she probably thought, "She has made the quiches to put me off the scent!"  

Icing the cake was not too hard.  I had painting the cover of the book, and whilst not brilliant, I thought it would have the desired effect.  It did!  She laughed hard at the bunny ears, and thought it to be quite amusing.  She was confused as to the blobs in the middle of the cover, which appeared to be next to some sort of farming implement. I corrected her and let her know it was a toppled table with some coffee cups falling.  My art skills were not as good as I had thought! However, it all made sense after a while, and once she opened her card from Imogen and all on the 'first', she was laughing quite hard!

Imogen did make an appearance.  "The bloke in the corner office finks he is on 'oliday in the Be'armors", she announced as she entered through the door.  "Must be cos of the 'eet in 'ere".  One of our office neighbours was wearing a 'Hawaiian' shirt, and going off to play golf, but it caused a bit of a giggle from those inside the office.  On the other hand, I met with the new maintenance man, and he was as infuriated with the air conditioning people as were the rest of us!  "I would have gladly gone up into the alcove with a hair dryer if it would have been appropriate", I told him.  I think heads will roll!  He said there was no need for us to have suffered as we did.  Unfortunately, as well as the heat, the new cadre had set about renovating the bathrooms on the ground floor, and the renovators had used sealant that was rather toxic smelling!  It was very unpleasant! However, I smiled and was very polite, understanding that it was in no way the new peoples' fault, as they did not know the air-con was going to cause havoc!

With all the festivities done and dusted, it was the end of the week. I had to take myself shopping on Saturday, as Samantha and Grant were taking part in a 'Pumpkin Run'.  Three miles around a farm, holding a pumpkin!  Edward was there to take the photos and videos for proof!  I took my car to be washed, and went shopping.  

The temperature dropped to around 50 degrees overnight on Saturday night, and whilst it was only a 73 high during the day, the water was still not cold.  However, as the outside temperature was chilly, out came the wetsuit!

Autumnal temperatures are expected for next week but the overnights are not going to be too low.  It may well be, however, that the water might not recover enough for me to swim without the suit.  A double workout as putting it on and taking it off is, 'a mission' to use the term of the younger generation!  

I am sure Imogen will continue to come with her stories this week, and no doubt as far as the two of us are concerned, 'never the twain shall meet'.  I, on the other hand, do not have time for such frivolity, as no doubt you can tell by me posting ......... another story!