It was hot on Monday and the forecasters were letting us know that this was the beginning of a fierce week weather-wise. I was a little concerned for my plants, but there was little I could do. Encouragement is not always easy when the weather is post one hundred!
My mission this week was to get most of the wardrobe built. I knew I could do it, but in how much time was the question. I sent a message to my son, who always describes Ikea furniture as 'adult Lego'. You know it is going to fit precisely and if it does not, then you have made a mistake. "It's idiot proof", he said to me. "No, it is not", I replied. "I am an idiot when it comes to this, and I cannot always see how it works". Of course, by 'idiot proof', he meant that it will eventually all fit together, and he was right!
Samantha arrived as I was pondering over another piece. We looked at the instructions, turned them around, around again, and a third time, until they were back upright. We looked at the wardrobe, which was on its side, and then upright, and then back on its side. Eventually, we worked it out. "I will have this done by the time you get back from swimming", she promised. She gave up as soon as I exited!
Little and often became the plan. I would enter the abyss and add a little more each time I did so. Sometimes I would just look. Once again there was a piece missing. I could not fathom that it would be in the package that had the glass on the front, as surely that was just the mirrored door. However, I decided to take a look, making sure I did not stand on said package, and there it was. The missing link!
"I must take a look at it", said Grant, when I explained how I was trying very had to be civilised with this piece of furniture. When I showed him the instructions, and he saw how I was putting it together, bit by bit, without having opened all the boxes, and in such a small space, he sighed. "You see", he went on, "I would have opened all the boxes, spread out all the pieces, checked them off, put them together, then separated and glued them in place". I looked at him and simply said, "Well that sounds stupid!" He laughed, thankfully! I told him that I do not do things that way, and just because you can see all the parts, does not make the instructions any easier!
I realised that I had put a couple of screws in the wrong place, when I studied the drawing again. Yes, I used a hammer but only when I was sure the pieces were in the correct place. I did not use bad language, nor get distraught. I simply told myself that no matter what I thought, or believed at the time, the instructions are always right, and it will fit together perfectly, no matter how I interpret them! Now, for once, I was right!
The wardrobe was finally the right way up, with all the parts, baring the hinges, and doors, in place. Yes, it all fitted together, perfectly, and the hammer was barely used! I was delighted. Just the bed and chest of drawers left to build! How long that would take was anyone's guess, but I am over the worst, I think, perhaps, or maybe not!
We went to get some tacos on Friday, and as we stood in the queue, a young girl asked, "Where is that accent from". I had been asked several times during the week, and replied, "North west London", after having told several people, "England" and then "North west London", as opposed to New South Wales, or Western Australia! "I thought so", she said, and told me she was from Manchester. She had been here nine years, but was only 21 so had assimilated much quicker! We chatted for a while, whilst queuing and she was most excited to speak to another 'Englishwoman'. Apparently,, she works in a day-care centre, owned by an English person, and the kids are all learning to say 'butter' and 'water' instead of 'budder' and 'wahder'. She said that when she orders 'water' in a restaurant, quite often they tell her "We don't stock that". I told her, "I get him to order for me". It was a lovely 'visit', and she used 'y'all' very naturally when wishing us a good 'rest of the day'.
Saturday was forecast to reach 104 degrees, (which it apparently did,) and my trip to the pool was going to be a challenge. Would I just swim and faint, swim and sit, swim and come back to the air conditioning, or just not go down at all. Of course, the latter was not an option. After shopping in the morning, I felt as if I needed a bit of controlled exercise! I was alone for most of the afternoon, and dozed in the shade. A couple of neighbours came down and then a couple more. My next door neighbours came down but did not recognise me. Their friends arrived, and I recognised a couple of girls who used to live a few doors along. I lifted my arm to wave and remembered that throughout the whole time they lived here, they ignored my gestures of 'hello'. They did it again. Each to their own!
I finally left my neighbours and another threesome and came upstairs. Before I left, the threesome, who had been chatting about their favourite restaurants, and making me feel very hungry. "Oh we love that place. We eat there all the time." started to chat to me. I was happily reading my book, but my concentration waned after the four restaurant was mentioned and the comment of "Oh, we eat there all the time" was said again. I was more curious as to their picks than the fact that if they ate there all the time, they must spend their entire time eating! I did not venture into the fact that they must be rather wealthy to eat at all these restaurants all the time. What made me lose concentration, however, was their comments about comments other people had made. I must relay this because I had to stifle the laughter, even though they were laughing so they probably would not have heard. "Someone commented", said one of the girls, "that they would never return to one place, because a lady at the bar, paid her tab, went to the restroom or somewhere and never came back. She just disappeared. I found it really scary". I thought to myself, "She probably just left" and the girl telling the story reiterated my thought. I guess each to his own thoughts. I got up to leave, wished them a good 'rest of the day', and went to walk away. "I love your towel" said one. It has large ice-cream cones around it. I thanked her. "And your hair is amazing", said another. I thanked her and said I would stand there for a while as I was enjoying the compliments. My hair got a lot of attention on Saturday, with a lady in Costco remarking to her daughter how long it was, and her (young) daughter asking if her hair could grow that long. Another couple in another store made a comment on the colour, and length, and two others at the pool said it was 'glorious', with one asking, "Is it real?" I decided not to mention it to my mother, who still insists I need to cut it, short!
We left for our outing, and decided to grab a bite to eat along the way. I was thinking we would be going a different way to the route we took, and had a lot of different restaurants in mind. I was also unsure as how long it would take to get to the venue, so declined several recommendations from my husband along the way, which would have meant exiting the highway and looping back. Before long we ended up in the town that housed the venue. We came to the end of the road for eating options and stopped at a chicken restaurant. El Pollo Rico #9 was rather interesting. It looked like a fast food restaurant and had a drive thru. We entered, looked at the menu and ordered. When it came to the table, the chicken was wrapped in some paper, with some orange oily substance leaking out. We looked at each other and smiled. I opened mine to find half a chicken. It looked okay. My options instead of rice and charro beans were fries and fried plantain. The chicken was amazing, apart from the fact it had to be eaten with fingers, and the plastic 'silverwear' was really not up to the job. Dana hates 'messy food', but I embraced it and 'dug in'. The meal was really excellent, and whilst it would not be a first choice and we would not eat there all the time, (perhaps never again,) it was really good! We washed our hands, faces, arms, legs (well maybe not the latter) and got on the road again.
As the lights went down, the music started and the Coasters were first to the stage. They were amazing. They must have been the 'next generation' as none needed help, nor did they have walking frames, and their moves were rather accurate! We sang and swayed, and enjoyed their sound immensely. The second group on were The Platters, who were obviously not the original group, but apparently, extended family members. We are still not sure of what they meant by family as when they introduced themselves, they referred to all the audience as extended family. However, their sound was good, and true to the original. The two ladies who had been sitting next to us moved forward and along, but we stayed where we were as it was a good seat and we could spread out! Then, after a medley of their greatest hits, they asked us all to stand, and they sang the National Anthem, and honoured the military with the traditional Army, Navy, Coastguard, Airforce and Marines signature tunes. I was rather touched, and they thanked all for their service! I felt as if I was at a Memorial Day show, and was rather delighted at their gesture, with my own veteran standing next to me!
After singing "Smoke gets in your eyes", they departed and out came The Drifters. Original they were not, and authentic they were not. I was most disappointed with the sound, and the lead singer seemed to 'growl' rather than sing. Perhaps they made the group 'their own' and that was their prerogative, but after the first two performances, I did not care for them. This was not to say that the rest of the crowd were disappointed. They loved the music and it mattered not to them what songs they sang or how they sang them. However, they redeemed themselves, for me, by performing a version of "Shout", which is a tune to which I cannot sit still! At the "We' er, er, er, ellll", I got up and bopped continously through the whole tune. I was pleased we had not left as I danced and danced. "Come on, now! Take it easy", I shrieked at the top of my voice, along with those on stage and in the audience.
There was no intermission, and no encore, and whilst we did not leave before the end, the venue was not 'packed' so we got to the car and out of the centre very quickly. It was worth the seemingly 'pricey' car park fee!
Sunday morning was slightly different to the norm. Dana went to meet one of our servers, the guy who recently lost his wife, for breakfast, and I decided it would be better if the two guys met alone. Dana agreed, and left a little after eight. "We went to a concert last night", he said as he left. "I know, right!" I responded. It was fun. The heat had already started to get a grip on the day! I swam, I walked and I came back, ready to write! I made my breakfast, enjoyed some quiet time, and then thought about the rest of the day. Would I have time to do some more on the wardrobe, before my self-imposed 'must' sit by the pool?
As I sit here, wondering whether to spend the remaining, 'indoor' time downloading videos from last night, or working some more on the project, I cannot make up my mind. Wardrobe? Garden? Pictures? I cannot decide. All in all, it will be something very ungrand but I will try to make it sound better in ............. another story!
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