A SHORT TALE!

Another week has gone by, and the weekend is again coming to a close.  Where did the week go?  Waking up on Monday morning and thinking it would be nice to have a 'replay' of the previous two days, rather than wish my life away, had the opposite effect.  "How are you today?" I say to whomever calls, or whomever I call.  "Oh it's Monday" is the response, instead of "Hey, it's Monday, and the sun is shining and ......".  I will not say all, but a lot (including me) are guilty of that 'wishing' for the week to pass.  However, I am not here to reprimand!  Despite the lethargic start to the week, it was quite full, and interesting.

My usual household chores had to be adapted to deal with an injury to my left arm.  I am not sure what the injury is, nor from where it emanates, but I had no grip in my hand, my wrist hurt, and my elbow and shoulder seemed to be part of the problem.  Typing was going to be a problem, but moving furniture with one hand was impossible.  I had no option but to do the best I could, and suffer my self-inflicted guilt at not doing the job properly.  As I am the only person to whom I have to report on my housework, am my own commanding officer, and the only person who dishes out the punishment for non-compliance with my self-imposed contact, I must say, I was rather hard on myself!  My commanding officer dealt with me severely and told me that excuses would not be tolerated!  As you can see, the week did not start off very well!

My first office task of the day was to call a court and tell that that they had issued a writ incorrectly.  The joys of telling a clerk, in my very un-Texan accent, that they are wrong, are non-existent.  The 'defendant' in the case was a company, and the person to whom the writ was due to be delivered was the 'registered agent'.  The
'defendant' was not the individual.  They were being sued in their capacity as....., etc., etc.  It was a lengthy conversation with the clerk, who asked me a lot of questions on how to correct the mistake and soliciting advice as to other things.  "So that is how you want it done on this one.  What about .....".  Although there are but a few cases where the law suit is challenged due to mistakes on the writ or affidavit of service, there are those few, and whilst it is not technically our job to make sure all is copacetic, we are the bottom of the food chain, and the buck stops here!  The writ was corrected and sent to me via email with a note asking for clarification of accuracy.  Perhaps the week was not going to be as bad as I had first thought.  

Swimming did not seem to affect my arm.  I managed to swim my usual laps at lunchtime, and the water jets served as a muscle relaxant.  My arm felt a lot better after the exercise.  However, once back at the office, I found it difficult to maintain the position my wrist had to take using a keyboard, and was heard to moan quite loudly at intervals.  

My mindset was rather less than positive as the pain was acute and I did not sleep.  I got up on Tuesday morning, full of the woes of oppression and not looking forward to the rest of the day. Samantha and Edward were going out for the evening, and guess who was going to be watching the dog!  Obviously the question is rhetorical! It is amazing how a little bit of discomfort can alter a mood so drastically!  However, life goes on and I had to decide on a menu for Wednesday evening that would not involve too much pressure on my hand.  No pastry and no piping.  Fish pie was a ridiculous choice!  Mashing potatoes, for me, is not a one handed job!  Dessert did not take as much effort!  I had seen a recipe for a 'cola' cake and thought it might be fun to try.  The only thing that scared me slightly was the instruction to 'heat the cola, and make sure it is hot'.  I had always considered it dangerous to heat carbonated liquid, but apparently it is quite safe.  (At least the recipe did not indicate any danger but then who would know if it killed you - the victims would not be there to tell the tale!)  I am still here!  

Once again, swimming was rather easy, but typing was not.  I created a 'stand' upon which my arm could rest and strapped it up. Nothing seemed to be effective.  I came home and prepared dinner with one hand.  The dog was not happy at being abandoned, and although does not object to our company, likes to show his displeasure in various ways, most of which usually involve me having to use a number of 'wet wipes'.  Thankfully, the stay was not overnight, and he was collected a little before midnight.

Joe's coffee place had never been a more welcome establishment on Wednesday morning.  I was in need of a 'change of environment', having managed to mash the potatoes, and mix the fish with a variety of vegetables.  I could not remember what I added to the mix the last time I made the dish, the one that everyone seemed to enjoy so much, but hoped that the concoction would be as appealing. Joe was in good form, and I had two cups of coffee before heading north.  

My first job of the work morning was to contact the post office.  They had delivered a letter sent via certified mail but had failed to return the receipt that bore the signature of the recipient.  Once again, this was vital in order to file the appropriate  documentation to say it had been received.  After an hour on hold, a pleasant gentleman answered and introduced himself.  He asked me for my name and then asked my purpose in calling.  Half way through my explanation, he stopped me and said, "Can I just say, I could listen to you talk all day.  I love your accent".  I thanked him and responded, "That is good, because I could complain all day!"  It did break the ice, and instead of the usual, "We can create a case for you.  It will take at least 48 hours to get this recorded and then...and then...", blah, blah, blah!, he told me that he could get a digital copy of the signature, and send it to me directly!  He then gave me a number to text should I not receive it, and asked me for the number from which I would text so he would recognise it.  I must have been flattered by his co-operation/diligence/proficiency/attention, as I inadvertently gave him my cell phone number.  I would like to think it was the first three options!  However, the email bearing the signature of the recipient came through before the call had finished, and I planned to block any incoming calls from the number he gave me to text!  It may have been a work cell phone, but I was not that naive, and I am definitely that conspiratorial!  It did restore a bit of faith in the postal system, and their staff!  

I had made a smaller 'cola' cake with the excess mixture and it received glowing reviews and was eaten with gusto. Even Blake, the young lad in our office, who offers no emotion to anything, and is a very 'basic' fellow who never uses more words than necessary, (my complete opposite,) told me it was the best chocolate cake he had tasted!  

My mum had suffered a minor fall last weekend, and whilst she had not hurt herself at the time, was beginning to feel the effects of 'whiplash' during the week.  As the weather in England was blisteringly hot during the first few days of the week, I had been calling twice, and messaging regularly with my sister.  After speaking to her early Thursday morning, I set about moving my furniture in my living room, with my one good hand.  Suddenly, something ran from under the settee, to the fireplace.  It was a lizard.  It was not a small salamander, and whilst it was not a larger 'dragon' size, it was about six to eight inches long.  I shrieked!  After the initial shock, I thought about my options.  A glass would be too small in which to capture it, so I would have to find a see through bowl.  As I went to get the bowl, I received a phone call.  It was my sister.  All was well, but she wanted to know how I found my mum that morning.  We chatted briefly and I told her that I was trying to capture a lizard.  The very thought of the task made her hang up the phone, quickly!  The creature had run on to the fireplace, and had camouflaged itself into grating on the fireplace. A larger beaker would be big enough to capture it.  I left it in the hope it would not run, and found a plastic glass.  It slipped through the glass as I placed it down hard on the tile, and escaped using its own 'escape' mechanism.  Its tail detached.  Like a headless chicken, the tail continued to wiggle.  I was being chased around my living room not by the main body, but by a tail.  I knew the lizard would grow a new tail, but would the tail grow a new lizard?  After running round the other side of the settee, I calmed down and realised that the lizard was still lose!  It had camouflaged itself into the carpet, and although excellently done, I found it!  Over the body went the cup, a perfect size now that the reptile was tailless!  By the time I had taken it outside and placed it on the steps, it had turned colour again.  I went back inside and found the tail still hopping around, no doubt attempting to intimidate me!  It was working.  I think I was more afraid of it than the gecko I had taken out.  Yes, it was a gecko!  I found this out after minimal research.  A 'house' gecko!  Thank goodness I live in a condo, and it obviously was not intelligent enough to realise.  I am going with that explanation!  I can cope with the reptile, but not the tail!

As I got into work, I relayed the morning's events.  "They don't change colour that quickly!" commented my husband, when I told him about the camouflage.  Perhaps we got one that did not know the rules!  After all, we live in a condo!

Typing was still very much an effort, even though my wrist was bound, and my desk set up to harness it from various different angles.  "What have you done to your arm?" was a question I was asked many times.  "Dunno", was the truthful answer!  


Raul was in his 'shed' at lunchtime, and told me that I was having new neighbours move in at the weekend.  Four girls.  "Last time he had girls as tenants, they were bad", said Raul.  I begged to differ.  I knew some of the neighbours found them a little loud, but I really enjoyed having them live next door.  They were a delight, and always courteous and polite.  Yes, they had a couple of loud, very loud parties, but they were 25, and single!  "But the police were called", said Raul.  Hmmm, that would have been the man on the other side.  He was a stickler for the 'rules', and did not tolerate any seemingly reprobate behaviour.  Interestingly enough, since leaving, he and my husband have become very close friends, and speak daily.  Kindred spirits!  "Oh he was just made that way!" I said.  "A very clever attorney who said what he thought, and still does.  He is okay when you get to know him".  Raul shrugged his shoulders.  He, Raul, was possibly off to Mexico to visit his ailing mother, and told me that if I did not see his truck in the morning, he had left town for a few days.  "Do you want me to take over your rounds.  Walk around the complex to make sure everything is okay?"  This turned the shrug of the shoulders into lifting and falling of the same, as he giggled.  

Friday arrived very quickly, despite my not wishing the week away.  I was amazed at how the time had elapsed so quickly.  It seemed to be faster than usual.  Surely I had not aged quite so much in one week.  The temperatures had dropped in England, and they were once again cooler than Texas.  We have been experiencing a relatively cool month, with temperatures in the mid 90's rather than high or three digits.  

Raul was walking around the complex as I left for work, so I assumed his mother had made a quick recovery.  I set up my desk contraptions and bound my arm.  The phone rang half way through binding.  "Can you look up something for me please?" came the request.  He said he had a reference.  "Z for zebra", he started.  "G for Jeffrey".  It took a few seconds!  Perhaps he should have used the word Gecko!  Geoffrey the Gecko.  I guess the toy store giraffe was a Geoffrey.  

We met our new neighbours upon our return from work.  They were quite lovely.  Four (very) young girls; a trainee nurse, a teacher, a hairdresser and along with having to remember their names, I cannot fathom what the fourth does!  Too much information after a very long day!  'Mom' (to one) was quite delighted at having an older couple next door.  I took it as a compliment!

The weekend went very fast.  I took myself shopping first thing and returned home.  Samantha and the puppy had dog training classes!  She picked me up for 'round two' and we went to Sam's and Costco.  After a long, hard slog at the pool, Dana and I went to the outlet mall, where he purchased a few things for the grandkids!  I would have another full suitcase or two when I go home for my bi-annual visit!

I decided to take the whole day off on Sunday and although I was not the only one at the pool for most of the time, everyone eventually left, leaving me to read and swim.  

Next week has already promised to be quite busy, and Dana spent a while in he office on Sunday, dealing with out of hours emails, as I lazed in the shade.  I hope not to have any more encounters with geckos.  However, we are in Texas and anything can happen!  Hopefully, there will be less reptilian adventures in ............ another story!