The Calm Between two (or more!) Storms

After the excitement of two weeks ago with Muddy Mayhem and the FA Vase, last weekend was very much back to normal.  There was no football to watch ... and the weather didn't encourage me to find any since it, too, was back to normal for the time of year.  And on Sunday I resumed my fortnightly habit of a pub-lunch which, for one reason or another had lapsed for all of February.  This week has seen a gradual build up of excitement once more, and not all of it good!

On Sunday evening the glint of something descending before me and the rustle of something behind drew my attention to a sinister pair of leaks in my bathroom ceiling.  Some years ago, water had somehow found its way into the cavity between my ceiling and the floor of the flat above resulting in drips in my lounge.  That was rapidly remedied and there has been no repetition of that trouble.  Last summer, the overflow from the flat above was cascading a constant flow onto the parched grass beneath, making a distinct green 'oasis'.  This, too, was put right and caused me no bother.

The tenant was somewhat shocked when I tapped on his door to advise him of the latest development and lost no time in alerting his landlord, who in turn called in a plumber.  I wasn't around for the plumber's visit and have been unable to obtain further news, but the drips are still dripping, and my landlord's agent has taken the matter in hand.  It's more of an annoyance than a threat of disaster, though, and life certainly hasn't been put on hold because of it.

There has been comparative excitement in my kitchen, too.  Following a comment overheard at work about 'Pancake Day', I realised on Tuesday that there's nothing stopping me doing my own.  After a joke I saw during the autumn - "I don't know; shops are getting madder than ever these days.  Pancake Day is months away but the shops are already selling flour, milk and eggs!" - I know the essential ingredients so there's really no excuse.  I'm pleased to say that the 'experiment' was successful, the only downside being some slight difficulty in breathing deeply for singing practice later that evening!  And yesterday I was motivated to repeat an earlier success with apple crumble.  Pleased with these two, however, I'm resting on my laurels and don't anticipate anything Cordon Bleu for a while yet!

This week, I made tentative enquiries about two new voluntary jobs, one with the Hospice where I'm already spending a day and a half a week, and the other as membership secretary for a particular organisation within the national umbrella of the Liberal Democrats.  Both have been acknowledged, but it's early days for both of these, and there is as yet no further news of either.  I'm amused by the way some things fall together; only hours after making the first of these enquiries, I was approached by the driving supervisor at the Hospice Distribution Centre, to advise me that his colleague will be on holiday next week and to ask if I would be able and/or willing to cover for him on Monday and Tuesday.  Monday is usually a day that I reserve for 'church stuff' but, since there's none of that coming my way at the moment, I was pleased to agree to the challenge.  I say 'challenge' because one of the shops that I shall have to visit has a very awkward rear access, and regular patrols by traffic wardens render its avoidance out of the question!

Next week sees our former curate being installed into her first living and I'm planning to make the trip down to Hampshire to add my support to that of others of our congregation.  The only unknown aspect of the expedition is the effect of the 'Magic Motorway': the one that has no beginning and no ending (that isn't strictly true; just look on the map at A282, which links the two ends) and is commonly referred to as London's biggest car park.  That isn't true either, for experience has taught me that, despite the predictable queues, sitting in them and putting up with the pressure is usually still quicker than coming off and trying to find a viable alternative route.

And following that journey it won't be long before the bell-ringers travel afield for our annual 'weekend away'.  Watch this space for further news of that one!