19th July 2009

It’s been a bit of a rough patch for Sue these past few weeks. She’s had yet another bout of her persistent chest infection and, following a consultation at the local cottage hospital, has been booked in for a hysterectomy on the 22nd of August. It turns out this has been an ongoing issue that she’s kept rather quiet, but it’s likely been a key contributor to her general ill health. Fingers crossed, the operation will mark the end of the infections and the return of her usual ‘Billy Whizz’ energy levels. More antibiotics have been prescribed in the meantime, and thankfully, they do seem to work. True to form, Sue continues to resist all advice to rest. Some things never change.

In a rare act of persuasion, Sue managed to drag me along to see the film Vicky Cristina Barcelona. The red flag should have been the sheer number of women in the audience; it was almost a full-blown hen party in there. I surprised even myself by not walking out or falling asleep, although both options were sorely tempting. To balance the scales, we watched The Wrestler the following week, Sue’s act of penance, I think, after the Barcelona episode. It wasn’t half bad. This week, we tackled The Reader, another Sue choice, pitched vaguely as “Oscar-winning” and “Kate Winslet’s in it”. Once again, I ignored the warning signs: packed cinema, overwhelmingly female crowd, Sue’s evasive description… I really must stop agreeing to these outings without checking the plot.

We did manage a night out at a music pub with friends, which was nearly a pleasant experience. Our first stop featured a singer enthusiastically murdering 80s pop songs at full volume, making any attempt at conversation utterly futile. (Must be our age showing.) We promptly decamped to a quieter establishment and salvaged the evening.

On a more domestic note, Sue made some delicious gooseberry chutney last week and followed it up with a cracking date loaf. With schools now out for summer, I’m quietly optimistic that further culinary delights may be on the way.

On Friday, after much cajolling, Sue officially retired from work, though only in theory. She informed County Hall of her last working day, and in a breathtaking display of bureaucratic efficiency, after twice losing the paperwork, they announced they had once again lost it. Third time lucky, perhaps? They promised to inform the Teachers’ Pensions Scheme, assuming someone finds and remembers to post the forms. As it stands, Sue might be retired… or she might not.

Jamie again remains between jobs but has been putting his time to productive use. He laid a bamboo floor in my study and did an excellent job. He’s also been at Roger Woolnough’s place in Braybrooke doing various carpentry tasks, including ripping up and re-laying an ash floor (which looked the same as the one taken up) and fixing a handful of dodgy doors. He even constructed a new door from salvaged materials because Roger refused to buy a new one. Tight-fisted Roger provided lunch of a solitary Cuppa Soup. On completion of the work, we offered to let Roger adopt Jamie. I offered to cover legal costs, but, surprisingly, he declined.

Jamie’s current girlfriend, Harley, has been around quite a bit. I taught her back in Year 3, which is a curious twist. There was a bit of a falling out between the two recently, so we’ll see how long this particular chapter lasts.

Sarah is in post-exam limbo, waiting for results and whiling away her time watching DVDs, visiting friends in Fleckney and Kibworth, and doing a fair bit of window shopping, which, as a father, I fully endorse. Today she, Charlotte, and Lucas set off to Cornwall to stay with Sue’s sister Philippa. Lucas was beside himself with excitement. Here’s hoping the Cornish weather plays along.

Suraj has developed a persistent sniffle. With Swine Flu doing the rounds at his workplace, we’re hoping it’s just hay fever and not something more porcine. He deserves a bit of peace while Charlotte and Lucas are away, and might finally get around to setting up a Media Centre in our lounge. The current DVD player, which gets more use than the microwave, is on its last legs. He installed one for Roger a few weeks ago, and I rather fancy one too.

As for me, I’ve developed an unexpected interest in meteorology, or rather, I’ve had it forced upon me. We’ve had thunderstorms nearly every day, and I keep getting caught out on my bike. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve come home looking like a drowned rat. The other day, I spent half an hour pretending to browse in Halfords while sheltering from a downpour, until the staff started giving me suspicious looks and I had to shift to the carpet shop next door. As I write this, it’s chucking it down again.

With all this enforced indoor time, I’ve been redecorating my study. The bamboo blinds are up, and the walls have had a fresh coat of paint. I also attended an unofficial leaving do at Farndon Fields for some departing staff, who, interestingly, boycotted the official event the week before. There’s tension bubbling under the surface, and the mood at school is far from cheery. It’s not a happy ship at the moment.