a salute to practical men

I had a fairly standard week.  Work-wise I have a number of new contacts which are gathering momentum.  FB appeared Wednesday night and stopped me going for a drink with FP and set up root in my room till Friday lunchtime.  He annoyed me by not eating my roast dinner on Wednesday night because he had filled up on beer and junk food, but then redeemed himself by being loving.  J2 thinks I put up with too much weird behaviour. This may come back to haunt me, but he currently makes me feel incredibly secure in his feelings for me and I don’t generally find him boring – yet!

 

Oh and I got some stinky note from the poo-picking nazi, blonde Karen, who wants to know exactly what night I come to poo pick and to move my straw!  Nothing changes there then.

 

On Friday I went to see Siobhan in the evening.  She has been told by her doctor to give up work as she has rheumatoid arthritis in her hands and feet.  I didn’t realise it is as bad as it is as she is always jolly, but she had given up teaching and was doing a little cleaning job that apparently, Ned, her partner, was coming to do with her after his own job – how nice of him is that?  Anyway they are looking to downsize, but have about £180k capital so all is not doom and gloom.

 

FB has been at Samaritan training this week-end so on Saturday I went to a church training day about leadership and management.  It was basically videos of top (mainly American) speakers talking about management and leadership, some with a spiritual twist, but it was at a really high level and in spite of all the reading and training I have done with respect to both I learnt a lot and found it very inspiring.

 

One of the stories was about this American, Admiral Stockdale who was in a POW camp in Vietnam for a long time.  He quoted about his experience something like, ‘I am here as the defining event of my life and in retrospect I knew I would not trade it.’  When asked, ‘who were the people who never made it out’, he said the optimists and that one should never ever confuse faith with facts.  They kept saying ‘we’ll be out by xmas’, or June or next xmas and then eventually gave up.  He never gave up, but had the discipline to confront the brutal facts today.  I thought about you.

 

I also thought you should develop meditation skills so you too can take yourself to a better place mentally in a crisis.

 

Saturday evening I went for dinner at the pub with my friend Sally and we watched the Eurovision song contest.  It was amazing because it was won by this guy from Austria in a dress and a beard.  The food at the pub is getting dull, big portions, but not much finesse or flavour, especially with the veg.

 

This morning I cleaned the oven then went to church.  Afterwards I cooked dinner for J2 and I then went to see my friend Clara’s new house near Hemel.  It is huge in a walled garden with electric gates and just enormous inside with a gallery staircase and sunken baths.  It is also in a lovely rural area, old and very tastefully developed.  I think it cost a million.  I don’t envy Clara the house, but I do envy her Dan for his practical skills and diligence.  What with him and Ned above, I would advise any woman not to underestimate the value of a man with practical skills.  I guess they are also both breadwinners, but perhaps I have gone beyond that now.  Sometimes practical help would be nice.

 

FB came back this evening after his course and has gone to bed!