Second Helpings

Life's a Pain

It’s been a painful week in more ways than one. Of course it had to be Sunday when my delinquent tooth decided to declare mutiny once more, leaving me unable to do a thing until Monday morning. So before the excitement of supermarket shopping and the gym, I had to make an emergency visit to the dentist. After a long wait, the dentist on duty declared he could do nothing to help and I’d have to return on Wednesday to see my regular dentist. Cheers, another two days of soup and another long wait in the surgery were just what I needed to cheer me up.

My friend Pam and I had decided to take an adventurous journey to Leicester on Wednesday for a change, so this meant rising at the crack of eight o’clock to fit in a dentist visit too. Forty-five minutes after my appointment was due, I was given a dose of Novocain strong enough to numb the whole of Scotland then sent away with a fixed tooth and instructions not to eat at all until evening or have anything hot, cold or too chewy. Cheers, just what you want to hear for a girly day out.

When we arrived in Leicester, we stepped off the train and had not a clue where we were going. I couldn’t follow my nose as I wasn't aware it was on my face or ask for directions with a mouth feeling like I’d gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson.

Eventually we found the shopping area and Pam suggested a coffee. I managed a luke warm one through a straw but passed on the cigarette as I couldn’t locate my lips. We then discovered virtually the whole shopping area is under massive reconstruction and the pavements a series of scaffolding and rough terrain. Not good when walking in three inch heels I can tell you.

After tramping the streets, getting lost and purchasing three pair of knickers each we headed for a pub. The barman managed to find me a warmish wine and having no choice I was forced into eating chilli with ‘ri.’ Cheers, just what I wanted after a month of living with the stuff up to my knees. Pam and I decided we couldn’t possibly go home with just three pairs of pants, so headed back to the shops, where things looked decidedly more attractive after a couple of vinos. By the time we boarded the train back, my bank balance was feeling pretty sick too.

I’ve been meaning to clear out some old clothes from my wardrobe and wish now I had as the addition of two more items the next morning caused the whole rail to collapse, some more new undesirable words for Mey Ling to learn and three bruised toes into the bargain.

This morning I limped down to the park to have lunch with a friend as it’s her burpday. I’d forgotten for a moment the local countryside is now one massive building site and went over on my ankles a few times in potholes, as well as tripping on a few stray boulders. I’d also forgotten the bottle and box of bath goodies I’d bought my friend also weighed a fair bit, so after a mile’s trek my right arm is now three inches longer than my left.

An afternoon in La La Land added sweating, palpitations, a fear of fainting from their overpowering heating system and an addled brain after several confused conversations. I then received a phone call from hubby who was supposedly taking Mey Ling over to his daughter’s house to collect the twin grandsons to say she was having some problem with her breathing and he’d had to call an ambulance. Paul has just brought her home from the hospital where migraine and panic attacks have been diagnosed. Having a few of those myself lately, but my system is probably used to them by now.

Oh well, at least the weather is reasonable, the forecast good for tomorrow and we’re planning a barbecue. We’d better leave the cooking to the men I think – I’d probably fall on the grill and end up at casualty. Horizontal stripes do nothing for me.

Have a good weekend yourselves.


P.S. Later - Would you believe my stepdaughter is now at casualty after one of the twins fell over and broke his right arm? MY GOOOOOD