Wake at 4.30 feeling crap. Right hand has been eaten by something, swollen middle finger and very itchy. Open window? And an enormous bite on my bum - how did whatever even get there? I was wearing my pyjama bottoms and under a sheet and my sleeping bag. Made myself a cup of tea and fiddled with my expenses and timesheets and bank accounts and to do lists.
I've only just noticed what my pyjama bottoms that Sukie gave me for Christmas say on them - Mr Grumpy with a very cross face. Perhaps not such a nice present after all, and me so happy and cheerful and all. But then Christmas was the first time she'd seen me really sober, ever. Strange to wear something for so long and not notice that. I just thought of them as jolly and blue and comfortable.
Try again at Castorama and Leclerc today. Frogs still roaring way - seem to have moved into the woods above me.
Seems very strange - no response to any of my emails, to Dennis and Lizzy, Laura and Andrew, Phoenix and Curtis Banks. Maybe googlemail is swallowing them all, or sending them my apology but not telling me they've been in touch. Or they've all decided that since I've left the country never to return they don't need to bother any more.
My frustration and incompetence. The stupid glue and picture hooks. No replies to my emails. My crude work on the Edspace compared to Soren's beautiful job on the Lodge window. I did make a good job of Andrew's accounts though.
Andrew issued a tick warning at the morning meeting. And asked me to get insect repellent on my shopping expedition. We're obviously all going to die of malaria or Lyme's disease in this insect ridden hellhole. I joined in the fun by recommending everyone strip off and inspect each other for ticks after walks (with a very straight face). I shall clearly have the woods to myself. I wonder how we survived Malaya. And they're all obsessed about the water. The tap water's very nice, and free, but we have to buy 5 litre bottles of 'pure' water from Super-U or they get upset tummies. Or their tea tastes funny. (It doesn't but I do still have proper English teabags).
Good (i.e productive, informative, not wasting money) expedition to Leclerc (right next to Costaloadofmoney, and they do, 220 € for some paint, basically), Castorama, RoyElectric and the caravan people in Coutelle. Took the Astra (felt a bit guilty driving the Picasso all the way to Chauvigny for nothing yesterday) and it was rather nice. Only got hooted at once. Avoided buying a crap inverter from Narbonne (Caravan) Acessoires for a ridiculous amount of money - even a simple 12 volt light cost 40 € an the three pin female plug I got from a very nice lady in RoyElectric for 16 € was 20 at Narbonne. So I bought nothing, but it is a potentially good place to go for caravan acessoires, if I'm ever in the market for such things. I got a 11kg bottle of propane from Leclerc for 25€, including the deposit on the cylinder (in Framlingham it cost me nearly £60) and a propane detendeur for 17 €, so my gas supply problem is sorted. Shame the fridge doesn't actually make anything cold when running on gas.
When I got home I rang Photonic Universe, who supplied my solar panel and controller and batteries and he's going to send me a 300W inverter for £60+shipping - about what I would have paid here for some poncy cigar lighter mobile phone charger thing. Which the salesman seemed to think would turn itself off after half an hour - tho' I'm not convinced he had any idea what he was talking about. Anyway they're crap because they only produce a synthetic as opposed to pure sine wave current, which will destroy your electrics eventually. I think I need a new fridge though, see if I can get a 12V one. See how the old one works with the inverter first.
Aspasia in Naxos has invited me to stay. Both she and Mikhailis are looking forward to my visit.
Rebecca's still pissed off with Andrew (she was giving him tongue pie as they came out of meditation at 7.45 this morning, which isn't really on) but again quite chirpy this evening. Perhaps she's just not a morning person. Andrew being very stubborn and insisting that despite the silent breakfast rule (Rebecca's, but I'm all in favour, everyone should be quiet until at least 9am, but no skin off my nose as I breakfast in my caravan) he is in charge and if he wants a meeting with Jean Christophe at 8.15am he's jolly well going to have one, but thank you all for your advice. Aren't meditators wonderful!
Another tasteless veggie supper - very colourful and lots of greens, but no amount of salt and pepper could make it wake up. I produced two very tasty meals (and not too much salt) and everyone gobbled it up and said how nice it was, and then reverted to brown rice. Looking forward to the barbie on Saturday.
And feeling pleased with myself because I found the straight route home at last thanks to my ordnance survey map.
Tried a cheapo fix to my missing light problem (cheaper than 40 € anyway) - a 12 volt car lightbulb and sticky tape - plenty bright enough but the insulating tape got so hot it started to melt. I'll cannibalise a bulb connector from the duds on the back of the caravan. Need to make a switch for it (or I'll have to turn all the electrics off at night just to turn the kitchen light off).
Seems a bit cooler tonight. So tired at meditation this evening I kept falling asleep and falling off the pew and then snapping upright so violently I think I was waking everyone else up, including Bertie the cat who now joins us for meditation. He also sprays the door jambs of the church, just to keep the other toms away from his church. quite right too, don't want any old tom just wandering in and disturbing us at our devotions. I'm sure there's a story about St Cuthbert and cats, but it might have been seals. I think they liked listening to his sermons, on Holy Island.
Really wanted a fuck-it drink tonight, not sure why. Hungry, angry, lonely and tired (HALT), as AA say. Not particularly angry really, grumpy perhaps, but certainly the other three. And the weather. Why do I think the only thing to do with hot weather apart from swim in it, is to drink? Anyway I didn't, obvs, and I'm fine now.
And I eventually started on Metanoia this morning, having woken so early and run out of other things to do - I can't play Freecell in my caravan, which is a good thing. I really only have a couple of paragraphs left to write. Have another go tomorrow, and then I can go back and tidy up the last three chapters I've added to it since Greece.
France Musique was en grève, so no chatty Frogs, just nice music, which was nice.
Turned my light off before midnight and slept until 6.30, which was nice. I left the fridge running on gas all night and it's actually cold this morning (Friday).
I've only just noticed what my pyjama bottoms that Sukie gave me for Christmas say on them - Mr Grumpy with a very cross face. Perhaps not such a nice present after all, and me so happy and cheerful and all. But then Christmas was the first time she'd seen me really sober, ever. Strange to wear something for so long and not notice that. I just thought of them as jolly and blue and comfortable.
Try again at Castorama and Leclerc today. Frogs still roaring way - seem to have moved into the woods above me.
Seems very strange - no response to any of my emails, to Dennis and Lizzy, Laura and Andrew, Phoenix and Curtis Banks. Maybe googlemail is swallowing them all, or sending them my apology but not telling me they've been in touch. Or they've all decided that since I've left the country never to return they don't need to bother any more.
My frustration and incompetence. The stupid glue and picture hooks. No replies to my emails. My crude work on the Edspace compared to Soren's beautiful job on the Lodge window. I did make a good job of Andrew's accounts though.
Andrew issued a tick warning at the morning meeting. And asked me to get insect repellent on my shopping expedition. We're obviously all going to die of malaria or Lyme's disease in this insect ridden hellhole. I joined in the fun by recommending everyone strip off and inspect each other for ticks after walks (with a very straight face). I shall clearly have the woods to myself. I wonder how we survived Malaya. And they're all obsessed about the water. The tap water's very nice, and free, but we have to buy 5 litre bottles of 'pure' water from Super-U or they get upset tummies. Or their tea tastes funny. (It doesn't but I do still have proper English teabags).
Good (i.e productive, informative, not wasting money) expedition to Leclerc (right next to Costaloadofmoney, and they do, 220 € for some paint, basically), Castorama, RoyElectric and the caravan people in Coutelle. Took the Astra (felt a bit guilty driving the Picasso all the way to Chauvigny for nothing yesterday) and it was rather nice. Only got hooted at once. Avoided buying a crap inverter from Narbonne (Caravan) Acessoires for a ridiculous amount of money - even a simple 12 volt light cost 40 € an the three pin female plug I got from a very nice lady in RoyElectric for 16 € was 20 at Narbonne. So I bought nothing, but it is a potentially good place to go for caravan acessoires, if I'm ever in the market for such things. I got a 11kg bottle of propane from Leclerc for 25€, including the deposit on the cylinder (in Framlingham it cost me nearly £60) and a propane detendeur for 17 €, so my gas supply problem is sorted. Shame the fridge doesn't actually make anything cold when running on gas.
When I got home I rang Photonic Universe, who supplied my solar panel and controller and batteries and he's going to send me a 300W inverter for £60+shipping - about what I would have paid here for some poncy cigar lighter mobile phone charger thing. Which the salesman seemed to think would turn itself off after half an hour - tho' I'm not convinced he had any idea what he was talking about. Anyway they're crap because they only produce a synthetic as opposed to pure sine wave current, which will destroy your electrics eventually. I think I need a new fridge though, see if I can get a 12V one. See how the old one works with the inverter first.
Aspasia in Naxos has invited me to stay. Both she and Mikhailis are looking forward to my visit.
Rebecca's still pissed off with Andrew (she was giving him tongue pie as they came out of meditation at 7.45 this morning, which isn't really on) but again quite chirpy this evening. Perhaps she's just not a morning person. Andrew being very stubborn and insisting that despite the silent breakfast rule (Rebecca's, but I'm all in favour, everyone should be quiet until at least 9am, but no skin off my nose as I breakfast in my caravan) he is in charge and if he wants a meeting with Jean Christophe at 8.15am he's jolly well going to have one, but thank you all for your advice. Aren't meditators wonderful!
Another tasteless veggie supper - very colourful and lots of greens, but no amount of salt and pepper could make it wake up. I produced two very tasty meals (and not too much salt) and everyone gobbled it up and said how nice it was, and then reverted to brown rice. Looking forward to the barbie on Saturday.
And feeling pleased with myself because I found the straight route home at last thanks to my ordnance survey map.
Tried a cheapo fix to my missing light problem (cheaper than 40 € anyway) - a 12 volt car lightbulb and sticky tape - plenty bright enough but the insulating tape got so hot it started to melt. I'll cannibalise a bulb connector from the duds on the back of the caravan. Need to make a switch for it (or I'll have to turn all the electrics off at night just to turn the kitchen light off).
Seems a bit cooler tonight. So tired at meditation this evening I kept falling asleep and falling off the pew and then snapping upright so violently I think I was waking everyone else up, including Bertie the cat who now joins us for meditation. He also sprays the door jambs of the church, just to keep the other toms away from his church. quite right too, don't want any old tom just wandering in and disturbing us at our devotions. I'm sure there's a story about St Cuthbert and cats, but it might have been seals. I think they liked listening to his sermons, on Holy Island.
Really wanted a fuck-it drink tonight, not sure why. Hungry, angry, lonely and tired (HALT), as AA say. Not particularly angry really, grumpy perhaps, but certainly the other three. And the weather. Why do I think the only thing to do with hot weather apart from swim in it, is to drink? Anyway I didn't, obvs, and I'm fine now.
And I eventually started on Metanoia this morning, having woken so early and run out of other things to do - I can't play Freecell in my caravan, which is a good thing. I really only have a couple of paragraphs left to write. Have another go tomorrow, and then I can go back and tidy up the last three chapters I've added to it since Greece.
France Musique was en grève, so no chatty Frogs, just nice music, which was nice.
Turned my light off before midnight and slept until 6.30, which was nice. I left the fridge running on gas all night and it's actually cold this morning (Friday).
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