I have not gone to work.
Instead of working, this evening I have made a trip to Barrow to take the lodger to the police station. This is not because she has done anything rascally, but because she thinks that she might like to join Cumbria’s Thin Blue Line, actually rather stout blue line if Roy who is the local copper is anything by which they can be judged.
We collected Mark on the way, who has been working not very far away from Barrow, and whilst the lodger was in the police station listening to the chief inspector telling them what a thrilling career it was, we went to the pub.
I had considered going in with her, but it is a good job I didn’t, as I am quite well acquainted with the chief inspector, and know perfectly well, because he said so once, that he spends most of his working life listening to people complaining about motorists who have parked on the pavement. Either he was fibbing, or his definition of thrilling is considerably less rigorous than my own.
The pub we went to was actually an hotel in Barrow which has been dilapidated and depressing for ever, but which has recently been renovated to a high-gloss polish. It is now jolly nice. I noticed that they were serving chips with their peel on, which is always a good sign.
We did not have chips. We had a glass of wine and something called a Deli Sharing Platter, which actually was a couple of bits of brie and some toast, but came on a bit of plank instead of a plate. This helped us to feel reassured that it was worth twelve quid, especially since the salad was made of some peculiarly curly leaf instead of lettuce, and the cucumber had been peeled.
It was lovely to be out having an adventure, and I enjoyed myself very much. Mark told me all about work, and we drank our wine and felt warm and cheerful.
Mark and his friend Ted have been having Strategy Meetings, mostly whilst driving the pick-up truck in between mending people’s broadband and Ted trying to fill in their form for the income tax. I felt smug when Mark said this, because I filled ours in ages ago. Paying it is more complicated, but a start has been made.
They have decided at their strategy meetings that they definitely need a strategy if they are to succeed in the cut-throat world of high technology. So far their strategy could be described as ‘let’s not mess anything up too badly, especially things that are difficult to fix’. Also, they think that they would quite like to retire early and rich, and have decided that they will focus their efforts in that direction.
I am in favour of all of these things, most especially the latter. I would quite like to retire now, especially if that meant I could go somewhere warm. It is snowing here today, little icy chips that bounce off your hat and make the ground crunchy, and I was very glad indeed for the dry firewood. No matter how dark and sleety it is outside, in here is bright and warm, which is splendid.
I am going to draw this to a close here, despite its lack of verbosity, because since I do not have to work I can go to bed, which is one of my best bits of the day, especially when, like today, I have managed to arrange clean sheets. The bed is white, and fresh, and smelling faintly of woodsmoke from where the sheets have dried over the stove, and of lavender, and I think I am going to go and get in it.
See you tomorrow.
Have a picture of the Lake District. I took it at work, although not today.
