I confess to having spent much of the day asleep.
I wasn’t very late in from work last night, it was about a quarter to two, which by our standards is almost an early night: but when the alarm went off at half past six this morning I was reluctant, and tired, and grumpy.
Mark went nobly off to work, and I trailed off up the fellside, trying to make my legs work faster than they wanted to, and even then it wasn’t very fast. Then I came home, hung out the washing and by dinner time I had collapsed into bed.
I didn’t hear Mark and Ted coming in about half an hour later. They had come to collect some tools and were going to eat dinner at our house, but sloped off again quietly so as not to disturb me, probably in case I turned out to be grumpy.
When I woke up it was two o’ clock.
I had intended to go out to the camper van and do some painting, but discovered a peculiar email from Son Of Oligarch suggesting that he and Oliver went off to York on the train at half term, and would I email school to tell them that this was all right.
I have already been dimly aware of this, courtesy of the occasional communication from Oliver. It is his birthday and they are going to have a party. They are going to go to a restaurant in York and then on to some kind of celebratory shooting things place.
I emailed Son Of Oligarch to explain that we would collect Oliver and take him to the party. I felt that on the whole we preferred not to lose Oliver on the East Coast trainline unless we had got at least some documentary evidence from Oligarch or similar responsible adult, that they at least knew what was happening and were prepared to fork out for search parties in an emergency.
Son Of Oligarch said they were going to a buffet restaurant.
I looked it up and discovered it was closed down.
I rang school to tell them that in no circumstances were they to release Oliver into the care of Son of Oligarch at half term, at least not unless Oligarch or Oligarch’s wife were present.
School laughed and told me they would guard him fiercely.
I have already been contemplating this half term with some happiness, because Oliver finishes school on Thursday, and Lucy the day after.
If we are going to go to York to deposit Oliver at an imaginary party then we might as well go in the camper van and stay the night. Then we can collect Lucy and have the trouser-tightening lunch with Nan and Grandad before heading off home.
I thought that if Oliver was at a party then perhaps we could do something nice whilst we were waiting for him.
The thing is that you are not allowed to park camper vans in York.
Therefore, I reasoned, the something nice must have parking attached.
It does not take a great leap of imagination to come up with some of my favourite nice things with parking.
You might remember the Grand Hotel, where we stayed very happily once when we had no camper van and were feeling in need of a holiday.
The Grand Hotel is very appropriately named.
It is grandly grand, with a spa and dignified everything.
Ten minutes later Mark and I were booked in for lunch and the camper van was booked in for a little break in their car park.
They were dubious about the camper van, which I thought was a bit unfair, because they haven’t even seen it yet, so I told them piteously and untruthfully that it was my husband’s birthday and a special occasion, so in the end they capitulated.
I hope I remember that I have said that.
I am very excited about this indeed. Their lunch menu is another one which is so middle class that I don’t know what some of the dishes are.
I love places like that.
Even if Son Of Oligarch’s party turns out to be a non-event, we can still go, and Oliver can come with us, and we will be doing something happy together.
I had just finished being pleased about this when Mark rang to say that he was on his way home, and would I like to go together to choose some paint before he went to his maths class.
We are going to paint the bedroom. Actually, I am going to paint the bedroom.
We went to choose paint.
It is going to be pink and yellow, and maybe a bit green in places, because I have got some green left over that Mark has forgotten about, but he will be out when I paint it, so I can do exactly what I like.
I am very excited and happy about this as well. I might even be able to start tomorrow if I get enough sleep tonight.
Life is brilliant.
