Keeping Cool!

Another busy day today!

This morning I went to the lido for a swim and did 32 lengths - just half a mile, shorter than usual, but the pool was quite busy and I had a lot to get on with.

Then it was home for a bit of admin and paperwork before heading off to my appointment with the job lady. From there I went to the pet store where I got the rats, partly to stock up on rat nuggets and cat food, and partly to drop off some pictures for their rehoming people to let them know how the men are getting on. I also stopped to chat to some of the small animals in the shop - there was a gorgeous lop-eared bunny, who I'd happily have taken home if we had the resources to keep him, and all sorts of tiny hamsters and so on. There was also a pair of baby female rats, who were absolutely gorgeous - they needed rehoming because they were "unexpected babies". I'd have brought them home if I didn't fear that I'd get a population explosion of unexpected babies myself ! It did make me aware of just how big my men are - these little girls were absolutely TINY, just like Charlie and Moses (with the same mannerisms etc), but in miniature!

Then to Tesco's for a few bits of shopping. The wait at the till was extremely long, thanks to a lady who was "somewhat confused" about the price of her cheese. After waiting patiently for a while, I tootled off and asked the supervisor to come and help, before suggesting "helpfully" that this interminable discussion of the price of cheese might usefully be continued at customer services so the rest of us could pay for our shopping and get on with our days!!!

I recount this incident simply because it impressed me how cool I was, and is a great indicator of how well I am at the moment. When I'm in a depressive episode, supermarkets are extremely scary places for me - if cheesegate had happened when I was depressed I'd have cried, shaken, and ultimately abandoned my shopping and run out of the place without anything. When I'm in a manic episode, I'm an extremely scary person for a supermarket - if cheesegate had happened then I'd have waded in and told the confused lady how stupid she was, probably done likewise to the checkout girl, chatted up the elderly gentleman from the couple behind me, and then taken my clothes off!

As it was, I believe I behaved in an entirely sensible way! Phew!

Then I headed back home, pausing at the butcher's to get meat for the anniversary potted meat, and then going to WHSmith to look at coloured paper.

Then a really surreal thing happened. I could hear a voice that I recognized, a really familiar voice. I couldn't imagine this particular person (who is such a close friend of my family that she IS now a member of the family) could possibly be in my local Smiths, but I took a peek round the edge of the shelf, and there she was!

Absolutely amazing! Sally's parents were my grandparents's best friends and I've known her since I was born. She was with a friend, looking at photo frames, and we had quite a long chat - lovely to catch up with her. I also told her about the party we're planning for next summer, which will probably be the next family gathering, and she volunteered to make salads! Excellent! :-)

Then it was home time. I chased up my CELTA application because I hadn't heard anything, and they sent me a "pre-interview test" to do (about meanings of words etc.). I then did most of the test, and will finish the rest of it this evening and e-mail it back.

I also did some more work on the last movement of the Telemann Viola Concerto - I've decided to stay in second position, for those of you who read last Thursday's blip and are interested in such things.

And, since the temperature in my study was well over 30 degrees celsius, I decided it was time to help the men cool down a bit. I fetched them an ice cube each from the freezer, which they nibbled a bit, and then thought they might like a paddle, so I part-filled the bath with cold water, picked them up (along with one of their tunnels, so they had a place to hide or sit on if they wanted) and took them for a little expotition to the bathroom!

They had great fun splashing around, and I dipped my hand in the water and stroked them both so they were nice and cool and damp - although they did look a bit like punk rats with their fur sticking up in spikes!

Eventually Charlie wanted to do a bit of climbing, so he clambered up my arm onto my shoulder and dripped water down my back from his tail, and I eventually took them both back to their cage, where they groomed themselves (and each other's backs - helping each other with those "hard to reach" places), and then came for snacks before settling down to sleep after their adventure!

And now the Wonderspouse is back, making anniversary potted meat. I plan to spend the evening on the sofa making maths notes, for my assignment which is now due at the end of this week!

Busy life!!!!

Thinking back to my blip from this day last year, I can hardly believe that it's a whole year since our beautiful girl Athena was in hospital with her final illness. It seems incredible that a whole year has passed since then.