Ground Control to Major Tom

There’s something very evocative about the lyrics to that incredible song, Space Oddity by David Bowie, isn’t there? You can almost feel the emptiness of space and the eeriness of the connections being cut. ‘Your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong. Can you hear me Major Tom?’

And indeed, our circuits are dead and there’s something wrong today. We can feel the emptiness of the space and the eeriness of silence.

And here’s why……the scaffolders arrived this morning to set up in readiness for the roofer to come and mend the ridge tiles. One of the chaps knocks on the door and says, “We’re going to put a plank down just above your satellite dish. Keep an eye on your reception and let us know if it goes off.” Yep, OK! Switched the TV on. Kept my eye on it. All seemed well.

Pahahahaha!!! Until this evening, of course, when we find we can only get BBC1 and the programmes we recorded yesterday or previous to that. The connection is cut…..

Hey-ho. A phone call to the scaffolders tomorrow and maybe they’ll be able to sort it out? Or maybe we’ll be without our fabulous selection of TV programmes for a week….who knows? Lordy! Whatever will we do?

Anyway, today was a better day. I actually got up and had a shower relatively early this morning and John was also out of bed by about 10 o’clock. We were expecting guests.

Pete and Dawn called in for a coffee and, boy, how good it felt to see them. We had a good old chat for a couple of hours and felt that civilisation may now be within reach. Mind you, no sooner had they left than I promptly fell asleep in the armchair. I was exhausted.

We lazed about until about half past three, recuperating from the morning’s exertions, and then I suggested we go to Kenilworth. I wanted to exchange a Christmas gift before the receipt quite ran out; we needed some bread and cat food; and I had a party dress to take to the cleaners.

The trip was good and uneventful – although, having parked in Sainsbury’s and walked up the Warwick Road to Robert Dyas and the dry cleaners, I found I had to take it very steady. No speed-walking for me just yet. I left John in the car.

When I got back, we both went into Sainsburys to get the few groceries we needed. John found it hard work but was pleased he’d made the effort.

At home, we remembered that we were supposed to be saving electricity for an hour or so at tea-time, so we lit candles and John had a well-deserved snooze. Looks lovely and cosy, doesn’t he?

Take care everyone. God bless.