Author: peterb51

31st October 2019

I met up with my friend Rob for a final Masala Dosa on English soil. With a few final things to get in town, I headed home.

I decided to load my case into the car during daylight, it was a large one, so I didn’t want to draw attention to myself by falling down the steps and breaking my neck in the early hours.

Louise informed me that she had taken another booking for the day after I leave. Another booking came in later filling up the rest of the weekends for the month.

I did a quick clean of the kitchen and bathroom as I usually do, although Louise does the final inspection.

There was the usual mad panic to find things I had forgotten, like my wallet filled with US dollars left over from my last trip. Of course they were in the place they should have been.

I went through the checklist in my head, realising that most of the things I had already packed over a month ago, that was why I had limited clothing, everything had been stored in the case

30th October 2029

I finally got round to washing and ironing the bedclothes from the last Airbnb guests.

They had left a glowing review, so I did forgive them for using all my ground coffee.

I was well into the swing of ironing the quilt cover. Removing the creases and moving the cover down, and getting rid of more creases. I was engrossed in something I was watching on the TV, I didn’t realise that I had ironed the same cover four times, and it still had creases in it. I like doing the pillow cases, they are much more controllable, a quick swish one way then the other, a quick fold and it’s done.

The same for the towels, but there is perverse pleasure in flattering the fleece. It had to be the same feeling of plowing a field. Looking back on the progress, with the final fold, and the feeling of celebration. Not only have I watched twenty episodes of some drama series but I’ve flattened a pile of fabrics at the same time.

29th October 2019

Today was the day I had to collect my passport. It was a fine day, and filled with anticipation I set off to Cribbs Causeway.

The traffic was light, I had left it till the rush hour was over.

I drove towards the interchange ready to head south on the M5, but horror! the exit to was closed. I had nowhere to go, I was committed, and I was being forced to go north. That is me, and ten thousand other drivers.

I immediately joined a three lane traffic jam.

The next exit was about six miles away.

Progress was slow, painfully slow, and my fuel situation was grave, as I had planned to fill up at Cribbs.

I was watching the needle on the fuel gauge drop.

Thinking through my options, running out of fuel was not one of them. The thought of pushing this heavy bastard to the hard shoulder was not on my list.

Michael’s wood Service station was about nine miles away, and I had enough fuel to get there.

So I filtered into the outside lane, which was moving a bit faster, and left the congestion behind.

A quick splash and dash and I had the head for the Gloucester exit. From there it was all downhill to get my passport.

The long line of traffic was still there as I zoomed past, and by the time I reached the interchange, the exit was now open.

Sucks to be the last car that had to take the diversion.

The rest of the journey went smoothly, I was handed my passport, and I hurriedly checked that they had stuck the visa into it, they had, thank goodness.

The evening was so good, no anxiety or stress (bloody hell I’m sounding like an American)

and I celebrated with a bottle of locally brewed ale, no expense spared.

28th October 2019

“ Has your passport turned up yet?” was the first question Kelli messaged. I responded in the negative, although I was in a bus traveling back from Bath. Just pass Winsley everything changed. An email from the American Embassy popped up in my inbox.

At last I had some good new to share with her, and just about all of my family who were on the same tenterhooks.

The phone rang almost immediately, it was Kelli. I didn’t want to answer the phone with a bus full of people, so I declined the call.

It rang again, so again I declined it, I knew my stop was just round the corner.

As soon as my feet touched the footpath I called her.

I could tell she had been crying, but in her unusual cry laugh way.

The relief fell off me like a over size coat, my voice was trembling as I read out the email.

I could collect it tomorrow from the courier, this was the last part of a painful experience, so I couldn’t wait to get the document in my hands.

Earlier I had met up with Phillip and Ann to look over the refurbished Factory 2 building.

A tremendous amount of work had been done to upgrade it for the Bath Spa University Art and Design campus. Most of the features have been retained, and it all looked clean and new.

Unfortunately they let the students into it.

There were some good interior and some bad ones, and I know money has to be a big issue, and it shows in a lot of tatty work tables that were brought from existing places.

I guess I thought that more consideration would be taken to give a real creative environment. The layout could have shoe-horned into any square building, it’s only redeeming feature is the river bank location.

I hope that once it’s allowed to evolve, it will improve, but something tells me that once the first pot of paint is spilt, the interior will become just another shit hole.

27th October 2019

I had come to the end of my stay with Nicola and Colin.

I was looking forward to getting back home, not that I didn’t enjoy the last week at Barrington, it is always fun and restful. I needed to get back to prepare all my stuff I needed to take to the US.

We had one last walk around the village.

Barrington Court was holding its annual apple collection day for the children. The little darlings run around picking the apples in the orchard that get pressed into juice. A crafty exploitation of child labour by the National Trust. Personally I think it’s a great idea, and society could expand it into street cleaning and litter picking. Most might complain that they can’t do the work one handed ( they need the other for their mobile phones) but it will get them out into the fresh air, and they might have to talk to someone.

After the walk, I headed back to Bradford on Avon.

Whenever I’m back at the cottage I feel like a guest, I look around as if it is the first time I been there. I check to see if anything has been moved, and I check the comments book to see what’s been written.

The glowing words continue, so it’s all been worth it.

I start my cleaning starting in the bathroom, then the work surfaces in the kitchen, then I stop for a cup of tea.

I check my emails to see if anything about my visa has appeared, but no, it’s wishful thinking that it could happen on a Sunday.

I placed the new log basket by the side of the fire place, and then started the washing machine.

I stripped off the bedding and piled it next to the washing machine ready for the next wash.

I lifted the lid of the waste bin to empty it, I noticed that the tin that I kept my ground coffee was inside.

Obviously, the guests had found it and used it all.

Normally the things stored in the cupboard are out of bounds, because Louise has jars of tea and instant coffee set out on the worktop.

Thank god they didn’t find my last tin of baked beans.

26th October 2019

The weather was miserable, it rained most of the day. I went out to get a log basket, I didn’t think a Sainsbury’s carrier bag gave the best impression, but neither would a large basket.

I managed to find a square one that would fit in well with the space I had.

It is this time that I really miss having jobs to do.

Kelli was having a pumpkin decorating evening with her kids (plus Dylan)

I have done this once and was a little underwhelmed, the thought of cutting a hard vegetable with a sharp knife gives me the shivers.

However the pictures she sent me were impressive, even though she took the lightweight route and painted hers instead.

25th October 2019

Against my better judgment I decided to leave the safe harbour of Barrington and head up the motorway to Cribbs Causeway.

I had to do something, maybe my passport was waiting on a shelf having slipped through the net.

The DX complex was large and sprawling, it was close to John Lewis, so very easy to find. There was a security gate and a button to press. The gate opened immediately, but no one asked me my business. I parked the car in the customer space, and climbing out of the truck into the rain, I made my way to the Customer Collection door.

The room was about ten foot square, with three cheap chairs each side of the room.

On the wall opposite was a large hatch with a shallow shelf, and an electric bell with the instruction to push it to get attention.

This I did but it didn’t seem to make a sound. I pressed it again, and again but still nothing.

I thought someone viewing them cctv might notice me, but that didn’t seem to work either.

I kept getting glimpses of people, but none looked my way.

A young girl then entered the room, I explained that the bell didn’t work, but of course she had to try it for herself.

To my relief that didn’t work either, so now we were in the same boat.

I went outside to see if I could attract attention of anyone in the upstairs offices. This was a fruitless attempt as no one worked next to a window, all I managed to do was get wet.

Next a guy came out of another door heading for his car, I told him the problem, and he went back inside to tell someone of our needs.

I went back inside hoping someone would appear. More time went by, and still no sign of anyone. I looked at the sign that displayed the company logo “DX, Deliver Exactly” mmm I thought, all they were delivering was frustration.

The girl was collecting her passport from the American Embassy. She had her interview only two days ago before, so I was really pissed off.

Eventually someone appeared at the doorway, apparently she saw us on the cctv screen, and not as a result of the guy in the car park.

The girl collected her package, but I was unsuccessful, there was nothing for me ( I didn’t really expect anything) and of course they could not give me any information on who to contact. “ We don’t have any dealings with the American Embassy, we just collect” was the response I got, so once again I was non the wiser.

I tried to ring the Embassy, but they could not give me a number to ring regarding visas.

“ You’ll have to go on the web site and send an email” then hung up.

Bureaucracy really sucks.

I stopped off at the cottage to pick up a few things. New guests were expected later, so I cleaned the bathroom and kitchen.

They also wanted a fire for when they arrived. I was able to get that going before I left for the drive back to Barrington.

Kelli in the meantime had contacted her person in the Senator’s office who agreed to call the Embassy and try to speed the process up.

24th October 2019

I was left to my own devices again, as Nicola and Colin drove to Bath.

I tried to find details of the courier service that the American Embassy use to dispatch documents to their grateful visa victims.

I knew the address as an industrial estate at Cribbs Causeway, but there was no telephone number.

Searching their website I found a number which I rang, but was not recognised. This left me the choice to e-mail. Now I am waiting for a reply. This is now the hot potato, as it should be there today if the timings expressed by the Embassy are true.

23rd October 2019

I drove down to see Damian and my two grandsons. Ethan has just started a new school, so I was excited to go and collect him.

The Ballard school looks impressive, the car park had so many Range Rovers I thought it was a Dealers forecourt.

I spent many hours playing with little George who is happy just to bounce away in his chair and smiles a lot.

Ethan was his usual bundle of energy, not even a full day at school did little to slow him down.

On the way back he was fiddling with all the controls, Damian was getting annoyed that the little lad was taking no notice of him, I smiled knowingly, this is what karma looks like.

I spent time reading him a bedtime story, his unending questions and insistence to read it over and over again left me exhausted even after such a simple task.

22nd October 2019

Nicola and Colin went off to get some supplies leaving me to continue working on my patio design.

The laptop I have is old and slow. I can do a keystroke, go downstairs, make a cup of tea, climb the stairs, and it will just finish the operation.

If God used it to create the world it would be more than seven months rather than days.

I watched videos on Frank Lloyd Wright to stop me falling off to sleep.

These days seem long and fruitless, I check my emails constantly for notifications that my passport has been collected, and waiting in a courier’s depot, but so far nothing. This is the next big pressure point.