Another Lifetime to go

4th November 2019

The shed door was a sad sight, it hung on with one hinge. I took it off and carried it into the garage to start work on its renovation.

We had driven to Menards to get the correct length timber, so everything was ready.

I eased off the old rotten frame, I was hoping to re-use the plywood backing. The door was in a pretty bad state, but with careful fitting of the new frame it could be saved.

Whilst the adhesive were curing, I swept up the leaves that had dared to fall on the grass I had swept a couple of days before.

A guy up the road was using a blower, someone else was sucking up the leaves with a ride on tractor.

There is nothing better than the good honest rake, these machines may be quicker but I don’t have to fill up with petrol every ten minutes. I am following Kelli’s example of non polluting, and the use of renewable energy. Well my energy is always renewed, once she feeds me.

3rd November 2019

We moved the rest of the leaf mountains to the side of the road, awaiting the city trucks to collect.

There is always the dilemma of whether to sweep the neighbours leaves whilst I’m doing mine.

I solve that by letting them do it themselves. My reason is they have a large Maple tree that sheds most of it leaves into my garden. Now I could be awkward and make piles under his trees, but I’m not petty.

These are the people I never see. He arrives home at the same time every night and once the door is closed that’s it. They may have to plug themselves in every night to recharge.

Later we took the dogs to the beach and walked to the lighthouse. There was a flash git kite boarding on the lake. Back and forth he skimmed the waves, twisting and changing direction like he knew what to do. Kelli just thinks I’m jealous, of course she is right in a way. If I was to have a go, I wouldn’t know how to control it, and would probably end up heading for Wisconsin.

2nd November 2019

What better to celebrate returning home to Central Bay by sweeping up the leaves in the front and rear gardens.

I did think that when we moved into the house there weren’t that many trees to shed in Autumn. How wrong I was, the trees must have grown extra leaves so that we didn’t feel left out.

I attacked it with gusto starting strong. The rake scraping up small piles growing into larger piles that grew into mountains. The term “moving mountains” was very appropriate.

We made our first trip to Menards for timber for the shed doors, the start of the jobs had begun.

1st November 2019

My son Damian had always remarked that his brother Ryan wore more wheel bearings out than tyres. I can now testify to that.

He had the job of driving me to the airport in the Shogun, so I could experience at first hand the “G” forces he put on motor vehicles. I was convinced he was a pupil of the Super Mario School of motoring.

I had allowed for a gentle drive to Heathrow so that he could get used to the truck, as he was not used to driving an automatic, but he took off like a scolded cat and didn’t slow down. We got there so early the check-in staff were still getting dressed.

The flight was good, and although it was quite full I did have an empty seat next to me.

When I got to immigration, there was a heart thumping moment when the officer led me to a side room to check my visa. Was I going to fail at the final hurdle?.

For the next ten minutes, which felt like hours, I wondered if I was going to have an interrogation, and then sent back. I tried to remain cool, as I suspected I was being monitored on cctv, and any suspicious body language would give me away. I was overthinking it more than I needed too.

Eventually the officer returned, and handed me back my passport, I was in.

There was the usual flight delay to Grand Rapids even though the gate was in a new part of the terminal, it felt like I was walking half the way on foot.

When I finally got off the plane, and walked towards the arrival lounge, Kelli was waiting, there were no tears, but her smile made the last three months worth the wait.

I was back, now just the jet lag to get rid of.

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.