Breaded chicken, chips, roasted Mediterranean veg

Today I had one of those increasingly rare things – a trip outside the house. My outing was for the thrilling purpose of having a blood test: not thrilling at all, but at least it gave me something other than the same four walls to look at.

Having been out herself yesterday, mum was much calmer and more rational than she can be sometimes, and made minimal fuss at the thought of me leaving her for an hour or so.

I got to the GP surgery and walked into an aggrieved conversation between two other patients regarding the unexpected new wall. At which point I realised: where a small seating / form-filling area used to be, there was now a wall. Right next to where I was standing, so 0/10 for my observation skills.

The receptionist who checked me in told me that the desk staff hadn’t known about the new wall either, confiding that he had stared at it for a good five minutes before realising “huh – that wasn’t there on Friday”. I hope that, whatever the newly created room is for, it’s worth all the confusion that it’s caused.

[As an aside: the curling is currently on our tv, and mum is in the kitchen, complaining every few minutes that the players are shouting too loudly. It never ceases to amaze me how mum can always find something to complain about.]

Anyway: I had my blood taken – eventually, my blood being characteristically reluctant to leave my body – and went out the way I came in. At the door I met a guy with a dog and a dilemma: with the form-filling area gone, he had to go inside to the reception desk to get the form he needed. He obviously couldn’t take the dog inside with him, but if he left the dog tied up outside he would chew through his lead to come and find his person.

Based on appearance (always a dubious thing to do, I know), the guy was homeless, and certainly didn’t have money to buy a replacement lead. I offered to hold the dog – a selfless offer from this dog-lover – but was politely refused. So I took the necessary form and a pen out to man and dog instead, as I was going that way, and assume he found someone else to take it back afterwards. Which was probably better for my karma anyway, as doing a good deed because you want something in return (to pet a dog) means it’s not so much of a good deed.

[Does that sentence make any sense? I’m so tired from my hour outside that I can’t reliably English anymore.]

I got home to find mum in great good humour. She went out and did some gardening, put away the shopping (loads of ice cream, very little fresh veg, because I forgot to order any 🤦‍♂️ – thank goodness we have so much frozen veg) with minimal sniping, and has generally been pleasant company. (Except for the curling being too loud, anyway.)

And that is why I make the weekly effort to push mum out of the house to church: it does her so much good to be with other people. The same may be true of me, but only if those other people come with dogs.

---

Dinner was chicken, chips, and veg, all from the freezer. Mum enjoyed it more than most of the meals I make from scratch, which I must admit is a touch hurtful. At least it means she’s eaten some proper food today, and not just ice cream.

Tomorrow I have my first online therapy appointment, during which I will have to keep my voice as quiet as possible so mum doesn’t overhear what I’m saying. Which she will, despite the fact she can’t hear me when I’m six feet away with nothing between us but an open door. It’s a mum thing, I guess.