Flying solo

mcculloch29

Oh Robin! I'm so sorry, so very sorry. I hope it is dementia, God forgive me, I cannot get my head round that type of behaviour.
I'm not a hoarder, but I've lost many precious things over the years to 'tidiers'- mother, ex-husband and son.
Particularly son. It's far easier to bear now that he has moved out and his many possessions are almost all out of the house.

I'm glad you have your cabinet, may the long years of enjoying it that you have ahead of you compensate for the discomfort at the moment.

Greyfox, impressed by your offer, it will indeed be a challenge by the sound of things.

chevalier

Oh Robin, so very very sorry to hear that you have made such an upsetting discovery. If you know the soldiers name, you can at least look him up in the military archives. There might be a copy of the kings letter in there.

Good luck with your journey south, and phew about T2 tenants. Lets hope they stick with the new rules now. With DS4 doing tidying there, he will at least be able to keep an eye out for you
chev

please-let-me-be-lucky

Adding my commiserations to the pile, such awful news. I hope greyfox can still help.

I also hope you managed with your bed and got some rest Xx

Brightspark87

Robin so so sorry to hear this - I know some things are only 'stuff' but its what they mean to us and the people within those pages that are important. I know it would have been an amazing dedication to your dearly departed. You can still write something else, perhaps like your wonderful Divo's suggested a slight work of fiction with some of your story involved?
How wonderful so many of us would like to help you on this journey, perhaps this helps when it comes to seeing off the black dog? You are special and we want to help even though we have never met. x

*Robin*

Dear Diary and MSE Friends, :hello:

Thanks everyone for your sympathy re DH's family archive. Still feel like bursting into tears every time I think about it - what a shame and a wasted opportunity! Still, nothing to be done about it - except maybe find a subtle way of getting Elderly Relation to go and see her doctor - am rather worried about her well-being now because she lives alone; if her mind can play such tricks on her then is she safe?
Once CD and I are safely back at the Nest I'll 'phone ER's daughter and suggest she spends more time with her fiercely independent mother..

CD and I had a bit of a lucky escape driving down to the port on the M3. We'd just got back onto 'normal' motorway after one of the extended 50mph sections when we were engulfed in a sudden deluge - the type where wipers aren't quite coping on super-fast and 40mph feels like driving recklessly.. Anyway a saloon car flashed past us in the outside lane, doing well over the speed limit.. Then a couple of minutes later I spotted a single amber light on the hard shoulder - visibility was appalling so I slowed down even more approaching it, realising at the last moment that it was the same car's front nearside flasher; he'd hit something and spun, the car's smashed front end lying diagonally on the hard shoulder but the boot was right across the slow lane (ie. our path!). Headlights were out, back lights not visible - by great good fortune there was nothing overtaking me in the middle lane so I had room to swerve at the same moment as I spotted the driver, pacing around his car in the downpour, talking on his mobile. He was obviously unhurt so I didn't pull over - was a bit shaken tbh; had more than enough to do getting my unwieldy van back on an even keel after the abrupt maneuver and was rather afraid I'd lose control too and make things worse if I'd attempted an emergency stop..
The idiot hadn't even put on his high-vis jacket before getting out of his car and wandering around on the road! Sorry but I don't feel obliged to risk my own neck for Darwin Award candidates - still, do hope the car a couple of hundred metres behind me saw my swerve and didn't come to any harm.. :cool:

*Robin*

..Writing on the boat; wifi in our cabin is coming and going, and land is in sight so posted the above while there was enough of a signal.
Will catch up some more when we're back on the road and stop for a comfort break.

Hope everyone is well and having a good day today.

Both CD and I are looking forward to getting off this ferry; it's been quite a rough crossing.

greyfox

Hope the rest of your journey is uneventful!

Knit_Witch

Blimey! I hope you get home safely after all that!

Brightspark87

hope the weather quietened down for you and you are safely on dry land soon x

*Robin*

Good morning World, :hello:

CD and I both needed a rest after getting off that boat! There was one lovely moment though which is worth relating:
As we were being loaded, a crew member came to tell me I had to leave CD alone in the van while I signed in at the Purser's desk.
"No way!" I told her, "I'm waiting here with CD until the dog-owners are called to go up to their cabins". The girl was perplexed, then fetched the Purser who was watching the vehicles carrying pets being parked. I explained to him that CD has severe separation anxiety since losing her sight, and would certainly do her best to dig her way out of the van if left alone. On hearing her name, the Purser looked at CD and his expression changed. He flashed a sudden grin and exclaimed:
"CD the snow-dog - I remember her! Just after I joined the company she escaped from the kennels and I chased her through the ship into your arms - this is ze same dog?"
Yes indeed. The Purser's attitude changed, and he gave me permission to stay with CD, saying:
"It's against the rules, but as we're old friends I will make an exception this time.."

So it must have been fourteen years ago, when Pet Passports were still quite a new idea and all dogs travelling on the ferry were confined to a noisy room of cages next to the ship's funnel. These 'kennels' [STRIKE]were[/STRIKE] - still are - fitted with a narrow opening slot at the bottom of the wire door, designed for putting food and water bowls inside. The slot is about six inches wide (these days they are 'locked' with cable ties).
CD and Little Girl were in one cage together, Auntie and Big Boy in another. DH and I were not present for most of CD's adventure, but the Captain made enquiries after the event because he wanted to know what had happened, as this was the first time a dog had escaped. Captain told me the full story later.
CD managed to unlock the catch holding the feeding-bowl slot shut, and somehow squeezed herself through the opening - no mean feat for a 20kg dog! Another dog-parent found her wandering loose in the kennels but just thought we must be very inconsiderate owners..
CD had seen where he came in, and waited by the door leading onto the deck. Soon enough someone else arrived to visit his pet; when this man opened the door CD darted out between his legs and made short work of the gate at the top of the stairs leading down to the sun-deck / heli-landing pad (gaps in the bars of the gate were wider than the slot she'd already got through).
It was a sunny afternoon and the deck was crowded, so CD's appearance was greeted with lots of comment and a rush of children who wanted to pet her.. She hurtled away down another staircase which led to the balcony door of the Commodore's bar. Up on her back legs CD looked through the glass, whereupon a rather sozzled passenger opened the door to let her in!
CD charged through the room, heading first behind the bar then into a food prep area - at which point she started collecting crew-members who were yelling and chasing her (including the Purser - he'd been a young bar-tender then). The scene would have been worthy of a Keystone Cops movie; CD fleeing panicked followed by an ever increasing train of staff..
At the atrium CD must have caught my scent because she dashed up the staircase then unerringly along the corridor where our cabin was located.
Completely unprepared as I headed for the coffee-shop, I opened the door at just that moment, turning towards the commotion only to see my dear CD, ears flat against her head, running full-pelt towards me with about a dozen shouting crew sprinting behind her.. CD leapt into the air, landing on my chest and propelling us both to the - fortunately carpeted - floor, where I lay winded, being smothered by doggie kisses while all the excited French crew-members gesticulated and jabbered away at me!
Our cabin door opened, DH looked out and said laconically:
"It's never boring, travelling with you Robin!"

More later; kittens and psycho truck-drivers.. It's a greyer day than we left in the UK and the solar system is struggling to keep lappy's battery going. High time CD and I were back on the road (kittens permitting!).

Spends:
Fuel - 30€
Toll road - 1.15€