Best Laid Plans

Thank fuck for the internet!
In an hour or so's time I shall be sipping a grossly expensive cocktail with my Nu in The Atlantic Bar J Sheekey in Covent Garden, it's just around the corner from All About Eve at The Noel Coward Theatre
Tomorrow I had planned to catch up with some friends. One for lunch the other for dinner
The dinner one  has just cancelled as she is not well which now leaves me dangling somewhat and at a loose end for tomorrow night.
Should I come home early was the question that came to mind.
I thought fuck it!
A ten minute troll through last minute . Com and I found myself a very cheap ticket to see
Everyone's Talking About Jamie 
So after lunch tomorrow, I'm all alone in the big city

London Bound

Contrary to what my header would make you believe this is my favourite line from 
delivered with some panache by Thelma Ritter's Birdie, the only one not taken in by the angelic Eve

"What a story!!!!!. Everything but the bloodhounds snappin' at her rear end..."

Choir Mudita

I know I have posted a version of this lullaby before but this video honestly sounds like my choir did tonight albeit quieter as we had 30 singing
It was a night where most ( but not all) went so right and as we sang I caught the eye of one of the lady tenors who like me had started to tear up at the power of it all, and we smiled oh so  gently at each other
More Mudita
A Choir's Mudita!

Ps I'm not being so saccharine  here...as my nerves were somewhat shattered during practice by one of my fellow bases who never fucking stops chattering. At one moment I turned to my friend Peter who is a retired gentleman farmer and said " I'm going to smack him one if he doesn't stop,yacking" 
Peter smiled and nodded " You are a leader not a follower " he whispered 

Mudita

Beach Promenade this morning

I bought some conditioner for my hair the other week and got into conversation soon after with a gay friend who chuckled loudly at the fact!
"You and conditioner?" he laughed "Yeah right!"
I stood my corner
"I like the way my hair feels after I use it" I countered and I meant
I may wear unfashionable walking dead T shirts but I do have lovely soft hair!

I enjoy watching others take pleasure out of things.
The senile patient who will smile gently like a child when you tuck the duvet under their chin like a mother will do with their child.
A dinner guest who will soak up all of the gravy from their plate with a chunk of bread
A hall full of geeks reacting to Arya killing the Night King from GOT [Click here] (this has to be seen to be believed)

I once taught a nurse how to wash a  spinal injury patient's hair. The patient had skull traction in situ and could only be moved by experienced nursing staff and in such a precise way so that the neck fractures were not misaligned. It was a potentially stressful procedure for everyone involved.
I was good at this job,for I was a careful and knowledgeable spinal nurse .
I also loved the fact that some warm soapy water and gentle hands on care could have such a positive therapeutic effect on someone who was paralysed from the neck down.
The nurse who was watching the procedure was a Buddhist.
That fact only came out after the procedure had taken place as he told me about the meditation of Mudita
"You practice this in your work" he told me and went on to explain that Mudita is the Buddhist notion of obtaining joy from the well being of others

I think we all should take some time for Mudita meditation
I don't mean the bells and whistles and that chanting thing
I think we all should just watch and observe and take in the pleasure of others as well as we all seem to do with our  own.

Today was  a case in point . I met a friend for brunch
We had a lovely time and when it was over I stopped the car on the Promenade on the way home so the dogs could stretch legs and necks and bums.

A scruffy man stopped next to Winnie as she scrutinised him for a possible kind word and he asked if it was ok to pet her.
"Help Yourself!" I told him "Rub her bum she loves that!"
The man did and Winnie closed her eyes and went weak at the knees
The man laughed and dug his nails in a bit more which made Winnie spasm in her hind legs and lick her lips like a tart
The man was delighted and showed a wide toothless but oh so genuine smile
Bloody Mudita !
A cheap gift eh?....a bloody cheap gift!

A Pervert At The Beach

The last "normal" conversation I had with anyone "normal" was back on Saturday morning.

This morning I did ask my Hey Google pebble what time it was and she offered the correct time in suitably clipped tones. Apart from to the pebble I haven't said anything of note to anyone.

Just before I left  work this morning one old soul piped up with

"Are you going to kill me ?" from under her duvet

"Of course not I'm a nurse here! I'm not a killer" I told her

"They said that about Crippen!" she twittered

I've just had four such nights this week..vet's bills arnt cheap

When I got home I started to watch Line Of Duty but kept awake until just after Kate Fleming's glorious put down of an investigating officer interruption of her  meeting

I fell asleep soon after.

An hour or so later I found myself at the supermarket where I spent 50£ on nothing

It is sunny but cool here and the bright sunshine made me drive down to the beach to eat my lunch of tasteless falafel wrap and  chick pea puffs which tasted like cheese dusted mini tampons.
Nights make you needy for movement and light

normally I hate sitting at the beach without the dogs. I always feel that I may look like a pervert sat there by my own.
I must have looked even worse as minutes later I was asleep in the driver's seat my head and mouth against the side window.....I was  dribbling like a bulldog

The Best Awards Acceptance Speech

Coffee Mornings and The West End

I hadn't had any breakfast so I was happy when I spied  Bridget Richard's last remaining slices of home baked Victoria sponge sat alone on the Trelawnyd Community Association's coffee morning serving table.

There was a slightly uncomfortable moment when after pointing to it, Gwyneth who was in her motorised wheelchair just behind me let out a groan of disappointment . I did offer it to her but luckily Mary stood up against the table and gave the cake slice a bit of a lick.....
all is fair in choose the best sponge!

I sat with Christine and Bryn from Chapel house and Hubert who is now sporting a very credible Hershel Green Walking Dead white beard and chatted for a while.
I caught up with  few people I knew and had to smile that when Mrs Trellis walked in sporting a huge pair of round sunglasses and a floppy rimmed sun hat someone whispered "Bloody hell it's Jackie Onassis !"
Her dog Blue has recovered very well after his accident with a barb wire fence

I chose a copy of The Great Gatsby to read from the book swap table and left my raffle tickets with another acquaintance as he ate his meringue ( with squirty cream) before Mary and I turned for home

To some it seems so parochial but it was a nice way to spend an hour or so.

I'm working all of this bank holiday weekend on nights again and would have gone completely stir crazy if it wasn't for the fact that next week I'm going to London. This Saturday, its all about Victoria sponge and a chat at a local coffee morning and a few days later its good seats in the West End to see ALL ABOUT EVE with Nu. I saved up and bought the tickets for her birthday.
The day after I see Nu, I want to treat myself to a museum mooch then a drink and a chat with fellow Sam and blog reader friend Mark in some Bear pub in Soho followed by dinner  and chats with old friend Kim.
don't worry I've double checked all of the fine details.....Ive got all the right dates
hey ho

Moanin Low

I had treated myself to a seat at theatre clwyd's acclaimed production of Home I'm Darling tonight
But I fucked up and bought a ticket for yesterday's performance by mistake
An arsehole mistake for an arsehole day.
Tonight I've drank gin, nibbled peanuts and have watched Key Largo
Winnie loves Humphrey Bogart but she seemed rather more moved by that famous Claire Trevor Scene moanin low.....she oh so deserved her Oscar 

Thank goodness for forward planning... next week I'm seeing Nu
We are off to see the London revival of  ALL ABOUT EVE

I admit I have seen better days..... but I'm still not to be had for the price of a cocktail.....like a salted peanut !"