PAINTING THE TOWN RED

Good evening. What a great night we have had. Just what I needed after yesterday. Our friend asked us if we wanted a stay over in a B&B for free but we had to decline as we were going to our other friends for a meal. Like the busses, they come together after waiting for ages for one to arrive.

 

Anyway, Teen came in from work. We told him there was homemade chicken soup for his meal and a fish and rice dish. He said thank you and we said goodbye. So I have not seen him for the past 24 hours. But he apparently went to the gym with his friend and before going ate the rice came back and ate some soup. Now in bed. We are home and it’s half ten. We are not drinkers and respect others so never stay late unless there are a lot of us then leave when they start to. It was funny at New year the host went to bed before her guests, I thought that was a good point to leave, but no one else did I don’t understand some people but hey ho.

 

So we had an Indian meal from our favourite take away who deliver. It was delicious. We really enjoyed the company of our friends and felt so at home. They have a lovely house. We talked about such interesting matters. They are really clever and we can have some great conversations.

 

The dogs didn’t eat us, in fact they fell asleep. They have Staffordshire Bull Terriers. I’m scared stiff of them.

 

Well if you were to see them, one was stretched out on the sofa fast asleep and the other was getting her tummy tickled. Not by me I have to add.

 

It was a great evening. I love it and learned something interesting. I will tell you more later.

 

 

Well, as for yesterday, it was one of those days when you just become so disillusioned with people. You know what I mean?

 When you rely on your hearing to get about, you hear everything. Including people’s comments.

 

Well the crowds were everywhere in our town.  I couldn’t believe how many people there were.

Queues right down the streets. What with A boards and posts in the middle of the paths then on top of that people standing still. We don’t really know they are there until we are literally touching them.

 

Hub had his faithful Long Chops and me Michael. As in Michael cane.

 

Well, I can’t use the cane like I am supposed to in our town as I would trip people up. As really they don’t move. Sometimes they see us coming and freez with fear. They think if they stand still, out of sight, out of mind.

 

Well, not the case. Slam. Bang. Right into them. Hub doesn’t as he has LC, but I do and boy, do I bang into them. Knocking them into next week.

 

So we walked a little slower. Not too slow. Faster than I walk when I am out on my own.

But there was an ignorant person behind us. So there is line after line of people to our right, but the queue turns in and out like a curly snake. So it’s not in a streight line. So we are weaving in and out, avoiding posts, lamp posts, posts with bins attached, as I said, boards. Advertising. Tables from street café’s.  The odd parked vehicle. Musicians, suitcases being dragged behind people. Boxes from market stalls. Oh you name it we have to avoid it.

 

Then the people well, man, from behind asked his partner/friend, why were we, walking so slowly?

 

I mean, Hub with a guide dog, me with a white cane.

 

Stupid man. If only he hadn’t have step from the kerb and walked on the road to get past quicker, I would have given him a piece of my mind.

 

We actually couldn’t walk faster as there were people in front of us. So I don’t know what the stupid thing was on about.

 

Then I heard a lady telling a child to watch where they were going. As obviously the child was heading for us.

 

Well, LC would have walked around the little one.

 

But the Mum wasn’t to know. When you can’t see who said whatever, it’s difficult to acknowledge them to show gratitude.

There were so many voices to hear and listen out for.

 

But as we walked on, I did hear her saying to someone,

“They could have said thank you?”

 

I guess us blindies could come across as not being polite but there is a reason. We turn to say thank you to someone and they look at you and ask what for? Because they are not the person we meant to show appreciation towards.

 

We went into our bank. Now if we could see, we would have gone to the cash machine. Well, we can’t see and we had to wait for a person to help. So what happened? Our bank is huge. It’s full of small tables. Chairs and those dreaded ropes that make lines. You know for queues.

 

There is always music playing. So many voices again.

 

So the voice asked if she could help us. Was she talking to us? No one else answered, so I guessed so. We said what we wanted and she asked us to take a seat.

 

OK

 

So where? How? I mean, the bank we go to is so messy. There are loads of little coffee tables and taller tables all over the place. Counters in the middle of the room. Money machines and so many different queues. Our dog is very clever but my stick isn’t and the person driving it has no confidence to make herself look a fool in front of people as specially as when I had just heard stupid people outside.

 

So Hub asked if she could show us to a seat, well, the fear in her voice. Hahahaha.

 OK, so I took her arm. She weaved in and out of loads of people.  The music was so loud. I said to Hub, I remember the days when banks were so quiet and almost represented a library. Now they are like amusement arcades, with beep beep ping ping sounds. All of the change from the machines pouring out. So, who’s won the four fruits in a row? Hehehe/

 

Anyway, we waited twenty odd minutes. Really, to see someone about withdrawing money.

 

Then we came out of there and that was so funny.

 

A guy guided me, and Hub was to follow with LC. Oh no, LC knew better, there was me, making sure Hub knew where I was and calling for LC. Only to learn that they had gone out of another door.

 

Well, we met up in the end.

 

Off we went to the other bank to see about our mortgage. A much better bank. But we had to tell them off again as they send our annual statement in print. Every year we ask for Braille, every year they promise us but we never get it. This year I think we may, long story why, but its all about knowing what you want and getting someone who understands, you know, someone who just gets you.

 

Anyway, off to the nut centre. No, not to get this nut called Fi help, but to buy nuts. Haha. Oh our LC loves that shop. My Nieces Hub would too. I always think of him when we go in there, as he loves nuts. Well Hub went in for his healthy seeds and dried fruits.

 

LC waited outside for Hub with me. Oh she is so funny you know, she is so very protective over me. A typical German shepherd. She is so tall, and she sat which she doesn’t like to do but her body was about six cm away from me and her head had to touch my leg. She looked as though she had a sandwich short of a picnic. Her head right to one side glue to my leg as though to say, this is my Mummy and touch her and you’re dead.

 

Hub came out and off we went to the bus on the way home.

 

Oh I hate that part. LC is amazing though she knows where to stop. It’s a long long path without any signs to stop for our number. Anyway, she was shown once by the mobility instructor and never gets it wrong. A bus pulled in, Hub got his seat, me? Nope. Well, I didn’t remove any wigs as I grabbed hold of a few heads as the driver pulled away as though he was being chased by the police after a bank robbery.

 

I swear he was like a mad man. I thought for sure I was a goner.

 

Anyway a hand came from nowhere and pulled me towards her.

 

I knew it was a her, because it was a small hand. And frail.

 

I was pulled in like a fish on the end of a catch.

 

Sat down, thanked the hand but got no response. I was grateful to her for her help, but I thought she could have spoken, I mean I don’t bite? Well, not hard anyway.

 

Oh the driver drove like a lunatic.

 Anyway, we got off the bus and crossed the road; I heard familiar sounds to reassure us that we were in the right place.

 

Hoe to see a happy Waggatail.

 

I just thought about the lady who was kind enough to show me where there was a seat on the bus but who didn’t talk, why? The stupid man who wondered why we were not walking quicker, though I am not joking we were quite fast and if we walked any faster, we would have had to go on the road like he did as the people in front were going rather slow because of people in front of them.

 

The staff at the bank but then we met a man who wanted to talk, he was so nice, I won’t bore you with what he wanted to ask about , but when we left him, we were sure he was homeless. Why did we think that? Again a long boring story but he was really sweet.

 

Oh and on the bus, the smells were awful. All the young ones who got on stunk of drugs. Really. That nasty sweet smell like pigeon poo.

 

So many people just wanting to rush, no one relaxes anymore. It’s all just rush rush rush.

 

But a good evening with good people restored my faith in humanity. Now today, Sunday, we have our toothless painter. He is a clever guy but stinks of smoke and drink. Teen told us last year he looks like he has just come out of some kind of institution and my friend said he looked like a convict. Hahahaha. But he is a nice guy that has had a really difficult life and he is a good painter. But we got bad news about our ceiling really; it’s with regard to the bathroom people who came to fix our shower room two years ago.

 

Jog on

 

OK going for now but will be back.