Saturday 16th March, 2013       1610

Why do the forecasters inevitably get it right here when it is going to be bad, the swines? A thoroughly miserable day on which it hasn’t stopped raining yet and it is supposed to remain so throughout tomorrow. I do find some solace in that it is what I call English rain - normal as opposed to the monsoon stuff we often get.

All thoughts of venturing far afield vanished on peeking out of the window I must say and although I have been to the campus shops the only time I will set foot outside again will be later with Pepsi for her calls of nature.

By two thirty there was no news from Katrina so I exchanged messages with her. She ended up calling the vet to ask what was going on and was told to pick Lottie up on Monday because although she is fine she needed transfusing. Were I in England I would automatically think blood, but given their propensity for simply pumping salt water into bodies here I assume she was deemed to be dehydrated. I only hope the price of 500y was an all-inclusive one. If Monday is fine I will take the pooch to the vet for more jabs so at least I can give my student a lift there, if not back again.

When I was standing by a table an under its umbrella one of my students from the deadhead class I taught, Joy, when I first arrived (and has now returned for further study after graduation) was walking by, saw me and almost skipped over to where I was standing. She gaily informed me that now she doesn’t have to be a teacher as she has secured a position in a bank in Hefei with a good salary. She is going to Hefei tomorrow for a “body exam” (for this read medical) and if she passes - which she will - she will soon start what to her is an exciting career. Somehow, after our chat the rain seemed unimportant and I was left smiling broadly.

I am looking forward to the rugby tonight and will of course be rooting for our grand slam but equally I really want the Scots to beat France (or indeed Italy to beat Ireland or both) so the French get the wooden spoon. I think I will struggle to stay awake for the England match which starts at 0100 my time let alone the France game which kicks off at 0400 though.

I was pondering on what to eat tonight seeing as I have no intention of going out and accordingly bought onion, tomato and pepper which I hope to fry with bacon then combine with pasta and chilli sauce. God knows if it will work but I will give it a try. I could have baked a loaf and had a bacon sandwich but I really should pay more attention to ingesting vegetables a little more.

1800

So much for not going out again. No sooner had I finished the above than my phone rang. It was Joanna telling me she had collected one of my parcels, the cheddar. Heck that was quick - she only ordered my things yesterday afternoon. She was outside her dormitory block having collected it and had rather kindly paid the 2y fee to the students. I told her yesterday I don’t expect her to do that, all she has to do is text me and I will go. I countered her protest that sometimes the stuff might be hers by saying if it is I will bring it to her. She is doing enough for me by doing my ordering.

Anyway, as it was only a hundred yards to walk I did in fact use my legs, only to find that in the interim she had received word two more items had arrived. So we walked together to get them (with me wishing I had after all taken the bike) and found my baked beans had come along with the 40kgs of cat litter. There was no way I was taking them, so I paid my usual 10y for them to bring it to my door and we both got a lift in the van for our trouble. Unbelievably, despite my getting her to tell them that the two sacks contained two 10kg bags and they could open them to make it more manageable, the young lad hefted all 40kgs up to my third floor home. Thirty years ago I could have done that but now one would be all I could reasonably manage!

Three minutes after the chap left Joanna sent me a message saying yet another item had just arrived at the same place. I believe it was there when we went and they just didn’t spot it so as I don’t want to go again it is being held over for tomorrow.

So that’s me. Liver on for the furry ones, my pasta to cook afterwards and four hours to wait for the rugby fest.