A most annoying thing happened last night. And just when I was drifting off to sleep, too. It was annoying, especially since I was having a rather fanciful dream of…well that’s not suited for sharing, actually, let’s just say that I was feeling pleasantly hot just about the time I felt a heavy weight settling on my face and shoulders.
I panic a little at the hardness and force of it, flaying out my arms to protect myself against the weight, coming up against a bony butt and flanks that are continuing to apply pressure to the majority of my upper body and head.
Knight! The big lug. Apparently he found the night’s chill to be somewhat “chilling” and was doing his very best to settle on top of me, rather than beside me in order to keep warm. Barely awake, I cursed at him, colorfully, smacking at his hard flanks and in the end heaving myself up–yes, I pulled another back muscle during that particular stunt–and twist until I got him from my chest enough to be able to breathe. No easy task, I assure you. I am forced keep smacking at him until he’s off the bed entirely, lest he’d show his stubbornness entirely by continuing the action as if nothing was amiss.
He has no respect for personal space, to say the least, and just peered at me indignantly from the side of the bed when I fell back in the pillow breathing heavily. By then he, of course, hopped right back onto the bed, this time settling against me, rather than on top, thank God. I didn’t really mind, since I too had felt the chill by then and drift right back to sleep, conking out for most of the night while ensconced by wonderful body heat and blankets aplenty.
I wake to a still frightfully chilly morning. It isn’t funny, especially not when I wake up half an hour before the alarm actually goes of, thinking, “Oh the dogs are still quiet and it’s still pretty dark. I can catch a few more Zzzz.” No such luck, however. Nope, with the first twitch of my head turning towards the clock, Trin Trin bounces right off the bed and starts making her usual ruckus.
There was dream, which was short but pretty vivid. It was a sunny morning in the dream and that confused me for a bit when I woke. In dreamland I was awakened by the sound of my phone ringing, and someone from the house informing me that there was someone at the gate.
I hate it when that happens; it makes me think that I missed a day, or something. It’s just too real. But, be that as it may, even though in the dream we had visitors who saw me with creepy Einstein hair–I didn’t have time to get dressed, or comb my hair before they arrived, at least it was warm there.
But anyways, in reality I get up with a deep sigh, not looking forward to the day ahead at all, what with rain pouring down in buckets, and rivulets of water cutting their way through the path, which I’ll have to follow to get to the house.
It’s layer weather, for sure. Pants covered by a skirt, thick socks in heavy boots, and three sweaters, two of which with turtlenecks, to make an outfit, finished of by a cap on my head. I look adorable…NOT! I don’t care though. I rather be warm than fashionable, any day, hah.
So, with my bag across my heavily padded shoulders, I chase the dogs down to the courtyard…almost landing flat on my back when I step onto the muddy concrete floor just inside, and promptly loose my footing. Grabbing hold of the post in the nick of time, I suck in a deep breath and shout for the dogs to get their butts out of the rain. They’re remarkably obedient for a change, even Trin Trin who storms right in.
I’m in a strange mood. My stomach’s still upset from yesterday, but I manage to choke down some bread while cutting a couple of pounds of carrots for a good winter soup that will brew on the stove for hours before it is ready for consumption.
A delicious smell fills the house within thirty minutes, making my stomach perk up just a little in anticipation.
The dogs are restless today too, for no apparent reason other than the cold, which always makes them cranky. So the heaters are lit, and blankets are dispersed throughout the house to allow the dogs some comfort on the tile floor.
About half an hour after arrival I settle at my computer for a few hours to go through the messages and then some writing. Not much gets done, my mind just won’t settle and only one page is written.
By the time the sibs arrive, big brother and I are forced away from our computers in order to jump right into the fray of a fight between Knight and little brother’s Bharam, who for some reason don’t like each other at all.
While I make a mad grab for my Dane, and little brother comes pounding down the stairs to reach his black cross breed, Fortuyn, big brother’s brown and white Pointer decides to join in by bravely nipping at Knight’s flanks. NOT SMART!
Total chaos ensues. Dogs come rushing towards the ruckus en masse, sending Knight into a wild frenzy of snapping and snarling at anything that comes near him. I just about wrap my hand around his collar when he sets his mouth into Fortuyn’s neck, shaking him like mad when I throw my weight backwards, smacking him a solid one on the head and yank him out of the sitting area, and away from the madly barking pack gathering.
Behind me I head big brother roar something about “it being broken” and try not to imagine Fortuyn’s skin being torn from his back, or some such, as I literally shove Knight into the pantry to cool down, and turn back to wearily look at the damage.
Fortuyn is hiding under a chair but is otherwise unharmed. Big brother, on the other hand is fretting over his pet-computer, swearing under his breath at the two Cocker Spaniels who’d decided to take a short cut across the table, dancing right on top of his computer screen and bending the frame enough not to allow the lid to be closed.
Though the damage is pretty ugly, the computer still functions, including the screen, so I exclaim a sigh of relief and join big brother at the table to see if we can do some damage control at least.
Around us the dogs are quiet once again, obviously sensing that the “pissed off” level among the humans is huge enough for them to take refuge into silence.
Rare fights among the pack always cause a certain burst of adrenaline, and today is no exception. We find that after this little fiasco neither of us can find the focus necessary for writing and carefully set our computers away to get some other work done instead.
The carrot soup has boiled enough to be finished with herbs, yogurt, cottage cheese and spices, before the blender purees it all together in a tasteful mix that’ll go a long way in sustaining us through dinner.
Next, while younger sister is cleaning the courtyard, I take out a batch of laundry to hang, even though it won’t be much use if the weather keeps up. Sis and I talk a bit while we’re both working in the chilling cold, Knight watching us somewhat warily, fully aware that he’s still in the proverbial dog house and for once not making a nuisance of himself during this particular chore.
Not at all hungry by then, I decide to postpone dinner for a bit as I start to lug in the newly built and painted drawers for the kitchen into the house, because big brother and I decided to fit them, now that writing isn’t working. After some fitting, we find that one dividing wall of one of the drawer cases has been placed wrong during construction, so after unscrewing the barrier and shifting if a couple of mm we begin the meticulous measuring and fitting.
After about an hour of slow progress, I decide to take a cup of soup with bread, and though it tastes well, my stomach revolts almost the moment I get it all down. Using a breathing technique I’ve acquired over the past few years, I do manage to keep it down as we continue on, hanging two drawers in total until it hits me right in the head. No, not the drawer…but a woozy feeling that sneaks up on me with a slight tremor in all my limbs.
Getting up from my knees, from where I’ve been carefully fastening one of the heavy gliders into the case, I can barely remain standing–let alone screw the last few screws in. Blinking against the black spots in my vision, I mutter something vague to big brother who takes the task from me, and watches with a worried frown as I am forced to sit down on the floor, fighting the symptoms I am then recognizing as the same ones I once had when I passed out.
Promptly I lower my head between my shaky knees, breathing in deeply until some of the weakness, and spots fade, and I feel well enough to squirt a liberal amount of honey into my mouth.
I let it seep on my tongue for a bit, my vision slowly clearing. I don’t know what the heck it is that just came over me, but it almost feels like a bug, or something.
But anyways, we manage to get all three drawers hung, allowing big and little brother to carry the entire contraption out again as I set to the task of treating the last two drawers with their final layer of paint. It gets done with reasonable speed, while a movie plays on the TV, keeping me pleasantly distracted.
After setting the paint materials away, along with the wet drawers, and cleaning my hands with turpentine and soap, the evening has progressed considerably, and we’re up for a break.
I’m still shaky by the time the sibs and I sit down to watch the recorded episode of Dexter, fully enjoying it even though it’s in German, and manage to choke down another cup of soup.
I pretty much slouch at the table most of the remaining evening, until at long last it’s time to withdraw to my quarters.
We had planned to do a bit more writing before the night was through, but we figure, what with our lagging levels of energy, we’ll call it an early night and head for our personal spaces for the last remaining hours of our days.
Upon arriving in my cabin–the rain stopped, but it’s still cold–I am shocked to find that some dog has managed to break in again, spreading another cushion’s contents all over the floor and requiring at least an hour of cleaning up from me, before finally I plunk down on the bed with a much deserved cigarette and a fifteen minute read to settle my turmoil mind. It doesn’t work.
Though the day started well enough, my mood is abysmal by the time I wind down, more than a little frustrated with the fritzing stereo that takes even longer than usual to get going. Damn thing. I’m going to toss it out one of these days and get a new one. This simply won’t do.
But, in the end I do manage to get it going again, and find my mind calming down at least a fraction as the calming music fills my head. An occasional house call with big brother in his room, earns us some new ideas for the latest writing project, which at the very least allows my mind to wander into different areas than just the “feeling miserable” thoughts that keep tumbling through my mind.
By the time I get online to chat on the forums I feel well enough to start on today’s blog.
I would like to say that today was a good day, but except for the fact that things got done…it really wasn’t.
No comments:
Post a Comment