31 March - Dogs & Removals

Was just thinking...I may be a crap friend when it comes to listening or giving advice that turns out to be unappreciated or contentious but am total ace when it comes to sticking to my word and going beyond the call of blah blah, if practical help is required. So, I had a cold which was reaching full on proportions already on Saturday, but I still went to a kiddie's b'day because it was family and would have appeared rude otherwise. And I did my share of conversation. I quite liked old lady who's a dentist assistant and was in norther India for 3 weeks recently with a dentist who was doing probono work. She made me laugh when describing de-scaling people's teeth that have never once before encountered a hygienist. I had not tucked into b'day cake yet but nearly spilled my wine which wasn't tasting of anything on account of having a cold but I thought the alcohol would help me through the afternoon.

Then yesterday, Sunday, a day I could do with doing nothing, I was out of the house at 9.30 to go walk a dog on Hampstead Heath with its owner so I could learn how to do it/what the dog likes, how he behaves when it's out etc. This for future reference, for when I'll walk him on my own. This for various reasons ended up being a longer thing than anticipated and ended around 1pm. Of course the weather was sunny and it's nice to spend time with my friend but I felt tired and just wanted to sit at home and do nothing. But no, had promised to go help a friend who's packing her house for storage as she's renting it out via an agency and it all had to go. I kept to this because various other people invited to the packing party had let her down. And because she has a broken left arm due to skiing accident, even sticking some tape on a box was going to be difficult.

So I got there at 1.30 and left at 6pm. She lives on a top floor so by the time I gave a lift back to another friend who was leaving saddled with boxes and bags of toys for his daughter (discarded by friend who's leaving whose boys had a bedroom choka with games and entertainment) and we got to his house, I managed to help him put everyting into the lift but suddenly said 'I can't come up and help you take them out, I simply have to go'. That was only because I reminded myself that when you're doing favours, well, you should do what you can, it's not an exam. So... I got home at 7pm and my Sunday was gone. My day of rest. Not. And on top of that as friend who's leaving still has a lot to do, I have said I'll turn up again tonight. I still have the cold and I still feel like I want my bed and nothing else (even Toph was warned 'Don't jump my bones, cause I don't want anything'. He replied 'My god you must be really ill'.) So there.