Restful Weekend

Ah, my ambition.

Saturday is usually my day for topping up my shopping at the local shops. I found out on Friday that there was a local council meeting I'd offered to go to that was happening from 11am to 1pm at the Civic Suite.

I got up at 5.30 to let out the hens and feed them. I decided it was pointless going back to bed, and after feeding the cats and the parrot, I showered, dressed and fed myself. Then off to the shops (feeding the ducks on the river en route), where I forgot a few things in my hurry.

Fed the ducks again on the way back, unloaded the shopping, loaded the fridge (with difficulty, even the new one can't cope with my generosity towards my girls) and walked back towards the town centre to catch a bus to the secondary town centre (Catford) where the offices are. On trying to board the bus, I discovered that I had not topped up my Oyster Card (a prepay travel card that makes travelling in London cheaper) but luckily the driver let me on anyway.

The meeting - about a thing called a Local Implementation Plan, or LIP - was to discuss ideas for how to put into practice the London Mayor's transport plans for the capital. It was quite interesting. I couldn't get out of my mind, however, his desire to build a cable car across the Thames in time for the Olympics!

After the meeting, I hunted for a shop that had Oyster top-up, then got a bus back to Lewisham where I had a swift lunch in a cafe before trudging home again, feeding the ducks en route...

At that point I thought I'd better go to the pet superstore, where lately I have been spending over £100 a week. Staggeringly, they did not have ANY bags of my usual cat litter. They didn't even have a kit to sew up my cats' rear ends to stop them performing their natural functions till the shop can get some in.

During the evening, shot off emails to the company, and to the manufacturer of the litter, so that I could not be fobbed off with the "supply problem" red herring. A reply today from the manufacturer confirms that the store has just made a very large order, presumably to make up for having under-ordered in recent weeks.

Sunday is the day I only have a quick wash down, and don't get dressed in any way that could be seen by respectable people. Got up again at 5.30 for hens, fed cats and parrot, who also received a feather spray. Then back to bed by about 6.30, where darling Shelley intruded himself repeatedly on my attempts to grab some more shuteye. Managed to doze till about 9.15. Fed hens (again), washed, "dressed", fed me, stretched out on the sofa to try to sleep some more, but failed, and only felt worse.

Let the hens out in the garden and sat reading for a while. It was approaching lunchtime, so I thought I'd better clean out their home before eating, to avoid all that bending on a full stomach. Got out the portable run (only weighs a couple of tons, or at least that is what my muscles told me) and managed to get both girls inside without chasing them round for too long.

A couple of hot, sticky, sweaty hours later, lunch.

Eventually finished the clean-up completely, freed the girls from their temporary home and enticed them back with yet more fresh nosh.

Collapsed.

Till it was time to put the girls to bed. Then later to feed the cats and make-do with an inferior litter (though that hasn't yet happened). Untethered is on in an hour. Just when I should be getting ready for bed.

Then up again at 5.30 to see to the chickens then go to work refreshed by my restful weekend.