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Feb. 15th, 2004
The weather was beautiful today. Patrick and I went down to the marina and sat watching the ducks and swans move over the water. We were sitting on a bench right by the water's edge and scandalising the spinsters, and because we didn't have any bread to throw, we were throwing privet leaves plucked from the hedge behind us, and talking. He had a Valentine's present for me, despite my general ambivalence towards the whole thing. It was from Past Times and so reminded me of Becca. One of those Celtic silver rings; I loved it. I've never been compared to arsenic before.
When I got back, my mother said Becca had rung, but I couldn't ring her back because it seemed like everyone else in the house had elected to use the phone one after another and my mobile is a pain to actually ring anyone off, because the reception is so bad in this house. Having said that, all the other people on the phone were quite interesting. Nupur was one of them. Her mother (my aunt, if you remember) had been being umming and aahing over whether not Nupur would be free over the summer, despite my entreaties from 2002 onwards to make sure she was, and quite uncharacteristically, I threw a strop. My mother listened to this with increasing amazement and then said, "Get on the phone to her and do that again!"
So I did. And the happy result is Nupur is now free again. I wanted particularly to talk to her today because it is her sister's (ninth) birthday and has about twenty friends round, and I couldn't help but feel very sorry for Nupur. So I rang her, and asked about which dates she wants to come over (beginning of July) and what she wants to do while she's here. Actually, I asked her to make a list of things. As I have said many many times, she wants to do such simple things that I just want to give her everything she wants. She's so sweet and her parents are so overprotective. I am going to spoil her rotten, since you ask. I firmly believe that for three weeks out of her life, she's going to have and do everything she wants that is within my capabilities to arrange. Her list of things is adorable - "Read trashy magazines", "Watch DVDs in the middle of the night", "Eat pasties", "Make bracelets."
Easier done than said. I informed Pedar of all this, and he said, "As long as your Bua [my aunt, Nupur's mother, his younger sister] doesn't kill you, me or Nupur..."
Having arranged all of that, I rang Becca. As it transpired, she only called me because she thought I'd called her, which I had but by accident. So we weren't really on the phone for any reason, but we managed to kill half an hour discussing things in any case. Mostly, we were talking about tomorrow, Bev's birthday, central heating and other stuff. I talked about Goodbye, Farewell, Amen - because how could I not? - and besides, it was on again this afternoon. I watched the first five minutes that I missed yesterday, and would probably have carried on watching it if my grandmother hadn't intervened.
And now, tomorrow. The Plan.
I get up at some obscene hour of the morning and drag myself out of bed. I get the train and meet Becca at Blundellsands station. At this point, it will be ten thirty-five in the morning. We descend on Central and meet Hannah at eleven. Following that, we spend some time going round Liverpool, going to Quiggins (I need to get beads) and Next (Becca has vouchers) and Whittards (coffee beans). And other places, of course, and sandwiches will probably figure somewhere in the equation.
Meanwhile, Colleen arrives in town some time before half three, and rings me. We go and meet her, and depending on the time, carry on pottering around Liverpool or go to Central. Once there, we bid a fond goodbye to Becca. Hannah then scoops up me and Colleen and take us across the water, where we are delivered into the arms of Clare. This is where things get fuzzy, but I'm assuming we do this at Conway Park - Clare, where did you have in mind? - and this is at about a quarter to four. Hannah then bids us goodbye in favour of a yoga class, and Clare takes Colleen and me to Emily's. Em opens her front door to be faced with a deputation from Stargate fandom.
Is this all right with everyone? Comment now or forever hold your peace.
And now, coffee. Because I am so predictable.
When I got back, my mother said Becca had rung, but I couldn't ring her back because it seemed like everyone else in the house had elected to use the phone one after another and my mobile is a pain to actually ring anyone off, because the reception is so bad in this house. Having said that, all the other people on the phone were quite interesting. Nupur was one of them. Her mother (my aunt, if you remember) had been being umming and aahing over whether not Nupur would be free over the summer, despite my entreaties from 2002 onwards to make sure she was, and quite uncharacteristically, I threw a strop. My mother listened to this with increasing amazement and then said, "Get on the phone to her and do that again!"
So I did. And the happy result is Nupur is now free again. I wanted particularly to talk to her today because it is her sister's (ninth) birthday and has about twenty friends round, and I couldn't help but feel very sorry for Nupur. So I rang her, and asked about which dates she wants to come over (beginning of July) and what she wants to do while she's here. Actually, I asked her to make a list of things. As I have said many many times, she wants to do such simple things that I just want to give her everything she wants. She's so sweet and her parents are so overprotective. I am going to spoil her rotten, since you ask. I firmly believe that for three weeks out of her life, she's going to have and do everything she wants that is within my capabilities to arrange. Her list of things is adorable - "Read trashy magazines", "Watch DVDs in the middle of the night", "Eat pasties", "Make bracelets."
Easier done than said. I informed Pedar of all this, and he said, "As long as your Bua [my aunt, Nupur's mother, his younger sister] doesn't kill you, me or Nupur..."
Having arranged all of that, I rang Becca. As it transpired, she only called me because she thought I'd called her, which I had but by accident. So we weren't really on the phone for any reason, but we managed to kill half an hour discussing things in any case. Mostly, we were talking about tomorrow, Bev's birthday, central heating and other stuff. I talked about Goodbye, Farewell, Amen - because how could I not? - and besides, it was on again this afternoon. I watched the first five minutes that I missed yesterday, and would probably have carried on watching it if my grandmother hadn't intervened.
And now, tomorrow. The Plan.
I get up at some obscene hour of the morning and drag myself out of bed. I get the train and meet Becca at Blundellsands station. At this point, it will be ten thirty-five in the morning. We descend on Central and meet Hannah at eleven. Following that, we spend some time going round Liverpool, going to Quiggins (I need to get beads) and Next (Becca has vouchers) and Whittards (coffee beans). And other places, of course, and sandwiches will probably figure somewhere in the equation.
Meanwhile, Colleen arrives in town some time before half three, and rings me. We go and meet her, and depending on the time, carry on pottering around Liverpool or go to Central. Once there, we bid a fond goodbye to Becca. Hannah then scoops up me and Colleen and take us across the water, where we are delivered into the arms of Clare. This is where things get fuzzy, but I'm assuming we do this at Conway Park - Clare, where did you have in mind? - and this is at about a quarter to four. Hannah then bids us goodbye in favour of a yoga class, and Clare takes Colleen and me to Emily's. Em opens her front door to be faced with a deputation from Stargate fandom.
Is this all right with everyone? Comment now or forever hold your peace.
And now, coffee. Because I am so predictable.
