To Hull and back!

Get up at a quarter to eight and let Norman out into the garden, he is still sleepy and shows little interest in breakfast as I cook it. Just as I am about to sit down to eat, Pip phones to complain that her housekeeping money hasn't arrived in her account, I promise to see to it and then return to my breakfast. I save Normy a sausage, a rasher of bacon and a slice of black pudding, all suitably cut up into miniature dachshund size chunks. He eats the sausage and saves the rest for later. I check the bank accounts and find the problem, today is the third of September, but the first banking day of the month. The money from my account has gone into the joint account for the Cherry bills and Pip's house keeping, but the transfer of her spending money to her sole account, can't take place until the second banking day of the month. There is a simple solution, I could just transfer half my pension and all the bills for Cherry and Pip's spending money into her sole account, but when I offer this to her, she doesn't want the responsibility, so the matter stays where it is. The three dogs and I arrive on the Westwood for ten and it is a glorious summer's day, blue skies and puffy white clouds that look like the sheep from Jacques Trenier's song, "La Mer". Norman is really happy to see his pals and skips through the woods like a dog half his age, luckily for him there is a cooling Westerly breeze as we emerge onto the common. It is tough being a little old guy in a fur coat, so close to the ground, and in hot weather. We get back to Cherry for eleven and as I have to deliver the car into Hull for twelve thirty for its annual service, we drive straight home. Once I have made sure Norman has plenty of water and access to the garden, I drive into Beverley to exchange some polo shirts I bought online from the Edinborough Woollen Mill. Although my weight hasn't changed by more than a couple of pounds in ten years, I can be anything from a medium to extra large, since manufacturing moved to China. I manage to change the large sizes, I bought online, for mediums in the shop, although I didn't get all the colours I wanted. This done I drive to the garage via Willerby and there are still three miles of roadworks en route, so I remind myself not to come back the same way during rush hour. I drop the car at the garage and then walk a hundred yards or so to the Park and Ride and get the bus into Hull. The driver lets me off at the library, where I return the two excellent books I have just finished, "Mesmerized and The Traveller of the Century". Unfortunately the library is being reorganised and the shelves are all over the place, and rather than try to find books when I am feeling a little hungry and tired, I take a break for lunch in the library cafe. A mug of strong tea and pastrami and gherkin on rye sandwiches, renew my strength and I am able to find three books when I renew my search. I also need an EU breakdown kit and some GB stickers for my holiday trip at the weekend, but a search of the likely sources in Hull draws a blank, so I buy a takeaway black coffee in MacDonalds and then sit in the sun in Victoria square doing a puzzle before catching the bus back to Priory Park on Hessle Foreshore, a stone throw away from the Chrysler garage. When I get there the car is ready, but Howard, the sales guy, warns me that they have given up the Chrysler franchise, as of September first. As usual, the car has been washed and cleaned for me but once again the diagnostic computer has wiped all my music from the hard drive, I have a little moan about it, but don't tell them that I have it all stored on a memory stick anyway. To avoid the roadworks, I take a detour to the West of Hull and drive home via the pretty villages of Raywell, Little Weighton and Walkington, arriving home around ten past six. After giving Norman his dinner and a fresh bowl of water, we set off for our evening walk, as we pass the farm, I let him off the lead, just before the little wooden bridge. He immediately turns tail and legs it for home, letting me know that a long walk is not on his agenda this evening, nor is it on mine as I too am feeling tired. As we approach the bungalow, I receive a text from Sarah, to say she has dropped the rental agreement for Clement's flat in London, through my letter box. He and four University friends, have found a flat to share in Shoreditch and I and four other parents, have to provide guarantees. I text back to explain I was out with the dog when they called and agree to drop the document off at Sarah's house in the morning, on my way to Cherry. Back indoors I prepare dinner, ante pasta, Parma ham, chorizo and extra mature cheddar, with olives, roasted peppers and sundried tomatoes. Accompanied by buttered Ryvita and a large glass of Spanish cabernet merlot. It does the job, all that is left to do tonight, is to put in a bid for a mobility walker for Felicity on eBay. Once this is done, I read for an hour and then turn in around ten. I will see if my bid was successful in the morning.