A Medley Monday

It is so cold during the night that I have to get up and put a blanket over the duvet, but then sleep on until 7:30AM. The dogs run out into a snowy garden, but run back indoors when a squally snow shower rattles the windows. I make smoked salmon on cream cheese and rye toast for breakfast and the dogs have Bakers again. The broadband is still down, but later in the morning I notice that Teddy must have knocked a connector out, and once it is replaced, normal service is restored. Before setting out for our walk round the fields, I dress with a layer of thermals underneath and two wooly hats, before venturing outside into a fierce, bitterly cold, easterly wind. Every time we are exposed to the wind the temperature drops by a full fifteen degrees and when we cross the little bridge at the bottom of Carr Lane, we gratefully scurry into "Almost straight wood", where we find a little shelter from the wind. A woman with two Jack Russell Terriers and a little boy which she is pulling behind her on a sledge, cross the bridge a few minutes after us and then overtake us on our left hand side, just into the snow covered field. It is difficult to move quickly with Norman determining the pace of our little convoy, but we wave to them, and remain in the protective lee of the wood. We come out of "Almost straight wood", and cross to another plantation which runs at right angles to the one we have left and turn south, towards the corner of the field. Quite a lot of trees have had bark stripped by deer, which is why a couple of hay bales have been left by the corner. Apparently there are more deer now than at any time, as they have no natural predators left in the wild. We have a choice at the corner, turn east into the wind or retrace our steps. Two whirling snow Dervishes, which spin and dance across the field, cement our decision to stay under cover and on the eastern horizon, by the coast, dark black clouds are massing. As we approach the bridge over the dyke, I prepare to put Teddy back on the lead and sensing this, he dashes past me and hurtles into the field behind the stables. Norman and I walk as far as the farm, hoping that Teddy will return, but in vain. We then walk through a gap in the hedge and call to him, but his mind is on rabbits, so we return and continue to walk down the path towards the snickett, that links Carr Lane to Green Lane. Teddy suddenly reappears, just behind us and then crosses the path and disappears through the opposing hedge. The east coast is twelve miles away and with a twenty five mile an hour wind blowing, it only takes half an hour before they are overhead and unleashing a blizzard, which whites us out. It is thoroughly miserable outdoors, so I fasten old Normy to a tree and set off with a will to catch Teddy. Perhaps my intensity frightens him, but whatever it is, he surrenders submissively, and is clipped back on the lead. We collect Norman and walk into the teeth of the blizzard for the five minutes it takes us to regain the welcome warmth of the house. Once safely indoors, I dry them on a warm towel from the kitchen radiator. This done, I leave Norman to baby sit Naughty Ted and drive into town to buy a birthday card for my sister, Jackie, whose birthday is on Wednesday, but have to phone her husband, Gino, as I have left their address in the house. I post the card at the main Post Office and then drive to the Leisure Centre for a swim, arriving in the pool at five to twelve. A class of school children are using the end two lanes and when they leave at noon, I claim the free lane next to the rope and resume my Swimathon medley training. I intend to complete the 2,500m challenge in five blocks of 500m, with a one minute break for water between each set, but today I intend to do no more than 4 x 400m, as I haven't swum much butterfly for many weeks, due to illness. I manage the session, but the 400m of butterfly is hard work, even though each length of fly is followed by three lengths of the other strokes. I warm down on a very, very easy 200m freestyle and then change and drive straight home for one o'clock, where I lunch on vegetable chile Tacos with salad, grated cheese, guacamole, salsa and sour cream. After lunch, I have half an hour of free time, before loading the dogs into the car and driving back to Beverley to collect Louis from Saint Mary's. We park on the corner of Norfolk Street, opposite the police station, and then we cross New Walk and make our way down Bleach Yard to the school. Louis is last out and still half dressed after PE, he has also lost his hat, so we have to go back to the classroom, where I dress him properly, before returning to the cold and making our way back to the car. When we arrive back in Tickton, I make Louis his usual ante pasta, with fresh salad and a glass of Grandad pop. We have to leave again at half past four and drive to the leisure centre, where Louis has his swimming class at five. I pull a chair up and watch him swim through a window in reception, while drinking a cup of cocoa. After his swimming lesson, I drive Louis back to Sarah's house, before returning home to feed the dogs. The written confirmation of my appointment at the nuclear medicine centre at Castle Hill hospital, is lying on the mat when I get in. I have to be there for eleven o'clock, when they will inject a radioactive isotope into a vein and then send me away, to return later in the afternoon for the scan. I dig out a navy blue suit, white shirt and a black tie for Leslie's funeral on Wednesday and then make Marmite on toast for tea. Later I settle down to listen to the Tigers playing away at Burnley, but Pip phones, asking me to drop Teddy back in Cherry Burton tomorrow morning. Instead I opt to take him back this evening, in order to avoid time pressure tomorrow. I listen to the match on the car radio whilst driving and deliver Teddy to Andrew for eight o'clock. Andrew wishes me luck with the scan tomorrow and then I drive back to Tickton. The Tigers win by a single goal and move back into second place in the league and now lie only three points behind the league leaders, Cardiff, who we will play in the last match of the season. I go to bed at half past ten, the medley swimming, and particularly the butterfly, having taken its toll.