One step forward

I am here at my friend's kitchen table in London, with a pile of bags in the living room and the rest of the family still snoozing (sort of).

What a day yesterday! We got up, ate the last of the bacon, with a can of creamed corn to use it up, and started the laundry business. When you put all your stuff in a truck and move across town, you can just toss your dirty laundry in the truck, too. But we had to leave all the bedding clean for the next tenants in the house, and there was no truck involved! So, we set to work, and we managed to wash the floors, deliver other bits of leftovers to friends and were ready to go at 1 pm.

Call a cab. "We'll need a van, because we have lots of luggage," we said. They sent a station wagon, which was cheaper, but Arthur and I in the back had a large duffel bag across our legs.

We managed, with teamwork and clever planning, to get all the bags to the platform, get tickets, get a sandwich. Then we had mere seconds to get on the train with 7 million other people, who all had a suitcase as well! We finally just blocked the doorway with our bags, and I got to sit down, with Elaine on my lap, on the one remaining seat, and when we got to London, we just shoveled everything out the doors and made a pile. Stephen went off in search of a baggage cart, and returned half an hour later, with three! Lucky, since they were small! Don't people usually move 7 bags, a box, a car seat, 2 carry-on suitcases, 4 backpacks and lunch?? Sheesh.

Elaine and I settled into a cab, where the luggage was packed in around us, and Arthur and Stephen walked, and we all got to Katherine's house where we had a cuppa tea and settled down a moment. Plain old pasta for supper, watch a movie, all is calm.

Then, Katherine was going to put things away in the garden, and noticed a dead rat on the grass. This distracted her from her job of covering up the patio table, and while she was ducking under an overhanging tree, she banged her head on an open window, and blood poured from her head. Really. Then I used the electric kettle to rinse the blood off the pavement and when I put it back on the base, it blew the power in the house.

Finally, the blood stopped flowing, the rat was disposed of, the power was restored, and we all went to bed. I even got the patio table covered!

I hope today will be uneventful...

Edited later: Kath's husband came home late at night and whisked her off to the emergency, where they glued her head back together. She's fine, but can't wash her hair for a few days!