Driving up to London yesterday, poodling along nicely when a lorry decided to overtake me on the inside. As he swerved in front of me there was a crack as a stone which must have been lodged somewhere on his tyres, flew up and hit my windscreen on the passenger side. Nasty little crack appeared. Stream of abuse from me, totally wasted as he could not hear me, and I pulled into left hand lane. I was half way to Helen and James to meet up for Florence's birthday lunch so I soldiered on and watched the crack creep across the windscreen until by the time I parked it was right up to the right hand side. I was petrified it was going to break and come in on me but I am assured this will not happen.
So on the phone and one firm could not mend it until Monday so no go, another one came out later on in the afternoon and replaced the windscreen. Now £216 worse off but can claim most of that back on my insurance. I felt so sorry for this guy who came to do it. He arrived at 6pm in the dark, starting to snow and mended it all. He was then off to Southend to do another job and after that would drive home to St Ives in Cambridgeshire. He reckoned he would not get home until about 11pm. He was incredibly cheerful about it all, 'Well it's my job isn't it?' was his attitude and it was most refreshing. I made him a cup of tea and gave him a couple of choc chip biscuits to keep him going and he was really grateful and when I said that he could get another cup at the next job, his reply was that customers who thought in this way were very few and far between. I go on automatic pilot when a workman arrives – kettle goes on straight away but sad to see I am in the minority. All done and off he went waving happily. Almost made up for the irritation of having to have it done.
Florence had a lovely day. James did the honours with lunch and cooked a wonderful slow roasted leg of lamb on leeks and other vegetables and it tasted delicious. Florence is having a party on Sunday with a cake then but I had brougth some cupcakes with her name spelled out with an initial on each cake, so we chose three of them, put the candles in and she blew them out. She was wildly excited all day and by the time it got to evening she was over tired and tearful and could not wait to get into bed.
Staying here to babysit tonight as Helen and James are going to the opera – they have tickets for Eugene Onegin and I am green with envy as it is one of my favourite operas and Simon Keenlyside is singing Onegin and he has the most glorious voice. Ah well I shall feed babies and put children to bed and feel noble that my daughter and her husband are enjoying themselves.
And it is St Valentine's day after alll..
Back tomorrow.
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