I woke up at seven, listened to the news then fell asleep again until a quarter to nine. Meanwhile Clare was up and out of the house taking a taxi to UHW for a minor eye operation aimed at reducing internal eyeball pressure which is causing her loss of vision. With the house to myself after breakfast I listened to Kath and Anto's new Sonrisa album 'Scenic Roots' at a suitable volume on our big music / dining room hi-fi system, to get a more physical impression of the music than you can get from a set of headphones. It sounds as if they're in the room with you. It's a beautifully crafted work of art with a variety of songs in a Latino ethos. I really hope it gets the recognition it deserves.
Clare called on my mobile to say her op was over, but reception was so bad the call kept dropping. Then a nurse rang on the landline to say there'd be a delay, as she was not yet discharged. I drove to UHW at the specified time, but there was no sign of Clare at the rendezvous point outside. I drove around the block six times, calling each time I stopped to look for her, then drove to the multi storey car park and queued for a place. Finally we made contact and I learned of further delay in receiving medication from the pharmacy, so I went the eye surgery department and joined her in waiting. I had parked in a corner space head first, and when I tried to get out of it realised I would have to negotiate my way out carefully to avoid hitting a car which had parked opposite outside a valid space, blocking part of the turning circle. That was why the previous occupant of my space had reversed in and been able to drive out. Something I hadn't noticed. As a result it took me many stressful minutes reversing with Clare's aid, to avoid the rogue parked car. It was gone two by the time we returned. Fortunately I had prepared lunch before hand so that it could be cooked straight away.
I returned to story writing after we'd eaten, and to preparing next week's Thursday Morning Prayer and reflection. Then I took Clare's medical report from this morning's operation and posted it through the GP surgery letter box, just after it closed at six. After supper, I read aloud to Clare as much of the story as I'd written since yesterday - reading is out of the question at the moment as she's wearing an eye patch and can't read without spec's. Then, after writing a little more, I watched another fast paced confusing jargon filled episode of 'Nightsleeper', before going out for a late night walk in Llandaff Fields under tonight's full moon in a clear sky, with a few planets and the occasional helicopter hovering just above the eastern horizon.
I saw what I thought was a pale brown dog licking a pizza box, discarded behind a park bench, but I was alone. No owner in sight anywhere, so I concluded that it was a fox, the first time I've seen one out there. A little further up the footpath behind a bin, there were a pair of upholstered high backed chairs side by side. A surreal sight, fly tipped my moonlight. Bizarre. I collected the pizza box and took it to a bin on the return leg. Nothing I could do about the chairs. The bin emptying lorry will pick them up tomorrow, as it passes most days of the week.
And so to bed, memory flooded with moonlight and beautiful tree shadows.
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