Panic-Engendering Chaos

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This morning I took advantage of a brief window of sunshine in an otherwise slate grey day

to discover in the garden daffodils, hellebores, crocuses, cyclamens, snowdrops, and camellia buds all bursting through.

After lunch, Jackie drove me to Sears Barbers in Milford on Sea, where I had my hair cut. The barber wound me up with the question; “Short back and sides?”. He knew what my answer would be. I only had to smile. He just gave me a much-needed trim.

On our way home we had a look at the sea, which was very choppy. There was a strong, mild, wind, stirring it up. Jackie likened the misty Isle of Wight to a body being towed over to France by the red-eyed sea monster lighthouse and The Needles.

As I sat down to draft this post I placed a pint glass full of fizzy lime squash on a fountain pen. This is not exactly the most stable surface. It would have been quite useful in a logrolling competition. The consequences were far reaching. And rapid. My pad of blotting paper produced a number of colourful Rorschach results; bubbling liquid raced across the desk, under the printer and under the computer, and swirled around smaller objects like a box of paper clips. The waves above would have been proud of the panic-engendering chaos. A dry cloth was useless. I used half a kitchen roll mopping up, and Jackie had to hold up the printer while I swabbed underneath it.. At least everything is clean now. And still works.

This evening we dined at The Family House, Chinese restaurant in Totton. It has been 18 months since we were last there, but our welcome was as friendly as ever. We chose our customary M3 set meal which was as good as usual, and both drank Tsingtao beer, which was remembered.

49 comments

  1. Jackie has a good imagination – it makes misty views and cloud viewing fun doesn’t it! You were obviously multi-tasking with the pen and spill incident, something we all know is not something your gender does well …… 😀

  2. Lovely images of the first signs of Spring, Derrick.

    I killed a keyboard knocking over a glass of water a couple of years ago and then, the second time I did it, I drained the water out of the keyboard and got the hairdryer onto it straight away and dried it quickly and saved that one. My Canadian friend suggested this once. I am prone to knocking things over so just go grab bath towels now.

  3. How lovely to find signs of spring, Derrick! I’m happy you made your way safely from the barber’s. 🙂
    I like the choppy sea photos, and I enjoyed your description of the colorful sea of lime squash. I’m glad computer and printer still work.

  4. How heartening it is to see the bulbs bursting through! Maybe the Isle of Wight needed a holiday from being photographed 🙂

    Now never drink when you are at the computer! Of course, I do 🙂

  5. The beautifull camellia bud and the pretty daffodil were much appreciated, Derrick. 🙂
    I was very sad to hear of your disaster at home imitating the crashing waves and disruptive sea! What a mess!
    In my years of babysitting children while raising my own 3 children, there were a lot of spills and messes. I found keeping a rag, a bucket and then soaking, squeezing and finally a clean towel to wipe things up worked. 🙂 Lots of koolaid, juice, milk and after snowy play days, spilled cocoa made sticky messes.

      1. Great, Derrick! Glad no harm done.
        Louisa seems like a pleasant and easy going childcare giver (provider). I am happy to know this. It was well worth the extra hours to have spent time especially with my own three children amongst the group in summers. 🙂

  6. I’m glad no harm was done due to your quick reactions. My sweetheart upset a cup of coffee on his laptop a few weeks ago. It went skew whiff, then died. The computer store managed to get the data from it, which was a relief, but it was beyond economical repair.

  7. As I told Isobel, when I visited God, the other week when she commented on the length of my hair,

    “A gentleman never wears his hair short!”

    Tonight, we dine on my world famous ‘Fisherman’s Pie’; which I shall shortly be popping into the oven. (’tis a very small world in which I now live).I shall not be having anything to drink, as I can’t, now, drink whilst eating :(.
    I can do one or the other, but not both at the one time, damnably frustrating! 🙁

      1. Yes, but you probably have a stomach. The replacement that was built in after the real thing was removed, allows me to do only one. If I wish to have a wine with my meal I have to consume it at least 30 minutes before I eat, not much fun in that;
        The pie is/was a success, haven’t made one in more than 3 years. I took a pic before it went into the oven and an after. Might post the pictures, not up to the standard of most peoples.
        I haven’t much of a flair when it comes to photography, but must admit it does look mouth watering, well the War Office (my wife) thinks so

  8. Your spring starts early! I am so very jealous…big spring fever here. So lovely, especially the camellias. Do they have a heady fragrance like gardenias? Those are my favourite, next to forget-me-nots

  9. There is something about watching the sea regardless if it’s a bright sunny day or turbulent water… it can be very soothing to the soul. It can put things in perspective!

  10. It gives one hope to see flowers blooming somewhere in the world. Oh, that terrible feeling when liquid is spilled anywhere near the computer or phone and the mad dash! In the 1980s, when office computers made their first showing, my sister watered a plant hanging from the ceiling…right on top of her boss’s computer. It was not good.
    G.

  11. Oh I imagine your panic. Have been there, and never keep any drinks near computer anymore 🙂
    Beautiful messengers of spring are beginning to pop up. Great photographs.

  12. Thankfully, you didn’t spill on the computer. I recently dropped my iPhone in water and it now has a couple of gl…gl…glitches. We’re these photos really ‘this morning’? I’m surprised you’re seeing flower buds now? You are in England, or am I mistaken? Maybe, Paradise? I like the Chinese beer but generally stick with Guinness. It stays in me longer… getting ready to watch the Super Bowl. Oh, c’mon, you know, the football game everyone bets on, illegally in some cases. Yes!?

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