V used to say that I was too nice.
What he really meant that I was a bit of a walk-over.
I always said that I preferred to be a walk-over than be someone who was always in things for what I could get from them.
But, you know, just sometimes, I wish I wasn’t like that? For I get annoyed but suffer it in almost silence.
This weekend we go away. I have arranged a ‘dog sitter’ to come and take the dogs out.
It’s not ideal as they will be on their own most of the day and all night – but there’s not much I can do about that. The dog sitter is a reliable guy. I used to see him in the park all the time, looking after someone’s dog or dogs. He got a lot of business, I could see, but he was really good with the dogs.
And then, yesterday morning, I am Skype messaging with a friend. This friend has some problems (but, then, who of my friends doesn’t?) and I have been empathetic as she will be leaving to go back to her own country soon. In fact, it was supposed to have been at the end of the summer. It’s dragging on a bit.
She has a ‘best friend’ in Milan but it seems they have fallen out. She has some stuff ‘stored’ at said ‘best friend’s’ house. She needs to get this stuff before she leaves Italy. She suggests that she come and stay at my flat (if it’s OK) whilst we are away.
If that’s OK?, she adds.
I can’t think of a really valid reason for it not to be OK.
Except that I don’t really want her there. I don’t know why, really. Is that terrible of me?
Worse still, she was suggesting that she come tonight! F isn’t terribly excited about that and nor am I.
She finishes work at 5 and will call me then. Maybe it will be too late for her to get a train? We would both prefer if she came up on Saturday morning (but early).
If she does come then at least someone will be there during the day and night for the dogs. So I need to concentrate on that.
Other than that, of course, I’m looking forward to this long weekend away with F. Just the two of us and (slightly guiltily) without the need to rush back for or get up early for the dogs.
HI ANDY – enjoy your weekend away. ANd I think it is good that someone is with the dogs rather than just to let them out – but also, I , like you, do not like anyone staying at our house when we are home and when we are not home. I think it is a privacy thing, whatever,. Any-who, :-), – let it all go and just enjoy the freedom with no worries.
Love you lots
Gail
peace……
Thanks Gail. I’m sure it will all be fine. As you say, at least someone will be here with the dogs.
I have a friend. That in itself is sure to raise an eyebrow or two… Anyway, I extended an Olive branch to this friend in a time of need and invited him to stay – if he paid rent – at the house I was staying in. Lovely bloke, but mad as a box of frogs. His idea of a fulfilling weekend was to install himself on the sofa and, at full volume within a darkened lounge, watch back to back star trek re-runs whilst eating his way through a kilogram of crushed biscuits (on offer at the local supermarket).
I tried to remind myself many times during the four months he stayed that I was doing him a favour, but in the the end, I had to quite sternly ask him to leave as “circumstances had changed” (he had definitely overstayed his welcome)
A friend to you should recognise or know the importance you place on your inner sanctum of privacy… If they don’t, perhaps they don’t know you so well? Or maybe they’re just as mad as a box of frogs.
Good story, D. I love ‘mad as a box of frogs’ and must think of some way of using it sometime. Actually, it was all perfect really. And the dogs had someone with them, so that was good.
It’s not terrible, Andy. It’s YOUR place after all!
Anyway, how did it go?
I know – but you know how much self-doubt I have
It was fantastic. More tomorrow.