Quite a lot has been happening in the last couple of days.

I brought our Penny to the vet on Tuesday for her monthly injection and her annual boosters. She was less than happy with the trip and tried to make a run for it. I eventually got her into the car. She has to be lifted in and out of the car these days which she hates.

At the vet Penny decided not to like needles. As the first one went in she bit me. Well, actually it was more of a gesture of annoyance as I barely felt her teeth on the back of my hand. The vet was worried though and got a muzzle for her. She looked just like Hannibal Lecter,. Anyhows the upshot of that little trip is that Penny is now on a course of tablets on top of her injections. This is going to cost nearer two hundred squids a month. Fuckit: it’s only money. We stopped off for coffee and a feed of chicken on the way home.

Last week I phoned for a delivery of curry. I gave them my address as usual and there was a bit of a debate in the background. When the debate was over they announced that the drivers were sick and they had no one to deliver to my area. Fuck! I got the distinct impression that the “sick drivers” was a hasty excuse and that they no longer wanted to deliver this far up the mountains. That was a major blow. We didn’t have curry that night.

Last night I decided to try them again. I phoned, and gave them my address. No problem, says they what did I want? So I placed my order. A short while after I got a call from a mobile number – “Howya, are yous the bloke up the lane with the gate?” I recognised my driver: a local lad around my own age with a grand Wickla tongue on him. Very chatty. He was just phoning to be sure he had the right place before setting out. Sensible. I assured him that I was indeed the bloke up the lane with a gate. Who needs SatNavs when you have directions like that?

Sure enough he arrived about half an hour later. Are you better? I asked him. Wha? says he. “Weren’t you out sick last week?” “Jayzus no. No one was out sick. Are yiz sure you rang the right number?” I quietly pondered the odds of phoning a different Indian curry shop by accident and assured him that I had indeed phoned the right place. He shrugged and wished me Bon Appetit or words to that effect.

So I’m back to my little “project”. I estimated it would take a couple of hours at most. So far it has taken me four days …..

But I’m nearly there.

I hope.