It's going to be a scary day today - it's a bit sad, but it's a dreadful comment on mine and Lois's restricted lives that it throws us into a bit of a panic just to leave the house and go inside some other building and mix with other people. We normally get pretty much everything we want delivered to our door by ordering online, which means we can stay super-safe from the pandemic.
But not today - we have to drive over to the Honda dealer in Gloucester for the car's annual MOT test and annual service. Usually they collect the car and deliver it back to us afterwards, but I really messed up this year - I didn't notice that the date for the MOT was getting nearer, and now they don't have the spare drivers to come and get the car from our house - damn!!!!
the Honda dealership at Gloucester
09:30 We leave the house. I've got various fears.
1. I may die of heat exhaustion - it's a bit cooler today, but still over 80F.
2. I may die of stress, thinking of dying of heat exhaustion!
3. We've got to sit and wait in the showroom for at least 2.5 hours. What if there's something wrong with the car and we have to stay another few hours?
4. We may catch the COVID haha!!!!
5. Some other fears that I can't remember now.
We sit in the showroom and I sing the wise words of the Beach Boys to keep calm, just singing them to myself, though. I'm not ready yet to go professional, and Honda sales rooms are famously a tough crowd.
"Well, it's been building up inside of me for -
Oh - I don't know how long [Only 2 days, surely! - Ed],
I don't know why but I keep thinking,
Something's bound to go wrong." (Copyright: Brian Wilson and Roger Christian)
Then, after that, when I stop singing in my head, we just read and do crosswords.
a good shot of my knees and cup of tea is here
unfortunately being "photo-bombed" by genial Customer Interface Manager
Martin - but he's such a nice chap, I don't bear a grudge.
I read my book....
...and glancing up over my shoulder I see our own dear car,
ramped up, with somebody about to look under the bonnet,
which is a good sign - things must be happening, hopefully
12:15 All the work is done, and all my fears have been groundless, needless to say, although the jury's still out on fear no. 4, which is about whether we'll catch "the COVID". But fingers crossed, we won't, let's say.
“Supposing a
tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?' 'Supposing it didn't,' said Pooh after careful thought. Piglet was comforted by this.” (Copyright AA Milne)
And that's enough excitement for today - my god!!!!
20:00 We settle down on the couch and watch a bit of TV: one of our favourite TV quizzes, "University Challenge", the student quiz.
Tonight, University College, London are playing against St Hilda's College, Oxford.
Lois and I are still feeling a bit drained after the stress of this morning's visit to the Honda place. Also, these are 2 really good teams.
Nevertheless we're surprised to find that we get 5 questions right that the students strike out on, which is a reasonable result for us in this state of mind.
1. Along with Burnley, which Lancashire soccer club has won all 4 professional leagues, winning the fourth tier championship in 1996?
Students: Blackpool
Colin and Lois: Preston North End
2. What word is spelled by the first three letters of longer words meaning: (a) a rounded vault forming a roof or ceiling; (b) containing copper in chemical combination, and (c) greed or desire, and the god of love, often regarded as the son of Venus?
Students: BAR [UCL] CHE [St Hilda's]
Colin and Lois: CUP (cupola, cupric or similar, Cupid)
3. The poem, "Ode to a Nightingale" begins
"My heart aches and a drowsy numbness pains my sense"
The name of what poisonous plant, here regarded as a sedative, appears in the second line?
Students: foxglove
Colin and Lois: hemlock ("As of hemlock I had drunk")
4. What is the name of the small trees of the Moraceae family that bear juicy, edible, dark red or purple fruit similar in shape to blackberries?
Students: currant
Colin and Lois: mulberry
5. Which major city of Pakistan is about 1400 km south-west of Islamabad on the Arabian Sea?
Students: Faisalabad
Colin and Lois: Karachi
Enough said - honour is satisfied.
22:00 We go delightedly to bed: how childish we've become haha! Zzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!
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