Saturday 20 December 2008

Z, at sixes and sevens, contemplates going one over the eight

It was all going well. I'd taken Ro to the station, which was only open until 3.15 - the ticket office, that is. He wanted to renew his railcard as well so couldn't get the ticket on the train. I went home via the town, as I wanted to buy ricecakes and plain yoghurt. I eat a lot of those.

I arrived home, gave Tilly her dinner and went to get the venison out of the fridge to make a casserole. It wasn't there. I pondered. I'd bought it the other day at the same time as some sausages. We'd eaten the sausages, so I'd brought them home. I went and checked the car. I looked in the cupboards. I peered in the freezer. I went back to the fridge and then looked in all my shopping bags. It was nowhere to be seen.

I'm still rather anxious. That venison isn't getting any fresher and I'm concerned that we'll eventually track it down by the smell.

I went to the freezer and got out a couple of sirloin steaks and put them to defrost. I went to empty the dishwasher. Something had fallen partly over the drain filter and nothing was very clean. I emptied the dishwasher, scrubbed the filter and decided to clean the whole thing. I'd got a tablet of cleaner, so read the instructions - put it in the cutlery container and put on a mimimum 40 degree wash with nothing else in the machine. I did that. I put all the china in the sink and poured hot water on. I cleaned all the tannin marks off the mugs. There was something awry with the water softener a few weeks ago, so we turned the controls to bypass it, but the dishwasher is gradually becoming less efficient with the harder water, even though we use softener. I decided to give the water softener unit another chance and went to fetch the salt blocks. I knelt at the cupboard beneath the sink and opened the salt blocks, which were stuck together and needed throwing round the kitchen a bit. Eventually, they divided and I inserted them and turned the three taps to make water go through the unit. Unfortunately, in so doing, I knocked over a bottle of hand-washing liquid (for clothes) which splashed on my jeans. I sponged my knee, leaving a 9"x6" wet patch with an artificially flowery smell. I couldn't be bothered to change. Now that it's dry, I only notice the smell when I bend over and sniff.

Later, I went to restack the dishwasher as the programme had finished. I discovered that I should have unwrapped the cleansing tablet, which was therefore still intact. Still, at least it's all had a good rinse.

I can't remember what else went awry, but there were a few things. Still, I'm not dismayed. Well, I am, but not by that.

I had a letter a couple of days ago from someone resigning from a committee. I wrote back, saying how sorry I was and hoping she might reconsider. I had her emailed reply today (I'd said I'd phone her to talk it over after the weekend unless she emailed to say she'd rather I didn't), which went into more details about why she is quitting.

There has been a lack of tact and a lack of kindness; the heavy-handedness by more than one party; the snappiness was not unprovoked but was unnecessary. I'm pretty keen on politeness, myself. I can be forthright, but when I am I try to be kind with it, especially if I don't know the person or their sensitivities very well. You may have noticed that I attempt to smooth over disagreements, even in my comment box. I think there's little lasting joy in scoring points and it's better to respond to what someone should have said (and surely, in their heart, meant) rather than to words that could hurt or offend at first reaction. I've learnt this lesson, of course, by making mistakes.

This is not the matter I referred to earlier.

I'm going to read all evening and have an early night. Well, before midnight. At least, i'll go up for a bath before midnight, or soon after.

The Sage dealt splendidly with his steak, by the way. He's still a bit sore, but making no fuss.

11 comments:

Mai said...

Please let us know what happened to the venison. Do you have a dog? Or a stray raccoon or bear?

A mystery must be solved!

Chardi kala!

Z said...

If and when I find it, I'll let you know. It's most unnerving.

I've enlarged the font, I hope it's more readable for you.

Z said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Z said...

d'oh.

Mai said...

Thank you. This is much easier to read!

Dandelion said...

I thought you had the venison the other day.

As for the rest: dear z. It's all a bit tactful and cryptic for me to say anything other than to offer general sympathies. Enjoy your bath.

Z said...

No, it was a couple of weeks ago. It was enjoyed so much that I was going to make it again.

I will light a nice candle and gaze at it while I bath. I've read the papers and am moving on to a book about the fall of the Ming dynasty.

There is little chance of Christmas preparations happening at all in this house.

Dave said...

There is nothing worse than going to the fridge and finding it's not there. Don't you just hate it when people move the furniture around without telling you?

I'd ask Tilly about it, if I were you.

Chairwoman of the bored said...

2 years ago, the turkey crown, which everybody had seen, firstly when it arrived, and secondly, in the freezer, was not in the freezer when it was required for defrosting on Christmas Eve. Luckily Tesco had plenty more, and many good souls doing their complete holiday food shop at the eleventh hour (mainly chaps, anybody surprised?), so a disaster was averted.

However, the part-fowl never materialised in any shape or form, we too expected to locate it by odour, but no.

And as La Fluffita doesn't have opposing thumbs, and can't open the freezer anyway, it can't have been her.

Anonymous said...

I thought you were going to say you found the venison in the dish washer

Z said...

David, dear, I'll excuse you as it's nearly Christmas. I won't even inflict a hard stare on you.

Chairwoman, I've rather reached the stage of hoping the venison never does turn up. I'm glad I'm not the only one it's happened to.

And LOM, I think I'll just go and check the washing machine, because I've looked just about everywhere else.