9December1996

Monday 9 December
My dear folks,

Another day nearly gone. It’s going on for 5 p.m. & is pitch dark. Jones & I have just walked back from Kensington High Street where we went to do some banking & shopping. A couple of blocks from home we heard an almighty bang at the traffic lights behind us & turned to find a motorist hopping up & down in fury & the front of his car littering the road. Closer examination revealed a second equally bashed car whose driver had chosen to remain inside. Since we hadn’t witnessed the accident & there were no obvious injuries, we left the traffic to negotiate a way around the pile-up & the unfortunate drivers to get on with their lives.

I spent most of the morning with a young accountant - someone still doing his articles by the look of things - who tried to make sense of the figures I had submitted for income & outgoings for 4 flats over half a dozen years. I nearly blew a fuse trying to put the figures together earlier this year as they involved 2 companies with numerous links to each other. We gradually wore the problems down although for some reason I was unable to trace dozens of invoices. It was only at the end of the sesssion when the accountant returned to me the large file I sent his firm that I found all the relevant invoices still carefully sorted inside it. I was more relieved than annoyed, especially as we then quickly & easily resolved all the outstanding questions. I thought it prudent not to say anything about reading up on one’s brief. This is an affair in which I wish to remain as invisible as humanly possible.

I had a mid morning plea from the BBC to help out on a team with two absent members. But it was one of those occasions when I declined with a good conscience. I’d had to wait six weeks to see the accountant &, with the best will in the world, there was just no way I could get away. Mave gave the accountant & his bag a good sniffing over but didn’t find either worth lingering for. The fat feline has taken to sleeping in the bag I’ve been loading with goodies for Germany, although it takes him several minutes to arrange himself comfortably among the contents. I hardly knew whether to by amused or annoyed when he settled himself down but humour won the day (no edibles inside...fear not Hambachers!)

Jones had made herself scarce, visiting one of her small patisseries for morning tea. She came back disappointed. The first venue had been swamped by visitors as she arrived & the toast at the second was below par. Jones is one of the world’s foremost toast gourmets & can tell a mediocre slice from the real thing at 20 feet. Ditto for scones when you can double the distance.

I work Tues/Wed, am off Thur/Fri/Sat - and then work again from Sunday to Thursday next week. Friday we go to Germany. Can’t believe it. The time goes so fast. Am really looking forward to a relaxed week over there. Thinking lots about Canadian & Nelpsruit & have fingers crossed.

Blessings ever
T