Final Communiqué

Monday has L running and me cycling before Tuesday sees her last day ever at work. Cue huge fanfare.

She ends a couple more associations on the same day, although there’s always a chance of a return with these. She ends her memberships of both JD Gym and Harvey Hadden pool. Instead, she making a return to David Lloyds and has signed up for a year from 1st August. 

I get all this in a final email communication from the Gulag. It all feels a bit scary but also very exciting. I will miss the heartrending communiqués from the incarcerated prisoner who has now finally tunnelled her way out.

In the evening England again come from behind to beat Italy and move into Sunday’s Euros final. 

The rest of the week is taken up with my club’s annual dog show. Wednesday and Thursday are setting up and Friday through Sunday are our show days. 

As usual we have a catering crisis. Our Pizza man cancels on the Thursday as he doesn’t like the fact that we have a Pan-Asian Street Food van coming for a few hours on the Sunday. We notice that he’s quickly advertising on his Facebook that he’s at a music festival somewhere. It all looks very pre-planned to me. 

Then on Friday, our main caterer cancels citing van problems. Funnily enough he’s a friend of the pizza guy. Not connected, I’m sure. Then the girl who runs the doughnut van locks herself out of her van and disappears home for half the day to find her spare key. 

So, on Friday the only catering we have is a savoury pasty stall, who do great business, and ice cream, which they are giving out free to club members. Every cloud has a silver lining and all that. Afterwards I have chips with club and then head to see L who has been commemorating her late Dad’s birthday at the Crematorium. 

The catering is slightly better on the Saturday as our Street Food van turns up and does good trade. However, the real action is at Colwick Lake where L does a naked swim with Daughter. You miss a week at the lake and look what happens! No photographic evidence was taken but I hope they got another badge for that. Not unsurprisingly this was scheduled really early in the day so L has plenty of time to get back to Parkrun at Wollaton. 

The Street Food van comes back again on the Sunday and makes an excellent video of the show. He also sends me home with free noodles. Later L, I and the Lad have a relaxing night in the Plough. 

(Sunday 27^th July)