House sitting

“I started Blip in 2004 as a personal challenge. I set myself one simple rule: to create a place where I could publish just one photo each day and write a few words alongside it…….  Now, looking back over my pictures and words, I can see the story of my life……..    ….. whatever you post, remember it doesn't have to be clever or complicated. It's your life, so tell it how it is!
Joe
Blipfoto founder”


This is why I joined Blip.  

OK.  Today is not clever or complicated.  This is how it is.

I’m house sitting for Chris and Em.  They’re both at work and have arranged for some maintenance work to be done on their house.  The man is coming between 8.30am and 12.30pm  (ETA, 8.30 -10.00).  Anniemay and I toss a coin to see who gets to go.  I have nothing on today and she has next to nothing on.  Apart from a very skimpy Mrs Santa Clause outfit which she’s planning on wearing to the gym.  If she loses, that is.  I dig out my lucky 2-headed coin and call ‘tails’.  Well …. she’s put so much effort into the costume …..

The first two hours pass quickly enough as I finish my book, History of the Rain by Naill Williams.  This is a wonderfully written book by someone who really knows how to write.  Every sentence has been lovingly crafted, then polished till it shines.  

The plot is simple enough - set in modern day rural Ireland, a young woman lies in bed recalling her family history whilst waiting for an operation which may or may not save her life.  While the plot is simple enough, the structure is not - layer upon layer of complexity as the narrative shifts between the present and the past.  Full of literary references, it’s a book for lovers of poetry and the ‘classic’ authors.

It’s gone 10.30 when I finish and I spend a few moments mending the coffee machine before starting on time-passer No.2, my camera manual.  Or rather, a big book, which is effectively a rewrite of the manual by someone who actually understands it.  From the comfort of an armchair I have book on lap and camera pointed at the scolloped sliding doors of their AV unit.  I fire away using various settings, delving into the menus, reassigning buttons and actually learning something.  I finally get the AEF/AEL button sussed.

By now it’s midday and the house is still unmaintained.  I make a coffee, a few phone calls and then tackle time-passer No. 3, the manual for my digital recording studio.  This I do not have in front of me so I simply read how to record guitars, vocals etc and then mix down and master.  A piece of cake.  Which would be most welcome now; I’ve been here nearly 5 hours and I’m starving. It’s about 1.00pm by the time Anniemay rings to tell me that the long anticipated maintenance man has “forgotten”.  Another time then.

So Joe Blip, that was my day.  More or less.