Byddwn yn cyfarfod eto ar lannau Bae Rhosili

A day of a million moving pieces. And do you know what? I loved it. Well, when I say loved it, I mean I was energised and happy, so unlike how I have been feeling of late. And even there, I am describing poorly what I mean. I’ve felt lethargic and slow for the longest time. A day like today reminded me of how I used to feel pretty much all the time. That government job has a lot to answer for.
 
Up early and got Ottawacker Jr. his breakfast – or at least stood and supervised while he got his own. And then I had to pop into the car for a 9am hair appointment. Odalia had gone in early to fit me in, so I got the full treatment. She actually did a good job too – my head was almost human by the time she had finished with it.
 
From there to Barrhaven, where I had scheduled to go and see Armand in the Westpointe retirement home. For a few reasons, it has been a while since I got in. For one thing, it’s a 70-75-minute round trip, so it isn’t something I can just do on a whim; the last couple of times I had planned to go in, one of us was sick – and I have enough on my conscience to not add the massacre of a entire floor of an old people’s home to it. (Maybe that would be my Neil Gaiman skeleton-in-the-closet event? But would that stop people from buying a book? “Ottawacker Jr. was a quite engaging writer – but one day, he went in and inadvertently wiped out a phalanx of pensioners. BOYCOTT!) (I’m slightly getting ahead of myself there…) Anyway, in I went. He seemed on reasonable form, but his memory is going and there has been a definite deterioration since I saw him last. It’s so sad. He was – and still is – a prince among men. I’ll have to make a more conscious effort to go in and see him on a regular basis. The blip is of him.
 
Back home in time for a late lunch and a few emails, before I settled back to watch the Liverpool vs. Tottenham Carabao Cup semi-final, second leg. Spurs had somehow won the first leg 1-0, so a tight match was expected. As it transpired, Spurs were more Spursy than usual. Actually, that is unfair. Liverpool were superb on the night, and won 4-0. Over the entire 90 minutes, Spurs didn’t manage a shot. I could have been in goal and the scores wouldn’t have changed. I watched the game, once again, without sound. It is a totally different experience and one I don’t really mind. I’ll have to take in the laptop next week, but to be honest, if it weren’t for Skype and music, I could quite easily do without the soundcard.
 
At 5, Odalia called round to cut Ottawacker Jr.’s hair, and I had to leave to go to the Hulse, Playfair and McGarry funeral home for a visitation (a good friend’s father). It was open casket, something that spooks me quite badly, so I stayed and chatted with people for an hour or so, then went round and had a sandwich and chatted some more. I’m always interested in how people remember their loved ones, and Mike’s dad was remembered very fondly. Lives lived along different paths to mine. I’d only met his father a few times, so was interested to read about his presidency of the Ottawa Welsh Society, his professorship of Classics, his love of travel. I loved the farewell: “Cysgwch yn dawel, bychan. Byddwn yn cyfarfod eto ar lannau Bae Rhosili.” There can be few better places to wish to meet up again.
 
After that, I went for a quick pint with an old friend, Marcus, whom I hadn’t seen for almost a decade. He lives in Ottawa. I am a recluse. Must do better.