Today started off like any other. I set up my little table downstairs at Teresa’s to sell pumpkin cookies and puppy chow. It was a slow cold day. I had to go back upstairs to get my jacket. Surprisingly it did not rain a drop today. It was about time we had a break. I stayed at my little booth till 3:30 and sold the remaining puppy chow and 6 of the 10 cookie sets. So I did alright. I was finishing up Haunted Land book of Ireland’s ghosts ad reading a story about a witch who hung travelers staying at her in County Derry when I looked up to see someone who gave me a start. I don’t want to be impolite, but this woman was exactly the kind of witch I had been imagining. She was a street woman who begs for money, so when she saw my free samples sign she asked for one. I obliged, but it took me a minute to regain my composure. Mainly because if the story I had been engrossed in and then I looked up to see a face covered with warts and moles. She stuck her long crooked and pointy tongue out to lick the side of her face and it frankly just startled me a little. She wasn’t a problem. I gave her a sample to try and she walked off. Teresa’s son who was working today came over to talk to me and see that she had wandered off. He said she stops by time to time asking for things, but she never buys.
After I finished reading that book, I started Un Lun Dun. It is the fantasy story about the mirror city of London where unwanted things go. There is an No York, Sans Francisco, Lost Angeles, Helsunki, Parisn’t, Hong Gone, Romeless. The creation of creatures is really quite something. The imagination of the author, China Mieville, is brilliant. It’s a rather long book -520 pages. Longer than I usually read because I tend to get bored, but I aim to finish it before long.
After I put up my table and got upstairs, I asked Zach if he wanted to go for a walk since it wasn’t raining – explore a little. We headed out by the University in an area neither of us had been then down by the canal and out to the port. We had seen a bridge on the map connecting one side of the bay to the other, but it was only for the train and pedestrians. It was hard to locate, but once we did it was a beautiful walk over the bay and to the other side. When we had walked the long way back around I stopped at a playground and immediately b-lined to the swing set. I was gorgeous. No rain. Dramatic skyline with the sun setting over the water, and the swings faced it all. It was nippy (Marta’s new word of the day she used when she came over last night), but nice.
During the walk I tried calling Boots pharmacy to see about the job I had interviewed for. I left my name for someone to call back and when they did I missed the call by two minutes. I frantically called back and asked to speak to the person who had interviewed me. I was connected and I apologized for missing the call. The woman told me she was calling to offer me the job if I would like it. I was shocked. I had already given up on getting it, but I thought a phone call might persuade them of my desperation. She asked me to come in tomorrow for training from 10-6. Woah! That’s a long time. No bakery and I will need to reschedule my appointment with the GSPCA for volunteer training, but I said I could do it. I start Saturday morning 6am-10am. Should be interesting, although I’m not getting my hopes up. I’ve learned things can take quite a different turn between now and actually working and getting a paycheck.
At the end of the walk, we came upon a playground and I suggested we swing. I love swings. I spent about 15 minutes pumping my legs and observing the fast approaching darkness. The playground was right by the water and as I swung I was looking over the lights reflecting on the bay. Couldn’t have been a cooler place for a swingset.
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