I'd write about something interesting, only I've had a very long, busy day I'd like to complain about instead, and I'm too knackered to think of something else. To start with, I don't know about Nans, but I didn't sleep too well last night. Not for the usual reasons (stress-related insomnia, hyperactive imagination etc.) but because the cat decided his escapade to the neighbours' flat yesterday wasn't fun enough and spent several hours galloping through the living room, clawing up the rug and pouncing on random objects and shadows.
So when my phone went off at eight, I gave in and put it off for another hour. I'd say the gods were punishing me for laziness, but my bad luck started about a week ago, some sort of karma payback for me getting a job I'll actually like. Anyway.
Nans came home from work yesterday panicking and saying he had a lump in his leg and he might die. As it turns out he's just half-ripped a muscle, which means he's off work for eight days and needs crutches to walk. Anyway, we needed to ring the doctor for him, and ring Mc Donald's to tell them he wasn't coming in, and I needed to call my babysitting agency to tell them I wasn't driving the same car (they need the documents for insurance reasons)... and all of them were occupied.
Eventually we managed to reach the doc and get an appointment, but the others were still occupied. I was worried about this car thing so I went to the agency to tell them, only to find it closed nearly an hour after opening time... (also I was starving because I'd forgotten my breakfast). Went home.
Tried to ring Mc Donald's for the fourth time. Still occupied. Left a tense message on the agency's answering machine. Tried to ring Mc Donald's again. Fail. Got a call back half an hour before the Dr's appt. Ran to the agency, got the docs photocopied, ran back home, helped Nans limp to the Dr's. Doctor prescribed crutches, 8 days' rest, a bandage and a packet of painkillers. Went to Mc Donald's to tell them Nans wasn't coming in, and that their phone was off the hook. Came home, ate.
I had to pick up the kids at half four. It would take about half an hour to drive to their school, and fifteen minutes to get to the car park where I'd put the golden twingo kindly lent to me by Nans' step-mother. I set off at 3:15 anyway. Good job, because when I got to the car park I found it empty, the entry blocked, with a sign saying "22nd till 30th March: foire des rameaux". I have no idea what rameaux means, but it's some sort of fair. Basically the car had been towed. And it wasn't even my car.
Panicked, rang Nans, burst into tears and set off home. Of course, by the time I got home Nans had half-solved the problem. I set off in the direction of the towed car place (I only know the word in French, fourrière). It was miles away and I got a bit lost. I panicked again and rang the agency. The woman answered, told me it'd be ok and sent her husband (the agency is run by the couple) to pick me up while she rang the school to warn them I might be late.
My boss took me to pick the kids up at school. Then he took us home to pick up Claire's* sports gear. Then he took us back to drop her off at the dojo. Then he took Kevin* and me back home. I told him I'd pick Claire up in an hour on foot, it's only ten minutes with the kids. I never thought I'd say this, but I love my bosses.
The kiddies were a bit intimidated by my boss, although he was of course great with them, and as a result minding them was easy, even after he left. I read Kevin some stories, put away a few dishes, picked up Claire, showered them both as quickly poss before their parents got back, and they were in their jim jams by the time their dad walked in. I briefed him on the kids, said goodbye and went home on the tram.
Tomorrow I have to go and get the car (and pay nearly 100€ fine for it), pick up Nans and take us to a Renault shop on the other end of Grenoble to buy a new seatbelt for our R5. We have minus lots of munnies but they don't have to know that, we'll be getting paid soon and it'll be fine then...
*I'm not allowed to divulge personal info about my "clients", so I changed the kids' names. :)
So when my phone went off at eight, I gave in and put it off for another hour. I'd say the gods were punishing me for laziness, but my bad luck started about a week ago, some sort of karma payback for me getting a job I'll actually like. Anyway.
Nans came home from work yesterday panicking and saying he had a lump in his leg and he might die. As it turns out he's just half-ripped a muscle, which means he's off work for eight days and needs crutches to walk. Anyway, we needed to ring the doctor for him, and ring Mc Donald's to tell them he wasn't coming in, and I needed to call my babysitting agency to tell them I wasn't driving the same car (they need the documents for insurance reasons)... and all of them were occupied.
Eventually we managed to reach the doc and get an appointment, but the others were still occupied. I was worried about this car thing so I went to the agency to tell them, only to find it closed nearly an hour after opening time... (also I was starving because I'd forgotten my breakfast). Went home.
Tried to ring Mc Donald's for the fourth time. Still occupied. Left a tense message on the agency's answering machine. Tried to ring Mc Donald's again. Fail. Got a call back half an hour before the Dr's appt. Ran to the agency, got the docs photocopied, ran back home, helped Nans limp to the Dr's. Doctor prescribed crutches, 8 days' rest, a bandage and a packet of painkillers. Went to Mc Donald's to tell them Nans wasn't coming in, and that their phone was off the hook. Came home, ate.
I had to pick up the kids at half four. It would take about half an hour to drive to their school, and fifteen minutes to get to the car park where I'd put the golden twingo kindly lent to me by Nans' step-mother. I set off at 3:15 anyway. Good job, because when I got to the car park I found it empty, the entry blocked, with a sign saying "22nd till 30th March: foire des rameaux". I have no idea what rameaux means, but it's some sort of fair. Basically the car had been towed. And it wasn't even my car.
Panicked, rang Nans, burst into tears and set off home. Of course, by the time I got home Nans had half-solved the problem. I set off in the direction of the towed car place (I only know the word in French, fourrière). It was miles away and I got a bit lost. I panicked again and rang the agency. The woman answered, told me it'd be ok and sent her husband (the agency is run by the couple) to pick me up while she rang the school to warn them I might be late.
My boss took me to pick the kids up at school. Then he took us home to pick up Claire's* sports gear. Then he took us back to drop her off at the dojo. Then he took Kevin* and me back home. I told him I'd pick Claire up in an hour on foot, it's only ten minutes with the kids. I never thought I'd say this, but I love my bosses.
The kiddies were a bit intimidated by my boss, although he was of course great with them, and as a result minding them was easy, even after he left. I read Kevin some stories, put away a few dishes, picked up Claire, showered them both as quickly poss before their parents got back, and they were in their jim jams by the time their dad walked in. I briefed him on the kids, said goodbye and went home on the tram.
Tomorrow I have to go and get the car (and pay nearly 100€ fine for it), pick up Nans and take us to a Renault shop on the other end of Grenoble to buy a new seatbelt for our R5. We have minus lots of munnies but they don't have to know that, we'll be getting paid soon and it'll be fine then...
*I'm not allowed to divulge personal info about my "clients", so I changed the kids' names. :)
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