Day 169 - Mr Whippy in the Park

I have never before made the connection - silver lining... aha!

Phoo. Marked improvement on yesterday. Thank goodness.

Pond mist always makes for an atmospheric kind of a day. There was a (lady called) Mole in the water. There was frost on the grass. I was late, but early enough to catch Ruth and be reasonably early up to her house afterwards. My back wheel is buckled, so my thighs got extra exercise. I'm taking that as a plus.


I lovely, sane-making, chatful breakfast, followed by a bit of one-button answerphone maintenance (i.e. makes me look clever when I'm not). I'm taking that as a plus. Washing up, to get those fingers warmed through to the bone. It's always needed. A great big maté gift, which is in my bag. The loan of a suitcase and a smooth trip there and back to bring it home. I walked with a blind lady as we got off the bus. She made me feel grateful for things I take so very for granted, like being able to see. She was almost fiercely capable and non-plussable. I liked her. She'd just been for a swim and eaten two bananas. 


Good singing and very pleasing friends (Kate, Luc & Dan), a hearty lunch and (guess what) a walk on the Heath, this time with Kate. An ice cream from a van, with a small, elderly flake in it. The ice cream tastes of almost nothing. The wafer cone is thin. All of these make the perfect ice-cream-off-of-a-ice-cream-van experience. I was very happy. I saw the 'bat and ball', which is a first for me. A cola-flavoured lolly with a dollop of Mr Whippy-style ice cream on it. Boom! Bat and ball. 


I then went to a cafe, did some writing (some Actual Writing, as well as some Avoiding-The-Actual-Writing Writing). When I came out, I got as far as Millfield Lane at the other side of the Heath (which took a while - the dog fixes were almost back to back) before realising that my card wallet was missing. It still is. I rode back, scouring the ground with my eyeballs. I went into the cafe and a couple of other places. No trace. I stopped the card, and nobody had used it, so perhaps it's in the hands of someone. There was £20 or so in it, my library card, my newly dug-out Nectar card. I hope they don't use the library card, but I kind of hope that if it was stolen rather than lost, someone will still make use of the few quid that's on it. The lady on the phone was very helpful. All in all, not a traumatic experience, albeit not one I'd have chosen. I'm still half expecting it to turn up, but I've scoured the crannies of my bag and there's no sign so far.

Like, really really.

Then I bumped into Queen Ambreen and Erin walking down the cycle path at the bottom of the Heath. See, I'd have missed them otherwise. Not that I'm saying 'it was worth losing my cards and some money and going back for it to see them', but given that all the rest was true, I may as well love that silver lining. It was very nice to see them. I enjoyed it. 


Ambreen really, REALLY looks like Edna from The Incredibles. A lot. More than you'd believe. Make these glasses square and have her holding onto your arm as she cackles and says something unforgivable and she's there!


Back, and some level of efficiency, though I'm still doing this at 11.55 and I haven't packed yet. Oh, bugger. Off I go. Thank you for a day of gentleness and stuff, good friends and some proper bits of hope. I'm taking that as a plus.