Day 261: Fantasy Ice Cram

Heron on a rope*

Pretty fucking grateful I got to work on time (I left later than planned, cycling a new route) and that I was safe and - in an almost first time ever for a new route - didn't get lost or shout at unnamed street corners, berating them for their irritating lack of signage. 


Lordy, I found my work hard today. I struggled a bit. I AM learning how to do this job better, but I'm feeling how much I'm lacking. I need to be relentlessly positive. I need to take things less personally, or learn to deal with them/address them more fluidly. I need to praise the good when the difficult stuff is happening and all the time. I do praise it, but not all the time. I felt myself tight and difficult today. As last time, I was terribly proud of what they pulled out of the bag in their presentation, and how good they all are. I need to find a way of us all getting there with more entertainment, less stress and just more flow. It's blocky at the moment and that's not how I want it to be. Very very grateful, though, for all of it - the bits that did go well and the bits that didn't, and all the things I'm learning, albeit somewhat by trial and error. 


After work, I cycled back from Brent Cross via the Heath for a swim. I stopped at an ice cream van to get water - I realised I'd had very little to drink allll day and I was parched. I'm avoiding sugar, but maaaaaaan, that Mr Whippy had to be had. And what a spectacular ice cream it was. 


You know when you're little and you fantasise about an ice cream that's bigger than your face, or about a neverending ice cream that just goes on and on and on. This gentleman - Gussy The Ice Cream Man - delivered just that. He switched on his van again especially, and gave me a monster of a creamy, white Mr Whippy cone. I say cone - you could hardly see the cone part It was a miracle of physics that the ice cream managed to stay on top of it. It was huge and hanging over the edges. It was laughable. It had a tiny flake and dribbles of sweet, thick strawberry ice cream sauce. I was so over-excited by it, I almost wanted to shut my mouth and just stab it at my face like I used to when eating ice creams as a little girl. I thought the more you got all over you, the more you'd enjoyed it. And I LOVE ice cream. Thank you, Gussy. You absolutely made my day - and you made a childhood dream come true. 


He also told me all about this: http://www.gussytheicecreamman.com/ 
His daughter illustrated these books - the first when she was ten - and it looks like she wrote the first one herself too - maybe even the others. It was a family affair and it was very pleasing. I promised to look him up and I did. Have a look. Next time I have the opportunity to buy a gift for someone in this age group, I will be going to see Gussy. 


Beautiful, beautiful skies from Muswelll Hill. Stunning. And such cool and soothing water. I miss the pond and all the things it afforded me - a community - a daily connection with Ruth - a fixed routine and the acquaintances that go with it. I intend to go back. I live it enough to love it.I love it. It's great. I swam very close to a heron standing on an invisible rope (like a Jesus heron, walking on water). If that's not a showstopper, then I don't know what is!


* There are a surprising number of pictures that come up when you google 'heron on a rope'. This is my favourite. Still waiting for the heron.