A Strange Old Week

It’s been one of those weeks where things happen. I could probably have got a few blog posts out of it if I hadn’t been too busy to write them.

Sunday was a low in one way and a right of passage in another. I’ve recently started working as a cat sitter. On Sunday one of my charges bit me while I was pilling her, hard enough to draw blood. First time I’ve ever had a ‘proper’ cat bite, so I guess it had to happen sometime. Anyway, it’s almost healed now, without infection. And I’ve found that the cat responds well to a bit of Ttouch massage and now purrs during her pilling and massage session. Hmmm, I think I will post on pilling cats at some point.

Sad to report I’ve been having trouble with my knees, due partly to the mileage I’ve been covering for work, and partly the fact the bike is too big and putting strain on them. Tuesday I decided to walk my rounds. Two visits only most of this week, unfortunately near Kings Cross and up in E5. Actually I’m rather glad I choose that day to start walking… It was Ant Day!

As I left my Kings Cross visit I noticed the winged ants gathering around the entrance of every nest in huge numbers. In one place I had to explain to a mystified bloke what was going on (for anybody that doesn’t know, it’s mating flights, co-ordinated by weather conditions). The nest he was looking at was especially impressive: a wooden post by the entrance was totally coated by especially large winged ants, glistening as they moved. As I walked through Angel people were beginning to jump and swat. Along Essex Road they were pelting you constantly: I’ve never seen such numbers. At times it was like a horror film at the point just before someone starts screaming ‘help, they’re eating me!’

Wednesday was my birthday, but still a work day for me. A high point was stopping off at Mucho Mas for a burrito. I will definitely go there again! Thursday I measured my walking mileage, and with the addition of the dog walk I do that day, it made twelve miles. Friday I saw a physio, and confirmed the bike is not helping. I vowed I’d not use it again, then found myself running late and had to. And of course I misjudged squeezing round the back of a lorry, hit the curb and fell over it, adding some lovely bruises to what was the knee that was less painful, as if I wasn’t in enough trouble with them!

Still, I think the aches are decreasing, and the King’s Cross booking has now finished. Lovely cat, but it’s a relief to have less distance to do! A brief respite before the storm, as everyone seems to want a cat sitter in August…