What are we today, Gilbert? Well, today, we are waking up early due to an early night, a fan and a strange dream about the worst opera I have ever seen. Apart from the part where a train came through the audience, it was pretty dire. It had something to do with the fan, I reckon. We have two at the moment, and one is too ineffectual in the bedroom overnight, while the other is too… Well, it’s like standing in a wind tunnel. Or, maybe, standing on the beach behind Skiathos airport as a plane sets about taking off, and getting yourself blown over – as some people have done, only, the fan is much colder. Before you ask, yes, we do have an air conditioning unit, but it’s attached to the wall in the closed-off mousandra, so of no use to mice or men, and it hasn’t been serviced since who knows when. Anyway, I am here, I have slept for eight hours, off and on, and I have a book to finish proofing and publish, which is always quite exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time.
I looked out a few of my more unusual shots today by way of illustration, including a scene of domestic bliss. That being Neil doing the cooking rather than me. At this time of year… I will amend that as it’s not only this time of year these days… At any time of year, trying to find what you want in the village shops is becoming more difficult, and very often, the supplies are thin on the ground. This used to be because tavernas got there first, but these days, the shelves seem pretty sparse no matter what. Not every day. Some days you can find fresh whatever, but on other days, it’s a case of potluck. We can’t even blame the lack of boats as we can in the windier parts of winter, so I don’t know what’s going on there. Perhaps some people aren’t paying their tabs, thus the supermarkets can’t pay for supplies. I don’t know. I’m, just saying, if you’re staying and self-catering, don’t expect Sainsburys style stacked shelves. (But do expect alliteration, apparently.)
On which cheerful note, I’ll stop rambling and head off into the day. If you were wondering about the ‘What are we today’, business at the top of this post, it’s a misquoted line from ‘Not On Your Nellie’, a British sitcom that ran from 1974 until 1975. It starred veteran actress Hylda Baker as Nellie Pickersgill. She would meet a friend in the pub who was always flamboyantly dressed, and she’d say, “And what are you today, Gilbert? Oh, you’re one of those, are you?” Which is kind of how gay people were treated on TV back in those ‘good old days.’ Meh. I’m of to work.
