My Saturday

Saturday morning was spent in Edinburgh.

I saw the audiologist, who sorted my hearing aid out. Apparently my hearing loss has got worse, so my hearing aid has been turned up. There's nothing more guaranteed to make me feel really old than this... even more so than having varifocal glasses. Still I was pleased that I can now hear easier as it's not great teaching and having to ask people to repeat themselves and I have two lots of 4 days of teaching coming up, so all in all it's a bit of a relief. The fact that I couldn't even hear the audiologist when he rang my phone to say he was waiting for me speaks volumes I think... at least that's what he thought.

Then the garden. It might be small and bijou but it still needs work. I spent time in the sunshine pulling and hacking. One and a half hours later, which included a very short back and sides for one bush, I had 4 bags of garden trash and, with the weather becoming colder by the second, I stopped and called No. 1 Son, who kindly came and took the bags away while I tidied up and then headed on down the road to the Borders.

The afternoon was spent catching up a bit and trying to sort out a biography and short statement for a poetry Human Rights competition I've decided to enter. I wonder sometimes why I bother with these things as I'm not at all sure the paying public, especially those who know a thing or two about Human Rights, let alone poetry, would agree. Still, I've had the help of the wonderful Denise and her very red, red pen and the lovely Larraine, who've tried to keep me right and spur me on to send it off.

The rest of the evening was, because Mountain Man was away working up north and I couldn't be bothered to take out my course work or do anything else remotely sensible, spent having a 'party'. I'm very good at this activity after years and years of practice. It entails closing the curtains, pouring a glass of wine or two, some loud crap music and a bit of dancing round my living room on my own. Not probably the very best use of my time, but it was a great way to get over the disappointment of my hearing and the struggle with my poetry entry and it felt pretty damn good.

Back to my version of normality today as I get myself ready for another busy week of travelling, teaching and poetry.