The Day

UNITED NATIONS DAY

Well, if something can be salvaged from this worst of birthdays it must be that I managed to slope off an hour early from the mind-numbingly tedious meeting that I had to go to at the end of a day in which I had taught five periods and done a dinner duty.  While the rain poured down.

To be fair my mood lightened considerably as soon as I left the meeting.  Given the tropical storm that was raging when I left the building, I was soaked by the time I made it to my car which I had carefully moved from one end of the campus to the other so that I was prepared for a quick getaway.

My cunning Smarties Plan worked to a certain extent.  I pleaded with the chair of the meeting to be let off early mumbling in my gibberish Spanish that people were waiting at home and I had work to do before the fiesta started.  Drifting from Spanish to English I am not sure either of us fully understood the other but what I took from the conversation was that I could leave after the two years in which I was largely concerned had been “done”.  Having got this assurance (I think) I then put the Smarties Plan into operation.

I walked along the front of the square of tables set out for the hapless teachers and gave each one of them a mini packet of Smarties informing them that this was a “soborno” or bribe – I left the reason why I was bribing people open; if they don’t know my blatant loathing of this pointless exercises by now they never will.

By the time I had distributed half a dozen boxes I had a round of applause and the delight on peoples’ faces was reward enough for the vast expenditure in Lidl for two bags of mini boxes.

It was very pleasing to see people popping Smarties like pills throughout the course of the meeting.  I said not a word as usual and packed up and left when I thought that the time was right.

A fairly quick call into the supermarket and home to a full house of Toni’s family sorting things out.  I was ordered to have a shower and get dressed and, in honour of Wales’ outstanding performance in the World Cup I donned my red jersey and settled down to enjoy a pica pica meal to celebrate my birthday.

Eventually Carlos joined us and we were able to open the exorbitantly expensive and faux medieval bottle of Cava – which was delicious; I even managed to remember to save the metal cap on the cork for Tina’s sister-in-law, who collects such things.

I have bought myself a birthday present which can be quite easily guessed at and The Family gave me a photograph of a present which they were not able to get to me in time!  The compensation shirt I was bought was quite acceptable while I wait for the main event!

A good end to a totally crap day – only enlivened by chocolate.