Mending Things
10 September
It feels as though the past ten days have been a time for mending things.
I borrowed some araldite from Albert and fixed a broken shelf in the fridge door and a Spanish fan that Colin owns. I've cleaned and preened the car.
Ross came to visit and we both visited my parents again. That seems to be a series of inter-relationships which has mended wonderfully. In fact, given my visit to London the previous weekend, I've seen all the people who matter most in the world to me in a short space of time.
All that, Ross and the X Men too.
The film was fine and is better than most comic-book super-hero films. I'm just growing out of them, I think.
Ross and I talked a great deal about the coming weeks ahead. There is much to do as I move in to the new home and begin to establish a life there. We also talked about the coming trial at which Ross is giving evidence. Ross told me more than I knew previously about the assault and rape that he suffered when he was 16. It was painful for us both but it was also a healing and mending time. Candles and quietness and music all helped.
Feeling under the weather and out of sorts all week, I dosed myself with Echinacea and honey-laced teas, stretched my body through an hour's yoga each evening, reduced my protein intake and slept long and hard for eight hours and more each night. It took a while but the clogged feeling went and the gland in my neck stopped throbbing. But I looked after myself in a way that I wouldn't have done many years ago.
Finally, I got a response to my complaints to Cable and Wireless.
Thank you for you recent mail.
I am very sorry that you have not yet received a reply to your letters dated 3rd and 11th August 2000. I regret any inconvenience this may have caused.
I have now had the opportunity to investigate the details of your account concerning the error on our system which caused your telephone service to be terminated early. I regret that I am unable to investigate the exact cause of this error but it would appear that your requested termination date was not noted correctly.
I am also very sorry that you have not yet received a copy bill for the outstanding amount of £51.37 which is for an outstanding balance for telephone call charges. I have however, in view of the problems you experienced, credited your account with this full amount to leave a clear balance.
Please accept my apologies again for any inconvenience caused.
This is, of course, most gratifying even if it is a load of old shoe repairers. I'm assuming that it is cheaper for them to write me off than it is to use the staff time to look out what happened. In actual fact, the problem was not of their making. It was caused by BT. My line in London originally belonged to them and it was they and not C&W who pulled the plug on my service.
Anyhow, I'm £50
odd better off. Well, I was until August's telephone bill arrived with the £20
item for the weekday when I left my Internet connection here open from 7am til 6pm
by mistake. Ah, well, easy come; easy go. 
Some things, sadly, can't be mended.
News came of friends who are agreeing to end a 10 year old relationship. It's a mutually agreed parting but it's still a sadness. Difficult to remember the good advice that Gill gave me when Ross and I parted company during 1998 - that we were each giving the other a deep and loving gift by not clinging on.
The fan broke again too.
As a little tail piece, I found this quote in an interview with Michael Owen published on a Press Association Web site.
Owen has an open mind about whether he would prefer to operate as the lone striker or as part of a two-pronged attack.
He said: "I've scored more times playing with two up front than with someone playing in the hole behind me."
Well, I don't know about you but I wouldn't mind playing in the hole behind him.
But then it looks as though someone has beaten me to it!
