Richard's last day

It's Richard's last day today. He and I have been to the Fusion Cafe for a truly lovely lunch of quiche and salad and sunshine. Maurice farewelled him in the traditional 11 am slot in the staff room this morning. I don't think I have *ever* seen quite so many people crammed into the staff room before. It was absolutely standing room only - and late comers were confined to the corridor. In the end we had raised something a little over £200 for the donation to the Alzheimer's Society. I bought a bottle of very nice French wine with what was left after £200 wended its way in a useful direction. For Richard. Not for me! And, much to my pleasure, Richard had entirely missed the fairly steady stream of people wandering into the office over the past couple of weeks to sign the card and contribute to the collection. He may have assumed a card would come his way - but I think the donation came as something of a surprise to him :-)

So he's off on his way, whistling cheerily off into the sunshine. And he's not coming to the wedding party ;-( He has discovered the practical difficulties attendant on being in Southampton and in Tupton at the same time on the same afternoon. Southampton it is, it seems ;-(

He's coming for dinner next Friday instead.

Must find out how he dug the escape tunnel. Just in case I should ever need one, you understand.

I got out of the car this morning and immediately realised that I had left my staff card at home. This makes getting into the building at just after 07:30 extremely difficult. Fortunately, I had a book with me and propped by the front door until a passing Cleaning Supervisor dropped by and let me in. This gave me plenty of time to ponder on why I had forgotten to pick up my card. I don't usually.

I blame Marlo! I had come down this morning and fed him. He took a few mouthfuls of breakfast, and then ambled into the dining room and started sniffing around my basket of veg seeds which is sitting on the floor by the radiator. I rattled his bowl. He came and took another mouthful and then went and sat by the dining room door. Odd behaviour, I thought. But I ignored it for a time, until I realised he was sniffing under the door (which was open and propped against the dining room wall). Usually this indicates that another cat has been in - but he wasn't looking cross; just alert.

So I went and pushed the door away from the wall to see what he was sniffing at. And there on the floor was my bear, which usually sits on the radiator. So I picked it up to put it back. And hiding underneath it was - a mouse! Marlo leapt upon the mouse and caught it. I tried to chivy him outside. He looked at me and went to miaow. The mouse ran across my foot and tried to get away. Marlo caught it again. I grabbed him and the mouse and pout them outside, shutting the door behind them.

But this all meant that I hadn't picke up my staff card at the time I usually do - and I didn't think about it again until I found myself locked out of the Adsetts Centre. Mercifully, it wasn't raining!!!

I think the mouse might have survived its adventures. The Builder reports that he went out, just before we were due to leave. Marlo was still playing with the mouse. The Builder said hello to him (Marlo, not the mouse). Marlo looked up to reply. And the mouse scarpered, he thinks under the fence to next door's garden. So all's well that ends well -- if you are a mouse.

Oops. I just deleted the Blog mailing list. Didn't mean to do that. Meant to delete Richard!!