I woke up feeling rough and full of a cold.The phone rang at 8.00 am. I did not make it upstairs to answer it in time.Dulcie didn't even attempt to answer it and was still tucked up under her quilt.I crept back down to bed and had just snuggled down under the warm duvet when I heard Dulcie getting up.The day had begun.The phone rang again at 8.30."Hello, I'm Cecilia from Blue Care, how is your day going?"This was obviously the previous caller....I was polite and did not utter the words that initially sprang to mind."You are down for Respite at 11.15 but could I come later at 1.45?"I was too tired and feeling too rough to question it. I hadn't set the 11.15 time. Will hadn't set it. Who had set it?Cecilia arrived at 1.45. I opened the door for her and she wandered in."Hello Dulcie".Her bottom was huge I wondered if it would fit in the chair next to Dulcie. It was just plain greedy. There are poor people out there with hardly any bottom at all....I wondered, briefly, if I could make my first million by starting a 'Bottom Donor Clinic.'"Oh, thank you for letting me do this so late," she interrupted my thoughts, " I see from the file that you usually have it earlier.""Too be honest," I said, " I never know when I am having it. The other day they turned up at 9.00 am and I had not even been informed about it."She tutted."......and some idiot, I think it was you, rang this morning at 8.00 am......who in their right mind thinks it is ok to ring at 8.00 am?!".......is what I wanted to say....but didn't.I could tell by her accent that Cecilia was from South Africa."Where are you from?" She asked.......here we go I thought.I gave my usual reply."I am from South Africa," she said."I know." I said.I must try and avoid these friendly chats because they eat into my time. I must try and perfect the art of slipping out when they slip in and perhaps just leave a card with;"Hello, This is Nick, the guy who just slipped out. I am English.....yes, I know Dulcie is Australian.....but I am her son's partner. He is Australian. Yes, that does mean I am gay. I don't care who you are or where you are from I just wish you would a) come at a regular time and b) not ring at some unearthly hour to tell me that the time has changed. I shall be back in 2 hours on the dot as I am 'reliable'....I know that is a new word to you but it means "consistently good in quality or performance; able to be trusted." Goodbye."I always walk out feeling bad.It must be very strange for Dulcie to have these, albeit very pleasant, strangers wander in and chat to her for 2 hours. She does seem to enjoy their company and has never once denigrated any of them apart from sayihng how 'crap' they are at cards when they have gone. I try and justify it to myself in that it is someone fresh for her to chat to and that they are probably better company than me....nah, scrub the probably,......they are better company than me!I usually fill my time with shopping for essentials i.e doing something useful for everyone instead of being completely selfish....but today I was selfish and used the time to go for a walk instead..... .well, most of the time......I left time at the end to get some stuff from the Pharmacy for Dulcie....and shopped for few essentials.I went back to Toohey Forest and this time walked along a different path than the one I had walked with Will. I took the path to 'Toohey MT'. I think the 'MT' means mountain....but it is hardly that....it is just a hill.I followed signs to 'Peg's Lookout' but did not hold out much hope of seeing anything from it....judging by the other lookouts in the forest. It was very dry and all the leaves on the trees were wilting and curled up and it all looked a bit sad.I know it is not snake season but I did wonder if the recent warm weather had woken any up....I didn't see any. I also passed the time wondering if I would end up on the news as 'Man attacked in Toohey Forest by a plumber, a tiler and an electrician!'.......I didn't.'Peg's Lookout' actually had a view. I was a bit taken aback, it was so unexpected. So....it was the view of an industrial wasteland but in the distance I could see the brown strip that was Archerfield and even further away 'Cunningham's Gap.'I wondered briefly who Peg was....but decided I didn't really care.It was on my way back that I realised I was being followed. I tried to stay calm and keep going but in the end stopped and turned to confront my stalker. For a bird it was pretty brazen.....I must have been fifty times its size but it just sat there.....on a branch staring me out. I gave in.I found the the top of ' Toohey MT'....or 'HL.' It was forgettable.I took the path that was signed as back down to the picnic area but came to a 'Path closed for Regeneration' sign....so carried on past it and found myself walking back up to the top of 'Toohey MT/HL'.I tutted, like Cecilia had and turned back. I ignored the 'Path closed for Regeneration' sign and took it anyway. Did I see any sign of Dr Who? Did I buffalo!I was five minutes later than I had allowed myself to get back to the car. Had I still got time to shop for essentials?As it turns out I did have."Do you have a rewards card?" asked the overly talkative till girl.I handed her my Medicare card!?"Oh, we don't take that...you need to go next door for that." She laughed. I didn't."Well," said Cecilia, " I think you should ring them up and ask them about setting a regular time," she said as she squeezed out of the door."I will," I said "and I'll also ask them to tell their idiots not to ring before 9.00 am in the morning! Goodbye Big Bum!".....is what I wanted to add.......But didn't.My Toohey MT/HL Gallery -
