I’m sure I’m not the only widow to experience such annoyances but sales companies really need to update their information before making their pitch over the phone – especially when ringing my phone and asking to speak to Tony. I have to admit I lost my cool with this particular rep – it’s a long time since I’ve used that many swear words but the whole minute or so conversation left me physically shaken afterwards. Just because he’s been gone 5 years, it doesn’t mean that reminders like the above can roll off your shoulders like the proverbial duck’s back. And whilst I’m not one to highlight things like anniversaries or T’s birthday as in my mind, he will never be any older and we aren’t technically married anymore, I still go out on the balcony every night to have a quick chat. I wonder what he did with my suggestion of a couple of lightning bolts down a certain business’ phone line to make his Sophi happy conversation the other evening.
Luckily for me, I have the always happy to see me Denis to keep me focused on the here and now, the poor man is going through a hell of his own as one of his brothers is in the last stages of cancer. At least he had the last night of the Bistrot to think about all week as he prepared his famous shish kebabs for the occasion. Word gets around Rouffiac when D is on the grill and Saba and I are on the service so as it was the closing night, the crowds poured in. Well, actually the rain poured down but we still managed to get everyone fed and wined albeit under cover before partying into the wee hours. Mind you, even though such closures normally mark the end of summer and a change in your wardrobe, we are still in the high twenties temperatures and the pool thermometer shows no sign of dropping degrees just yet. I’m not complaining as I still have something to burn off the agitations in, running is still a no-no.
I drove our Canadian guests back to Toulouse airport on Thursday morning, thankfully a calmer journey than the one they experienced when I picked them up. The day before I had taken them to Alet-les-Bains, a village about 20 minutes away known for its thermal spa. The water comes from a number of springs which have risen up in the area due to its location along the River Aude. Being at the bottom of the Corbières, the river rushes by Alet at an incredible speed bringing up minerals from its bottom – its these that are believed to cure all sorts of ills and its not unusual to see people driving up with several dozen empty bottles to fill up at the little spa. And stick their feet in the surrounding shallow pool which I can honestly tell you gives you the softest tootsies ever. I’m collecting bottles ready for the next trip already. Such stuff soothes the souls, or soles, I’m told…
“Life is like the river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere” (Emma Smith)
Widow plus woofs 