Lesley is here now - Message Board

bet you were shocked Lesley, just don't let your guard down.

Reply #2901. Jun 25 11, 10:01 AM

Rowena8482

That wasn't Merv, it was an alien bodysnatcher!

Reply #2902. Jun 25 11, 10:22 AM

just thought that too Rowena

Reply #2903. Jun 25 11, 10:41 AM

Shocked? Yes, very.
Guard? Stayed well up.
Oh yes - good point: "Where is the real Merv, and what have you done with him?" :-D

Reply #2904. Jun 25 11, 10:50 AM

bloodandsand

I haven't been around for all of your blog, Lesley, but I presume there's some history here!

Reply #2905. Jun 25 11, 4:46 PM

Where I live (as you know) is back of beyond, with no passing friends and few dog walkers. Not that many people randomly dropped in when I lived on a semi-main road, but do find apart from one friend who drives a taxi so occasionally passes everywhere from time to time the few over the years who have dropped in have nearly always been the ones I wouldn't have wanted to. One friend has recently taken a job that involves driving around London so have had him round a few times when passing, especially good as he lives over the river, but would be only to pleased if a few neighbours or local friends (no family any more really) dropped in from time to time. I'd probably be going back 40 years before that was a more frequent occurence.

Reply #2906. Jun 25 11, 7:47 PM

You're right, bloodandsand, there is a bit of history. Not here though. It was all in the proper blogs - not these daft things, which are no more than glorified threads with highlighting. Grr.

I haven't replied straight away, because the first thing I did was start reading; the first eight or nine pages of this thread, and another eight or nine around page 50, and didn't find any mention of him, so I guess I must have told him to sling his hook before this pretend blog began.

OK - let's see how small a nutshell I can get this into. About ten years ago, there was a ring at the doorbell. "I'm your new postman... I live up the road... by myself... wife died... desperately lonely..." I took pity on him (big mistake) and invited him in for coffee, and put some chocolate biscuits on a plate. He assumed that all the chocolate biscuits were for him. Ate all the biscuits, knocked back the coffee, stood up, burped, and left.

I gave him a second chance. This time I put choccy biscuits on a plate a few feet away from where he was sitting, and put a cake plate right next to his cup. Nope, too subtle. While he waited for his tea, he sat on the sofa and got his newspaper out of his pocket. When I brought the tea in, he carried on reading. I said "sorry to disturb you!" (isn't sarcasm abhorrent?) and he replied "don't worry about it." When he'd drunk his tea and eaten all the bikkies, he leapt to his feet, burped, put his paper back in his pocket, and was gone.

He didn't get a third chance. Still, the damage was done, and he thenceforward regarded me as his very own drop-in centre. He might knock on the door when he was sober, but it was more likely to be on his way home from having a curry washed down with a few lagers. Nice. I carried on feeling sorry for him.

Have you noticed, when someone says they're desperately lonely, there's often a very good reason for it? I was on the phone to him one evening, when he started telling me about some news commentary he'd been reading. "This'll probably upset you." So don't tell me, then! But he ploughed on, and he was right - it did upset me. I told him to do something along the lines of go away, and put the phone down with considerable anger, force and noise.

My gentle readers on FT were disappointed, because they'd enjoyed the anecdotes, but none of them wanted his phone number. Funny, that.

I bumped into him again last Autumn, after a public meeting about a new bus route - who says my life isn't exciting? - and afterwards spoke to a cluster of people without realising that he was one of them. I've seen him a couple of times since then, and he has been on his best behaviour, which is a lot easier for me to take, but nowhere near as entertaining.

Would you like his phone number? {evil grin}

? ? ? ? ? ? ?

David, I hope time goes back and you get visitors again. I wouldn't have called your house back of beyond: more like calm and peaceful. Would you consider moving?

Reply #2907. Jun 26 11, 9:31 AM

When I did Alt+1 just now, it produced the string of question marks. When I did it a year ago, it made smiley faces. I want the smiley faces back! :)

Alt+3 made little hearts. Let's see what it does a year on:
? ? ? ? ?

Reply #2908. Jun 26 11, 9:35 AM

It looked like little hearts when I typed it, but that's showing up as question marks too. Shame. :'-(

Reply #2909. Jun 26 11, 9:36 AM

bloodandsand

I hope you won't be offended if I decline the offer of the phone number! Are all single/divorced men over a certain age "of a type"?

Reply #2910. Jun 26 11, 10:08 AM

No, I'm too thick to be offended. I'd have fainted if you'd said yes!

Pass on the question about men. I've long given up trying to make any sense of what they want, how their minds work, or how the stereotypes work, but I am beginning to suspect that the "type" comes with age, regardless of marital status or history. I now take the line that the ones I know are OK to have lunch or a chat with, but you wouldn't want to take one home with you.

Reply #2911. Jun 26 11, 10:53 AM

Lesley why not give Merv teh number for the Samaratins he might get the hint lol:)

Reply #2912. Jun 26 11, 10:54 AM

Gary - is that as unkind as it sounds?

Reply #2913. Jun 26 11, 12:07 PM

bloodandsand

How right you are!

Reply #2914. Jun 26 11, 12:52 PM

No Lesley if he is lonely they will talk to him , i am speaking from expirience Lesley.

Reply #2915. Jun 26 11, 1:19 PM

I'd move back to my old patch at the drop of a hat, but being the most expensive land in the world some years would need some type of miracle for that to happen. Temple Fortune is closest, but still just out of my range. The houses for the same price are a lot bigger but won't go looking to see what they're like inside as if I made an impulsive move most of my savings would be gone. It would probably require shared resources and I've only found decent people to stay with me for very short periods and the indecent ones for a lot longer.

Reply #2916. Jun 26 11, 3:26 PM

Thanks, Gary, I understand. I think he's happy with his lady friend, and talking to his beer.

David, have you taken into account the increased value of your house now it has an extra room - a music room?

Reply #2917. Jun 26 11, 6:00 PM

My builder estimated more or less what I did- that's about 20% of the current gap between properties, but having a new room will divert me from wanting to move for a while at least. I tend to trust the system that the time will come when a new door to a house/woman or any other major ambition will open on its own, rather than trying to for issues. If I spent most of my savings on moving I'd end up not being able to pay the bills and end up probably having to sell up anyway, and have no magic money making ideas to fill the space as yet, so maybe it'll happen another way like meeting a rich woman maybe? Or getting my writing published.

Reply #2918. Jun 26 11, 6:33 PM

My laptop has its own independent delete and insert system, that was 'force issues' in case no one could work it out.

Reply #2919. Jun 26 11, 6:34 PM