I suppose it would be less painful really.
I think more about the arriving and handling than I do about the leaving and the long journey home alone.
(I am talking about volunteering for a cat charity here, not dating).
Yesterday I went to Leeds to meet my Support Worker at Roundhay Park.
I had looked forward to it; certainly in my eagerness I set off far too early, but I figured as it was a warm day I could feed the ducks before she arrived. I did faff about in Leeds a bit, but I was over an hour early at that point.
Only to have her call to check I was on my way, on the understanding that we were meeting 30 minutes
before the time I had written down.
Things that make you go hmmmm - I wrote down the time of the meeting as we discussed it, in front of her. We had also never met on a half hour before, only on the hour, so it would have been a break from our usual pattern. And who calls someone 25 minutes before a meeting? Surely you either call them early enough to get them going if they've forgotten, or you don't call at all.
Anyway, it was all rush rush rush from then on as I had 25 minutes, not 55.
I switched from foot to foot to make the connecting bus come more quickly, and rolled my eyes at every traffic light we got stuck at for the same reason. I then ran (well, trotted) all the way down the hill from the bus stop to the lake where we were meeting. Made it by the skin of my teeth and was actually impressed with my own fitness. Although it wasn't very far I admit.
I didn't call her out on my suspicions that she changed the time of the meeting. I owe her for not giving up on me when I was going through a patch where I found it very difficult to stay in contact.
The plan was to have our meeting outside the Lakeside Cafe, where she bought me lunch.
Which we did.
My little eyes nearly popped out of my head at the cost though. All things considered I'd rather have had a nice veggie curry at one of the many independent fast food places along the road. Still - I won't be eating here again, so I just settled back and enjoyed it.
The lake.
The rest of the deck.
My club sandwich (no tomato). It took 30 minutes to arrive and the toast was burnt. I daren't ask for a replacement.
£7.50 for the sandwich and crisps, £2.00 for the half pint of Diet Coke.
