wake up and make the coffee

Despite the typographical similarities with Celine please allow the following to serve as an humble trubute to Alain Robbe-Grillet who died today





wake up ...  it's dark ... peer thru the mosquito net to see the clock ... listen to the hail slanting in ... 06:05 .... turn over ... turn the deaf ear upwards

wake again ... bladder pressing ... some light but grey ... and wind howling ... out of bed and across the wooden floor to pull on slippers and a thermal vest ... off into the toilet ... piss and listen to the rain ... check the clock again ... 09:03 ... decide to get up ... wash face ... cold water ... fucking cold ... brush teeth

pull on the rest of clothing ... jumper, socks, jeans ... taking off the slippers beforehand .... head downstairs telling G to come when she's ready

living room is warm ... check stove ... some embers still glowing red ... wind is howling around ... check outside and pull on the drizabone and the boots ... pick up the teapot and cigarettes ... unlock and step out into a freezing north wind that's carrying snow ...

check for cat presents on the door step, blank, quick check of the surroundings, snow everywhere  on the mountains ... down the  stairs checking Kastellos  ... a mist  hangs in the way ... the sky is grey-white ... the wind is bitter and biting ... say hi to the girls ... both wet

unlock the cellar door and check for water ingrees, none .... open the tp half of the stable door fully ... open the windows and shutters over the kitchen sink ... cold blast ... open the north facing windows and shutters ... icy blast ... go to fill the kettle ... still no water ... use some spring water from the cannisters ... switch it on ... shit, the washing up from last night sits on the drainer ... and the coffee dregs bucket is full ...

outside into the bite ... fill a bucket from the water butt ... white finger ... empty the coffee dregs around the mimosa ... flush it with more butt water ... sleet is refilling the butt already ... back indoors ... drizabone off ... jacket and wristlets on ... flush the toilet with butt water ... make the coffee making sure not to drop the cafettiere ... pick up some water from the fridge and a tissue ... rain and snow have stopped ... for now, time to do the girls but fill the sink from the bucket and wash up first ... cold water, very cold indeed

out to the run ... greet the girls and clean their eyes ... pick up two frozen turds in a plastic bag ... change their water and disinfect and sweep the run of olives and olive related detritus ... play with the girls and cuddle them, fuss all round each other ... look up south to the mountains ... grey ... look north to the sea and the incoming weather ... shit incoming ... check the plants on the way back ... check the water butt is switched off ...

back indoors ... pour some coffee and warm hands around it ... light a cigarette and perch on the chair in the draught ... filth coming in ... the wind gusts up to 30 or 40 mph bringing snow with it ... close the north facing shutters quickly ... check the girls, they've gone into their kennel ... slurp some coffee and then roll up all the rugs ...

G arrives ... kisses and a cuddle ... sit and drink coffee ... smoke cigarettes ...  brush down the sofa ...sweep the floors ... clean the bathroom ... dust everything ... re-connect to the internet, the router has jammed ... check the weather, snow in Souda, temperature -6ºc with wind chill ... get moving ... refill the kettle, the water is back hurrah - only 12 hours or so ... rugs back down and sweep them ... make more coffee ... get the girls in - the snow is settling now ... clean ther paws and dry them off, drowned rats ... electricity goes off ... but only for a few minutes ... restart the computer and the router and reconnect to Radio4 ... check the weather again - sleet, hail and mist, still -6ºc, wind gusts at 40 mph ... close the south facing windows but not the shutters got to get what light we can ... the sky is a dark grey and darkening .. .threatening

girls are on the sofa ... we are drinking coffee ... G does make-up and D goes up to do the stove ... open the balcony shutters and doors ... empty last night's ashtray into the bin on the balcony ... switch on the immersion heater - there'll be no solar heated water today ... wash up last nights tea mugs in freezing water and put them away ... wire brush the grate ... scrape the inspection panel in the stove door free of soot ... empty the ashcan into another bin on the balcony ... white finger ... lay in a new fire and sweep the floor ... we're short of logs and kindling ... bring in some more logs ... down to the carage where some chopped logs are prepared and bring them up in empty wine boxes ... check the cover on the log pile ... sweep the floor again ... bringing in logs always messes things up ... swab up the damp that came in on your boots ... switch off the immersion ... close up the shutters and doors ... check for water ingress ...  the snow is slanting in almost horizontal now ... pick up a couple of packs of cigarettes and exit locking the door behind

almost blown down the stairs ... the view from the sun terrace is obscured by snow and cloud, mist and wind ... into the cellar and close the door behind ... close up the top of the door ... we're well aired now ... and re-greet the girls who are all pleased to see you ... slurp some coffee and light another cigarette ... is that it? ... are we done? ... for now?

G's turn to start tomorrow

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