Sporadic Tourette’s syndrome.

Yesterday was a day filled with cushions in the morning, and the afternoon was busy with floorboards and nails when I almost finished the side I had been working on. The radio asked us many big questions like ‘what makes us human?’ SPOILER ALERT Glyn told me it was marmite because robots don’t like it.

When we broke for lunchtime I naturally went to make a couple of marmite sandwiches for myself and Glyn when I heard a crashing noise and lots of swearing. It was quite the mystery.

Now as far as you know the cats were being mischief and Glyn was merely expressing frustration and unfortunately suffering from a case of sporadic Tourette’s syndrome so the language got quite colourful. So that’s what hapenned.

Now when you’re making a marmite sandwich this is not what you are anticipating. Naturally, my brain asked me questions like ‘what’s the Spanish emergency services number?’ (Still don’t know after three years), ‘what would Bill Murray do?’, ‘how much trouble can a cat really be in?’ (They have nine lives and land on their feet, most humans they encounter want to cuddle, scratch, feed them and let them sleep anywhere), and many others but mainly the first. After some bizarre shouting match between anger and concern we concluded that everything was fine on the top deck and I finished making the sandwiches and we enjoyed them.

Shortly after I ran out of floorboards so I showered then drank tea.

The following day was time to go shopping for floorboards. Glyn took Sherri to work in the morning while I ate breakfast (my bed has turned me into something of a late riser) then we headed together to A Coruña where the floorboards are grown in very specific moulds in order to lie happily next to each other.

We arrived, we bought, we left. On the way back we stopped for coffee and were given cold but really nice churros as a tapas. I dipped it in my coffee and the world was a better place.

When we arrived home I learned that Alan Rickman had passed away. This was obviously heartbreaking and I forgot all about my churro. Then I realised that I was wrong to do so. Although this week we have lost two incredible talents in the world, both Bowie and Rickman; life goes on. It’s terribly sad when people leave but really Bowie has gone back to the planet he came from and Alan Rickman will be enjoyed by David’s friends when they all come down to visit us and make magnificent music one day. They will laugh, cry, be scared, and heartbroken just as we were when they watch him. Although he will not make more work, he too, will live forever.

The one thing I think is important to take away from this week is that life is precious. While I write this there are people living in warzones, there are people battling cancer, there are people starving and dying of thirst. The world is filled with problems and if you are lucky enough to have something someone else hasn’t got, then feel free to share it, if you can help, teach, give someone something then you can. Believe me, helping other people will make you happy in a strange fuzzy inexplicable way. If you are reading this, then you are alive. Act like it: be nice and have a nice time. Today only happens once.

Then we went to pick up Sherri from work. I saw one of my old students who had messaged me while I was in Italy and surprised them a lot. Then we got back and I cooked dinner for everyone to thank them for having me.

Remember, remember. Well I didn’t forget!

So, here I am. Words on the screen once again and tonight it only seemed appropriate (I will explain why later). Before I continue, do not worry. Everything that has happened in between then and now is written and recorded. I just had no internet to publish it.

My last post was sent from a lovely house in the Italian mountains and I have since voyaged back to Galicia via Barcelona, Lugo, Porto, Lugo, Barcelona (again, I know), Edinburgh, Dublin, Warsaw, Barcelona (seriously), Santiago and then of course Lugo. I am currently staying with my friends who have been turning a pile of rocks into one of the most beautiful homes you will ever see. Glyn works tirelessly on building the house that only he and Sherri could see when they first arrived here. As I have some time to spare, it’s only natural I ended up coming over for a bit to help out putting down some floorboards. They’re also wonderful hosts and tonight I’m in bed with a warm tummy filled with curried lentils and rice.

In between posts we underwent the annual mayhem of Christmas. I was in Scotland with some of my family and my main present is the reason i had to write tonight. In the last post, I have a growing fascination with the night-sky and I want to study it more. Well say hello to Mr. Binoculars (that’s yours truly).

You guessed it. Dublin – rain. Warsaw – clouds. Travel time -sleeping. Even Barcelona was cloudy! I have had no luck this year with looking at the stars but that all changed tonight when I popped my head out of the front door and they were all waving at me like old friends waiting patiently.

I got wrapped up: jumper, hoodie, coat, scarf, Albion Rovers hat, gloves and of course my binoculars.

I went outside, looked up and everything was a blur. My hands were shaking and I couldn’t see a thing. I put my gloves on… Much better.

Normally when I see the sky I see the stars which shine the brightest but out here in the middle of nowhere, they were accompanied by whole teams of other stars shining support from behind them. It was the first time I had stopped and really looked. I still can’t quite express without using clichés just how I felt but it became apparent for the first time, that they are all always just hanging out there. Whether we see, look or really look, they are up there doing their thing as we are down here squabbling about council tax, money (mainly), and immigration policy.

I’ve travelled a lot and apart from my own skin, the other constant I will now appreciate is the universe. It’s just hanging out and it hasn’t fallen on our heads yet which is pretty great considering it just looks like a bunch of lights which could drop out of the sky at any second. Today I’m very grateful for my new eyes, lentil belly and night skies. I’m back.