Day 93: All Work and Snow Play

It did a snow in the night.  A big one.  The trip to get the paper calls for wellies - still caked with last summer's Glastonbury mud.  I'm first through the park - prime pristine creakiness underfoot.  At the garage, no papers.  NO PAPERS.  The delivery van hasn't made it through.  I stand for a while with my mouth open.  In my duffel coat, like an educationally subnormal Paddington.  Hoping that, if I stand there long enough, the message will change and papers will suddenly appear.  It doesn't and they don't.

Home.  Coffee.  Back out for attempt number two.  Success.  Papers present and correct.  So it appears that should your day NOT furnish you with what you require, the simple answer is to turn round, go home, get back into bed, drink some coffee, and then try again.

'If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again'.  Have always been suspicious about those two trys.  Now recognise this as a selfish attempt to conceal the details of the magic formula. 

'What was that step before trying again?' 
'Oh, umm...  Nothing specific.  Just, you know... general trying.' 
'Really?' 
'Yes.'

A lot of failures in my life are now explained. 

This afternoon I come across a grown man making a snow rabbit.  At first glance it could be a squirrel or a fox, but the big Thumper hind legs give it away.  It's a deserted lane - he and I are the only people about, so there is a social pressure on me to comment.  I'm carefully non-specific, just in case it IS a squirrel, or a fox. 

Me:  'That is EXCELLENT'.
Snow Artisan:  (Pause)  'It's coming along'.

He says this gravely.  Like he's at work.  A bomb disposal expert halfway through clearing a site of landmines, and I am Orla Guerin asking for a progress report.  Not like he's making a GIANT SNOW RABBIT.

As I cut back through town on my way home, I see a new banner on the railings outside the community hall.  'Play Weightwatchers!' it announces.  Like it's a brilliant game!  For fun times! 

No.  I simply haven't got time to play.  I've got to crack on with some work.

A snow rabbit doesn't make itself.