The heat outside is oppressive; hotter than yesterday and too hot for my body or brain to function on any level beyond that of a zombie.
With my belly still looking like a cooked lobster and another terrible night’s sleep under my belt, I politely declined Siggy’s invitation to the sunbeds and instead pottered in an out of the air-conditioned apartment. I sat on the balcony and read for most of the day, intermittently napping.
To my annoyance, for someone who usually doesn’t get bitten or doesn’t react if they do, my mosquito bite tally already stands at 4. This includes 2 bites on the joints of my little finger which add insult to injury by reminding me that I am going to miss Game of Thrones for two weeks.
There’s something about insect bites that pisses me off to a disproportionate level, to the point of wanting to kill them all with a machine gun – impossible I know but in my current headspace a satisfying image nonetheless.
I bought some bread yesterday so I could have toast but at lunchtime I discovered that the toaster is kaput or of such complex design that it is beyond my heat-addled brain to operate. Untoasted it was on the edge of stale but the juice from the huge tomato helped make it so I could swallow it.
Perhaps to quell my cabin fever Siggy suggested we take a walk. Mad dogs and Englishmen (or Welshmen) and all that. Siggy got an apple and cheese pastry from the bakery and I bought a Snicker’s choc ice which had to be eaten as quickly as possible before it turned into liquid in the sun like a Nazi’s face when they opened the Ark of the Covenant. I also drank a can of ice cold rhubarb juice which was a refreshing fruity treat.
After the dull Italy game yesterday, I was tempted just to watch the end of the Rep. of Ireland v Belgium game. I have Belgium and England in the sweepstake at work but don’t expect either team to win. As it happened, I finished the Bill Bryson book sooner than expected (I will as usual create a separate post covering my reading while on this holiday) and so went to the lobby for the start of the game.
I spent most of the match chatting with Andy from Manchester – a keen cricketer and Manchester United fan, who had lots of stories to share. The match was a lively one – Belgium winning comfortably by three goals to nil – with an entertaining, mostly off topic, commentary provided by Andy, who made me long for retirement (he is a walking advert for it and is certainly making the most of it). Siggy meanwhile lazed in the blaze reading Girl on a Train.
couchmagpie 