The Meerkat Muse: 2nd of July, 2025
Welcome one and all, to the chaotic circus of my life, as seen through the Meerkat Muse!
The Man and the Door Handle
Of late, there has been a daily occurrence at work that my colleagues and I have to assume relates to OCD. An older gentleman has walked by the showroom, sometimes more than once, and each time he walks by our door, he pulls on the handle, presumably to ensure the door properly lines up within the frame. He never comes into the store. I don’t know why, but it irks me that he won’t leave our door alone. Then again, OCD is not a pleasant thing to live with.
Heatwave!
The middle part of June has seen temperatures rocket up to 30C in some parts of the UK, and it’s certainly felt like it! This is weather more akin to what the likes of Ibiza, Sicily and the Costa del Sol experience, at least at this time of year. 30C in July and August is certainly not unusual for the UK (indeed, in recent years we’ve pushed 40C), but for the mercury to skyrocket like this, at this point… well, it adds fuel to the notion that climate change is happening under our very noses, despite what naysayers may say.
What with the 9-5 work routine (well, 8am to 5.30pm for this ‘kat), the opportunity to truly appreciate this lovely warm weather hasn’t really existed for me. I’ve seized advantage of it a little, to try and catch some sun. I’m not a vain meerkat by any means, but it’s nice to be something other than pasty.
A Memorable Dream
I dreamed about my grandad the other night. If I were to describe him with a single word, I would choose ‘wonderful’. I could certainly find many more words to describe him, with ‘honourable’, ‘brave’, and several other positive expressions coming to mind. He passed away nearly 30 years ago, a surreal and emotional notion, but he is never really far away. In my dream, he was living with me, we had given him a roof, and he was therefore always close to my family and I. I choose to believe he always is.
Plugging Away
I have reached nearly 31,000 words on the third part of the Chon’ith Saga. At the moment I am regarding part three as the finale, and I have a clearer picture in my head regarding how to end the story. This is not say that some of the characters can’t make appearances in future work, as I have a long-term plan, albeit an extremely ambitious one.
In the meantime, and to offer something of a shameless plug, parts one and two of the Chon’ith Saga can be found via the book covers below:
A Strange Day
Imagine nearly being squashed by a car, witnessing someone faint, and being stuck drifting around town till your offspring is ready to finish an afterschool club. That was my day last Wednesday. I am pretty certain I cooked a little under the blazing sun. That was my experience last Wednesday. I wouldn’t say it’s been too hot here, not yet, but we’ve certainly had several warm days in a row, along with some uncomfortable nights.
I don’t wish to be the meerkat who grumps about hot weather. We wind up with some lengthy winters and damp spells in this country, so let’s try to enjoy a long, hot summer whilst we have one! Still, when you have to go to work in these conditions it’s a bit less fun than if you’re on holiday, sipping cocktails by a hotel pool.
The Embarrassing Rip
Somehow, I failed to notice a rip in my trousers, on my inside thigh. This is a rather unusual place for a tear, though it’s right along the seam, which I guess is a weak point.
The Poorly Laptop
Of grave recent concern – and it stalled my writing efforts for a day – was the curious case of my laptop refusing to power up. It had suffered a spillage via a family member, an accident of course, but one I’ll confess to being frustrated by. Laptops are not the cheapest items to replace, especially if you want a decent one. Still, it appeared back to normal after 24 hours, and a lengthy diagnostic. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to keep a close eye on it. In a rare bit of common sense, I happen to have an extended warranty, so if the failure rests not with the spillage – which I am assured was only on the top of the laptop, not on anything sensitive – but with the hardware, I am covered.
The Date Night
A week off work began with a hot, sweaty day, and a day involving a lot of walking around, thanks to trips to town, one of which was somewhat impromptu. The extra scurrying around in the heat was something I could have done without, not least of all because I was conscious of a very busy evening. My wife and I went to see Train in concert, at the Eventim Apollo!
Was it good? Yes, it was, albeit we could not stay till the end due to engineering works on the railway. This created a lot of hassle getting home, as it meant going to a different station, knowing we’d get home very late. In the end, my wife and I got in about 1:20am, well past my normal bedtime! To make matters worse, I was doing the school run the next day, which meant being up early!
Still, it was a rare moment where my wife and I did something as a couple.
A couple of not-great pics!
There was a romantic moment that soothed this meerkat’s soul. During the song ‘Marry Me’, there was a proposal! Call me hopelessly sentimental, but I thought that was a beautiful thing.
So we end this Muse. It feels brief, but then again, the biggest moments of the past two weeks were pretty big! Take care everyone, until next time!
