the bat

i was preparing to go to bed when i saw something flying around in my room, something my father's cat was eagerly trying to reach. a bat. just great. i'm not big on flying things, big or small (Japanese butterflies scare me), and especially not when said things might have rabies. i went through the bathroom and the other room to get outside and open the door from there, then went back the same way, hoping the bat would have the sense to leave. i waited a few minutes before re-entering my room and although i couldn't see the bat anywhere, the cat was clearly still in hunting mode. i decided to ignore the whole situation and go to bed anyway. this worked fine until i hear a flapping of wings and ended up spending the whole night under the very warm covers, waking up every so often at the slightest sound. 

once my father had explained that there were no chances of the bat having rabies in this part of France, i slept a bit easier. it took another 2 nights before i managed to get the bat out (it flew to another room, seemingly not interested in the world outside). but as my father had pointed out, the bat had been protecting me from mosquito bites, making me kind of wish it had stayed. next time i'll just leave it be.

the silence

one of the things i love about my father's place (quite apart from the fact that it's a great place) is the total silence at night. seriously, there isn't a sound after 10pm. no background traffic, no planes, no noisy neighbours. it's so peaceful. it really gives the mind a rest.

the gong

on my first night at my father's, he rang the Japanese gong for dinner. it brought back memories. when we were teenagers, we always used the gong to get people's attention that dinner was now being served. it was easier than screaming up and down the stairs and so much nicer. i'd completely forgotten we used to do that, probably because it stopped once my sister and i no longer lived there. it was a really nice reminder of the past.

painting doors

when i moved in, after repainting the flat, i gave myself some time off before painting the doors. summer would be perfect. ... and six summers later, i finally got started! after putting it off again and again, i went and bought some paint a couple of weeks back to force myself to begin. i managed to paint 2 doors and attached door frames the first week, and have now started on another 2 sets. it's unfortunately dependent on social activities, the gym and the weather, but i feel 2 doors a week's pretty good. unfortunately, there's a total of 10 doors in the flat (unbelievable!), plus another 2 for the closet in the guest room, which i'd totally forgotten about. they're less important as they are actually in good condition. i doubt i'll be done by the time i go off on holidays but it should all be done by September. no sweat.