Murphy strikes again!

If you see Murphy - please kick him in the shins for me ... he's been at work with his law again.

John left on Monday morning - on Sunday night both the remotes for the gate stopped working - we couldn't get into the property ... luckily the gardener was staying over. On Monday and Tuesday I was sick with a tummy bug and couldn't lift my head from the pillow. On Tuesday the gardener said he needed an hour to go to his old place of employment to drop off his uniform. He was gone for the whole day.

On Wednesday, the gardener had to go off again to get his money for the uniform - he was not back when Agnes left and I was at college. When I got home he was standing outside the gate, dripping wet. Inside the gate the dogs where soaked through and had obviously rolled around the entire garden in the mud.

I had just got inside and dried off and made a cup of tea when the gardener (who is supposed to be our guard when John goes away) came and told me he had to go out 'to take money to his friend for his rent'. I refused and there was a long discussion. I could only resolve it by calling John - who reminded him he's not allowed off the property in the evening and managed to sort him out as he had made the arrangements with him. I went back to watching Eastenders. 15 minutes later, he is back at the front door. Now he has to go to the shop to buy bread (despite the fact that it is 6 o'clock at night and he has been out for most of the day). He got very upset when I wouldn't agree and I got very stressed and we had a big row. Another phone call to John. A sulking guard returns to his room. By now I am stressed and upset.

Then the heavens opened and we had rain like I have never seen before ... not even in Ireland (tell you that story some other time.) There was a lot of very loud thunder directly overhead and many flashes of lightening and the dogs were petrified, so soaking wet and covered in mud they tried to sit on my lap or wrap themselves around my legs. The satellite dish got waterlogged so the tv went off and I spent the whole evening rushing around the house with towels and bowls to put under the sieve that serves as a roof in our house. At least the electricity didn't go off ...

WHY do these things always fall apart while John is away? WHY does the gardener always play up when I am here alone?? I think it is time for John to come home now :-(