World Enough and Time

A surreal day.

I woke up, didn't feel too bad. When I went to feed the little feathered guys, I discovered that their water dish was missing. Now, they have one of those dishes that attaches to the bars of the cage - it couldn't just be missing. But it was.

So I thought they might have dislodged it somehow, but it wasn't on the floor near the cage. And if (surely I wouldn't?) I'd removed it to fill it and hadn't taken it back, it wasn't anywhere I'd have been likely to put it. Baffling.

Eventually I found it - yes, they'd dislodged it, the little devils, and it fell into the seed-catcher around their cage. I wonder when that happened?

So then I went to work. I didn't have to speak to anyone until I started making my message for my voice mail. I couldn't say a word. Total laryngitis. Usually I talk to the little feathered guys before I leave for work, but today I didn't, because I was afraid it would start me coughing again. I hadn't even realized I couldn't talk.

So I went through the day speechless. Well, the occasional whisper.

I went home at lunchtime and slept, and woke up to wind and rain outside. Fierce autumn weather. I had to go back to work because there was a big party for the departing Director, who is a lovely person. I wanted to be friendly and chatty, especially with the people I hadn't met before, like the Board of Directors - but I couldn't say a word. I tried to be silent and mysterious and friendly at the same time. Didn't feel like eating - and usually I love party goodies! Especially since I helped to set up the catering.

And then there were many brief speeches about how wonderful Carol was and how much she'd done for co-operatives, and everyone was so nice, and I'm standing there wondering whether I'll even be working there next week. Weird feeling.

When I went home, it was raining less. I went to bed and slept heavily for four hours.

Did today really happen? It all feels a bit too odd to be real.

I'm going to bed now. Hoping I'll wake up with a voice again.