Tuesday, February 06, 2007

System Restore



You know that thing you can do on a computer called System Restore, where you can go back to a previous state in the event of a failure? Well…do you think it could work on humans?

You see, I’ve had a horrible two weeks. If I could go back in time to, say, 21st January and then just not do this bit again, I would be very grateful.

It started with the legal separation that I did not want…not only did I have to fork out money I didn’t have for the train fare and the hotel in Perpignan but I also got to watch the man I love walk away from me yet again while, at Perpignan Station, I sat down and wept…

It wasn’t quite like that. We had a nice day out really, having lunch and doing a bit of sightseeing… I think I should have at least tried to strangle him or strangle the lawyer or throw myself into the river Têt…but no. He bought me lunch and I bought him a book at the FNAC and then he walked me to the station and said goodbye.

And that was that.



A few days later I flew to England with my three girls to see my little sister get married. It was lovely and I cried buckets although whether they were for her or for me, I’m not sure. I took lots of wonderful photographs and then someone erased them all from my camera…all I’ve got to remind me of the day are a couple of close-ups of somebody’s thumb and a picture of a light fixture. Actually, I think that I’m jinxed where romantic photography is concerned. The only picture I have from my honeymoon is of a seagull on Snowdon…

Back home, things were not about to get better. On Thursday night, the water heater exploded. I was in my bedroom listening to that scary bit from Carmina Burana – you know, this bit:



...when I heard a loud bang. I thought it was part of the music so I didn’t investigate. However, when I went to the kitchen an hour later there was - to paraphrase Coleridge - water, water everywhere…and none of it in the sink. A veritable Niagra Falls was gushing from the boiler and into my bathroom, living room and hallway…

I managed to mop it all up and I called the maintenance people the next day. They sent a raving lunatic who talked to himself and the boiler incessantly and seemed dangerously upset when he realised he would have to do more than tweak a screw or push a button to get it going again. He left muttering threats (I think) and said someone would phone me when the required spare part was in stock.

So, here we are, shivering and smelly once more and fighting over the hot water bottle (I really must buy a couple more of those). A friend did lend me an electric heater which I joyfully plugged in and around which we all huddled... until after a while, something began to smell. Unplugging the heater, I saw that the socket was turning brown and the plug had melted (why, why??)…

I imagined things couldn’t get worse…could they?

Well, it depends on what you think of mice. Both headless ones on your kitchen floor and noisy ones hiding somewhere behind the loo. Oh gosh, that’s worse…much worse…

So, what about this System Restore? My hard drive has definitely defragmented - I’m already freezing…and I don’t want to crash!

10 comments:

Pam said...

Oh. My. God.

I'm all for System Restore...if only I knew how!

Deeply hope you soon have a turn for the better.

Tinsie said...

Take deep breaths.
Think positive.
Things can (and will) get better :-)

Gigi said...

Thank you both - I know things will get better...and there's always someone worse off than yourself, isn't there?

angela said...

What a total nightmare. System Restore...I wish. Let me know if you find it.
In the event of not finding it just keep your head below the parapet and keep battering on....
Angela

Louise said...

Promise it does get better, but it's awful in the beginning...

I was going to recommend you a wonderful book to read but of course am totally incapabable of remembering either the author or the title - but it might reappear from the depths one day...

Basically the author (who is a well-known French author) wrote about her separation and divorce from her awful husband (and he was) who cashed in on her success and eventually swopped her for a more recent model.

In her book she said that separation and/or divorce is worse than bereavement - when a loved one dies that is it...final. Divorce is the same, apart from the fact that the loved one is still alive and living another life - and that takes a lot of adjusting to.

It's damned hard in the beginning, but it does get better and I have done loads of things in my new life that I would never have done before. I see my ex occasionally with pleasure (liking catching up with an old friend) and feel really good afterwards - someone else has to deal with him now!

stargazer said...

Think Bob Marley. Three Little Birds - Don't worry, bout a thing, cos every little thing.... Hope your three little birds and momma bird are surviving in your nest. Ever thought of a yirt?
Wouldn't it be wonderful to just do a single day over again sometimes?! Especially with the oldest (guinea pig) teenage daughter? Hoping your week is showing improvement and you have some warmth in your weekend in all areas of your life. xx

Gigi said...

Angela - I am a batterer - don't you worry...

Louise - it's true that this whole mess was like a bereavement - he was still there, living his life but not with me. But I am optimistic - things are not quite as straightforward as they seem :-)

stargazer - remember when they were all sweet and little and said 'yes mummy' to everything you said? Is Guinea Pig 18 yet? I can't believe how time has flown :-(

Betty Carlson said...

Sad as this all is, I just love your musical addition to the story! It really highlights the drama...

I hadn't run into your blog yet but will keep in touch. I'd love to know how you put in your musical extracts, too.

It's interesting to run into an expat who's been here longer than I have, I was starting to feel like quite the old-timer!

Seriously, take care...

Gigi said...

betty...go to http://radioblog.com and you can paste the code of your favourite songs into your blog :-)

Tinsie said...

Gigi, you're right. Whatever you (anyone) is going through, there's always someone going through worse. It's a law of nature.
Hope things get better soon.
Tins xx