It’s just gone three pm, and I’m standing at the bus stop, waiting for the bus that was due at twelve minutes to the hour. No sign of it of course, nor of the one that was due on the hour. No wonder people are so reluctant to get out of their cars and onto public transport. That goes double when you’re sunk in the depths of a fucking cheerless December.
Speaking of cars, I’m on the way to the garage to retrieve ours, where it’s been to get body repairs after the wife banjoed it for the third time this year. I won £500 on the Premium Bonds earlier this month, guess what I’m spending my winnings on. The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. It’s really enhanced my good humour has that.
I’m not feeling great physically; I’ve got a persistently dripping nose, a headache, and my throat feels as though it’s been sandpapered. I’m starting to cough as well. Some vicious winter lurgy bug has got its vile tentacles into me I fear, an all too frequent occurrence at this time of year.
I feel low mentally too, it’s the sort of day to kill any sense of enjoyment. The light’s fading fast, although it was never anything other than dull and dreary to start with. If we’ve not hit freezing point yet we’re not far from it, and a miserable, keening wind is driving the sleet that’s begun to fall. I can’t stop shivering, can’t feel any warmth in my hands and feet.
And you’ll hear people say how much they love this time of year; ‘oh I just love to get in, pull the curtains and put the fire on, make a nice pot of tea, and settle in to watch Corrie’. Cosmic. Then you’ve got the hearty types, who’ll tell you how bracing it is, breathing in the refreshing freezing air after the debilitating heat of a British summer. Yeah right.
My, and there’s months of this dreekness ahead of us to endure before there’s another chance to sit in the garden with a nice glass of wine, just savouring the summer. I can’t wait to get to Gran Canaria for a bit of sun and warmth, for the chance to ditch the deep winter blues for a while. You can stick the winter in that other place where the sun don’t shine.
Give me an Em… ‘Whoa baby I got them deep winter blues
Nominated by Ron Knee.