Chateau Keyboard

Monday, June 2: False start

Up and about not bright but early this morning for the builders. Who don't arrive. I call at 9 and Manuel explains that they've had a problem with a swimming pool (it's not deep enough, so dig it up and make a bigger hole and put it back together again) so can't come today. But they'll definitely, definitely, definitely be here tomorrow. Normalement.
And then when I give Daisy her tablets this morning I realise just why she was so thirsty during the night on Saturday - these are 40 mg diuretic tablets and she should be taking 10 mg ones. So on Saturday, as well as schlepping round a 4 km walk with us, she had four times the normal dose of anti-diuretics. Poor thing.
Column goes out this morning and some people write to say they haven't received it. Well, some are cut off for not paying their subscriptions and others never subscribed at all and yet more asked to be taken off the list. Which just about covers it. If you're not receiving it now, it's nothing to do with our end - so: Read the e-mail sent when you subscribed (the one that says 'Keep this in a safe place because you'll need it again' - that one, you know, the one you deleted) and you'll find out how to re-subscribe to the mailing.
Nice swim again this evening. The water seems to be stuck at just under 24 degrees and it's comfortable for a proper swim. I have a go with the poolside cleaner too, but when it starts thundering get out of the pool. Is it more or less safe to be in a pool during lightning strikes?
Gosford Park tonight on DVD. It's one of those very, very annoying French ones which insists on having French sub-titles on the screen at all times. What's the point of that?
Anyway, the film's better than I remember because it's easier to ignore Stephen Fry when you're expecting him and concentrate on the good bits, the household and how it interacts. 8/10, I think.