blamebrampton: 15th century woodcut of a hound (Default)
blamebrampton ([personal profile] blamebrampton) wrote2011-01-24 10:10 pm

This is why my fanfiction is so porn-free

I start work at 10, which is a perfectly sensible time to start work, I believe, even if everyone around me insists in starting at 9. I live a 15-minute walk from work, so as you can imagine, there seems little point in me getting out of bed before 8.30. This morning was running a bit late and at 9.05 I had just splashed my face with cold water when there was a pounding on the door.

Thinking it was the postman, I grabbed a large towel and wrapped it around myself in a manner that was far more decorous in result than what half the fashion mag kids wear to work, and answered the door, positioning most of myself genteelly behind said door in expectation of needing to sign something and be given books.

It was the water man.

'I've come to read the meter,' he said. (It is in our back garden for reasons known only to the lunatics who built this house.)

'Oh,' I said. 'Could you wait a minute while I put some clothes on?'

He blinked. 'Um, I can come back in 15.'

'That would be perfect!'

Off he went, I shut the door and ran to find clothes. Dressed, I brushed my teeth. Then did my hair. Then slathered on sunblock. Then contemplated make-up before deciding it would just melt off in the sauna that was today's heat. Fifteen minutes had come and gone twice, then three times.

I rang work. 'I'm running late,' I told my friend. 'If anyone comes looking for me, tell them I will be there asap, I am just waiting on Sydney Water.'

'Oh, what's up?' she asked.

I recounted the story.

She burst out laughing.

'What?' I said, confused.

'Sweetie, one of three things has happened: a. he's decided you're a fiendish cougar after his young blood and fled; b. he is at the chemist buying supplies even as we speak; c. he is at the Catholic church down the road repenting his lustful thoughts.'

I gaped at the phone. 'Why would you say that? I'm lovely and proper!'

'Replay it in your head,' she said.

'It's all ... oh. Well, a perverted person could possibly misinterpret that ... but he's probably just been delayed at another house.'

'If he's not back within ten from now, or if he's back and eager ...'

'Shut up.'

He reappeared just as I was about to give up on him and go to work. He was a professional credit to Sydney Water and did not even blink an eye at our giant pet spider by the back door. My friend at work admitted that she had been wrong and that meter readers must be used to dealing with the dozy. I, for my troubles, was attacked by a rose bush in the back garden and now have twin puncture marks on my arm that look as though I have tangled with the world's tiniest vampire. And I was late for work!

[identity profile] catsintheattic.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 11:19 am (UTC)(link)
Now I'm smiling. :-)

Thanks!

[identity profile] kareina.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 11:28 am (UTC)(link)
The part that surprises me with this story is where you'd need to even know he was there at all--most places I live they just walk to the meter on their own, read it and go, without even knocking on the door...

[identity profile] painless-j.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 11:29 am (UTC)(link)
Lol story

And I start work at noon and think it's too bloody early...

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 11:30 am (UTC)(link)
The meter is in back garden, behind a fence with a locked gate. If ONLY it were somewhere they could read it and go!

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 11:30 am (UTC)(link)
Hurrah! My work here is done!

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 11:31 am (UTC)(link)
If only I could convince my staff to start later, I would join you. But the little buggers would just sit there for three hours on Facebook rather than one ...

[identity profile] brissygirl.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 11:32 am (UTC)(link)
That's classic! Although not as bad as having a kip on the lounge, with the front door wide open and only dressed in a bra & underwear, when a lovely scottish boy knocked on my door selling memberships to the local karate club!!

[identity profile] vaysh11.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 11:42 am (UTC)(link)
If you'd wrote a daily column, simply recounting everyday recurrences like this one, you could be rich. Just sayin'. ♥

[identity profile] vaysh11.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 11:43 am (UTC)(link)
Noon is a good time to start work. *nods*

[identity profile] vaysh11.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 11:44 am (UTC)(link)
Er. Make that "occurrences". Note to self: don't use Latin-based words in the morning.

[identity profile] deannawol.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 11:47 am (UTC)(link)
Have people looking at me oddly because I may have laughed out loud when reading this. You, honey, are a treasure. Thanks for brightening up my Monday morning. :)

[identity profile] mayela-delarue.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 11:47 am (UTC)(link)
*titter*

[identity profile] kareina.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 11:58 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, there you go. I've never lived anywhere with a locking gate on the yard. See the things we learn about by reading LJ?

[identity profile] kareina.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 12:00 pm (UTC)(link)
I second this comment (well, the edited version of it, anyway...)

[identity profile] kareina.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 12:04 pm (UTC)(link)
This story puts me in mind of a friend of mine from Alaska--a large/tall bearded, somewhat intimidating looking balding man with lots of body-hair. One day the doorbell rang as he stepped out of the shower, so he wrapped on a towel and answered the door. Peeking his head around the door he was greeted by two little old ladies who explained that they wished to talk to him about God. So he dropped the towel, opened the door widely and said "sure ladies, come on in". Not only did they depart hastily, no other religious folk of any persuasion came to his door looking to convert him again for as long as he lived there...

[identity profile] quatrefoil.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 12:05 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm afraid I can never set foot in your house again, now that I know about the spider.

[identity profile] themostepotente.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 12:15 pm (UTC)(link)
*shivers* I'll happily trade you seasons, Cougar lady. *g*
ext_1059: (Default)

[identity profile] shezan.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 01:02 pm (UTC)(link)
......somehow, the only words I keep from this entertaining story are GIANT PET SPIDER??????????

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 01:27 pm (UTC)(link)
EEEK! No, I'm cautious about public nudity now I am off the communes. Unlike Mr Brammers who believes that it is fine to walk around sans pants with the front door open -- we have a pedestrian walkway eight feet from our front door and a long hallway with no hiding places!

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 01:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh darling, I can't type or speak and I only try in my first language! And as for being a columnist, I did briefly entertain the idea of becoming a right-wing columnist, not because I am a conservative, but because I feel people who are desperately deserve a better quality of commentary.

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 01:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Sadly I am not a fat old sportsman, so I am in the wrong country ;-)

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 01:39 pm (UTC)(link)
I am glad that my obliviousness brings joy to the world ;-) Though I was right in the end! (Shame about the rose thorns ...)

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 01:39 pm (UTC)(link)
*Shakes head at self*

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 01:43 pm (UTC)(link)
It's the only way to keep tools in your shed around here ;-)

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2011-01-24 01:44 pm (UTC)(link)
He's very naughty! Though I did once flash a Mormon who wouldn't leave, but I gave him two polite minutes of refusals first!

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