My room at Irene's were next to theirs, as the other bedroom was choc-a bloc full of clothes to be ironed, old furniture, and many more. But I soon sorted my abode out, and aquainted myself with things like the washing machine, the cooker,the bathroom, and so forth, and thought that I could be happy here for the little while I still had before going back home again.
In the meantime Irma had let me know that she and her girls were coming to visit me in a couple of week's time, and I had a busy time booking their train tickets from Kings Cross to Stirling, where I would pick them up, and getting accomodation, which was not too bad, as the caravan at Immervioulin caravan Park that I got for the other kids were open.I was glad for that as the hotels were too expensive, and at this time in the season all places like wee cottages were fully booked.
I in the meantime was as happy as a Lark, and if I didn't know the effect my 'lovely' voice had on people, I would have gone round that hotel singing all the time. Irene was wonderful to work with, and the Boys were superb! None of the other hotel's uncomfortable and unhappy feel was evident here, as the Boys were used to working with staff, and treated all of us with dignity and respect!
There were an American couple, both very beautiful, and whom the youngsters had baptized Ken and Barbie, who were a delight to work with. They did the bar, waitering, and was also in charge of the youngsters's rosters, and there was quite a lot of squablling over this, as all the youngsters wanted at least one Friday or Saturday off per week, but that was out of the question, and I never even tried anymore to get off over the week-ends. I have learned to live with the fact that I could only go to one of the many parties after work, and mostly only caught the tail-end of the dancing, but the gayities went on till the morning, and sometimes beyond!
My living with Irene and Jim took some getting used to, but, as I was no spring chick anymore, life had taught me to take things in my stride, and as that Greek woman at their Embassy had told me once, everything is better than to die!
As Irene wanted only ten pounds a week for the room, I felt a bitty bad, so decided to give them a bottle of wine with my payment, and they loved that, as between them they finish a couple of bottles during, and after dinner, after which Jim would fall asleep watching television, and Irene would go up and to bed, where the most awesome noises would soon after start drifting to my ears through the thin wall. It was amazing to me that a woman could snore like that, but I got used to it, and if I didn't leave my phone on for my friend to fake astma in order for me to come over, her being of course by that time unable to walk, I slept soundly and well!