Diary Thursday 1st December 2016
@arthurchappell (45002)
Preston, England
December 1, 2016 2:38pm CST
The last lap to Xmas begins as children everywhere open the first door on their advent calendars and I open my front door to venture forth to work an hour and a half before dawn.
Again, there was not much to do at work and we were all sent home at 11.30 am. I paid some bills and posted all the Xmas cards I can’t deliver to friends by hand. Those of you who I have home addresses for should be included in that grouping.
At my flat I discovered my toilet pipe is leaking a little so I have alerted my landlady to the situation.
The real drama came in the early evening with a very loud clatter and thud that came from within the block but outside my own flat. I looked out the door but saw nothing wrong. Unfortunately I never thought to look down the stairs.
The 26 year old lady from the flat opposite knocked on my door and virtually collapsed into my arms as I opened it. She’d fallen down the stairs – the noise I heard, and she was extremely drunk. She was mainly concerned to get me to talk to her boyfriend for her – I clued him in and then called her an ambulance. I got her into her flat where she lumped out on her bed – I had the emergency services lady instructing me to keep her talking and then when she passed out again, to keep an eye on her breathing. Her boyfriend and the medics arrived. She refused to go to hospital but they got her up again – it seems she has a history of drink issues and falls. Her boyfriend, a very nice chap, called her mum round and he is staying with her for a few days now so my part in the drama is over for now. Hope she is going to be alright and steers clear of future collisions with the bottle.
I got a modest payment online to sales of my Haiku collection which went out earlier this year.
Arthur Chappell
13 people like this
12 responses
@celticeagle (158876)
• Boise, Idaho
1 Dec 16
My goodness. What would they do without you there at that apartment? A hero.
What is the 'Haiku collection'?
3 people like this
@celticeagle (158876)
• Boise, Idaho
1 Dec 16
@arthurchappell .....Sounds interesting. What is the Haiku about?
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
1 Dec 16
@celticeagle not really a heroic situation - the Haiku book is a short collection of 250 of my Haiku poems - many of them written for one here orginally - I put a short booklet of them out - actually on advice from Jessica on here and occassionally people buy it which is nice
2 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
2 Dec 16
@celticeagle it depends. It's a short style of poem, about all sorts of things, and arthur is REALLY good at it. It is a style I am not, and often I think are written horribly. now he won't say this bit, but you can find it on amazon under this title
The 5-7-5-Club: Collected Haiku (Yes Book 1) by Arthur Chappell
2 people like this
@crossbones27 (48417)
• Mojave, California
1 Dec 16
That is crazy. I had a drunk guy walk in our house before. Nothing like that, but he walked through two fences, through our front door and met my old German Shepherd face to face at the time. My German Shepherd politely told him to leave in a way only he knows how to do. That guy was lucky he did not get his face bit off.
Glad the drama for you is over and the girl is OK. That can be some scary stuff.
3 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
1 Dec 16
@crossbones27 she wasn't scary - just very vulnerable and distressed - she really needs someone in support but her drink issues have broken her marriage and now isolation is pushing her deeper down - her new boyfriend seems a genuinely nce guy - hope betwwn us her friends can help keep her from going further over the edge - the guy who crashed into your space and met your dog sounds too far gone - this lady probably still has some hope of coming back from the brink yet - I hope so
2 people like this
@crossbones27 (48417)
• Mojave, California
1 Dec 16
@arthurchappell Yeah, they need to get her help before she goes over the edge. The guy that walked into our house was apperently one of our neighbors friends at the time. He was in the police academy. Go figure lol.
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
1 Dec 16
@arthurchappell It certainly constitutes a vast change of the times because Christmas cards used to be mailed by the ton.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
5 Dec 16
@Asylum very true - we used to run out of space to display them all at home but it has quietened at my mum's in recent years
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
1 Dec 16
@Asylum they have over-staffed expecting a bigger surge than they are getting with so many people shopping online nowadays and sending e-cards and 'app-y xmas' is easier than a 'happy xmas' card
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
2 Dec 16
he has it up on amazon under the title of The 5-7-5-Club: Collected Haiku (Yes Book 1) Kindle Edition
by Arthur Chappell. of which I know he wont tell ppl, so I am! I got one for me and one for dad
2 people like this
@asfarasiknow (3341)
• Bournemouth, England
1 Dec 16
What time do you have to start? It must be very hard to budget if you don't know how many hours you will be working from day to day - more like self employment than PAYE.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
1 Dec 16
@asfarasiknow my shifts start at 7am so I have to be up by 4.30 am to get my first of two buses at 5.30 am - quite gruelling
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
2 Dec 16
@asfarasiknow the book is published through an online page called Pronoun with sales directed through Amazon
1 person likes this
@asfarasiknow (3341)
• Bournemouth, England
1 Dec 16
@arthurchappell And then only end up working for half a day.
Re the haiku book: I know as a Nook user myself that Barnes and Noble have moved on from a lot of their UK support. Presumably you are still able to get the e-book sales without any disruption.
1 person likes this
@AutumnSnow (4584)
•
1 Dec 16
Yup 24 more days till christmas,lol. Last night I finished my shopping (online) and I am done and ready,lol. Every year we always end up scrambling and rushing at the last minute and it drives me nuts. Im very happy that I not only set a goal to be done early but I made it. Now I have a couple of weeks to rest before the fun begins.,lol.
3 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
2 Dec 16
if you haven't gotten this Haiku book yet, you should, I love it. Got one for my dad too.
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
2 Dec 16
I had an exciting afternoon with a student having an asthma attack. All fun and games ...
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
2 Dec 16
@Poppylicious ouch hope the student was/is ok - at least Ashma isn't self-inflicted
@Morleyhunt (21737)
• Canada
1 Dec 16
No major excitement here. I spent a mostly quiet day....mostly at home.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
2 Dec 16
That's pretty drunk.I've never fallen down stairs before.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
4 Dec 16
@teamfreak16 done it sober but not drunk - if drink made me such a liability I would quit
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@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
1 Dec 16
Wow, shocking about your neighbor. Congrats on selling you poetry. Impressive
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
1 Dec 16
@FayeHazel thanks - I think she will be ok now with her boyfriend and mum looking after her tonight
