Cat trick

Yesterday was my companies Global Community Day. I had volunteered to do some painting at what I mistakingly thought was a kids charity but I later found out was an animal shelter. Easy mistake to make!

Our brief was to repaint 3 rooms that are used as indoor cat playrooms. This was a particular own goal on my part as I hate cats, and these rooms, which probably hadn’t seen a lick of paint for a decade stunk like a feline public toilet.

After three or so hours the rooms each with two coats of fresh paint on walls and ceilings looked miles better and smelt a little less of the base of an over-used lamp post.

Afterwards buoyed by an afternoon of good deed I decided to walk the 7 miles home. Stopping only initially for a big bottle of water and halfway for a rather delicious ice cream, it took me a few minutes over two hours.

I might have completed it quicker if it wasn’t for a couple of handicaps. Firstly pavements or sidewalks have mostly yet to reach Bermuda so a lot of the walk was on the road, and roads here are as windy and narrow as the Monte Carlo F1 racetrack, and the island’s drivers also think that they are aspiring James Hunt’s!

My other handicap was that I was wearing a company t-shirt complete with the football team that we sponsor (photo). It doesn’t bother me, wearing it that is, as we milk the Man U ‘brand’ for almost everything we paid for it. However I gave up acknowledging the hoots and passing comments from motorists and pedestrians as it started to hamper my pace. I did laugh at one bloke sat on the side of the road though that offered to buy it of me, so he could use it to wash his motorbike. I nearly went for that especially knowing as it would go straight in the bin when I got home.

Surprisingly this morning it was only my head that hurt after a cracking night at some friends where I was over-served with wine, but my feet save a little blister were fine.

There is an annual End to End walk which as the name suggests is a 25-mile charity walk from one end of Bermuda to the other. I would love to do this before it is time for us to leave the island, but I’ll make sure I wear a different colour red shirt that day.