Best laid plans

The best laid plans of mice and men

You will have heard the phrase and ...

On Wednesday was the first prison visit and I was to meet a co-ordinator at 9.30 at the prison gate and the first session was for 10. In order to get there by 9.30 I needed to leave home at 8.30.

George's caregiver is due that morning at 8.

Just before 8 I went to the toilet to find a lake in there!! Clean up time straight away.

Next problem - caregiver late and arrived at 8.25!! Got him organised and left.

Next problem - got to a round about which a lot of vehicles have to use with people travelling to work and/or school. A flat decked truck (rather beaten up) was carrying a load of scrap metal going round the round about. As it circled round the metal went all over the road. The truck stopped in the round about and two men alighted and picked up the metal while cars banked up on all four roads leading to the round about. After 10 minutes we were able to go.

Got to the prison just on 9.30 and went to the gate house to meet the co-ordinator. 9.45 he still had not shown up. I went to the counter and asked for them to ring him and find out where he was. He came over - he had the wrong time down.

Got the area where I was to do the literacy work and had just sat down when a phone call came through; the prisoner refused to come!!

Back we went to the co-ordinator's office to find out what was happening. Finally it was arranged that I take it at 11 that day rather than 10 so everything worked out in the end but talk about one stress after another.

While I am away someone takes George out for a walk and then they get a coffee and something to eat. We then get home about the same time.

Although it was a stressful day due to unforeseen circumstances it gives me a chance to do something for someone else which will hopefully be useful. Doing voluntary work for others makes people feel good about themselves.