High Maintenance?

Just yesterday Alice and I returned to the Condo from a North Indian restaurant and, in the car park, bumped into a really nice friend of Alice. She was with some-one new to us but who was also a keen tennis player and we stopped and chatted for a while, as they arranged a 2 hour game for next Sunday. With no justification whatsoever I referred to Alice as "high maintenance". This is, of course, completely untrue!

As they arranged for the match, I noted that I was having four days off, including the weekend, because of Chinese New Year and therefore there was not a problem. I may not have made it clear to the new lady but there could perhaps have been a problem otherwise.

This is because in fact I am the high maintenance one and want to have Alice with me all the time when I am not at work. Earlier notes have mentioned our walks, and the pleasure we get from being together on them. Just yesterday morning we took the brat and two sleep-over pals from his school to Singapore Zoo. [You can believe the hype - it's brilliant] But whether it's walking or watching the ladies in the Australian Open or anything else, I do like to be near her.

So between her tennis, running the home, the school run, taking our son to his many engagements, all done with only a part time girl once a week to do the heaviest cleaning, she has to squeeze in all the normal lady things like hairdos, while still being free to provide my happiness. And so, quite clearly I am the one that requires so much maintenance. But luckily Alice provides it, and so I remain a contented man, although worried by the nearness of Rabbie Burns Day and my consequent entry into yet another decade.