Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 242

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Easy As Falling Off A Bike,
by Angharad
part 242.

"Cathy can you help me with this?" Lesley approached me with an open A4 binder.

"She's supposed to be on sick leave," shouted someone else.

"It's okay," I said. The problem was of biological distribution of a species and the pressures upon it. Stella went off to talk with Pippa. It took me about half an hour to help her sort out her difficulties.

"Where is Stella?" I asked returning to Pippa's office.

"She's gone."

"Gone! Gone where?"

"I don't know, what is this the Spanish Inquisition?"

Tempted to go into a Monty Python sketch, I hesitated before deciding it probably wouldn't be a good idea to go on about Cardinal Biggles.

"No, it's an English enquiry. She is my lift home."

"Doesn't Tom live there anymore then?"

"Stella's car is more comfy, remember I am still a bit tender in the nether regions."

"Oh yeah, I forgot," she smirked.

I gave her a hard Paddington stare, but she ignored it. I obviously need to practice it, Stella has it off to a tee.

"I take it you won't be riding your bike for a week or two then?"

"No I won't, but did I tell you Simon bought me a rather nice new one, a Specialized Ruby."

"I haven't seen you since Christmas, have I?"

"I suppose not. Yeah, he gave me a bike stand as well."

"What a stand to park your bike in, or one that you kick down when you leave it outside the Co-op?"

"No, my mistake, a workshop stand and loads of tools. You know one that means you can lift the bike off the ground to play with the gears and things, with a clamp on it."

"Oh I know, so you can turn the pedals without having to lift it yourself."

"That's the sort of thing."

"I suppose for a hardened bikie like yourself it's a nice prezzie, but I'd have killed him if he'd given it to me. Hardly, Calvin Klein is it?"

"No it's Park tools."

"Oh well that's okay then." She shook her head and I was well aware she had no idea who Park were.

"They make some of the best workshop equipment for bikes, there is."

"Well duh! As if I didn't already know that."

"Did you?"

"Course I didn't, I was being ironic or something."

"Something," I muttered under my breath.

"What?"

My phone gave the beep of a text message.

'Pic U up in 10.
Stella.'

Saved by the beep, I thought. I quickly texted back, 'Ok.' Sometimes I'm quite inspired in my communication skills. However, today wasn't one of them. My doodah was beginning to hurt from perching on the stools in the lab while I explained what Lesley had to do to complete her assignment. Thank God she wasn't stuck on the mathematics of biochem. I'm better at finding Talpa europaea than mini mols.

I wished Pippa a good afternoon and went to wait outside. It was cold standing around but I certainly wasn't going to sit down on the hard pavement.

Stella pulled up a few moments later. "You look tired."

"I am," I replied, then yawned. It was as if I only needed someone's permission to feel exhausted, which I did. I was nodding off before we got home.

"Cathy, we're there."

"Wwwwwwwhat?" I said trying to rouse myself.

"I think you need a little nap, girl."

"Affirmative," I said trudging to the door. I went straight up the stairs and to my bed. It felt very different to when Simon was there to cuddle with me. I need to get my Elvis, I thought to myself then giggled at my recollection of the conversation earlier.

It was dark when I awoke and I could smell cooking. I wondered if I'd gone to sleep in the wrong house, but I looked around my bedroom and it was the one I usually slept in. I sniffed again and could definitely smell the aroma of cooking food. Not only that, but it smelt good too. Surely Tom wasn't home yet because Stella is rather limited in her culinary abilities, at least as far as I know.

I dressed and went downstairs, Stella was in the kitchen singing to herself and pottering.

"Fancy a cuppa?" I said quite loudly and right behind her.

She jumped and shrieked, then turned around blushing and frowned at me. "I could have had a heart attack, sneaking up on me like that!"

"You have to have a heart first, and I didn't sneak up on you. You were making so much noise you didn't hear me. Wotcha doin'?"

"Making a casserole, from this." She pushed a slip of paper she'd cut out of a newspaper of magazine.

"Hmm, looks good and smells brilliant."

"Oh does it?"

"You know me Stella, I could make George Washington look like a habitual liar."

"He won't be president for much longer."

"George Washington not George Dubya."

"Yes."

"Stella, George Washington has been dead for two hundred years."

She looked at me as if she wasn't computing it.

"Oh, well who was I thinking of, then?"

"George Bush?"

"Oh yes, that's the one." She went back to her recipe and I went off to the conservatory and let Kiki out to the garden.

Tom came home and smelling the aroma said, "Hmm that smells good, Cathy."

"Doesn't it, but tell Stella she cooked it."

"Under your supervision?"

"No, I didn't know anything about it, I went for a nap and woke up to these lovely smells of lamb casserole."

"Amazing, so what has made Stella suddenly want to cook?"

"Some recipe she found in a magazine. At least I think that's what it was, you'll have to ask her. But if it tastes as good as it smells, I can't wait to eat some."

Tom declared his interest in her cooking project and Stella was suitably flattered. She'd seen the picture in a magazine, looked at the recipe and decided she could do it herself. She did and it tasted wonderful.

Now if only Simon can develop an interest in the laundry.....

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Comments

How about that

Nice to see that one of those ungrateful lumps is trying. Now, Cathy needs to take one of her new tools in and show it to Pippa, "Here, see?" Smack! "Ouch!" One of the larger spanners should do nicely, I'd think.

Karen J.

"Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose"
Janis Joplin


"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin

Hush, you're pinching all my best lines.

Angharad's picture

Seriously Sis, Cathy isn't quite as violent as you, that's usually more Stella's M.O.

hugs,

Angharad

Angharad

Letting Kiki out was good but only a half measure

Let the dog out to play in heavy traffic OR let it out then shoot it, smelly, messy dog.

Would put the fear of God into Tom and Simon and earn the applause of cats worldwide.

It's not me, our cats have a gun to my ...

John in Wauwatosa

P.S. As to Pippa, "Dear, there is this 40 page document needed for the conference with all the other universities. We need fifty copies it by tomorrow at eight am. A powers surge last night took out the computer so you'll have to type it on that old electric typerwriter then carry the papers over to the University print shop for copies and collating, the phocopier is down too. And we're out of tea and coffee. Ta-ta!"

John in Wauwatosa

What makes me think

What makes me think that you aren't keen on dogs, John? Poor Kiki.

Hilary

John

I now see where the sadist has been hiding. Personally I'd just turn the firehose on Kiki every time before letting
her back in she'd learn soon enough. Oh and while I have nothing personally against cats I'd like to introduce you to my pack of attack trained Timber-Shepards they have a lovely temperment until you mess with someone or some thing they consider a pack member. Think about it.

Nothing in Life is Free; if the cost is not monetary it will be physical, emotional, or spiritual.
Rachel Anne

Nothing in Life is Free; if the cost is not monetary it will be physical, emotional, or spiritual.
Rachel Anne

Cats and dogs

What is it with people who like cats or dogs? I get on fine with most members of both species.
When I was younger my family had a dog and a cat (John will not be surprised to learn that the very small tabby used to boss the rather large German Shepherd-Labrador cross). Later I had a dog who was best friends with the neighbour's cat. The dog died; we missed him but couldn't bear to get another, but then we were adopted by a stray cat.
You have to admit that nearly all cats and most dogs would love a tasty snack of dormouse, though.
Don't you think Stella could find an old manual with a qwertz keyboard for Pippa?

Sinisterpenguin

Both

kristina l s's picture

I have two Belgian Shepherds, a big bumbly boy and a quick as a whip girl; and two cats. A big fluffy tabby and a lithe little blue burmese/moggie. They all get on fine... mostly. Pups do like to chase every now and then but it's all in fun. I have a suspicion the kitties don't quite get it though. There's an Auntie now too, the family. Tis what ya makes it. Don't do dormeeses, sorry. Um, how'd we get here?

Kristina

What did Pippa do to you?

If you brain Pippa, who's gonna keep Cathy & Tom organized? If I were Cathy, tho, I'd keep an extra spanner handy, preferably a big clunky one for car repairs...just in case. Okay, I admit I didn't know either, but I'm wearing my biking helmet 'cause I suspect you're sneaking around, Karen!

Sooooo, who was the poison tester for the casarole - did they trick Simon into taking the first bite?

Hmmmm - and, it's been a while since we've had some nasty blokes show up and hassle the pure of heart... By the itching of my thumb, something wicked this way comes.....

He conquers who endures. ~ Persius

Dubya—Confusing for Stella…

…talking about George Washington—after all he's a George Dubya too, but without a Bush. Good to see Stella being responsible for cooking for once. Let's just hope it's edible, after all, it could smell gorgeous, but the meat could still be as tough as old boots.

Another good one, Ang, with more classy banter.

Hugs,

Gabi

Gabi.


“It is hard for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs.” Thomas Hardy—Far from the Madding Crowd.

Nice to see Stella Cooking!

... A lady of many talents, learning yet another! Nice that SOMEONE else in that house is learning to cook!

Nice episode, seeing Cathy in her element at work... Even if she wasn't supposed to be there.

And, hey, Shrub is still President for almost another year...

Thanks, Annette

Liked the political commentary

George? George who? Nice one Angharad.

Still trying to figure out if there is a bit of Stella - Tom mixing in the works. Seems pretty radical to have Stella getting domestic all of the sudden.

Simon and laundry? Probably not ... if he decides / discovers that Cathy needs help in the laundry, he'll do what any young, rich aristocrat does... hire a maid!

Always fun,
Woody

I'm wondering why they haven't

They are rich, as in extremely. A little help around the house would not be too much. I wonder how common it is, I've always thought it was very common.

Something's missing ?

Shouldn't she still be dilating about 4 times a day at this point? I am surprised she is able to stay a full day at work under those circumstances. As soon as she comes home she would have to reach right for a dilator.

Kim

Cathy And Her Family

Are fun, no doubt about it. But heck, I was hoping to see another Spike incident. But I wonder how old Spike is now? i wonder if Cathy can talk Simon and Stella into racing with her? Wouldn't Simon or Stella do a great job of massaging Cathy's legs before and after a ride? Then Cathy could meet Lance Armstrong and perhaps even qualify for the Olympics.
May Your Light Forever Shine

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Hmmm, I smell a plot twist...

After all, Stella "decided" that eating at Tom's pub for lunch was a wonderful idea. Then she "decides" out of the blue, to cook dinner...

I wonder where Stella was while Cathy helped her student and talked with Pippa?

non TG soap opera

You've created wonderful characters in this story, but from here on out, I find the story has become a soap opera. My personal taste for stories on this web site runs to pre-op TG stories. Since Cathy is now post op, I have lost interest. However, please don't take this as a criticism on the quality of your writing, just on my tastes in stories.

And you still have 271 parts to go to catch up if

you wanted to start to do it tonight. Of course by the time you get there you might still have a couple new parts to go to catch up.

Cathy's life has been a soap opera since we first met her.

And as you say, to each his own. Somme of us do like stories that do not suddenly end with a final sentence 'And then I had my surgery, married this wonderful guy and lived happily ever after'

Life for real transpeople does not happen that way, ay least, not very often.

One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness.
It usually comes back to you.

Holly

One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness.
It usually comes back to you.

Holly

Bobtail's running extra fast,

Bobtail's running extra fast, doodah, doodah. Darn, another song ruined in my mind !
I've already tossed my fanny pack, don't ask what images that brought forth.
Very descriptive chapter.

Cefin