Sunday 18 March 2012

...in which I discover I am a character in an alternate universe where Dickens is God


So I woke up this morning all full of flu,in my room at Mrs Lirriper's Lodgings and lay in bed for a few minutes,thinking of My Father as I Recall Him.

Eating breakfast I read The Pickwick Papers, seeing again that we are still experiencing Hard Times.
The Chimes struck on Master Humphrey's Clock and I realised it was time for work.
The sun was shining, and so it was that I set out with Great Expectations which were dashed when I got to Bleak House hospital.

Looking out at the patients in the waiting room, it often feels like a Tale of Two Cities here...ah well...its like this All the Year Round.

My first patient was a Fine Old English Gentleman,who thought he was The Baron of Grogzwig...he had gotten hold of one of Doctor Marigold's Prescriptions so I needed to stop that medicine and speak to the shrinks.
Their response was to blow a "Thousand and One Humbugs" down the phone at me,but they agreed to admit him to The Haunted House hospital.

My next patients were Seven Poor Travellers who all had the flu as well.
As did Little Dorrit and Our Mutual Friend, David Copperfield.
Then I had to listen to the Poor Childs Story;the Schoolboys Story; and George Silverman's Explanation of how he had tripped over Somebody's Luggage as he walked along the railway platform to his job as The Signal Man at Mugby Junction.
I was however stumped by the Mystery of Edwin Droods abdominal pain ,but I Hunted Down a surgeon,Nicholas Nickleby who agreed to see him.

Finally I had to certify the death of the Late Mr Stanfield.

Stopping at the Old Curiosity Shop I went to the Frozen Deep area and got a frozen hotdog from their American Notes collection

On my way to Dinner at Poplar Walk,I popped into The Holly-tree Inn for a drink .
I asked the barman for a martini, and he replied , Oliver Twist ? Enjoying my drink, I noticed an old friend, the Uncommercial Traveller who insisted on showing me his Pictures from Italy and told me about his Holiday Romance.

I got home finally and decided to work on my blog, A Madman's Manuscript , for a while.

And so to bed to start The Battle for Life all over again tomorrow.




Don't forget its the bicentenary of Dickens birth this year and there is lots on to see and do for free if you're visiting the UK this year !
http://www.dickens2012.org/
http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/cdickens/index.html
http://www.port.ac.uk/research/csl/literatureevents/conferences/otherdickens/

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