Off Piste – Sandra 29

 

[For back story go here: Story so far at 17 Sept 2020 and more recent Sandra episodes.]

[Other back story through in-links.]

Hope you don't mind me tagging along on this run? Not tagging along maybe but I've always meant to join in with these arranged things but then what with one thing and another I've never managed it. And then the whole pandemic doesn't take exactly lend itself to going out with other people, does it? Especially not people you don't know.

Not that I've got anything against people I don't know, of course. Or people in general. Although some of them can be a bit difficult, shall we say? Anyway you don't want to hear my problems. We came here to run. This next section uphill a bit? Does it get any steeper than this? Thank heavens for that. Should be fine then, invigorating but not impossible. Let's hope.

Have you been running a lot recently? Hasn't really been on my agenda to be honest. I've been too busy with work and life and family and everything else. You'd think you'd have time but then everything else happens and then there's everything that's going on in your head as well and then you realise you've got to the end of the day and there's been no time. Or you just haven't set that time aside or no free time came up.

Me? Oh, yeah, a lot of people have said they think they recognise me. I don't know why that is really. I've not been, well, sometimes I – maybe it's just I look like someone else who's been, you know, on TV or something.

I'm a... Shop assistant – work in a supermarket, behind the scenes, shelf stacking. That's all. So unlikely you've seen me, even though we live around here and everything. It's been really busy yeah, really busy. When it all started in March and stuff and we just couldn't get enough people to do the orders. There were queues everywhere and the managers were going spare. They wanted to get all these orders processed and it was just ridiculous. I was mainly on bread. Not the fresh stuff unfortunately, the sliced stuff. Pile it on the shelf and out it would go minutes later. Oh and the complaints do we had cos there was no yeast. Madness, really.

The toilet roll thing was fine though. No problem for us. Got loads of the stuff.

Have you ever tried running a marathon? I keep wondering about that. Must be a great sense of achievement. Sometimes I think I could do it no problem and then the length of the race suddenly hits me. I mean I can run for some time and everything, but for hours doings the same thing? Or even for four hours hey?

Do you meet interesting people at these things or is it always the same crowd? Yeah, I guess it must be a habit thing. Whenever it's on it's a good excuse to get you kit on and get out there.

Me? No, I'm married. No kids yet but you know, maybe one day. Don't really want to get into it at the moment though. Be nice to be a bit more relaxed over it and enjoy it, rather than thinking what's going to happen next and stuff. My brother's got kids. Harry and Charlie. They're pretty cute and everything. Oh, he's... Uh... Much older than me – well, five years you know, and did everything like that earlier. So I've been able to watch them grow up and everything. Ten. Ten and eleven they are. Charming little monsters.

Look, it's been great to talk to you, but actually I think I might head off home now. Not sure I can keep up with this pace. Been great to get out and try this though, might be back next week. Is there one next week? As long as the regulations stay the same, right? Yup, see you.

Why why why why why? What the hell was I talking about? Still, better than reality I guess. And I'm sick of being known as the kitten woman. Well, it was interesting and I've got back up to speed a bit I suppose. But a brother? Kids? Harry and Charlie? Don't even like those names.

Could quite go for that other life, really. I mean, why not? Sounds a lot more together than the one I've got. Maybe this is a bit of a positive imaging. Think myself into a nice future and we'll get there. But I don't need to be married with kids to have that. Could be anything with anyone. Mainly me doing what I want without all this damn hassle. But is the hassle to do with the pandemic or to do with me? Or both? Inextricable, right? My new brother could be worth trading Frankie for though. Bet he could keep mum and dad in check.