An Intermittent Blog

Mark came round about 1945 – good to see him. He was on a bike, as the car is in for repair (no dashboard lights – must have been a horrid drive up from Suffolk yesterday). Supper of a rather nice chicken pie from a butcher in Peasenhall, icecream & red & black currants.

Went through the intro page with him – he’s a bit of a white space merchant, certainly not a subscriber to the idea that all info should be available without scrolling. i made some mods while he took a bath (only 1/2 hour … hope he didn’t feel rushed as he usually takes a good hour, the same as I do). A few minor mods to the intro page and we’re both happy. Some of the links seem to need a mod, so I’ll sort that out later (weekend, possibly).

Then watched an episode of Dr Who I’d recorded that neither of us have seen yet (episode 8) – evening ended around midnight.

had a text from Sean today asking if I am going to Oli’s. He seems a little nervous as he also won’t know anyone – I’ve emailed him back saying I’m in the same boat, and offering to meet up first if he wants. E-mail back – late eve – saying he’ll ring me Fri to fix this up.

Thurs

Morning spent shopping! Walked up to Argos with mum to get a replacement kettle – typical that an essential household appliance should break down when she comes to visit, it seems to happen every time. Then back via Tesco for food for tonight etc. Mum found the walk back from Tesco with shopping rather difficult – she is only used to carrying stuff as far as the car, apparently. Though I think she was probably carrying a bit more than me – out of concern for my back.

Mum wanted to do the veg’s after lunch, so she did this while I lay down … trying to get as much use out of my back as possible over the next couple of days, so am resting where possible.

Toby and Theo arrived soon after 1500h: cup of tea in the garden, but Theo rapidly disappeared to watch the Test match on C4. Around 1600h we decided to go for a walk – Theo would obviously have preferred to stay watching the cricket, but was his usual cheerful self. Tube one stop, then a pleasant walk on Tottenham Marshes up to the lock. Watched a couple of boats going through, back home around 1745, rather later than planned. but a phone call from Jane (& Chloe) to say that they were just about to catch a bus from the bottom of the Grays Inn Road … they arrived about 1900h.

Supper – later than planned – at 2000h was roast chicken and stuff (veggie-sossies and separate stuffing for Chloe), apple pie to follow (cheat – bought ready-roll pastry). Went down well – Theo tried the butternut squash and really liked it, Chloe had three helping of roast spuds. I was please that the kids enjoyed the meal – Mum had been rather worried that I tend to use herbs and spices in cooking (cloves in the apple pie, for example), but either the kids didn’t notice, or they found it OK.

Kids – well, all of us – were pretty stuffed after the first course, so there was a 20-minute break before pudding. Theo found one of the Simpsons DVD’s, and sat very quietly on the sofa looking at the cover. It was obvious that he wanted to watch it, but realised that with the dining table out it isn’t possible to use the telly in the front room. I cleared things with Jane, then offered him to use my bedroom telly & DVD player … the expression on his face as he settled into the recliner armchair in the bedroom with the remote controls to hand was priceless! Chloe soon joined him, and they were allowed to eat pud. in there.

I retreated to the garden after supper (I do try not to smoke in the flat when I have non-smoking visitors) while the others cleared up & stacked the dishwasher. then coffee in the garden for adults while Chloe and Theo continued with the DVD.

Fri

Morning was a bit of a panic as Chloe took forever in the bathroom – it’s true what they say about 15-year-old girls! However, everyone off on time OK. Mum then retreated to bed for another couple of hours, while I did a bit of clearing up and stuff.

Mum wanted to get an Italian dictionary (she’d left hers at home) and some holiday reading, so went to the bookshop Bam uses on Haverstock Hill. Tube / Silverlink to Kentish Town West – got a bit lost going to the bottom of Haverstock Hill as Mum got diverted into walking through the park, so went a roundabout way. Visited Daunt books (I got Grigson’s “English Food”, and Luke Sutherland’s “Venus as a Boy”). home via Hampstead Heath Silverlink, getting back around 1430. Lunch of cold chicken & salami, salad etc, then a lie down. My back has just about reached its limits – even with max. painkillers and use of TENS unit, so my movements were pretty constrained in the evening, although I tried fairly hard not to let it show too much for fear of worrying Mum. I did explain, however, that the TENS unit lets me do more than normal, but that when I reach my limits it takes a painful couple of days to get back to the usual state. The damp drizzly weather didn’t help, either.

Supper was chicken soup and the rest of the apple pies from Thurs. Mum had an early night – cab booked for 0330h Sat. I had a bath etc around 0130, but didn’t go to bed … wanted to be up to see her off, which happened on time. Then to bed and collapse!

Tues pm was a trip to Argos to get a pump for airbeds: I’d intended a footpump, but was seduced by a battery-powered blower. Got home and dug the airbeds out to test them for leaks – the blower inflates then in LESS THAN A MINUTE through the large hole! YAY! (Though if I didn’t smoke so much I might not be so terrified at the thought of blowing up two airbeds) Left them for a couple of hours and they don’t seem to be leaking, so have deflated them & hung in the bathroom to air them out as they smell of rubber rather as a result of not having been used for a couple of years and stored in a plastic bag.

Spent Tues eve & Weds am cleaning the flat – full thing: hoovering, dusting, cleaning the bath etc. Also trip to Tesco, for as much as I could carry (including desperately-needed cat litter).

Mum arrived teatime Weds, having been delayed leaving home. She’s scared of tubes after the bombs, so caught a cab from Baker Street. £5 on the coach Oxford to London, followed by £25 cab! Pleasant evening in the garden.

Sim rang with update on his move. Their buyer is now back on, having sorted out someone to buy their existing property. however, the place that Sim wants to buy is accepting an offer from someone else, as Sim had had to pull out / defer. However, if that doesn’t work out, they’ll reconsider Sim’s offer! BUT, Sim & Anne have seen another place which they very much like – house dating from 1430, 10 acres …. has not yet actually gone on sale, but they’ll put an offer in via the solicitor as soon as it does (by phone from France, if necessary). I really hope that this one works out for them.