Bank Holiday working...

I just knew, when I chose to have the first May Day Bank holiday off, that today would be glorious. The last one was wet and horrible, but today was expected to be the hottest of the year so far. Typical!

I went into work and completed my shift with Kathy, which was a bonus. There were only the two of us in the office, so at least it was quiet! However, the phones were not, and for the first part of the shift, we had non-stop calls about... you guessed it... swimming! We also had problems with classes, and the swimming pool at one of the centres had to be taken out of action because of a problem! We were even getting calls up until we left at 4pm asking if people could go swimming, and most of our leisure centres had closed!

I sped home, where Keith and Sophie had been clearing out the garage and had made two trips to the tip. The garage was looking a lot better! We are taking part in a garage sale on the 12 June and I wanted to make sure we had enough items to sell. I think we have!

Unfortunately, our washing machine stopped working today, and the timing couldn't have been worse! We cleaned out the filter, and I ran some descaling solution through the machine, but after a while, the drum stopped turning, and that was that! We are now in a horrible position as the kitchen refurbishment is due to be started in August when we will have a brand new washing machine, but we need ours to be working, or if that's not possible (or economically viable) we will have to try and get a secondhand one to tide us over!

As Sophie and I hadn't played Scrabble over the weekend, we had a game this evening with a cocktail, sitting in the gloriously sunny conservatory! I tried to cram as much enjoyment in as I could, after my day at work!

Keith barbecued in the evening, but Mike appeared just as we were sitting down to dinner and said that he'd already eaten. Great!

Breakfast with the birds.

I was astonished and dismayed to wake up at 9.30am this morning! I'd had a bit of a disturbed night, but I hate waking up so late, especially as I had lots of things to do today!

I did manage to enjoy my breakfast sitting in the garden with Monty, though, and the birds, who didn't seem to mind my presence as they had their breakfast.

After I'd eaten I re-potted our Camellia into a large pot and gave it a good water. Keith and I then went over to Tesco in Kettering as I needed some more bird food, some grass seed, and we needed something for dinner this evening. We had planned on having a barbecue, but as there were only three of us, we decided to postpone it to the Bank Holiday Monday, when Mike was home.

We chose an easy supper of quiche, salad and new potatoes, and beat a hasty retreat as Tesco was rammed with people buying barbecue ingredients and garden essentials! It was so busy!

Back home I had an hour to put the hoover around, and tidy up, before going to collect Sophie from the station. The plan was then to collect my Mum from the care home and bring her back for a cup of tea and a slice of Red Velvet cake.

Unfortunately, my daughter fell out with me when I asked her to wear a mask in the car. She'd been in Birmingham since Friday and had been mixing with lots of people so I wanted her to be careful until she did a test at home. She was not amused by my request and we had a bad falling out! Not really what I'd had in mind for her return!

We collected Mum (I'd already done a test at home) and drove home where I made a big pot of tea. It was heavenly sitting in the conservatory with our cake and enjoying the sunshine. Sophie did her test, which was negative, and she gradually thawed out towards me over the afternoon!

After taking Mum back and getting home we decided to try the Chouffe beers that Sophie's ex-manager had bought her for her birthday. We started off with the Cherry beer, then the Sunshine one, followed by the Blonde and the IPA. All four were lovely, but I particularly enjoyed the Cherry beer!

A month's gardening... in one day!

My one aim for today was to get our garden, back and front, into order. I had taken part in "No Mow May" but decided that we had to cut the grass this morning as the weather was perfect, and it was very long indeed! I attempted to count the flowers in a one-metre square section of lawn and found we had abundant daisies and one cluster of forget-me-nots. I had been hoping for more, and when I reported my findings, the site came back and said that our garden was below the national average for flowers that feed bees and other pollinators. Oh well! This, of course, didn't take into account the other flowering plants we have - namely, our lavender plants and a lovely blue flower that suddenly appeared by the garage door, and which the bees go mad for - but I was a bit disappointed.

While I cut the lawn, Keith did some bush trimming and was quite restrained! He helped me trim the edges and I turned over the soil in the border by the fence to make it a lot neater.

Work in progress

A well-deserved treat!

As the morning wore on, the cloud burned off, to be replaced with sun and blue skies. It was heavenly and so great to see the garden transformed. I agreed with No Mow May but it was lovely to see the garden looking a lot neater, and the birds seemed to appreciate it as well!

We still need some colour in our borders!

After we'd finished in the back garden, we made our way to the front and tackled the grass verge and the overgrown bushes at the front. It was hotter here and hard work! Again, when we'd finished I was very pleased with our efforts!

I was very relieved that Keith and I were going out for a meal this evening, so all I had to do was have a long soak in the bath, and get ready. After my soak, I lay on the bed and watched the end of Manchester By The Sea, a disturbing, but thought-provoking film.

Before we drove over to The Saracen's Head in Little Brington, we called into our local for a drink. People were sitting outside enjoying the sunshine and inside the pub was quiet. It was very pleasant to sit and relax and chat with Ian. This was my first time in the pub since November - really quite hard to believe!

I had booked the table at The Saracen's Head for 7.30pm and we had a glorious drive over. The Northamptonshire countryside was looking its stunning best in the evening sunlight. Everything has bloomed in the last few weeks, with all the rain we've had this month. Sadly, one of our favourite pubs, The Althorp Coaching Inn was still closed, and we've learnt it's up for sale with a price tag of £1.7 million!

When we arrived I was informed, very curtly, that our table had been booked for 6.45pm... absolutely not! I would never book a meal so early! We were shown to our table, and I found the confirmation email saying it was 7.30pm. I made sure to tell a member of staff! 

Keith and I perused the menu and he chose sardines to start, while I opted for asparagus served with hollandaise sauce and a poached egg. Keith was pleased with his first course, but my asparagus was under-cooked (almost to the point of being raw) while my egg was over-cooked...

Our mains consisted of an expensive sirloin steak for Keith and a chicken burger for me. Keith's steak was a bit chewy and certainly not worth the £24 price tag, but I was happy with my burger. You can't really go wrong with that!

We skipped dessert, as we were both full, and emerged into the evening sunshine to drive home. It was only 9pm but we were both tired after our day's exertions!

The end of the week... ahh!

This morning, Sophie was off to Birmingham to spend the weekend with Zain, so Keith took her to the station where she caught a train. Zain was driving up as there were no services between Birmingham and Euston, as is so often the case on a Bank Holiday weekend.

I was working with Kathy and we were hoping for a quiet shift, but we were busy again, with endless calls about swimming. I was hoping to be able to put the films on but Sheila wanted me to monitor the emails, so that was that!

I sped home at 4pm to find Keith had taken Mike into town to see Abbie, so this means we are child-free this weekend! It will be a very quiet house! Keith returned, had a shower, and I gave him a lift to the pub so it was just like the old days! I haven't done that for a good while!

Dinner this evening was baked potatoes so not a lot of cooking to do! Unfortunately, Keith had turned the oven onto low so by the time we came to eat they weren't really cooked through! I like my potatoes firm, but even I didn't enjoy this evening's meal, so it was a bit of a disaster! As we're now moving into salad potato season, I think we may give this particular option a rest until the Autumn!

All clean!

I have spent almost all of today cleaning the house, from top to bottom, so I felt very pleased when it was all done!

Keith went shopping as usual, but he went slightly later than normal, so he didn't get home until nearly midday. I had cleaned upstairs (the bathroom particularly needed doing!) and was making my way down the stairs when he arrived home. 

Outside, I spotted the Demon Mower of our estate, Graham, making his way home with his lawnmower, and Dennis the dog. He had mowed the strip around the top green, leaving the middle bit long and it looked lovely, with lots of wildflowers. We have mainly daisies and dandelions in our garden, but I did spot some forget-me-not so that was good! I threw some wildflower seeds onto the garden on Saturday so we'll just have to see if they sprout anything!

After a quick lunch, I carried on cleaning, taking off the cushions on the sofa and hoovering down in the gaps, and I found Sophie's ankle bracelet that she'd lost! She was delighted!

When we collected Mike and brought him home, I warned him to keep the house clean! He manages to scatter bits of grass and leaves wherever he walks, and there's normally a trail up the stairs!

I had a long hot shower and then relaxed on the sofa with the telly. Keith had prepared dinner this evening - spaghetti bolognese, so it was great for him to take over!

Chop, chop, chop!

Sophie wanted me to make a chicken and coconut broth for dinner this evening, and we needed some ingredients for it, so Keith and I decided to visit Waitrose in Kingsthorpe this morning. Before we went, however, we drove to B&Q to look at tiles, but nothing at all inspired us. A lot of the displays said the tiles were out of stock as they were discontinuing the range, so why have them there in the first place? After a quick look, we went to Topps Tiles in Kings Heath, and we chose two kinds of tiles that we liked the look of, a glass mosaic, and a white subway tile. Both were in stock, thank goodness.

Used as a border to break up the white worktop and the white tiles?

From Topps Tiles, we drove to Waitrose, and we were surprised to find the whole store was in a bit of a mess! We had difficulty finding the ingredients we needed, one of which, galangal paste, I had never heard of before! Luckily, we found it!

I treated Sophie and me to a bottle of dry Riesling, which I hoped would go well with the soup. With lemongrass, mangetout, beansprouts, chicken and two bags of prawn crackers, we had what we needed! I was hoping to have a coffee there, but it looks like they've done away with their little cafe, which was a shame. 

We headed home to put everything away and had lunch. I'd bought some sourdough bread in Waitrose but it was stale (it had been reduced) so I made cheese on toast with it and sat in the conservatory to enjoy it. Outside, our grass has grown so long and I was itching to cut it, but it'll have to wait. I may do it at the weekend, but leave a patch of flowers for the pollinators to enjoy!

After picking Mike up from work I made the Thai red curry paste that was part of the ingredients. I could have bought it ready-made but I wanted to make my own. It involved chopping up garlic, lemongrass, ginger, red chillies and shallots and roasting cumin and coriander seeds, as well as the juice and pith of two limes. Next, I prepared the rest of the ingredients so all I had to do later was actually make the broth.

We used all of the red curry paste in the soup, along with chicken, beansprouts, spring onions, mangetout, chicken stock, and we threw some noodles in for good measure! Three of us enjoyed it, but Sophie hated the mangetout and said she could detect something bitter in the soup... Next time I may omit the mangetout!

California dreaming!

Sophie had an appointment at the beauty salon this evening, so she wanted me to take her to work, and then collect her in the evening so she could go straight into town.

We set off at about 8.15am and made good time down to Brackmills. I said goodbye and headed to the Weston Favell Centre where I visited Costa for a coffee and breakfast. As I was queuing up, a man walked past shouting loudly. I don't know whether he'd spotted someone he knew or what, but it was a bit unsettling, especially as he later came to sit opposite me! At first, I thought he had Tourettes, but he never made another sound, thank goodness! However, I ate my breakfast and drank my coffee quickly and fled to work!

Work was especially noisy today, and at times I felt like running out of the office to somewhere quiet! When all of us were on the phones, it was horrendous! Therefore, it was lovely to escape at 4pm and go to another Costa where I enjoyed a flat white while waiting for Sophie. I sat in the car in silence... bliss!

Sophie and I were early for her appointment, and it was a huge bonus that I found a space in the tiny car park! We had another session of sitting in the car and chatting about our days at work. She is extremely busy every day now so is normally tired when she gets home. Her early gym workout doesn't help, either!

Sophie wasn't long in the salon and by 6.30pm we were heading home. While Keith cooked dinner again we sat in the conservatory with Monty and talked about going to California again, late in 2022. It's a dream at the moment, but I very much hope it'll turn into a reality!

Monday again!

I had expected work to be fearsomely busy today, as next week it's half-term, and we have a lot of holiday activities on for the children, but after an initial rush, it did quieten down a bit. I helped Sara with some emails and the time flew by.

We've had some heavy rain showers today and it's been chilly and miserable. Not normally how I would expect May to be! It's usually one of my favourite months and I love seeing the explosion of green in the countryside and seeing everything start to blossom and grow.

Sophie was shattered when she came home so we sat and relaxed with a couple of episodes of Come Dine With Me while Keith cooked cottage pie for dinner.

After we'd eaten I thought it was a good idea to try and plan a couple of weeks' holiday to Scotland in September, an idea that did not go down well with Keith, alas! Oh well!

Tea and cake.

Sophie was having lunch with Laura today, and I had arranged to take my Mum out for a cup of tea and a slice of cake at Weedon. 

I managed to put a colour on my hair in the morning as it really needed it! I do sometimes toy with the idea of going grey naturally, but I can't stand it! Laura picked Sophie up at 1pm just as I got out of the shower and I waved them goodbye from Sophie's bedroom window. They had a lovely hug, the first one in ages, which was lovely, as they are normally very touchy-feely!

I took a test at home, which was negative, and collected Mum at 2pm. My Dad came down to see me, and he seemed quite happy to wave us off. The sky overhead was looking a little ominous, and halfway to Weedon, we had torrential rain. However, the weather today was quite localised, and we emerged from the gloom into bright sunshine!

At Weedon, we parked and went straight to Darlington's. which had lots of free tables, thank goodness! I had worried about whether we'd need to reserve a table, but we could take our pick. Both of us ordered pots of tea, and Mum had a slice of gooey chocolate fudge cake while I went for chocolate orange. 

It was lovely to be back - the last time I'd visited was with Sophie last December and we'd sat outside before doing some Christmas shopping. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I'd been with Mum so it was great to be able to have a wander around the shops after we'd eaten.

One of the shops has lovely old, vintage items, mixed with new pictures and ornaments, and I found some beautiful glasses that I knew Sophie would love:

She has wanted gold-rimmed glasses for a while and these would be ideal for a liqueur or port. At £5 for the six, I just couldn't resist! We mooched about the rest of the shops, and Mum bought a card for one of the staff who was leaving. She managed to resist the jewellery in one of the shops, even though I urged her to treat herself!

We took a different way home, via Long Buckby, Guilsborough, Spratton and Brixworth, and before going back to the care home, we popped to my house to pick up the clothes that we'd washed and ironed for her.

Sophie arrived home at about 6pm in the evening and Mike got a lift home from Abbie, so we didn't have to go out anymore. Dinner was a simple cold meats and salad affair, but both children weren't interested in sharing the food with us. They were both stuffed!

Eurovision!

Sophie and I had been looking forward to today for ages - we were able to go shopping in our favourite charity shops in Market Harborough, have lunch at Pizza Express, and even go for tea and cake if we still had room. Plus, the Eurovision Song Contest was on this evening as well, and this year it was happening for real!

We set off for Market Harborough at about 11am, giving ourselves time to park and walk to the restaurant. We were a bit early so we were able to do two shops on the way - The Attic, which sells very good quality second-hand clothes (including designer brands), and a new one for us, the PDSA shop on the market square.

Sophie found some tops that she liked, and armed with our purchases, we made our way to Pizza Express. We were seated in the window so we could see the comings and goings of everyone shopping in the town, and given paper menus. Our choices were the usual - doppio doughballs with three dips, plus halloumi bites to start, followed by a "Forza" chicken pizza. With a glass each of Chardonnay, we were in heaven! It had been so long!

We'd asked for the pizza to be served after our starters, but everything came at once. Our lovely waiter apologised, but we were faced with an array of food!

The experience did not disappoint, and we enjoyed a delicious meal, beautiful wine (I loved the deep colour) and great service. The restaurant was pleasantly busy, and it was a real joy to be able to eat out again, and even better that it was courtesy of our eBay transactions!

After we'd paid the bill on Sophie's phone (very contactless!) we waddled over to Waterstones and spent an exceedingly pleasant half-hour perusing the shelves. both downstairs and upstairs. I picked out a recipe book for soups, and a "bee-bomb", a little grenade shaped container with wildflower seeds, which I intend to sprinkle in the garden. Outside, it was pouring with rain and dark clouds had gathered overhead. Luckily, by the time we were finished browsing, it had stopped and we made our way into Tesco where we bought fruit and chocolate for the pavlova tonight, and a bottle of Champagne to drink while watching the songfest.

Sophie found a beautiful dress in her next charity shop, a green Max Mara dress that will look fabulous in the summer (if we ever get a summer this year). However, her real finds - probably of the year, if not the decade - were two dresses in The Attic. This is not a charity shop, but a secondhand outlet selling on unwanted designer clothes, bags, shoes and accessories. To her absolute joy, she found a Diane von Furstenberg dress and a brand new Warehouse frock which still had the tag, and was priced at about £70. She bagged the designer dress for £25, and the Warehouse one for £35!

The sky was full of rain again so we called it a day and drove home the scenic way, which was full of muddy puddles. Back home we relaxed for an hour (I fell asleep) and made the meringue for tonight's pavlova. While it was cooking, we played Scrabble and enjoyed a cocktail - our now very pleasurable Saturday evening habit!

Keith put the finishing touches to our evening meal and it was very good indeed! We just about managed to wash up and clear away before the Eurovision Song Contest began at 8pm. It was time to open the Champagne, and enjoy!

Halfway through the evening, we ate the pavlova and then settled down to watch the remaining songs and the scoring. Unfortunately, as I had predicted, we did abysmally and didn't receive one single point, not even from Malta who traditionally support us. We really must be the outcasts of Europe because of Brexit!

Italy won with a heavy metal song that I thought was awful. I voted for Switzerland and Azerbaijan, and I did say to Sophie that we would try and go next year. However, I don't fancy going to Italy - it would have been great if a different country had won so we could experience a new city!

 

Out and about!

The end of the week has whizzed around again! I can't believe how quickly time goes! It's frightening!

When I arrived at work this morning, there was not a space to be had in the usual car park, mainly due to the fact that it was the first 50+ morning we've held since last year! I think people have been missing the session! I managed to squeeze into a space in our rear car park but this could be a problem in the future...! 

Work was busy in the morning, and then it quietened down in the afternoon, so that was a bonus. It gave me a chance to deal with some orders, and I was thrilled when Sheila told me the films are starting again in June so I had a list to put on. One of them is Nomadland, which won Oscars, so I'm hoping we can go and see that... for free!

I dashed home through the rain at 4pm and put the hoover around. The weather today has been atrocious with unrelenting rain and wind, so our kitchen floor and hallway were covered in bits of leaves!

Now that the pubs and bars are back open, Mike was off to Birmingham with friends, and Sophie was also out tonight, having a meal at Sorrentino's in town, followed by cocktails. I had offered to take her, and I dropped her off at Sol Central opposite the restaurant before returning home.

It was also Keith's first night back at the pub for ages, and he'd had a great time catching up with Dave and John. They were unable to stand at the bar and had to sit down and order, but I think it was good for him to get back with his mates!

We ate a Tesco Finest meal for dinner, and we were both a bit disappointed. We chose the meal because of convenience, but I don't think we'll be doing it again in a hurry!

After dinner, we sat and watched the golf, which was coming from a stunning course in South Carolina. Seeing the blue skies, the beach and the ocean was wonderful - what a difference to the gloom outside where it was still raining!

Keith and I went and picked up Sophie at 11pm, and sat outside the bar waiting for her. A lot of places were back open, but could only offer table service so there was no dancing or close mingling! Once we arrived back home I sat with a wee dram and enjoyed more golf. A lovely end to a very busy day!

Feeling shattered!

I slept really badly last night, and I have no idea why. Keith went shopping very early, and at one point I did fall asleep on the sofa while watching the breakfast news!

We had another busy day ahead of us, as we were meeting Mum and Dad at the Weston Favell Centre to take them shopping. The care home had used their own transport to drive them there, so at 11.30am we stood and waited at the taxi rank where we had arranged to meet them. Both of us had taken lateral flow tests at home before we went, so we knew we were Covid free!

They were late arriving, and at one point I did think that there had been a miscommunication! However, after calling and establishing they were on their way, they arrived just before midday. Unfortunately, today has been dull and overcast with rain and wind expected, so it wasn't the most cheerful of places to visit! I dislike the Weston Favell Centre at the best of times so I wasn't feeling very happy!

I was extremely glad that Keith had come with me, and we took them to Costa first for a coffee and a piece of cake. It was a bit like old times and my Dad certainly perked up with his first proper coffee in over a year. In the good old days, they both loved to visit the centre and meet friends for a coffee so it was good to see them looking happy.

We did some shopping and Dad bought a pair of jeans and two sets of pyjamas. My Mum looked at the clothes as well, but she said she probably had enough. We still have some summer outfits at home, so we'll take them into her over the next few days. As a treat, we visited Burger King so they could have some lunch and they enjoyed that very much!

To make it easier, Keith and I took them back to the care home, even though it was a bit difficult getting my Dad into the back of the car and the wheelchair folded up. We sped back to Kettering, dropped them off and then went to get Mike from work. Just as we arrived it started to rain heavily and the wind got up as well, so it wasn't pleasant!

Back home I had a late lunch and then I fell asleep on the sofa for almost an hour! I woke up feeling stiff and cold so indulged in a hot bath! Bliss!

Keith and I made dinner this evening - a new recipe for us from the Hairy Dieters book, a chicken and ham "Tangle" pie. We sauteed onions, garlic, mushrooms and leeks, added white wine and stock, and then combined that with cooked chicken and smoked ham. With a generous addition of creme fraiche, we mixed it all up in a casserole dish and then scrunched up filo pastry for the topping.

Served with new potatoes, broccoli and baby sweetcorn it was delicious and a meal we'll definitely make again!

Not ours, a stock photo!

After dinner, we watched Dragons' Den and then I had an early night! I was shattered!

P.S. Pete has departed, which is good but I miss seeing his little face peering over the garage roof. Let's hope he arrived home safely!

Lots of jobs!

Today I made a list of things I had to do, as there were so many! When we ran the business I always had a "To Do" list on the go as it helped me concentrate on things I needed to get done!

Keith wanted his hair cut this morning, so we went over to Kettering, and while he was in the barber's chair I popped into Tesco to buy some more bird food (Pete is still with us), and some different cat food for our fussy Monty. The range of cat food was mind-boggling, as was the range of prices! I picked out two different boxes, and one was described as having a "melting middle"!

When I was finished I treated myself to a coffee from Costa and sat in the cafe for the first time in months. I had to log onto their track and trace website though, and register myself as being there!

Once back at home, I made scrambled eggs from the box that Lynn gave me, and they had a beautiful vivid yellow yolk. Served on some sourdough bread I bought in Tesco, the late breakfast was delicious. Outside, it was a stunning day with a Florida sky - lots of big, white, fluffy clouds floating on high. Beautiful!

Pete seemed to relish our company today as we pottered about outside. I washed the garage door, sorted out the recycling and did lots more chores that had to be done. It was very satisfying ticking them off my list!

After we'd picked Mike up from work, he said he also wanted his hair cut so Keith took him while I made the chicken noodle soup for dinner. That meant that Sophie and I could play Scrabble as all I needed to do later in the evening was reheat it and add noodles. Fab!

After we'd eaten Sophie wanted to watch a film on Netflix called The Woman in the Window starring Amy Adams and Gary Oldman. It was a very gloomy, slightly far-fetched film, and was a kind of homage to Rear Window, but it was nowhere in that league!

Donating a pint.

Work wasn't quite so busy today, and we had some decent gaps between calls which allowed us to get on with some work! I put almost all of the half-term holiday activities onto the system, which was a bonus!

Sophie and I went to donate a pint of blood this evening and Keith gave me a lift to the community centre in Moulton as Sophie had come straight from work. It was busy, as usual, but the whole process was smooth and straightforward as it always is. One of the staff was retiring this evening so we said goodbye to her as we left. She was always very friendly and chatty so I'll miss seeing her the next time we go. She said she remembered Sophie's first session, eight years ago!

Back home Pete was still about, and I'd had no reply to my email. He can stay with us, then, and we'll have a pet pigeon!

Keith cooked a delicious coq au vin and after dinner, Sophie and I watched a couple of episodes of Come Dine With Me, followed by the Eurovision Semi-finals! Sophie is getting excited - one of her favourite nights of the year is on Saturday - the Eurovision Song Contest!

Fuming!

Today, restaurants, pubs, cafes, museums, cinemas and indoor play areas were able to open, in line with the government's "roadmap". The only snagging point at the moment is the Indian variant of Covid-19, which is causing problems in parts of the UK, namely Bolton and London. We also have cases here in Northamptonshire.

People can also travel to "green" countries, so there's been a lot of coverage of journalists hot-footing it to Portugal, in particular! We have no plans to go anywhere at the moment!

As it was Monday, we were busy at work. The first hour we had non-stop calls and it carried on like that for the rest of the shift. I did manage to put all of the crash courses onto the system (heaven knows how!) so that's one thing done!

At 4pm I drove home and spotted a neighbour, Graham, mowing the front green, which was supposed to have been left to grow. We are trying to do "No Mow May" and Lynn, who is our Parish Chairman, had agreed that the front green should be left uncut for the month so that the wildflowers could flourish and provide food for pollinators. He had only done the strip around the edge, but I do wonder what it is with men and lawnmowers?

I feel passionate about letting the grass grow, and it's only a month, after all, so imagine my anger when I rounded the corner and saw that Graham had taken it upon himself to mow our front verge as well! He walked past as I was getting out of the car, and I really wanted to let rip and have a go at him, but I knew I'd probably say something I'd regret so I just gritted my teeth. Graham told me he'd checked with Keith first, so I stormed into the house, and Keith looked a bit sheepish. He'd said to Graham it was OK to cut it as it "didn't have many flowers"!

Worse was to come when Keith and I put our vacuum cleaner back together... Last week Keith had been driving when a bottle of beer fell off the back seat of my Dad's car and smashed in the footwell. He had thought it was a good idea to hoover up the glass and beer (I have no idea why), and on Sunday the machine wouldn't work properly. We had taken it apart and cleaned and dried it thoroughly, but this afternoon it still refused to work. We had no option but to order another, at a cost of £200.

Keith was, therefore, well and truly in the doghouse with me today! Lynn messaged me later in the evening, offering me six eggs from her own hens and we had a chat about the grass. She said it's definitely a man thing when it comes to mowing the grass, and I had to agree!

Pete the pigeon is still with us and seems more than happy to either perch on the garage or house roof, occasionally coming down to eat from a bowl we've placed out for him. I tried to catch a glimpse of the numbers on his leg ring this evening and managed to see the first few, so I emailed the Royal Pigeon Racing Association, but I don't hold out much hope of them replying!

A spot of shopping!

This morning was almost an exact repeat of yesterday morning, except for the trip to McDonald's! Mike called later this morning, just as I'd made myself a coffee, and Keith and I went to get him from work. He had swapped with a colleague this weekend so we're hoping that will be it for Saturday and Sunday working for a good while!

Back home we ate breakfast in the conservatory and saw that Pete was still with us. He is showing no signs of leaving at all! He does disappear for a while, and we think he's gone, but then he reappears!

Sophie and I had a lot of things to do today, and I wasn't really in the mood for it, to be honest! I wanted to go somewhere different or do something different! Life feels very samey at the moment, and the thought of going away on holiday, or even just a short break somewhere is very appealing.

Anyway, I forced myself to get showered and ready, and we drove down to Riverside and popped into Boots. From there we picked up a coffee from Costa and called into Next to collect my replacement quilt cover.

Our next stop was Homesense, and this time we were able to drive into the car park! The store was busy but not manic, and we spent an enjoyable hour browsing and buying some things for our home. I picked out a lovely picture for the landing and a vase that will go with the quilt cover for my bedroom windowsill. Sophie bought six wine glasses and some biscuits for work, as well as a yoga mat for when she does exercises at home, which she was thrilled with!

Before going home we dropped off some unwanted clothes into a collection point by the fire station in Moulton and popped into the Co-op to buy more vermouth, and a bottle of whisky for my Dad, bless him! He does love a whisky in the evening, and who can blame him?!

Back home we discovered that we'd sold a pair of Sophie's Levi's on eBay, so that was a cause for celebration! We have booked lunch at Pizza Express in Market Harborough next Saturday, and our little haul should cover the bill!

Just pottering!

The latest feathered addition to our family was still around this morning, and although we looked on the homing pigeon website, it said we had to catch the bird and try and read the leg ring. Although the pigeon ate out of my hand last night, this morning he was being very evasive! We hoped that, after a rest, he would fly home!

Sophie and I had planned to go out today but we abandoned that idea and decided to go tomorrow instead. Mike called us to pick him up at about 9.30am, and then he asked to go to McDonald's for breakfast. The drive-thru queue was very long so we didn't get home until past 10am.

The weather has been very wet today and chilly. May is turning out to be disappointing - it's usually one of my favourite months!

After Sophie and I had had a quick breakfast, we drove over to the post office at Brixworth to post the jeans, and that was it for our trips out today! We stayed at home for the rest of the day and enjoyed pottering about and relaxing, which included face masks lying on the bed!

At 5pm we played Scrabble and had two cocktails! We tried something different this evening - one made with fruit juice, gin and vermouth, and one made with the rhubarb vodka, but I don't think we'll be making them again!

Keith cooked a beef casserole for dinner and we started watching a disturbing film called Unhinged starring an almost unrecognisable Russell Crowe. It was very violent so we switched it off! Not a successful film night!

Pete the pigeon...

My shift at work today wasn't too bad and at least we had some gaps in between calls, which always helps! I managed to get some work done for Sheila, but the Whitsun half-term holiday is looming now, and the crash courses and activities need to be on for Monday 24 May!

We had sold some jeans on eBay last night, and the buyer was hassling us a bit about posting. I really didn't fancy going to Brixworth at 5pm and sending it off, especially as the little parade of shops would be busy with people calling in on their way home from work, so I messaged him to say I'd post them tomorrow morning!

Sophie returned from work and we cracked open a bottle of Malbec from Aldi which was dangerously easy to drink. It was delicious! On this day, Sophie was supposed to have been going to Italy for her holiday with Laura and Daisy, but obviously, it's been cancelled. I wanted to do a full-on Italian night but we made do with homemade pizzas which unfortunately turned into a bit of a disaster! We did start watching the film Only You, set in Italy, though, so that was something!

When it came to preparing dinner, Keith had only managed to find mini deep pan pizza bases, and we all prefer the thin and crispy variety. He cut up some potatoes into wedges and put them in the oven, and while he was doing this, Mike said there was a pigeon in the garage!

We all went rushing out and it looked very much like a homing pigeon as it had bands on both legs.

This is now the third homing pigeon we've had visit us, and Keith says it's because the roof of our conservatory is similar to that of a racing pigeon coop. We gave him some birdseed and water and he seemed quite content to eat out of my hand!

As I said earlier, dinner was not good. The bases were very thick and although Sophie did a great job with the toppings, they were dry, and I don't think the bases had cooked properly! Oh, dear!

An afternoon out!

Keith went shopping a bit later this morning - the early starts taking Mike to work sometimes take a toll on him, and it doesn't help that this weekend our son is working both days, and starting at 6am again.

While Keith was shopping I pottered about and did some housework, which took up most of the morning. I had arranged to take my Mum out this afternoon so at 1pm I was at the care home, and taking a lateral flow test.

At 1.30pm we were on our way, and I'd decided to take a scenic route to Olney in Buckinghamshire and see if we could have a coffee there. I was hoping to take her to the cafe that Sophie and I went to a few weeks ago, but overhead the weather looked stormy, and big, dark clouds were gathering!

On the way, we chatted, and my Mum said how lovely it was to be out and about again and seeing our old haunts. Olney was busy as we drove into the small town, and then I discovered there was a market taking place in the car park! We tried to park on the main road but I soon gave that up as a bad idea, and we left. I suggested going to see where Sophie works and then having a takeaway coffee from Costa at Riverside. Not really what I'd had in mind, but there will always be another time!

After a tour around Brackmills, and seeing some of the places we used to visit regularly when we had the business, we called into Costa and had a coffee and a cake each. Some people took advantage of the dry weather and enjoyed a coffee at tables outside, but we drank ours in the car!

Before taking Mum back to the care home, we called into my house, as I'd sorted some of her clothes out, and I wanted to see which ones she needed, and which ones we could take to a charity shop. She was amazed at how many she had and couldn't remember buying a beautiful Planet wool/cashmere coat that I'd found in a suitcase. I'll get it cleaned and then she can have it for the winter.

Driving back home the clouds were even more ominous and a little later we had torrential rain and thunder! It had been threatening it all afternoon!

Great news!

My Dad's car was having four new tyres fitted today so Keith and I stayed at home this morning to wait for the fitter to arrive. While we waited, we did the shopping list and I packaged up an item we'd sold on eBay.

By lunchtime, we were able to pop over to the post office in Brixworth, and as well as our sold item, I had a box of goodies to post for Sophie's boyfriend, including those delicious custard biscuits! Back home I hoovered out my car and pottered about doing lots of jobs, so it was another busy day!

Before going to get Mike I prepared all the veggies for our Mulligatawny soup this evening and packed a lot more in than the recipe called for - an onion, carrot, red pepper, celery, chillies and an apple. It smelt delicious while I was cooking it!

I don't often go and pick Mike up from work these days so it was great to go with Keith and watch the golfers while we waited. He's been working at the golf course for almost a year now - where has that year gone?

Sophie came home with the fantastic news that she'd been awarded a pay rise, and may even be promoted, which was brilliant! We were so proud of her! She'd asked me to put her bottle of Champagne in the fridge, which I was only too happy to do! We drank it and played a game of Scrabble before dinner to celebrate!

The soup went down very well and I served it with naan bread and soured cream. Delicious!

A noisy shift...

It was great to drive into work in my car this morning - it's so much better!

Unfortunately, my shift was very noisy today, and several customers said they couldn't hear me because of the background noise. Not very good! We were busy again with almost non-stop calls, some of which, for me anyway, were long and complicated.

It was a real relief to escape at 3pm today! All of us have been given an hour off because of the problems we'd had when we first started back and having to stay longer than normal, and it was my turn today. I went to get some diesel and decided to take my filthy car through the car wash. Back home, I finished cleaning the car (I'd splashed through a muddy puddle on the way back) and concentrated on the dirty wheels which were a sooty black. 

I then hoovered the house, so that took care of the extra hour I was given! Sophie arrived home in a bad mood, and rather than relax, spent ages making biscuits for Zain. They smelt delicious and she let us have one to test!

I fancied watching a film after dinner this evening, so we picked Dark Waters starring Mark Ruffalo and Anne Hathaway. I'd wanted to see it ever since watching the trailer at a cinema, and it didn't disappoint. It had Keith, Sophie and I hooked all the way through!

Car - sorted!

The start of another week has rolled around! I know I've said it before (many times!) but time really is flying at the moment. As soon as Monday is over, we're racing towards Friday again!

My car was booked into the garage at Moulton this morning and we dropped it off before I went to work. It was a very shabby place, but it was busy, and there were lots of cars waiting to be seen to, so that was a good sign. The noise is terrible now, and I really can't wait any longer for it to be sorted out!

Work was busy today, as we're expecting it to be now. Our fitness classes start up again next Monday so we had a lot of calls from people wanting to book back onto their favourite sessions. Keith picked me up at 4pm and said that my car was ready so we sped off to collect it.

The bill came to a highly reasonable £140 which we were both pleased with! I'm pretty sure it would have been higher at our old garage!

Sophie very kindly took the duvet cover back to Next for me and ordered another. Before having dinner Keith and I played cards in the conservatory while Sophie lolled on the sofa with Monty cat. He is a lot better now and back to his old ways of asking for food early in the afternoon and not giving up until he gets it. Great news as we were a bit worried about him!

Bedding disappointment...

I woke up far later than I wanted to this morning, at almost 9am, so I felt like I'd wasted time! I do prefer to get up at about 7.30am and ease gradually into the day!

After a breakfast of banana porridge, Sophie put a lot of her clothes to sell on eBay, something we haven't done for ages. While she did that I changed our bedding, in readiness for the new quilt cover I'd bought from Next. I asked Keith to iron it for me, but when we came to put it on I noticed a snag in the material, and the fabric had all rucked up, which was very annoying. There was no way it could be put right so we had no option but to take it off. I was really disappointed!

Sophie offered to take it back to Next for me tomorrow, on her way home from work, and we'll order another one, although I am a bit worried about the fabric itself. We spend a lot of time lounging about on our bed watching television and the last thing I want is something that's too fragile!

I carried on with the housework until lunchtime and managed to clean upstairs and hoover downstairs. It was lovely to relax for a while in the conservatory and enjoy the hummus and breadsticks I'd bought yesterday. Later in the afternoon, we did have some time for relaxation, though, when we enjoyed a face mask and watched A Place in the Sun. It was a lot later than normal, however!

Keith barbecued this evening and just as he was finishing the food, it started to rain! Typical! It had been dry all day!

Drowned rats!

The forecast wet and windy weather arrived today, and although the temperatures have risen a bit, it's been a miserable and gloomy day.

Sophie and I had an appointment for a hair cut at 11am so we sloshed over to Moulton and parked in the Co-op car park. We were a bit early, and I was dreading them saying to us to come back. Standing outside in the rain was not an option! Luckily, we only had to wait a few minutes, and Sophie was soon in the chair and having her hair washed.

The son of the salon owner cuts our hair and he doesn't stop talking. I am sure I've said this before. It made it worse today as we were all wearing masks, which muffle our voices, and with the hairdryers on, I couldn't hear a thing! It was a relief to escape and go home!

After Sophie had put some make-up on, we drove down to Next at Riverside so I could collect the new quilt cover that I'd ordered. We then decided to have a Subway sandwich as we were both hungry. Unfortunately, there was a long queue and we had to stand outside in the rain and wind for about twenty minutes. Not ideal! We both chose the chicken and bacon filling, but Sophie had hers in a wrap, which looked delicious. We ate them in the car (for the second week in a row) and it dawned on me that we ate our fish and chips in the car (Dad's car) on New Year's Day... there goes my theory again!😆 

From Riverside, we drove to Smith's Farm Shop so Sophie could buy some foodie treats for Zain. I also bought some delicious foodstuffs and treated Keith to a sausage roll for his lunch, and a bottle of beer.

Back home I fell asleep for almost an hour, but at 5pm it was cocktail and Scrabble time. Sophie had a bottle of white Rum, and she made us Havana Beach cocktails. We substituted pineapple juice with exotic juice, and they were delicious!

Keith was cooking tonight, a lovely beef casserole, and I made some herby dumplings to go with it. After the cocktails, we enjoyed a beautiful bottle of red wine from Monterey - a Pebble Lane Merlot which I'd bought from Majestic.

Dinner was delicious and our film choice tonight was Unknown, starring Liam Neeson. We'd seen it before, of course, but it was still very enjoyable nonetheless!

A busy end to a busy week...

I was hoping that we'd end the week on a quiet note at work, but it wasn't to be. Kathy and I took about 185 calls between us, and we had 40 abandoned, so it was a very busy shift. As expected, a lot of the calls were about swimming in one form or another, and neither of us can see it ending any time soon. I was supposed to have been doing some work for Sheila, but there was no chance of me even looking at it!

Keith had to drop me off at work this morning, and we made up after our argument yesterday! I am still determined to have a postal vote next time, though! He collected me at 4pm, and it was a relief to get home after a busy week. Monty is still not much better, although he did eat some salmon this morning which I found in the cupboard, so that was a good sign.

Sophie arrived home and sat with Keith and me while we played cards in the conservatory. We played a couple of games before cooking dinner - the pork with noodles that we should have had yesterday! Keith has already battered the pork to tenderise it and had cut it up into strips, so we just cooked the noodles, stir-fried the pork with spring onions, pepper, ginger, garlic and bean sprouts, and added soy sauce. It was delicious!

Our film choice this evening was Sweet Home Alabama, starring Reese Witherspoon. I had seen bits of it before, but never the whole film. It was very enjoyable and perfect for our Friday night wine night!

Voting niggles...

Keith did his usual stint at the shops this morning, while I tackled a load of paperwork for my parents. I needed to change their address, so I printed off about six letters for them to sign. It took me all morning to do, but I did feel better when I'd finished, as again, it was a job I'd been meaning to do for ages. I also had the letter that Tesco Bank sent me with the password for my Dad to give them, so we could sort out the fraudulent payment on his credit card.

Monty doesn't seem to be very well at the moment - he's off his food which is not like him at all, so we're a bit worried. If it carries on we'll take him to the vet. He spent a lot of the day asleep in the conservatory but we do have to realise he's getting older and is now 15, about 76 in human years, bless him!

Keith dropped me off at the care home because we're not driving my car at all at the moment. We've booked it into a garage in Moulton for next Monday when I'm hoping we can get it fixed. While he went to get Mike from work, I did another lateral flow test and then saw my parents at 2pm in the garden room. It took me almost the whole time I was there to sort out the credit card, and it appears a new one was sent out to them at their old address in March. Why it wasn't forwarded to me, as it should have been, is a mystery. Apparently, someone tried to use it again for an Uber ride, but this was after I'd put a stop on it, thank goodness.

We can now take residents out for a visit so I'm going to make an appointment to take Mum out next week. At long last, things seem to be returning to normal!

Keith and Mike picked me up, we returned home, I wrote out all the envelopes, and we popped to Brixworth to post them. A good job done!

When Sophie returned home from work we went to vote in the local elections. Mike said he wasn't interested and at the last minute Sophie said she didn't want to either! So much for having their say! We had to bring our own pens to the polling station but, despite having loads in my bag, I only took one in...

As usual, two stuffed shirts were manning the desks (a man and a woman), and we gave our names and addresses. Keith went over to the voting booth and I followed him as he had our only pen. I wasn't intending to actually stand next to Keith in the booth, but the woman at the desk barked at me to go to my own booth in a very loud voice. I said he was my husband, but she said it was the rules. I felt so embarrassed, and to make it worse, a group of people had arrived to vote as she was ticking me off. I had to wait for ages for Keith to make his selections, and I was so annoyed I can't remember who I even voted for!

To make it worse, Keith agreed with the woman about telling me off, so we had a major row in the car! We had decided to have fish and chips this evening, as neither of us felt like cooking, so it was a very tense ride in the car to Kettering to buy our evening meal. Sophie was bemused by what had happened, and I vowed from now on to cast a postal vote in the future!

A change around!

Keith and I had arranged for a van to come and collect my Mum's two-seater sofa this morning, and I'd been receiving regular updates as to when he was going to arrive. Keith had already taken off the feet, and we managed to get it outside and onto the drive all ready to go. While we waited I gave the conservatory a good clean, something I'd been meaning to do for ages!

The man with a van arrived at about 11.30am and at first it looked like the van was already full! However, he was very professional, and within minutes it was in the van! We suggested to the man that he follow us as the care home sometimes doesn't appear on satnavs. We had also put Mum and Dad's picture of Big Sur into the car, as well as a bronze ornament I'd bought for their 40th wedding anniversary.

Once at the care home, it all went very smoothly again and we were met by the handyman who was going to install the sofa and put the picture up on the wall. It was a big relief for us and I hope that my parents will enjoy having their own furniture in their rooms.

Back home I did some more cleaning in the conservatory and re-arranged the sofa and table. It does give us some more room and access to the double doors leading out into the garden.

Keith and I popped down to Riverside just before lunchtime as I needed some bird food. With all the young babies about at the moment, they're going through food like mad! After we'd shopped in Wilko's I went into Next to look at quilt covers. I spotted a beautiful tropical design with silver, grey and greens, which would go well with the curtains in our bedroom. They didn't have our size in stock so I took a photo on my phone and decided to order it online.

We were a bit hungry so I treated both of us to a Subway before we went to collect Mike from work at 2.30pm. Back home I worked until about 4pm and felt satisfied that we had actually achieved something today. My Mum was so pleased when she called me later in the day, so that felt good.

After dinner this evening Sophie and I went upstairs to watch television as Keith was keen to watch the football. As Chelsea won, they will now face Manchester City in Istanbul for the Champions League final. No supporters are allowed to go, so why can't the final be held in the UK? Madness!

A noisy shift...

I had heard, that over the weekend, we continued to be busy with phone calls, mostly about swimming. I can't tell you how glad I'll be when we no longer have to book people into sessions. It's driving us all mad!

It was very noisy in the office this morning, as there were lots of people in. We had some complicated calls early on with membership problems and confusion, which added to the farcical quality of the day! At one time I did think some of the calls I was receiving were prank calls, it was that bad!

It quietened down late morning, and I was able to try and put on some crash courses for the next half-term holiday. However, I spotted a problem and had to ask Sheila to sort it out. Normally, she does a lot of background work for me (technical stuff) so all I have to do is physically add the sessions to the system, but she hadn't had time, so we got into a bit of a pickle...

As always, it was a huge relief to finish at 4pm and head home. Keith had stripped the two-seater sofa of its cushions and feet, all ready for it to be collected and taken to the care home tomorrow. I spotted a mark where Monty had been lying so I had to deal with that!

We drove down to the station to pick up Mike who had been visiting Abbie this weekend in London. It's amazing to see the station car park so empty! Normally, at about 6pm it would be full of commuters' cars!

We headed home and Sophie and I caught up with what we'd been doing (she'd had a rough day as well) and I had a drink. I needed one this evening!

Bank Holiday washout!

Today dawned cloudy and grey, and although the sun poked its head through the clouds at times, it was mostly dull and dreary!

I made banana porridge for breakfast, using some very ripe fruit that was delicious when cooked - it's really the only way I can eat it! We mooched about all morning and the rain started at midday. This afternoon we were forecast 40mph winds, so typical Bank Holiday weather! I am working on the 31st, the next one we have, and you can bet it'll be gorgeous!

Sophie and I decided to venture down to Homesense in the afternoon as I'm starting to look for kitchen items, and they have a lovely eclectic mix. We took my Dad's car again and joined the queue of traffic heading for the town centre. When we reached St James Retail Park, we couldn't even gain access to the car park because of people queuing for the Starbucks drive-thru! We were in a filter lane, controlled by traffic lights, and three times the lights changed to red without us even moving! We gave up!

We drove to Brackmills, as I wanted to see where Sophie is now working. Her building looked lovely and modern, and I was impressed that she had a cafe opposite! We called into the local Costa a two-minute drive away and enjoyed coffee and sandwiches sitting in the car park. Not really what I had in mind for a Bank Holiday Monday, but at least it was quiet!

We spotted a Topps Tile outlet opposite, so we called in to have a look. Some of the tiles were gorgeous but very pricey!

I loved the range of colours in this mosaic tile

There was so much choice available, and although I'd originally wanted to go for white subway tiles, I don't think they'll provide enough of a contrast with the worktops. There's plenty of time to come to a decision though, and more places to visit before we decide!

From Brackmills we drove to Moulton in search of a new garage that we're going to take the car to. It was at the back of a new residential estate and looked a bit run-down, but if they're good, who cares?

After doing a little more exploring we headed home as by now it was starting to get windy and very wet. It was great to sit in the conservatory with a glass of wine and play Scrabble, while outside it grew very stormy. I had put away anything that could potentially blow away but I'm sure the wind wasn't as bad as it was supposed to be!

Dinner tonight was bubble and squeak, leftover chicken and veggie sausages. I can't believe that the extended weekend is over... it's back to work tomorrow!

Lazy Sunday

Sophie was going to see Zain today and was meeting him at Milton Keynes station. Keith and I dropped her off at 11am and then drove over to Broughton to pay our newspaper bill. There was some kind of table-top sale going on in the village, and the newsagent was closed so we returned home via the scenic route to avoid the temporary 30 miles an hour speed limit that's been imposed on the A43. The route earmarked for the decline in speed is very long, but there was no sign of any roadworks being carried out? They're not going to start dualling it already, surely?

Back home we mooched about doing little jobs and enjoyed leftover mince and dumplings for lunch. After we'd eaten I went out into the garden and took some compost from the bin to put on our borders. We have the fat babies in the garden at the moment, and they peck about looking for food or beg for it from their poor, hassled parents!

Sophie called at 3pm to ask us to collect her at 3.45pm so we duly went down to the station to fetch her home. It was cocktails again at 5pm and a game of Scrabble while Keith cooked a roast chicken for dinner. Sophie had enjoyed cocktails and lunch in Milton Keynes so she didn't join us for dinner. There were the inevitable leftovers so that's tomorrow's dinner sorted...bubble and squeak!

After we'd eaten we watched the film Internal Affairs, starring the gorgeous Richard Gere (who played a real baddie), and the equally lovely Andy Garcia. They both looked so young!

We hit the shops!

After a lovely, lazy start to the weekend, Sophie and I watched some of Saturday Morning Kitchen before getting ready to hit the shops of Market Harborough in the early afternoon.

We took my Dad's car today as mine is still making a horrible noise. Keith and I are going to try and get it sorted next week, but we are going to use a different garage... let's hope we have success!

In Market Harborough, we parked easily in our usual car park, and after popping to the post office to send a dress back to ASOS, we called into The Attic where Sophie found a beautiful pair of tapestry ankle boots, a dress and a top. She was over the moon with her haul, and this was followed up with another top at a different charity shop! Unfortunately, there was nowhere to sit and enjoy lunch - most of the places which had outdoor dining were either full or just not open, including our favourite, The Polka Dot Cafe.

We were hungry, so we decided to call into The Bakehouse and buy some sandwiches to eat in the car. We also bought a brownie each, a sausage roll for Keith, and two teas, and the lovely lady serving us threw in two almond and pear croissants for free!

It was lovely to sit in the car and enjoy our lunch. I opened the large roof panel so the sunlight poured in. Although it's been sunny today, the wind has been chilly, and we are forecast some bad weather for Bank Holiday Monday. Typical!

We drove home, and after doing all the preparations for dinner, we relaxed until 5pm. It was then time for  Scrabble and cocktails in the conservatory, our very enjoyable Saturday habit! 

Sophie and I were in charge of dinner tonight - a Hairy Bikers' recipe of minced beef with herby dumplings. The meal was delicious, and after we'd eaten we decided to watch the film L.A. Confidential. Unfortunately, Sophie and I just couldn't get into it, so we retired upstairs to watch a few episodes of Come Dine With Me. Far funnier!