I find myself sat at my Laptop, sat on my own musing the days events, pondering the benefits entitled with letting Mrs. Banks have a night pass. What should I do? Watch a film? Read a book? or listen to a spot of Portishead, type out some words with a nice liquid to my left, and a phone to my right waiting to ring to let me know a spot of Nepalese Cuisine has arrived for my stomach's assessment?
Depending on how long certain events may take, I'll try and mix everything into one.
What's new then? Not a great deal, I learnt Julia had taken the sides off of Olive's cot last night... the hard way. I was fast asleep, and then heard someone walk into our bedroom with stealth like precision. I did well to keep the profanities to an absolute zero given the circumstances. The day was to begin, that little earlier than expected. If this appears, and doesn't take too long to view, it will give an idea of the snotty happy welcome we got this morning:
After, it was business as usual. Go swimming in the morning while Julia has a driving lesson. Get home; go shopping; sit in the car reading (currently The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes) while Olive has a nap, and I shirk out of going into the supermarket duties (a huge fear I have, supermarkets aggravate me, make me aggressive, and give me the all out jitters). In the afternoon, Olive went to meet up with some friends. They all fought, didn't share, shoved and screamed, until it was time to take Olive out of the equation. Olive did provide a laugh by managing to finish every child's cake for them at discrete intervals:
I had a quick 6 km run as well this evening. I don't want to know what the temperature really is out there now, but it was not warm for running in. I knew it was -6 this morning, and I had to resort to very warm water to get the car doors open. Anyway, I digress, it was freezing, and I took a good pace all round. Final time for just over 6.2km was 31mins 43secs. A good pace for training at. I have a small matter of 16.5km to do tomorrow.
A few reflections have come up lately. I got to catch up with my good friend Jon, who's now living in Shanghai. It was good to see little had changed, and that he spends his cold days wrapped up in bed praying for the warmer weather to come around. It came to mind that six years ago we were in the first stages of a road trip to Banjul with the Plymouth to Banjul Challenge 2006. This was a challenge where we had to get to Banjul in Gambia via the means of a £100 car. In essence, a cracking road trip, with some great yarns, and some great guys met along the way. More will no doubt come up on here when I'm searching for things to mention. Still, I thought I'd show a picture of our teams car, a 1984 BMW 318i aka 'The Steed'. Jon emailed to me this car as an example of what not to buy for the trip, it would be costly to find parts for, and may consume a bit of the unleaded amber nectar.
He didn't notice, it had my name on the plate, and said motor was subsequently bought.
 |
| Possibly the best car I've ever bought |
Julia made us some dolls to take on the trip, as some lucky mascots. I believe Jon still has his, mine is in the possession of Olive. She calls it mini-Daddy. Mini Daddy still features prominently, and he's a little like me as well... just look where I found him.
 |
| The cupboard is looking empty |
I must add, this cupboard is always half empty unless the door cannot close properly due to it's contents. I should also add that I've just taken one out that's not in the above picture. This nicely presented bottle is a single cask bottling of a Glen Scotia 1974. It sat in a barrel to age for 30 years before someone put it in a bottle. I naturally got it for my 30th birthday (in fact, it was the perfect gift from the lady wife), and a lot of time was invested searching the perfect 30 year old dram. This one doesn't disappoint, it's a shame it's nearly empty, and at a 3 figure sum of money, I doubt there will be another one... best get saving, and looking for a 33 year old this year, variety is, after all the spice of life.
 |
| Know how to keep your husband happy |
As if timing couldn't get any better, some chap has knocked on my front window, and delivered some tasty smelling scran. Talk about the spice of life, this meal is an ominous shade of green, and the first taste has sent my mouth a frenzy... further research has unravelled this mystery, it is a Lamb Hariyo - cooked with green sauce of fresh mints, coriander, green chillies & Nepalese spices.
 |
| already getting the sweats looking at it |
I've just had a mouth of food, then washed it down with a slug of that Glen Scotia... BOOM!... I hope Julia enjoys her night pass, because I'm near to heaven right now...
Sláinte.
