Friends & Family

Well here we are another Monday morning and starting off a new week.   Another 6am alarm call which is always tough on a Monday morning.   I’ve fed and watered Phil and sent him, reluctantly on his way with bag of sandwiches.  We had a good weekend despite the awful weather on Saturday.  It was so miserable that on Saturday afternoon I actually put the central heating on.  We had 2 house viewings on Saturday but we were not present for either.   On Saturday morning we took ourselves to the gym although we didn’t actually get to workout in the gym.  Phil chickened out before we even swiped our membership cards but actually I didn’t mind because we had quite a lot to get done before midday. 

I knew the viewers had turned up because of the mucky foot prints they’d left on my kitchen floor.  The second viewing was a quarter past one and I just about had enough time to make a lasagne and get out of the house before they arrived; it was just in the nick because we drove past the agent and our house viewers as we pulled out of the cul-de-sac.  We haven’t had any feed back yet but that’s not uncommon for weekend viewings.

Jill & Tony turned up at teatime and we were ready for them.  We hadn’t seen Jill & Tony since last summer.  Jill reads our blog so she is fully up to date on our activities but we weren’t really sure what they’d been up to, so a face-to-face catch up was much overdo.  Jill & Tony brought a fridge full of wine and beer and we had quite few cans and (me) glasses of wine before settling in the conservatory for what I call a peasant supper.  

After Phil’s busy week I didn’t really want him to ask to cook, so we just had lasagne, baked spuds, and salad and garlic bread.  It was okay; it lined our stomachs which was the main thing.  After supper we walked along the canal for a couple pitches of beer in The Gifford.  The rain had stopped but it was a little soggy and very dark, not quite the balmy late evening walk that we quite often enjoy.  Never mind, we got home and had more beer and ending up doing karaoke using spoons as microphones.  Don’t ask!!!   It was great to see Jill & Tony, Jill & I email but it’s not quite the same.  J&T are off on the 25^th of August for a 26 day holiday in their house in Cyprus.  The lucky pair!   Life is going to be changing for them next year as they plan to take a year out and go and live in their villa in Turkey.  They’ve got a couple of projects to complete before they take time out but I’m sure they’ll get these completed before the big day.  I wonder after they finish their gap year whether they will be able to go back to their 9-5 routine in the UK but hopefully they won’t have too.  Thanks for coming down to see us guys, you were excellent house guests!

We were late to bed and up fairly early.  I was first up and was surprised that there wasn’t too much devastation from the night before.  Luckily it wasn’t raining so Phil cooked sausages, eggs and bacon on the BBQ, the best cure for a hangover.   Jill & Tony & Phil all left at the same time, somewhere around half past 10.  I think J&T had some shopping to do and Phil had to pick up Georgina to take her to his mum and dad’s.  When everybody had gone I did some cleaning, changed Harriet’s bed, put on the dishwasher and put some washing in.   When I was finished I went to the gym.  I wasn’t sure whether I was up to it but I’d missed 2 days so it had to be done.   Amazingly I managed a 5k run quite easily and then swam afterwards.  Phil phoned to get Harriet’s flight details and also the post code for East Midlands airport.  I was meant to be picking Harriet up from the airport but as Phil had to drop Georgina off in Loughborough it made sense for him to collect her as he was only 10 miles away.  They arrived home at half past five, both were absolutely shattered.  We watched some TV and then it was an early night for everyone in our household.

The ‘things to do’ list is not overflowing for today, or indeed for the week.  Which is just as well really, because I’m off to stay with Phil in Abingdon later this in the week which will mean a couple of days and a night away from home.  Actually I quite enjoy these mini breaks and I’m sure Harriet appreciates having the house all to herself for a change.  Last week was quite a social week for me, catching up with friends and lots of eating and drinking.  I’ve kept off the weight by working out in the gym but this week I’m going for a quiet one.  Definitely alcohol free as I need to detoxify and some early nights.  These days I just can’t take the pace.