anyresemblance

Old friends

Much as I dislike Facebook, it occasionally throws up something good and today was a reconnection with my friend I shared an apartment with in grad school.  We actually travelled to the mid west together, from our Scottish homes, two clueless children who flew to NYC and then took a bus to Ohio with no idea about anything. 

He had a serious girlfriend he had left behind and actually left before finishing his studies as he did not want to be apart from her.  We lost touch but then I saw his girlfriend, then wife, in the ante-natal clinic in Oxford when I was pregnant with my first.  He was connected to me by another old grad school friend and we were reminiscing about all the bands we saw that year: Prince, ABC, The Clash, Devo, Peter Gabriel (wot?).

This old girl is going to live with my daughter to keep her company and escape the annoying herding of Charlie. She’ll be happy to escape her Orange step brother as well.

Flashback

It’s a year since the terrific hailstorm that wreaked havoc and shattered the roof of my sun room in the old house. Today’s weather was nothing so dramatic.

I'm feeling a bit disgruntled but good things were a) a good dinner of chicken and potatoes and green beans b) news that I am likely to be moving south side again and c) another episode of Lupin.

I’ve been blogging since January 2014. I rad some of my archives yesterday and found myself a bit shocked at how optimistic I seemed.

Sunday Stocktake

 

1. Sipping: Tea, always.
2. Making: Eclairs.  I reckon I mastered the choux pastry ok but it was so hot in kitchen, the creme pat split.  I stuck it in the freezer for 15 minutes and whisked it with a little bit of cold cream and it came good.  For the icing I dissolved some instant coffee in a tiny bit of boiling water and then added icing sugar.  Good but room for improvement.
3. Reading: I finished Catherine Jinks, Shelter.  I read one of her books a couple of years and she is queen of a suspenseful narrative.  The last one I read was set in the 19th century but this one is contemporary and a teeny bit triggering for me given some stuff.
4. Listening: the latest Robert B Parker and the soothing voice of Joe Mantegna.
5. Enjoying: having breakfast with my old friend R this morning who I worked with in Libya and shared many extreme life experiences with.  We agreed it is crazy that we don't see each other more often and I am going to stay in her idyllic home in March which is less than 3 hours drive away.
6. Liking: my pale blue nail polish from this afternoon's manicure.  The girls (and one guy) in this place are so efficient and meticulous and friendly.
7. Watching: Lupin.  Still loving it.
8. Wearing: Sweaty Betty leggings.  The brand name makes me cringe but the compression was noticeable good for my knees on my brisk walk.
9. Feeling: Good about getting out early today to walk the lake with Charlie.  We did our 5km and were home by 8.15am.
10. Cooking: Nothing fancy.  Last night I made a baked sweet potato with lots of pepper and butter and some vinegary cabbage salad.  It was delicious.

 

Saturday

Today was many steps.  My daughter moved into her new flat and there was much up and down and back and forth.  It is only about 5km from where I live but I feel I travelled the globe today.  Anyway, she is mostly in, sleeping there tonight but I also had to put my own house in order as I gave her my extra sofa but that meant substantial furniture reorganisation and cleaning.  Anyway, everything is to rights and I am enjoying the calm of an ordered house.

In other stuff, I went to see an apartment with a nice view and an enormous balcony.  Maybe, maybe but it helps to know what I like and what I can live without. 

I've started watching Lupin which I love as a) gentlemen robber which is right up my street b) people speaking French in Paris c) subtitles which forces me to pay attention and not muck about on my stupid phone.

A walk in the woods

I sit in a corner cubicle at work, with windows on two sides, which I only half jokingly refer to as my corner office.  We are now facing having to book our desks every day so they can track us for covid purposes but I think no-one would dare take my seat.  Yesterday was blisteringly hot and by 4pm, I decided to leave the corner office and go home and work.  When I got home, I realised there was little chance of that happening, so I got changed and packed Charlie in the car and drove to our beloved ridge to walk through the woods.  It was hot and dry but lots of dappled shade and he had a lovely time sniffing smells that he had left a month or so ago.  I am scheming to move back south side.

4am had me padding out to the street to rescue our cat from a street fight.  He only half pretended to want to stay as he purred loudly when I picked him up.  I should have just made tea and stayed up but I went back to sleep and work horribly groggy at 7.30 which is 90 minutes past my preferred wake up time.

Today is not quite so hot but I am working at home and looking forward to the weekend.

 

Low stakes life

I am hoping to make 2021 all about small pleasures.  Among those is the kind of cosy tv that follows a well trod formula and offers a cosy retreat from day to day challenges so imagine my delight at this article in the Guardian on the pleasures of Death in Paradise.  It fills that perfect early evening Saturday television shot and is a program I would not dream of watching on a streaming service, its charm comes its known time slot.

After listening to Riz Ahmed on Louis Theroux, I watched the Sound of Metal on Amazon Prime.  It is quite beautiful and painful and its abrupt ending is perfect.  

 

Some good things

Instead of getting fed up at not pushing post yesterday and missing my posting streak, I am focused on the good things.

1. I had a great sleep last night not even awoken by the cat coming in at 2 (daughter had bad sleep and was up at 2 in the kitchen to let him in)
2. I remembered to soak the oats last night and ate them at my desk after my regular 8.30 call
3. I watched two more episodes of Never Have I Ever which is joyful and dorky and full of non-Anglo faces
4. I read a chapter of Nigella's new book and remembered that she is first and foremost a glorious writer (and unutterably kind to people on twitter)
5. I discovered the concept of snacking cakes (where have you been all my life?)

Tuesday

Well, that's annoying: I forgot to push post.

It is hot again and last night involved a lot of tossing and turning.  Even a sleep story on the glories of the Queen Mary didn't soothe me.  I read some more of City of Girls.  I'm not loving it but I have so many unfinished books, I feel I need to plow on.  I've started rereading all of Dorothy L Sayers but I am not letting myself read another on until I have finished the Gilbert.

I listened to Riz Ahmed on Louis Theroux this morning while going about my morning stuff.  So good and made me determine to finish the Night Of (I watched the first episode when I was living in Manhattan and was not in a good place to manage suspense)

This morning I made myself an omelette for breakfast, split it between two tacos and spread it with homemade Dona sauce, wrapped it in foil and ate at my desk an hour later.  It was so good but I had hiccups from the spicy sauce.  My old boss sent me the Dona recipe which is a homage to my favourite breakfast taco place in Austin, Taco Deli

Other than that, work, work, work

Disgrace

First proper day back at work and there was a LOT going on that I can not put to paper but which entailed many side bar conversations. Human behaviour is baffling.

I am also on a slenderising regime which meant I had eaten my lunch by 10.30.  Need to plan a more filling breakfast.

Charlie and I walked the lake this morning. It was teeming, even at 8am with people aiming to escape the heat so not my favorite.

I did a lot of meal prep for lunches for the week ahead and tidied the fridge out.

I went to the cinema with my friend to see Carey Mulligan in a Promising Young Woman. It was very over wrought and so long. Why are movies so long? Bring back the 90 minute cut.