I've not been very organised (or conscientious) this past week. I've not managed to post my diary entry, so I've got two to do this week.
I'm not sure where the time went last week. On Monday last week, Tom called to say that he and Hannah were on holiday as a 30th birthday treat and did I want to stay at their flat. I think it's quite useful having someone about and it's also handy not to have to get up so early each day. Tom had meant to mention it to me on Saturday, but had forgotten in the rush of the party.
I popped round to Highgate late afternoon to pick up the key and it was a beautiful day, really warm. Tom has planted up some baskets with primulas, which are in full flower, so will be over in a week or so, also some azaleas. We had a look down his garden and considered his plans to put in some steps and cut back some of the undergrowth. There are some nice shrubs and plants around the top part, including a splendid camellia, but it is a bit wild as you go further down. It would need a lot of work and money to make it really nice (which it could be) but I'm sure Tom could make it better (and more usable) with a bit of work.
The weather continued nice all week and I kept planning to walk down to Finsbury Park via the Parkland Walk, but for one reason or another it just didn't happen. Sometimes, your time seems to disappear for no good reason. Tom and Hannah were going to spend a night in Poole and were then off to Bath for four nights, staying in the Royal Crescent. I was quite envious - I really like Bath. If I ever win the Euro Millions lottery (which is unlikely because I never do it), I'd buy a house on the Circus.
My diet suffered a little during the week as there was party leftovers - nuts and bread-sticks - to eat up and also the dregs of a few bottles of wine that had been left for me. On Thursday night, I went for a couple of beers with Sam and Lucy to the World's End in Finsbury Park. Nice to have a catch up for a couple of hours and they both seemed very well.
Work-wise, Donald was sacked on Thursday night. It was a shame to see him go, as he was a really nice chap and the office was a bit gloomy on Friday morning. Davina, in particular, was upset about the whole thing.
On Saturday, it was back in the familiar routine, but with a few variations. We went to Whittlesey, but instead of going to Jones the butcher, we went to Freeman and Daughters. I wanted to see if they could get me some hogget (year-old lamb) but they couldn't. They said no-one ever asked for mutton or hogget (well I had, but it seems I was the first). We got a chicken for coque au vin as Pauline and Chris were coming round that night and we also ordered a leg of lamb for next weekend (Easter) when Sam and Lucy and Max are coming home.
Pauline and Chris arrived at about 7.30pm and Pauline was in some pain. They'd been considering some new furniture for their lounge and Pauline had stepped back to picture how a new sideboard would look when she stepped on a child's push-along toy and fell backwards into the piano stool. She'd winded herself and bruised her rib-cage, so she was a bit sore. She was in good humour, however, and they stayed until after midnight. In fact, Pauline was in better form than me - I was absolutely jiggered at the end of the evening. I've not seen them for some weeks, so it was good to have a catch up.
On Sunday, we went across to Rugby to pick up some ski boots I'd bought on eBay. I'd decided to buy my own skiing gear on eBay as it cost around £100 to hire stuff each time. It's not been without problems and the first pair of boots I got proved too small for me and the first ski poles I got arrived without a cup on the bottom, so they'd sink straight into soft snow. I bought a size larger ski boots for £35 and they are a good make (Salomon) and a good fit at size 10. The chap I got them off had just bought them and found they were too small. He needed an 11, so I think Salomon boots must be made a slightly smaller fit than others.
It was a nice drive across to Rugby and we were there and back in less than three hours. I'd never really been to Rugby before, except years ago when I was on my way to Bristol and the M6 had been closed. We came off the A14 and went through Cathorpe and another nice little village before getting into Rugby. The countryside was lovely and Rugby stood very nicely on a bit of a rise as we approached. However, there were two massive concrete tower blocks on the edge of the town, completely out of character and keeping with the rest of the town. How on earth did the planning authority allow those to be built? Truth is, they were probably council houses.
I spent the afternoon in the garden, sorting out some weeding and planting. I also build a small veg plot at the bottom, where we can grow salad crops, with a wire frame over the top to prevent Holly and Gravel treading down my radishes. We're trying to put a few more pollen-rich plants in the garden this year to encourage bees and butterflies and I've got nasturtiums and some dwarf sweet peas in puts to germinate and have also planted out some sedum and some single dahlias. We've got cornflower, cosmos and night-scented stock ready to grow from seed. It's interesting that many of the common garden plants, such as begonia, geranium and pansy are pretty useless for insects. Even most dahlias are double or cactus-flowered so their centres have been bred smaller with less nectar and harder to get at. We're putting in single flowers and some plants are now starting to be labelled as bee friendly, so that's a good thing.
My other project, of course, is to find myself a new motorcycle. I'd located a 2004 BMW R1150RS with full luggage, ABS and heated grips, and 50,000 miles at £3,250. When I went to show Margaret, I found it had been dropped to £2,995. There was just one problem - the number given in the ad was outgoing calls only and there was no e-mail address, so there's no way of contacting the seller. I guess he must be wondering why he's not getting any calls.
It was a lovely weekend, especially Sunday, which had defied a poor weather forecast and March finished as one of the sunniest and warmest on record. Apparently, it will get colder this week and there's even some chance of snow showers.
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