Bonterra Park 2nd June 2009

Not a lot happening recently. Sun, Sun, overcast (for a couple of hours), bit of welcome rain and then Sun again. Temperature usually in the 30’s.

Tried the aircon for the first time, my God it was noisy so it must have a fault, hope we don’t really need it until we get back and get it seen to.

Daily schedule is; get up about 7:30’ish, tea, check e-mails, shower, shave and s. Her indoors tends to manage to stay in bed until about 9:30.

Talking about showers; I’ve found out that you need to be careful as to which shower to use. They can be VERY hot which of course is a good thing, but if you pick a shower that’s closely connected, i.e. on the same supply as the others and the wash basins and toilets can be a problem. So in the middle of a shower someone flushes etc. and WOW! So if you pick the right one, number 4 in my case, either at the point of “flush” you step out because there is a slight delay or it doesn’t reach you at all.
I always shave in the shower, always have done and a lot of people can’t understand this. Basically I know where my face is, the bits to avoid and I usually do a good job.
As I thought I may miss the odd shower whilst away I thought I’d get an electric shaver which of course I promptly left at home.

I remember getting an electric shaver when I was about 17. My Dad used a “7’o’clock” single bladed contraption that screwed together. “You’re just a girls blouse using that thing Son, should use a proper manly shaver”
“Tell you what Dad, give it a try I’ll bet you will change your mind”
So, next morning he gives it a go and is on for about 5 minutes before he throws it back to me. “Look Son, I will admit it’s smooth but it doesn’t give a very close shave, it’s bloody useless”.

He hadn’t taken off the clear plastic cover. I thought it wise not to mention this to him.

Ablutions done its back to the Mothership for a Colombian coffee and a good read.

Just finished Ken Follett’s “World without end” (1237 pages), a tale of life in a small hamlet in 1300’s England. Not a bad read actually. Also Michael Crichton’s “State of fear”(717), Johnson Beharry’s “Barefoot soldier”(434) and Martin Lewis “Bloody heroes” (432). I found an “old” copy of Tom Clancy’s “Clear and present danger” (816) and am presently re-reading that. You have noticed that I have been indicating book lengths, well this is important because as stated before, it’s “never mind the quality, feel the width” that’s important to me. Five weeks left and I’m running out of books!

Been on a few more bike rides after “modifying” my ladies lycra shorts i.e. inking out the “Women Sports” motif and re-modelling the gusset to fit my “meat and two veg” rather than the standard “flat” arrangement. Problem is that they must have some effect on me because every four weeks I get an irrational urge to shout at people and now for some reason I cannot reverse the car.

Tricia “tried” to make a casserole last night. We had bought “some meat” from good old Lidl, so she cut up some vegetables and put it in the oven. We had both been brought up on gas ovens but for the last 15 years or so had moved to electric. That first change over brought a lot of undercooked and burnt offering before we figured it out. So the upshot of this is that although we knew what 180 on a fan oven could do we had now forgotten the difference between 2 and 7 on the gas version.

After about an hour on “2” I could hold my hand against the glass window of the oven “It’s not hot enough, pet”. “Yes it is! Leave it alone, I’m the cook, it’ll turn out dry and burnt otherwise, sod off”. “But”. “LEAVE IT ALONE!”

Went for walk, three ours later, “Well we could fry it you know”. “Well I told you….” SLAP!