Monday 28th January, 2013           1945

This time the forecasters got it right. Not in the morning though, for at ten I couldn’t see further than 50 yards because of thick fog, but at lunchtime the sun broke through. By two when I was gearing up to meet Crystal and Jim downtown it was positively warm at 14C. Cue riding the bike.

I had timed the meeting for three because it meant it was easy to avoid agreeing to either lunch or dinner - even though in theory I am working I never feel comfortable being treated all the time. This way they just had to provide the ale. Next time, which will probably be Thursday, I will go earlier and be happy to accept a free lunch.

As it happens I did a quick shop for some flour and grabbed a KFC. The problem with leaving the meeting late meant that I was then in a race to beat sundown, it gets chilly very quickly thereafter. I made it back just as the light was fading. Time to take Pepsi out and buy enough liquid supplies so that I have no need to go out at all tomorrow if I don’t want. I will have no need, I have a chilli in the freezer and have the option of rice or making fresh bread to go with it. Ditto Wednesday although Thursday I must go to town, food to buy and money to get from the bank for our little trip.

Tuesday 29th         1815

Up to 17C today and even when I finally went out at 1630 I didn’t need my jumper under the coat - it was far too nice not to, although I could have just taken the dog outside the building. Allegedly it will be even warmer tomorrow so the bike is on charge for a town run. I have a repair on the rear mudguard to get done on the bike (it is lopsided where a bracket has snapped, probably someone did it when it was parked), get the brakes adjusted and I may as well get my money out and stock up on pet meat. That would just leave having lunch with Crystal and another friend she will bring (as Jim won’t be around) on Thursday.

Taking Pepsi to the shop I decided to dump her off at the sweet pork place while I went to buy wine but I noticed on approaching thousands of small tatters of red paper on the ground outside. That could only mean two things - one, a load of bangers had been set off recently and two, they are now shut for the spring festival.

Undeterred and despite my misgivings I took Pepsi to the restaurant near the fish place - the one where she disappeared into the undergrowth that time. She did exactly the same this time but in precisely the same place so I knew where she would be when I wanted to leave. I just had the one bottle as I stood outside and watched a vivid orange sun go down and youngsters riding rickety old bikes and giving smaller friends lifts on the luggage racks. It is pleasant to see kids playing the way we did when I was younger instead of sitting glued to the box, a computer or a game console. They are even allowed to do such dangerous things as fall over.



Kevin got home early today and emailed me to complain of being very tired. Flying via Dubai may have had something to do with it because he has hours to wait for a plane change there. He has custody of my dongle as I asked him to use it in order that Vodafone don’t deactivate it and render it useless under their idiotic “don’t use it for 9 months and lose it” rule. The first time he tried to use it a message appeared for him to call them so I hope they don’t play silly buggers - I am quite happy to email them myself to tell them what is going on.

Oh, and before I went out I put the bread maker on for fresh bread to go with the chilli. On checking it on my return it had reset itself to the beginning, thus prolonging things by over an hour. I wondered if yet again I had been lumbered with a faulty machine, but just now I looked around to see Tigger perched on top of it. My educated guess is that one of the cats reset it when I wasn’t here. At a stroke I could stop a recurrence by relocating it to the kitchen/balcony but they don’t work too well in the cold - can’t put a lid on it either as there are vents in the top cover. Is nothing sacred?