(no subject)
We have had a very busy week, about which I have been meaning to post for a while. As usual, now I have the opportunity I don't recall what I wanted to say!
The days kinda melt into one another now I'm at home at the beck and call of my offspring, so please forgive me if I lose track a little. It's all passing rather quickly, and I am astonished at how quickly Isabella is growing up. She's not even 6 weeks old yet, and already she's changing so fast! The feeding is largely levelling out, and she's not so much of a hungry little monster as she was, although I can still expect to spend hours pinned to the sofa with her hanging off my boob and then find that she'll still want a couple of bottles of formula milk to top up, the little piggy. *grin* Still, she's thriving, and that's what counts.
Last weekend (i.e. not the one just gone, but the one before that) heralded a scheduling disaster, as several things that we wanted to attend all clashed. After some deliberation, my lovely husband gave me a drinking pass (i.e. he looks after Izzy for the evening and the night, and provides transport for me) to attend thehappygoth's birthday bash. So I got dolled up in my best frock and finally cracked open the bottle of Gentleman Jack that ephraim bought me for my birthday last year. As someone who used to live near the Spey, I have grown up with the impression that all good whisky is from Scotland,* so it was a lovely surprise to find a Tennessee whiskey that was every bit as smooth and gorgeous as a proper single malt. That makes me happy, as did having a night out catching up with the likes of jesswah and co. Despite the provision of some excellent dodgy rock early in the evening I bowed out of dancing, mainly because it was not only the first time since November I'd been on the boozes, but also because it had been months since I was last able to wear properly pretty high heels, and I didn't want to make a tit of myself in my swanky gown.
The following day saw a visit from garethd, which was nice as I haven't seen him in ages. It's a shame he couldn't stay a bit longer really, but we totally don't have the facility for people to stay over atm.
Then the following day probablyscotty paid us a visit and we sat in the garden enjoying the brief spell of warm weather. We were even joined by the cheeky ginger cat that perplexes Eponine. Tis funny to think of Scott moving to Sweden in only a few weeks, in the same way as it's funny to think of dreamfire over in the USofA. I didn't see nearly enough of them while they were here though, so I really have very little right to mope about them not being around anymore. Balls.
The very lovely missdeathmetal visited later in the week, bringing a fab blanket for Iz. I am somewhat puzzled by the sudden popularity of knitting as a pastime - it's something I tried out years ago, and I fail to see its appeal. It's almost hip atm though, which is a bit odd really, but good so far as I'm concerned as it means lovely things for my daughter.
Friday saw philoko's birthday bash, and this time it was ephraim with the drinking pass, so I dropped him in town and headed to Smethwick to partake of the hospitality of the ever-welcoming squeezypaws. Things got later quicker than I expected, so I didn't get to go elsewhere as I'd planned, but this was fine as we had a very lovely evening chatting and disagreeing on who was the fittest bloke in "California Man". Then I collected my man and went home.
Saturday dawned far too early for my liking, as Izzy had a rough night so I was far too knackered to drive to Meriden as we'd originally planned. This caused some cross words, as ephraim absolutely had to get the Porsche into the garage and funnily enough he wanted to get home afterwards. Fortunately the garage came up with a courtesy car, so we've put the divorce papers on hold. :-)
The day got distinctly better though, as the Porsche came back adjusted without cost, and we got the energy together to get down to Minsterworth to meet up with boglin, lupercal, velvet_the_cat and Simon (and, of course, Java the dog) at the Severn Bore Inn. The pub was really shitty, but we were in the garden, which was infinitely more pleasant. The Bore was due at 10.15ish, so shortly before that we duly processed up to the riverbank to watch as the surfers paddled off into the darkess. I think they're a bit mad, as it was so dark that if one of them had hit their head on an overhanging branch or suchlike no-one would have seen and they'd probably have drowned, apart from the 'sensible' ones with glowsticks attached to their wetsuits, who everyone on the bank seemed to be using as a reference point as they were the only two spots of light out on the dark river. The surfers all seemed pretty enthusiastic though, as I suppose you'd have to be given the likely river temperature.
The Bore turned up late, and in some ways wasn't as dramatic as I expected (i.e. it was a swell rather than a distinct wave), but in other ways was more so (i.e. there was a helluva lot of water and the river was much higher afterwards). The surfers all seemed to miss the wave and then get pulled upstream in the current at quite some pace, being picked out in the spotlight that the pub had shone on the river in front of it. Most of them had to paddle madly to get across the swollen river to the place they'd climbed in. I wish I'd got that photo, but was somewhat hampered by the lack of a camera. And then we came home.
ephraim has just neatly summed up Sunday by saying "We watched the Grand Prix, got grumpy with one another, and then I bought you flowers." And very nice flowers they are too! I did some gardening too, which is starting to become one of the more pleasant chores for me.
There was also an evening clearing up cat shit and scrubbing the side passage walls and floor. That was one of the least pleasant things I've ever had to do, so we'll just gloss over that and be glad it's done now. Ick.
I would like to say that this week will be quieter, but it won't be as we have more visitors lined up (which is very lovely) and various baby-related activities and check-ups. Hopefully the latter will provide some respite to the pain my right wrist has been giving me for the last few weeks. The restriction in use of the opposable thumb on my dominant hand is one of those things I'd really rather get sorted sooner rather than later! Oh yes, and we're still awaiting the arrival of the newest addition to the family: another nephew for us to dote on. It's looking like he's going to be truly huge, as well as very late! *crosses fingers and hopes that Sarah doesn't have too bad a time of it*
Goodness me, it's nice to get enough time to myself to type an entry of this length! Hurrah for snoozy daughters!
*yes, I do adore Messrs Daniels and Beam, but I don't consider them to be excellent quality loveliness, if you know what I mean.
The days kinda melt into one another now I'm at home at the beck and call of my offspring, so please forgive me if I lose track a little. It's all passing rather quickly, and I am astonished at how quickly Isabella is growing up. She's not even 6 weeks old yet, and already she's changing so fast! The feeding is largely levelling out, and she's not so much of a hungry little monster as she was, although I can still expect to spend hours pinned to the sofa with her hanging off my boob and then find that she'll still want a couple of bottles of formula milk to top up, the little piggy. *grin* Still, she's thriving, and that's what counts.
Last weekend (i.e. not the one just gone, but the one before that) heralded a scheduling disaster, as several things that we wanted to attend all clashed. After some deliberation, my lovely husband gave me a drinking pass (i.e. he looks after Izzy for the evening and the night, and provides transport for me) to attend thehappygoth's birthday bash. So I got dolled up in my best frock and finally cracked open the bottle of Gentleman Jack that ephraim bought me for my birthday last year. As someone who used to live near the Spey, I have grown up with the impression that all good whisky is from Scotland,* so it was a lovely surprise to find a Tennessee whiskey that was every bit as smooth and gorgeous as a proper single malt. That makes me happy, as did having a night out catching up with the likes of jesswah and co. Despite the provision of some excellent dodgy rock early in the evening I bowed out of dancing, mainly because it was not only the first time since November I'd been on the boozes, but also because it had been months since I was last able to wear properly pretty high heels, and I didn't want to make a tit of myself in my swanky gown.
The following day saw a visit from garethd, which was nice as I haven't seen him in ages. It's a shame he couldn't stay a bit longer really, but we totally don't have the facility for people to stay over atm.
Then the following day probablyscotty paid us a visit and we sat in the garden enjoying the brief spell of warm weather. We were even joined by the cheeky ginger cat that perplexes Eponine. Tis funny to think of Scott moving to Sweden in only a few weeks, in the same way as it's funny to think of dreamfire over in the USofA. I didn't see nearly enough of them while they were here though, so I really have very little right to mope about them not being around anymore. Balls.
The very lovely missdeathmetal visited later in the week, bringing a fab blanket for Iz. I am somewhat puzzled by the sudden popularity of knitting as a pastime - it's something I tried out years ago, and I fail to see its appeal. It's almost hip atm though, which is a bit odd really, but good so far as I'm concerned as it means lovely things for my daughter.
Friday saw philoko's birthday bash, and this time it was ephraim with the drinking pass, so I dropped him in town and headed to Smethwick to partake of the hospitality of the ever-welcoming squeezypaws. Things got later quicker than I expected, so I didn't get to go elsewhere as I'd planned, but this was fine as we had a very lovely evening chatting and disagreeing on who was the fittest bloke in "California Man". Then I collected my man and went home.
Saturday dawned far too early for my liking, as Izzy had a rough night so I was far too knackered to drive to Meriden as we'd originally planned. This caused some cross words, as ephraim absolutely had to get the Porsche into the garage and funnily enough he wanted to get home afterwards. Fortunately the garage came up with a courtesy car, so we've put the divorce papers on hold. :-)
The day got distinctly better though, as the Porsche came back adjusted without cost, and we got the energy together to get down to Minsterworth to meet up with boglin, lupercal, velvet_the_cat and Simon (and, of course, Java the dog) at the Severn Bore Inn. The pub was really shitty, but we were in the garden, which was infinitely more pleasant. The Bore was due at 10.15ish, so shortly before that we duly processed up to the riverbank to watch as the surfers paddled off into the darkess. I think they're a bit mad, as it was so dark that if one of them had hit their head on an overhanging branch or suchlike no-one would have seen and they'd probably have drowned, apart from the 'sensible' ones with glowsticks attached to their wetsuits, who everyone on the bank seemed to be using as a reference point as they were the only two spots of light out on the dark river. The surfers all seemed pretty enthusiastic though, as I suppose you'd have to be given the likely river temperature.
The Bore turned up late, and in some ways wasn't as dramatic as I expected (i.e. it was a swell rather than a distinct wave), but in other ways was more so (i.e. there was a helluva lot of water and the river was much higher afterwards). The surfers all seemed to miss the wave and then get pulled upstream in the current at quite some pace, being picked out in the spotlight that the pub had shone on the river in front of it. Most of them had to paddle madly to get across the swollen river to the place they'd climbed in. I wish I'd got that photo, but was somewhat hampered by the lack of a camera. And then we came home.
ephraim has just neatly summed up Sunday by saying "We watched the Grand Prix, got grumpy with one another, and then I bought you flowers." And very nice flowers they are too! I did some gardening too, which is starting to become one of the more pleasant chores for me.
There was also an evening clearing up cat shit and scrubbing the side passage walls and floor. That was one of the least pleasant things I've ever had to do, so we'll just gloss over that and be glad it's done now. Ick.
I would like to say that this week will be quieter, but it won't be as we have more visitors lined up (which is very lovely) and various baby-related activities and check-ups. Hopefully the latter will provide some respite to the pain my right wrist has been giving me for the last few weeks. The restriction in use of the opposable thumb on my dominant hand is one of those things I'd really rather get sorted sooner rather than later! Oh yes, and we're still awaiting the arrival of the newest addition to the family: another nephew for us to dote on. It's looking like he's going to be truly huge, as well as very late! *crosses fingers and hopes that Sarah doesn't have too bad a time of it*
Goodness me, it's nice to get enough time to myself to type an entry of this length! Hurrah for snoozy daughters!
*yes, I do adore Messrs Daniels and Beam, but I don't consider them to be excellent quality loveliness, if you know what I mean.