Saturday Afternoon Review

I haven’t blogged much this week. I haven’t had much to blog about. Work has been pretty busy, keeping me occupied during the day. My evenings have been rather unproductive too, mostly in front of the TV or online, commenting on blogs. (Have a look at these: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 if you’re bothered to see what I’ve been saying.)

My parents are going to be visiting us for Rosie’s birthday – well, okay, they have a produce show in the Home Counties in which they’re exhibiting that week, so it kind of makes sense while they’re in the area… but at least we get to spend some time together and do touristy stuff with them. It means I don’t get to do the Peak District Cycle Ride I was planning on, but then it was going to be a stretch to get up there on time anyway.

Claire, a friend Rowan’s is lodging with us until the end of September, while she restarts her life in the UK after a year or so living and working in New York. So far her first impressions of the flat are that it is bigger and better than what she was expecting (although, after a penthouse apartment on 6^th Avenue, I think she might just be being polite) and that the silence is freaking her out; instead of sirens and people getting mugged, all she can hear out of her bedroom window here is birdsong and the occasional late-night Jumbo on approach to Gatwick.

Meanwhile, Rosie herself is heading off to the Edinburgh Festival with Joe. Consequently I was driving to Heathrow at 5am this morning – although at that time of day it is hardly a hassle. I think we made it there in about half an hour, which is at most half of what it would take any later in the day. After I’d left them at the drop-off point though, Joe rummaged in his luggage and presented me with a bottle of cranberry vodka for my troubles, which was nice of him. On top of that, I was able to come back home, climb back into bed and appreciate my Saturday morning lie-in all the more for having already done stuff.

As for the long weekend, well, according to my diary it’s called the Late Summer Holiday but according to the weather forecast it’s more likely going to feel like the Early Autumn Holiday. Brett and I don’t have anything particular lined up, so I think it’s going to be a weekend of domestic chores. He doesn’t even get the Bank Holiday off on Monday – he’s back in Sweden. Hey Ho. At least the weather is due to warm up again during the week.

Finally, on a blog-related note: I have added Mark Maness’ blog, Left Field Perspectives, to my sidebar, as a blog I read. I fundamentally disagree with pretty much everything he says, but I have to admit I keep on reading it just to expand my horizons. He comes at things from a totally opposite direction to my own philosophies so I’m finding it quite educational.