& crispy duck from rotisserie
Pesky toothache is back. Infact half my lower lip is numb. Will have to go and see John Hill tomorrow. Whilst 2016 has been a fun year it has also been characterised by toothache. It’s an age thing!
6am and it’s looking like another great day ahead weather wise. Had a very successful crispy duck spit roasted on the bbq yesterday. 2 ½ hours. Anne sourced pancakes from downtown and Joe cooked a stir fry. We ate out on the patio.
Also collected a load of duck fat having cleaned the drip tray on the Weber. It’ll be slightly Chinese spices flavoured but I’m sure we will be able to use it for roasties. Talking about Chinese I haven’t yet mentioned my trip to Shanghai at the end of August. Just over a week. Taking in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Should be fun. Need to get visa sorted.
It’s very still out there, No rain overnight. Great time of day. I must refill the bird feeder. We had a fairly productive day yesterday despite my spending over an hour on hold trying to get through to the mobile phone insurance people in response to an email. Bit annoying because on my first attempt it took 45 minutes only to find that the girl at the other end couldn’t hear me. Had to go through the same process all over again.
In the end they told me they hadn’t received my proof of purchase. The work of seconds to rectify and a bit odd as I had already uploaded it when I first purchased and registered the phone.
The biggest annoyance of not having a phone is not being able to take pics and vids. I’m having to resort to screenshots and others’ photos for these diary entries. Have to keep them going as this is going to turn into a book at the end of the year. I’ve done ok so far.
Yesterday was a great cricketing day. We ramped up 589 against Pakistan and they are 57 for 4 in reply. A drubbing in prospect. This is the right kind of test match. At least it isn’t one of those where you are constantly having to turn off the radio because it is going frustratingly badly. On the other hand we do need these games to be a little closer. I suppose Pakistan did with the first test thugh god know how based on yesterday’s performance.
Popped down to the West End Tap for a few glasses of lime and soda last night. Joe was sitting in with Jazz Orbit. Came away before the end. Past my bedtime:) It’s unusual to see me out late on any night. I’m an early doors kind of guy. As are most of my peer group.
We are very much now in the holiday season. Schools broke up on Friday and the news is full of huge delays at the Port of Dover because the French Authorities have an ongoing state of emergency and are doing lengthy security checks on all travellers. You can understand why they are doing this. They do need to throw more resources at it though.
As well as toothache the year might also be characterised by the growth in violence generally in our global society. Massacres, bombings, shootings all over the place. I think we have got away with it here in the UK although we have had problems in the past. The world is changing for the worse.
The only thing to do is focus on nice things. Keep the bird feeder topped up:)
I have just worked out how I can use photos taken with the kindle fire. They are automatically uploaded to Amazon Drive so I just have to go there with my macbook and download them. Bit of a faff but any port in a storm innit. Hadn’t really registered that I was getting free storage with Amazon. 5GB. I may have mentioned this before but it is a real nuisance having to rely on the Amazon ecosystem with the fire. Especially the Silk browser. However at only £35 it is difficult to complain. I just rarely use the device.
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Finished the bath sealant. Finicky, hot sweaty job. Watched a how to vid first which proved worthwhile. Main tip is to use masking tape. Meant that my amateur efforts ended up with a good straight line. Now chillin’ on the deck chair on the deck – the only place where there is shade at this time of day. Listning to the warm up for the cricket.
Next job is empty out the workshop. It isn’t really a workshop these days. It’s a brick garden store. Very handy as we can keep a lot of stuff in there but it does end up very untidy as things tend to just get chucked in. Needs a bit of ivy removing from the outside as well. This may get done. V shall C.
So work is done for the day. We have treated ourselves to a Magnum-like ice cream from the freezer that Anne has been keeping quiet about. I’ve had a shower and donned a clean pair of shorts and a white linen tshirt. I shall have to think what to take to China clothes wise. Shanghai and Hong Kong are going to be quite a bit warmer and more humid than here. Might invest in another pair of shorts. Might also be able to buy some gear out there though I doubt they have my size. Didn’t the last time I went which must have been a good 15 years ago. Bought a large silk dressing gown that still turned out too small. Tom appeared in it at Latitude.
Did a post Latitude VW Campervan post on Anne’s Vans. Starting to build up the promo. Still one or two bits need sorting out. Needs a fridge that will last a few days on the leisure battery. The fridge we have now is good for when running the engine or when using an electrical hookup but the folk who had it before us only ever went to posh caravan club campsites. That’s not our style. We wouldn’t mix easily with caravaners although we do have one or two friends with a caravan that we have been away with for the weekend.
Ordinarily now would be a perfect time to crack open a cold beer. Plenty of time until dinner and sitting in the back garden relaxing. Don’t really feel like one though so will give it a miss.