A tiny update

So I took Marlo to the vet to have his claws clipped. He was a tad reluctant to get into the cat basket and very reluctant to go out in the car. I was a bit puzzled – he’s never objected before. But then I remembered that the last time he went in the car was after he had been castrated and didn’t feel very well. No wonder he didn’t want to go this time! In the event, however, it was a very short visit to the vet. A nice young vet nurse clipped his claws, charged me £5.01 to do it and I was back home probably about half an hour after I had left. Marlo was very pleased to be back home – though he hadn’t objected to having his claws clipped. He doesn’t clickety-clack now when he walks on the kitchen floor!

The man delivered The Builder’s jig-saw shortly after I got home. So The Builder and I took ourselves into Chesterfield for a spot of lunch in the Rutland and then for a spot of shopping. We achieved many things from my shopping list – only we forgot to go to the supermarket to get the wine and the white fish for my proposed fish platter. And the cement and sand that The Builder wanted for this morning wasn’t on my list so didn’t figure at all! He got them this morning on his way to the little job he’s doing today.

The man who used to guard the entrance to the allotments died a bit before Christmas. We wondered what had happened to him when his pigeon sheds disappeared from the garden at the top of the allotments. It seems that bad people, like the scrap metal people, have been going around to his widow and helping themselves to the contents of his sheds and not offering to pay her anything. According to allotment gossip, they took his tools and everything! In the meantime, where the pigeon shed used to be, there are many concrete blocks, such as would make wonderful paths in between the new beds The Builder is digging. He went up in the afternoon and started moving them down. With permission, I hasten to add. And he, at least, paid her for them! I went up and admired what he’s been doing, then came home out of the wind and pondered how I could make a fish platter without any fish! In the end, I made a huge pot load of chips and chopped the big, chunky, juicy scallops I had bought from the new fish counter at Chatsworth into disks and griddled them and the prawns (also from Chatsworth) on my griddle pan. Very nice it was too.

Back at work today. Three days this week. Three days next, then three weeks and a bit off. Hooray! It is, mind you, absolutely freezing here. I'm back at Psalter Lane. Walked in this morning to what was effectively a large fridge. I've put the radiators on, turned on the stand alone heater by the desk AND I'm wearing my big thick coat. I have, now, however, taken off my gloves. It was very hard typing with thick gloves on!

The Builder has this week off (apart from the job he’s doing for someone at work), then he's at work for three days next week. Then, when he comes back, he goes to the job in Handsworth permanently. Well, until he decides he's had enough of it and actually retires.