A memorable birthday

Well that was a memorable birthday.

I went out to feed the chickens at about 7:45.  The temperature by the backdoor was minus twelve.  It was around minus 16 down by the grape vine.  I couldn't deal with any of the metally things with my mittens on.  Froze my fingers to the back door handle ... poured warm water over fingers ... blew on fingers.  Froze my fingers to the latch into the chicken orchard ... poured warm water over fingers ... blew on fingers.  Poured warm water over the door to the run.  Still couldn't open it.  Poured more on.  Door remained resolutely closed.  Opened back door and liberated chickens.  Gave them warm water to drink.  Didn't blow on them.

Went to open back gate.  Padlock was frozen shut.  Poured warm water on that.  Managed to open it.  Went back inside. Didn't pour warm water over me. Had already had my shower!

We celebrated my birthday by ... wait for it ... are you braced? ... sat down? ... brandied up? ... by going to MEADOWHALL!!!!!!!  I don't remember the last time I went to Meadowhall.  It wouldn't have crossed my mind to suggest we go yesterday, except that Lindsey had been reading the latest Lakeland catalogue and had noted that they had opened a new store at Meadowhall.  Lakeland is one of my favourite shops.  So off we went to inspect it.

The whole experience was much enlivened by trying to find a place to park amid the snowhills in the car parks (not a problem that usually besets you in Melbourne!).  And I really feel as though I ought to enjoy wandering around the complex. I do enjoy wandering around shopping complexes in Melbourne. But I seldom enjoy the whole Meadowhall experience.  Now this might be because I hardly ever go and so don't know where things are.  But I have to say that it really is appallingly signposted.  We did eventually find the information boards - and once you've found one the others become much more obvious.  But I was looking for electronic information stations and there weren't any.  It was quite remarkably busy to say that it was a Tuesday morning.  And therein lay my other lack of enjoyment.  People were just wafting around, wrapped up in their own little bubbles, paying no attention to anything that was going on around them.  Had I not been paying attention I'd have been walked into multiple times!!  Oh - and it's a positive route march to get to any of the loos!!!!!!

On the other hand - having found the information boards we also found maps of the place.  Which meant that we found Lakeland.  And an Apple store.  The Lakeland is smaller than the ones in Cambridge and Salisbury but also much more conveniently located.  Lindsey and I had a good time mooching about in it.  And she bought me an electric food slicing machine for my birthday :-)  Must be extra vigilant when I use it.  I am quite fond of my fingers and would like to keep them attached to my hands!!!!!  In the Apple Store, Lindsey bought us a charger for our Macbooks.  We only have one, cos we gave the other to Freyja when hers broke.  We also found a Disney store and a Build a Bear store.  We enjoyed pottering around in Build a Bear.  The Disney stores don't excite me a great deal but the rest does.  The Builder and I may come back.  At quiet times.  Not in the three weeks before Christmas!!!

We went home via Waitrose so Lindsey could have her Waitrose fix and then trundled home to prepare for our visit to The Nettle for the Christmas Chocolate night.

We drove out through the icy snow and got there - to find that the chocolate night had been cancelled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  They had been trying to ring me to let me know but either I had given them the wrong number, or they had written it down wrongly :-(  So that was a bit disappointing.  On the other hand, we all three had a magnificent piece of rib-eye steak each with extra chips on top of the rosti potatoes that came as standard.  And Lindsey and The Builder had cheese cake and I had ice cream with chocolate sauce, so it was after all a more than satisfactory birthday feast.

So.  Freezing temperatures, lots and lots of laying snow, a visit to Meadowhall, a cancelled chocolate feast and an unexpected steak night.  I'd say that was quite a memorable birthday!!