January 2010

January 31, 2010

I only had time for a short run this morning. Just as well… According to the thermometer, it was -3, with a wind that filleted me through my running clothes.

After a quick shower, we headed down to Doron and Antonia’s for a bagel breakfast and the Murray-Federer match. It was excellent tennis, and Murray gave his very best, but Federer was just too good for him…

Nova’s homework is on inventions that made a real difference to the human race. She really didn’t engage with the project at first — “The blender? Or how about rocking horses?” she said hopefully, glancing around her and naming the first things she saw. First we went through the index of an inventions book and made a long list. I talked through the impact of each invention with her, then left her to choose six and get on with it.

She opted for loom, paper, antibiotics, matches, aircraft and the calendar. My list would have been slightly different, but then who’s asking me? Learned an interesting calendar fact: The Gregorian calendar was first adopted in 1582, but Britain refused to follow it because of its Catholic associations. They eventually relented in 1752, by which time the British calendar was 11 days behind. They had to simply dropped those eleven days, to the consternation of the population who thought it was a ploy to collect more taxes.

January 30, 2010

Had a “tired and emotional” start to the day (as the politicians say)… Rallied enough to pull together a shopping list and head to Waitrose with Nova. Naturally I forgot the list, but managed to remember everything anyway. I think I must have been in a suggestible mood, either because the hangover had affected my brain chemistry, or maybe because I was looking at each shelf to remind myself what I needed to buy — either way, I let Nova talk me into a number of dubious purchases…;-)

Made broccoli soup for lunch before Nova’s friend Sameer came round to play. Sameer definitely falls into the “nice boy” category — even so, there is such different energy with boys in the house. Regular bangs and thumps and yells overhead as I went about my housework. For once, they included Lyra really nicely — she seemed to be the focus of a number of their games, and was absolutely basking in the attention.

Made an interesting dinner from the Moro cookbook — poached chicken with freekeh (a kind of wood-roasted green wheat) and sauteed greens, garlicky yogurt with sumac and broth. Lyra was horrified when presented with her plate, but Nova really enjoyed it… She’s becoming quite the little food explorer…

January 29, 2010

Went for a run first thing, and managed the Fitzroy Park killer hill better than last time. Went for coffee en famille (well, Adam, Lyra and me). It only happened because we’re out of coffee, but it was still nice…

Nova’s little friend Alice joined the ballet class this week. Once the class got underway I sloped off with Christine for a cup of tea in the cafe. Lyra had no problem with that (unlike some of the little girls who were upset at the idea of their mothers leaving the room). Lyra’s tears came when the lesson over, and she wasn’t able to join the next little group of ballerinas.

Made the girls a delicious dinner tonight — a sort of Spanish rice with bits of chorizo and a fried egg on top. Just as well they didn’t leave any, as I would have found it hard to resist.

Doron came round to babysit, and we went for dinner at Will and Sara’s. “I don’t think they’ve ever cooked us a meal without all the kids around the table,” Adam remarked as we pulled into their drive. So basically, lots of sausages, baked chicken, and pasta up to that point…

They certainly rectified that this evening. “I hope you like squid…” Sara said, removing the lid from an enormous casserole of bubbling tomato sauce. “Oh, I love it!” I said, as she plunged her spoon in and surfaced an enormous, bloated Moby Dick of a stuffed squid, which landed on my dinner plate with a heavy, squelching sound. It appeared to be stuffed with spinach and something soft and white – maybe bread… I took a forkful and discovered it was both underseasoned and full of grit, as if there had been a mix-up with sand and salt in the preparation.

My technique for getting it down was:

• put a slice in my mouth
• take a mouthful of wine and sluice down the filling without chewing
• chew the remaining squid and swallow
• repeat

The meal improved markedly from that point, culminating in a delicious plum and almond tart. Home about 1am…

January 28, 2010

Spent the day at home with Lyra. The boiler saga continues — I’m seeing more of Tony the plumber than I am of Adam at the moment… He was back today to turn off half the radiators to see if he could identify where water is escaping from the system.

Went to the cinema with Jane to see Sex and Drugs and Rock’n’Roll this evening. It was a surprise to me that Ian Dury was such a grade A asshole. I guess I only knew him in his later, “elder statesman of rock” years.

On the bus ride home, I grabbed an unexpectedly vacant seat on an otherwise crowded bus before stopping to consider why nobody else had opted to sit there. The moment I touched down, the guy in the window seat lurched round to face me and said, “THREE red cards! THREE RED CARDS!!! I could CRY!” The alcohol fumes on his breath nearly knocked me off my seat. I had no idea what he was talking about but made some conciliatory noises. “The ref was so bad! SO BAD!!” he said, his red eyes burning into mine. As he was wearing an Algeria football shirt, I asked if he’d been watching a World Cup qualifier. “NO!!” he shouted, “The Africa Cup!!” as if any forty-something woman should have known that.

“I HATE Egypt!!” he sobbed, “Promise me you will never go to that terrible country!” I patted his arm and he seemed to calm down a bit, until he spun round again and said, “Are you AMERICAN?” “No, Canadian,” I replied. “That’s good — I HATE Americans!”

“Goodbye, kind, nice Canadian. I’m going to drink whisky and get drunk now,” he said as we pulled into Archway, and staggered off into the night…

January 27, 2010

I have a couple of days annual leave that I need to use up before March to avoid losing. I’d hoped I might be able to arrange to do something with Adam, but he’s so busy at this time of year…

I headed into town after breakfast. My first stop was the new Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea. I wanted to see Richard Wilson’s sump oil installation, but there was a great exhibition on the new Indian art titled The Empire Strikes Back, which I really enjoyed as well.

Got of the tube at Marble Arch and spent an hour on the Edgware Road mooching around the middle Eastern grocery stores. Picked up a few Lebanese ingredients I’ve been wanting to experiment with — freekah and mograbiah, among others. Stopped for a bowl of lentil soup before catching a film.

I’d wanted to see “Up in the Air” with George Clooney, but it started a bit too late so I bought a ticket for a Meryl Streep-Alec Baldwin film instead. Thought it was pretty good, if lightweight, with a couple of classic scenes. Meryl has an affair with her ex-husband, and becomes the other woman in his new marriage, before being torn between Alec and a new man. Personally, I wanted her to stay with the asshole husband, not the drippy Steve Martin architect guy, but conventional wisdom was against me. I don’t understand this obsession with always going forward, or the idea that you can’t revisit things. “Why not?” I say…

January 26, 2010

Worked from home today as usual. Around lunch time, I heard Ewa come downstairs with Lyra and go into her bedroom. Five minutes later, there was a muffled crash overhead. Went upstairs to discover that the cat had dragged the hamster cage off the shelf. The cage had sprung apart, spilling sawdust all over the carpet, but the hamster wisely opted to stay in his hide.

I banished the cat, checked that the hamster was uninjured and put it all back together again. Found a bungee cord in the garage and lashed the cage to the shelf. The cat won’t be able to shift it again, but that won’t stop her leaping on top of it whenever she gets the opportunity.

I grew up in a house with multiple cats and rodents sharing the same space, and I don’t recall them getting up to any of this nonsense. The only violence we ever had was when one of David’s rats leapt into the open gerbil cage and ripped open a gerbil’s throat. Not a Kodak moment…

January 25, 2010

Delivered our website redevelopment workshop today. Hard to feel too enthusiastic about this project with the potential restructuring looming, but we’re professionals…

The day itself went really well. The participants seemed fully engaged throughout what was quite a long day, and each of the sessions stimulated a lot of discussion. My presentation on improving navigation went down well — I can’t imagine ever enjoying presenting, but it gets a bit easier each time…

January 24, 2010

“Hello, cutie pie!” I said to Lyra this morning. “Hello, hog beard!” she fired back… HOG BEARD — I have no idea where she got one from, but it made me laugh. Reminded me of a story my Grandpa Goode used to tell about talking to a little boy playing on the sidewalk. “Hello, young man,” grandpa said, “What have you got there?” The little guy looked up at him and said, “Get lost, pig skunk!”

In my haggis-induced stupor, I neglected to buy any groceries this weekend. It didn’t even occur to me until about 9pm at night… Went online and ordered up a bunch from Ocado — Waitrose’s online delivery service. I used Ocado occasionally when Nova was first born and I found it difficult to get to the shops, but got fed up with all the substitutions (dried coriander is NOT a reasonable substitute for fresh…) and not being able to choose produce myself. But it was a godsend to be able to order your groceries in bed at 11pm on a Sunday night and have them show up on your doorstep Tuesday morning…

January 23, 2010

Feeling pretty rough this morning… I didn’t drink all that much, but too much mixing… I’ve learned that lesson before at Burn’s Night — just stick to whisky and you can’t go too far wrong…

I’d pretty much recovered by the time we headed en famille to Alicia and Paul’s for dinner. “Don’t mention that we ate haggis last night, okay?” I said to Nova. “I won’t tell Alicia, but can I tell Scarlett <their daughter>?” Nova asked. “No, you can’t tell Scarlett,” I said. Or three-year-old Mason, or their pet mice…

They had invited Pete, Pasc and Fay, and Steve, Jane, Sadie and Phoebe as well, so it was a good houseful. After cava and smoked salmon, and getting the kids settled in front of Mamma Mia upstairs, we sat down to another haggis dinner. Personally, I love haggis and would happily eat it more than once a year, but perhaps not two nights in a row…

Alicia had made a lovely sort of cranachan/trifle for dessert, which was followed by a cheese course. I pretty much abandoned any hope of calorie counting by this point and just went with it. It’s your habits that count after all…;-)

About this point, Fay came down to ask if Sadie could sleep at her house. “Sure!” the relevant parents agreed. I knew Nova would be feeling a bit left out by this development, as Fay’s her special friend (Fay and Sadie scarcely know each other), and it wasn’t helped by the way they tried to keep it from her. She kept it together until they’d headed off, then burst into tears. Little Phoebe was already howling away about both her sisters going on sleepovers, so the evening ended on a damp note…

January 22, 2010

Lyra had her first (trial) ballet class this afternoon. It was pretty funny — she was so enthusiastic, but didn’t have the first idea how to follow any of the instructions she was being given. Not entirely her fault — Miss Julie would say things like, “Now, line up in pairs, and no one proceed until I give you the signal.” At the first note of music, Lyra would come galloping across the room solo, her pony skipping resembling a mad bull on a rampage.

She cried when it was time to go home and the next set of little ballerinas were mustering for their class. I fully expected Miss Julie to say that Lyra wasn’t ready yet, but to my surprise she said, “Oh, she’ll be fine — see you next week!”

Had Berndt, Mitsuko and their three kids round for dinner. Haggis for the adults; sausages and pasta for the little ones. As he’s Swiss and she’s Japanese, it’s the first time either of them have eaten haggis. Went down pretty well…

January 21, 2010

Took Lyra to Cafe Nero for a coffee after drop-off. I quite like going to cafes with her. I order her a babycino (an espresso cup of milk foam) and a croissant, and she sits there very carefully spooning her froth while I drink my coffee.

I was in the kitchen preparing dinner when Lyra came running in with tears streaming down her face. “What’s the matter?” I said, scooping her up. “I’m weeping because Princess Nova kicked me. I need to weep about that!” she sobbed.

January 20, 2010

My motivation at work seems to be suffering — I wonder why…
Spent half an hour this afternoon working out the cost to the taxpayer of a visit to the Institute’s two respective websites. Turns out that a visit to ours comes in at about 4p, while a visit to theirs costs at least £1.87… And getting rid of us is meant to represent value for money… Re-energized by this satisfying (if petty) sidetracking, I put in a couple more hours work on my navigation presentation for Monday.

Adam was out this evening at the football match he was meant to go to with dad. I got the girls to bed, then sat down with my dinner in front of The Biggest Loser. I’ve probably mentioned this before, but I find it pecularily satisfying to sit on your sofa with a nice plate of food and glass of wine watching those fatties huff and puff. Does that make me a bad person?…;-)

David called to say they’d received our baby gift. I was thinking biker when I bought it, while they see it as more Elvis in his Vegas period. However you look at it, I think it’s pretty cute…

January 19, 2010

It’s not easy to find the motivation to do my job properly today, but somehow I’m managing to… I worked hard most of the day preparing for next week’s website redevelopment workshop. While part of me is more than ready to move on after having worked for this employer in various guises for eleven years, another part of me doesn’t want to let the buggers win without a fight…

Actually, having worked in the NHS for eleven years, I have a pretty decent chip to cash redundancy-wise. Should it all pan out the way I suspect it will, my biggest concern will be avoiding redeployment into a role I don’t want…

January 18, 2010

Was hit with a bombshell at work today… The head of a rival team has written a paper proposing that my team’s work be divided between them and other parts of the organisation, and that we are made redundant. Aside from the fact his paper is the most poorly reasoned, ridiculously self-serving pile of crap I’ve had the misfortune to read in a long time, equally breathtaking is the way our director is rolling over in the face of it…

January 17, 2010

Went for a walk on the Heath with Nova this morning while Adam paid our churchly dues with Lyra. Coming through the village on the way back, we stopped in the Oxfam second-hand bookshop. Naturally Nova saw something she wanted to buy, but I didn’t have any money on me.

So for the first time ever, she did a solo errand to the village that involved crossing the High Street to buy herself a book with her pocket money.

Went round for tea at Pete and Pasc’s. Adam had baked a batch of baby fruitcakes/muffins to take round, which were very well-received. As I’m doing the calorie counting thing this month, I went to the trouble of working out each one had 300 calories, which made it easy for me to stop at one…;-)

January 16, 2010

Went for a run first thing, though the weather was horrible. My basic, two mile route was plenty — I was soaked and cold my the time I got home. Actually, there’s a part of my that quite enjoys running in extreme weather. There is something slightly masochistic about running anyway, and running in driving sleet plays into that…

Took the girls to see “Where the Wild Things Are” at the Holloway Odeon this afternoon. I thought it was an amazing film, and wouldn’t have believed it possible to make something so complex and beautiful and entirely true from a 350-word childrens’ storybook. I’d wondered if Lyra would find the monsters too scary, but she seemed completely unperturbed. “This is a nice show,” she announced loudly in the most poignant part.

It was Nova who found it upsetting. She sobbed her heart out when Max left the monsters and “sailed back over a year, and in and out of weeks, and through a day to his own bedroom where his dinner was waiting for him, and it was still hot…” I’m sure mum and dad read the book to me a hundred times, and that I’ve read it to my daughters a hundred times as well…

January 15, 2010

Went round for coffee and a little play at Nana’s house this morning. Nana was obviously pleased to see Lyra, and much more animated than she is at our place. She even did a little talking — the first time I’ve ever heard her voice.

We’re having a bit of drama with the boiler at the moment. It keeps losing pressure, and we’re having to reset it every day. Tony has been round a number of times to try and sort it out. He’s checked the boiler thoroughly, put some sort of sealant through the system that doesn’t seem to be having an effect, investigated all the radiators for leaks, and is now coming back every couple of days to isolate various radiators. If none of this works, it’s likely that one of the pipes is leaking. And given that we haven’t noticed any water damage, it’s most likely to be under concrete on the ground floor… Joy…

Came across this photo during a clearout this afternoon:

It’s from the summer I spent eurailling with my university boyfriend John. I was floored by what a pair of little cuties we were… On impulse I googled John (who I haven’t spoken to in more than fifteen years), found his work email address and sent it to him. Got a really nice response ten minutes later…

I made a spicy chickpea salad for dinner tonight, and was pleasantly surprised at the way both girls noshed it down. They didn’t seem to baulk at the chili beef the other night either, which is encouraging. I enjoy cooking with chilies and spices, but haven’t had much success up ’til now introducing them into family meals.

January 14, 2010

Heavy rain this morning washing away the snow… Still bloody cold though…

Adam left early for a meeting, so I took Lyra on the school run and then to Cafe Nero. She loves going for coffee with me, and is generally uncharacteristically well behaved in cafes.

She is in the “say whatever pops into your head” stage, and kept up a loud stream of commentary about what we were doing and the people around us. Fortunately her remarks were all gracious. “That woman is nice!” she said loudly, pointing at an immensely fat, moustached woman who had been smiling at her.

Unfortunately the day degenerated from that point… Lyra refused her afternoon nap, and by dinner time she was fractuous and irrational. When she threw a tantrum over her dinner I ended up yelling at her, which only made the situation worse…

When I was tucking her in at bedtime she looked up and me at said seriously, “We had a fight today, mum.” “Yes, we did,” I said, “I’m sorry about that.” “We were two monsters,” she said, “you were a bad monster and I was a sad monster.” Too right…

January 13, 2010

Adam flew to Germany last night, and it was a hectic morning without him. The last thing I needed was for the boiler to go on the blink. Something is causing it to lose pressure, and I had to figure out how to repressurise it…

Had a particularly frustrating meeting this afternoon with a rival team that we are jointly delivering an important project with. They are playing games with us and with our suppliers, and it is infuriating. I feel like we’re being manipulated into a corner, but it’s very difficult to engage with as they are being so underhanded. I could feel my blood pressure rising thoughout the whole meeting, and had to bite my tongue on more than one occasion…

Tonight Lyra said to me: “My friend Nana doesn’t talk, mum. She does talking on the inside…” After a moment she added, “Nana is sad, mum. Her eyes are a little bit worried.” The funny thing is, she’s absolutely right…

January 12, 2010

Lyra is coughing in her sleep every night at the moment, and sometimes wakes up choking for breath and crying. I took her to the doctor to get her chest listened to. He wasn’t that concerned, and I suppose I’m not either. She has no temperature (so an infection is unlikely), and although she looks pale and peaky, she’s mostly herself. Worth getting these things checked out though. She’s had some form of cough or cold for about six weeks now…

Late start to my home working day, which was comprised mainly of phone meetings. I really don’t enjoy those — especially when there is more than one person dialling in. It was midafternoon before I got down to my proper work. Lyra wandered in and out a few times. She’s really pretty good about not bothering me — she just likes to check that I’m still there I think. She still occasionally kicks off when Ewa arrives, but once she’s accepted the idea she doesn’t cause any further commotion.

“I’m getting too big,” Lyra said sadly at bedtime tonight, “I like to be small…” The little sweetie…

January 11, 2010

Had to make a presentation to my directorate this afternoon, which meant a morning of dread and foreboding. I’m not really sure what it is I’m worried about — making an idiot of myself I guess… I did a pretty good job of that last time, mostly through lack of preparation (the old head in the sand approach), so this time I swung the other way, writing the whole presentation out like a speech, so if necessary I could just read the damn thing…

It went fine in the end… It helped that I delivered it sitting down rather than standing in front of a sea of black faces with my hands shaking and voice breaking.

I was on a bit of a high afterwards, and the new that my application for regrading has been approved was icing on the cake. With the state of the public purse, there won’t be any negotiated pay rises forthcoming…

January 10, 2010

Adam B slept until noon. After a cooked breakfast, Adam dropped him at Euston Station.

Went to Brent Cross to buy the girls some bedding. Their duvets just aren’t warm enough, and may be a reason that they are waking in the night. I bought new, heavier duvets in the sales, as well as flannel duvet covers, AND hot water bottles. That should sort them…

Made a ginger and lemongrass beef stirfry for dinner. There was quite a bit of chilli in it, but to my surprise Nova didn’t raise a complaint…

January 9, 2010

Too snowy to run this morning — the pavements are treacherously icy underfoot. Apparently, there’s an urban myth that if you clear the pavement in front of your house and someone then falls, they can sue you. I never heard such nonsense, but they went to the trouble of discounting it on the BBC this morning, so maybe it’s affecting people’s behaviour. That, or the lack of snow shovels…

Adam B arrived on schedule from Heathrow. Big Adam managed to get last-minute tickets to the Arsenal match, and they headed off after lunch. I hung out with the girls. For the first time ever, Nova successfully settled Lyra for her nap. She’s such a willing, helpful little person…

Dinner was Balinese chicken skewers, Asian style coleslaw, noodles and corn on the cob. We planned to watch Prince Caspian but we were all too tired and bailed in the first half hour…

January 8, 2010

Feeling a bit blue today — the house seems a bit empty without dad around…
Nova’s school is operating on shortened hours today — not entirely sure how that helps with the weather conditions, but what do I know?

Devoted an hour to shovelling the snow off our road. One of our neighbours was at it when I returned from taking Nova, and I felt it was only neighbourly to give him a hand. Before long, a number of old duffers had appeared with various garden implements — I doubt there are a dozen snow shovels in all of London — and started scraping away. Some of that Blitz spirit Londoners like to think they still possess. Dan and I are both in our forties, but the new recruits were all well past seventy, and I know at least two of them have had heart trouble. I was relieved when it was decided we’d done enough, and they retreated into their homes again…

Our efforts meant that Adam could take the girls swimming this afternoon. Only two of eight kids in Nova’s class showed up, which meant she practically had a private lesson.

Pete called to ask if we could have Fay for an impromptu sleepover. They had a very nice time composing and performing singing routines for us until it was time for bed. I brought the requested “midnight feast” down about 11pm, and I think they were asleep not long after…

January 7, 2010

Another cold one, but at least it didn’t snow any more over night. Set off for Heathrow about 10am. Opted for a taxi, which we had to meet on Southwood Lane as our road is impassable. I expect you could get down it easily enough, but it would be impossible to get back up it again. I thought the taxi driver was a bit reckless given the weather conditions. His crap Skoda was the fastest car on the North Circular. He looked Ethiopian, so I don’t imagine he has much experience of driving in snow, and I also didn’t like it that he was driving in padded vinyl ski mittens, but we made it in one piece.

We’ve been checking the website regularly, knowing how likely it is that the flight would be delayed by yesterday’s chaos, but they kept insisting it was leaving on time. I think they deliberately have it set up so that everyone goes through customs before they know the true situation.

Anyway, we had time for a coffee before dad needed to go through security. I always hate seeing my loved ones disappear round that corner. I’m much more comfortable in the departee role. At least I can look forward to seeing dad again this summer…

Took the tube back into London, and crunched home through the snow. The main roads are clear, but the side roads and pavements are pretty bad. Nova’s school was closed due to the snow, so I hung out with the girls all afternoon, feeling a bit glum. Kept checking the flight status on the computer — it was only two hours late in the end, which could be expected any time of year. Unfortunately, it’s going to mean dad misses his connection in Vancouver…

January 6, 2010

Let there be snow. And yea it snowed, and it snowed and it snowed… Inch after inch blanketed London overnight, transforming it into a winter wonderland. The tube was predictably thrown into chaos, and although the buses claimed to be running as usual, it looked anything but when I walked Nova to school. A funny sight I saw more than once: parents carrying enormous snowballs their kids must have made on the walk to school, having no doubt agreed to keep them until they got home or something…

I opted to work from home, but then found myself unable to log onto the servers most of the day. I had planned a day of meetings anyway, so most of it was spent on the telephone. Not much fun, but better than battling the elements and the crowds in central London…

Steak, baked potato and green beans for dad’s last supper. (According to dad it was the best steak he’d ever eaten…) Finished the apple pie as well…

Took down the Christmas decorations after dinner. I always feel a bit sad when I start that job, but pick up enthusiasm as I go along. And the house always looks so austere and sparse when you’re done. I didn’t realise it at first, but Lyra was busily rehanging the decorations I took off. “Why are you taking the decorations down, mummy?” she asked sadly, making me feel like the Grinch. “Because Christmas is over now.” “Why?” “Because it’s January”. “Why?” She’s definitely entered the “why” phase…

January 5, 2010

It’s fucking freezing today! I think that’s the correct meteorological term…;-) Apparently, this is the coldest winter since 1981. It’s certainly the coldest one I can remember, and they are predicting snow for the rest of the week. Fingers crossed it doesn’t play havoc with Ed’s planned departure. Although really, as long as it doesn’t cost him any money, there’s no compelling reason for him to get back to Canada…

Nova started her spring term this morning, though it doesn’t feel very springlike… Standing around the playground in Lycra running clothes didn’t help. It took me fifteen minutes of running before my fingers unfroze.

Made a really nice tomato soup for lunch, with feta cheese-pitta toasties alongside. I’ve decided to count calories for a month, partly as a new years’ resolution, lose-a-bit-of-Christmas-flab thing, and partly because I have absolutely no idea of the calories in anything, beyond a vague grasp that veggies and fruit are good, cakes and pastries are bad. My first shocking discovery has been that a single breadstick has about fifty calories in it — crackers and crispbread things in general are surprisingly high…

Went round to the Perry’s at 5pm for Twelfth Night drinks. Karin is Danish and they have a Christmas tree with real candles on it. I’ve never actually seen one outside of picture books.

Watched Hugh Brody’s documentary The Meaning of Life, on the Kwìkwèxwelhp correctional facility in the Fraser Valley. I was hoping to see it while dad was here, as I thought he’d find it interesting and we managed to borrow a copy from Juliet this afternoon. Going by sleep-o-meter criteria, he did — he stayed awake through the whole documentary and most of the extra bits as well…

January 4, 2010

Back to work… I wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea, but it felt okay once I was there. It feels like the right time to get back into the old routine…

The workday finished at 4pm with a champagne reception for our chief exec who received a knighthood in the honours list. Stayed a respectable half hour before sloping off… “How was your day with Ewa?” I asked Lyra when I got in. “She was a little bit rudey to me,” she reported gravely.

Made a chicken laksa for dinner. It sat around too long before I managed to shepherd Adam and dad to the table and the noodles soaked up almost all broth, but it was still really nice…

January 3, 2010

My last day of freedom before returning to work. Went for a long run on the Heath — longer than intended actually… I accidentally deviated from the route I’d planned and ended up doing four miles. I’d like to build up to doing one long run a week — say six to ten miles — so this can be the first step on that good intention. It was mighty cold out there, but I quite like running in the cold. It’s definitely nicer than running in hot weather.

Made sausages and lentils for dinner. To my surprise, the girls happily eat great bowls of lentils. Dad’s not feeling quite right yet (and I don’t think he’s a big fan of lentils either). Nova had to help him finish his dinner. He did find room for apple pie though, so I think he’s on the mend…;-)

January 2, 2010

“Oh no, my hair is curling like a man!” Lyra exclaimed this morning, peering into her hand mirror. “Can you fix it, mum?” she asked anxiously. I did my best… Happy to see her putting her mirror to better use than her recent habit of asking you to “open wide” so she can poke it into your mouth and make rude remarks about your teeth…

Went for a family skating session at Somerset House this morning. They have these sturdy little penguins that the wee ones can push around in front of them for stability — and to spare their parents’ backs. The first couple of laps I did with Nova she was absolutely terrible. Back in the skate shack I discovered Adam hadn’t got one of her heels fully down into the skate. She improved considerably after that, though she’s still overly anxious about falling. It turns out she’s concerned that people will skate over her fingers…

Walked up to Chinatown afterwards, with poor Lyra practically developing hypothermia en route. Ate crispy duck and dim sum at our usual place, then made our way to Foyles so the girls could spend their book coupons before catching a bus home.

We’d just disembarked in front of Jackson’s Lane when Nova exclaimed, “Oh no! I’ve left my Christmas mittens on the bus!” The bus had already pulled into traffic, but Adam took off in hot pursuit up the Archway Road. We headed home slowly, thinking he might catch us up, but he didn’t turn up until over a half hour later… Turns out he chased the bus to the far side of Muswell Hill, a distance of about four miles before catching it and reclaiming the mittens. (Not all on foot — he hopped on another bus after a mile or so…) Nova does have a genius for losing things — she’d be the headless girl of Highgate if it wasn’t firmly attached to her neck…;-)

Dad made clam chowder for dinner, but was feeling too poor to eat it. Even my freshly baked apple pie couldn’t tempt him and he took to his bed. I think he may have the flu…

David and Denise’s baby arrived this evening (our time)!!! Introducing Devlin David Horth, 8lbs 4oz:

January 1, 2010

The dawn of a decade…
Not enough energy around here this morning to get overexcited about it. The girls didn’t get out of their pyjamas all day, and I shouldn’t have bothered either…

Apologised to David for the drunken nonsense I was spouting last night. Broken my golden rule about mixing alcohol and telephones…;-p

Made a great soup for lunch; Japanese rice, salmon, and steamed green veg for dinner, and dozed in front of The Great Escape until bedtime…