Monday was back-to-work for Mark and I. I got started at 7:30am as while I had avoided thinking about work pretty well over the 2 weeks off, when the day of return had arrived, I needed to just get it over with and find out if there were any disasters waiting for me. Fortunately, there were none, or at least they were on someone else's plate, so the day went OK. I nipped out with the girls mid-morning to take them to the dentist. It was a break of sorts. But the girls are always good company, so I was glad to be out with them, even if I struggle to keep stride with their walking pace.
In the evening I went out for UkuleleLand rehearsal at Kevan's. Geoff was back with us after a long absence. It was lovely to see him and Kevan had cracked open some drinks to celebrate.
On Tuesday I started the day with a run. There was a light drizzle, but it was actually very welcome. The weather hasn't been sunny, it always seems a bit grey and overcast, but the temperatures aren't actually cold. It's high teens most days.
Clearly Woo has been going off into town on the bus every day for a good few years, but she hasn't wanted to stretch her wings much either. I think it is nice this summer that they will go off together to walk to the library, or go play tennis, or go to the shop for something. Woo will go on her own, but Bunnykins would prefer to go with Woo for those things. But with M, this was a new thing - hanging out.
Anyway, suitably chuffed with themselves, they came back for tea and wolfed it all down.
Mark had a run in the evening with the Bristol Trail Runners. Earlier in the week I had seen that stocks of A+ blood was low so had booked myself in. I was due another donation, but it was around the time of the first vaccination that I got a reminder and so I had had a bit of a hiatus, but felt suitably settled to go donate now. I think that is now my 19th donation, I think at 25 I might get a badge...loves a badge me! 😄
Thursday was the day of the big sleepover. I got started with work early again (7am), so that I could finish early and also pick up the girls around 3pm. Bunnykins and Woo got the tent set up and then promptly got to reading in there.
Woo had found a book at the library that she was really in to and was devouring it.
Mark made tea, but then he and Woo went out to frisbee. Ben came over, I was glad of his company, he is good with kids. The dinner table discussion was loopy, and I was glad that he could hold court while I was up and down with getting stuff to the table.
After eating, the girls went in the house, at first looking for Cluedo, but then I guess hanging out in Bunnykins' room.
We set up down the garden as I wanted to get a fire going for the girls when they came back out. Not sure what is going on with my face here 😄.
I lit a fire for them and got out some marshmallows and chocolate digestives so they could have smores.
Bunnykin's friends are lovely girls and they were good fun laughing and chatting as they toasted away.
Ben and I had a couple of marshmallows too and exchanged notes on the best technique for toasting.
M preferred a burn-baby-burn approach, while A was very much the opposite - slow and steady.
Ben played a few tunes for us on his uke. The girls had a good sing-a-long and dance.
I said goodbye to Ben and not long after, Woo and Mark arrived home. I had saved her a pair of biscuits and some marshmallows.
The girls went off to get ready for bed, while Woo and I sat chatting.
then playing with the settings on the camera and getting the ends of the sticks to glow. It was a very peaceful evening and it was lovely to sit out with her until it got dark and all the lamps were coming on. I particularly enjoyed poking the coals with her and her observation that it looked like each one had little monsters in them the way the shadows moved inside.
On Friday I went for another run in the morning. I wasn't really feeling it, not sure if it was the giving blood 2 nights previous, or the heat again. But anyway, I did it, so that is all that mattered.
All was quiet from the tent, it seemed like they had had a good night. I got on to work, while Mark welcomed them in and made rounds of pancakes for them. They ate like they hadn't seen food in days apparently.
M and A were picked up by their parents, and after lunch, Mark took the girls off to Dorset. Well, I think they met with Granny and Grandpa at some services part way along. He returned home and finished off a few work things.
I ordered takeaway which arrived just after I finished at 5:30pm. We sat out and tucked in.
We played cards a while, then Mark had a little snooze. We were both wrapped up in blankets, it was restful.
The card playing resumed. I wanted to stay out until my new lights came on. It was getting a bit tricky to play as it got darker. I have also noticed that my vision isn't what it used to be.
But it was fun anyway, and very atmospheric.
On Saturday morning, I had a couple of errands to run. It was a miserable day weather wise. UkuleleLand was due to play at the Staple Hill Family Fun day in Fountain Square. It might normally have been called off, but this was organised by the same lady who had organised the event a month ago that we were due to play at that had been cancelled due to a forecast that never materialised. So she organised a lot of gazebos and it went ahead.
I walked up there to meet the band at 12 noon. We got set up, not due to play until 12:30.
At 12 (and starting a little late) was Dancing Tots, which is a pair of people who are just bubbly, funny personalities who play music, do a few games and make kids laugh.
We stood and joined in with some of the dancing and singing, it was a lot of fun and their audience, which built up of toddlers and pre-schoolers, was entirely rapt and engaged.
We got started a little late, and our audience wasn't quite so rapt... opposite us in the other red gazebo was the silent disco...on reflection not the most encouraging place for it to be sited. As we played it seemed like we had a good crowd of people dancing along. Then you realise they are all wearing headphones! One lady came along, dancing to our music and was ushered over to them "here, have headphones!!" 😂.
We weren't entirely helped by the set up. We hadn't realised that Melody was looking for buskers, so had found out a little late that there would be no power socket. Melody had a portable PA which could take 2 inputs (2 mics in the end), there was Kevan's battery amp for his base, and then Geoff's which was having a bit of a problem. But with that we managed to get 2 mics, Ben's ukulele and Kevin's bass.
I had to be fairly well organised for swapping around leads to each of our microphones. One of the nice things about our recent set is how we all contribute to quite a layered sound with different vocals and different elements that we play. Take "the Chain", 3 of us sing, I play the chords straight as a background, Kevan is providing bass including some good detail and then Ben is riffing and twiddling away with all the complex stuff. Anyway, with only 2 mics and 2 instruments plugged in you don't get that.
For the most part it was OK with the 2 mics. For most songs it is either a solo with backing or a duet. We had to ditch Someone to Love - too complex with this set up. And on our finale, which was 500 miles, it is sung in the main by Kevan with Ben as the echo. But on the chorus, we go Male sing and female response. Well, I was pretty well yelling out the fa la la lass 😂, it was just on the singing side of screaming!
As we finished and packed up we had someone come up and say our Neil Young song was good... well one out of seven isn't so bad 😜😂.
Ben and I went and had lunch at the Blue Sky Cafe, which is proper greasy spoon. I had an all-day special, not sure what was special about it, but perhaps I don't want to know...
I fried up a few Gouza, which are dumpling things straight from the freezer, and are done in about 10 minutes. Mark came in and sorted out the beans and then voila, we had a delicious meal. Having a good element of it from our own garden made it all the more glorious.
As we sat there a gentle rain was falling. With it being a still night it didn't trouble us under the pergola. But as we ate, it got heavier...
and heavier...
until it was fairly beating down. You know if you can pick it up on camera...then it's heavy rain.
It was getting to the point that we were getting a bit damp. If we had been determined to stay out, it wouldn't have been a problem, but we decided to go in and catch up on Gardener's World.
We've had a couple of updates from the girls, particularly from Bunnykins on the progress of the jigsaw.
I am missing them. I do like their company.
Today on Sunday, we got up and Mark made a lovely breakfast of cinnamon toast for us. I had a few things to do online (payments to make, sorting out photos), and then I got on with some gardening. Mark wanted to clear the gutters after having enjoyed the opportunity to check them out during last night's rain.
When I had finished with my weeding, and potting on, and feeding all my containers, I got showered and changed. I had booked a table for 2pm at the Boathouse pub in Bath. It is just off the cycle path about 19km away.
We cycled there in an hour, it's such a great flat route.
Well it was worth the wait.
We cycled home. My legs weren't a problem, but my arse was! A plan has been made to go to Halfords and get me a new seat, ideally with more padding and one that can have the height adjusted as that is certainly part of the problem.
We have a week ahead without the girls. It does give us the opportunity to do things that we might not otherwise do, like go out with just the 2 of us. And if we're having a busy work week, it's nice to know they are getting a lot of fuss and attention (probably with a lot of cake thrown in) and some days out.
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