This Fortnight I…..

Hi there!

It’s actually been a couple of weeks since I checked in on a Sunday. The first week it was because literally the only thing worth mentioning that happened was I went for lunch in the park and SAT OUTSIDE because of an unseasonal heatwave, which didn’t really seem worth a whole post of its own.

I didn’t even have any hilarious stories about that time I accidentally threw away a banana or when I forgot my umbrella.

The reason there was no post the week after was the actual opposite. I wasn’t even in the country and there was far too much to say.

But more about that later, because if I don’t do this in order what is even the point.

So far today I have met a 15 week old French Bull Dog and given the Pugs a bath, once I’m done here I plan to go out for coffee and buy some Guinness to celebrate St Patricks Day, but first This Week I….

Made Pancakes

Because it was pancake day and even though I have no intention of giving up anything for Lent, I like pancakes.

I even bought a new frying pan, and some chocolate spread, rasperries and peanut butter Halo Top to put on them.

The downside of this is that I now have a jar of chocolate spread in my cupboard and I keep eating it by the spoonful. Shame to waste it, right?

Got Windswept

On Friday of last week I found myself on a ferry to France to play in the Norfolk Brawds first ever international tournament.

It was a fine and sunny day, so we decided to go out on deck. On deck, as you can see, it was very windy, so we came back inside and drank over priced coffee instead.

Was Tired and Homesick

I have a confession to make. I’m really not a very good traveller.

I like my own bed, and my special hot chocolate mug and I missed Mr LLL and the Pugs so badly.

I was tired from traveling and lack of sleep and a very early start for our first of 2 games on Saturday. I was weepy and frankly a big baby. I’m the kind of person you hate when you watch Reality TV shows and they spend all the their time crying and moping.

On Saturday morning we lost our first game against Swedish team Norrköping , and then had an epic 6 hour gap to fill before our second game.

We hung around at the venue, I listened to podcasts, ate ALL THE FOOD, rehydrated, spent half the time going to the toilet due to the aforementioned rehydration, and felt very, very sorry for myself.

Our last game of the day was against the hosts Lille, and we lost that too. Feeling very sad and dejected I headed back to the beautiful cottage we were sharing to force myself to eat pasta I didn’t want and prepare for the next days game.

The following morning I felt a little brighter, it’s amazing what a half decent nights sleep can do, plus a little time to acclimatise.

The we won our Sunday game against French team the Panthers, and nothing cheers me up like winning, so by Sunday afternoon, with a Belgian beer in my hand, I felt MUCH happier.

Rediscovered the Taste of the Baked Potato

Feeling far more cheerful after a shower and beer, on Sunday night we had a team meal in the restaurant next to our cottage.

Its website advertised itself as the place to “rediscover the taste of the baked potato”, so I did. It was a 15 EUR baked potato, with raclette cheese and ham. I’m not sure I feel like I rediscovered the taste of the baked potato, but it was very nice.

What I did discover was that sorbet with pear liquor poured over it makes a delicious dessert. So not a total loss.

Spent the Last of My Euros

Although I was perkier, I can’t say I was sad to go home. I needed some Puggy snuggles and although I can text and call Mr LLL, dogs aren’t so easy to stay in touch with.

On the ferry home I realised that I had been on this ferry crossing before, back in 2011 when I went on holiday to Germany. That time I was unimpressed with the £3 cup of coffee I bought in the ferry terminal to use up my Euros. This time I was unimpressed with the £3.50 cup of coffee I bought on the ferry to use up my Euros. Basically the coffee is overpriced and not very nice.

Went for a Walk

I hit the ground running when I came back from France. Being self-employed doesn’t often leave much scope for weekends away and I had work to do as soon as I got back on Monday afternoon, my first Personal Training client at 8:30am on Tuesday and then basically the rest of Mondays work to do on Tuesday.

So, on Wednesday afternoon, I decided to take the afternoon off for a bit of a break. We went for a walk and discovered some lovely parks in Norwich that I hadn’t been to despite living here for over 15 years.

Kett’s Heights is famous as being the campsite of Robert Kett during a famous rebellion in the 1500s. It has a cracking view over Norwich and I got very excited because it also has one of the beacons that were lit around the country in 1988 for the 400 year anniversary of the Spanish Armada. I found this exciting because I really vividly remember, aged 9, watching the lighting of one in Kent where I grew up and I loved thinking that this Norwich one was another link in the chain.

After that we walked on a bit further through some woodland and the beautiful Rosary Cemetary which was the first non-denominational burial ground in the United Kingdom.

Then we wandered through another small park I’d not visited before called Old Library wood. This park had a couple of small cabinets full of books and some great sculptures from fallen trees.

After that we discovered the pub. It was a pub we’d been to before, but I really think it needed rediscovering.

It was a perfect afternoon.

Bought a new Can Opener

This may well be the most exciting story of the week, depending on your perspective.

Earlier this week I tried to make dinner. Dinner involved a can of cannellini beans. There are 3 can openers in my drawer, 2 of them under 6 months old, and none of them work. I ended up punching holes in the can with one of the tin openers and then sawing between them with a knife to make a hole big enough to get the beans out and it took me 10 minutes.

I decided this was unacceptable, threw all the tin openers away and spent several hours reading tin opener reviews and wondering what had become of my life that I was now a person that read tin opener reviews.

Frankly tin openers have ONE JOB and I don’t understand why it seems to be so hard. After considering all the reviews I opted for the OXO good grips can opener, and nearly cried with relief when the cans I opened to make 2 bean chilli that night opened smoothly and easily in less than 10 sesconds per can.

See, I told you this was an exciting story.

If the can opener stops working in 2 weeks I am going to be very cross.

And that was an excitingly action packed 2 weeks in my life.

Now, coffee….

How was your week?