I hate housework

Unutterably disappointed of the Scottish Borders. That's been me today. I couldn't believe they cancelled Queen's Club tennis today and are putting it on tomorrow, which means my plans for tomorrow will have to change.

I was intending to do loads of exercise and writing, but instead I shall have to be glued to the telly watching the tennis until the final is over. Or as my Beloved would say, any excuse to sit on my arse and watch sport.

I was so disappointed at the tennis cancellation that I actually cleaned out my clothes cupboard, and even vacuumed in there and I have to be almost distraught to do something like that. I also washed the bathroom floor and, was so upset that I went for cleaning behind the sink. Yup, that's how upset I've been.

But now is time for Formula 1, which is in Canada this week. The commentators have spent over half an hour waffling about nothing much and I wish they'd just get on with it. Still at least on the Jacques Villeneuve track there's a chance for overtaking so it should be quite exciting. And at least it means I won't have to do anymore housework today!

Practice makes perfect

Today has felt like Noah should be around the corner. It has rained and rained and rained all day, and I'm not talking drizzle here, it's been chucking it down.

After a slow get up and a Skype session with my friend Tracy in South Africa, we took ourselves off down to the village hall where there's an exhibition of its 100 years anniversary. It had photos and memorabilia and was quite fascinating. The original bill from the architect was for £25 and all the wooden benches and tables cost £35 1shilling and 6pence. I love old stuff like that. There were some lovely pics of our house too - which was built in 1843 - and is quite a village feature.

When we got home it was still so miserable out, we cancelled our plans and decided to stay put and watch the tennis from Queen's Club. Great to see Andy Murray playing brilliantly against Andy Roddick, but the match was so short if you blinked you'd probably have missed it, and then the other semi between James Ward and Jo Wilfried Tsonga was not so scintillating and JWT didn't look like he was going to lose. I'm looking forward to the final tho, which because of the expected deluge in London tomorrow is starting an hour and half earlier than advertised.

So it seems that our weather is heading south and good riddance. Tho of course if it's sunny tomorrow I shall feel a bit guilty sitting watching the tennis, whereas today it seemed like just the thing to be doing. Still I don't care. Tennis is tennis and I've got to practice for Wimbledon which is coming up in just over a week. Yeh!

Ladies who lunch

Today I did my very first restaurant review. I went to The Library in The Roxburghe Hotel and Golf Course and it was fantastic. The place is absolutely stunning and the meal was pretty good too.

I started with sweet potato soup, followed by fillet of halibut, herb butter asparagus spears, black olive and garlic crushed new potatoes and finally finished with apple tatin with cinnamon ice cream. As some of you know I'm not really into puddings at all, and so bought back a doggie bag for my Beloved with half the tatin (obviously minus the ice cream). I think I did rather well ordering a pud at all, but I suppose suffering for one's art is par for the course and the rest of the meal was very yum. All of it was washed down with a rather nice glass of complementary pinot grigio so can't really complain.

Because I needed to take a meat eater, and I really had short notice for this one, I took my Beloved's new employee. It was good as it gave us a chance to get to know each other in relaxed surroundings and she was helping me out big time, otherwise I might well have lost the gig. I think she enjoyed it too. A chance for us both to get dressed up and be ladies that lunch.

The only problem is that I had to write 210 words (with a 15 word leeway) and had to include all sorts, from what the manager told me about the place to what I'd experienced myself.  I managed it in 214 words, which was quite a feat I can tell you.

I'm pleased with what I ended up with and am hopeful that it'll be good enough for them to offer me more. Can't wait!

Sporting activities

My man arrived home very late on Sunday night, tired but exhilerated after his efforts route marking for the London to Paris cycle ride and has been catching up with 'real life' ever since. That is the hundreds of emails that were floating in the system. I think he's almost thinking that going away for a week wasn't such a great idea. Good to have him home.

I had a great night at bowls last night and shocked everyone, including myself, with the way I played. My new village pal (who goes by the wonderful name of Magic Bob) and I went for a practice in the morning and because we both have physical problems of varying sorts, we have both had to alter the way we play to accommodate our bodies. And both of us felt we were getting somewhere. So actually playing last night and seeming to have our practice efforts paying off, made us both feel good. Can't say the club acolytes felt the same. They seemed to be quite taken aback. Now comes the difficult bit and that is to keep it going.

Lazy, hazy days of summer

Since my Beloved has been away, on the days when I'm not working I seem to have slid into a rather strange schedule. For instance, last night I was up until just before 2 am. I decided to watch 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' which I'd downloaded onto my iPad, and taking all things into consideration was probably not the best thing to watch when thinking about going to sleep. Consequently, I didn't get to sleep until it was almost getting light and then that made for a late get up today. I'm really lucky to have a dog that doesn't actually care what time I get up and some mornings she doesn't even bother to come down for her breakfast biscuits first thing, or in today's case, second or even third thing. And then that put me later than I'd planned to 'get things done'.

'Getting things done' seems to be an ongoing saga for me. And one that never seems to be completed. I walked the dog, fed the birds, watered the garden and cleaned the bathroom and kitchen and that was pretty much it. When I'd been out walking the dog I'd missed a call to bowls from my village pals, so after lunch I took a wander over to practice on my own for a while. After not quite an hour, I called it a day as it was hot out there, and my cheeks were doing a passable impression of beetroot.

So what have I actually done today? Not much I think. Never mind, we don't have a long summer so have to make the best of it while we can... so no visitors please or I shall have to get into 'big clean' mode and I really can't be bothered.

Maybe tomorrow

Today was the complete opposite of yesterday... it was beautiful and warm, dare I say hot even? My car said it was 20, and it certainly felt like it. But of course I was at work all day. Yes, inside an office. A quick going out to get my lunch, but that was it. So all I could do was look longingly out of the window at the rest of Edinburgh walking by in their T-shirts and short sleeves. Still tomorrow is a no work day and so will hopefully spend some of it outside. That will be so good.

Meanwhile my Beloved, who's currently in Compiegne, not too far from Paris, has been enjoying a very hot day in the French sunshine. Apparently his Birthday Bike is doing the trick and he's managing to cycle at speed, which he's enjoying hugely. When he was leaving London he went so fast he managed to set off a speed camera, which is some going. I think it made him very proud.

Another piece of good news is we have a new dogminder. She's actually my Beloved's new employee who stays just outside of the village, which will make our life a whole lot easier. Nell spent a trial night there on Friday, and last night was the first real night. No problems at all. I'm mightily relieved as my Beloved has a busy summer of activities coming up which makes my working life a bit complicated, so the fact that someone can look after Nell takes a lot off my mind.

So only three days left now til my Beloved gets home. Skype is great as we've been able to see each other every day and catch up on whatever has been going on, but sometimes technology lets us down. Tonight we had to connect/reconnect 4 times and in the end gave up. I'm hoping, like the weather, I'll be able to enjoy it better tomorrow.

Flaming June

Flaming bloody freezing June that's what!

I couldn't believe how cold it was this morning when I woke up. I was almost tempted to put the heating back on, but decided on thermal top instead. Can you believe that? Thermals in June! Where's a bit of global warming when you need it? I think Scotland got the bum end of the deal with that one.

Someone in the village told me on Monday that the weather was going to get better as it got towards the end of the week. I'm now wondering when the 'towards' bit will start. I want some sunshine, I really do. I'm totally fed up.