Scribblings from the Mitchy Side

Had a lovely few hours at the above today, at Knebworth House. Spent a fortune, of course, but that's why I went to the cash machine beforehand. When the cash was gone, I stopped buying, even if the stall took cards :) I have learned from experience how to control my spending at these things :D

It was a lovely day but seriously windy. The stall holders inside the big tents must have been thanking their lucky stars! I perused everything, bought some meat and cheeses and watched a cookery demonstration by Matt Tebbutt. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon :)

And tonight it's the last night of the Masters! Eee! *happy is*

Here are some pics from the festival. The owl is a Barn Owl, one of my favourites :) The lone smoked sausage above the pack is a pork sausage with goats cheese. Nyom :D

Yesterday I went back to the Wellington for lunch, to scout the place out. Verdict - lovely place to sit and have a pot of tea of an afternoon, but very pricey food-wise for what is largely pub grub, albeit very nice pub grub. I had whitebait to start and posh ham, egg and chips for main, both of which were good, but with coffee and a diet coke, the bill came to just under £20, which isn't cheap for a pub. Still, as I said, nice place to loaf and have afternoon tea :)

Today I went to the football where Stevenage managed to claw back for a 2-2 draw with Tranmere. We looked a bit ragged but our injury list meant that we didn't have any strikers available so there was an air of make-shift about the team. We didn't play particularly well so I was actually relieved we got out with a draw. The playoffs are still within reach but we need to start winning, not drawing.

Went to the kitchen earlier to cook pasta for tea, got the water on, it was nearly boiling and....I realised I was out of pasta. *facepalms* This is such an unusual event in my house that it never occurred to me to check if I had any! So there was an emergency store run where I discovered that apparently a Good Friday 2 hours before the store closes is a pretty good time to shop. The "OMG WE MUST SELL THIS NOW LEST YE DIIIEEE!" counter was stuffed to overflowing and I scored a tuna steak for 19p, some fresh mozzarella for the same, and several snack packs of apple slices and grapes for 25p each :D And I scored at the Hot Deli counter too, where I got 5 stout coated chicken thighs for 50p and 4 large pork sausages for 80p :) The mozzarella and a couple of the chicken thighs were lovely with the pasta I was eventually able to cook. *grins*

That was well planned. In a fit of serendipity, I booked two days leave (yesterday and today) so as to have a long Easter weekend. And actually forgot that my last working day was also pay day! So not only am I off work, but I can afford to enjoy it :D

Going to the cinema tonight to see "The Gunman", and again on Saturday morning to see "Fast & Furious 7" (where I will doubtless blub over Paul Walker. *sniff*). Tomorrow afternoon will be spent at Stevenage for the football - really MUST remember that's tomorrow and not Saturday!

Yesterday I took a stroll around Welwyn (the village, not WGC), reminding myself what a beautiful place it is. Today I'm going back to investigate The Wellington pub, which I haven't been into for about 20 years, but which looks reeeeally good. I shall investigate the lunch menu and see what the breakfast menu is like - might be a good place to take visiting jenni411's in May :D

Make tea and curl up on a warm, comfy sofa
Cook food (lamb chops with jacket spud will soon be miiiiine!)
Have good TV to watch (SHIELD and NCIS:New Orleans!)

I'm loving NCIS:NO, really like the characters. Some of the early eps were a bit ropey but have developed nicely as time has gone on. It's already been renewed for Season 2, so huzzah :D

I do have one confession though. I adore Lucas Black but I cannot take the accent seriously. I KNOW it's his real accent and is as genuine as it can be but there's something about it that just makes it sound fake to me. I suspect I've been too badly influenced by comic Southern characters in the past *hangs head*

* nothing serious, I suspect PMS :D

Another crappy night where I couldn't get warm and spent far too many hours shivering before finally getting some sleep. I don't know what triggers this but it's annoying!

Luckily I had nothing planned today except watching the rugby :)

In other news, was very upset at the passing of Leonard Nimoy. I know it's inevitable but damn, we're losing all the good ones now :( I've ordered Season 1 of the original series and will watch it in his honour next week.

Last night I went with a bunch of work colleagues up to Prezzo's in Stevenage for a combined leaving do for 2 colleagues who have managed to escape our clutches. We were at the "finally figured out what we're eating, at the bar getting drinks" stage when the power went out. "That's novel!" we said and waited, and waited, and waited. We had no information from the staff or manager, beyond the fact it wasn't the restaurant's fault, as there were a small cluster of restaurants on the leisure park with the same problem.

When we got the word that the power company website estimated it would take two hours to repair the problem, we left. I felt so sorry for the staff, we were a party of 35 and that's a lot of tips to lose, but what else could we do? They couldn't serve us because they couldn't take payment and didn't know IF they'd be able to take payment. Also, not safe, even with the emergency lighting. I will go back tomorrow and pay for the drinks I had (I'd just been served when the power cut), although I heard they'd comped the drinks served at the table. Still, I'll pay for mine, fair do'.s

Anyway, most of us headed over to town and went into a Whetherspoons, where food was finally scoffed and booze could be quaffed in suitable quantities. A good time was had by all. I had a mahoosive mixed grill that was pretty darn good, and there may have been cider, although I only had 2 all night. And then I got a lift home and settled in to watch Wales v England, the first game in this year's Six Nations Championship. The game had been on the TVs in Whetherspoons - you're not going to believe this, but I managed to get out of there without seeing the final score! I suspected we'd won but I wasn't sure, so I was able to watch the game in ful more or less unspoiled :D Hee! And we won! WOO HOO!! *boogies on down*

On the not so good front, when I got home last night I turned on the heating...and nothing happened. Again. For the second time in 8 days. *siiiiighs* So now 'm stuck in this afternoon waiting for the engineer to show up. But at least I got an appointment for today, I was thinking I'd have to wait until Monday. Brr!! *burrows into sofa with hot water bottle and mug of tea*

Wow, it takes me so much longer to recover from a late night than it used to. Slept in pretty badly this morning, didn't wake up properly until 8.55. I have couple of hazy memories of swatting the alarm off and thinking "I must get up no..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz." Guess one of those swats turned the alarm off rather than hit the snooze button. Cue furious whirling dervish impression and hasty texting to boss of "I'm going to be laaa-aaate! Sorry!!"

And then I scampered outside and was met with a white landscape! Snow! First proper fall of the year in my area (we didn't get any lying snow at all last year) and it wasn't much to speak of, maybe a centimeter or two, and it was all gone by afternoon but things did look pretty first thing :)

Today was fueled by copious amounts of caffeine. Tonight there is going to be an earlier night and much snoring in the land of me.

And the latest episode of Agent Carter airs tonight in the US! Eeee Howling Commandos!! *bounce* I shall be stalking that episode when I get home tomorrow :D

Meee! I've got heating again! Hurrah! The only monthly payment I never begrudge is the one for British Gas Home Care. Saved my bacon yet again. And the engineer chap was not only early and efficient but, after he expressed disgust at the appalling way the heating system was put together and sympathised with me mightily, actually made a practical suggestion for getting it sorted long term. Nice guy.

Bonus was because he got here at 12.30 and was done by 1pm, I was able to go back to work which meant I ended up not having to use any annual leave for the whole afternoon. This made me almost as happy as having hot radiators :D

Major props to my colleagues at work too, on a day when we were rather short handed all round, for juggling rota duties and covering gaps to let me get home to sort things. I was glad I could go back in the afternoon, to be honest, and help out. I was even productive! :D

And now I have a 3 day weekend, courtesy of the day off on Monday I've booked to enable me to get sufficient amounts of sleep after the SuperBowl on Sunday night/Monday morning :D Ahhhhh, life is good!

Heating's packed in. Just as the temps drop and we're threatened with snow. Timing is everything.

I knew there was a reason I paid British Gas for Home Care Membership - they're coming tomorrow afternoon. I'll have to grovel extensively to work for the short notice and I'll have to blow half a day's leave, but needs must!!

I am starting to wonder how much it would cost to rip the currant system out and replace it. At this point it might be a sane investment.

Remember I said I've been sleeping a little poorly all week and that I might be worrying about something? Woke up yesterday with a big ball of anxiety lodged in my stomach, which made me promptly stop and think about WTF was going on. I was scheduled to go to a T'Pau gig last night, over near Milton Keynes (for non-UK types, that's not exactly nearby) and my car indicators have been iffy lately, as in "not always sure if they're going to work". A local trip to the football or the shop I can handle, I know the routes and I can make sure I stay safe. A drive in the dark to a place I've never been before that's not in the middle of a town centre? Ummmm, no. So I bailed on the gig.

And last night I slept like a log, right through.

Go figure!

(Car will be sorted, I know what it needs, I'm just waiting for pay day next Friday :) )

PS: not bothered too much about the gig. I may get my money back if they resold the ticket and I saw T'Pau twice last year and I am very sure they'll be touring again in the future so 's all good. Also I paid for this last summer, was originally scheduled to see them in the Autumn but the gigs got cancelled. Sometimes things just aren't meant to be!