Resolutions

• Garden more
• Photograph more
• Exercise more
• Cook more
• Write all about it in here (apart from the exercise one, maybe)

Summer

So it’s been a rather nice few weeks. I won’t go into it too much as I’ll only bore you all, so here’s a quick summery of the past month:

Dave got on very well with my grandparents. We only had a few hours in Exeter, but we spent a couple of days in Dorset were we swam in the sea (and I was slightly shocked how quickly the water became deep in West Bay) and Nan showed us a lovely pub in Loaders. It’s been a while since I was last in Dorset and I’d forgotten how completely lovely it is.

Camping was fun and the Gower is lovely. I like the fact that to get to the beach you had to walk for ten minutes through trees and sand dunes. This is the view from our tent:

There was a great pub called the King Arthur which served lovely food and a good pint too. We also visited a chocolate factory and did a bit of archery, which I have discovered is completely awesome, despite getting a massive bruise along the inside of my arm where I whacked the bow string there twice. It hurt.

I spent a week at mum and dad’s house too. In which I spent the majority of the time there not being outside and enjoying the views of the Isle of Wight and the nice pubs, but in front of the computer booking bits and bobs for my trip to Oz later on this year. Sydney it seems is completely booked up during new years and it took me two days solidly and numerous (this isn’t an exaggeration either) phone calls to find a cheap hotel for me to stay in for three nights. This firework display in the harbour better be good!

Once all that was sorted, I did manage to do a few things. Ma and Pa have been growing quite a bit of vegetables and the majority of our meals were cooked with the fruits of their labour. And damn tasty too. It made me miss the allotment. The best meal was this. Tuna steak bought from the village fishmongers and marinated in arrabiata spices and olive oil, served with potatoes, roast beetroot, peas, courgette and chard all from the garden. Yum. I also visited Hurst Castle with dad. It’s amazing! If you find yourself in the area do go, it’s a great place to explore, especially if you take the ferry to get there.

So that’s been my summer so far. I’m back to work next week. Boo! And there’s so much to do on this here blog. I notice I’ve been tagged by Hedgewizard, and I shall do that very soon and there’s also a soup recipie I need to type up too. And maybe a couple of other things too if I manage to stop playing Bioshock. (note to Burro: get this game. It’s awesome!) I’ll also actually get round to replying to the comments left here and catching up with all your other blogs too. Once I’ve come back from shopping.

Holiday

So the House has packed their things away for another parliamentary year. Which means one thing and one thing only to me. Recess! It’s the time of year I get tutted at by other friends for the amount of time off I recieve (only for me to retort with the fact that I get paid naff all because of it). For those who are interested (and those who aren’t and who work their arses off, look away now) I’m now off for five weeks, back to work for three and then off again for two more weeks. If there is a general election in October as is rumoured I’ll get a bit more time off too. It’s a hard life.

Hmmm. I’m sure there’s something in here about not having enough time for an allotment, but I’m just not sure what… *ahem*

Anyway, the summer hols have started brilliantly, with a trip to deepest, darkest Norfolk and a stay near Kings Lynn for the weekend where we stood *this close* to the Greatest Man in the World™ Stephen Fry after watching Twelfth Night in Houghton Hall . We stayed at a so so Best Western, which is the usual McHotel. However, the main building used to be an old farm. What’s interesting is that around this part of Norfolk, many old buildings have these little black stones in the morter inbetween the bricks. We were told that these are called linten stones and were used to ward witches away from the buildings. Hmm. If anyone had any more information on that (and how to spell it), I’d be much obliged.

Right, I’m not sure how much I’m going to be on here for the next few weeks. But you can be sure of a dull round up soon. Dave and I are off on our first week-long break in ages on Saturday where we shall be going to Exeter (for Dave to meet the grandparents), Bridport (to see my other grandparent), a bit of camping on the Gower and whatever else takes our fancy. It’s going to rain a lot isn’t it?

I know, I know!

Yes, I’ve been rubbish, yes i’ve not really been down to the allotment for weeks and yes I’m a lazy moo. But I have been fighting hoards of evil aliens in an amazing 50s outfit, complete with beehive (pictures soon) and work’s been rubbishly busy, which means the blog has suffered a bit. Sorry. Thank you for your comments since I’ve been away and business will be resumed shortly. I’m planning to go down the the plot this weekend, but then it’s a friend’s birthday so we’ll see.