Tuesday 25 January 2011

In the buff

Trouble follows us wherevr we go. Yesterday Moscow - the airport we flew into last year. And today Beirut...where we were in November. If you want to know our travel plans for the rest of year, so you know destinations to avoid, just drop me an email.

Well January is galloping by (thank God), and still not all the Christmas decorations have been put away. In fairness to one and all, there is a lot of them. And it s a long way up to the top room where they are stored between festive seasons. And because the boxes in which they are kept are old, very old, and far too fragile to be carried anyhere, they stay where they are in the rarefied atmposphere of the rafters, so each individual bauble, angel, snowman, candle, sparkly thing is carried up. One by one. But it is important that everything is put back in its place. And I can tell you that we have strapping thighs. Which may help when we go skiing in a month's time.

Naturally, in such a tidy household, the teens are under a lot of stress. These days, The Boy is under a lot of pressure not to leave his entire wardrobe in the middle of the floor, with his damp shower towels piled on top. The Cat? Well I don't know really as I never dare put my head round her door. Although the occasional screams from The Cat's Mother suggests that not all is always well there. Of course, I am the epitome of the Tidy Father. If I have five pairs of shoes at the bottom of the stairs it's because they're all in use. Clothes left at the end of the bed? Ready for putting away in the morning. I never reveal which morning though. The Cat's Mother is the tidiest person I know. So since our arrival, her life has been one of despair and desperation. We do our best; we know it's not enough.

Riding home last night it was chilly...I somehow misplaced my Buff, which keeps the space between my head and my shoulders (yep I know most people call it my neck) warm when I ride. I tore the office to pieces trying to find it. It could only have been in the office, because that's the only place I take it off after the daily commute. I searched high and low, but to no avail. It was a complete mystery. A further search ensued at home, but nothing. Absolutely nothing. Immenseley frustrating, especially as I got it to support Dan on his sponsored Hadrian's Walk.

This morning it was light when I left for work. And nearly warm. Absolutely brilliant. I can feel the temperatures rising as we head towards summer already. Let's just hope it isn't going to be like last year's 'bbq summer'. When we all got wet.

Oddly, my Buff was on my desk when I arrived in the office today. I blame the fairies.