On Saturday my grandmother turned 82. My immediate family (Mum, Dad, Kirsty and Adam, Ben and myself - Luke is in Canada), my aunt Verity and a selection of her children (Peter, Alice and Hannah), Nichola and Phil and two of theirs (Jabez and Edward - Sam is in San Francisco), Guy and Laura all made it out. We had some excellent Thai food and plenty of wine, and a generally great time. I told my grandmother she should have birthdays every year (we had all got together two years previously, but not last year), and she said I had a blasted cheek, as I wouldn't be around for the next one.

Labels: Drinking, Family

On Friday, Laurence left work, and we all went for a few drinks to wish him well. The Dogstar was a highly suitable venue, and everyone had an excellent time as far as I can tell. A few people had a long moan about how work was going, and I think there might be some surprise results in a few months when the employee survey comes back. Apparently there was a bit of a fight after I left - I always miss these things at work dos, and they seem to happen so often...

I also went home for the weekend, as there was something I had to tell my parents. I've decided to leave Abel & Cole and go to Australia for a year. I arrived home at about 11am, and told my parents and they were incredibly supportive and really delighted for me. (While we're on the subject, I'm selling lots of stuff in order to help fund the trip - if you fancy pretty much anything I own at the right price, please let me know). We spent a very nice afternoon lounging around the house, and then went to the Sailing Club's laying up supper, which was an excellent meal in good company. My parents won the Dart prize and my brother won the Dart Handicap prize, which they were both very pleased with (though I think they all felt Ben should have won the Dart 18 2nd place as well...), and we popped home for a quick whisky and bed.

Labels: Abel + Cole, Australia, Drinking, Family

A mere 20 hours after the ranting, half baked nonsense below, I find myself at the end of an evening of roast goose, potatoes, stuffing, cabbage, carrots and cauliflower, organic duchy original christmas pudding and brandy butter (the pudding from last year, no less!) and some viennetta type thing, Canadian wine (we all know Canadians make the best wine (the white was pretty dodgy but the red was excellent), along with growing the best bananas) and my sister's raspberry vodka. Today also included some violent kite scudding, some excellent kiteboarding and a couple of minor jumps (woohoo!) and a brief visit from my grandmother and auntie, who were on usual good form.

My family were better company than they've ever been for about half an hour after the meal, but then someone suggested watching Casualty, and all the priorities got mixed up. One day, we'll go out and ignore the TV, just for one evening.... Ithink I'll go and pour a whisky for my mother.

And apparently my mother always buys fairtrade tea,but never buys free range eggs because she doesn't eat that many eggs.

Labels: Family

I'm off home for the weekend, to take in some fresh country air, to eat and drink and be merry with my three siblings and my parents, and to generally take a break from London. There will almost certainly be nothing exciting to say on Monday about the weekend, and this weekend, that's how I like it.

Labels: Family

I spent 4 days in Lincolnshire, from 24th-27th. Here are some lists, in day order.

Meat
1. Pheasant, in apple sauce
2. Turkey, beef and ham, with all the trimmings
3. Beef, and sausage rolls at the party afterwards
4. A variety, in Chinese sauces.

Drink
1. A drop of mulled wine, a couple of pints.
2. A lot of mulled wine, a glass of red wine, a small whisky.
3. A drop of red wine, a Stella, most of a bottle of whisky.
4. Several glasses of red wine, three pints of bitter.

Company - hosts in bold.
1. My maternal grandmother, and family, Paul, James Watson and Cara later. Excellent.
2. My paternal grandmother, two uncles, two aunts, seven cousins, 6 of my aunt's family, my immediate family again. Excellent.
3. My paternal grandmother, the same two aunts and uncles and the same 7 cousins. My immediate family. Later, Gav, Tom, Beckie, two of her relatives, Paul, Guy, Caroline, Chris, Suzanne, Jim Baker, Esther, James Duke Evans, Lorien, Chrissy, Catherine, David, and sincere apologies to anyone I forgot. Excellent.
4. Caroline, Guy, Paul, James, Lorien, Gary, Chris, Suzanne, Kim, Jane, Nicki, Lucy (could have been Laura, sorry...) Ruth, a boyfriend and a husband whose names I only caught later on, and later Annalise, Jim and Esther. Oh, and the Durhams and Gareth on the journey home. Excellent.

Headaches in the morning
1. A bit sore
2. Mild
3. Very mild
4. Very sore indeed. Probably more sore than I can ever remember. I sincerely hope I never have a morning like that again.
(5. Surprisingly mild)

Memorable topics of conversation
1. Jokes, old cars in Cheltenham, why my father had been out of the room for an hour on the phone (he had been called to a fire, but the bleeper might sound s abit like a phone...), fact as a convention and the impossibility of proof for anything, except by definition, and why the Goonies is an excellent film.
2. The success of the Welsh rugby team, buying meat in bulk, nice Irish whiskies, why the congregation were in such poor voice, why Jack wanted to sit next to his mother, carving techniques, whether or not to wash the bottoms of the glasses, why people go for walks after dinner.
3. Polish vodka, taking half an inch off the skirting board, the change in ownership of Pearl Assurance, give a man a fire and you warm him for a day, set him on fire and you warm him for the rest of his life, Yorkshire pudding, Jeremy Bloody Clarkson, whether or not I was bluffing, sneaky cigarettes while running a half marathon, whether I was ok.
4. Terrible DAB reception, Led Zeppelin's Immigrant song matching the journey from Mr Man and Mr Pangs to the Beehive, to the second, senility, murder, rape, evisceration, the disappointing nature of most New Year's Eve parties, why New York was such a great place, feeling like a teenager again in Grantham (in a bad way).

Weather
1. Cold, windy, no rain.
2. Cold, flat calm, no rain.
3. Cold, windy, a touch of snow.
4. Too much snow. Cold.

Sport
1. I got the kite out, and flew it a bit.
2. None
3. Kite again. A small jump I think, and some traction - some distance on and off the board.
4. Exercised thumb on remote control.

TV
1. Nothing of note
2. Excellent Dr Who episode, and the Eastenders Christmas Special. No sign of the Queen.
3. Some Futurama.
4. An episode of the Simpsons.

Overall verdict: 7.8/10 - a good start, but sleepy family on 25th let the whole side down, and excess whisky on 26th may have been a mistake.

Labels: Family

But I'm going up to Lincolnshire this weekend, with my new 6.3m kite. The weather forecast for Lincs on Saturday says 2mph wind and poor visibility. Which is a shame, but does guarantee the survival of most of my bones, at least until after Christmas.

Labels: Family