Pen's Nest

My Beast has been particularly heroic this morning.

He started off by noticing that the car had not filled up to 90%, as expected, and after much wrangling figured out that it was not obeying the instruction to accept 90%, but was sticking to 60% instead. Sigh.

Then he was tasked with picking up my new prescription: I was issued it yesterday and went straight to the pharmacy but they didn't have the items in stock. Various obstacles were presented by the different Boots branches, but in the end he came home with my stuff. And it turns out that one of the items needs to be kept in the fridge, so I can't take it with me this weekend after all, as there is no chance I'll have a fridge in my hotel room. Oh well.

All packed and ready. When my passenger arrives, we can head north west. I did think I would have two passengers, but one of them thought we were going on Friday... fortunately she has an alternative arrangement (having in fact forgotten that she'd arranged to travel with me). We shall meet in Harrogate! Wish us luck.

If you're interested, you can watch the contest live: https://www.youtube.com/live/o3ys0vGNktw Starts at 0920 GMT. We are thirteenth!

Dear Yuletide writer

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I have relapsed again and failed to post for almost a fortnight. Oh well.

Bun's hen do was very agreeable, though we managed to get stuck in a bunch of traffic on the A47 trying to leave Norwich. The spa was pleasant—not as pretty to laze about in as The Sanctuary used to be, with its pools of carp and greenery everywhere, but then, nowhere is that nice. I managed to get a gym session in first thing, as there had to be a slight rearrangement of the massages due to a staff member's absence, so I had my massage in the afternoon. I was pleased to be able to get some exercise in. We swam, and steamed, and sat about, and had a very nice lunch (though it arrived rather later than expected, despite us having ordered what we wanted when we arrived). All in all, very nice day.

*

My double Macmillan Coffee Mornings (Friday and Saturday) went well, despite the absence of the usual gang of elderly ladies who generally attend. The chap who usually goes to fetch them had a bad cold and didn't feel he ought to fill his car with old and vulnerable women, so he stayed away and the group universally didn't show.

Fortunately, I managed to recruit a few people from my husband's chorus and my gym classes, and lured in a handful of locals by putting little leaflets through their doors. So, not as many people through as in previous years, but they spent more, *and* I got to have more time to chat.

Also, there was plenty of cake left over, so I did not have to bake again for the all-day chorus rehearsal on the Sunday, which was definitely a relief.

*

We had a new armchair delivered this week, and Sable seems to have reconciled herself to the arrangements, as she was snoozing in it last night. The IKEA chair was comfortable but required considerable effort to escape from, so that has now been retired to the library and covered with cat blanket. Sable has more places to sit than we do—Beast and I sit on the lounge armchairs in front of the TV, whereas the cat will sit on whichever of these has 'her' blanket over it, or either of the sofas (she likes to sit on the soft cushions on the leather sofa), or her cardboard cat couch, or the chair in the library. Or, even, in the patch of sunshine in the bay window—she never used to sit in the sun, but has taken to it lately.

*

Yesterday we went into town to find Beast a new pair of trousers, to wear for The Wedding. He has a nice dark grey suit, but it's a bit snug around the middle, so off to M&S we went. Not surprisingly they no longer have suits in the same fabric—I think it's about twenty years old—so he bought a black pair that mean he will be able to ingest a *very* fancy Afternoon Tea without pain. Tomorrow he is going to take the Boy to acquire something smart to wear to The Event.

We pootled around doing various minor chores, and had an excellent lunch at the Waffle House. I had a Halloumi curry, he had a Blackberry Crumble waffle. The regular menu is good, but the Specials are often quite spectacular, and so it proved.

It is so nice to be able to walk into the city, walk around, and walk home again, though THE hill was quite the challenge, being very steep. My feet hurt a bit afterwards, and I compounded this by wearing my new purple boots to rehearsal.

*

Dancing lesson today, and I have to figure out what to provide for lunch tomorrow, as Bun and her bridesmaids and probably also her groom are coming here to paint table decorations. Life is getting a bit full.

Grump. I have a cold, and a sore throat. Particularly tiresome as I was supposed to be singing in a concert last Saturday and this coming Friday, and won't be able to.

*

A few days ago I was browsing the Joe Brown's clothing site and rather feebly trying to persuade myself that if I want a pair of knee high boots, I should get sensible black ones rather than the pink/purple ones that won my heart.

I want the pink ones! (In reference to an earlier post, though, I did not buy the leopard print Mary Janes.)

It occurred to me that the way I buy clothes—random items that I like, rather than a Wardrobe with any kind of coherent plan—is rather like the way I write stories, ie I meander about looking for things that sorta fit and put them together into something that pleases me. I wonder if the people who plot and plan their fic also have organised wardrobes?

How do you dress, and how do you write?

It's trucker day today! Every year on August Bank Holiday Sunday, truckers from the county form a convoy to take disadvantaged children to Pleasurewood Hills amusement park in Great Yarmouth. They parade through the eastern part of the city, and people line the streets to watch them pass. Every year I hear the cacophony of hoots and horns, and think to myself, I meant to watch that. I'm putting it my diary for next year.

There is a website about it here. The little route video is quite entertaining, though it's very simple. There are apparently 80+ trucks, with another 20 or so support vehicles. Beast was returning from the gym(see note) and had to park for a bit as the convey proceeded, with police cars blocking off side streets and traffic lights as it went, so as not to allow any traffic to interrupt the convoy. Majestic! Apparently there are fire engines, ambulances and recovery vehicles in the support vehicle category. I bet being allowed to ride in the fire engine is the most coveted seat!

Note: Beast returned from his morning spin class, still in his exercise gear, having forgotten that today is not the day on which he returns to collect me. That's tomorrow. So he has gone back to the gym to collect his clothes and, incidentally, to shower. Hee.

*

We went to a theatrical production yesterday evening. It was an outdoor performance, and given that rain, and even thunder, was universally predicted to span the entire show, Bun and I consulted by phone and decided we'd rather not sit in the rain for two hours. But miraculously, they emailed ticket holders to announce that they were moving it into the village hall (same site, different bit), so we did go. It was pretty good—the cast were very good at ad libbing with the audience, and a lot of the audience were obviously regulars who knew how it all worked. They did a brief history of Britain (ie of England, with a wee bit of Scotland when James I/VI showed up, and a perfunctory mention of Wales (including interpretive dance with a poem involving song, sea and very large tail fins, due to a slight misunderstanding of the topic). Lots of fun, some clever puns and a lot of very groan-worthy ones. But the best part, to my mind, was the WWI section, about which it is hard to be funny. They gave a brief explanation of why the war happened—very clear and interesting and still, WT actual F—and two poems. One written by a woman, sturdily declaring that all men must go and fight for their country (rendered really well, the actor presented both the conviction of the stupid woman in question and how horrifying that really was), riposted with the Wilfred Owen poem Dulce et decorum est. Beautifully done.

*

Back in the mists of time (Thursday), our chorus had a second visit from our adopted composer. She has mapped out her three songs for us, and taught us some bits of the first two. The third only has lyrics so far—she uses 'found text' and spent a lot of happy time listening to her recordings of the discussions we had about chorus at her last visit, and I think has very much captured Us. Most enjoyable. We then did a bit of information-finding (for her)/challenge (for us), trying to figure out what we each liked best about singing our part. Baritone 'shoulders', crunchy notes, being the last to finish the chord, etc. I hope lots of this finds its way into the songs. We should have the finished versions in January, and will give the world premiere at our charity concert next September!

Do you like your underwear to match your outerwear?

Another hat shop expedition yesterday, and I discovered two hats which were strong candidates. One was a great shape, with an elegantly turned-up brim, the other was the perfect colour with just the right kind of decoration to it (quills and feathers!) but a rather ordinary brim which I thought had not been entirely loved during its life as a rentable hat.

Difficult.

But! It may be possible to have the perfect compromise hat built for me! I remain hopeful.

*

Meanwhile, Joe Browns are now offering these. Do I need leopard print Mary Janes? I... do not actually *need* them. Strictly speaking. And yet...

Do I, in fact, need leopard print shoes?

It is raining! Water is falling from the sky! It has been *weeks* since it rained—I know I have whined about the 30+ temperatures, but it has been the lack of rain that's been turning the world to beige straw.

Mind, it could have waited another twenty minutes. I was sodden by the time I had locked the door, locked the foot gate, and locked the main gate. Sodden. I had to hang up every item I was wearing, when I got home. Still, I rejoiced, because RAIN! May my water butts be replenished.

*

Am still on quest for hat with own postcoade. Tried on a few nice hatinators this morning at the top of the road, but they are not quite right. Another appointment to rent a hat next week.

As usual I have been pootling along happily without doing anything noteworthy. Which is fine. So...

Something on my Reading list today. I'm choosing to regard this as an old-school meme, one of those little games we share. From kitarella_imagines.

i. Look at your last 10 fics.

ii. Make a list of their first lines of dialogue, with any necessary description. No cheating, I mean don't go through your fics looking for the best line of dialogue.

iii. Post them and we'll see if we can guess what the story will be about from the dialogue. (Do let me encourage you to be fanciful. Some are quite... obscure.

( Cut to spare the uninterested. )

It's so nice to meet up with some fellow Campers once in a while. I had rikes and adelate here for a brief weekend visit in between BTS shows(!). We filled the time pretty well, pootling about in the city for an hour or so before dinner at The Kimchi, and on Saturday a visit to Blickling Hall, where there was an exhibition of textiles as well as the usual business that comes with a stately home. The kitchen garden was lovely, absolutely stuffed with squashes of various kinds, sending their tendrils out in all directions. Also, lots of bees, which is always good to see.

On Sunday morning rikes and I went for a look around the castle for a couple of hours. It really is very well laid out and with information at about three levels, sorta Here is what you are looking at, Here is a bit more of the history, Here are details. And an occasional glimpse of a dry sense of humour. The view from the battlements is excellent (though it rather depends which way you are looking), and there are maps of what it would have looked like in the 12th century. Some of the street names endure.

They also showed me quite a few BTS videos, which I have to admit are fun. Also, I want to do flying yoga now. I can see the appeal of the fandom, too, which sounds wonderfully friendly. However, I think I'm too old to get into boybands, especially when they look *so* young (even though they are apparently mostly in their thirties, it doesn't show!), but also, the learning curve to catch up is one which I don't think I have the dedication for. I mean. They are learning Korean! So never mind.

Fellow fans, even if we don't share a fandom any more, are always welcome! I like showing off Norwich. Also, there is frequently cake.