Spending more than I'm earning...!

9.4thirty-eight

Uneventful flight back, other than watching The Duchess with Keira Knightly and Ralph Fiennes. Brief stop in AMS - leaving the arrivals hall to see if I can pay for my phone - no luck. At least I got 4 biscuits on the flight :-)

Vida's tattoo design went down well :) Haircut and discovering another little second-hand record store! Monkees LP acquired. Leaving drinks in Richmond for Mike, Del and Wendy - turns into a bbq instead! Bought Sketch and started looking at UXUI.

Sister Act with a live gospel choir in church! Brunch with Mel in Greenwich, and a little walk around the village. Stumble upon a second-hand record store. (War of the worlds full story discs, Deep Purple 24 Carat Gold (mostly live though), Breakfast in America, Storm Front, Bridge over troubled water (which i already have, ugh), and cocktail soundtrack (sentimental buy!)). Also Beyonce Lemonade (digital though).

Kicking off Blackheath with Elgar Variations :)

win some, lose some

9.1thirty-five

Flight to Amsterdam! Early morning drop-off by the lovely SJ. Bags checked all the way through. Day in Amsterdam; bags in locker, adventure go! Walked all the way down the length of the city. Record shop stop, lunch near Vondelpark. Walk back up, finally catch the science museum (NEMO). Best part was doing experiments in a lab coat. Glass of red on the roof terrace for sunset. Dinner near the station (Thai!). Lose phone on train back from Centraal. Yotel, the conductor, going through security 3 times in one night. Change rooms, finally sleep.

Day flight to CT - watched The Danish Girl, and a Bigger Splash. Bizarrely, the same actor appears in both. Brand new plane!! Thank god for the USB and Macbook chargers. Vida's tattoo design, bedside cabinet design finished. Nes and Raz at the airport!

Phil Collins One more night on the drive through the woods to get to Kenrock. Bath and sleep. Best flight to SA in years.

Condensed milk coffee with rusks. Squash with mom! Drive to Knysna at 5am. The mini shop :-O Tannie S, B and his new gf, (was even nice to see Oom D). Dad and Ruan arrive met die langpad. Ouma and Oupa looking just the same. Oxtail, boat rides, drank. Hours lost at the hardware store and The Deckle Edge. Delving into De Bruyn history. We have (had) a family home in Tulbach!

Surrounded by art

6.1twenty-two

Spring bank holiday! Prep for BIRTHDAY BRAAI and house-leaving party. Packing is in full swing. Lucky to have CI work from home.

Making my garden the prettiest it can be for our last party. Clearing out that big garden box - I should have done it years ago! Rediscover the easel I thought I'd lost. Small side-project for Jim's dad's leaving present. Both the Harringtons leaving for Ireland.

Going to see the NXG place again, after paying a holding deposit. Huge about-turn!

Score a great little burgundy top and two boxer shorts from Bjorn Borg sample sale. Mel buys a huge rack of ribs for the braai, and a beautiful box of mini artisan eclairs from Maitre Choux. Finn's Adventurers party invite! Planning out Mel's Mandela painting, and drawing Ams' superhero painting to a close. Rediscover my drawing of my grandfather. So much arting!

Mel's amazing chocolate pear experiment (that will follow us into the new house). Nes is on a house hunt! Finding lots of memories in the packing process.

BIRTHDAY BRAAI IS AWESOME. Playing Sharades, so many friends in and out all day. Great food, great fun. Su chatting to Ben and Cam.

Going to see the new Jungle Book at Canada Water.

The Great Catch-up Weekend :-D

4.3fifteen

Motorcycle accident right outside the house. EPM photos have come back :) Rohan and getting angry. Waiting for gain cap. Valuator on monday, Drums and discussions on Tuesday. Super fast gym session and a house viewing. Gingerliners with black and gold theme. Gold food spray in my hair :) (and falling down the stairs in my boots, almost taking a lady down with me :-O ). Dr Hobbi. Dancing :-D

Meeting the couple who bought the house on Friday, collecting dan's boxes, checking out their new flat, and debating his lounge layout. Rained out tennis, Swedish bakery, late for viewing (uber driving to wrong address); place is UBER messy and disgusting. Crystal palace  is beautiful though :) Pity the building is falling apart! Gain cap video work and Steve. Drunk SJ! Quesadillas in Kingston while watching British Army Girls.

Saturday morning Chessington garden center for lunch and almost cake! Rush to viewing in Sydenham, Dave's birthday party, and back home looking at stars from the top floor through the sky roof. Sunday morning The Read podcast and The news quiz. Playing MX vs ATV vs mini MX. Milkshake :) coffee on the picnic blanket in the garden. Absolutely fabulous episode. Homemade Indian prawn curry. Watching robins in the garden, and later, a black cat trapped for 15 mins trying to get out. Dr strangelove, Horniman museum for lunch, Squash! 3-1 :) Jogging! Brockley's Rock fish 'n chips, Sydenham joke. Shouting at drivers hooting at traffic light. Bath! Candle burning glass and then exploding with water... :-O More dancing (in heels!) :) Arsenal 1-1 Palace!

Hiding in the fort

3.4twelve

One half day at Tag.  New comp for Ams, and starting with the final painting. Sorted out company dividends in light of Osborne's new budget. Madnella work review, and working Leon's copy into my personal site.

Planning for Fort BlanketFort! Macdonalds burger sauce, Logos for HOP diner and FBF. Sorting out the band's recordings. House hunting. Kurdt Cobain documentary, The Young Bruce Lee, Chicken Burger, Beef Burger, banana milkshakes, Oreo and chocolate milkshakes, fries, Tiramisu and hot melting middle pudding, Life of Brian, The Crying Game, Carol! Red wine, 24-hour snack pack, total chillout in FBF.

Roz at Helen's for Easter, teddy bear picnic with the family. Meeting KB. Ams in Guys. Mark in London! Meeting up with the gang at Foxlow in Stoke Newington.