When I come back from a visit to the UK, I often feel that it is inappropriate to start my blog post by saying that a good time was had. However, to say otherwise doesn’t seem right – particularly this time when Mum and I had a good time buying a potters wheel. I know, though, that everyone who reads this will appreciate the context.
I wasn’t really sure what to pack for this trip. As everyone knows I like to travel light – let’s face it, I have to as I need an empty case if I am to carry all my ‘treasures’ back with me. This time I thought I would just wear a jumper and jeans and pack my large wool wrap and a couple of tops and I’d be fine. I had pared everything down as I had bought Ian an antique book for his birthday. I knew it was heavy as the dealer wouldn’t deliver it here because of the weight of it – and I thought it would be nice for once to travel reasonably lightly back. However the book was very big.
And it certainly was heavy.
As indeed was the job lot of tartan material that I won on eBay – oh, and the 48 crumpets that I accidentally bought from (I was expecting 12).
…ah – and the three skirts that I bought at a charity shop for one pound each – and yes, so none of them actually fit – however if I put on or lose weight I am bound to have a skirt to fit.
…and not forgetting the super-duper fly zapper that I bought Ian (Mum has this leathal weapon that is like an electrified tennis racket – I knew that Ian would have to have one too!).
So the long and short of it is – I had to wear all of my clothes home which meant I was in danger of over heating on the coach. I felt like Ranulph Fiennes.
After checking my case in and being reprimanded for being slightly over weight – I then had to disguise the fact that I had more than one piece of hand baggage. This entailed wearing a rucksack under my wrap and this made me look like a turtle. I also had to stuff my pockets with things and wear my knitting which – because I had to take the needles out – meant I had a ball of wool in each pocket.
It took me rather a long time going through the x-ray machine. I felt I was doing the dance of the seven veils, taking off layers of clothes, bags etc.
As I feared – Ian acknowledged his nearly 200 year old book about the Penninsular War, while treating his new fly zapper like a light saber. I eventually had to prize the fly zapper from his hands yesterday as the house is now full of little nuked fly bodies and Ian, quite frankly, was getting dangerous. Anything that moved was becoming fair game…
When I got home Wednesday night we sat outside and had tea. I think it is safe to say that we just don’t know what ‘normal’ weather is. On Wednesday we were sat outside in t-shirts at 11 and yet today it was quite overcast and cool.
Oh yes – I got four of my six dull articles written, which happily will give me the other two to look forward to writing this weekend…!