Monday 7th March 2022

 

Woke to the sound of Aki getting up and dressed....she brought me a mug of tea, which I drank whilst listening to the BBC's Jeremy Bowen coming under Russian fire in Ukraine! Got up and abluted, then drove Aki to site in North Finchley, before driving on to the VW service centre in Colindale. I was a bit shocked to find it under refurbishment, a fact that hadn't been mentioned when I booked the car in! I got redirected to the VW commercial van centre next door. Dropped the car off then walked to Colindale tube station and got the tube to Camden Town, where I got the No.29 bus toward Finsbury Park. Got home about 10 minutes before Aki. Ramen noodle soup for lunch. Sat at the computer for a couple of hours or so in the afternoon. Heated up the meatballs and ragu, which we ate with linguine on this occassion. Watched a bit of telly before early bath  and bed.

Sunday 6th March 2022

Woke around 0800 and got up to make tea. Aki cooked breakfast. Took a late morning hike up Highgate Hill for a coffee and a slice of cake in Waterlow Park. Sun soon disappeared to be replaced by darkening skies. Walked back home Spent an hour or so practising our jigs and reels prior to this evening's get-together in the North Nineteen. Kath FaceTimed us...she had ma and pa round for lunch. They all looked quite drunk! Walked up to the North Nineteen...good turn out, with Kath on cello, George on flute, Aki on guitar, and Ben, Christine and Lorraine on violins. God knows what the locals in the snug make of it!?! Came home for us dinner, and I did an hour's work at the computer before bath and bed...early start tomorrow morning, as Aki needs a lift up to North Finchley, and I need to get the car in for a service in Colindale.

Saturday 5th March 2022

Woke around 0900 and listened to Saturday Live. They had Andy McCluskey on, from OMD, talking about exhibiting his collection of the work of painter Maurice Wade...he was a Potteries man, and painted the canals and pot banks...I'd never heard of him. Paintings looked exquisite online...maybe we'll pop up there for the exhibition!? Cooked breakfast...the polenta stuck to the frying pan, so we thought it time to ditch it for a new one...Aki looked up some Which? recommendations. Rain stayed away, so we took a walk to Stroud Green and bought some items in Green & Glory. Colder out there than I'd anticipated...bit of a strong breeze coming in from the north. Did an hour or so's work at the computer. Jane and Carlos rang the doorbell at 1900, and we accompanied them on the short walk to Girasole for dinner. Eglal, the proprietor of the Italian cafe, a favourite haunt on Seven Sisters Road, hosts an evening dinner menu once or twice a week...there were the four of us, another couple, and three others, in all. We partook of four courses...very impressed by the egg starter...how do you fry a yolk without it's albumen? That was followed by a very tasty seafood risotto with mussels and clams. The main course was baked cod, followed by a delicious dessert of gnocchetti, stuffed with white chocolate and pistachio, served hot with ice cream...like profiteroles, but ten times better!!! Jane and Carlos looked well...they are planning a trip to the US to visit family in May. Walked them home. Bath and bed...

Friday 4th March 2022

Alarm at 0730. News of the Ruskies bombing Europe's largest nuclear plant! Great...hope there's a westerly wind blowing when or if it goes up!!! Sat in front of the computer with a mug of tea and one of Aki's freshly baked almond biscotti. Warmed up a couple of portions of minestrone soup for lunch. Worked on until 1730. Cooked up some beef and parmesan meatballs in a ragu, with cheesy polenta and broccoli. Watched "Pieces of Her" on Netflix, with the great Toni Collette...but it was pretty ordinary despite it's best efforts not to be! A bit of "Seinfeld" followed to cheer us up.

Thursday 3rd March 2022

Woke to alarm at 0730. Aki brought me a mug of tea. Got up around 0830 for porridge, and sat down in front of the computer once more. Broke for lunch...Aki cooked up a sweet aduki bean soup with rice cakes. She waltzed off to Morrisons after lunch to get some bits and pieces for the aubergine dahl recipe what she's cooking up tonight. Kath FaceTimed us as we were about to sit down to eat. She's been over working again...and was complaining of the hike in petrol prices...she doesn't get travel expenses for driving to her clients! Outrageous, really! Jim was at his computer...he's been signing up for various sporting activities, which sounds like a hopeful sign. Watched a bit of telly...the news from Ukraine gets darker by the day...before bath and bed.

Wednesday 2nd March 2022

Woke to alarm at 0730. Dozed till 0900. Received email from Emma with the rehearsal schedule, so spent an hour or so transferring dates into my phone diary, and going through the script to detail her proposed cuts. Blimey...I've got a lot of lines!!! The performance dates run from 18th May to 28th May. I thought we would just be on for one week, as per the short play programme we've just done! Hope I haven't taken on more than I can chew! Broke for lunch...we ate the parma ham salad I'd forgotten to serve with the pasta last night...we found it still in the fridge. Spent the afternoon at the computer monitor. Broke at 1800 to catch up on the news from Ukraine. Aki pan fried some duck breast for dinner, with a tasty orange and soy sauce, pureed swede, and mashed potato. Watched Luton Town take on Chelsea...they were 2-1 up for a bit, but the Blues came back to win it 2-3. Luton were impressive, and are fighting for a play-off place.

Tuesday 1st March 2022

Yay...it's Pancake Day!!! Got up and made pancake batter, and whipped up some cream, which I mashed into some banana. Eaten with a dollop of cream, chopped hazelnuts, dried sour cherries, strawberry, and maple syrup. Worked at the computer until lunchtime. Warmed up two portions of minestrone soup for lunch. It was OK...not as good as I was hoping, which is a shame, as we've got another eight portions to plough through! FaceTimed ma and pa...dad suffering with blocked ears, so could only wave. More depressing news from Ukraine, as a 40-mile convoy of Russian military hardware snakes it's way toward Kyiv. Worked till 1730. Made a sauce for some aubergine ravioli for dinner, followed by the last of the apple crumble and custard. Watched some FA Cup football...enjoyed Middlesbrough's performance as they knocked out Spurs. Unremittingly depressing news from Ukraine...my 88 year old mother offered to take up arms and go assassinate Ras-Putin...we are organising a whip round to get her on a plane to Moscow at the earliest opportunity...glory to the Motherland!!!