under another sun

Saturday morning, and gradually got ourselves ready and headed off to Edgware, as the flooding that had caused travel misery to many yesterday flooding a train tunnel at Balcome and closing the M23 had subsided, and we were able to get to Edgware, although the M25 was very congested. Heroic driving from Lorraine, who had quite a bit more than normal to drink last night. To Edgware, and a cup of coffee at Mum's before we zoomed off to The Curry Centre for three o'clock. Mum and Mas used to go there a lot. They were very friendly there, and Mas was talking to them, and the business has stayed in the same family for decades. The food was surprisingly delicious too. I had a lovely Chicken Hyderabadi and Mas was briefly silenced by a chilli in his Jalfrezi. Had a long and leisurely meal, and then headed home, Mas enjoying talking to the staff there about the art in the restaurant. Once home, Lorraine had a much needed snooze, and Mas sleepy too. I sat with Mum in the back room c...

Of boilers and soap nuts Boiler kicked in with a nightmarish scream at 6:30, making me spring out of bed in horror, or hooorrrrr as the American film trailers say. I have to face the fact that the boiler is doomed, and at work I was soon onto Anton to recommend someone. He did, and I explained to the plumber that my boiler was screaming like a horse. Mystifyingly he couldn't pinpoint the problem from that verbal description, and will come around later in the week hopefully. Work quite fun. The Gnome back from his long holiday which was nice as there was a bit of a draft coming from where he sits. In the evening off to Edgware to see Mum and Mase. Had a glass of wine, and Mum explained the virtues of soap nuts, which are new to me. These are actual nutshells that you put inside a cotton bag in your washing machine. They produce an organic soapy substance when in warm water, and this cleans your clothes. She has two small sacks of them. Then off to find a restaurant. Ended up in the...