A big step

Up rather gingerly, after feeling so washed out yesterday. However it turned into a day of glorious and manly achievement shovelling 0.8 of a cubic metre of lovely topsoil into a wheelbarrow from the front garden into one of the raised beds. It took many wheelbarrow trips, and Lorraine had to do lots of raking at the other end, among all sorts of other jobs. I felt pleased with myself when it was done -- not least at how I could come from feeling so rubbish yesterday, to so good today. 

After showers and so on, we lay about nursing our worn limbs for a bit before getting dressed up and going off to Andrew and Jess's joint birthday party in Cuckfield. Upstairs in a nice pub, with lots of grub and music. We sat on a table with Natalie and Trevor, two pals of Jess. I had met them years before. Trevor is a retired driving instructor, and Natalie is a headteacher. Trevor an interesting man, an orphan who was an undiagnosed dyslexic so was unable to read and write but nevertheless made his way successfully in the world. He has a soft spot for taking care of animals, and feeds foxes and seagulls and -- where they have moved recently -- slow worms.

I drank cold lager and enjoyed myself. Lorraine drove us home. Below Jess and Andrew, and Lorraine and I in the selfie zone of performative enjoyment.