Lawn Status Update

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Following a few weeks of growth, and then a few hours of hard work this morning, I am pleased to announce that the lawn status here at Chez 6000 has officially been downgraded from

Oh Christ, we’ve lost the bloody beagle again, to
Could probably do with a cut.

I’m not sure why we chose kikuyu grass for the lawn. It grows like a weed if it’s looked after (i.e. watered) (ours was), but it dies like a dead thing if subjected to partial shade or minor drought. The buffalo on the other lawn (firstly, in this context buffalo is a kind of grass, not a huge mammal (the presence of which would surely negate any mowing anyway (or at least make it far too dangerous to cut the grass)), and secondly, I’m making my garden sounds much, much bigger than it actually is), but anyway, the buffalo on the other lawn is robust and took almost 30 seconds to mow.

Yes, I now realise that the kikuyu was a mistake.
I predict some rebuffalisation in 2015.

Detectorists

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I watched the six episodes of this first series of everyday Essex metal detector(ist)s, on the plane and I loved every minute of it.
The very real, very believable, sad lives of English middle-aged men, together with the bewilderingly tall tales of a true British comedy. There’s human drama and hidden subplots alongside the constant laughs as well.
Mackenzie Crook wrote and directed and stars, but Toby Jones as Lance is the one who really makes it all so perfect.

Oh, and then there’s the music. No wifi on board on this flight, but we need to do some investigation on Johnny Flynn and Dan Michaelson.

Consider me entertained.

P.S. If you’re reading this, I’ve landed safely.  🙂

Goodbye Sheffield

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And so we did get our snow in Sheffield. And we had huge fun in it until late last night.

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But our concerns about getting out of my parents’ rather steep road were also well founded. The roads around us were littered with abandoned vehicles and there were plenty of accidents as well.

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Other methods of transport may have been more appropriate.

But thanks to the community effort of the local residents, we’re out and on our way on the first leg of our journey south. It’s been an amazing break and it’s horrible to leave friends and family behind, but there’s sunshine and a beagle to look forward to, or so I’m told.
Ahead of that, several (or more) hours of travel including three continents and at least two big aeroplanes.

Let it snow?

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I’d love my kids to see real snow. It was something we were kind of hoping for when we came over for Christmas, but it hasn’t happened. Yet.
We did do some sledging in the faux snow at Snozone, and that was fun, but it wasn’t real snow.
We’re heading back home tomorrow, but suddenly, there’s snow forecast tonight. That gives us tomorrow morning to frolic in the potential whiteness, but if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll be aware that I don’t have a great record with journeys to (and flights from) Gatwick and snow.

So there are mixed feelings as the wintery weather sets in this evening.