The 2nd & 3rd; Happy Birthday Christine!
The 2nd of October.
Happy Birthday Christine!
It has been a day of food fun. I woke up at half past five and started worrying that the cake Christine had brought me from London (Sticky Toffee Cake from Konditor and Cook that I had planned on getting when I fell down) needed to be in the fridge because it might have cream cheese icing, so then I couldn't go back to sleep. I listened to the radio for a bit, then at about seven I put on the new Flatslam and chuckled at that until eight, when I decided it was a sociable time to get up.
I came downstairs to the smell of warmed pastries - Mommy can't exactly make pastry right now so some had been bought and put in the oven to crisp up. My pain au chocolat was so crispy, I think I even found a flake of pastry in my slipper when I went to make my coffee. As I was doing that, Christine opened her presents, and is looking forward to using her new fancy cafetière at work, and eating the peanut butter Whittaker's (probably not at work).
It was decided that Daddy, Christine and I would go to the Coppice and have a coffee (more coffee), then go into the delicatessen food shop and get some nice bread and things for lunch. That meant I had to go and get dressed, so I found some clothes that would accommodate my dressings but would also be appropriate for wearing to Opus tonight. I have gone for my black thermal leggings (that will barely be seen) and black thermal polo neck under a navy midi skirt, plus brown boots. And FuckTheTories necklace because you know.
When we arrived, we found a table and I ordered I latte, because I didn't trust that their flat white wouldn't be disgusting. However, because they do a latte in a tall glass, it stays really hot for ages, so it took me a lot longer to be able to drink my beverage than Daddy and Christine. When I was finished, we went to the shop, where we had to get a loaf of bread and some cold meat, plus whatever else we wanted. I ignored the cake area because I had my Sticky Toffee cake to come home to, so I concentrated on choosing a good bread (I was tempted by some focaccia but that's not an everyday bread, which was really what we needed), then I got some Italian deli meats while Daddy and Christine got a pie, a sandwich, some biscuits and maybe other things too - I wasn't really paying attention at the checkout.
Back home, we ate our respective lunches, then I could finally eat the cake I have basically been thinking about for nearly a month. I have to say, I think the icing overwhelmed it. The cake itself was delicious, but I think it maybe could have just done with a thinner layer of the cream cheese frosting. By the end, I was very full and needed to eat many Rennies.
For the rest of the afternoon, we mainly watched the athletics, bar the period in which Alison brought Harry over to say hello and Happy Birthday to Christine. He was very happy to be squidged for a little bit, then he wanted to be on the floor where he chewed on my big cardboard envelope from Amazon. Teething just like a kitten. Except kittens don't drool as much. They didn't stay too long, because he started to get hungry and sad, so they had to go home for his dinner.
Before long, it was time for us to go out for our dinner, which was going to be at Opus. We haven't been there for a long time, but the menu looked good and it turned out to be an excellent choice! The service was a little bit slow at times, which I think was mainly down to the private party in the back room, so most of their staff were concentrated there. That suited me though, because I quite like a long break between main and pudding so my tummy can make room. They also had some trouble making our drinks at the beginning, because it emerged the head bartender had gone home earlier without telling the manager what they had and hadn't got, so we had ordered cocktails containing ingredients they didn't have. That meant we all got free prosecco, and we were more than happy with that.
I ordered roasted loin of Highland venison, venison 'cottage' pie, braised turnip, buttered kale and pickled blackberries. By the time it arrived, I had forgotten about the turnip, and because it was under the venison and was about the same shape, I was very confused as to what it was when I cut into it. But when I asked Mommy, she reminded me, so I ate it without thinking I was getting some very strange meat. The actual meat was beautiful - so soft and so good, and the tiny cottage pie was fun. I had toyed with the idea of getting some honey roasted parsnips as a side, but I don't think I could have fitted them in as well, not if I wanted dessert too.
For that course, I ordered sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream. I realise I had a very sticky toffee heavy day, but it was that or a gluten free chocolate cake, and I've never had a cake that was made better by being gluten free. And it was excellent, with lashings of toffee sauce and I could not have been happier with my decision. I was very eager to get home so I could undo my skirt though. Very full, but very satisfied.
The 3rd of October.
Well, I slept longer last night, although I forgot to turn the oxygen on, so I did not feel particularly well rested. I'd got the specs on my face, just no oxygen running through them. Dickhead.
I have, therefore, been pretty tired for most of the day, and had to eat fairly simply, having had so much rich food yesterday. Much rest, soft clothes. This afternoon, I had some Dark Time/a nap for an hour and a half, which was a nice rest, then I had an extra coffee with some of the Moomin biscuits Christine had brought me from Denmark, and that tided me over until bedtime.
I genuinely cannot think of anything else to say.
