Hit the ground running.....

After being away for two weeks in Wales and all being quite relaxed we got back to sisterS and bilK's house Friday early afternoon. SisterS unpacked and even got some washing and tumble drying done. The plan was to eat out and a table was booked for 7:30pm and taxi booked for 7pm for the ten minute journey so plenty of time to get ready and all very relaxed.

Then we discovered that Twickenham rugby ground (walking distance from their house) was host to the World Wide Jahovah Witness Convention all weekend with about 60,000 people coming and going. So when our taxi was still stuck in traffic at 7:45pm and bilK had made lots of phone calls he cancelled both taxi and restaurant and we walked to the high street for fish and chips. The bonus of this outing was bumping into their son (my nephew of course) and his girlfriend as we waited for our fish they came out of the supermarket opposite, hugs all round :-)

Saturday evening we were off to The British Legion club for bilK's dad's 90th birthday party. That should have been another quick taxi journey but we changed that to a walk to the station then train then walk none of which was far, and the traffic jams and crowds of people waiting to get on the train we'd just got off of proved we'd made the right decision. It was a great party and he is obviously a very popular man judging by the quantity of people, cards and gifts. Buffet was yummy, balloons and banners added party atmosphere and the cake J made looked excellent and tasted great too.

Sunday morning we all headed to the birthday boy's house for a family brunch he loved the surprise of us all turning up and had an audience for card and prezzie opening.

As you've no doubt seen on facebook or other social media there is the #alsicebucketchallenge and three of this family group had been nominated so as it was sunny and they had each other for support the chilly deed was done. Very funny to watch and SisterS and I both breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't us. I'd donated anyway.

So lovely to eventually arrive home. I really am a homing pigeon and it felt like I'd been away a bit too long. Unpacked, case and bags away and the intention of catching up on some of our recorded programmes but we both ended up needing an early night.  Monday it rained all day so a couple of washes to clothes horse upstairs and then I needed to shorten a new pair of jeans and repaint my nails for another day out.

Tuesday and a day in London to meet up with sisters and cousins as arranged two months ago. Firstly I had the big debate of whether to use mainline train to Liverpool Street or drive to Newbury Park and tube to Liverpool Street?  There are pros and cons for both although a big factor is about £12-£15 to drive and about £40ish for the train plus the hassle of how to buy and/or split the ticket to get the best deal....hubby and I kept changing our minds all evening. Awake to the radio alarm in the morning to hear on the local news about the rail problems so that decided that I was driving.

Us three sisters met at Liverpool Street station and back on the tube to Leicester Square then a quick walk in the rain to the Chinese restaurant. We were early but they were happy for us to take our table and we were served tea. We chatted away and were then aware that the others were quite late and made phone calls that went to voice mail and kept making excuses to the restaurant staff and ordered bottles of sparkling water and a spring roll each to ease our hunger and embarrassment. The three cousins were travelling together and apparently they had got on the wrong train but did arrive safe eventually. We let CousinS and CousinB do all the ordering as they'd been to this restaurant lots and we filled ourselves up on dim sum and crispy duck and it was delicious and the conversation never stopped. Then all too soon it was time to head home with lots of hugs and kisses and promises of doing it again at least once a year if not more.

And today the sun is out so I've cleared three loads of washing and got two dried on the line and the third upstairs while hubby has been seriously tree pruning and catching up on some paperwork. My usual Wednesday night out tonight so guess we're all back to normal :-)
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