Summertime...and the Crepeys are easy

[motherinferior]

With much love to BD.

(We are going to county cork btw in frugal manner.)

Addle your hol sounds so grown up and relaxing. And sunny.

In hol news I can recommend the Bitexco Tower for views, beers and all the cheesy oldies performed by a sweet Vietnamese couple

ds was appalled when I said I wanted to go to at least one with him (a chance to talk about what he wants). I said he could have a hideous Costa thing on the train and whatever he wanted for lunch. That did the trick .

Ha! Update from the Inferiorettes: "that place (the saxophone shop) is MAD"(DD1). Followed by "it's like HEAVEN. And I don't even play the sax". DD2 didn't even feel up to speaking, clearly awed by the stacked rows of brass and woodwind.

And obviously, being competent young women, they got there and back perfectly effectively with the help of a printout map. I shall be using this tactic again.

Well done to the Inferiorettes - London girls to the core.

Here, I have been banned from the kitchen as DS starts his cooking

Yes sorry Rudy, that was (sort of) in response to GGG. Hope he agrees to have a look-see.

MI, excellent plan.

Addle & others on hol, hope you all have a great time.

Things move so fast on here that I'm reduced to mostly lurking.Can't keep up Thankfully I'm well past the stage of uni etc & am so thankful that I am.

BTM HRT not working properly is neaarly as bad as the original symptoms. You have my sympathy.

Well, the feet are walked off me. My belly is full of falafel and I am crashed out on the bed next to Dh. We wanted to see Bourne, well Dh did, but it's not out til next week 'ere. So Dh is conjuring up a movie on his laptop as we speak.
Have plundered the Marais for chic objets, in Hema, bHV, Uniqlo, and other chichi little boutiques such as Merci where one can acquire a knitted saucisson , should one have need.
We were a little culture-less today. What about you Herbs? Seen many Roman ruins?
Must make amends tomorrow.
Hatty see you in the morning. Will text from dhs phone if I am late.

Glad you're having fun Crem. How lovely to have your own Parisian mini meet up! Hi Hatty...

I have been to the new lion area at London Zoo - a piece of Gujarati kirsch in Regents Park.

Slightly marred by a truly lock-up-your-light-fittings period while I was on my feet for three hours. I only just found a loo in time to prevent major devastation. And then again when I got home.

Oh blimey MI. well done fr finding loo in time. Am past those as am reminded by singular crepeyness of arms

Finished v cultural day with dh accomplishing wonders on crutches at cathedral and museum of art , leisurely lunch and finally game of lexicon which is truly hard to get yr head round if used to scrabble.
(plus dh and ds watching 1994 madrid/barca match with hare on the pitch, which adds considerable interest, otherwise lacking)

BTM yr family and you look lovely in photos.

Hattie and crem have great mini meet up

I spent ages yesterday morning writing replying to messages, then the wretched thing wouldn't post - of course it would have helped if the electricity hadn't been turned off for some work we are having done....

I am enjoying all the holiday updates, which just make me wish ours was here. MI, I hope the flow has slowed down by now and you're feeling ok?

We spent most of yesterday on the beach with the DGC as the weather was good up here and it didn't rain until late evening - still getting sand out of my toes in the shower this morning.

MrsS, I used to know Leamington Spa very well as I was born there and didn't leave until I was 24: DSis and family are still there so we visit fairly frequently. I remember Warwick uni being built (it is, of course, on the outskirts of Coventry and we were convinced at the time that the name Warwick gave it more credibility).

Off for a swim and Aquafit, DH is taking DGS1 for a bike ride, whilst I stay in with the electrician. Yesterday's bit of bad news is that we seem to have a leak from the built in dishwasher. Gah!

Warwick Uni was called Warwick because that's what one of the major benefactors insisted on :)

The saying at the Uni is 'throw a stone in Leamington, hit a student. Throw a stone in kenilworth, hit a Professor' :)

Only mild culture so far - dawdled around Castel Gandolfo, town of the pope's summer palace, but on the side of a volcanic lake. V beautiful. Though of course DS spent the whole time talking us through routes on the London Underground.

Today, however, we're off to Tivoli, where there's a villa with no fewer than 500 (five hundred, CCCCC.) fountains, plus acres of Roman ruins in the form of hadrian's villa. Reckon that's then culture done. DS says he knows all about Romans already, and that one of the main things to remember is they really loved beans on toast.

The garden here is home to a veritable cornucopia of insects. Including some crazy guys that look like a cross between a moth, a bee and a hummingbird. With spots on the side, and long thin proboscis (proboscii?) move too fast to get a decent shot.

DP's battle against mosquitos has hotted up. We have burning coils, spray, and two plug ins, plus there (3, IIi) types of cream. He still looks like he has leprosy of the lower limbs.

Oh. A change to the unwritten rules. Owner family had studiously kept out of the way, and made it clear the pool was ours and ours alone. Now dashing son in law has just come along and lied on my favourite lounger, if you please. I now can't go in pool, as too fat, white and covered in mosquito bites.

I think son-in-law must have missed a memo.

Unfortunately, NU, the flow continues unabated. After a somewhat disturbed night the sheets are now in the wash...it may be exacerbated by the sodding fibroids, of course.

I really, really recommend the lion area though!

Herbs, can you go out there and glare at him? Or say something? Otherwise you will have the whole family in the pool, as by saying nothing, they will think you don't mind.

DH and DD2 get covered in mozzie bites. They avoid DD1 and me.

Daughter - wife of offender - told us already that the pool is ours alone. She has kept everyone away from it. So not sure of Offender just doesn't know the rule, or is deliberately flouting. Awks.

I have been comprehensively bitten also, but the bites just look normal, not like buboes.

Herbs go say daughter and say 'I thought the pool was for our exclusive use?' I know it's not very British but if you don't you'll be knee deep in them! Here washing machine has died and the security software on my laptop is so bloody secure I can't log in

I really don't need this....

I don't think mozzies avoid people, it's just some of us (DD1 and me) react worse than others (DP). I recommend anti-histamine and/or hydrocortisone cream.

On the other hand my Skechers were quite marvellous.

I have to write something not for money, and I think I may end up saying sorry I just can't do it. It's a chapter of a textbook - I co-wrote a whole textbook a few years ago - but I just can't do it this time. IT's making me very, very unhappy and hassled. I can't see how I can free up the time to write 6,000 words and it's not in the usual sort of way I write. I am trying, this morning, but it really is driving me to the edge.

Herbs, I get bitten to buggery and they swell up hugely and very painfully. To get immediate relief, point a hot hairdryer at the bite till you can no longer stand it and the itch goes away. And take plenty of drugs.

Agree with getting rid of pool interlopers. You need to be v unbritish and say something.

In a fit of economy, we are now going to Yorkshire for just one week. Please pray for sun. We are middle of nowhere as well so can't even have boozy lunches to cheer me in the down pour as have to drive home. I don't think I have really thought this through.

More later.

Oh dear, MI, about the floods and the writing - just do what's best for you.

Mosquitos make a - ahem - beeline for me. DH will have about four bites and I look like a bad case of chickenpox, but with bigger lumps. Isn't it something about the taste and smell of your particular blood? I am obviously cordon Bleu .

Sorry to hear about the technology problems, BD: I hope you can get it sorted without too much angst.

Just tell him, Herbs; the family are obviously happy to have the money. If DS likes the Romans I can recommend a visit to either Vindolanda or Housesteads when you visit to Northumberland. Am desirous of going to Coquet Island now after reading an article in the ST at the weekend - puffins and roseate terns, what more could I want?

Yes Rudy, 'twas me. They were fab but left my real lashes in a dreadful state when they all came off. I will try your recommendation. Can I also commend the Benefit lash primer to you? Really good temporary effect.