Out and about - for a while

So, having ventured out to Italy it seemed only proportionate that I should venture out a bit more at home too. So I met up with Thibault a bit when he was kind enough to travel all the way up to me. That included a first re-opened comedy night in Southgate, which my little group of five enjoyed immensely, I think in part just due to the joy of doing something normal that we had taken for granted 6 months ago.

I also risked life and limb going out to Walthamstow for a couple of quiz nights with my mate Bish and his partner. First one was a first attempt by the pub at a quiz night and it wasn't very good. We came third but there were only four teams and one of those was the bar staff who were merely making up the numbers. So really we were last - missing our talisman Andy and his general knowledge, with which I am sure we would have won handsomely. (I mean when it comes to pub quizzes he is in the Messi league, whereas I am journeyman League Two. But unlike Andy, I actually turn up!) It also had completely crap "questions" like "design a poster for a fantasy holiday planet". Trying to be quirky, but actually just being lame.

The second one was at a pub in the village and was far better - ten teams and we came third again. A much more respectable third. Although our prize of a voucher for Sunday lunch was quickly tarnished by the" no mixing households socially indoors" rule that swiftly followed. I also got to meet Tom's new puppy, Monty. A maltipoo (Maltese Terrier/Poodle cross). An interesting test for me. This is by far the cutest creature to have ever walked the Earth. But I am still not tempted by the pet fashion that Lockdown seems to have inspired. However cute, it still shits on the ground. Not for me. 

Anyway, Monty with his master

And passed on to me. I mean really he is so cute....

I also dragged my colleague Joe and his girlfriend to Enfield under the new regime of not socialising with other households indoors. So we ate in the large beer garden of the Coach and Horseshoes. Unfortunately the umbrellas were not being employed to shade us from the sun. They were barely up to the job of keeping us dry.

The night before I was out celebrating Thibault's birthday at the St Swithins Wine Bar which also has outside space, but better cover and heating. One of the select group of six permitted for outdoors socialising. I am trying to maximize the socialising before the weather gets too terrible!

I also took the opportunity on my return from Italy to renew my passport, thinking that it will be many months before I would need it again, so no worries about how long it would take. Did it online, and got standard warnings about how it might take longer due to Covid 19. So what popped through my letterbox only a week later, ie about 5 months faster than I needed?

I also felt the urge to go to the garden centre and do some last stocking of the garden for the autumn. 

And bought a garden mirror for the patio, which I do rather like. Grateful to my neighbour for drilling a hook into the wall to fix it - he has some serious drills!

So although blooms of summer are gone, my garden doesn't look too bad as autumn advances.

But it has also been a good year for spiders. Have had a lot of big ones spreading their webs across my garden.

I am still enjoying my flower deliveries too - including just watching them develop .

And finally a really nice gesture from my Firm - champagne and chocolates delivered to celebrate us winning pension lawyers of the year