Big City for the Weekend

I went for a walk on Thursday lunch while working from home. What a beautiful day it was. Crisp, blue sky and glorious sunshine.

The White Peak countryside - limestone fields and endless dry stone walls.

I'm always drawn to lone trees in winter...no idea why.

Trying to get these 2 to pose for me is a nightmare - don't think they much like the sitting still part of it...

An isolated, hidden farmyard full of ancient cars in various states of scrap. That one is lovely and shiny though so there is still hope for the rest...

We went down to London for the weekend. I had arranged for us to stay with my old Uni mate, Natalie for the weekend. Rich and I were going to see Sheffield Wednesday against Leyton Orient. I had originally arranged to stay with another pal but that fell through so I rang Nat at short notice and begged a bed for the weekend. It suited her that we were occupied on Saturday as she was going to a Decorative Arts and Antiques fair in Battersea Park with her mum.

Made me chuckle. Her heading off to look at overpriced "decorative" geegaws and Rich and I hitting the tube to Leyton!!

Anyway, we had a good time; found a rough and ready pub which welcomed away fans and sank a few before the game. The match started well - we bossed them in the first half - then deteriorated to dreadfulness. We ended up collapsing to a horrible 4-nil defeat. Just abject. The away crowd was singing for our own manager's job (Rich and I weren't but a section were....hate it) and our chances of promotion have nearly disappeared.

Blegh, blegh and double blegh!!

But apart from that it was a mostly a lovely weekend. It started badly for Nat though. She was burgled in the night of Thursday night. She lives alone and heard a crash at 2.30am followed by the smell of cigarette smoke. On investigating, she disturbed the burglars and found that they had simply pushed in her newly (and very poorly) installed window unit while the bars on the windows were removed during building works. The toerags had got away with her Apple Mac, 2 Blackberries, Ipod and bits and bobs. (She later recovered the laptop from a pawn broker round the corner...).

Grim though. With no landline, she was unable to call the cops without leaving the house and knocking up the neigbours and I could tell she was jumpy. I was pleased that we were there for a couple of nights anyway.

Made me thanks my lucky stars that I live in a village where bars on windows are not necessary and break ins are few and far between and not usually carried out by drug addicts breaking into 'house while one sleeps upstairs.

But after that, great. Good chats, nice meals out (she has no working kitchen while the building works are being laboured over) and much catching up. Rich passed the "friend test" with flying colours and I enjoyed being with them both.

So yay!

Food and exercise?? Erm, not so hot. Lots of walking of course, it being London but also lots of lovely food. Gastro pub on Friday night (rabbit casserole), trendy Indian on Saturday (Murgh Masala) and full English in caff on Sunday. Not to mention the chicken kebab after the football (strictly medicinal after the appalling result you understand) and the 4 pints and share of 3 bottles of red.....yikes!!

Weigh in tomorrow morning might be a bit or a worry......but onwards and upwards and plenty of exercise and healthy optoins next week Lesley, ok??!