Weekly Musings

2018 - Week Twenty

'Understand the nature of impurity. If your key is bent, the lock will not open.'

(Rumi)



This week started with an embarrassing and almost very unfortunate accident; the tyre I thought I had been all bad-ass-independent-woman replacing myself nearly came loose! Thankfully I heard a strange clunking as I was driving so took it back into the garage where they informed me of my lack of mechanic skills - I was mortified but thankful that it hadn't resulted in more disastrous consequences.

On Wednesday I met up with my mum who had a day off, and we went shopping in Altrincham, where I absolutely cleaned up in H&M. I got two black lacy tops, a high-waisted black tulle maxi skirt and a bright red mushroom style skirt which I couldn't resist despite it being slightly bizarre. All four items came to just £22 in the sale, and then we went for a quick coffee and some Tim Bits at Tim Horton's, cracking little day. I also heard the old school tune above on the radio on the drive home, I have selected it as my track for the week, as it is a belter I had completely forgotten about.

On Friday I had tea at my parent's house, and yesterday I spent the day sunbathing on the roof of the boat whilst Chris erected his new flag (no, that's not a euphemism, see the picture above!). In the evening I met up with Tasha, Hannah and Emily to celebrate Tasha's birthday. We had some prosecco at The Con Club first and went for food at Sugo Pasta Kitchen, which was incredible as ever. Emily and I decided to share a starter and main between us, and then I shared a dessert with Hannah; it was the perfect opportunity to sample three courses without feeling stuffed afterwards. We started with the mussels, followed by a pea, mint, chilli and ricotta orecchiette and finally ended with a blueberry frangipane and ice cream. I don't usually get excited at Italian restaurants, but the food is so fresh and authentic at Sugo that I love trying their latest dishes (the menu changes with the seasons).

Today I met Chris in Fuel Cafe in Withington after his fortnightly kid's guitar lesson, Make A Ditty with Chris. His usual venue had let him down for the third time, but luckily the weather was so amazing this week he held the lesson in the park, which the kids buzzed off. The food at Fuel is lovely (it is also all vegetarian), and fortunately they have a room upstairs that they use for gigs that they offered for future lessons free of charge, so it was obviously meant to be. I had the enchiladas and Chris had the halloumi 'fishfinger buttie' and we both went for iced lattes to beat the heat.

This afternoon we have been back on the boat making the most of the rays, and Chris went for a jaunt in his recently acquired canoe! My parents popped in after walking the dog around the Middlewood way, and we went for a pint at The Boar's Head, a two minute walk from Chris's mooring. We had a bit of a dilemma when the gas canister ran out this evening halfway through cooking tea, but Chris managed to salvage the food using a portable camping stove and it turned out really well despite a lot of swearing. We are just starting the new crime thriller Netflix series Safe, which was filmed in Manchester and apparently in my old school of all places, bit of a nostalgia trip!