a long weekend
I always have a number of plans for long weekends (unless there's a great deal of marking). I shall tidy the house, read a few books, spend time with the children, go to the pub and listen to jazz. I never do all this.
But I didn't do badly this weekend. The resolution not to work helped.
I went to the pub for a couple of halves of bitter - and some very good parsnip crisps. We're lucky enough to have an excellent local, with a range of real ales (a particularly fine Jarrow beer) and malt whiskies (I've never been extravagant enough to sample the whiskies there but I like to know that I could) and a good food menu as well (for special occasions only). The Victoria is a mere five minutes' walk/stagger away and stocks a range of daily papers.
On Saturday afternoon I saw an excellent French Film, L'Armee des Ombres, which left me thoroughly depressed but very pleased that I had seen it.
After Meeting on Sunday we headed by train to London for a party given by an old friend - and met some very old friends as well as visiting my parents.
Then on Monday we even got some housework and tidying done. And I caught up with Saturday's (slightly depressing but very good) episode of Doctor Who. I am so old that I actually remember seeing the very first episode, The Cave of Skulls, with William Hartnell, who travelled with his grand-daughter Susan. She turned up in an English school and, as I remember, two school teachers entered the Tardis and ended up travelling back in time and meeting cavemen - something like that. And now the whole family watch and approve the new series.
I wish I'd read a bit more or revised my French (exam a week tomorrow and I need to know when to use the subjunctive). But it's not a bad total.
Nonetheless, I'm left with a sense of much undone - that awful feeling that time has been wasted.
There's jazz at the Victoria tonight but too much to do at home.
Never mind - I get to stab people again on Wednesday night - again the highlight of the week.
But I didn't do badly this weekend. The resolution not to work helped.
I went to the pub for a couple of halves of bitter - and some very good parsnip crisps. We're lucky enough to have an excellent local, with a range of real ales (a particularly fine Jarrow beer) and malt whiskies (I've never been extravagant enough to sample the whiskies there but I like to know that I could) and a good food menu as well (for special occasions only). The Victoria is a mere five minutes' walk/stagger away and stocks a range of daily papers.
On Saturday afternoon I saw an excellent French Film, L'Armee des Ombres, which left me thoroughly depressed but very pleased that I had seen it.
After Meeting on Sunday we headed by train to London for a party given by an old friend - and met some very old friends as well as visiting my parents.
Then on Monday we even got some housework and tidying done. And I caught up with Saturday's (slightly depressing but very good) episode of Doctor Who. I am so old that I actually remember seeing the very first episode, The Cave of Skulls, with William Hartnell, who travelled with his grand-daughter Susan. She turned up in an English school and, as I remember, two school teachers entered the Tardis and ended up travelling back in time and meeting cavemen - something like that. And now the whole family watch and approve the new series.
I wish I'd read a bit more or revised my French (exam a week tomorrow and I need to know when to use the subjunctive). But it's not a bad total.
Nonetheless, I'm left with a sense of much undone - that awful feeling that time has been wasted.
There's jazz at the Victoria tonight but too much to do at home.
Never mind - I get to stab people again on Wednesday night - again the highlight of the week.
posted by kathz | 8:36 pm
2 Comments:
Parsip crisps? Our pubs must have missed those being in Wales we had such a demand for leek crisps (no, never saw those either).
Sometimes, it is hard when you decide to take time for yourself to get everything fit in - but sounds like you did pretty well - how though did you get a taste for malt whiskeys? I have tried and tried and failed to have it taste other like old-shoe juice. At several whiskey factory tours, the guides couldn't get female volunteers for whiskey tastings.
I have to be very "up" to watch a film I know is going to depress me - I am still holding off on The Battle of Algiers until I find a suitable day. Glad you saw L'Armee des Ombres
Parsnip crisps are a bit of a delicacy, made by a company called Tyrells, which did some very odd valentine's crisps with strawberry among the flavours. They're ever so good. You can also get betroot crisps but not in my local.
I don't like blended whisky at all but, years ago, a friend introduced me to a single malt - possibly Laphroaig, from Islay - and I realised that the difference was like that between cheap rough wine and very good wine indeed. I haven't had the chance to try that many but I know I like Islay most, followed by Highland whiskies (the Orkney one, Highland Park, is terrific) but I'm not so keen on Speyside. When poor and child-free, I used to manage holidays at the Edinburgh Festival and it was amazing how long I and my companion could make a half of heavy (Scottish bitter) and a small single malt last - between the two of us, alternating gulps and sips.
When I started drinking, women weren't supposed to drink pints and were expected to choose Babycham and sweet martini rather than pints of real ale - and to end posh meals with sweet liqueurs. Consequently I am a connoisseur of real ale (thought I stopped drinking pints after having kids) and really appreciate cognac.
I haven't seen Battle of Algiers yet, for similar reasons. (I enjoyed Cache - Hidden - can't do the acute accent - which touches obliquely on the haunting effect of the whole Algerian experience and the massacre in Paris in the 1950s - worth seeing if you get the chance.) I hadn't realised quite how depressing L'Armee des Ombres was going to be or I might not have gone - but I'm glad I did.
Post a Comment
<< Home