![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Le Weekend, La Famille
Oct. 7th, 2003 10:30 amOn Monday last week, we called Rob's parents to invite them over for Sunday lunch. Shortly afterwards Rob got email from his sister asking if she could have them at the weekend instead, which made me go Eeply Eeply Eep! because I was all worked up to entertain them and changing firm plans throws me right off. Anna wanted them to come because she's buying a house, and Rob's father is a professional builder (technically, I think he's a foreman carpenter, but you don't work on buildings for 30 years without learning beyond your area of expertise) and she wanted him to look the house over and see that it was ok. Which is fair enough.
Rob spoke to Anna and she called her parents and it was arranged that they would go to see her house on Saturday, drive down to us, stay the night, and have lunch and help us with DIY on Sunday. So everyone was pleased except Alan and Inger, who were exhausted.
On Tuesday I was supposed to go swimming, but I ended up meeting a surprise visitor from Ireland instead. And on Wednesday we went dancing, in spite of me being sick enough that I spent the whole day in bed. And on Thursday we met my visitor again and went to see Pirates again, which buckles much swash Arrr. And I have no clear memory of Friday, but suspect I spent a lot of it in bed sleeping. We did go grocery shopping in the evening because our organics order was late and couldn't be filled.
Saturday was very exciting - my ex Noel called suddenly to say he could come and visit, so he came up for the afternoon and we fed him dinner and sort of caught up on things. He's pleased my life is going so well, and I'm pleased he's doing well, which is very mutually delightful. He's going to leave the army, which will make his life short-term very fraught but I think will be long-term beneficial.
Alan and Inger arrived late Saturday evening, about 20 minutes after Noel left. Alan was particularly pleased with Rob's new TV cabinet, which Rob made while I was in Ireland, and Inger liked my scones. On Sunday, Rob and I achieved almost total role reversal - I cooked dinner while he did DIY.
We now have a new bathroom door, which Rob varnished last night, and a cat flap, which the cats are figuring out eventually. Charcoal uses it very slowly, so's not to bump her head. Dust resents the fact that it has a little flap thing that isn't a doorhandle, and she has to push it open with her head; she'd be happier with a lever, like all the other doors and windows have. She tries to push it open with her paws and is annoyed that it flaps closed again. Luckily, Mustard has never worked out how human doors and windows work, so he's quite happy bashing through the cat flap and doesn't see it as an indignity at all.
Sunday lunch was roast beef and carrots and parsnips and mashed potatoes and green beans and individual Yorkshire puddings and an excellent gravy that even I liked. And that was so much fun that I cooked again on Monday.
I discovered on Sunday that I can cook a whole roast dinner on my own in two hours if I start prepping the vegetables as soon as the meat goes into the oven. This way I can take lots of breaks when my hands threaten to implode with pain. On Monday, Rob did the veg prep, and made pastry in the magimix, and we had roast stuffed pork tenderloin, with carrots and parsnips again (I like them. They probably help me see in the dark) and apple sauce and mashed potatoes, and apple pie and ice-cream for dessert.
I don't sweeten apple pie or apple sauce. I like it that way. It explains why I don't like apple pie or apple sauce when I buy it - it's much too sweet for me, and the apple flavour doesn't come through.