Back home

 I'm heading back home (Corby) on Saturday morning for an ex rugby playing friend's memorial game.  Steve's picking me up in the morning and we'll head over to the club.  I haven't played in nearly 2 years so I will be in a bit of pain on Sunday.  I miss it.

It's Christmas!

Edit: Florence's (April's) really excited about Christmas this year, she's talked of nothing else since the last big event, Fireworks Night.  So, after rugby tots (via Majestic) we took her to buy a tree (photos to follow).

We brought all the Christmas stuff down and got to work.  It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Little git

 Arthur finally broke my tablet.  He was playing with that and my phone and decided he wanted to smash it.  So he did.

One anonymous person put a crack in it a year ago (could be human, could be animal), but they haven't confessed.

It's been at the back of my mind to get a new one anyway due to the crack but as it worked perfectly fine I was sensible and decided to wait till it properly broke.  The same for my surface pro and mobile.

I did some quick research and decided on a samsung s6 lite.  The previous was a s4, the latest is a s7.  Arthur was asleep and Flo and April were busy making Christmas decorations so I popped to Curry's to get one.  Itwas pretty busy, I guess people were trying to get a black Friday deal (on Sunday), I must have been there for 15 mins waiting to be seen by someone so that they could get the box out of the cage and for me to pay for it but nothing.  I walked out and ordered it online.

School choice

 So... we've decided to put Flo into the local prep school (fee paying), and by Easter 2023 Arthur will head there too.  It's a big expense but we can afford to pay the nursery fees as they stand now, why not pay them for the next x years too.  We're in a good position financially, where else would we put the money?

Stupid Clark purchase 34

 We've ordered a digital one of these in oak.  Only £9k.  Bargain.  Bloody idiots.  Let's hope the kitchen is finished before it arrives (Feb)

Extension

 This time, not talking about the work on the house.

I've verbally agreed to stay at my company for another couple of months (end of March).  It's the second extension so pretty good.  If only I had some work to do.

Well, here's the monster

 The new bath was finally installed yesterday and we've had 3 baths already.  It's massive! 

The monster

That will sort it...

 The heating's gone in our new office so the building manager said he'd pop round with some oil heaters whilst the gas man takes a look at the boiler.

He's turned up with a couple of these tiny things!  We're basically in a small old house, not nearly enough to do the job.  Luckily it's not that cold and it looks like i'm the only one in today so may just put them both by my desk.

Bathroom's coming along

 The bathroom's coming along nicely, but there are few things still outstanding.  

Those eagle eyed amongst you will have spotted that there is no bath in the bathroom.  Fingers crossed this will get delivered and installed next week.

The washing machine and dryer will live in the cabinet that is getting built and hopefully installed next week.

The throne.

I think we also need an electrician to finish with the lighting (floor and ceiling) and we need a new pump for our en suite which again should get fitted next week too.

Today's highlight

Saying that, the whole office had a shock at 11am.  As part of the remembrance day events around Tonbridge they fired the cannon outside the castle.  25m from my desk.  Jeez! 

 

Seen better days

 They've seen better days but these are my chilli plants.  2 from my dad and the scotch bonnet twig in the middle is mine.

I've just watered them so hopefully they will perk up.  The previously green chillies are certainly starting to turn colour 

Fireworks!

 One of our friends Wayne helped organise it and it went very well.  Over 4,000 tickets were sold.

Arthur's first firework night 

Boom

Flo was happy with her glowing unicorn thing

Well, that was an expensive weekend!

 It was our 10th wedding anniversary last Friday so thanks to some lovely friends we were able to head into London for the weekend without the kids.  Incidentally that was the first time we've both had more than an evening away from the kids since Florence was born 4 years ago!

There was not much of a plan except eating and drinking.  First stop

Tom Kerridge's restaurant Kerridge's Bar and Grill

https://www.kerridgesbarandgrill.co.uk/

He'd kindly left a happy anniversary card.

Next was Bob Bob Ricard, a Russian restaurant with a button in each booth that simply states Press for Champagne.

https://bobbobricard.com/soho/

Saturday we went to Clos Maggiore, this is the restaurant April took me on our 6 month going out anniversary.  We've also taken Steve and Jen there as a thankyou for paying for our flights out to Las Vegas for their wedding.

Tome of wine

7 cheese selection with some port. Don't mind if I do.

https://www.closmaggiore.com/

In the evening we went to J Sheekey

https://j-sheekey.co.uk/

We stayed in a lovely hotel just 50m from Soho Square, Hazlitts, it was a 18th century town house.  We thought we managed to get quite a cheap deal considering the location, unfortunately what we thought was payment for the whole weekend, it turned out to be for each night.  Whoops!

The throne room

https://www.hazlittshotel.com/

Other highlights included finding a replacement to the Crobar.

Some kind of monster turned it into this!

My new favourite bar in that end of town is Bradley's Spanish Bar, i'd been a couple of times before really enjoyed it's free jukebox.

https://www.bradleysspanishbar.com/

No more conservatory!

 

D&D

 I had the second rpg session last night and everybody turned up.  You never know, the first session might not have been somebody's cup of tea but it was good to see everyone return.

I am the eldest, there's a Scottish guy who's about 35, 2 in their late 20s and GM who I was shocked to hear was only 17!  He's very good though and we had fun.

Progressing quickly

 The kitchen has been boarded up and one of the side walls of the utility room has been pulled down.  Today the rest of the utility room and conservatory are getting demolished!  

We had a new skip delivery at 7:30 this morning which I imagine will be full by the time we get home tonight!

Feed me!!!

 Heading back to the office after walking the dog, I heard a big meow. I'd forgotten to give Josie her lunch! And she'd followed me almost all the way to the high street!

I had to walk back and take her home.  Greedy fat cat!

Next D&D session tonight

 I think the all of the players from last week are joining us again.  We shall see.  The DM asked if he could run his home brew setting.  We all said yes.  This could be interesting.

More carnage

 They certainly don't hang about...

Here's some shots after day one.  The dog looks very confused.

Maybe we won't have a useable kitchen afterall...

 Apparently they're going to install a temporary sink for us.  And by that I assume a bucket.

Day 1 of the build

Day 1 of the build proper starts today.

We've had a busy weekend packing up the majority of the kitchen, which is not easy whilst juggling two kids and an annoying dog. The build time is 3 months so we aiming to get this all complete by the end of January.  It will inevitably overrun as these things tend to happen but I think there is a high chance of us being in by the Spring which will be nice.

First job will be to close off some of the plumbing / electrics in the kitchen that will get torn down, I think the utility room and conservatory will get pulled down by the end of the week.  Quite scary really.