Chester, and on the way to Chester

I went toChester yesterday. Silly really on a Bank Holiday, it was s-l-o-w. I needed petrol and the loo so stopped at a service station. A Shell service station. The girl serving me was called Shell! (Michelle, she assured me). But it was like fate. She said when she was little she thought it was her petrol station.

There was a queue for the one toilet (handwashing facilities in the same room as the toilet, it always slows things down); two women and a man were taking turns and talking in a foreign language to each other. Finally just me and the man left. I thought I'd make an effort and said, in my clearest voice: "Where . Are. You. From? Poland?" He said "Sorry?", so I repeated myself, more clearly.

He looked me straight in the eye. "Wales", he said.

Ooops.

Life's disappointments

Life has dealt me a few disappointments. The earliest I can remember is my conviction that once I learned to read I could finish school and teach myself everything. Or everything I wanted to know.

So I was six when I had my first big disappointment.

There were others in the next few years, I'm sure.

Then I tasted, at a Chinese restaurant in Coventry in the very early 1960s, peppers, bamboo shoots and beansprouts. When I say "tasted" I mean they were in my bowl and I ate them. THEY HAVE NO TASTE!!!! How disappointing that was I can never explain. I was so excited to have bumped into my grandparents in the city centre, and to accept their offer of a trip to the newly opened Chinese restaurant. I know they decided to choose things that weren't too spicy for me .... and I definitely kept my disappointment from them.

We won't discuss here the disappointment of Rome turning out to be a scruffy chilly city or Cairo being probably the filthiest and smelliest place I've been to in my life ......

Knitting

I do love knitting (preferably for me). I just finished a hat in untreated sheep wool, dark brown, it smells of lanolin, it's fabulous. Probably will make a pair of matching mittens. That should encourage me to go out and WALK even in winter; trouble is, I'd rather stay in and knit :o)

Right now I have a fat blob in front of me, it's the torso of an Itty Bitty Baby Doll for someone's baby girl (we only have baby boys in our family). I shall begin the head soon but as it is just about a repeat of the body I need to take a breather.

I wonder how Daphne's getting on in China - is she wearing the socks I made for her?

Resolution: will try to update this blog every few days. Honest.

a random thought or two ...

Why is the person at the front of the queue never prepared for the lights to go green?

Should people with the job of accosting strangers in shops to sell services be advised to use a mouthwash hourly? (honestly, I was approached today and almost gagged!)

Where is the sun? I shall have to start using my SAD lamp soon, at the moment I'm using Rescue Remedy as if it's going out of fashion.

How can something as divine as a big bag of chilli peanuts make me fat?