Wednesday – In detail challenge

So I read on Marceline’s blog the suggestion from her friend Claire to blog what we did on Wednesday in detail. Alas, I had nothing planned on Wednesday that would make me look interesting or particularly glamorous or anything but hey I said I would do it so I will!

So are you ready…

I was up at 6:30 am (Novembers challenge) this gave me time to make lunch for both Simon and myself and to have breakfast. I had one Oatibix and a cup of hot water and lemon. I would have rather had porridge but there wasn’t quite enough time.

I left the house at 7:30am on my bicycle. It was a beautiful morning and empty of other people, which is how I like it first thing before I have had time to wake up properly. It was really cold but I was snug in my long coat, scarf, mittens and ear bags – just eyes and nose poking out. The cycle ride however was marred by the state of my bicycle which means I have to be very slow and steady. Poor bicycle. More on that later. I parked in the quad rather than under the stairs by the showers.

Work; I spent all morning looking at bits of XML code to make a game work and drank many pints of green tea.

At 11:30 I went to see The Bike Man. He has a van and assistant and they come into work and mend things then and there. I wheeled over my bike. The bad news… it’s a write off. Poor bike :( I have had it for years and years and over time have replaced many bits of it. However this time the bike man said it would be £90 as all the main parts need replacing. Boo, poor bike. It is held up with bits of washing line and has seen me across hundreds and hundreds of miles. But with sadness I told him that I wouldn’t require the work to be done, as that was too much.

Lunch: ahem I ate my lunch rather early at my desk (hummus roll). Then I cycled out on my broken bike to Robert Dyas. There is something rather fascinating about Robert Dyas. Sometimes I go in there just to have a look around for no reason. (I also do that with Debenhams kitchenware department.) I bought an iron and almost bought a shredder. I doubled back along the main shopping street and went to The Works and bought card, they are doing a fairly good deal where you can help yourself to a box full of card for £5. I have quite a few things that I am making that will require card.

Then I went to Sainsbury’s, which is rather scrappy, and hassely compared to the out of town ones. I got icing sugar, Greek yogurt, organic hummus, organic Red Leicester and best of all….

Some chimp hats! Well, they were attached to two Innocent Smoothies.

Then back to work. More staring at code, green tea drinking and chatting. I listened to my KEXP song of the day, which is a podcast that I have been subscribing to for years. It really is very good. The only other podcast I subscribe to is the Kermode film review, which comes out on a Friday.

Today’s song was La Esquina by Federico Aubele. There is an interview with him here on Velvet Panda.

Anyway, after work (I leave at 4pm – going to work for 8am doesn’t seem so stupid come 4pm when you can go home) I pedaled home again. BTW, my route is through some of the most amazing architecture and famous places. I think it must be the old-building equivalent of going home through the fields. Lovely. However living somewhere scenic means there are lots of tourists who step out into the road without remembering that the traffic is on the other side than they are used to so for this reason I have a very big bell.

I digress. Simon was off to London so after waving him bye bye I gave the chimps their hats and they posed for a photo on the bedside table…

Then I made one of my favorite foods (gotta indulge while the man’s away huh) chili and garlic tofu. I jammed it full of vegetables by using:

Baby sweetcorn
Normal sweetcorn
Spring onions
Onions
Peas
Mange tout
Chinese leaves
Spinach
Chili
Garlic
Ginger
Broccoli

Plus tofu, thin noodles, sesame oil, chili oil and garlic oil.

Followed by Greek yogurt, honey, cinnamon and a cooked banana.

Then I came up to the workroom and, with a lack of any specific purpose, looked at the Internet a bit. I commented on this photo because it really caught my eye. I like the contrast with the wall. Also I haven’t bought jeans in years so tis an alien concept.

I also listened to a play on Radio 4, a program on seeds and an interview with Ranulph Fiennes. Radio 4 is a default to me – anywhere sat near a radio then Radio 4 goes on. Sometimes I literally listen 24hrs to Radio 4.

I rooted about in my fabric pile. There are some fabrics that I inherited that I haven’t had a chance to properly look at yet. I found this long printed banner that I pinned to the blind.

At first glance I thought it may have been from Germany or Switzerland or Romania (potential places for me to inherit fabric from) but actually I think it is Japanese (where I am more likely to have inherited fabric from).

On my to-do craft list is to make a new bag insert to hold all the tonne of stuff I carry about. But instead I made something else…

What’s this? A mouse?

No! Tip it up and what comes out?

It’s a key holder!

Then you can pull the ribbon goes back in and you wrap it around to hold it in.

And your bag/pocket doesn’t get all scratched up.

Now I am having half a glass of red wine..

And running a bubble bath.

FIN.

Phew, that was exhausting documenting all that! Normal service resumes tomorrow.