Dusty Note

• This week we went to a fancy restaurant. We split our dishes between us like heathens, for maximum enjoyment. I used to be firmly opposed, outside of inherently shareable food like pizza, but have come round. Who wouldn't like to try more dishes in one sitting? Our own little set menu. My order was mushroom Stroganoff which came with Spätzle — my first Spätzle! And a Chocolate & Hazelnut Gugelhupf, chosen primarily for the accompanying rum sauce. More rum and or caramel sauce on everything please.
• We chose the restaurant to use a gift voucher from last Christmas, before lockdown v2. We were far more cautious during the days leading up to lockdown v1. Since we could work from home we had locked down before it was official. It's difficult to get back into that mindset this time. We've very much been stuck on what can we do, according to the rules, over what should we do.
• On the very last day before lockdown v2 I went to my local charity shop and bought a little port chalice. I'm ready!
• With the rest of my week off I've been binging Fear The Walking Dead. "But Lee only last week you said you were a big scaredy cat!" Yeah a zombie series doesn't count. There are few jump scares and it's a very physical threat, which is understandable and familiar. In a long running series how different groups form and respond to various challenges is the focus over pure horror. Paranormal horror on the other hand. No.
• I've also been cleaning a lot. I've dusted places no tenant has dusted before. No object has remained unturned.
• Drink coffee. Dust. Drink tea. Fear The Walking Dead. Vacuum. Fear The Walking Dead. Drink tea. Mop. Fear The Walking Dead with a cookie and tea. Dust more. Fear The Walking Dead. Wash down the skirting boards. Fear The Walking Dead.
• Thank goodness we can only afford a small one bed flat in London. How does anyone keep more than that clean?
• Bonfire night was actually pretty fun. We prepared a feast akin to what I used to enjoy at my grandparents. We baked jacket potatoes, like, properly with a lovely crispy skin and cloudy inner. We also caramelised a mound of onions (it's healthy if you use Vegan Block, right?) Which we used to bury veggie hotdogs, along with a cheeky Sauerkraut addition, mustard, and ketchup. On the side, minted mushy peas. Nom nom nom, nom nom.
• After the meal we went for a stroll in the dark to look out for fireworks. Someone was setting them off on the Common which was fun, except they were holding them like a wand. Firing explosions of light this way and that from their hands. I'm grateful we got a little lockdown firework display, but we didn't linger.
• Until next week friend. 👋 Time for more housework and another episode of Fear The Walking Dead.