Two in one entry today as I was away for the first time since March yesterday evening.
I woke up yesterday and checked my phone and had a negative Covid result from my test on Friday so I decided to go with my plan of visiting my parents and my brother. I'd packed my stuff mostly the night before so I had some cornflakes, packed up the rest of the bits and pieces and set off just before 10am.
The roads weren't too bad, I had only planned to stop once for a toilet break and I always aim to get to at least Leicester Forest East Services on the way down and if I get to Watford Gap or further I'm over halfway and feel happy. I got out at Watford Gap, tried to charge my car, but it wasn't working so I headed to the toilet. I had no interest in stopping for food really as it was too busy and I felt uncomfortable and social distancing wasn't great. I got back to the car, texted my brother and my parents and then carried on. I had been listening to the Archers and then I swapped to some more of the Wind Up Bird Chronicles.
I ended up driving only for 3hrs 40 and ended up at my brothers around 2pm. I had a protein bar and a banana for lunch on the go and he did offer me some lunch, but he'd already eaten. When I arrived at my brothers it was just the 2 oldest girls Beatrice and Florence and they were very hyper and excited to see me. My brother's wife came back shortly after with the two youngest boys Lenny and Winston. They were also quite excited and Winston was doing ok after a couple of trips to hospital this week as he'd cut his hand and they weren't sure if he'd need it stitching, but fortunately he didn't. They drew some pictures on the patio in chalk and then I headed over to see my parents in the garden. I managed to curb my alloy wheels when I was parking the car and I really need to sort out my insurance claim to get them fixed up.
They've done a lot of gardening during lockdown including planting melons, aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes, cauliflowers, nasteriums, cucumber, lettuces and sweetcorn. We sat outside and chatted and I gave them some malbec and some prosecco as well as a rag wreath I finished off under lockdown.
We went for a walk around the recreation field at the back of the house, it was a nice walk, but it's sad that at the back of the garages people have just dumped mattresses, fridges and other rubbish. I used to think that the street was a really nice area, but some of it with my eyes these days just looks a bit tatty.
I texted my brother to find out what to do for food that evening and suggested I bought them a takeaway and he suggested I come back for around 7pm to read a story for the girls. By the time I'd moved a few things around in my car it was five past seven and Beatrice told me off for being late.
I read them Andy Pandy and Hansel and Gretel and made up a story about some cats stealing a fish, they were very excited and out of routine and I felt a bit guilty as it took them a while to fall asleep and they tried hard to convince me that I should sleep in their room!
I went downstairs and we chatted whilst Steph fed Winston and he fell asleep and then we ordered a curry from the Raj using the Uber Eats app with a code that gave me £20 off and my brother a £15 off voucher. By the time we'd faffed around the food was ordered around 9.30pm and I ordered some poppodoms with dips, Tom Yum seafood soup and a vegetable thalia and a portion of lemon rice which was way bigger than I'd expected so there were a lot of leftovers.
We ended up chatting until around 1.30am discussing holidays and indeed lack of holidays as kids, something that seemed to bother my brother more than me, the fact that they still have a Range Rover in the garage and my brother worked out it was last taxed in 1995 and could be worth a lot these days - I said that when the time comes, he can deal with it.
I eventually fell asleep around 2am and woke up a few times, as I was quite warm and there were a few odd noises, but I was fairly comfortable on my sleeping bag on the sofa. The kids initially woke up about 6.30am and came downstairs around 7.30am and I had cornflakes for breakfast and a couple of coffees as I was knackered! The kids did some more chalk drawing in the garden and played with the bubble machine when it turned 9am and screamed a fair bit! I had a shower which I desperately needed and then headed over to my parents for around 11am and we chatted in the garden some more and then had lunch of ham, cheese and salad sandwiches including home grown yellow tomatoes. I went to the toilet in their house in my mask and sanitised before I went in and sprayed down the toilet after I left. We went for another walk aound the field and I tracked it and it was just under 1K - they could make a parkrun there! I managed to find a green parakeet feather by my parents house as they hang out there, there was also a nest in their kiwi bush and I couldn't work out what bird lived in it.
I set off home about 1.30pm and my Mum gave me fabric for some masks, some soap and some lemon drizzle cake Naked bars and an aubergine and nasterium. The satnav gave an ETA of 6pm and it was a bit slow on the M25 and then there were some slow sections on the M1 with roadworks, but nothing stationary fortunately. I chatted away to Alan for a big chunk of the journey and really missed him when I was away. I then listened to more Wind Up Bird Chronicles - it's a very very long audio book! I got to Leicester Forest East services just over half way and went to the toilet and it was a lot less busy than Watford Gap yesterday and so I braved the Waitrose and bought sushi as I'd been craving it as not had any for ages as well as some pepsi max and kefir.
I drove for another hour, but ended up stopping at Woodall as I started to feel too tired, so I went to the loo and emptied some rubbish to get a bit of a walk in and some fresh air. Then my sat nav said an hour to do 35 miles, but it included a bit diversion through some South Yorkshire villages and so I was quite slow.
I was home for 5.45pm and about 3 hours 45 driving time and 20 - 25 mins stopping and break times.
I unpacked the car and said hello to Qubit who was hiding in a box and then had a cuddle with Alan and then a quick tea and sit down watching some cricket.
I decided to go for a run around 7.30pm and do about 8K and take it steady. I listened to more Wind Up Bird Chronicles and did my Lumby Loop circuit and then as I got towards the end my stomach felt really odd and I had to run in and go straight to the toilet. I then had a shower and Alan finished making tea of Carribean beef and courgette rice, I quick hung some washing out and we ate and watched Storage Hunters UK. I prepped some strawberries and cream and then cleaned up the kitchen.
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