Lexin

I had a Tesco delivery last Friday. No problem.

I forgot that I’d booked one for yesterday by mistake and then forgot to cancel it. So we got a load more food. I’m sure aunty_marion and I will manage to eat most of it. At least, we can hope.

Cat news

Geraint is beginning to settle in, he hasn’t yet bitten Marion. And we’re managing to train him to be a bit less hit-and-miss with his litter tray. He’s also beginning to get on with Opal. So, progress.

Edited to add: we have discovered that Geraint is deaf.

We visited four exciting places: Beaumaris Castle, Penrhyn Castle, the Welsh National Slate Museum and we went up Yr Wyddfa on the Snowdon Mountain Railway.  They were all quite good in their different ways.

The first was Beaumaris Castle, which is across the Menai Strait. We went by bus, which was quite exciting in itself because of the narrow roads, and the cheapest way to travel. The castle is a genuine 11th century castle, though it is unfinished due to the king at the time (whose name I have forgotten) running out of money because he was engaged in fighting the Scots. As you do, clearly.

It has a nice gift shop, but no café. The town of Beaumaris (pop 1200) has lots of tea shops and things. We found a rather good tea shop who did us an excellent sandwich, but only just in time for us to catch our bus back, which gave aunty_marion and I a bit of a turn.

Penrhyn Castle is the nearest to me, and you get there by taxi if you have no transport. There is a bus stop, but it is a long walk (too long for me) to get to the Visitor Centre on foot from the bus stop. Once you get to the Visitor Centre if you have any sense you wait for a golf buggy, and get a lift to the castle entrance. The driver of the buggy told us that the castle is, in his words, 'Smoke and mirrors.'

It was built in the 18th and 19th centuries as a copy of an 11th century castle. The family who built it were (I hesitate to say 'are' because I don't know them) horrible. The castle itself was built on the work of West Indian slaves on plantations and by exploiting local slate miners. Penrhyn had the nicest food in the café. The Wikipedia entry is interesting.

I thought the Slate Museum was a bit dull. Lots of walking, too much for me, and I have but a slight interest in slate, if you see what I mean. Even the food in the café was boring. The sandwiches only had white bread. Plus, it's £40 in a taxi to get there and £40 in a taxi to get back.

Actually worth the £40 each way in a taxi is the Snowdon Mountain Railway. Great views. The steam train to the summit is £55 return. If you ever get the chance to go, don't book just on the feeling that you might want to do it - there are no refunds if you change your mind. The café at the top has an odd choice of food - burgers and hot dogs. Go figure. And it may be cloudy at the top, as it was for us.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

(Yes, I know I'm a day late.)

The fridge is stuffed with goodies, and there are more good things on the side in the kitchen. We have mountains of chicken, oodles of pigs in blankets, lashings of champagne and pillows of marshmallows.

Unfortunately, I still have the cold from hell and keep breaking off whatever I’m doing (watching nothing happen on my work computer, sleeping) to cough like a thing that coughs. A grampus, whatever a grampus is. And my ribs are sore where I’ve been coughing, and my throat hurts. I’m due more cold medicine when I’ve finished this.

shezan visited yesterday and I hope I didn’t give her this cold, because she just doesn’t need it. Smokey liked her, she was very attentive. Mind you, that could be because shezan brought taramasalata and Smokey was drawn by the smell of fish.

I’m expecting aunty_marion some time soon. I’m listening (for some value of listening) to Classic FM, though their choice of Christmas music is quite often the tune the old cow died on. I’m not one of John Rutter’s biggest fans, never have been. Give me a few good old carols and I’m happy, forget this modern stuff.

Having said that, my favourite “Christmas” song is the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl’s “Fairytale of New York”, though a colleague said it was chavs arguing. I like it, and play it when it’s not Christmas.

No sign of my cleaner. I suppose I should empty the bins.

Am back from Mancunicon, and setting down with drinks of choice and cuddles from my kitty, whom I missed far more than I had reason to given that she was being properly cared for by aunty_marion.

Had a great time, much gossip was gossed, costumes were worn, drink taken and fun had.

Happy New Year, everyone! Let's hope it's a good one!

Everyone who's going to WorldCon enjoy yourselves and tell us all about it.

I'm going to a different event, as previously advertised and I will have a fine time, but I will miss you all.

Whatever you celebrate, may it be the best you ever had!

Merry Christmas everyone! As I type this my chicken (not a turkey for just me!) is smelling divine, and all I have to do is decide what veggies to put with it from the variety I have in the freezer.

Great presents from all, and I'm wearing the sparkly earrings I got from gloria1.

I'm missing the Aged P. rather more than I did last year, but I'm OK really.

And Merry Whatever, for those who don't.

I'm doing better than I expected with being alone. I miss the Aged P., but I'm glad not to have had to travel and I've spent the morning in selfish reading of a book, which I wouldn't have been able to do at her house.

I ordered a chicken to eat, and that's in the oven. Tesco didn't have the size I ordered so sent what they had. When it arrived I just noted that it was bigger than I ordered and put it in the fridge. On looking at it when I came to put it in the oven, I realised that the packaging says that it feeds eight. So there's going to be a lot of chicken curry in my future.

Trimmings are things I like rather than the traditional things. Go me!

Presents are a very good haul, gloria1 gave me some teabags from Betty's of Harrogate, which are particularly welcome. I love me my tea.

My brother has sent me some Dr Who vids, which I'm going to watch this afternoon while I wait for the Dr Who Christmas special.

There is also champagne in my future, and I have enough chocolates to sink a battleship.