Grosmont; IKEA; underweight bunnies

Grosmont Castle

Had a lovely dinner with Claire at La Tasca on Friday night, which she very kindly paid for as a belated birthday treat – she also gave me a lovely green necklace which fits in with my tentative first forays into green clothing over the last year – have acquired a green shirt, a green scarf and now two green necklaces. 

Drove down to my parents' place on Saturday morning for a family barbecue - weather not too warm but not actually raining. Someone did note that there are photos of a previous family barbecue where everyone is wrapped up in fleeces, so this one was balmy in comparison. On Sunday Mum drove Ruth and me over to Grosmont for a stroll around the castle and St Nicholas Church. Grosmont Castle is one of the 'Three Castles' or, more splendidly, castles of the Trilateral (the others being Skenfrith Castle and White Castle). We went for a nice lunch at Gentle Jane Tearoom, where I shared with Mum a slice of something called ‘Hummingbird cake’, which turned out to be a particularly sickly moussey concoction flavoured with banana and pineapple. Had a couple of mouthfuls and then felt faintly bilious. 

At the tearoom

On the way back from Mum and Dad’s on Monday we stopped off at IKEA in Bristol, in a pre-planned moment of spontaneous madness. It had seemed like a good idea originally but turned out to be only moderately enjoyable as it was surprisingly busy for a Monday morning - the sat nav, perhaps in a moment of foresight, repeatedly urged us to stop and do a U-turn just as we were driving into IKEA’s car park. My original intention had been to buy one of their SKRUVSTA swivel chairs, but sadly they seem to have discontinued the one I particularly liked with the white fluffy seat covers. After actually sitting in a couple, I was still undecided so ended up not actually buying one. We did buy a set of six matching wine glasses, some wooden coat hangers and a few other bits and pieces. 

On collecting the rabbits later that day after their two-day board at Reading Rabbits, we were informed that both bunnies have lost half a kilo each since being homed with us and need to be fed more food. Once Ruth gets over the blow to her mothering skills, I think the intention is to feed them more high-calorie food such as carrots and grapes. Apparently being underfed is likely to be the reason for their occasional pre-breakfast scraps. Their recent eating of one of their chew toys and quite a bit of plaster off the living room chimney breast takes on a whole new meaning. Les pauvres. 

Kate and I hit the gym together after work on Tuesday as part of a newly-formed ‘gym buddy’ pact. I had only been once since having my workout routine devised back in June, and that only to use the exercise bike. This time I did manage to get through most of my routine, excluding the sets on the Total Abdominal – a piece of kit apparently designed to tone abdominal muscles but seemingly actually designed to wreck necks and shoulders. Could still feel the effects the following day particularly the sets done on the Adductor, so assume it must have done some good. Fearing that I might be particularly inept at remembering how to use the machines, I had suggested to Kate that she might be needed to create a diversion by swooning/having a fit of the vapours or similar, but in the event didn’t actually make too much of a twat of myself. We are planning to go again next week ...