shit you miss when you travel

A couple of things that have punctuated my existence this week at home.

I have a pair of driving gloves.

Margaret Thatcher would adopt me as her personal Tory slave if she knew. Frankly.

I got a beautiful pair of red leather numbers, with brass buttons from the Brit's sister. Genius.

So now I'll be driving a Skoda whilst wearing gloves. I've always wanted to do that.

They might look like something your Nan would wear, sure. But they're all the rage, I swear. Swear I tell you!*

I thought I knew - and generally stayed clear of - all the Saffa bars in London

Until the Brit and I drove past this chestnut yesterday. In the leafy, slightly dank suburbs of Southfields. In other words, a place that is about as unDurbz as, say, Moscow. Classic.

Dude. They serve bunny chow.

The funny thing is the Brit saw it first. He's the only British person I know who would 1) Know what 'Durbz' is ("What's a Durbz? It sounds like a...pie");

2) Actually think it's hilarious and know that they probably serve boerewors on Sundays instead of an English roast.

It looked like a dive. Totally going there. At some point. When I'm here.

It's been great to be home this week.

The mundane amazingness of sprawling all over the sofa watching amazeballs British TV, (Jesus Christ, there's some great stuff on TV at the moment - the line up is amazing! Amazing I tell you!)* eating a meal at the table, being able to bath with candles all around me.
The simple shit you miss when you are travelling. In other words.

This is the mail I sent Dove this morning:

Oy M8
Sorry I've been MIA and OOO. Been catching up on the 'lag while I can. My mum is getting here Saturday, we are flying to Prague, hiring a freaking Skoda and driving through four Eastern Bloc countries in quick succession.

I hope this isn't the last email I ever send you.

Sorry we couldn't catch up on Skype, I was zzz'ing up a storm. Probably snoring while doing so.

So what's happening at home, it must be so nice and warm now. It's getting kinda cold and grey this side of the bubble, so remind me to pack my driving gloves. And a mix tape. Hope my mum likes rave, is all I'm saying.

Dude. My guinea pigs have decided to start sitting in their food bowl. Then dragging it into their house to sleep in.
Don't you think that's rather odd behaviour for a guinea pig? Just suddenly sitting in the bowl and then sleeping with the bowl?

They're guinea pigs. They're meant to squeak and eat shit, not sit in bowls. It's unbelievably cute.

It's good to be home.

Stuff I don't miss: forgetting to buy toilet paper, making the bed, hanging up my clothes, Hoovering, the commute, the queue at Sainsbury's after work.

* I wasn't on prescription pills when I write this, in case you think my enthusiasm for TV and/or driving gloves is misplaced.