Reconnections and Spar the Pharmacy...

If I were a cat, I'd look like this.

Phew. Typing these words is providing a mini-respite in the midst of an action-packed week. Most of my weeks are not action-packed. Most of my weeks are in front on my laptop, like this. But the past week has been busy, busy, busy! I've had a house guest, you see. All the way from Australia. My cousin's here, and as a result, I've had a bit of a life. We've been out for meals, drives into town, and tourist sight-seeing. It's quite the thrill. At the moment, I'm having a cup of tea and a gentle write, whilst he's at my sister's house. It's nice to have a change; to shake things up and rejig the week. Even when there're no visitors from far flung places, I need to remember to stop letting things getting samey. However, as is tradition, here's the usual weekly update with no changes whatsoever. Soz about that.

Writing News

I've done very little. Soz once again. I'm having a break from the current draft while I play the role of Merseyside Tour Guide, and will be back in a week or so. This works out well. I've got to the end of draft two, and having some distance before the next round will give me a clearer head. There's still loads to change.

Tash Dowie is back!

Culture

I've been an intermittent attendee at Liverpool Women's home matches this season. I started out committed and keen, but then family get-togethers and Christmas stuff got in the way. Until this week. An initially dull match against Leicester City livened right up after sixty minutes. Tash Dowie - recent signee, and previous red - was brought on for her first game back. She was ace. The energy levels of everyone perked right up, and the ball was down the Liverpool goal for the rest of the match. Frustratingly, the points didn't come, but the shoots of progress were there. I'm a gazillion time more hopeful for the next game.

Thai Salmon Salad.
The dressing kicked! 
From Baravin

Food and Drink

A couple of weeks ago, the inevitable winter cold kicked in and I had the sniffles for a few days. As a result, I absolutely hammered anything spicy and sinus-clearing. The upsides to this were salads with zingy dressings, curries, chilli, and sriracha. The downside was a mad dash to the 24-hour Spar for a spicy Pepperami. I comforted myself with the information that it was a 'protein kick'. (It says so on the packet.) That helped me deal with the fact I was breaking my no-meat rule with something that is a not-great-meat-in-all-honesty.

Aberystwyth pier.
It's hard to see, but there
were shed loads of
starlings in the sky.

Out and About

I had a long weekend in Aberystwyth which always sorts out my head, and then I've been all over Liverpool. The new Everton stadium site, Liverpool One, assorted houses in the Allerton, Childwall, and West Derby area that housed my relatives back in the day - I've seen it all. The fab thing about having overseas relatives come and visit, is how it reconnects me to my own past. I only ever stop outside my Gran's old gaff when they're over. Strange innit.

So what are the lessons from my week? 

• A change is as good as a rest, and mixing up the routine is a good thing to do. 
• Hosting relatives connects me to my own childhood and forces me to remember people that are becoming more and more distant in my memory.
• A spicy Pepperami is perfectly acceptable when my blocked sinuses demand it. Likewise, the 24-hour Spar should be given Pharmacy status with how it served my medical needs so well. Life lessons them all.

Have a lovely week, folks