It was a quiet birthday. Beloved Wife is visiting her side of the family on her side of the Pond, it’s Ramadan so all pubs and bars are shut, and I’m new in town. Friday will be our fourth wedding anniversary. I look forward to the anniversary phone conversation in lieu of presents and a meal out somewhere posh.
As I’m not a great lover of cake, I have made myself a Birthday Pie, complete with several candles. The number of candles bears no relation to the number of years; it’s simply several arranged in a quincunx.
Please note the healthy vegetables. There are leeks and sparrow-grass, both lightly steamed, and served without great lashings of salt or butter. As it turned out, the pie was full of chicken and more vegetables, so add carrots, sweetcorn and broccoli to the list. There’s my five a day.
And because eye yam what eye yam, I added chips and lashings of gravy. Oh, look: Potato. Another healthy vegetable.
The beer was Fuller’s London Pride. It was from a tin rather than hand-pulled, but nevertheless an approximation to proper English Bitter Ale.
As it turned out, I had picked up a packet of those hilarious comedy candles that refuse to stay extinguished once blown out. The problem was lighting them in the first place. My apartment is all electric, and because I don’t smoke I have up to now had no need for naked flames. So suddenly this evening I discovered that I had no source of ignition. However, an electric ring up on full blast eventually got a candle to light.
Remaining on the subject of candles, I was wandering around one of those tourist tat shops a few days ago, wondering if there really is a market for dozens of rotary-dial Bakelite telephones beyond theatrical props, when I came across this caprine sculpture. I have no idea what it is supposed to be; possibly an ash-tray, maybe a plant-pot holder or even perchance somewhere for business cards. I have assigned its function as Candle Stick.
Q-tel’s promised birthday visit came to pass. I shall have to continue to wait for my broadband to be installed, and the flat continues with an inertweb connection rather than the interweb that I would prefer. I’m sitting at work after everyone else has gone home, pumping this post up into the blogosphere with my MiFi device that steadfastly refuses to work at home.
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6 comments:
Sure it's not an incense burner?
I've already exhausted my Ramadan rations, but the home made cider is filling the gap nicely
nevermind, mister goat, that some of us have been in the same lonely situation. Happy Birthday! How's that Ciprus project going on? Haven't read from it in ages...
It is not Beloved Wife's fault that the Mother in Law rented a cottage on the beach for precisely the wrong week. I am sure it will be made up to Mr Goat at a later date.
Happy Birfday Mr Goat :-)
I'm sure the use of the goat thing is actually irrelevant - the important factor is it's got a goat on it!
Well, Mr. Goat, tmil booked theonly week she could get to accommodate her sister....she was so sorry it interfered with birthday and anniversary and hangs her head in shame. However, Mr. Goat shouldhave heard the rip roaring Happy Birthday the family sang badly but loudly, sending it lo the many miles. Thank you so much for sharing mme cyn, tmil could not have managed without her. Happy belated birthday and anniversary.
We have just been staying in Tallinn's uber-funky Telegraaf Hotel, which is based in the former telco building and therefore themed around telephony.
You guessed it - the one tacky bit in an otherwise gorgeous hotel - a fake rotary dial telephone in every room!!!
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