Forwards and occasionally sidewards – everyday musings of life

The Antipodean Arrival
The headline news this week comes from the southern hemisphere. Our second granddaughter, Willa, arrived safely in Melbourne on Tuesday. While The Curator is already vibrating with excitement regarding her trip to Australia next month, I am primarily relieved that everyone is doing well and we have another beautiful granddaughter.

The Mystery of the Global Village
Speaking of local curiosities, we enjoyed a takeaway with friends this week following their visit to the “Around the World” shop in Pewsey. It is a fascinating title for an establishment that, as far as I can tell, sources its entire inventory from within the UK. Perhaps the name refers to the owner’s schedule; since it apparently closes at 1pm, one assumes they spend the afternoons actually traversing the globe. Or perhaps, in Pewsey, anything sourced from outside the county qualifies as “international.”

The Stallion’s Damp Spirits
After a week in the infirmary, the Stuttgart Stallion has been returned to the stable. The diagnosis? Dampness in the main electronic controller. It seems even a V8 powerhouse is susceptible to the Wiltshire “mizzle.” A bit of electrical spray and a thorough cleaning have allegedly exorcised the gremlins. I collected her via the local bus service—a winding, scenic tour of the villages that allowed me to overhear a group of hikers using a canal walk as a tactical diversion to justify an afternoon in the pub watching the rugby. A classic “Great Escape” manoeuvre executed with varying degrees of sincerity.

Arena News: The A-Team Call-up
It was a high-stakes week in the table tennis sporting arena. At the school, the PE teacher made a guest appearance to warn the students against using their table tennis bats as badminton rackets—a necessary intervention for those who still struggle with the concept of “low and fast” versus “high and loopy.”
I also found myself “called up” to the Table Tennis A-Team as an emergency reserve. Despite not being match-fit and nursing an elbow that the doctor has now earmarked for a scan, I played with a liberating lack of pressure. There is something to be said for playing simply for the joy of the game.

The Great Renovation: Sorry, Ros
In a move that will surprise absolutely no one who has ever embarked on a building project, we have tweaked the house plans again. Sorry, Ros. We’ve redistributed the bedroom dimensions to ensure The Curator has the en-suite she deserves. We promise this is the final change… until the contractor actually arrives, at which point all bets are off.

The Wry Outlook
We concluded the week with The Curator’s Birthday Eve celebration at the Buddha Chinese restaurant—a refreshing departure from our usual Indian haunts. As I look ahead to a week of finalising Pension Trustee decisions and keeping the dogs away from the rising mist and rabbits of the Vale, I am cautiously optimistic. The wellies aren’t retired yet, but the lawn has been cut, the ugly conifer is officially “chipped,” and the Stallion is back in her stride.

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Have a great week.