Conkers

Ian and Jem came over this afternoon, which gave me a rather lovely focus for an otherwise entirely uneventful day. When they arrived, I suddenly became hugely aware of how freakishly cold the house was, and had to rush around trying to switch heaters on and things.

I'm not sure I understand quite how to change the settings on the boiler, so, for example, I'm almost permanently without hot water at the moment. It's slightly tragic to have to acknowledge that there's at least one thing that your partner always deals with!

Still it was fabulous to see the boys, who are off to the States to get married just before Christmas. I feel envious when I hear of anyone going to New York, but the concept of someone else going to the city at that time of year is almost too much to bare.

Nathan and I have friends who have a wonderful Christmas party in Queens, which we've been lucky enough to attend a number of occasions. Yuletide in the city subsequently feels like OUR New York time, yet I'm desperately trying to imagine when we next might be able to afford to visit. There are people there I miss hugely... And a baby I need to meet for the first time.

New York and London are such similar cities. I do wish immigration laws meant that residents from both cities could simply up sticks and visit  and work in the other place as often as they liked. Nathan and I would love to live in New York for a while.

The rest of the day was spent pottering. I wrote some music. I watched the X Factor and Strictly on catch up. I tried to have a second bath, but the water was cold...

Really, I'm dull as dishwater.

Talking of metaphors, I often use the phrase "as thick as conkers" to describe someone who's maybe not that intelligent. I think it's a family expression, but Nathan always takes the Micky out of me for using it. Does anyone else reading this know of the expression? Is it a Midlands thing?