Opportunist

In a previous life I was an early user of satellite navigation. Back in the day, as with any new technology there were detractors as if sat nav devices meant you could disconnect your brain and not do simple things like read road signs. I spent a considerable amount of time regularly travelling to locations across the South West always aided by my trusty TomTom.

The company I was working for at the time had recently gone through a fundamental change. One day I found myself in the company of a visiting American senior manager. She was particularly interested in the sat nav. When she asked to borrow it I happily lent it to her. The rub came when I asked for her to return it. She refused. As a senior manager and because a couple of years previously the company paid for it she informed me she was keeping it. Very rude! I think she knew I was peeved.

I was aware that these management changes meant my tenure at the firm was coming to an end. So when the same rude manager asked to “borrow” the Canon EOS 350si DSLR (rather nice camera back in the day), she knew I'd been using, my natural inclination was to exact my revenge. “What camera would that be then?" I denied all knowledge of this camera. Helpfully I found a very useful compact camera (still a nice-ish camera) but not the one she wanted. “No, I don’t recall ever seeing any other camera, perhaps you’re mistaken." Despite a search the camera never appeared. It seemed to be lost. I was asked by a number of colleagues regarding the whereabouts of said camera. Unfortunately I was unable to help. Soon after, I moved on from company. The whereabouts of the camera remained a mystery.

What’s not a mystery is my cake making activities or to be more precise my cake eating activities. It seems that eating copious amounts of cake causes ones weight to increase. I know, strange but true. But the weather’s warming up and there’s plenty of jobs to keep me busy. I really need to re-focus my culinary creations towards less fattening produce. As a start I've made some barbeque beans. A simple but long winded recipe. The best beans to use are probably haricot beans although I had some mixed beans to use up. After soaking the beans overnight I boiled them fast for 10 minutes then simmered them for about an hour before setting them aside. When I was ready I cooked them with vegetable stock, tomato paste, tomato purée, bbq sauce and a bit of oil and sugar. I kept the pot boiling, reducing the sauce until it resembled the consistency of a can of baked beans. I really need to crank up my cooking, as opposed to baking, if only to give Tricia a break.

So my next cook up plan is to do some batch cooking. The freezer is getting low and sometimes, as we all know, it’s handy to grab an easy meal. The first batch is based on the recipe for Bean an Sausage Hotpot. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/bean-sausage-hotpot. I wonder, dear readers, if anyone has ideas I could try. I’m avoiding the obvious like Bolognese and Chilli Con Carne. I'm looking for something a bit more creative, maybe with some chicken. I haven’t eaten chicken for at least 2 years, let’s try it again.

Veering away from food and stories of a previous life, a bit of up to date information.

We’re preparing the motorhome for use as soon as Boris says yes. It looks like we’re allowed to venture out (because we're self contained) on the 12th of April. So we’ve booked a trip to Totnes for three nights. There’s a very convenient site right in the town. My first task will be to find a suitable place to zoom.

Personally, my body clock seems to have had a shift again. By about 8pm I’m completely done in but I’m up and wide awake at about 4am so I’m getting up earlier and getting my day started earlier. (Even if it is a bit of breakfast TV).

On Sunday we decided to wash the outside of the motorhome for our future sojourns. So I made a start. This means one big brush for the big areas and a toothbrush for the fiddly bits. We managed to wash the front and one side.

Monday I visited my friends at 8.40am at the Chemo Café at RCH Treliske. The afternoon was a bit of a write off but I did wash the back of the motorhome.

Yesterday we started the day at Porthpean at 6.10am for a morning swim for Tricia and Lauren, not me. Then home for breakfast. Sold our old lawn mower. Started washing the MH again. We finished the outside except the roof. To clean the roof well it needs to be accessed.

Today, much to Tricia’s exasperation my plan is to climb up onto the motorhome roof to clean it. Then after the district nurse takes down my pump I’ll drive down to Charlestown to pick up Tricia where she intends to walk. On the way home it’s mask up for a trip to Par Market Food Hall for some dried butter beans and breakfast cereal. Probably back on the MH roof after lunch.

Tomorrow I’m out for a rain or shine mini walk at 7.30am before we focus on the well overdue cleaning of the inside of the MH. Then roll on 12th April. Our mini breaks are about to start. Following our trip to Totnes we're off to Yeovil on the 30th April for a couple of nights for Vicki and Tam’s Wedding. I have some ideas for more trips but still unable to look too far into the future. What I know is we're lucky to live in Cornwall because I can’t book a trip for a MH in the county. It’s already booked solid.

I’ve been digging out some other toys to take with us . I have a DGI Phantom 3 drone, an action camera, a Minolta Dynax 500si SLR film camera. Oh! What’s this? How did a Canon camera find it’s way into my bag? Another mystery.

Clearly I’m feeling fairly positive and up-beat this morning as I have been for the last few weeks.

Not every day but I have more good days than bad which is the plan.