The Saturdays

Just thought for a change that I would talk you through a normal Tinsley Saturday as a contrast to the all the changes that we have gone and are going through. Life carries on.

Olivia almost always works at McDonald's on Saturday and Sunday. In some ways this is a bit of relief for us as it gives her money in her pocket and she is not hanging round the house all day. The one downside for me is that I usually (always) let her drive to work. So an 8:00 start for Liv means that I get up at 7:15 (sort of). I am told that I indulge the girl and should make her walk, about a mile and a half. I choose to give her a lift and now let her drive.

Anyway, up early. At this point I should explain about my alarm clock. I set my clock for 7:15, well actually I set it for 7:16 and if it was 7:30 I would set it for 7:31, I just don't like the more rounded numbers so I always add 1. So 1 minute out, except that I also set the alarm clock 12 minutes fast, just to keep ahead of the game, so that's 12 minutes fast minus the 1 added minute. Actually when I checked this morning it was 14 minutes fast, it has crept forward, so that's 12 minutes fast minus the 1 I add on plus another 2. So when I say 7:15 I actually mean 7:02. Got that everyone? It works for me and I am sure everyone does something similar. So here is the view from our bedroom window at 7:03.

A grey start to the day. A quick cup of tea, smarten yourself up, you never know who you will meet when you step out of the door. Also you have to ask yourself the question, does it get any better than this. I'll leave you to judge.

Please note how I have cleverly avoided the double chin, this is not Photoshop, it's just a good angle.

Drive Livi to work. For those of you not from these parts here is Melksham MaccyD's, bet it looks a lot like your own.

Drive home and fill the car up with fuel and get the Saturday newspapers. Then it's time to put my feet up and watch a bit of yesterday's cricket.

After that there is still no movement elsewhere so I put the filter on the pond and set up a dart board for the boys and me. It's outdoors and a little on the low side. I am sure we will get by.

No, bread! A quick trip to the Coop and it's crumpets all round. Normally I have cereal for breakfast, at the weekend we have breakfast together, usually toast, occasionally something else.

Tracey gets up, highlight of the morning. All the things I have failed to do are pointed out to me and rectified. A coffee pot is cleaned. It's also time for the first phone call of the day.

Somehow I manage butter the crumpets incorrectly ?????? I am not allowed to put the jam that Tracey desires on to her crumpet, only she can manage it properly.

Boys get up and breakfasts are eaten. It's crumpet and telly. I squeeze in a bit of cricket and motor sport viewing and still have the time to show Adam who's the daddy at darts. And that's it for a while.

A friend come round for Adam and he is gone.

Tracey wants a walk. She wants to got to Smallgrain which is a picnic spot near Devizes and by a nature reserve, so I am not going to say no and off we go.

The walk was brilliant. There was a bit of complaining, mainly because I was taking photos. I was either too far in front or too far behind. The other two were a little gang. This part of Wiltshire is beautiful and teeming with wildlife. I have a few photos.

I start with this picture just to show how the rolling hills look, Vaughan took a far better image of this a few years, I might put hat up at some point. This is where we were going.

It's a small nature reserve and can get busy. It does have striking views and a bit of a stiff climb in the middle, so it was a challenge of sorts.

By the way I have been requested not to put people in these photos so no Tracey and Vaughan here. 




I've spoken about the views, here is a little look at the Lansdown monument which is above Cherhill's White horse, sadly on the other side of the hill. Also a quick look at the runway at Lynham which many of you will know from the telly.

 

 

No Dragonflys today but I do have a few flower pictures, a bee and a butterfly which is blue with it's wings open. Interestingly one of the flowers is from the nightshade family, Woody nightshade I think. 

 

This was a lovely walk, just long enough, very sunny and very refreshing.

By the time we got home it was just after 4:00pm and I got a text from Livi. It was very measured but it meant "where are you?". I had forgotten to pick her up. I flew to MaccyD's (not easy in a Micra) and she drove us home.

The next big thing was tea. I went to Sainsbury's and did what I hope will be most of a weeks shop. We get other things when needed.

Does it look like enough? You will notice the Indian, Indian for me Vaughan and Tracey, Pizza for Adam and Livi has decided not to eat with us. She goes out with friends before it is completed.

Well dinner was served at about 7:30 and was lovely, we both had a single beer and sat down to watch a disappointing nights TV.


We decided to watch a DVD. Rob has lent us the first series of Dollhouse. It's by Joss Weedon and stars "Faith" from that series. We are both getting in to it. It seems to be many layered although that might be due to my limited brain power.

At ten I got a text "Dad can you pick me up at 11:00 at Chantell's". A quick look at the watch. "make it 11:15". So at 11:15 out I go get Livi and drive one of her friends home as well, she only lives around the corner. Just time for another episode of Dollhouse then off to bed.

Except the filter is still on the fish pond so it's out to turn it off and say a quick goodnight to the rabbits. In bed by 12:30.

So that's it, a very typical Tinsley Saturday and I love the normality of it all.

Chris xx