Another boring resolution

For the record, my new year’s resolution is to reduce my weekly lunch budget from a potential £30 to about a fiver by staying on top of baking and bringing bread. I have a lump of Emmental in the work fridge to assist with my determination in this matter. Today’s lunch was sourdough with tomato concentrate and Emmental open sandwiches. Lovely.

A potential, beneficial side-effect of this will be having a bit of desk-time at lunch to catch up on life-business like emails, blogging, managing the music career (ha!!!)… etc…

A notable workday moment occurred when I thought I should check up on the welfare of my colleague who hadn’t shown up by 11.30.

- Brring, brring… Hello! Happy new year!
- Hello… you alright?
- Yes, pretty good, you?
- Yep, fine thanks… are you having a sick day today?
- (long pause) Sick day… today…?
- It’s a work day.
- Oh! Um… oh, shit… um…
- Shall I phone up head office and tell them you’re sick?
- Ah… um, well maybe that would a good idea, I’m actually not that well…

I figure he owes me a pint. Maybe three.

Chronanism

J came sleepily downstairs late last night; as I heard her approach I hastily shut down my computer and jokingly tried to pretend I hadn’t been sitting up late playing ‘who has the biggest brain’ on facebook. Which, of course, I had.

With a wry smile, she handed me a section of Saturday’s Guardian. I quote Pascal Wyse:

Chronanism: Watching a movie you already have the DVD of, just because it is on the telly; Googling ex-lovers; contemplating a cheese diary; starting a charity bag; experimenting with screensavers… The special collection of vague activities that gets you from 11pm (when you were totally ready for bed) to 1.30am.

We gazed up at the clock… of course it was exactly 1.30, which just proved her unspoken point that I am an inveterate timewaster and really should get a life (not to mention some sleep).

I have a wholesome excuse tonight, it is tomorrow’s sourdough loaf, due to come out of the oven any minute. 100% spelt flour this time, which is a first for me. Seems to be rising just nicely, perhaps it’s the addition of white flour that’s been holding my loaves back. Any sourdough experts out there care to comment…?

Culture Vulture

I have enjoyed three different cultural activities this evening.

I have a sourdough loaf rising in the proving oven, about to be moved into the proper oven… I think it’s going to be a bit heavy.

I have sipped on kefir (manky moo-juice as described by Harry… I prefer to think of it as probiotic super-food).

And I’ve juggled and siphoned and bubbled approximately 3 gallons of homemade wine into new demijohns – 2 gallons of kiwifruit and one gallon of pear. They’re all pretty potent and variously yummy. I think the pear is the nicest.