Being Donald Duck

I again walk Doggo around the Spinney. He seems to like our gentle ambles and it enables MD to get more park time. Then I leave him home alone to wait for their return while I bike to work.

L is studying the Great North Run withdrawal policy as her boss keeps telling her to stop doing everything exercise wise. Which isn’t the correct answer. She asks him about the possibility of getting a doctor’s note and therefore a refund but I tell her to just go for it. 

She can walk it if need be, plenty will. They may of course be dressed as Donald Duck but I wouldn’t worry too much about that.

It's dogging tonight and afterwards a change of beer in the Masons, at long last. The return of

Dizzy Blonde but also Directors. Wow. I have a Directors.

(Wednesday 14^th June)

Phoneless In London

I do a small amble with Doggo just around the Spinney, so that L and MD can hit the park. Without Doggo to slow them down L observes, although she says I'll think she’s being paranoid, that he is also slowing down and they don't get as far as they used to. Well he 63 now, in dog years. Older than all of us bar Doggo of course, who’s a spritely 105.

I’m on the bus today because it looks like my trip to London is now going ahead. So L can start worrying and she says she has a huge list of places for me to avoid.

Despite their appalling website and phone system, DPD don’t seem totally useless on email and they get back to me saying they have told their driver to leave my phone with a neighbour when it is delivered this afternoon.

Which is better but still leaves me phoneless in London. I have my laptop so it will be lonesome emails to L instead of texts.

I catch the 5pm train to London and turn down L’s late offer of a dog to take with me. I would love a dog with me but I'm not sure they’d cope with all the trains, although they'd love the buffet breakfast.

I stay at the Camden Lock Holiday Inn which is expensive and went up another £50 between me cancelling last week and rebooking this week but at least I get the loyalty points. I also get free calls in the room, so at least I can ring L.

They have Camden bottled beers in the hotel bar but the best option for real ale is the nearby Wetherspoons.

(Tuesday 6^th June)

One Hundred Up

 

It’s the 1^st November today, it isn’t Christmas. Although even L is talking about the jingle bell collars she spotted in Kennelgate yesterday. Poor dogs...

Talking of which, one of them, Doggo scarpered and hid under the computer table in the back room this morning. This was after L shut the gate to stop his escape upstairs, so he went for the next best option rather than go as required into the front bedroom. He’s resourceful isn’t he?

Day 23... The builder rings and asks if I want the pipework behind the toilet boxing in with tiles, wood or plastic panels. I’m tempted to say ‘just ******* finish it’ but politely go for plastic.

Finishing date is currently still (officially) today until he rings again later and says ‘see you tomorrow’ so not today then.

I’m on the bus as I’m out of on the razz this evening. We start off, as ever, in the Brunswick where I have my

100th dark beer since I started the challenge back on my birthday in April and I couldn’t really have picked a better beer to celebrate with. Dogbolter!

Dogbolter was created by David Bruce back in 1979 and of course became notorious across the Firkin pubs. It was allegedly a copy of Old Peculier and now this is a copy of the copy with the brew now produced by Gadds, brewed by one of Bruce's staff from back in the day. It doesn't appear to have been tampered with and still tastes terrific.

There is no food on Tuesdays at Brunswick so we then head to the Babington to eat.

On the way home I am told first to find Doggo tied to a lamppost in the Spinney then I am told it will be MD who will be strapped up there. In the end L walks both of them up to meet my bus.

 

(Tuesday 1^st November)