The Home of the Beeston Katz

The Home of the Beeston Katz

Er yes Dunc!! Back from Nice and seeing Greg + family, Kristina + Hobbit and er Tom......Lucky for them all is well in the Shire and that the pool works just fine. I was going do a little write up before I left again but didn't have time, so here it is with a Cali piece after.

France

Well to be honest I have two overriding memories of the trip, or should I say three. Firstly everyone is in very good sprits indeed, they are all very calm, relaxed and all doing splendidly. This made for a very enrichening few days of Katz stories, 'yes duncs', high fives and stories about school.

Secondly little James is a fooking legend, what a star. We were lucky enough to witness the boys' first few steps, what a delight to see! Frodo was his walking teacher and very skillfully helped him along as he started putting a few paces together. He would start walking downhill with Graham at his side and would put in about 10 meters non-stop before collapsing on his nappy and looking up for approval, a chorus of 'well done's' and 'who's a clever boy's' would follow along with some clapping and general delight, then confidence restored by this support he would get up on his little legs again and go for a second set. Walking up hill was still beyond him when I left but I am sure he will be doing the moonwalk before long. My Doris better beware, I want one.....

Finally, a word has to be said for the constant 'Cook-off' that Tom and I had, we were there for 2 days and we cooked 4 meals! In fact we didn't really do much else other than eat, prepare for the next meal, go get the food, cook, eat, drink and then pass out. I racked up a lot of booze and two pre 11PM snoozes on the sofa, awesome. Who said I can't last past midnight?

T'was a brilliant little stop-off before I had to head back to London to represent Pizarro stylee with my Cousin and husband. I wish I could have stayed for another two weeks.

Saturday I popped up to N19 for a quiet beer, some footy and surprisingly an awesome BBQ (get the theme here, I am a fatty) after the pub we went into Morrisons and came out with some top scran, Tony stepped in and made a feast from just five loaves of bread and some fish. JC would have been proud.

Tony and I chatted a bit, he's okay.

So Sunday came all too quickly, I had just started to get to know Marie-Angelica and her hubby Alex and I had to rush out and get a plane. Somewhat annoying but really not that bad thinking about it.........

U to the S of A

So that brings me to almost the present day, I got on the flight early enough and was rather unfortunately sat between two old ladies (more) of that later.

I managed, somehow, despite looking like an arab terrorist in the humble and rather ignorant mind of Heathrow's finest Customs Staff, to make it on to the plane without being searched or stopped in any 'random' searches and with an unopened 2lt bottle of Evian and some contact drops. Now tell me if I am wrong but I was sure that for flights to the U to the S of A one still couldn't take these on? Well I wasn't trying to break the rules rather I forgot as they were in my WHSmith bag along with the Economist, Sunday's Observer and a copy of Edge. Anyhow I made it on no problems, and all on the 10th September.....very lax indeed.

Once, I was through playing the international terrorist, I got to my seat and reaslied that I should have checked in sooner and chosen a better seat. The old ladies wouldn't ordinarily upset me but they were of the 'I-am-scared-by-flying-old-fusty-nothing-is-good-enough-and-technologically inept kind'. Okay, before someone complains, you all know I am a tolerant person and really the one on the left was fine except the incessant blessing herself on take off and landing, but the one on the right was properly annoying. She kept asking me to explain how the in-flight entertainment worked and asked me to get her back from the overhead storage like a million times. Imagine how many times that can happen in 10 hours........now you know what it was like.

Anyway I still managed to get 4 films in and a little kip before I landed which was top. Since I landed I've not done too much really, got 13 hours in last night to combat the jet-lag (Pizbot 1 - 8 hours difference 0) and chatted with Alfredo, he says 'hi' to everyone by the way, he remembers you all very fondly and still even remembers your names and nick names. Impressive if you ask me.

Today got up early, had breakfast and mucked about on the internet (can you tell), and planned the next few days. Tomorrow we're off to San Francisco for a walk about and to meet a Swedish friend of mine, as well as to go out on the lash, Wednesday I'll go to Santa Cruz for some surf action (Wales was top, we have to do that again) and I am not sure what I'll do at the end of the week. We'll see.

Hope everyone is well, I got a Skype account too, so I'll be on the dog for a chat too.

The Gardener.