Turtle Bay Day

I'm feeling more positive about life now that:

a)I've finally been paid by someone who owed me a lot
b) We've potentially found a house and cat sitter to cover for our holiday. Hurrah! Now awaiting references.

Also, today was the first free weekday I've had for four years, apart from holidays and half terms. It's part of my new working arrangements. In the morning, I walked to the next village to deliver some cards. and stopped off back home to collect some more, before heading down to town to catch the bus to Cheltenham.

Friend Dave and I had coffee in Nero's, followed by a stroll around the Christmas market (delicious nuts, dolmades and fresh feta from the North Cyprus stall. I splashed out...) and a few shops. Dave bought me two books for Christmas and I bought him two boxes of treats of his choosing from Lakeland. I also bought a small reindeer.

When we got tired and the rain grew persistent, we veered off towards Turtle Bay, a newish Caribbean restaurant (I think it's part of a chain). The fairy lights and overall twinkliness reminded me of a fairground, so I've chosen it for a cheerful Christmas blip.

We stayed for hours. I had whitebait, and jerk chicken, and sweet potato fries, and fresh pineapple with coconut ice cream and rum. Dave had so much he couldn't even eat his rice and peas. I couldn't eat them either! We had a few drinks, too. God, it was good being out on a Thursday!

Then we had to rush off somewhere else for coffee, as their coffee machine was broken. I was quite glad we didn't go round the shops again because of having had a drink or two. I caught the bus home instead, and CleanSteve picked me up from town. He was delighted with the food from the Cyprus stall, but I could only eat one stuffed vine leaf!

Bedtime now. 'Night, blippers in the Northern Hemisphere