Out for tea/dinner/supper

A lovely morning with Archie 'helping' with the chores, endlessly bringing me a toy to tug, and then on my lap, snoozing, while I watched tennis. It's a good excuse to get up a bit earlier, get a few jobs done, then sit down to watch TV. We took a wander round the block when the tennis had finished, then I read and snoozed in the afternoon.

I'm reading 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. I must have read it when everyone else did, but I don't remember a thing about it. I'm enjoying it.

Months ago, I bought a voucher for a three course lunch at a posh town restaurant. It was good value, but the voucher was running out, so I rang to book the other day. I had thought I was booking for a midday meal - lunch - but my upbringing let me down... 'Dinner' - of course - means a meal at night.

We were quite reluctant to go out on a cold dank night, but the restaurant was very good - quiet jazz music, excellent service and a delicious meal.

We arrived slightly early. 'The bus didn't take as long as we thought,' I explained to the maître d', not noticing the looks JR was giving me. She was hoping to give the impression of having arrived in chauffeur driven limousine. Or at least a taxi...

We were only away for three hours, but got the usual crazed Archie welcome home. We added an extension to the fun. We sat on a sofa each, and Archie leapt on each of us, with his little hairy body covering each face in turn. He kept it up for ages. Good fun.

I love this look - when he's standing on my legs, gazing out, trying to spot any movement in the windows in the flats across the road (so that he could growl) and then I say, 'Aaaarchie... Shall we...' And I don't get any further - he's off charging around, excited about whatever has been suggested. He's so easily pleased, bless him.