Friday April 12th...

John kept on and on at me this morning to go and get his second coffee which I said I would but if and when I did the bedding was going with me and into the washing machine because it looked like it was going to be a good drying day.

This did not go down well, in fact he grabbed onto the duvet and held onto it for grim death, but I was victorious and removed the bedding from around him just enough to convince him that he would be better off getting up!

I was due to go to Orexi Elena's for coffee this morning and to drop off the DVD of the photographs I had taken on the foraging trip then I was going to come back and be santa's little helper with the gazebo project - cue debate, discussion and dissent among the ranks!

I was just getting ready when I had a text from Elena saying she had to go down to Polis early so I organised to meet up with her on her return, and did so full on anticipation because her text said to "come hungry I have lots of goodies for you".  John opened the door to the fridge which is looking pretty empty as I would normally go shopping on a Friday, back at me, down at his stomach and mornfully back at the empty fridge.  We were even devoid of the staples - bread and milk!  I promised I would call into the village shop and make him a sandwich on his return.  We were going out later for bowling and pizza so we didn't want to overface ourselves during the day so that we would fully appreciate the full 40cm of a meat feast (ooh er missus).

I had several hours when I could be John's trainee Part IV (Navy Readers will understand) and I know if it was down to him I would never get promoted because I have the attention span of a gnat and fail miserably to anticipate his requirements and the job in hand looked to be a right old toughie.  Fundamentally all we had to do was cut out and staple on four equilateral triangles and then batten down the edges so that the material is less likely to fray.  The only trouble was that the gazebo wasn't square so the triangles were anything but equilateral and John was struggling to reach the pinnacle on his ladder and if he couldn't reach what sort of chance did I have?

I escaped to the comfort and calm of Elena's kitchen where I was greeted with a lovely fresh hot frothy coffee and a plate of goodies including a rather delightful banana and chocolate cake - a piece of which was going to be given to John as a peace offering for leaving him working whilst I went off enjoying myself.  Amongst the things we discussed which included charitable works and the state of the economy, I tried to persuade Elena to write her own cookery book and I would help her put it together and illustrate it with photographs.  Maybe one day she will take the time to do that - I think she should.  I had been unable to go to her lunch yesterday when the author Sonia Demetriou was there with her book "Androulas Kitchen - Cyprus on a Plate".  Elena showed me a copy of the book which was absolutely delightful so if you get a chance check it out:  Androulas Kitchen - Cyprus on a Plate

I remembered to get bread and milk but John made do with a black coffee and a piece of the banana and chocolate cake - sorry Janet (my mother in law) I am such a dreadful wife!  He was on a roll and wanted to get the 'brown stuff' on the gazebo before we had to get ready to go bowling.  We have decided that although we don't want to make a regular Friday night of it (bowling not really being my thing) we would like to go now and again.

Unsurprisingly we arrived early!!  We were due for the off at 5.30pm which meant that we wouldn't be too late eating.  John and I took time to try and find balls which suited our hands.  I have come to the conclusion that this is almost impossible for me because the manufacturers seem to expect someone wanting a light ball to have skinny little fingers and not the pigs-tits that I am blessed with!

I was appalling in the first game scoring a pathetic 84 but come the second game I was on fire!!!  I am the third player on this scoreboard after Mark and Vicki and before Trevor and on penultimate hand we all four had scored a strike and I was one little point in front of Vicki and then I cocked up royally on the last hand and Vix swept to glory and I trailed in second - still I beat the boys - all of them!!

Scott and Claire did not join us afterwards for a pizza so it was only the six of us who trotted across the road to Delicioza.  John had been eating his pizza since about 4.00pm so no sooner was it on the table than we were onto it and it was equally as yummy this week as it was last and that is high praise indeed from me as I am not normally a pizza eater.

We are out of touch with the prices in the UK so we weren't sure whether at €13 this was expensive but I have just had a look on the Domino Pizza website and a large 'mighty meaty' is £16.99 so a bit of a bargain really!

I don't know if John's nephews are pizza lovers but if they are then this will be a good place to take them when they are over on holiday and we can take them bowling either before or afterwards - bargain!!

It was my turn to drive today so that John could have a beer and after such a strenuous day we were quite glad that it was a relatively early night.  I don't know how either of us would manage if we had to do a late one and I used to laugh at my friend Nicky when she took herself off to bed at 9.30pm!

When we got back home Chivers had whipped the covers off of the cushions and made himself a comfy bed.  We have come to the conclusion that he suffers with hay fever having had a look at recent photographs where his eyes are permanently half-closed - this is not good living where we do!