Tuesday

A beautiful beautiful day today which started with the gym and I really pushed myself today to cover over 13Km in my 20 minutes and expend over 190 calories - that would afford me a Bounty but I don't like them!!  so 20 minutes on the uncomfortable static bike followed by 30 reps on the weights thingy coupled with the aches and pains of our belly dancing session last night - this must be doing me some good surely?  Our morning tea was taken outside on the terrace.  The comfy sofas were still wet from the morning dew so plastic chairs were the order of the day.

We were beginning our Christmas Celebrations today with a French Meal at the Blue Olive with Mum and Dad which is part of our Christmas present from them and which is good because we always enjoy going to the Blue Olive although sadly the lovely owners will be retiring shortly so the place will be different.

Before all that though we went down for our regular pickleball and badminton.  I am amazed that the horrible old ganglion I had on my right wrist has disappeared without having to resort to the bible method of treatment - apparently these growths are also called Bible Cysts or Bible Bumps as people resorted to smacking them with a large book to try and disperse the accumulation of synovial fluid - bashing them can make them disappear for a while but they are likely to reappear thereafter. 

Happily it would seem that mine is one of the 45% which disappear all by themselves.  Whatever the reason I am glad that it has gone - it never really bothered me but it was rather unsightly and what with that and my trigger thumb and my carpal tunnel my hands are in a bad old way - I blame it on years of keyboard work myself.

Poor Tom had a nightmare at pickleball today - he hasn't been well and it has shown in his ability to play.  He surpassed himself today by standing on the ball - this is the first ball to have met its maker since we swapped to indoor ones.  Jeff managed to push it back into shape but the bounce would have been just too unpredictable.  Fortunately we have plenty so it wasn't a problem.  I was surprised that Tom stayed - I think he only did because he had to pay the room rent this afternoon - normally when he has a bad game he leaves early.  Clearly the new squeeze in his life is not helping with his energy or concentration levels.

Mum and I returned to Droushia to do a headcount and feed the cats whilst John played badminton and I took the opportunity to have a shower and change for our evenings soiree - all cats were present and correct and fed.  That was good - we worry about them otherwise and I know it is daft but they are our children and we love them and so we want to make sure they are safe and sound and fed and watered.  We are not sure why, as we haven't seen the goats for several weeks but both Chivers and Charlie had ticks on them today - bloody horrible things - I am guessing there hasn't been enough cold weather to sort them out.  As a result we splashed out for all four cats to have some tick, flea and earmite treatment.

So as I said earlier we all went out this evening for a French meal at the Blue Olive in Coral Bay - it is so difficult this time of year to know how warm the tavernas and restaurants are going to be but we needn't have worried because it was toasty warm there tonight.  It was a set menu and we had chosen in advance so we all went for the French Onion soup and the Boeuf Bourguignon and then two of us had the crème brulee and two had the pear tart tatin.  Johnn was driver tonight so I had to help Dad with the best part of a carafe of Chateau Kolios which would mean only one thing - a bit of a hangover in the morning!!!

Not a bad start to our Christmas festivities and it has concentrated the mind - I need to get my act together and get my cards made and written and in the post for those people that I still send a physical card to and then I must get my little bit of Christmas present shopping done - I have done nothing and I blame our visitors who arrive on Thursday - this has thrown me right out of kilter!!

So I end with a rare shot of John and I - a selfie taken with the new camera with the rotating screen.  A big thank you to Mum and Dad for the lovely present and their company this evening.  A big GOOD LUCK to Derrick and Rebecca for the future whatever that may bring for them once Derrick hangs up his oven gloves and retires.  Hopefully it will mean they have time to come over for that meal we have been hoping to cook for them for the last couple of years.