Home Again

I haven't posted for a while, apologies! Been recovering from my tonsillitis, shutting up the house in Newcastle and now I'm finally back down at home, snuggled on our new sofa (which is great, it's enormous and so comfy it's genuinely so difficult to get out of it...!)
Term finished on Friday and most of my housemates left that day, leaving just me and Poppy in the house. My original plan was to go home on Sunday, though I kept delaying it and actually got the same train as Pops down south on the Tuesday. We spent the days snuggling together watching films as we were both a bit sniffly with various flu-like symptoms, and as we began to feel better we began to clean the house to shut it down for the Easter hols. We became a bit delirious due to being left alone in Newcastle for too long (all cooped up in a house with snow outside) and though we were doing a good job of spring cleaning, we got a little carried away and I discovered that if we took the shelves out, that I could fit in the freezer...

Anyway....
We were adamant that we weren't going to buy any more food and be very economical and use up all the leftovers in the fridges. This meant that we began to eat some very bizarre combinations of meals (chorizo, pesto and grated carrot wraps!?), though we saved certain favourites for a feast on the last night. We enticed Oli over with the promise of steak, homemade burgers and sausages, and then the moment he put down his knife and fork, we dropped the bombshell that his part of the deal was to now mop the floor... and he did it! His inner-housewife was on flying form and the kitchen was spotless in no time. 

Five minutes before our taxi to the station we whizzed round the house and turned off all radiators, locked all doors, and closed all windows (in order to keep the baddies out) and then hopped in with our 6 items of luggage. Well, I say 'hopped', but it took all three of us (me, Pops and the Taxi man) to lift my suitcase into the car boot...! We arrived at Central Station, collected our tickets, and after a bit of huffing and puffing to squeeze our cases into the luggage racks we were settledon the  train in no time with a tasty Caramel Latte to accompany us. Though our seats weren't next to each other, Pops swapped with a lovely kind man so that we could sit together. 

The journey down to London was a long way but a total breeze, however when we got there it was a different story. Tackling the long walk from Kings Cross to the Piccadilly underground line, the escalators and the rapid boarding and disembarking of tubes amongst the hustle and bustle of London rush hour with 6 bags of luggage was impossible! I have never laughed to hard watching Poppy trying to time getting on the down escalators with two huge suitcases...! Joe-Public thought we were very odd and very annoying, however we found it all hilarious and I left Poppy at Leicester Square to head on to Waterloo with tummy cramps and that strange smug half-laugh smirk that lingers on your face when you're thinking about something funny on your own.
In Waterloo I had half an hour to kill so I braved another escalator and dropped in to one of my new favourite cafés called Benugo which is on the new top floor. They do amazing coffees and alcoholic drinks too as well as scrummy little muffins and paninis and I grabbed a refreshing lemonade and people watched for a while until my platform number showed up and then I made my way onto the train.
An hour later and I was greeted at the station by my Mum and Smudge (my lovely lovely doggy) and we drove home to spend the evening drinking lots of wine and munching on some salmon and fresh greens - my all time favourite home meal - by the fire.
It's been so nice to be back home all of today, I awoke to sunshine pouring through my top window andI stayed and enjoyed it for a good half an hour under my duvet before I got out.

Everything is good at home, however my poor little Mini is in the garage as it needs the head gasket replacing so I'm having to drive Ella's canary yellow Lupo.... YUCK. Look how sad it looks, all on it's lonesome...

Despite the embarrassment of my new wheels, I popped into town this afternoon to drop some things to school for my sister and meet up with a friend for a quick coffee before she headed on to bath. We sat outside in the Market Square and had a good old gossip which ended up just being an amusing reminisce of our lives three years ago. After dropping her at the station I went back up to school to see both my sisters for a bit, and I dropped by the Art Department to have a quick catch up with my old Head of Art and had a nice and exciting chat about Sydney. He told me I would love it and go at the application head on. Ahh! I left feeling very proud of my littlest sis though as she had painted the most incredible painting of a bull using inks and bleach - just look! It's amazing!

I'm now back home with all my family, minus Ella who's busy still at school, curled up by the fire with more wine again. Snug snug snug.