Sucking Up

 I was awake early and downstairs preparing coffee by 6:15. There was no particular need to get up; I was just wide awake and getting fidgety. I read The Telegraph, Google News, and Apple News before starting on social media, as Diane came down for her tea. It looked like a gorgeous start to the day.

I had the usual Zoom call with the cousins. There was no overriding theme, but we did discuss quizzes, the price of fuel (call it the Trump dividend), how smug Tim felt, having an EV.

We have recently concluded that our vacuum cleaner does not really pick up the pet hair that Jasper deposits on the carpets. We spent a couple of hours researching alternative devices and reading the reviews. We even consulted AI. By late morning, we had made a decision, and a new vacuum cleaner was on order. We should be able to collect it from John Lewis after 15:00 tomorrow (though we may not bother until Monday or Tuesday).

With that sorted, I went out for my walk. I followed my usual route and listened to my audiobook. It was bright and sunny, and though there were clusters of clouds, they seemed to stay out of my way. When I arrived home, I made my lunch and, as I sat down, the heavens opened, and we had a downpour. We rushed out to bring in the washing, then settled for an afternoon in the Orangery. The weather alternated between bright sun and sharp showers. The Orangery was pleasantly warm, and it was a most comfortable afternoon.

I think I have mentioned before the "East at Home" curry pouches. Today, I used the Dhansak. I gently fried an onion until it caramelised, then added a chopped green pepper, some cashews, some chopped green beans, a chopped tomato, and some dried chillies. I let them continue to fry gently for a further 15 minutes before I added the pouch of dhansak.  I left this to simmer for 30 minutes while I cooked Diane's salmon. The resulting dish was sensational.