
Five unexpected events that have occurred since last I blogged:
1) A Barba Do Tio Alonso arrived in the post - Uncle Alonzo is a fully-fledged Brazilian at last! Now all I need is someone who speaks Portuguese to translate for me...
2) Following a generous gift of fresh-from-the-tree damsons from a lovely neighbour, I have successfully cooked two different damson-related desserts from scratch! Recipes to come in later posts.
3) I have started driving lessons again. No fiddling about with manual cars for me this time, though; it's automatic all the way! I have decided that I possess neither the patience nor the robust mental disposition necessary to cope with a manual car. Yes, I've heard all the arguments - 'What if you have to drive someone else to hospital in their car?' being one of the most popular. Frankly, if my control of a manually operated automobile is all that stands between the critically ill individual in question and certain death, then they might as well start picking out hymns... ;-)
4) A random evening google resulted in the discovery that Windows Vista has inbuilt speech recognition software - very handy! I have already begun training it. Listen to my voice. You are feeling very sleepy...
5) I have had a new passport photo taken which - for the first time in living memory - did not result in my looking like a newly-caught criminal, digits still wet with fingerprinting ink. My occasional visits abroad will no longer begin and end in shame as I hand over the little red book and try to neutralise the passport official's incredulous stare with a nonchalant shrug and a Yeah, the photo's hideous but what can I do about it? eye-roll. It is nothing less than an honest-to-God miracle!






