Pasta alla… idk

I was wrong about the lack of electricity being a Big Thing: it actually passed without either of us really noticing. It was only after I got out of the shower and sipped at the cup of coffee that mum had kindly made me that I realised that, in order for either of those things to have happened, we must have electricity.

The rest of the morning was spent listening to mum complaining about her various pains, worrying that I had invited someone new into our home and would she think mum was stupid? Piteously asking if she’d still get to see me and would I still help her at other times?

I went for the “yes, mum” approach, acknowledging that I heard what she was saying but refusing to engage, and certainly refusing to do what she really wanted me to do, which was to cancel the visit of our new friend.

Of course, when the dreaded time arrived, along with the respite sitter (who I will have to think of a code name for), mum liked her instantly. I slipped off to my bedroom to work on the cookbook and could hear them merrily chatting in the front room. Of course I didn’t get complete peace – every now and then one of them would call a question to me, and a couple of times they wandered into my bedroom to look at the garden (privacy? What’s that?) – but it was more than I usually get.

Not coincidentally, I got more work done today than in the whole of the past month. There’s still a long way to go before my book is ready for publication, but at least it seems like a possibility now.

Dinner was a bit of a thrown together job: it included chorizo, peppers and onions, tomato paste, a splash of milk, and some garlic. It was… OK.

I sprinkled some grated cheese to the top of mine, and it was only after it hit my pasta that I realised the cheese had gone green. 🤢

I managed to scrape most of it off again, but I now have a stomach that I’m sure is entirely psychosomatic.

And on that note, goodnight, and don’t eat green cheese.