Thursday, 27th June 2013. You'll be pleased to learn that I'm not going to delve into the rights and wrongs of the proposed abolition of the Winter Fuel Payment to British expats in the EU. Here's Matt's view!
Tuesday, 2nd July 2013. I realize I've not been keeping the blog up to date lately but, if it please the court, I will explain. Madame has been laid low these past few weeks - and as a consequence all her domestic duties have been picked up by your correspondent. I'd always thought we shared those tasks down the middle but I've come to realize that she'd been doing the lions's share - so blog maintenance has had to take a back seat to other, more pressing, jobs (such as the ironing!☺). The other main reason for dust gathering on the blog has been the weather..
The start of July usually sees us in summer mode. Normalement, this means that the neighbours have by now become fully re-accustomed to the sight of their favorite Brit in his shorts; the plancha should have emerged from its winter storage to be manhandled up to the terrace and both of us should be well on our way to a becoming bronzage! Oh yes, and SaxMan™ should be in his customary place opposite the War Memorial playing endless riffs. I mean the same riff endless times. Alas, none of these things have happened. We've hardly made any trips out and about and the plancha is still tucked away in the dark recesses of the garage. And I've only seen SaxMan™ once this year.
In the midst of all the recent dramas, Madame's laptop went on the fritz.. The warning signs had been there for a few months. It started slowing down despite me spring-cleaning its hard drive - its performance enlivened only by the occasional Blue Screen of Death. It had accumulated a number of irregularities over the years that I was unable to resolve. I think it's served her well for 10 years so it'll be going to the final resting place (aka the top of the wardrobe) once she's up to speed with her new one.
