Feb 4 - Family Frivolity

  I had a good day at work.  I didn't quite get through my back log from having had the two days off at the end of last week but I did start training my offsider to do invoice entry.  It's a good thing to have got started on that as things are going to get pretty busy pretty soon.  The more she knows, the better!  Apart from that, work was not particularly noteworthy.
  Tonight however, was a bloody fun night.  I arrived home to see Mr Smart's car pulled up outside.  We had earlier discussed him possibly meeting the rest of us at the restaurant for tonight's dinner but he decided to come early and beat the traffic, bringing with him a little work he could do from my place.  He was a welcome sight for my little stress-head.
  Mum arrived home with Bertie shortly after and we all piled in to the cars and headed up to Piccolino, a restaurant we've been eating at since it was just a little takeaway pizza joint.  It would have to be close to twenty years my family has been eating there.

Left to Right: Mr Smart, Me, Mum, Bertie, Gub and the Cambridge Rower

  We had a great meal with much chatter and giggles.  At one point, Mr Smart referenced our disappointing picnic experience and I proceeded to relate it to Gub... until I realised that she had been there with me.  Mr Smart was heaving with silent laughter and Gub just rolled her eyes in good-natured disbelief.  I smacked Mr Smart's shoulder and scolded "You're supposed to stop me doing things like that!"  He breathlessly explained, still laughing, "But it was just too funny!"
  After a long and extremely filling dinner, we waddled back to the cars and headed home.  We gathered around the lounge room for a while and Gub tried to instigate a full rendition of On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at (a folk song of our childhood) but I thought the time was not yet right to inflict all ten verses in four part harmony on the unsuspecting Mr Smart.  The next time we assemble together around a campfire perhaps.
  She did manage to get Mum to remember the tune of The Girl with the Black Velvet Band and get Bertie to bop along to Madonna's Cry Baby.  In all honesty, getting the four females in my direct family to sing is a bit like shooting fish in a barrel.  I can remember Dad often, presumably hoping for some light entertainment, would merely walk through the area we were congregated and simply whistle or hum a tune and the singing would begin, boisterous and gleeful.
  It wasn't long before Bertie had to head off with Mum back to her place.  The poor thing has a 5am start tomorrow.  Shortly after, Mr Smart followed suit, and Gub and the Cambridge Rower headed to bed leaving me to my writing.

  Today's food was:

• Breakfast was a chopped up mango with Jalna a2 low fat natural yoghurt and slivered almonds.
• Morning snack was a blood plum.
• Lunch was a yellow-flesh peach followed by a Mission spinach and herb wrap with horseradish cream, rare roast beef (approx.100g), baby spinach, half a baked potato, one slice of Bega So Light tasty cheese and a sliced mushroom, toasted in the sandwich press.
• Afternoon snack was a Pink Lady apple, cored and sliced.
• Dinner was at the much loved Piccolino!  Four small pieces of garlic pizza, four oysters kilpatrick and a glass of Grant Burge Moscato to start the evening off.
  For main course I shared a Pasta Misto with Mum (and Mr Smart helped a little bit too).  Our three pasta choices were spaghetti cabonara, linguine marinara and tortellini Jo's special.  Also had a can of Coke Zero.
  I didn't order a dessert myself, but I did grab one of the spare spoons.  I had some of Gub's lemon gelati, some of the Cambridge Rower's coffee, chocolate and pistachio gelatis and a small taste of Bertie's chocolate mousse.

  Time to sleep off that delicious meal!  Goodnight folks.
  Jess