Another self-pitying weekend as I bravely battle against man-flu. Well a sore throat and blocked nose at least which is not very interesting but incredibly annoying as I've just got rid of one bug and they never really used to bother me. One of the side effects that I keep forgetting about is that I can taste very little: after picking up some lollies and other treats on the weekly shop I had one after unpacking thinking the ice cream would be soothing on my throat. Aside from not being able to taste it it had also part defrosted by the time I got home so was no longer as soothing as I hoped. More disappointing was the special offer on wine where I bought a Sauvignon Blanc for Alison priced at £9.50 ish and a Bordeaux for myself which they had marked up at £13 odd in the 2 bottles for £10 deal. Knowing that they were still making a profit I nevertheless looked forward to sampling a wine that ordinarily cost more than I would pay only to detect the warming alcohol sensation.
   Curiously there are some things that I can still taste which unsurprisingly include balsamic vinegar and menthol (not together) and more surprisingly pine nuts. As I was preparing tea it led me to think what a chef would do with a cold if he could not taste his creations: rely on following a strict recipe that has served him well and hope that the ingredients he is using are similar to produce his dish, get others to taste for him or more likely not come in if he is contagious and sneezing or coughing all over the kitchen.
   Even more annoying is the fact that my metabolism is saying it's mid-winter but the weekend weather announced SUMMER'S HERE. At least it gave Bethany the opportunity to play out the back which she enjoyed and in particular the table and chairs that Alison picked up for her. Her favourite routine was to carry the chairs back into the house and put them down in the dining room before shouting at me to carry the table in for her after she only managed to drag it a couple of feet. Once done she would reverse the process and repeat with her furniture removal tiring her long after it had done me.