Chinese Buffet and Thunderstorms.

Hi Friends.

After I left off yesterday, we had a visit from the British Waterway's Licence Warden, who was checking to make sure we and everyone else was up to date. Thankfully our new licence arrived a few days ago, so we are legal. The warden was actually someone we know very well, who has been moved on to the Grand Union again, having been down on the Oxford. It seems that P is moved to problem arrears, as BW know's he will soon get the problem hot spots under control. It was lovely to see him again, because the last time we saw him was on the Oxford at Thrupp, whilst we visited K's sister, which was well over a year ago. We spent well over an hour chatting to him about the going's on, on the cut and he told us some of the new ideas about to come into force within the year, which should sort a few of the hot spots out. Well that is the hope. Only time will tell if that is the case. P is certainly still enjoying his job and all it entails. He was asked the other day to discribed his job. he told them he is a Patrol office, who also does a bit of councilling, law inforcement, baliff, he is also an agony aunt, and much more. if he got paid the same money as all those jobs get paid he would be rich.

I would love to say that I enjoyed a good nights sleep, but grrrrrr I cannot. I went to bed just after 10pm and was awake at 12.40am. Infact we were both awake. I could not believe that it was only that time. I felt sure I had been asleep for hours. I know I tossed and turned for what seemed like hours, before going off into a restless sleep. The next time I looked at the clock it was 7am and I was wide awake. I eventually got up at 8am, to make a cuppa and take the hound out for his walk. I love walking around the Aquadrome with him, because I get to enjoy the waterfowl and he gets to enjoy all the new smells. I reckon I get the better deal, but I am not a dog, so who knows.

Whilst here at Rickmansworth, we wanted to get some plumbing jobs done in the engine room. K wants to change some bits. So we stripped the tool boxes and shelving out of the engine room, to get to the pipework, only to find we had the wrong bits, which we bought from Braunston. This meant we could not do the job we wanted to do. I had a brain wave to go to Travis Perkins to see if they had the bits, so we locked the boat up and walked to TP, but they do not do the fitting we need, they have to come from a Chandlery. Oh well never mind, we just put everything back together in the engine room and went off to Tangs the Chinese Buffet for lunch in the rain, eating out was some con solation for not being able to do the plumbing jobs. Actually we had planned to have lunch there anyway. We always love to go there when we are in Ricky. You can eat as much as you like for £5 each at lunctimes. When I go to places like this I always end up people watching, and today was no exception. I find it facinating as to the types of people who eat in Chinese Buffets. Today there were business men, having a working lunch. There was three women with their five very young children, who I have to say were all very well behaved and there were the mature generation, who were meeting up over lunch. We were all there for the same reason, to eat lunch, but they all bought their own different ways with them, it was really quite amusing to watch. You can learn so much by watch people and their behaviour. I just love it. With lunch over, we headed to Iceland to buy some bits for the freezer. I like to stock up when I am near an Iceland, as it is cheaper than the supermarkets.

Walking back to the boat, we noticed a significant drop in the temperature and in the distance dark clouds were looming. K took one of the toilet cassettes to the sanitary station and no sooner he had put the trolley in the hold, there was a huge clap of thunder and the heavens opened. We had a hum dinger of a thunderstorm for half and hour, with lashings of heavy rain, which is oh so welcome. I stood in the galley watching the water dancing, as the rain drips as big as saucers hit the surface. It had me almost in a trance, which was broken by the squealing of the kettle as it boiled on the gas cooker. As I sit here now, the rain has stopped and I can hear the roar of a boat on the Aquadrome lake, which means only one thing. There are water skiers out on the lake. So I am gonna sign off now and go and watch them. I may even take Pad with me. So have a lovely day folks, even if it is raining.