Saturday, 5 December 2009

Beyond the Burrow

• My sister and her husband celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. We go to The Warrington Arms, Gordon Ramsey's pub in Maida Vale.

• Being a mere rodent & a peasant one at that, I am less than enthusiastic.

• We have an enjoyable evening. The food is tasty, but…

• The main 'but' is portion size-related. Essentially, you get more food if you order from the kids' menu than if you order from the adults' set menu (you get most food if you order a la carte).

• This doesn't bother me too much (though I suspect that I'm served so little venison because most of it has disappeared up its own arse).

• Mr Coypu calls the waiting staff over & explains that he hasn't been given enough food for a man. He asks why they've bothered putting so few potatoes on his plate? Why not just forget them altogether?

• I point out that they're not potatoes but baby turnips (like these ones, but cooked, cut in half & arranged artfully around the sea salmon fillet).



• The waitress explains gently that portions are small because they are from the set menu. Neither Mr Coypu, nor I (nor, indeed, the waitress), feel this is a satisfactory explanation.

• Because Mr Coypu complains about not having enough dinner, my sister gets extra cheese for pudding. She is especially partial to the Stinking Bishop.

In the Burrow

• It is Thursday night. I am, frankly, knackered & fall into bed deliciously early, having earlier fallen asleep in the Coypette's bed giving her a bedtime cudle.

• I am woken by my mobile doing its drum & piano thing to tell me a text has arrived. It is 4.45am. Who the hell?

• It is Mr Coypu's sister, to invite us to two events the following week. I cannot get back to sleep. I am not happy.

• Some hours later, I text Mr Coypu's sister. I thank her for her invitation & the early morning alarm text. I also ask her to email me at times when I'm likely to be asleep, unless it's about birth, death or urgent hospitalisation.

• I get a text back asking me why I don't turn my phone off if I'm asleep…