Hops

Small but perfectly formed hops, and growing bigger.

The calm before the storm. Next week we will start training in earnest - after my birthday. I have carefully arranged for my new assistant to start the day after my birthday.
But today WAS calm. Until, that is, I took time out to visit the Aberdeen Mall. The car park is unusually torturous at the best of times, but today, having lined up in the filter lane that ONLY GOES INTO THE MALL behind another car, we discover that the entrance to the mall is completely blocked. No signs, just barriers.
The line of traffic which included myself had no other option but to try and get back into the main lane, and as is often the practice of drivers here, we were honked at.

But lo! For once, I had the ultimate come back. I drove and Sleepy did the road rage. She opened the window and abused the fuckwitted driver right back. I'm afraid there is only one word for this, awesome.

Sleepy cooked dinner. And that too was awesome, roasted vegetables with garlic, lemon and chillies and feta, glistening with olive oil and flavoured with coriander.

Later, Canadian Karen came round and we all went to the nightmarket, but not until she'd eaten a whole chilli and almost lost her mind.
Ah, the Richmond Nightmarket. Such tackiness all at one venue, and yet there's something about the tackiness and food that you'd never actually eat, and the crowds, and the bad, bad music, and all the stalls glittering in the dark.