Banish all thoughts of running water

I have just got back from my hospital untrasound scan to get to the bottom of my stomach pains and am glad to report that I have everything in its right place (well you do wonder these things don't you?) and there are no sinister goings on. It seems I just have plain old irritible bowel syndrome.

For some bizarre medical reason I had to drink two pints of water an hour before my appointment without visiting the loo. By my appointment time of 9.30 I was hopping around, and by the time I actually went in at 9.40 I was in sheer agony but oh the relief afterwards!

In less personal news I have just taken delivery of two bouncing baby Belle & Sebastian tickets for Bristol on 1st February and am very pleased indeed. I am going to see Martha Wainwright next week which will break my gig duck as I haven't been to one since the Finn Brothers last November. I'm getting back on that horse and boy am
I going to ride it. Sorry, far too many metaphors for one posting.
My parents came to visit last weekend and as ever we all had a lovely time. On Saturday, amid lashing rain and gales, we visited Exmoor, stopping off at a hunting lodge, Tarr steps (see above) and a pretty market town on the way. On Sunday we drove over Dartmoor in much finer weather, enjoyed a pint in a old pub with a lovely smokey wood fire (the pub, according to legend was once visited by the devil who paid for his ale with gold coins which withered to dead leaves after he left) and were molested by Dartmoor ponies who tried to get in our car after we stopped to take a photo. Really missed my parents when they left as the reality of living so far away from all our family and friends has dawned on me. Mind you I could be living in worse places.