Not a crease in sight

We went out yesterday to a Garden Party at my old school - how come these things always seemed so much better when you were younger?! Anyway I did still get to drink Pimms and I held a Barn Owl. They are so so soft. I chickened out of holding the buzzard though, I didn't like the look in his eyes...

Oh yeah and there was as book stall and paperbacks were only 50p! Hello. I'm allowed to buy books when they're that cheap, it doesn't really count...

Unfortunately I was a fool and came out without suncream on. Although I do like getting a tan, I'm a bit of a pale Janet and have to smother myself in the factor 1000 to stop myself from burning. Once I turn brown I'm good, it's just those first few weeks of exposure to the sun after winter that my skin doesn't enjoy! So I am now the proud owner of a new kind of sunburn mark - I've had marks where my vest top has been, marks where the straps on my sandals have been, marks where my shorts have been, I've burnt my nose and the tops of my ears but this one is the best one ever....

I have a handbag strap mark.

Seriously.

Who gets a mark like that?!

So Sunday was a day for not venturing out in to the sun. I wanted to bake but I just couldn't muster up the energy. But I knew there was something else I had to do. Something which sat in the corner of the spare bedroom and called to me every time I went in there. I tried to ignore it. I tried to pretend it wasn't there. But it knew that sooner or later I would come to its command.

The ironing.

The ever-growing pile was threatening to topple over. Fred has taken to sitting on it and being King of the Castle. So I got the window open as far as I could (which isn't far when you live in a first floor flat and are playing host to 2 cats who love being outside and won't let the small matter of a 12 foot drop stop them), set up the ironing board and off I went.

It was tough going and a few times I began to falter. I didn't think I could go on. But from deep inside me came an inner strength and I soon began to rise to the challenge. I wasn't going to let it beat me. Never mind the fact that every time I turned around another shirt had manifested from thin air and added to the pile, I wasn't going to give in. It became a personal mission.

I powered through the Hollyoaks omnibus. I powered through the Eastenders omnibus. And I powered through the first set of the Federer v Roddick Final at Wimbledon. But I won.

I have an empty ironing basket for the first time since we moved in.

And my boyfriend has seventeen (seventeen!!!) beautifully ironed shirts.

I have achieved and now can not feel bad about sitting down and doing nothing (except blogging about my triumph).

And wishing Andy Roddick would win.

Another thing that happened today? I said goodbye to The Visitors as Mum came and took them back home. I have forgiven Fred (just about) for what will now be referred to as Crispgate.

They've had a good weekend although I think they've been a little hot at times. I've made sure the kitchen is clean so that I could leave it open and they could go and lie down on the tiles and there was lots of water available and we even had fun with an ice cube yesterday afternoon. I'm sure they'll be happy to go home where they can go and play in the garden but I will still miss them and wish they could stay. How could I not when they look as cute as this?