MUNDANE ADVENTURES

There's a little bit of warmth in the air today. The sky is blue and bright and there are wispy clouds gently bobbing above the horizon, pretending that it's summer.

The trees aren't fooled though. Leafless arms of brittle branches waver in the cool breeze. Twigs and wood scratch bare against the blue.

It's pleasant to feel the warmth of the sun, even on a January afternoon. It gave me goosebumps; a quiet reminder that Spring is definitely on its way, and that the winter is almost done.

Winter certainly is done for the Intrepids! By my calculations, they're currently somewhere in the Atlantic, between Portugal and Madeira. I picture them sitting out on the deck with a flask of tea, my Dad doing sudoku puzzles, and my Mum reading a chunky Daphne DuMaurier or something.

I'm not really supposed to talk about this. My Dad doesn't want anyone to mention it on flumpbook, so I guess I shouldn't talk about what they're doing, here, either. Shame - it sounds like quite the adventure!

My own adventures are a bit more mundane. The other day I accidentally drove up the M1. I do like Northern England, but when I'm trying to get home and it's late, dark, raining, and I'm tired, seeing the gantry signs suddenly say: 'Hemel Hempstead' and 'The NORTH' is a bit depressing, when you definitely live in The WEST. Knowing that I've done this kind of thing many times before... does not make it any easier.

My other mundane adventure happened last night, when I underestimated the amount of navy rum I had left, and poured the lot, into my hot chocolate. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

How in the world did pirates run a ship if they were fuelling themselves on that stuff? Half of them would have been sozzled, the other half fast-asleep, out there on the Spanish Main. It's no wonder they couldn't remember where they'd buried their treasure! What shall we do with the drunken sailor? Which one? Slap him on the back and make him captain, by all accounts.

Anyway, I'm sure there's no such trouble between Portugal and Madeira. No strong drink comes from those places, surely?

Ah, they'll be alright. As long as the sun shines, there are people to talk to and puzzles to solve, they'll be having the adventure of a lifetime. It's the rest of us, I'm worried about. Well, mostly me.

Yo ho ho.