Getting The House To Ourselves

I'm somewhere near Melton Mowbray at 8.30am this morning doing some 'Up And Unders' in the rain. This isn't as exciting as it sounds, although perhaps it doesn't sound exciting... We're dogging, as in dog agility and 'Up And Unders' is apparently a course consisting of just jumps and tunnels. This was news to Doggo and I before this morning.

A 15-year-old lad from our club has set the course and is also judging it. It is a stinker, which isn't a criticism because it was absolutely perfect for us and almost everyone is getting the big 'E'. As do we, for taking the wrong tunnel. Bugger. It serves us right. I were expecting an easy course and as there were no precious points up for grabs, we were a bit 'leisurely' getting to the venue and arrived five minutes too late to walk it.

'Not very grade 6 was it?' the lad says to us. Hmmm. What does he know? The sarcastic young upstart. We retreat to lick our wounds in the car and for a strong coffee.

My Dad texts his apologies for not heading over to stand in the rain with us. No apology needed really. There's only us mad folk here. He says they might come over in the afternoon because the forecast says it's going to fine up. Really? It doesn't.

To help me through the day I have custody of the shared ipod. It used to be Son's, well, it still is really, but he's been the typical fickle teenager and dumped it for not being good enough for him. Instead, he's availed himself of a newer model. Good practice for dealing with those troublesome female creatures I suppose.

We've loaded up this ipod with a few talking books and today I 'crack' on with John Le Carre's 'The Mission Song' but wish I hadn't bothered. It's interesting but not an easy read (or listen).

Next up agility wise is 'Time Fault and Out' which is our speciality. Basically, you get 40 seconds to do as many obstacles as possible. We may be slow but we rarely make mistakes, apart from in 'Up And Unders' obviously, and can therefore circulate most courses indefinitely.

While watching I'd seen someone make it as far as the jump after the dog walk second time around which was 28 obstacles, so that was our target. We were just alighting from the dog walk on the second circuit when we ran out of time. Damn. 27 scored but second place, so not bad. Our prize was a 'cute' doggie mug and coaster set. Nauseating and no points available on this event either. L and Daughter will love it though.

Finally, we're down to the events that have points available. A solid but disappointing 13th in the Jumping event is followed by a 4th place in the Agility. Although we didn't know these placings at the time. The jumping was finished by early afternoon but by 6pm the results still weren't out, the agility was still ongoing, so we headed off home and got the results later off the internet.

Back home to L, who's been out watching mush, 'Priceless' at Broadway, before dumping Daughter on the bus to her father's.

The absence of Daughter means we have the house to ourselves, so we decide to have a night in. Well Son is in but that doesn't count. Its a chance to reacquaint ourselves with the living room and the remote control unit. I cook a romantic curry just for the two of us, oh yes and for Son, but again that doesn't really count.

We share five (small) bottles of Leffe triple, a (large) London porter and some pear cider, didn't that used to be called Perry?, between us. A mini binge. Good though. Thrilled to have the remote control, I watch a bit of the football as Russia dismiss Holland.

L is that drunk that she forgets she's supposed to be in a black mood and offers an early night. A good evening all round really.