Squashed Tomatos and Stew

Mother's birthday, celebrated by eating far too much Indian food in the same resteraunt as last year. Same table in fact. And then having terrible indigestion.

My brother and his girlfriend travelled down from London to join us. Which meant my parents spent most of the morning frantically hoovering and tidying up. They always do this whenever guests are expected, in the hope the visitors won't realise we live among enormous piles of cluttered stuff. I suspect my brother, having been raised in the stuff for 25 years, was not fooled.

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Right. 8 CDRs of backed up data in front of me, Windows XP installation disc waiting, and as many crossed fingers as I can spare.

Countdown to format and reinstllation...5...4..3..2...