Looking forward

I seem to be looking forward to something all the time at the moment. This time, however, it's only to this weekend which for me begins on Friday when I have the day off work. My fantastic dad is going to be 53, so after my driving lesson I'm heading over to Bewdley armed with ingredients, brownies and strawberries (for the Pimms, naturally) to give him a birthday surprise. He and mum are in Norfolk this week and are returning home at about 5pm, by which time I will have ballooned the living room, made pudding and prepared everything else for the meal I'm going to cook for us all. Mum has got the Pimms, champagne and posh crisps ready (Pimms and posh crisps are compulsory pre-special dinner consumption between the months of May and September in our house!) and hopefully dad will be well and truly surprised to see me. I'm so looking forward to a lovely evening in with lots of fun and laughter, and I'm even feeling confident about cooking as it's all stuff I can prepare in advance. I'm making asparagus with smoked salmon to start, moussaka and Greek salad for main course and then chocolate truffle cake for pudding, and I'm also despatching dad back to Swansea with a big batch of brownies for him to scoff over the next week or so. I can't wait!

Other things to look forward to this weekend are getting two nights of uninterrupted sleep (my neighbours are pulling a delightful new trick of waking me up every Friday and Saturday night at the moment) and of course the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday. Mum and dad are going out to the theatre and I could have gone with them, but I'd much rather sit at home with a bottle of wine and some delightfully cheesy Euro-pop than watch Chekhov in Stratford, so that's what I plan to do. In an exciting new progression from last year, I aim to do my best to remain upright and conscious throughout the entire event! I'll let you know how it goes.

All that remains now is to get through another day at work, have fun at Chorus and then bake brownies at 10pm tomorrow night (as one does) and Friday will be here! Woo and indeed yay.