On the Road Again

What I've been thinking about this week:

• Time off
• Technology (again)

As you'll probably remember, I work part-time. It's a privileged existence, having the option to choose time over money and being able to do pretty much what I please most of the time. 

This is in stark contrast to Ivie who, given the choice, works every day he's at home. Sometimes it can be difficult to feel that I fit in with someone who can't sit still when I manage that pretty well, thanks very much. 

Covid has had an impact on our ability to have days out, weekends away and proper holidays over the past 18 months or so. But November is a quieter time on the farm so it's easier to lure Ivie away. I like to think that I'm an alluring siren on the rocks rather than a harpie stamping her feet but you'd have to ask Ivie. On second thoughts.... 

Last week we headed away for a few days. We had a mix of AirBnBs in the middle of nowhere and drinking bottles of wine, and visiting a couple of friends and drinking bottles of wine.

Blue skies in Norfolk

It was a really relaxing break but it reminded me of all the little things that we miss out on doing together that I'd normally have taken for granted. (Getting up at 8am at weekends is considered a lie-in for goodness' sake.)

• Having a cuppa in bed and reading the paper (Ivie's first cuppa is after he's fed beasts). 
• Sitting around in your pyjamas and easing into the day (no chance). 
• Having uninterrupted time together that isn't puncuated by something giving birth, dying, being in the wrong field (or all of the above).

It sounds like I'm moaning but it actually made me appreciate our time away even more. There was a lot of driving involved so I put my big girl pants on and took a turn in the driver's seat.  

What you should know about Ivie's car:

• My car would fit in the boot. 
• It is far too fancy for its own good. 
• I secretly like it (heated seats, anyone?).

I won't bore you with all the things it can do at the touch of a button but suffice to say my luddite tendencies have been getting quite a workout recently. 

I'm making a concerted effort to practise driving it, though, so that I don't become one of those people that expects to be chauffeur driven everywhere and then forgets how to work windscreen wipers. 

It's so much more comfortable than my own car that I'm in danger of becoming like a teenager who has just passed their test and wants to drive everyone everywhere. It might cut down on those bottles of wine, mind you. 

I Like Driving in my Car

What I've been thinking about this week:

1. Driving
2. Loopholes

I've not talked about lockdown much in my blogs. We're all managing it in our way and missing different things. I do feel it's the young 'uns that are missing out the most in some ways, though. This is the time they should be getting out into the world, gaining more independence and spending time with friends. 

Ivie's nephew turned 17 a couple of weeks ago and, like all farm kids, can drive better than most. But theory tests have been cancelled, driving lessons are on hold and that independence is a little bit further away than it should be.

On the plus side, he can now drive a tractor on the road unaccompanied (as long as he has L plates on show) and he's making the most of it. 

It seems ridiculous but my driving licence would allow me to drive a tractor on the road unaccompanied without L plates. I have enough trouble opening the door on Ivie's tractor, never mind figuring out how to drive it without flattening gate posts and soft verges. Besides, I wouldn't know when it needs serviced.... 

As close as I'll get

When I first started seeing Ivie, my mum asked if I'd had a 'wee shot' driving the tractor. I had to explain that it was worth more than the house I was living in at the time and had a dashboard more complicated than NASA control. 

I might be allowed to drive this one

I'll stick to my wee car, although it'll be no surprise to anyone that it hasn't had much action recently. I took it for its MOT last week and I've done less than 3,500 miles in the last 12 months. We were discussing that we've barely needed one car lately, never mind two. I wonder if I could learn to park the tractor in the Aldi car park after all.