We're all going on a ... summer holiday, or: what other craziness has been taking up my time

Renovations, actually. The T-House (geddit? Oh bwaha-ha-ha!) is undergoing some serious work as of next Monday, meaning that Miss T and all the little fur-Ts have to vacate. My last few weeks have disappeared in a haze of IKEA and sustainable bamboo floating floors, and this week I have been deconstructing almost four years of accumulated detritus and putting it into boxes (I did find one of my good Wusthof Trident serrated knives that went missing some time ago, so that's a tick on the plus side).

This weekend I'll be moving said boxes and a whole lotta furniture down to the garage, where it will stay for four weeks or so while Sam and I retire to my old bedroom at my folks' house (along with Miss T Junior, so we will be sardiney), and Tom and Bertie get an extended stay at a cattery where they get a three level enclosure and about which I have heard numerous rave reviews (including from my parents who swear that their mighty hunter Robie came back an altogether more affectionate cat).

Although I know they'll hate to be away from home and be even more confused when they get back, I chose to put them there for a solid four weeks so that they can at least settle in a bit, rather than disrupt them in two two-week blocks and upset them all over again. That plan would also mean me packing up house, moving out, moving in, unpacking house, packing up house, moving out, moving in, and unpacking house again. The answer to that is no. Tom and Bertie will also be pretty close to my work and to Buzz's beehive, so they'll be able to get lots of regular visits (as much for my benefit as theirs I think!).

So also while I'm back in the parental abode, I will have to set up WiFi which is a big issue for lil ol' unintentional-Luddite me. I think it's fair to warn you that posts might be:

1. Irregular if I can't work out the interwebs;
2. Rapidly increasing in regularity if I can work out the interwebs and have much more time on my hands due to not running a household and caring for three fur-Ts, and wishing to spend extended periods of time alone in my room a la 1995; or
3. Increasingly nonsensical as I turn to drink to deal with being back home with the whole fam, in my old room, in a single bed, at the age of very-nearly-almost-29.
   

That said, naturally I'm very grateful that I'm able to own my own home, renovate it as I see fit, stay rent-free and nearby with the fam, and to bring SammyOne along with me, but nonetheless I do see the sales of YellowTail shooting up sharply over the coming weeks.

So stay tuned. Things may be:

1. Not coming quite so much;
2. Coming a lot more; or
3. Becoming a lot more drunkenly hilarious.
   

Either way, you should stay tuned.

Winering: Riding off into the sunset with Shadowfax

I have never really been a wine-drinker, and since veganism curtailed my winering even more so (but certainly not my whinering), I have become an incredible lightweight. However, sometimes a girl needs a glass and that glass must be filled with something red and wintery (I still can't really get into the whites; how could you possible go past beer, a cooling G&T or a refreshing vodka soda with fresh lime on a blistering day?).

I emailed Shadowfax Wines to ask if their wines were vegan-A-OK in preparation for a now-on-hold visit.

A very prompt, informative and friendly reply was received:

Hi Rachel,

Thanks for your enquiry. I have just checked with our winemaker and he says that the last time we used animal products was on one of our 2004 reds (which is no longer for sale). We have always been specific on our label if we have used animal derived products. All of our current release of wines would be fine. I hope this helps. Let me
know if you need any further information.

Regards

Stephen Bell
Cellar Door Manager
Shadowfax Wines
0397314420

Personally I find it very hard to remember which wines are drinkable - being more of a beer girl vintages and varieties tend to blur into one of two categories: red or white (I do remember YellowTail because it's readily available, quite cheap and all products are vegan). It's particularly handy for me and my sieve-like brain to remember entire brands - so hooray for Shadowfax!