Thursday 3 December 2009

Three cheers for Nesh, and Neal

Nesh is an electrician. He came round to my house yesterday and changed the battery on a smoke detector.

Ordinarily, this wouldn't be particularly heroic or even noteworthy. Even I can change the battery on these devices. However, this particular one was mounted in the middle of the ceiling miles away from any wall against which a ladder could be lodged. Not just any ceiling, but a 25ft high ceiling. Additionally, the damned object was beeping every thirty seconds, 24 hours per day. It was like living in Das Boot, with its sonar beep driving into my brain incessantly. But Nesh has solved it, despite his visible terror.

Neal's deserving of cheer too, for his cooking ideas. We did a Spanish stew last night, and it was utterly brilliant. Sweat garlic, onions and diced potatoes. Add a whole, large smoked chilli, lots of diced chorizo, big chunks of morcilla (or black pudding, it's the same thing), olive oil, canned tomatoes, herbs, and a load of Puy lentils, then serve with watercress salad and hunks of crusty bread. Hot, nourishing and delicious. I'm going to do a vegetarian version tonight, as the Map Twats are doing another recording session for the Christmas Album.

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