Highlight of the week

Date: 26 August 2006 12:35:39

So, what was the highlight of the week? So many things to choose from. Fantastic food (hmm... think it's time my diet started for real!), making new friends who became really good friends for the duration of the week, meeting up with long-standing friends that we hadn't seen for ages and whose company we really enjoy (yes, that includes you, NC!), getting chance to read my book, visiting some beautiful and exciting and interesting places and having adventures, lounging on the beach (naturally this is a bit of a novelty for us ;) ) ... how can I begin to choose?

But one day stood out from all others in being memorable. When I was a child I grew up not too far from JC Bamford's factory and many trips out with my parents included a drive past there, where I would gaze open mouthed in wonder at the big yellow monsters outside. It was a childhood ambition to drive one one day, and now at last that long-forgotten ambition has been fulfilled. And it was every bit as exciting and exhilerating as I dreamed it would be all those years before.

Yes, we decided to blow the expense (turned out to be well worth every penny) and visit Diggerland. (Google for it, and see what fun we had!) Initially I went because I thought the boys would enjoy it but truth to tell I was in my element. One of the Smudgelets asked if it was nice to feel like a child again, but I explained that I didn't feel like a child again, the inner child of me was able to play but my enjoyment was at an adult level because I actually knew some of the theory of driving it and was challenging myself to a new experience rather than just playing. Ah, OK, so I had a good play too! We got to drive a massive JCB, to ride on all sorts of exciting vehicles, to drive dumper trucks and tractors, and to dig a hole.

Now, I have to admit I have never quite seen the attraction of digging a hole, lifting a pile of earth from one place and relocating it in another. I queued with less excitement for this opportunity and, once seated in the driver's seat, was hardly inspired by the task. My first few attempts to operate the shovel were not encouraging either - it just wouldn't do as it was told. Then, somehow, I got the movement right and found myself with a shovel full of earth. Now all of a sudden it became interesting - how on earth had I done it? A bit of experimenting and I suddenly found I'd done it again... and this time the boom swung round and the earth was neatly deposited ... exactly where I wanted it. Woohoo! The Smudge was inspired - this was fun. Turn, scoop, lift, turn, tip. Turn, scoop, lift, turn, tip. Perfect! (no it wasn't, I lie! It was dreadful - but I had the feeling that given a month or two I could be an expert dirt shifter!)

Now, was this training for building my own extension? Roll over, Bob the Builder. The Smudge is here!