Rock 'n' Roll 'n' Hot Butter Cuttle Fish

The days are definitely getting easier. A is relaxing and K is running at about 270 mph as is normal in her case. Today was one of shopping and then more shopping. We followed that with some more shopping, then some swimming in their case and some drum practice in mine.

A pop in to the Barefoot garden for some lunch saw a chance meet up with Mr Kottu himself. We complained about the state of Colombo with SAARC pending and then he wandered off into the depths of the city, probably to invent something or write something spectacular. A few minutes before this K had managed to spill a whole glass of chocolate milkshake all over one of Barbara Sansoni's finest tablecloths. I had turned my back for about a minute to make a quick phone call and, upon my return, I found the girls frantically trying to mop up a whole milkshake to leave no trace and thereby escape cleanly. Their plan was foiled, the tablecloth was soiled. I only wish I had ordered some food that had been boiled, then I could have added that in rather poetically. I didn't though.

I'd ordered hot butter cuttle fish, it was on the specials board and I thought I should give it a try, what with all you "proper" Sri Lankans raving about it all over the show. It was a bit delicious, not very delicious, just a bit. I had forgotten that I'm no big fan of fish, let alone those of the cuttle variety. Like all cuttle fish this stuff was quite rubbery and quite chewy. The coating was right up there in the highly delicious ranks though and I would have happily eaten a portion of that, perhaps around some meat or a prawn or two.

The girls have been spending money but not as much as I'd expected. The eldest has been busy buying all sorts of "designer" stuff for her friends, not really caring whether it's fake or genuine or unknown, as long as it's got the right label attached. K's been her usual fastiduous self about purchases, counting her money at every opportunity and organising it even more frequently. Everything she buys is carefully considered as if it's an important business deal. Actually I wouldn't be at all surprised if she somehow makes a profit from this holiday.

I spent some time by the pool watching the girls swim and learning some new songs for the covers band. We've got a list of eleven to work on over the break then will reconvene to see how they sound. I got the usual stares from weird people who have never seen a drummer practicing with drumsticks and a full airdrum kit by the side of a swimming pool, then I think I managed to work out the intro to "Rock 'n' Roll" by Led Zeppelin. I'm seriously proud of this but my iPod may die from too much pausing and going back to the beginning of that track.

That's all for now. I have to go upstairs and try to get the girls ready now. Then I'm off to meet some famous people for dinner. I can't tell you who. I could but you'd have to eat this computer after you've read it, then I'd have to kill you.

Frankly it's not worth it.

Out.