Long and winding road(works)

Little Grebe

We left the house on the dot (8am) in anticipation of long delays. Took the ring road and straight up the main road. Saw lots of signs for road works and they put them in the middle of the road. How silly was that. Some drivers were making dangerous 3 point turn or turning back at the roundabout but we continued on. Still plenty of signs stating that the road ahead was closed. But closed till where??? I reached my office at 8.25am!!! The earliest this year. Where's the traffic? It seems that it's the school term break and University's reading week so the route was clear.

In the evening, everyone left at 5.30pm. There was one exit. It took us 30 mins to reach the main road. Man...The next day, Kevin parked at Tesco and I walked and met him there. But, the whole area was jam-packed. It seemed that staff had parked there and they were exiting at 5.30pm too. Added to this chaos were others leaving the shopping mall and other surrounding offices. I could feel my head pounding. In the end, we decided to stick to the normal routine.

I shudder to think of the chaos when the school run restarts and the university students resume their studies. So far, Management were taking the softly, softly approach. We have not received any threatening e-mails...yet.

Come lunch break and I'll be by the lake feeding the natives and snapping merrily. At last, I was able to photograph my beautiful Little Grebe (Podiceps ruficollis). It was swimming happily at the end of the lake, semi-concealed in the thickets. The distinct splash when it dives caught my attention. It really made my day.

Can't say the same for the Sky Blues. They lost 1:0 to Preston. Then Ian Dowie was sacked as their manager; was 0:0 to Cardiff City and the final straw was a humiliating 5:0 to WBA. From our casa, I could hear the Ricoh eerily silent. Meanwhile, I watched Man. U thrashed Arsenal 4:0 to be in the last 8 of the FA Cup.

In Malaysia, Parliament was dissolved for the 12^th general elections. It will be held on the 8^th of March. Choose wisely my fellow M'sians. Pick someone who works for the people, not his pockets.

Mrs. D dropped by. She wanted to borrow some books and brought laksa Johor, a Malaysian dish of spaghetti in fish sauce. We chatted and exchanged news. Thanks for coming and I ate the whole lot since Kevin isn't too keen on fish. Bonn appetit.

We went to Brandon Marsh earlier than usual. We thought we were early but the parking lot was already full. They were getting ready for an open day later. We walked our normal route. The lakes were still frozen, not much activity. Lots of cheeky robins and long-tailed tits along the path. By the time we left, the reserve was bustling with activities.

I also spent time in the frozen garden, checking out the pots and plants that managed to survive. I've planted hardy deciduous shrubs like the Golden Bell, Tamarisk, Potentilla, St. John's Wort and Hedgehog Rose. Big mistake cos the temperature dipped at night. To save them, I resort to covering them up in the evening and uncovering them in the morning. I hoped they survived.

It was also National Chip Week. Lets raise our glasses to the pomme-foites. I just love thick cut chips.

Also birthday wishes to my brother-in-law, Phillip and my niece, Emil. All the best.