Almost the Weekend - Goodbye Old Job, Hello Terrariums & the Race for Life Nerves

This week on Almost the Weekend, Mr & Mrs Almost have a big week — a last day, a diagnosis and a race that is two days away.

Mrs Almost has officially left her job. Worked right up to the last minute, handed everything over, left them wanting more and walked out on a high. Life is short. Follow your dreams. New job news is coming next week.

Honey has had more scans. The diagnosis is confirmed — a leaky heart valve and early stage heart disease. She is on two types of heart tablets and the cough is already improving. Respiratory rate is in the normal range while she sleeps. She is still with us, still eating, still nosing about in her dog pram and we are very relieved. We will keep you updated.

The Race for Life is two days away. The nerves are very much in. The knee is achy, the gym has been thirty six degrees and running in the heat is genuinely hard work. But three of them are doing it together and there is a pint of cold cider waiting at the finish line. We will run, walk, hobble or be carried if necessary. We will make it.

This week we also walked into town — a Caffè Nero vanilla latte on the Vitality voucher, a horror game from CEX for the daughter who has already spent five hours playing it and Honey in the dog pram nosing about at everything. A lovely slow morning.

Almost Blooming this week went indoors. The roses have been deadheaded and are resting before the next bloom. And we built our very own terrariums — sealed glass bowls with a tiny tree, gravel, soil, moss, grasses and a self-sustaining ecosystem that waters itself through condensation. Before and after photos are on the Facebook group. We are very proud of the tiny tree.

We’ve been watching The Fortune on Channel 5 — a four part psychological drama with Eleanor Tomlinson, Matthew Lewis, Rebecca Front and Nina Wadia. An inheritance, a mystery, twists, turns and a very satisfying ending. Four stars. Available on My5.

Tipple of the Week is J2O Apple and Raspberry — still, not fizzy, raspberry forward and a solid three out of five. The cider won this round.

And Almost Edible is Old El Paso enchiladas — chicken, onion, peppers, packet spice mix, cooking sauce, flour tortillas, cheese on top and into the oven. Quick, family friendly and an absolute firm favourite. Definitely once a month at least.

Pull up a chair. You’re one of us now. 🎙️