We had pizza tonight. Mine made my eyes water. This is an anecdote that is going nowhere, but from a diary point of view I feel it deserves a mention. People debate whether or not you should have pineapple on pizza (I don’t mind it, and used to include it in the school pizza sessions), but what about chillis? I eat pizza for pleasure, and I’m not sure that I want it to become a test of fortitude. I managed to grow up without chilli and though I enjoy a curry or a touch of heat now and again, I don’t see that eating pizza in front of the TV should be transformed from a pleasure to  a penance. This is another place where the 21st century is found wanting. You can suck down as many Scovilles as you want, but please ensure there is a labelling protocol in force to prevent a repeat of tonight. A picture of three chillis isn’t going to do it. You need a label like “JULIA – DO NOT BUY THIS”, as she always forgets and I end up feeling like a victim of the riot police. She buys herself vegetarian pizza but thinks I prefer something a little less bland. That’s true. Spicier than plain vegetarian is fine, but eye-watering is a step too far.

I’m not sure how I feel about the shop at the moment. It’s boring me and annoying me in equal measure, but I’m not sure whether that is the fault of the shop or whether it’s the lure of the retirement that is in front of me, shimmering like an oasis of freedom in my near future.

I’ve been doing a calculation. If I leave next spring my combined pensions will pay me almost as much as my low-paid part-time job. It’s only 30 hours a week, but six hours a day five days a week is just enough to stop you doing anything useful. However, if I carry on for another six months and manage my money properly, I can take six months wages into retirement with me, which will be enough to pay for a good supply of books and boiled sweets and those fleece-lined shoes with Velcro fastenings, which seem to be essential wear for the elderly.

Quiche with foraged green leaves and edible flowers. For more information try this link.