Charmion, I will join you at the gym in spirit - I think taking the phone with earbuds and an audio book to the treadmill will augment yard work and dog walking. I've tried to catch a friend's eye online about going together to the gym she frequents, but I haven't heard back so far. Even if we went only a couple of times a month it would be a chance to catch up and then run errands over there (near campus).

Also agree about the bread or crumpets. I make very good bread and rolls, and I know how to make tortillas and flatbread, but there is a Middle Eastern bakery near campus where I can get pita or tandoori bread warm out of the ovens and up the street near my house is a tortilla bakery with them still hot when you pick them up. Last time I had friends over for lunch with cut a large tandoori bread into quarters and everyone assembled their own pizzas. Once baked, they cut in half again and became a perfect personal serving and the crust was so crispy. I've made pizza crust all my life, but that is just so easy and is excellent quality flatbread.