Time drags

We've had another long day at work today and by 1.30pm I had completed all the "To Do" things on my list and was wondering how I was going to keep busy until the time came to leave work!

I even did the things I'd been putting off! This just reminds me of how I will need to keep busy when we eventually stop working in the business. I like to keep busy and do things so I'll need a plan of what to do every day at home otherwise I shall end up feeling horrible! I'm looking forward to doing all those jobs that I put off as I haven't got the time, like scanning photos onto the computer and arranging all our DVDs by alphabetical order...only joking!

Sophie was with me today as we have a party tonight at work and a group coming into play so although she didn't do a great deal during the day she was very busy after 4pm!

Unexpected treat

I arrived home after a fairly long day at work to find that Keith had treated me to a bottle of vodka, a full-sized one this time, from Tesco. It was utter bliss to sit in the conservatory and have a game of cards with a delicious drink.

It's been a bit cold again today so we put the heating on to take the chill off the house and this morning I'd reverted back to wearing my boots instead of sandals. We do have some very unpredictable weather at this time of the year and the saying "Ne'er cast a clout til May is out" is so true!

Wrecking things...

I finished work early today as for the next two days I will be at work until at least 6pm. Although the sun was shining, it was a little cold because of the wind, but it didn't stop me getting out into the garden to do a little bit of work.

I mowed the front verge first and almost broke the mower blades on one of the concrete covers embedded in the grass. The lawnmower made a funny noise so I had to call Keith to come and look at it. He did a bit of swearing and went and fetched a wrench so he could manoeuvre the blade back into place. To make sure that it still worked OK, I mowed the back lawn as well and luckily all worked well! Phew!

I then, for some unknown reason, pulled up a load of lilies which I'd mistaken for weeds. It was only when I was yanking them out of the pot that I realised what they were...oh dear! Of course, by then it was too late so I resigned myself to having to buy some more. After this I thought it was about time to stop gardening so I went to see the birds who were stuffing themselves with mealworms (I've gone through almost an entire bag since Sunday) and fat snax. The robin made an appearance, and also the little blackbird that is always in our garden and who isn't afraid of me either!

As I was a bit chilled by now I went and indulged in a hot bath and then it was time to take Mikey to Army Cadets. Time is flying by once again!

People behaving badly...

The four of us had a lively discussion after dinner this evening, when we swapped stories of what we'd seen people doing today. Sophie and I had been to the gym and after going to the spa and getting dressed, we were standing at the mirrors doing our hair when we noticed a woman behind us wandering around completely naked, obviously not feeling a shred of self-consciousness, as I would do!

She had two children with her and Sophie said that as she was drying herself with a towel, everything was wobbling! She wasn't the skinniest of women and I admired the way she just didn't seem to care who saw her! We then made our way out of the changing rooms and we saw another lady of more maturer years standing with one leg up on the bench rubbing moisturiser into her body, completely naked. Now, I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but both Sophie and I agreed that we could have done without the sight of this woman, and all her innermost private parts, on display! Why she couldn't have just put her underwear on is beyond me!

Keith and Mike had been to the barber shop after school and they told us about a mum and her little boy who wreaked absolute havoc as they were waiting for a hair cut. The little boy was about two years old and the first thing he did was clear a low table of magazines and newspapers. After they were picked up and put back, he did it again but this time managing to swipe a woman's Costa Coffee cup onto the floor, spilling the contents. His mother weakly tried to stop him but he was on a mission to devastate the barber shop, targeting a display stand of shampoos and conditioners which was knocked over completely.

When it was his turn to be seen to, his mother sat him in the chair but there was no way he was going to sit quietly and have his locks chopped...he squealed and wriggled and threw himself to and fro until in the end the barber was forced to tell the mother to take him home! I then told my family about the little boy at work who was repeatedly slamming the door of a ride-on car, despite his mum asking him weakly to stop.

At times I think we are raising a generation of little monsters!

Teatime treat

This morning I made a start on the housework as the house was badly in need of a freshen up! It certainly makes me feel better when I give the house a good clean, no matter how long I put it off!

Keith and I also cleaned all the beer glasses we have on display in our kitchen. They were very dirty indeed and it was great to see them all shiny and clean after we'd washed them. It's a once a year job, but really we should do it more often!

In the afternoon I picked my Mum up and we went to Beckworth Emporium for a cup of tea and a mooch about. The weather, forecast to be cloudy and wet today, was glorious with fluffy white clouds and a beautiful "Florida" sky. After our tea and scones we wandered around looking at the plants and I bought a lavender for a vacant pot plus some little flowers for a hanging basket I have. I just hope that we don't get any more frosts!

I also noted that Beckworth stock an extensive range of gluten-free foods so that was useful to know. I treated myself to a small bottle of Two Birds vodka and a couple of bottles of tonic water plus a beer for Keith and resisted buying any more delicious foods!

From Beckworth we went to pick Sophie up from work and when I got home I put the new plants into containers. Every time I went out into the garden I saw our little robin who shows no fear at all, even when I go very near to him. He sits and watches me, his head on one side when I chatter away to him and he's gorgeous. Over the last few days I've seen him feeding another robin and I have a feeling it's his mate. Maybe we'll see some babies soon!

Mikey has been out all day, seeing friends and going out for a meal at Nando's in town. I was under the impression it was a lunchtime meal so when I called to find out what time we needed to pick him up I was shocked to discover that he hadn't even left for the town yet! My son is so bad at letting us know his plans and it drives us crazy! He eventually arrived home at 10.30pm, and was given a lift by a friend's Mum, thank goodness!

In a grump!

Today has been a little trying... After we dropped Sophie off at work this morning Keith and I went to Halfords on Riverside with his folding bike to see if they could fit the new inner tubes. The blasted thing kept rattling around in the back of the car, rolling from one side to the other every time I went around a corner!

Parking was easier than I expected and Keith lugged the bike over to the store. Unfortunately, the information we were given yesterday was incorrect as the store didn't have the correct inner tubes in stock and has had to order them ready for them to be fitted on Tuesday.

From Halfords we went to the Weston Favell Centre (the second of the twin evils, the first being Riverside Retail Park at the weekend) and bought some new school trousers for Mike as he came home on Friday with his PE shorts on after splitting the seams!

We'd barely been home twenty minutes and I was sitting in the garden reading the paper in the sun when the phone rang and it was Sophie to say she wasn't needed any more at work and could I pick her up? Of course, I was really annoyed that I had to go out again after just getting home and I was rather looking forward to a quiet afternoon by myself as Keith was going to see Sileby's last game of the season.

I really should have done something constructive when I arrived home after picking up Sophie as I spent the rest of the afternoon in a bad mood, feeling guilty for not doing anything but not wanting to do anything anyway! Grrr!

Health worries

The end of this week was supposed to be cloudy but we've had another sunny day, albeit a little cooler. Keith popped into work first thing and we went to Booker together. On the way, we called into Halford's to see if they could supply and fit new inner tubes to the bike that Keith's brother gave him.

They assured us there would be no problem so we decided to pop the bike down after taking Sophie to work tomorrow. Keith went home after we'd been to Booker and I followed just after lunch as Sophie wasn't feeling well again. We suspect she may be intolerant of wheat, but to be honest we don't really know what's wrong with her.

I suggested she stay off wheat over the weekend so Keith and I went to Tesco to buy her some foods that she could try. We bought gluten-free bread and biscuits and some chicken for dinner. Some of the items were really expensive (bread from £2.50-£3.00 for a small loaf!) which I thought was a bit unfair. I really hope that she just has a bug at the moment and isn't allergic to gluten! All the things she loves (fajitas, bread and butter, biscuits) are obviously wheat so it would mean a huge life change for her.

In the evening Sophie and I took Mikey off to the barracks in town as he was taking part in an Army Cadet weekend. As usual, the timings kept changing and I had no idea what he was actually supposed to be doing or where!

Group shopping...

After an exceedingly quiet day at work Sophie and I went home at 2pm. I sat in the garden for a while to soak up some sun and watched the birds visit our feeders. I put out some cheese and was amused to see a little blackbird keep going back to stuff as much into its beak as it could manage! The bird was obviously a fan of mature cheddar!

As soon as Mike arrived home from school he had a shower and then we set off for Milton Keynes as both children needed some clothes and I wanted to have a look as well. The traffic, even at 4pm, was really heavy and getting to the multi-storey car park was a bit fraught! I'm not a fan of roundabouts (Milton Keynes has loads of them!) and some drivers just don't have any patience at all these days!

Mike and Sophie made a beeline for River Island and Keith and I left them to it, sitting outside the shop and watching the world go by. It was much more pleasant! When it came time to pay I went inside to see what he'd bought and he'd picked out some shorts and tee-shirts in readiness for the warmer weather. If it gets colder over the next few days, we'll know who to blame!

We meandered around a few more shops but both Sophie and I agreed that it was difficult to shop with the men about, who were obviously a bit bored with what we were looking at. Keith tried on a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt in M&S but the shorts were far too tight and the top too big so we abandoned that idea and went to Debenhams, leaving Sophie to shop by herself in New Look.

Keith found an exact replica of the clothes he liked in M&S in Debenhams, in the Maine section of the store and tried them on, finding them a perfect fit. We joined our offspring and Sophie had bought some summer clothes in New Look so she was pleased. The only person empty handed was me!

As a treat we all went to Pizza Hut for dinner. The children had garlic bread to start while Keith and I contented ourselves with the free salad. I shared a pizza with Sophie while Mike ordered a large one all to himself! He did take some home in a box, though! Keith had lasagne as he's not really a fan of pizza and a glass of Diet Pepsi! Amazing!

Getting tough!

It's been yet another warm and sunny day and Keith took advantage of the weather to cut the grass on the perimeter of our car park. While he was doing this, Mum, Dad and I went to see our Accountant and he advised us to start putting the pressure on our buyers to complete in the middle of June.

I can't believe that the process of selling the company (well, we're not selling the company itself, rather all the assets, the goodwill and the name) has taken so long. We are all very fed up with waiting around and our Accountant put it very well when he said it had been like us being in the Departure Lounge of an airport waiting to board a flight that had been severely delayed. I have a feeling our buyers had no intention of being in before June as they know this is when we tend to be quiet and I suppose they may want to shut down to do some refurbishment. It's not very fair on us, though!

When I got back to work, Mum and Dad left and I went out to see Keith who was still cutting the grass. Our car park is a really lovely green space and at this time of the year, with the blossom on the trees, it's beautiful. Yesterday I saw a woman arrive with a young child and she was totally absorbed with her mobile phone, which was a shame as she could have walked over to the grass with her daughter and seen the rabbits running around on the other side of the fence. We have such an abundance of wildlife here with squirrels, many types of bird and even a fox who roams around at night.

Sophie hasn't been well today at all, complaining of tummy pains and feeling very lethargic. We had two parties in the evening but she really didn't feel like doing them so it was a good job we were quiet. We managed to leave at 5pm after making sure Polly and Maureen were OK (we had a work experience girl in as well, which helped) and battled our way through the heavy traffic home. The large roundabout near us was supposed to have been finished last week (after a month's delay) but the traffic lights are still not up and running and it's chaos at rush hour!

Once home, Keith and I sat and played cards in the conservatory and watched our own little birds flit backwards and forwards as they visited our bird feeders. I saw two large crows and a magpie the other day in the garden so when we eventually sell the business I'll still be feeding these clever birds!

Return of the warmth...

Some photos from last night's concert...

A drink before the show

Our view

Filling up

The lights were fantastic!

I went home early from work today and sat in the garden for a little while to soak up the sun. It's been a lovely, warm day but the forecast is set to be wet and colder by the end of the week. Best make the most of it!

Ben Howard in Birmingham

Today Sophie and I were very excited as it was the day we were off to see Ben Howard at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham!

I went into work first, to get a few things done, and then Keith and I returned home at lunchtime. It was a gorgeous day with lots of sunshine and blue skies. After a lunch of sandwiches, Sophie went off to get ready while I pottered about and made sure I knew where we were going in Birmingham. We'd never been to the Barclaycard Arena before but it was formerly known as the National Indoor Arena and I knew it was right in the centre of the city.

We set off at 3pm and I keyed the postcode into Gladys. I was fine with the route onto the M6 but knew I would need her assistance when we came off the motorway. Now, I don't know whether she was a bit confused with concert venues as she told us to exit the M6 and go onto the M42, towards the NEC...I followed her instructions but then she directed us back the way we'd driven! We very nearly had a bump in the car on a roundabout as the car in front had stopped and I'd happened to glance at the SatNav screen and hadn't realised...all I can say is that the brakes on my car are very good indeed as I stopped with millimetres to spare!

We drove back onto the M6 and then came off at the correct junction. Gladys by now, was freaking out a little, so we turned her off and stuffed her into the glove compartment. It was much easier to follow the signs!

We parked in the huge car park and managed to make sense of the parking meter. I used my debit card and paid until midnight so I knew we would have enough parking time. The NIA is right on the canal so we wandered about a bit and had a look at the various eating places available, one of which was Ed's Diner. We'd looked at their online menu already and decided it would be a good place to eat before the concert.

As we still had plenty of time we wandered over to a canalside pub and had a drink there. Lots of people were arriving for drinks and we were amused to see two German girls turn up, obviously for the Ben Howard concert. We both did wonder whether they'd been at the concert we went to in Berlin!

After our drink we went back to Ed's Diner and were seated straight away. We chose chilli cheese fries to share as a starter then Sophie enjoyed a burger while I opted for chicken goujons served with a BBQ sauce and a Jalapeno jelly. We found room to share a dessert as well...waffles served with vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce! It was a great place to eat but the service was a little slow. That was fine for us as we had plenty of time but I could see some diners getting a little agitated and a couple on the table next to us left as nobody had appeared to take their order. We vowed to return as directly opposite was the Sea Life centre and I thought it would be good to bring the whole family and then eat at the diner afterwards.

After paying the bill we went into the NIA itself and Sophie bought a "I Forget Where We Were" tee-shirt. People were starting to arrive for the 7.30pm start time so we found our seats high up above the middle standing area and settled down to watch everyone arrive. We were amused, again, to see the two German girls take their seats a couple of rows below us!

Ben Howard's support act, Aero Flynn, were brilliant. They were very similar in style to Ben Howard and we really enjoyed listening to their music. I even bought a copy of their CD after the show!

Ben came on at 9pm and played until almost 11pm. He played all of the tracks on his latest album, plus quite a few from his previous one, including The Fear, which Sophie and I love. He did two new songs and we thought the show was absolutely fantastic, especially when he did Rivers in Your Mouth (one of my favourites) and which is due to be released as a single. It went on and on and with all the lights and the whole atmosphere, it was fabulous!

Afterwards I bought a tee-shirt for Mike and we made our way back to the car-park with thousands of other people. We managed to get out of the car park quickly but we became lost again and couldn't find signs for the M6. I was forced to turn Gladys on again and she led us a merry dance down dark streets and along residential areas, finally taking us to a dead end street. I retraced the route, found the ring road and eventually saw the very welcome signs for the M6 which we followed with sighs of relief. I did not want to get lost in Birmingham and end up in a dodgy area!

Back on the motorway we listened to Aero Flynn and both agreed that we love their music, which is very good when you're driving fast down a dark road!

Lazy Sunday

I have to confess to not doing a lot today! The weather turned cold and horrible, so not ideal for going out and doing any gardening. We took Sophie to work and then called in to see Mum and Dad with Mikey who helped my Dad sort out his iPad which was misbehaving. My parents were mightily impressed with his computer skills and it was great for Mike to be showered with praise!

Back home, Mike got ready to go and see some friends in Brixworth and Keith and I did very little! Sometimes you do need to take a back seat and relax!

Chilly Saturday!

Today dawned bright and sunny but it's definitely cooler as we have a wind blowing in from the North. Sophie asked me to make pancakes for breakfast and I used a new cake tin that has doubled up as a pancake mould. I poured the batter into the middle and let it settle before removing the tin and it did kind of keep its round shape! I didn't pour as much batter in as I did the other week so I was pleased with the results!

We haven't seen much of our new neighbours but I did see the woman peering through the en-suite window as we were having breakfast so it looks like curiosity is mutual!

In the afternoon Sophie and I went shopping in Market Harborough and although still sunny it was definitely cold! We had a great tasting in Duncan's shop and I bought a bottle of Malbec from Argentina and a Picpoul, a white from the Languedoc. I also treated Keith to a couple of beers and a bottle of the Wiper and True Milkshake for me!

I attempted to sit in the garden for a while when we got home but I only lasted about five minutes, preferring to retreat to the conservatory to savour the sun without the wind. Keith and Mike returned from watching Sileby play and said that they'd enjoyed the game and there was just one more to go before the season ends.

Leaving the children at home, Keith and I went to the pub in Old for a drink and enjoyed a very pleasant hour sitting in the window and watching the world go by. The Landlord has a new Cherry Stout on offer which I tried but when I returned home I preferred my milky stout from Duncan!

A long and weary day...

I haven't been in the best of moods today and it hasn't helped that Polly has been off as she had to go to a funeral. Sophie was covering Reception and of course, today has been much busier than any other day this week!

It's been a lot cooler and the warm temperatures have certainly dropped to more normal levels today. Plus, it's been cloudy as well so we've been busy and as we had a party at lunchtime, we've probably had more customers in than the rest of the week put together!

When Sophie was looking after the party I spent my time running backwards and forwards from either the office or the kitchen to reception. Every time I turned my back on the desk, another customer would either come in or want to leave. At times I felt like they were doing it deliberately!

Luckily by mid-afternoon, things had quietened down considerably and I popped next door to BACA to get a top for a new member of staff. Going to see the guys at BACA always cheers me up as we have a great chat and I normally come away with a free flapjack!

Sophie and I were able to leave at just before 6pm and it was home for a well-earned glass of wine. We have new neighbours as Sarah and Liam's house has now been rented out so I might do a bit of peeking through net curtains this weekend to see who we have living next door to us!

Little drinkies...

I was all set to go home from work today and mow my own lawn but then I realised I was taking Mike to see one of the nurses at the surgery after school and I just didn't have the time. I did have time, though, to sit in the garden for a while and soak up some sunshine!

Mike's back has been hurting him for a while and it seems he has an injury caused by playing sport at school. The nurse said the only cure was rest and taking Ibuprofen. He then mentioned his toes which he stubbed on some shelving the other week and they looked a little swollen. Again, taking painkillers was the only thing we could do, as well as try and strap them up.

As soon as we arrived back home I sorted out some nibbles as Sue was coming around for a drink. I cut up some peppers and paid out dips, Pringles, olives and some cold meats. She brought a bottle of Prosecco with her and it was delicious! Perfect for summer drinking and as our conservatory had been warmed by the sun all day it was lovely to sit and sip it and have a chat.

After she'd gone we ate Fajitas, but I was too full from the nibbles so I literally had a spoonful of chicken and some roasted veg and that was it!

The Spring sunshine continues...

Our garden at work, after cutting the lawn this morning...

The grass was a lot longer and wetter than I expected! I took my lawn mower in from home as there was no way I could get our petrol mower working by myself! I was very pleased with the results and now I just need to concentrate on my own garden at home!

Playing truant...

Today has been very quiet indeed at work, with barely a handful of customers in all day...

After the Booker order had been delivered Keith and I made a start of tidying up our garden area by throwing out some old chairs that had been left out there over the winter. The grass now needs a good cut!

As promised, Sophie and I went for a drive in our car-park and I discovered the fundamental problem why Sophie keeps stalling Jim...her foot is in the wrong position as she raises the clutch and instead of her heel being firmly on the floor so she has control of the pedal, she has her leg in mid-air. No wonder she keeps stalling the engine! Her driving instructor should have told her this at her very first lesson, before she even started the car! I also told her to depress the clutch when she turned on the ignition...in my car I have to do this otherwise the engine won't even start!

This would also explain why she complained of her leg and her back hurting after every lesson. I felt really angry that she hadn't been told this, so now it looks like we'll have to start all over again and I won't be going with Sophie out on the roads again until I feel she is confident in setting off in Jim and not stalling it. She will have try and forget how she was driving over the last seven months and we can start all over again. Needless to say we have told her instructor that we no longer need her services.

As we were so quiet, we popped out in the late morning to go to the bank, Tesco and Jones's. Sophie found some dog toys in Jones's and had a play with them...

I said we should take a couple to the Ben Howard concert next week in Birmingham! We could wave them at him!

From Jones's we drove to DFS where I showed Keith the sofa I fell in love with. He took one look and said it would never fit in our living room! We had another look around and found a three seater that was very modern and comfortable. We decided we'd like to order the sofa, two chairs and a banquette to go in the window area and they were all less money than the one sofa I'd had my eye on!

It'll take about four weeks for the sofa to arrive so we just need to sort out someone to come and remove our old one on the day that the furniture is delivered. It will be lovely to get rid of our old, stained sofa!

After a quick trip to the bank and Tesco we headed back to work where Keith said his goodbyes and returned home in my car. Sophie and I had another drive around the car park and although she found it easier to pull away, the new way of depressing the clutch will take some getting used to!

Girls' night in!

This warm and sunny weather is continuing, with tomorrow forecast to be the hottest day of the year so far.

Sophie and I popped to Tesco in the morning to buy dinner for tonight as Keith and Mike were both out. We chose Hunter's chicken, creamy mash and veggies with a dairy-free ice-cream to follow. We do like our Tuesday nights without the men as we can have a lovely dinner and then watch what we want on the TV!

To make up for a little bit of indulgence we did go to the gym and do some exercise. I'm trying to get back into my twenty minute routine on the cross-trainer so I started with that for a little while before heading for the treadmill and the bike. And we even managed a swim!

Back home we sat in the garden for a few minutes but the sun had disappeared behind the house opposite so it really wasn't that warm any more! Keith and Mike left to go to their respective Army Cadets and football match so I started the dinner while drinking a glass of very good Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon.

After we'd eaten we watched Masterchef and I'm glad we'd already had dinner as the programme always makes us feel hungry!

Walking the cats...

Despite some children still being off for Easter, we decided not to open at work today, giving all of us a much-needed break from customers! That didn't stop some of them coming to see if we were open, though!

Sophie and I decided to delay going to the gym until tomorrow as I didn't want to go all the way home, pick her up and then battle through the traffic back down to Riverside. We walked the cats around the estate for a tiny bit of exercise and the cats seemed to enjoy it as much as they used to, both of them managing to avoid a fight the whole way round!

The greyish day had given way to blue skies and sunshine and it was very pleasant walking around and seeing all the Spring flowers and blossom!

Wielding the brush....

This morning I started painting the doors in the kitchen which were badly in need of some attention. I made a start with our back door leading onto the driveway but decided to paint just the inside as the wind was really strong and I had visions of there being bits of dirt, twigs and leaves stuck to the gloss...not the look I was after!

I interrupted my painting to take Sophie to work and on my return wielded the brush again to gloss two more doors. What a difference a coat of paint makes!

Sophie wanted me to collect her at 2.30pm as we were quiet at work. Today has been sunny but the wind this afternoon was ferocious! I think winter is truly over now as all next week is forecast to be beautiful with temperatures nudging 20c!

A helping hand...

Today was earmarked for painting doors but we awoke to grey skies and then heavy rain. Not a good day for having doors open!

I tackled the housework today, helped by the rest of my family, amazingly! Sophie cleaned her room and then Mike appeared asking for the hoover as he'd tidied his bedroom as well...without me asking him! He made a fantastic job of it and I told everyone how easier it was to clean the house when everyone mucks in to help. Keith did all the ironing and I washed loads of bedding and clothes. I did imagine that everything would be out on the line but the weather remained a bit murky until lunchtime so it was into the tumble dryer for everything (and then it didn't need a lot of ironing afterwards!).

At around 3pm Sophie and I went to Homesense as she had a gift card for the store and wanted to buy some storage boxes for all her make-up and jewellery. She found what she was looking for so she was thrilled with her purchases. I contented myself with buying some chocolate for Mikey and a box of Iowa popcorn...

We popped into DFS before going back to the car as we desperately need a new sofa. Ours is disgusting and I refuse to let anyone but us sit on it. We inherited the three-seater sofa, a two-seater sofa and an armchair from my Mum and Dad and it's cream... There have been things spilled on it, Monty insists on curling up on it thereby spreading fur and bits of field all over it and I think it's time for a new one. As well as that, the whole living room needs a makeover!

I saw a beautiful, very large and comfortable, sofa called Loch Leven, but I'm not sure whether it will fit in our living room. I made a note of the name and we went home to tell Keith who wasn't that interested, if I'm honest!

Tonight we decided to have a Chinese take-away from the van in the village so we called into the pub for a drink while it was being cooked. We sat in the back room, in splendid isolation, as there weren't any seats in the main lounge. It didn't matter, though, as we all had a good chat - Keith had banned electronic devices!

Planning ahead.

So, it's rolled around to another Friday and today was predicted to be warm and sunny yet again!

Sophie and I went to the bank mid-morning and called into Costa for a quick cup of coffee and a sandwich. Sophie chose a seat next to a man who was obviously very lonely as he tried his best to engage us in conversation for the whole time we were seated. He was harmless, and I did feel for him, but I really didn't want to have a chat with a stranger today, preferring just to talk to my daughter about our Scottish trip that I booked this morning.

We're going to visit the Ardnamurchan Peninsula in August, staying for three nights at a little B&B and while we're there we're going on a Whale Watching boat trip which lasts all day. Sophie is very excited as she's really hoping we'll see Orcas. The boat trip goes over to the island of Muck where we'll stop off to have afternoon tea and the scenery looks breathtaking. I'm really looking forwward to going back to Scotland and maybe we'll try and visit Skye while we're there and show Sophie where we used to stay. The last time we were on the island Sophie was a baby!

Despite thinking we'd have to stay late today we were able to finish at 3pm and we had time for a quick swim and a wallow in the jacuzzi at the gym before going home. Keith had prepared a curry for dinner which I had to finish off in between picking him up from the pub and Mike up from Brixworth!

First cut of the season...

We've had yet another glorious day here with temperatures reaching 17-18c this afternoon. Mum had an appointment at Virgin's beauty salon at lunchtime so Sophie and I dropped her off, went to the bank and then went  back to wait for her in the cafe. There was not much going on at work so it was lovely to be able to relax for an hour and enjoy a panini (well, Sophie did, I just had a coffee).

When Mum emerged from the salon her hair looked a bit of a mess where the therapist had pulled it back so she asked if we could take her home. We called in to see Keith who was ironing and I said that we'd try and leave off early.

Back at work it was still pretty quiet so we left at 3pm and I went home to tidy up the front garden. I mowed the verge and raked thousands of dead leaves out from under the bushes. After hoeing the soil it looked so much neater! Monty-cat came out to keep me company but then he and Archie had the most horrendous fight, chasing each other across the road and almost coming to a nasty end under the wheels of a passing car. Luckily the woman driving was going very slowly and she couldn't believe the fighting that was going on in our driveway! Something has upset both of them badly by the looks of it!

I went and picked up all the tufts of fur that were scattered about and gave the garage a quick hoover as Keith had spilt a load of washing powder the other day and it had been irritating to go in there and see it every day! Men!

In the evening I was chief taxi-driver for Sophie who was meeting friends in town to celebrate her and a friend's birthdays. They were eating at an Italian restaurant called Sophia's and I had offered to give them all a lift home. At 10.30pm I was sitting outside waiting for a group of giggly girls who'd had a great time! I have to say, though, that the car did smell of garlic very strongly afterwards!

More sunshine!

Some photos from yesterday...

Monty enjoying the sun

Cuddlies with Archie

The gorgeous weather has continued today with warm temperatures and sunshine, although it did get a bit cloudy in the afternoon and the sky looked a little stormy as we drove home.

Mikey had been out practising shooting with his air rifle so Keith and I had a go as well. We didn't do bad, but I think Mike is better!

Sitting in the sun...

It's been another glorious day and after getting some onerous jobs out of the way at work, we were able to leave at a slightly earlier time of 3pm today.

I decided to make the most of the sun and sit in the garden with the cats, Keith and Sophie. Mikey was out again with his mates so it was just the three of us sitting and soaking up the sun. The cats loved being outside and rolled around in the warmth, getting bits of twig and dirt on their fur.

I sneaked a peek at the little nest in our gravel garden and saw two baby birds with their beaks open wide, obviously thinking I was Mum! I crept away quietly and we stopped naughty Archie from going down there!

Keith and Sophie went inside but I stayed outside reading and eating some of my Easter egg. Bliss!

In the evening, after we'd dropped Mikey off at Army Cadets, Sophie, Keith and I went for a meal at The Lamplighter in town. It was very quiet in there and it was lovely to sit by the window and see the sky turning orange with the sunset. We had a good chat and a lovely meal, starting with some truly scrumptious garlic bread.

Back home, the plan had been to enjoy some of Sophie's birthday cake but we were all too full!

A spot of shopping...

This morning we all went off to Milton Keynes to do some shopping as Mikey was desperate for some new clothes. We stopped off briefly on the way at McDonald's to give the kids breakfast and had a very long wait for Mikey's bacon roll!

Keith's brother, Val, had given him a fold-up bike but the inner tubes needed replacing or repairing and we discovered there was a cycle shop near Xscape, so we called there first to see if they could have a look. Keith went off to find the shop and I put £1 in the parking meter only to see him come back outside to say they were so busy they couldn't look at it for a few days. It might give us an excuse to come over during the week when the shopping centre isn't so busy!

To my delight, the parking was free today (even though I'd already paid £1 near Xscape!) and we left the car in the multi-storey before hitting the shops. We all went to River Island first and Mike picked out some shirts, tee-shirts and a pair of boots. It was great that Sophie helped him and he looked very smart indeed in his new outfit!

Sophie treated herself to a new handbag downstairs in the women's section and then we headed off to Next to get Mike some new jeans and boxer shorts. I felt a little peeved that we had to go shopping today as the weather outside was glorious - gorgeous blue skies and lots of beautiful sunshine. I could have done with being at home in then garden!

Maybe other people felt the same way as there were some grumpy people out shopping today! A man pushing a wheelchair nearly took my feet off when he virtually aimed for me! I couldn't get out of the way fast enough and I couldn't believe how rude he was! We stopped for a coffee in Caffe Italia and an elderly lady sat next to me, making it quite clear I'd taken up more than my fair share of space as she subtly rammed the tray I'd put down next to me, into my leg at regular intervals...Charming!

Sophie gave up on shopping for Mac make-up with her birthday money and as it had now become much busier than when we'd arrived, we decided to call it a day and head home. I had to call into work first, though, and do the Booker order before dropping Keith off at his football ground where he was going to watch a match.

Once home (at last!) I prepared the dinner and Mike went off for a walk in his new clothes. He wanted me to take him to Brixworth but I just didn't have the time as I had the veggies to peel for our dinner of roast lamb.

Once everything had been prepared I was finally able to sit in the garden with Sophie for a little while and soak up some lovely sunshine. There was real warmth in the rays and it was great to sit outside and watch the birds flitting about in the trees.

I put the lamb in to the oven to roast and Sophie and I went and picked up Keith from his football match. Mikey arrived home a few minutes after we did and said he'd been exploring the fields...in his new clothes!

My roast dinner turned out OK, although the Yorkshire puddings certainly weren't up to Keith's standards!

Celebrating 19 years!

Sophie woke nice and early this morning to open her cards and presents and was delighted with everything she received! She wanted me to make an IHOP breakfast so Keith and I retreated to the kitchen and set about making American-style pancakes, hash browns, bacon, smoked chipolatas and fried eggs, sunny side up!

It took a while but the effort was worth it as Sophie was over the moon and we all enjoyed a lovely start to the day.

After breakfast we went around to see Mum and Dad and she received more pressies and cards, plus an Easter egg for Michael and a beautiful planter for Keith and I as an Easter present. It will add some much needed colour to our garden.

When we returned home I quickly put the hoover around and then we went off to the gym for a lovely swim. The pool was almost empty and everywhere was blissfully quiet, much different to what I'd expected! We swam for about half an hour and then sat and wallowed in the spa, but we were a bit dismayed when we heard the fire alarms ringing as we enjoyed the warm water! As we went to get our towels, we heard someone say it was a false alarm so we thankfully sank back into the bubbles!

After the spa I had a lovely hot shower then we called into Costa Coffee for a cup of tea and a cake to round off our afternoon. The staff didn't seem that keen to be working on Easter Sunday and Sophie's Creamy Cooler was definitely not up to the usual standard!

We just had time to relax before we went out in the evening to Las Iguanas in Milton Keynes. It was an absolutely beautiful evening with the promised sunshine arriving as we drove through the countryside. Mum and Dad had already arrived and we had a quick drink before taking our seats at the dinner table. We decided to have starters but then leave dessert until we got home as we were planning on sharing Sophie's ice-cream cake with my parents. I chose the chicken topped nachos along with Sophie and Mikey and they were delicious. For my main course I decided on the chicken burger while my daughter and son both chose the fajitas...what else?

Keith had kindly offered to drive so I drank a couple of bottles of a delicious amber beer while Sophie enjoyed a cocktail...or three!

Early Birthday celebrations!

I was praying that I wouldn't get any phone calls from work today as Sophie and I were going shopping in Market Harborough and I think my daughter would have committed murder if she'd had to go in and cover someone who had phoned in sick!

Keith and Mikey were up early as our son had arranged to go paint-balling with some friends and had to meet them at 8am. Rather him than me! Keith called into Tesco on his way home and bought some more supplies so after breakfast I had another attempt at making Sophie's meringue nest. This time it looked a lot better and I left it in the conservatory to keep cool.

Luckily we didn't hear a thing from work so we went off at lunchtime to do some shopping and to have a bite to eat in Costa Coffee. We then visited our usual haunts (Waterstones, New Look, Monsoon and Superdrug) and I bought some hot cross buns in a very nice bakery that had some yummy food available! I also treated myself to a new milk whisk and a cool bag in a lovely cookshop before we went off to see Duncan for a wine tasting. He had a delicious white from the Loire valley to try and we both liked it so much I bought two bottles, plus some beer for Keith and Chocolate Stout for me. Our last stop was Gallone's Ice-cream parlour where I collected Sophie's ice-cream cake. I couldn't resist a cone with coconut ice-cream!

Back at home we found that Mikey had been dropped off and was covered in strange marks from his paint-balling adventure. He said they hurt!

In the evening I cooked Macaroni cheese for Sophie's pre-Birthday supper and we watched Paul Blart: Mall Cop on the television, requested by the Birthday girl. We drank the Champagne I'd bought for her which was delicious, even though I'm not a huge fan of the wine. Sophie said she'd never tried it before which is why I treated her to a bottle and she loved it!

 The chocolate Pavlova turned out very well indeed and I filled the nest with cream, cocoa powder and mini eggs. I'm so glad, though, that I found the time yesterday afternoon to experiment as it would have been a disaster if I'd tried the recipe this evening!

Bunking off...

Today dawned grey and horrible and as we'd planned an Easter Egg Hunt at work, I feared we would be really busy.

First thing, before we opened, Sophie and I went off to Booker and when we returned at 10am I certainly wasn't fighting my way through the cars! We had more of a trickle of customers in, rather than a flood, and when Keith appeared with Mike in tow Sophie asked if we could go home as we were so quiet. She wasn't needed in the kitchen so after making sure Mum and Dad didn't mind, we headed for McDonald's as a treat for the children.

The weather stayed horrible for the rest of the day and in the afternoon I decided to make Sophie's Easter meringue for her birthday meal tomorrow night. I was glad I did as it was a disaster... I followed a recipe from a newspaper supplement and when I took the meringue nest out of the oven it was very dry and crumbly and completely stuck to the greaseproof paper. I hate to say I just put the whole lot in the bin.

I also made some American style pancakes as on the morning of her birthday I'm going to try and re-create an IHOP breakfast for all of us. She wants pancakes, smoked sausages, crispy bacon and eggs. I'll try my best!

Rude awakening.

I was awoken at 7am this morning by Mikey asking me to go and pick him up from his friend's house, after the "camp out" of last night. I blearily got dressed and sped off to fetch him, still feeling groggy and half-asleep!

The traffic at such an early hour was unbelievably busy with some real maniacs on the road who were obviously in a desperate hurry to get somewhere! I picked Mikey up who was freezing cold and even though he'd told me he'd slept, I had a feeling that he hadn't had any sleep at all.

Back home I stopped him from getting into the bath as I needed a coffee and a shower before going to work. Mike muttered something about going into town with his mates but I heard from Keith later in the day that he'd abandoned that idea and had been asleep most of the day!

After work I'd arranged an eye test for my son as he'd said a few days ago that his sight was a bit blurry when he was looking at the whiteboard at school. Keith dropped him off at work and at 4pm I took him over to the optician's along with Sophie and my Mum who were going to do a spot of shopping in New Look while we were having Mike's eyes seen to.

The optician found nothing wrong at all and he certainly doesn't need glasses. He also had a photo taken of the back of his eye and everything was fine, so that was good.

We dropped Mum off at home (the pair of them had bought two tops, both of them for my daughter) and then it was time to relax before a delicious roast pork dinner!

I am just a "gofer"...

Today has been hectic and all I feel I've done is go and get things for people or drive my son about...

Mum and Dad took today off so Keith came into work with me, but spent the whole morning sorting out one of our toilets with Ian. It meant that when our large Booker order arrived he was otherwise engaged so I had to help the driver offload it all and put it away. Who needs the gym when you have heavy frozen chip boxes and drums of oil to cart about?

Just as I'd finished Michael called and asked when Keith was coming home to take him to Brixworth... I growled down the phone that I would drive him and sped off to get him. While I was at home Sophie called to ask me to pick up some kidney beans on the way back to work...as I said I'm just a gofer!

When things had quietened down a little in the afternoon Keith and I went to Tesco as I had to buy Sophie's birthday presents and a card from Mike. She loves Honey Bourbon and had also said that she'd never tasted Champagne so I bought her a bottle of each - the Bourbon from Mike as a gift and the Champagne as a joint birthday and Easter present rather than an egg.

We then went off to get some stuff from our cleaning materials supplier and just as we were on our way to Jones's to get yet more things for work, my phone rang and it was Mikey wanting to be picked up...

Keith went off to get him while Sophie and I went to Jones's and then thankfully home. We had been planning to go to the gym but we decided to give it a miss as Keith had promised to take us for a drink after we'd dropped Mikey off (again) as his friend's house. He was going on a "Camp Out" and would be sleeping in a tent all night! Rather him than me!

We went to the pub in Old and spent a very pleasant hour and a half chatting over drinks. We'd put some potatoes in the oven to bake and unfortunately our dinner was a bit of a disaster as they were tasteless and horrible. Mine was rotten in the middle so I just gave up and put it down to experience!