Rude people!

I received an email yesterday asking for help at the CAB on Tuesday morning as they were short-staffed and there was a new woman manning Reception, who although she had been an adviser, hadn't worked in the office before. I was more than happy to help out, but looking back I wish I hadn't bothered!

The weather has been horrible again today - misty, grey and damp with not the slightest hint of sunshine. I was early as usual and set about opening up the offices and setting up the laptops. One of the advisers came over and within a few minutes Christine had arrived as well. We also had two clients waiting and one of them said he'd been in before. I went to get him one of the normal data sheets we use and the adviser barked at me that I was using the wrong one and that I had to use a "Returning Client sheet". I felt really embarrassed and said that I was never told to use this form by Frank and that we always used the normal sheet, whether they were previous clients or not!

I dealt with the clients and helped Christine to set up her laptop and we had another young woman appear with a problem, so it was very chaotic! It turned out that we were only going to have one adviser today and as we were closing at 12pm, we would have to keep a close eye on the people waiting to be seen.

We were busy all morning but things went pretty smoothly and I showed Christine the ropes. As there was only one office being used, I shut the laptop down but kept it on the desk in case another adviser came over to help. All of a sudden, three quarters of the way through the session, a man appeared in our office doorway with our laptop and asked, in a really scathing tone, whose laptop it was. He then said I was pretty silly to leave it in the office! I was very shocked and humiliated as he shouldn't have been in the office without asking and I had left it there with the door closed as there was the possibility another adviser was coming over, and to have locked it back in the cabinet would have been silly. I was fuming and I really wished that I hadn't bothered today!

I had an appointment with the nurse at our surgery at 1pm so I had to re-arrange that as we didn't leave until 12.30pm. I sped home like a mad thing to eat a sandwich and freshen up before my visit and Keith came with me to keep me company (and so I could moan about my morning!). The weather, if anything, had become even worse and after filling my car up with diesel we drove home in the gloom, looking forward to a nice relaxed evening!

I missed Sophie very much tonight as Keith settled down to watch football after dinner and I retired to the conservatory with Monty who snored throughout the time I was in there!

A quiet start to the week...

Today the weather has been really horrible - never-ending grey skies and rain all day. I had a contact lens check at Boots in the morning and we needed to get a few bits and pieces from Tesco so Keith came with me.

We dropped Mike off in Brixworth first and Sophie messaged me from New York. It was very early in the morning for her! Just as she starts to acclimatise to the time difference, she'll be coming home! Keith drove so I could chat with her and she sounded like she was having a good time, lucky thing! I'll never get over how fantastic it is to be able to contact Sophie with such ease - from simple messages to exchanging photos and videos to even seeing her online.

My contact lens check was fine but I nearly ended up with an eye test as well! It was only done in September! Thankfully, when I told them that it wasn't necessary, they agreed so I didn't have to go all through that palava again! One good thing is they have changed the prescription in my left eye to -1.50 to help with reading, so I'm hoping it will work.

As I came out, Keith had finished shopping and we drove home through the gloom. The afternoon was spent catching up with my assignment (I sent it off) and reading up on the new franchise idea. We went to collect Mike earlier than we had anticipated so when we returned it was great to get all cosy and shut the terrible weather out!

In the evening we played cards in the conservatory and had a couple of drinks. Bliss!

2017 Bucket List

I mentioned at the start of the year that we have written a Bucket List for 2017. It gives us something to aim for and we enjoy doing whatever is on the list! Here it is:

Walk around both sides of Pitsford Reservoir, from home. (We're getting there!)

Ride the Mummy rollercoaster in Florida in August. (I will do it this year!)

Visit Broughton House.

See a film at the Errol Flynn cinema next to Derngate in Northampton. (Booked to go on 8 March to see La La Land)

Listen to live music at a restaurant or bar in Florida, preferably on the beach!

Eat caviar with Champagne

Visit a Latin bar and Salsa dance

Enjoy a night at a casino

Drive an Aston Martin (maybe an early 50th Birthday present?)

Walk the breadth of England


I'd like to think of a couple more to do!

Post-dinner chaos...

I woke up at 8am this morning feeling a little bleary, a feeling made worse when I got downstairs to find Monty had been sick (obviously Mike had missed this last night before he let him out) and the kitchen looked like a tornado had hit it...

For the next hour I washed up, stacked the dishwasher and cleared the table of about a million glasses. Keith came down, took one look at the mess and disappeared into the living room where he did a bit of groaning. I took him a cup of tea, made myself another coffee and finished what I was doing before I sank onto the sofa and watched a bit of the Australian Men's Final with Federer and Nadal...it was like old times!

Even though I felt a bit groggy and tired I decided to strip our bed and put fresh bedding on it, using my new quilt! It felt beautifully luxurious and much thicker than our old quilt. I have to say I can't wait to go to bed tonight!

Before taking Mike to Brixworth I made Keith and I an omelette as I had three egg whites left over from making the Key Lime Pie, a load of mushrooms and some grated cheese from last night. I enjoyed it but I think it tipped Keith over the edge of his hangover and when we got back from giving Mike a lift he retreated to the sofa where he stayed for most of the day. It was that mixing beer and wine that did it!! I stuck to the grape!

The weather deteriorated during the day and the sunshine of this morning gave way to grey skies and a steady downpour. Perfect for staying inside and doing very little!

Some photos of Sophie and friends in New York...

On the steps of the Natural History museum

A long day...and night!

Sophie woke me at 2.15am when she came into our room to get the hairdryer. I stayed in bed for a while and then dressed and joined Keith downstairs where he was having an early cup of tea. We hauled Sophie's case into the boot of the car and made sure she had weighed it - it was well under her 23kg allowance, which was amazing seeing as she had stuffed so much into it!

On the short journey to uni we saw lots of rabbits but thankfully nothing ran out into the road at us! When we arrived Sophie's friends George and Danni were already there, so after much hugging and kissing we said goodbye and headed home. We didn't see any rabbits this time, just a little Muntjac deer that jumped back into the hedge as we approached!

We went back to bed for a few hours and I woke up at almost 9am with a message from Sophie saying she was just about to board. I managed to exchange a few words with her and then she was off!

My day was spent preparing for our Wine evening - I gave the conservatory a good clean and set the table before cleaning the rest of the downstairs rooms and making a Key Lime Pie for dessert. I also popped out to the Co-op in Brixworth to buy some more nibbles before our main course of Chilli con Carne.

Keith went to see Sileby play and Mike went to Walgrave to see his mates, so I had a relaxed afternoon watching The Affair and putting the finishing touches to the preparations. Keith came home freezing cold so he jumped into the bath and Mike came home saying he was starving!

The evening went very well and we had a great selection of wines. I served Mimosas (Cava, Triple Sec and orange juice) to Sue, Michelle, Richard and myself while Paul and Keith stuck to beer. We then opened the Champagne and the first one, although lovely, lacked something. I had asked Keith to open the wine as I knew I would recognise the wording on the corks and when we tasted the second Champagne I had a feeling it was the more expensive of the two. I was right! The first was a Pol Aime priced at £13.95 while the second was the Taittinger at £35. It had much more depth and bubbles and tasted richer. Both were bought at Tesco (the Taittinger was on offer at £27).

While we enjoyed the wines we all had some nibbles and then we opened the two whites that Sue and Paul had brought. They were thickly swathed in foil and had already been opened, simply because both of them were screw-top bottles. We all liked the first wine and I said it reminded me of the Pinot Gris from Aldi that Sophie and I drink all the time. It was very easy-drinking and fruity. I hazarded a guess that it was a Chardonnay and Paul said I was right.

The second white wine was a bit drier and had what I called, more finesse and I guessed that the second was the more expensive. Both whites were Chablis, the first priced at £9 and the second at £14.

We had a break for the Chilli and I served everyone as there wasn't much room on the table for the big bowls. Michelle said she loved her veggie chilli and had second helpings, so that was a relief! Sue tried some as well and both of them said it was great.

Once we'd eaten we opened the red wine and Sue correctly guessed that it was a Rioja. The first was good but I preferred the second, which was the cheaper of the two at £5.50 and came from Aldi. The first Rioja was £11 and was bought at Waitrose.

My Key Lime Pie went down very well and Monty followed me about meowing incessantly as he thought I was going to give him some! He came with me into the conservatory and everyone made a huge fuss of him! Sophie had sent me a message so I sent her some photos of our messy kitchen!

"Any cream, Mum?"

It was a great evening and Mike returned from seeing friends in Walgrave at about half past midnight. Everyone went at about 1am and although I knew I should really have cleared away and washed up the dishes, Keith made me go to bed. It had been a long day!

A manic day!

After dropping Sophie and Mike off at college and uni, Keith and I went shopping. I'd made a list of things we needed for our Wine Evening tomorrow and we decided to just shop for the weekend rather than tackle a whole week's worth!

Paul and Sue will be coming on Saturday, as well as Richard and Michelle and each couple is bringing two wines. This time we're doing Champagne, which I bought on Tuesday. Michelle is vegetarian and I had already confirmed with her that she and Richard were OK with a chilli. I had found a recipe for a vegetarian chilli but was a bit nervous about cooking it as the recipe said to prepare it half an hour before serving it and I didn't fancy cooking something new so close to the dinner...what if it went wrong?!

We looked for a ready-made chilli but found nothing in Tesco so after we'd got home and had a late breakfast, we went to pick Sophie up and called into Beckworth on the way home. They do delicious ready made meals and although they did have a veggie chilli, it had soya which Michelle can't eat. I resigned myself to cooking a chilli non carne from scratch (how hard can it be?) but decided to prepare one this afternoon first so I could have a practise!

It went very well, to be honest and I left it out to cool before putting it in the fridge so I could re-heat it tomorrow. I will try out a small bowlful earlier in the day to taste it (there was a lot of vegetables in it!) so I felt a bit more relieved.

I also had good news on the job front as I'd applied for a position in the morning and received a call from a recruitment agency in the afternoon. We had a chat and the woman I spoke to said she would call back on Monday with the possibility of arranging an interview. I also took a call from a very pleasant man called Peter who runs a franchise I am very interested in. It's a pet sitting/dog walking business and I think it would be perfect for us all to do. The initial outlay isn't high and after a long chat on the phone he said he would send me a prospectus.

Sophie spent the evening doing the rest of her packing and after Keith had gone to the pub we opened a bottle of wine and caught up with some TV. Keith wasn't going to have a drink at the pub as we have a very early start in the morning but when he came home he had a beer to accompany our Macaroni Cheese supper.

We all went to bed very early tonight as we have a 2am wake up call tomorrow!

Birthday celebrations!

It's been a bitterly cold day today and the temperature never rose above freezing. It was Mike's 17th birthday and before he left with Keith to go to college he opened his presents and cards. Sophie had bought him some very hot chilli sauces and he was looking forward to trying them later in the day! It was a shame he had to go to college but at least we have a celebration dinner to look forward to this evening.

Sophie had a blood test booked at Guilsborough surgery this morning and I was very careful driving over there in case the rural roads were icy. I dropped her off at uni afterwards and drove home where I managed to do some more of my assignment - it's nearly finished!

Both Sophie and I had a hair appointment at 4.15pm and luckily my daughter was out before 4 o'clock. We sped off to salon and managed to park in the middle of Moulton which is a miracle these days as the village is very busy. Sophie went first and had her ends lopped off by a very knowledgeable guy who, when it was my turn, gave me lots of tips to keep my hair in good condition. Both of us leave having our hair trimmed for too long (I think it's been four months!) and the ends of my hair were quite dry. By the time he'd finished with both of us, we looked a whole lot better!

It was lovely to get home and jump into the bath before we got ready to go out. Mike tried one of his sauces and said his tongue had gone numb! They won't get me trying them! At 7pm we left to go to The Han in Market Harborough and when we arrived Mike queried where we were going...apparently he had wanted to go to The Oriental Paradise in Billing instead! Oh dear! Mum and Dad had already arrived and my Dad was freezing as they'd been waiting in the downstairs lounge which didn't have any heating.

This turned out to be the theme of the evening as the upstairs restaurant was cold as well. There were a few other tables occupied and there were lots of decorations up for the Chinese New Year which is on the 28 January.

We all chose the Han Banquet and Mike opened his presents from my parents - cash and some smellies. You really can't go wrong with those for a teenage boy! The meal we had was lovely and the food and wine very good, but we all felt the chill in the restaurant and I think it was made worse by the freezing temperatures outside. At the end of the meal we were the only ones left in the place and we asked the staff to box up the leftover food because there was an awful lot of it! Mum and Dad will enjoy it for their lunch tomorrow!

When we got home I made Sophie and Mike a chocolate sundae instead of a birthday cake and this went down very well with both of them! Sophie said it was one of the best things I'd ever done!

Some interesting characters!

We had thick, freezing fog here today and it has remained cold all day. I had to take Mike to college this morning as Keith had a dentist appointment so I made sure we left at 8am so I could get into town for my session at the CAB.

The journey was good and I was knocking on the door of the Guildhall at 8.50am a little frantically as a man hanging about had asked me if the Department of Work and Pensions was based within the building, and then he blurted out that he liked my hair...hmmm!

Luckily the staff saw me and let me in and the man wandered off. He was never a real worry but the building does attract some strange people, and this seemed to be the case today as we had some interesting characters through the door!

We were busy all day and when the time came to go home I was more than ready to head out of the door. I called Sophie to say I was going to buy a bottle of wine on the way home but Keith had beaten me to it and had bought a bottle of the Bicicleta Viognier in Tesco earlier in the day.

It was bliss to get in out of the cold and play cards in the conservatory over some wine and nibbles. Mike finished his own assignment and joined us for a couple of games, but the winners tonight were Sophie and I who won most of the rounds!

Getting things done...

It's been a busy day today and time, as usual, has flown by. I spent most of the day catching up with chores and trying to get my penultimate assignment finished. I will be really glad when it's all done! As well as struggling with the assignment, I managed to hoover the house and Keith went up into the loft to get my Wine certificates down for me.

We picked Sophie up in the afternoon and drove over to the Weston Favell Centre as we needed to go to Tesco, buy Mike's presents and cards and visit the Post Office. Sophie wanted to get her dollars for New York and managed to get a good rate - $1.21 to the pound.

We bought Mike some American sweets and drinks and funny Birthday cards. He is always a bit low-key for his birthday, unlike my daughter who tells me exactly what she wants (and has already dropped heavy hints about her 21st in April...yes, I know you read this, Sophie!!!!).

A walk and a half!

The weather was supposed to be cold, dry and sunny today so we had planned on walking three-quarters of the way around both Pitsford Reservoir and the nature reserve. We estimated it was about 10 miles in total.

I don't think either Sophie, Keith or myself were really enthusiastic about the walk, but we persevered and left home at around 9.30am. It was a cold and misty morning but I was hoping the sun would come out at some point during our walk. We left the car at the fishing lodge, crossed over the road and joined up with the circular route around the reservoir.

As usual, I set my MapMyWalk app to start and we set off at a fast pace. Before long my gloves were off and my coat open as we warmed up. There were a few people out walking their dogs or running and a couple of boats out on the water with men fishing. It was very still with no wind at all and the mist seemed to be hanging around.

We stopped at the dam for a welcome sip of water and a chocolatey bun. I took a couple of photos:

When we reached Brixworth Country Park we knew it was about six and a half miles to home but we all felt good with no real aches or pains. We saw lots of herons this morning and the birds out on the lake were very noisy indeed! As we made our way back towards the car park, the sun came out and it felt lovely and warm. Up above the sky was blue and it felt really good to be out in the fresh air on a Monday morning!

We made it to the car park and then it was decision time. We could either turn right and head back along the causeway to the car or we could cross the road and push on through the nature reserve to home.

Sophie said she wanted to walk home "rather than walk along the causeway" so we did! Now, there was no turning back!

We didn't see any pheasants at all today, just some smaller game birds and the odd robin. We stopped for another bun and some more water and just as we emerged from the woods to go over the fields towards home we saw a little Muntjac deer run across the path in front of us. What a lovely sight!

Once on the bridle path leading up to the village we knew we had it cracked. We'd done almost ten miles and estimated we had another mile to go before we reached home. Keith suddenly stopped and gazed out over the adjoining field and asked us if we could see an animal of some kind in the middle of the crops. It looked like a fox so we climbed up onto the bank and looked over the hedge to get a better view. It was still quite far away so we walked a bit further and realised it was a buzzard. It looked like it was in trouble and Keith clapped his hands and shouted but it didn't move.

A little way further we came to a gap in the hedge so we all went through and made our way over to it. The mud was unbelievable - it stuck to our boots so the going was quite hard, and after all our walking as well!

It was indeed a buzzard but not as big as the one Keith and Sophie had found the other week. It looked very scared and kept trying to fly away but it just somersaulted and fell back to the ground. It was very distressing to witness. Its feet were covered in mud and it kept trying to stretch out its wings but it looked like it was in trouble. There was no way we could have picked it up so we left it there and Sophie, after a lot of trying, finally got through to the RSPCA who said they would send an officer out to us.

It meant Sophie and I had to stay opposite and keep it in sight so Keith walked home and fetched his car back. We waited for almost an hour and then a van arrived with the RSPCA officer. He took out a towel and walked over the field to catch it (getting his immaculate shoes very muddy in the process).

When he came back with it he said that the outcome would not be a good one as it looked like the bird had maybe ingested some poison and that there was nothing wrong with his wings, he just was unable to fly. Sophie was quite upset about it, but at least we knew we had saved him from a long and lingering death out in the cold field or, worse, being eaten by a fox.

I think it's very strange that this is the second buzzard we've spotted in less than two weeks and both showing the same symptoms - strange head movements and an inability to fly. The RSPCA man said that the bird could have eaten a dead rat that had itself eaten poison but we're not so sure.

Keith drove us home and we went to get my car before returning and having a late lunch. Later in the day I had a lovely soak in a hot bath and I began to feel a bit stiff! The whole way round is next up on the agenda, but I'm not sure when we will be able to do it!

A trio of shoppers...

After a lazy morning, Sophie, Mike and I drove into town for some shopping. It's been a gorgeous day today with blue skies and sunshine all day and the town was a lot busier than it was the last time we came here, on New Year's Day!

Sophie needed to take a playsuit back to River Island so this was now the third time we'd had to go back to the shop. The sales assistant refunded the whole amount back onto her card, which was an unexpected bonus! I was expecting yet more hassle as Sophie had used her own money plus the refund from the pyjamas to pay for the outfit.

We called into Primark so Sophie could buy some leggings and vest tops and she met her friend Danni, who works in there. Mike looked at some clothes but didn't seem that keen on them and I was a little shocked at how low the prices were...£2 for a tee-shirt?

Sophie bought some clothes for New York in New Look and we had lunch in McDonald's as a treat. On the way back to the car we called into Debenhams as I wanted to look at the homeware range but was shocked to see a Jasper Conran quilt cover for sale at £92! We've gone from one extreme to another! Mike's friend tagged along with us and even accompanied us back to the car which was a bit strange, but he seemed a nice lad who worked for Trilogy as well, but at Mounts Baths. He told us how much he earned as a life-guard and I was impressed...hint, hint, Mikey!

From town we went to Jones's and I treated myself to a new quilt with my Christmas money. The quilt we have is old (I'm not going to say how old!) so I'll look forward to snuggling up under that when I change the bedding!

After we got home Sophie and I took Monty for a cat walk and we went to see the horses in the gathering twilight. It was a beautiful evening with the sky a mix of blues, pinks and peaches:

It was far colder than I expected so after our first lap of the estate I went and put my coat on so we could go around once again!

A cold walk

I was awake at 6am this morning and spent a very pleasant couple of hours drinking coffee and watching The Affair and the ending of Delicious, both of which were excellent. Outside it was foggy and looked very cold indeed!

After dropping Sophie off at work, Keith and I went for a walk and managed four miles. We walked up to the village (and were shocked by the driving we witnessed on the way) and along the stony track as the gate was open, which was a bonus. I do miss going this way but since the land has been used to graze sheep the farmer is not keen on walkers using this path.

The ground was a bit frozen which made it easier but once we were in the woods, the grass was boggy and wet. The only wild animal we saw today was a squirrel in the distance, but for the whole way we heard gunshots so there was obviously a shoot going on nearby. No wonder we didn't see any pheasants!

It was lovely to get home to our warm house and have a cup of tea and something to eat. I spent the afternoon in the conservatory with a snorey Monty and I saw two squirrels in our garden! We now have Cyril and Cheryl! I'm not sure what was going on as one of them was making strange noises and they were both very jittery with their tails twitching like mad!

Looking back

Some photos from past Januaries:

Sophie and Mike - Berlin 2008

Pitsford 2010

Pitsford 2010

2010

2013

2013

2013

2013

2016

A quiet end to the week.

Thursday and Friday have been quiet days with not a great deal to write about. I haven't heard back about the job I applied for last week, which is a bit disappointing...and worrying. I thought I may have been called for an interview at least!

After we had picked up the kids from uni and college we drove over to Mum and Dad's house for a cup of tea. The traffic was so much quieter this evening so last week must have been down to the dire warnings of the snow, which fell the next morning!

We enjoyed a cup of tea and slices of cake and had a chat with my parents. They gave Sophie some money for her trip to New York and lent her a cabin suitcase again...that bag must be more travelled than we are!

On Friday, as the weather was so lovely, I washed my car and Keith's car, both of which were filthy. I even cleaned them inside as well so I was really pleased when I'd finished and they were both all shiny. I really need to get out into the garden and do some tidying up - some of my summer bedding plants have died and look very sorry for themselves! The good thing is that I can see some daffodils poking their heads above the soil and it won't be long before these lovely cheery flowers are everywhere!

A steady day

On the way to my stint at the Citizens Advice Bureau this morning I dropped Sophie off at uni and agreed to pick her up later in the day at Sixfields as she was going there for lunch. I arrived at the Guildhall at the same time as Frank and a Borough council staff member very kindly let us in. It was colder than I'd realised!

We had a busy day with a steady stream of people coming in to see us and I once again called all the clients who had appointments the next day to remind them to come in. We were finished on the dot of 3pm and it only took me ten minutes to drive over to Sixfields where Sophie was waiting in the Ten Pin Bowling venue. They all spilled out of the building after their lunch and a few games in the arcade, looking very excited as they only have just over a week before they're all off to New York, lucky things!

Sophie told me that we needed to be at uni for 3.30am on the day that she goes...! That is very early! It's the same day as Sue and Paul and Richard and Michelle are coming around for our next Wine Evening so I will either have to have an afternoon nap or go back to bed after we've dropped Sophie off!

An impulsive purchase!

Keith and I took Sophie to uni early this morning as she had a meeting with her friends about their forthcoming trip to New York. We went straight over to Kettering to get some shopping and called to see Mum and Dad for a coffee on the way home.

I spent the rest of the day working on my assignment and cleaning the downstairs of the house. Keith and I tried to clean our dining room chairs but we were unsuccessful - they are still horribly stained and dirty - so I had a look on the internet for a furniture outlet store in Rushden that I had heard about on Facebook. I saw that they were open until 6pm so I suggested to Keith that after picking up Sophie we should go over and have a look.

We found the place quite easily and walked into a huge shed-like building containing loads of tables, chairs, sofas and all manner of furniture. It was freezing cold inside and we wandered around until we saw six chairs that would look great in the conservatory. I had really wanted a faux leather but these were dark grey with a textured fabric surface. They were a good price so after sitting on them and examining them all we bought them there and then! We managed to get four into the back of my car and after taking them home Keith and I returned for the other two, which was a fair journey but worth it to get rid of our horrible old chairs!

To be fair they had done us well over the years we'd had them but there was no way I could invite our friends over with the state they were in...so embarrassing!

In the evening Keith went out to Cogenhoe to see his football team play and I cooked spaghetti bolognese from scratch. I chopped up onions, celery, garlic and carrots and then gently fried them with the meat before letting the whole thing simmer for over an hour, with the addition of red wine, beef stock and tomatoes. It tasted much richer than normal and the only thing I would do differently would be to dry-fry the mince first to cut down on the fat. We all enjoyed the meal and although I was stood over it for almost two hours, the extra taste was worth the trouble!

The celebrations continue!

Ian (Keith's electrician mate) came over today to help with silencing the noise our two loos make when they're flushed. It's an embarrassing sound and before we have friends over for dinner in a couple of weeks I want to make sure they don't utter a peep (the toilets that is, not our friends!).

I took Sophie to uni at 9am and came back to catch up with various jobs that needed doing. Ian and Keith had finished by lunchtime and I was delighted that the flushing systems on the cloakroom and bathroom loo were working perfectly!

When it was time to collect Sophie I took Mike to Brixworth as he was staying over with a friend and we had a good chat about our day out in London yesterday. After collecting Sophie, we headed over to Beckworth Emporium for a late lunch, a birthday present from my daughter which was a real treat!

We walked straight into the restaurant and were seated at a large table in the outside part, which was still warm despite the horrible weather outside. There have been no blue skies today, it's just been grey, misty and cold.

Sophie and I both chose a chicken, chorizo and tomato wrap served with french fries and coleslaw. As a treat we had a glass of wine and followed our lovely meal with a dessert - sticky toffee pudding for Sophie and the Spaghetti ice-cream for me. The food was lovely and we emerged from the restaurant feeling nicely stuffed!

I bought a few treats including a Scotch egg and some chocolate footballs for Mike and we made our way home in the grey gloom. It was a lovely thought that we didn't have to go anywhere tonight and no dinner to make either, as we postponed our spaghetti Bolognese until tomorrow night when Mike will be back and Keith is out at football.

We played cards in the conservatory with a glass of wine and then it was an episode of Endeavour before bed!

A Birthday treat!

When I checked the weather forecast early last week, today was supposed to have been sunny and dry but it has rained all day! And it was that steady drizzle that really soaks into everything and makes driving very difficult!

We set off at 10am after I'd opened my cards and presents and I was very happy with what I received - money and wine - what's better than that! We had a good journey down the M1 to London but driving was unpleasant as my windscreen wipers were constantly going and the spray and rain were horrible. We remembered the route from the M1 to Exhibition Road and although the traffic was busy, we made good time. However, driving along Cromwell Road we realised that we couldn't turn left to head up to Hyde Park we so we had to carry on and find a alternative turning. Just before we reached Harrods we found a turning and drove along some very narrow - and extremely posh - streets. I've never seen such a concentration of prestige cars parked along the road in my life!

Eventually, after a few more turns and U-turns, we reached Hyde Park and managed to find a space on the main road that runs through. We fed £7 into the meter which gave us five hours of parking and enjoyed our pic-nic before hitting the streets!

As it was such a horrible day, going to a museum seemed like a good idea to lots of people and the Science and Natural History museums were already busy with queues waiting to get in. The V&A was a little quieter and we decided to wander around the halls dedicated to Europe from the 16th century first. There was lots to look at and some really beautiful objects on display and we wandered from hall to hall marvelling at all the history.

Main entrance hall

Not the real one!

A fine specimen of a man!

The V&A is a lovely, really light and airy museum and we had a good look around for about three hours. I loved seeing artefacts from Nepal, India and Tibet, some of which were extremely old. We all fancied a hot drink but the cafe was bursting to the seams so we decided to leave it and try and find somewhere outside the museum. Our last stop was a hall dedicated to objects from 300AD and Mike tried on some replica clothes from about 1000AD:

The kids took lots of selfies and although by the end of our tour they were getting a bit bored, I still think they enjoyed the experience.

We left the V&A and by now the queues were really long as the museum was at capacity. We trudged back up Exhibition road in the misty drizzle and had a peek at the menu of a Hungarian restaurant that we remembered from previous visits. One day we'll go! This road has been turned into one of those "shared" roads with no pavements or kerbs and it was quite confusing as to who could go where!

Opposite our car was one of the Serpentine galleries and as it was free to enter we went in, hoping there would be a small cafe. Alas, there was not, and the exhibition itself was weird in the extreme! It was by a woman called Lucy Raven and none of us had a clue as to what was going on! It was very dark with lights and sound and after a few minutes we beat a rapid retreat! Not really our sort of thing!

Another of the Serpentine galleries was a five minute walk away so we headed there and had a look at paintings by someone called Zaha Hadid. The cafe here was called The Magazine Restaurant and at first we thought they were just serving meals but when we asked if we could have a drink they were very welcoming.

Keith and I had a pot of tea while Mike and Soph enjoyed a creamy hot chocolate and it was very pleasant sitting in the cafe and looking out over the misty park. Outside it grew dark and misty but inside it was cosy and the place had a lovely atmosphere.

I paid the bill (£14 including service charge!) and we returned to the car. Gladys refused to turn on and direct us to Hammersmith so we used Sophie's phone instead which turned out to be wonderful. We drove straight there and managed to park on a side street a couple of minute's walk away, which was a bonus. I had worried we would find it difficult to park.

The Cross Keys in Hammersmith is situated in a lovely area of London with narrow side streets and terraced houses that look very cosy. As there was a football match on between Liverpool and Manchester United, the pub was packed to the rafters so we squeezed ourselves into a quiet corner and Keith went to the bar. We had a view of the televisions so Keith was delighted to be able to watch the last twenty minutes while sipping a pint of Fuller's London Pride. When Man U scored the equaliser, the whole pub erupted!

As we were sipping our drinks, Sophie gasped and whispered to me that one of the men sitting at a nearby table was Will Poulter who had starred alongside Leonardo di Caprio in The Revenant. He was wearing a baseball cap and if Sophie hadn't said anything I would never have known! She said that he'd looked at her and in that instant she knew exactly who he was. It was all very exciting!

Thankfully, after the match the pub emptied out a bit and we were able to sit down. We had a look at the menu and we were a bit disappointed to see that it wasn't the usual fare on offer, but a much more limited choice.

We swapped tables again and sat down where Will Poulter had been sitting...this gave us all a little thrill! Our food was OK, but I have to say it was nothing exceptional. I had Black Pudding Scotch egg to start and there wasn't a huge amount of taste. Sophie had asked if the kitchen could make her garlic bread and they happily obliged which was great. Mike had fish goujons and Keith had flat bread served with a harissa dip. For mains, Keith, Sophie and I opted for the battered fish with chips and peas while Mike went vegetarian with pasta in a very spicy sauce. The batter was nice and crispy, but again, there wasn't a lot of taste to my meal.

None of us had room for dessert and by now it was past 8pm so we paid the bill (£66 including drinks which I thought was very reasonable) and walked back to the car. We used Sophie's satnav on her phone again and before long we were on the M1 and heading north.

We arrived home at 10pm and I had a whisky and ginger wine to celebrate. Cheers!

An indulgent day!

The snow all went by yesterday afternoon and this morning we awoke to grey skies. Keith and I took Sophie to work and then called to see Mum and Dad for a coffee before popping to Tesco to buy picnic food for our trip to London tomorrow.

Tesco was very busy so I was relieved neither of us have to go at the weekend to do our weekly shop! I would rather have it delivered! We bought some rolls, ham and beef and some cocktail sausages and thankfully headed home to have a late breakfast.

In the afternoon the sun came out and the skies cleared but I stayed inside in the warm while Mike went to Brixworth and Keith went off to watch Sileby play. I had a very indulgent afternoon, watching an episode of "Delicious" and having a long bath. Perfect!

Unfortunately, Sophie was really busy at work and we had to wait until 7pm to go and collect her. She was shattered, poor thing, and said she'd hardly had a break all day. We had picked Mike up on the way and when we all finally arrived home it was almost 7.30pm. Keith immediately started dinner - a lovely homemade beef pie - and it wasn't until nearly 9pm that we had eaten and washed up. We were going to watch a film but decided to put it off for another time. We had an early start in the morning so it was off to bed!

A covering of snow...

Well, we awoke to frost but that was it this morning. After yesterday and all the dire warnings for snow and ice, it all felt very flat!

However, as we were all getting ready to get the kids off to uni and college, it did start to snow. Just small flakes at first but then it started to come down quite heavily. Sophie had a doctor's appointment before she went to uni and when we came out the roads were covered. I wasn't expecting this!

Driving to uni was a bit hazardous - at one point I applied my brakes and nothing happened which was very alarming! Luckily nothing was in front or behind me and I did eventually slow down, but it made me very cautious!

We crawled into Northampton and I dropped Sophie off at a very snowy campus. I then gingerly made my way home on the main A43 rather than risk the quieter country roads. The snow stopped and the skies cleared so that was a relief!

Keith was waiting for me and we decided to go ahead with our walk. On Wednesday he and Sophie had been for a walk around the nature reserve and had spotted an injured (they think) buzzard. The huge, beautiful bird hadn't seemed able to fly so they reported it to the staff at the fishing lodge and they hoped that someone had gone to investigate. Keith wanted to walk the route to see if anything had happened.

We parked the car at the top bridleway between Walgrave and Holcot and while I put my walking boots on I gasped at how cold and fierce the wind was! Freezing! Luckily I had my hat with me and some gloves so I was well-prepared. We walked down to the nature reserve and then back towards Walgrave. The wind abated a bit while we were in the reserve and I took some photos:

When we came to the place where the buzzard had been there was no sign of it, and thankfully no feathers or anything to show that it had been attacked. Either it had managed to fly off or had been picked up by the bird team who patrol the reserve. Keith was very relieved!

We carried on and then turned up the hill to Walgrave. We decided to go and collect the car rather than walk home and get it later, but we had another steep hill to climb before we got to it. It was still very windy and cold and both of us were very glad to get back in, drive home and get warm again!

We enjoyed a lunch of leftover nibbles and then I checked my emails, delighted to find I'd passed my latest assignment, so that was a relief! I also saw a job I liked the look of and applied for it. Fingers crossed!

A forecast of snow...

I woke early this morning and was able to sit and watch an episode of "The Affair" in peace and quiet, which was bliss. This series is really excellent and I will be very sorry when it ends. The acting has been brilliant.

It was down to me to take the kids to college and uni today as Keith had a blood test at 9am. Unfortunately, the road we normally use was closed because of an accident (on a bend...no surprise as people drive around it like lunatics) so we had a diversion to make first of all. I dread the morning school run but although we were stuck for a while it wasn't too bad, thank goodness.

When Keith arrived home we drove over to Aldi and Tesco and did our weekly shopping. For some reason Sophie and Mike had got involved with our list and had ordered various items including a jar of Jalapenos and lemon curd (Mike) and cleansing water and mayonnaise (Sophie). Heaven forbid if we forgot them!

Because of the warning of snow for our area both supermarkets were busy, presumably everyone out getting their supplies in before the end of the world approached (or 1-2 cm of snow). Once back home I wrote my CV and emailed it to Andy who I had met on Tuesday. If it's OK I'll then put it on various job websites and see what happens...

Keith and I left at about 3.30pm to pick up Soph and Mike and went to get Sophie first. MIke called us to ask where we were as by now it was raining but there was definitely some sleet mixed in with it. We told him we wouldn't be long and to stay inside the foyer at college until we got there.

We collected Sophie and then drove to get Mike but the traffic was horrendous, presumably because everyone had left work early. I managed to turn around as I didn't fancy sitting in traffic for ages and we went another way to get Mike but it took us half an hour, rather than the ten minutes it usually does.

Back home I prepared some nibbles as Sue came over for a glass of wine. She brought a lovely bottle of Prosecco and we had a good chat until almost 8pm. Outside the threatened snow never arrived - what a surprise!

A busy day!

Today has been very busy at the Citizens Advice Bureau and I've really enjoyed it, which is great as the last couple of weeks have been quiet with not a lot happening.

We had a visit from Tina first thing and she asked us to telephone people who had booked appointments for tomorrow, to ensure they were going to show up and also to ask the clients if they wanted to take part in a short online survey about their experience with us.

We had Bill in as one of the advisers and he is very efficient and whips through the clients quickly, which is how it should be. The assessments should only really last about ten minutes as then we can point them in the right direction or make appointments for a longer time. We had a couple of emotional clients in this morning but I suppose it's the time of year with post-Christmas blues rearing their ugly heads.

As usual, the weather was beautiful and I managed to have a short walk at lunchtime to get some fresh air as our office can get a bit stuffy! Things overran a bit in the afternoon as we had a new adviser in and some of the issues were more complicated but I was walking out at about 3.15pm which wasn't too bad.

We played cards in the conservatory before dinner although Sophie and I were a bit subdued as we have decided to not have any alcohol during the week. Having said that, Sue is coming over for wine and nibbles tomorrow so I will fall off the wagon then!

Help needed!

Today I finished my latest assignment, a source of huge relief, as I had found this one particularly difficult for some reason.

At 1pm I had an appointment at Kettering library to see a National Careers adviser who I hoped was going to help me with my CV. I was early (as usual) and parked in the nearest car park before trying to find my way to the library. I don't visit Kettering very often and I was surprised to see museums and lovely little tearooms nearby. It's an area I'd like to explore again.

I met Andy who was very helpful and made some great suggestions for what to include (and what not to include). I was there for about 45 minutes and before heading home I popped to see Mum and Dad but they were out, so it was home to eat a slice of cake and enjoy a cup of tea in the short amount of time we had until it was time to pick Sophie up.

Today has been lovely and sunny but we have snow forecast for Thursday...I'll believe it when I see it, but I am really hoping we'll have a covering!

In search of sauce...

We were able to have another lie-in this morning as Mike wasn't at college and Sophie didn't have to go to uni until midday.

We dropped her off and headed to Aldi to get some things we'd forgotten last week and then drove to B&Q as I wanted to buy some paint for our hallway and landing, a job I am dreading doing! B&Q has been cut in half and we noticed signs going up for a new Aldi within the store...Lidl is right next door!

I also bought a new lamp for the landing and suggested to Keith that we go and have a cup of tea in Waitrose until it was time to collect Sophie from uni. This is becoming a regular thing on a Monday!

Sophie's friend Danni hitched a lift with us and after we'd dropped her off we went over to the Weston Favell Centre to go to the bank and Tesco. Sophie wants to buy Mike some very hot chilli sauces for his birthday and the store had several varieties available. Phew!

Sunday afternoon shopping

We were able to have a lie-in this morning after our late night, and a lazy-ish morning before Sophie and I went to Milton Keynes with my Mum at lunchtime. It was a lovely day with sunshine and blue skies but a bit chilly.

We went to John Lewis first for lunch as we were all hungry and had a good chat over bowls of soup served with crusty bread. A perfect winter warmer! We had a good look around the store as all the sales were on and I spotted some pillows in the sale. However, the British goose down king size pillows at £180 each certainly weren't included!

Sophie took her pyjamas back to River Island and bought a cute playsuit for Florida instead, but shopping today was dominated by the racks and racks of sale items, especially in M&S where they had loads of coats that had been reduced. I tried a couple on but didn't find one I liked so I'll stick to the one I have! We also went up to the lingerie section and had a funny chat with one of the assistants about boob sizes...we are never happy with the figure we have!

By 4pm were all shopped out so we headed home on the M1 rather than go the very long way home via Olney. We dropped Mum off at her house and then headed home in the gloom for a welcome glass of wine before a roast chicken dinner!

Back down to London

Sophie and Mike were off to see The Impractical Jokers at the O2 today so Keith and I had planned on going to see the film "Passengers" and then having a meal afterwards. I'd booked parking with Just Park again, this time at a private address a short walk from the venue.

We had a very relaxed morning with a leisurely breakfast before we all got ready to leave at 2pm. The weather was grey and a bit misty and I hoped that we wouldn't see any fog like we did last time. It looks very much like I hadn't been done for speeding on the last trip which was a relief. I really didn't fancy a £100 fine and three points on my licence!

We had a great journey down to London and arrived on the Greenwich Peninsula a few minutes before our parking time. We had to call Andrew, who owned the space, and he would arrive to give us a fob to get into the covered parking space and a permit to display in the car.

We had tried to put the address into Gladys but as the apartments were so new, she couldn't find them. We knew the vague area the address was in so we headed for that but then got a bit lost. The streets were extremely narrow with parking bays on each side and there were numerous dead ends as construction was still going on. We called Andrew and asked if he could direct us to his address but he very kindly came down and met us when we pulled up by the river. We were only around the corner so he walked back and we followed slowly.

The idea was to let us into the parking under the apartments and then direct us to his space. However, the fob he had wouldn't open the gates...The poor man looked a bit embarrassed and after trying and trying he went to get his spare fob. I parked a bit further up the street and watched another man having difficulty with the gates as well.

Andrew re-appeared and said he'd asked the concierge to open the gates for us. He then showed us into our space and we all walked back down to the main foyer where we spoke to the concierge. He was leaving at 7pm and we just hoped that by the time we left the O2 later in the evening the problem would be sorted. I didn't fancy spending a night in London!

We had a short walk to the O2 and by now it had begun to drizzle and was misty again. The walk by the Thames was a quiet one with hardly anyone about and the apartments on our left were still in the process of being built. I did wonder what it would be like to live so near to so much going on and all the excellent transport links this area of London has. Living in the country as we do, we have to drive everywhere. We have no choice!

The O2 was beginning to fill up with people and we accompanied Sophie and Mike to Las Iguanas where they were going to have something to eat. We had a drink with them, which filled in the time nicely before our film started at 6pm, and watched them eat hot chicken wings and nachos to start, followed by beefburgers.

Keith and I hadn't eaten since our late breakfast so we bought some popcorn (too much in hindsight!) and a bottle of water to take into the film. I really enjoyed Passengers and could quite easily sit through it again. The film was about a spaceship travelling for 120 years to a distant planet that was being inhabited by humans who had left Earth. There were 5000 passengers on the ship and around 200 crew and Chris Pratt played a passenger who was woken in error 90 years too early.

I loved the visual effects and the storyline and as we were so near to the screen I really felt like I was there with them! Keith wasn't so sure about the film but I enjoyed it very much. I think seeing it at the cinema made it more real, somehow.

When we came out we had planned on eating at The Slug and Lettuce but we stood at the bar for a while and were ignored by the bartenders so we left and went to a Chinese buffet restaurant instead. I think this was a bit of a mistake as the place was shabby, noisy and packed. I have to admit that I wasn't really that hungry as I'd scoffed a load of popcorn and managed just three small plates of food. Keith ate a bit more than me but I'm not sure we really got value for money!

After we'd eaten it was almost 10pm so we went to the main entrance to wait for the kids who eventually emerged at about 10.30pm. The trickle of people coming out early turned to an almighty flood and we had difficulty spotting them in the crowd! The'd both enjoyed the show and had found it very funny.

We walked back to the apartment block and managed to get into the building easily as a resident was going in at the same time. We also managed to open the gates to get out and Keith and Mike went back inside the foyer to return the permit and fobs.

We then headed back towards the main road and became stuck in terrible traffic as there was a constant stream of cars coming from the O2 car parks. Getting onto the roundabout was extremely difficult and I had to literally push my way on, but once back onto the A102 we made good progress. Thankfully, there were no lane closures or variable speed limits! We made it home by 1am and headed straight for bed!

Making plans...

Today has been another fairly uneventful day but at least we have a busy weekend to look forward to! We dropped Sophie and Mike off at college and work and Keith went for a walk while I returned home to do some essential housework! I would have liked to have accompanied Keith on his walk but I had to do some cleaning as we are out most of the weekend.

When Keith arrived home we had breakfast and I spent the afternoon grappling with my assignment again. I also called the National Careers Service and booked an appointment to see an adviser on Tuesday afternoon. I need help in compiling a CV which hopefully will be my first step in finding a job!

Sophie finished work a bit earlier today and was almost ready to go by the time we'd collected Mike from college. We went in to have a cup of tea and chatted to Maureen who said they'd been very busy again even though a lot of children had returned to school.

When we went outside to go home the weather was terrible - really cold and rainy and not very nice at all! It was great to go home, have a bath and watch Pointless!

Sophie's friend Danni came over in the evening and the two girls enjoyed pizza and wedges in the conservatory with a glass of wine. Keith, Mike and I enjoyed the same supper and while we were eating we asked Mike what he wanted to do for his birthday which is coming up soon. He mentioned a meal out with family which suits me fine...I was dreading him saying he wanted a party!

A few nerves!

Mike, Sophie and I had a dentist appointment this afternoon and it was our first visit to the new man as our regular dentist had retired last year. I had been with him for over thirty years so I was a bit nervous and also wary that the new man might try and say things were wrong with our teeth and that we needed a lot of treatment!

Mike went first and was told he needed a filling - not a great start! Sophie was in the chair next and after giving her a quick check-up he said he wanted to take an x-ray of her teeth! We all had to go out of the room while it was done, but thankfully everything was fine. I had started to get a bit jittery as I suspected I would be x-rayed as well...and I was! It felt a bit uncomfortable as I'm not keen on having plastic things in my mouth, but again all was fine.

After a check-up and a scale and polish - and he was a lot gentler than my previous dentist - we were all done and making appointments for July...gulp! I was very relieved!

We had another busy evening as Sophie was out again tonight, this time with Daisy and Laura. Just before she went she had been told by a friend that the results for one of her assignments was available to see and as it was a piece of work she'd put a lot of effort into, she logged onto the internet straight away. It was an assignment on Amazon and she was really hoping to get a good mark so she was very nervous when she went onto the web page to get her mark...which was an A- so she was delighted with that!

In all the excitement she forgot to take the girls' presents so when I arrived home I put them into the car straight away for when I went back to get her later in the evening!

Quiet days...

There's not much point going into great detail about Tuesday as not a lot happened, I'm afraid to say! Sophie was back at work and she was very busy, bless her. I think she'll be glad to get back to university next Monday! Keith and I dropped her off and went and bought some groceries before going home and sadly, taking all of the Christmas decorations down. The house looks so bare and empty now!

On Wednesday I was in at the Citizen's Advice Bureau and I was expecting it to be busy with post-Christmas worries, but it was a steady day with a regular stream of clients coming in. The only thing was I found the office stuffy today and it was great to get back out into the fresh air when I left. Of course, as with most Wednesdays I've been volunteering, the weather was lovely!

Half and half...

Today, by contrast to yesterday, dawned beautiful and cold, with clear blue skies and abundant sunshine. Keith, Sophie and I had planned on going for a walk and by 10am we were ready.

We left the car in the Brixworth Country car park and headed home! At some point this year I want to do the whole of Pitsford reservoir, both the nature reserve side and the public side, from home (we reckon it's about 16 miles) so today we did half of each (although I think the halves we did are shorter than the other sides if you know what I mean!).

It was very cold with a chill wind that cut right through us. However, down by the water we were full on with the sun so we warmed up quite a bit.

Amazingly, on our walk up towards the causeway, we saw three robins! Each of them made sure we knew they were there by hopping about on the ground and then watching us from the branches of the trees.

It wasn't as busy with people as we thought it would be but it was still quite early in the day. There were numerous joggers, cyclists and walkers out enjoying the fresh air. When we reached the car park it was nearly full. No doubt the beautiful weather had brought everyone out to blow away their cobwebs!

We crossed over the road and entered the much quieter nature reserve side. We only saw four other people the whole way.

Although it's far quieter, the going is slightly harder because you walk on grassy paths which can sometimes be quite muddy. We walked on and stopped briefly for a bite to eat and a drink of water. Once in the woods it was really quiet with only the sounds of the birds to be heard.

Before long we'd reached the track that leads up to our village and we decided to take this rather than push on and walk further along the nature reserve. In the distance we could see something red in a tree and on closer inspection it turned out to be a deflated red star balloon! What it was doing there, we'll never know! Sophie took it down and carried it with her so we could throw it away in our bin at home.

It was great to get home and check our mileage on the app on my phone - we'd done 6.47 miles in two hours and twenty three minutes. We had a shower to warm up and I made breakfast of eggy bread and spaghetti hoops for Sophie and myself. After we'd eaten we returned to get my car and by now the car park was very busy indeed!

Sophie and I headed into work as she needed to put down her hours before the cut-off date and the place was heaving! It felt very good to be able to walk away from it without any worries!

Before going home we called to see Mum and Dad for a cup of tea and my Mum tried on two dresses to show us as it's my Dad's model aeroplane club dinner and dance next weekend. She looked great in both of them but we preferred the newer one which was very glamourous!

We headed home by the scenic route and the sun had just set, making the sky a mixture of deep yellows and blues. The trees outlined against the sky looked stunning - it was a real visual treat for us as we drove home.

We had a busy evening as Sophie was out with her friend Hannah. We picked Hannah up at 7pm and headed into town as the girls were going to a restaurant on the market square called Zapato Lounge. It was situated in the old Church's China shop and looked lovely from the outside.

We drove home and on the way almost had an accident. I was driving along the A43 minding my own business when a car came out of a side road and nearly didn't stop. I swerved to avoid them (good job there was nothing coming the other way) and he stopped, but he was half way out into the road. I was really quite shaken up and had braced myself to hit him so it was a scary incident. There was a car behind me turning left so whether he'd seen the indicators going and thought it was me, I don't know.

Back home we rushed about preparing dinner of cottage pie with the beef from last night, and bubble and squeak. We then just about had time to wash up and watch the last episode of Humans (the best of the entire series) before it was time to go and pick Sophie and Hannah up again!