I was up pretty early this morning but Keith had beaten me to it and had been awake since the wee small hours. He is on "tenterhooks" apparently, and is very nervous about our holiday!
Sophie and I had an appointment at the Virgin spa this morning to deal with our unwanted hairy bits so we left at 10.15am while Keith and Mike went to Kettering to get Mike's hair cut. We arrived to find that we weren't booked in at the same time as we thought we were, so I had a forty-five minute wait while Sophie was seen to. It was quite relaxing, and the soothing music was lovely though, so I didn't mind!
I had a half leg wax and it really hurt...and I mean hurt! I had to ask myself...why was I putting myself through this when a razor would have done the job quite nicely! I also had an eyebrow shape which was less painful and then I re-joined my daughter who had been waiting for me. We popped to the Weston Favell centre to go to the bank and then it was time to go home.
I had thought we needn't go back out again today, but we arrived home to find Mike dressed for work as he'd been called in. It's quite ironic that his business depends on good weather while Sophie is reliant on rain!
Back home I mowed the lawn, hoovered the floor in the garage and gave the door a good clean as it was filthy. I also put all of our bedding back and checked the suitcases as Keith had lost some razors. With some other small jobs sorted out, I was busy all afternoon, but we did manage to walk Monty around the estate. I am now in the state of mind where I will miss home but I'm excited about going away. It happens every time!
On the way to collect Mike from work we filled the car up with diesel and returned home to play cards over a drink and some peanuts. It's now dawned on us that tomorrow we're off to the airport so we're all pretty excited!
Monday 31 July 2017
Sunday 30 July 2017
Out for lunch
I had thought that today might be a lazy day, but it was not to be. Keith, Sophie and I went shopping at Tesco first thing as we needed meals for tonight and Monday. The supermarket was as busy as always and after a bit of wandering up and down the aisles searching for inspiration, we decided on pulled pork served in baps with roasted vegetables and crispy potatoes. Tomorrow we would have a curry.
Back home I tidied the garage and put some rubbish in the car to take to the tip. I also washed out our disgusting food bins and cleaned Monty's food mat - I didn't want to look like a slut in front of Sue and Michelle when they came to feed him!
Mike went to work at 12pm and on the way we picked up one of his mates and gave him a lift. He seems a lot happier in this job, thank goodness, and it was great to meet his friend who looked like the lead singer of The Cure from years ago!
Unbelievably, we had to queue to get into the tip! It must be the day for clearing out rubbish! Once that was all disposed of we returned home and I hoovered and sorted out the children's bedding before having a shower. We had arranged to pick up Mum at 1.30pm and have lunch at Farndon Fields as a little goodbye before our holiday.
The sky was a beautiful mix of fluffy white clouds and heavier grey ones and it kept looking like we were going to get a heavy downpour at any minute.The farm shop and restaurant were heaving and we had a little wait before we were seated and looking at the menu. Sophie and I ordered a glass of wine each and a chicken and bacon sandwich served with salad and fries. Mum chose an egg and mayonnaise sarnie and the food was delicious, if a little filling!
Afterwards, we wandered around looking at the food and I noticed they sold Saxby's Cider as well as the ubiquitous Warner Edwards Gin. A small 20cl bottle was £16! Sophie bought us an ice-cream and then it was back to Mum and Dad's for a quick drink and to say goodbye. Keeping in touch is so easy these days and although I won't be phoning them a lot, I'll be emailing them regularly and they can keep up with what we're doing via email and Facebook.
We drove home and I did some pre-travel chores on the computer and then it was time for a spot of television watching with a drink while Keith prepared dinner. The pork was OK but it's not something we'll have again!
Back home I tidied the garage and put some rubbish in the car to take to the tip. I also washed out our disgusting food bins and cleaned Monty's food mat - I didn't want to look like a slut in front of Sue and Michelle when they came to feed him!
Mike went to work at 12pm and on the way we picked up one of his mates and gave him a lift. He seems a lot happier in this job, thank goodness, and it was great to meet his friend who looked like the lead singer of The Cure from years ago!
Unbelievably, we had to queue to get into the tip! It must be the day for clearing out rubbish! Once that was all disposed of we returned home and I hoovered and sorted out the children's bedding before having a shower. We had arranged to pick up Mum at 1.30pm and have lunch at Farndon Fields as a little goodbye before our holiday.
The sky was a beautiful mix of fluffy white clouds and heavier grey ones and it kept looking like we were going to get a heavy downpour at any minute.The farm shop and restaurant were heaving and we had a little wait before we were seated and looking at the menu. Sophie and I ordered a glass of wine each and a chicken and bacon sandwich served with salad and fries. Mum chose an egg and mayonnaise sarnie and the food was delicious, if a little filling!
Afterwards, we wandered around looking at the food and I noticed they sold Saxby's Cider as well as the ubiquitous Warner Edwards Gin. A small 20cl bottle was £16! Sophie bought us an ice-cream and then it was back to Mum and Dad's for a quick drink and to say goodbye. Keeping in touch is so easy these days and although I won't be phoning them a lot, I'll be emailing them regularly and they can keep up with what we're doing via email and Facebook.
We drove home and I did some pre-travel chores on the computer and then it was time for a spot of television watching with a drink while Keith prepared dinner. The pork was OK but it's not something we'll have again!
Saturday 29 July 2017
Last day!
So my last day at work has arrived and the huge sense of relief I thought I would feel didn't materialise. If the hours weren't so long I would definitely have stayed as there were lots of aspects of the job that I really enjoyed. I loved chatting to customers, tasting new wines and even liked being out in the van delivering whilst listening to Ken Bruce and Jeremy Vine on Radio 2!
Sophie was also at work today and we called into the Co-op at Moulton as she wanted a coffee and a pastry. My lovely daughter bought me a Latte and a gooey chocolate pastry as well!
As soon as I got into work I bought a bottle of Louis Roederer Champagne and put it in the fridge to chill. I then went to Lidl to buy some nibbles and when I returned Jonathan went out in the van to do the three deliveries we had today.
We were fairly busy but the weather has been disappointing today with more heavy grey clouds and an absence of the sun. When Jonathan returned we opened the Champagne and my two colleagues presented me with a bottle of Black Cow Milk Vodka and a pack of Fever Tree tonic...I was completely overwhelmed and surprised!
We enjoyed the Champagne and ate the nibbles and then it was back to work serving some lovely customers who come into the store and enjoy their wine buying as a social event. I will really miss that.
All too soon it was 5pm and I bought six wines that had been my favourites - three bottles of The Ned Pinot Grigio, two bottles of Porta 6 and a bottle of French Carignan. James helped me out to the car with them and then it was home, briefly, before Keith and I went to pick up Sophie from work.
After dinner Keith, Sophie and I watched Blue Hawaii with Elvis Presley. It was great!
Sophie was also at work today and we called into the Co-op at Moulton as she wanted a coffee and a pastry. My lovely daughter bought me a Latte and a gooey chocolate pastry as well!
As soon as I got into work I bought a bottle of Louis Roederer Champagne and put it in the fridge to chill. I then went to Lidl to buy some nibbles and when I returned Jonathan went out in the van to do the three deliveries we had today.
We were fairly busy but the weather has been disappointing today with more heavy grey clouds and an absence of the sun. When Jonathan returned we opened the Champagne and my two colleagues presented me with a bottle of Black Cow Milk Vodka and a pack of Fever Tree tonic...I was completely overwhelmed and surprised!
We enjoyed the Champagne and ate the nibbles and then it was back to work serving some lovely customers who come into the store and enjoy their wine buying as a social event. I will really miss that.
All too soon it was 5pm and I bought six wines that had been my favourites - three bottles of The Ned Pinot Grigio, two bottles of Porta 6 and a bottle of French Carignan. James helped me out to the car with them and then it was home, briefly, before Keith and I went to pick up Sophie from work.
After dinner Keith, Sophie and I watched Blue Hawaii with Elvis Presley. It was great!
Friday 28 July 2017
A marathon day!
I had loads of deliveries to do today and spent most of the day in the van. I think I drove over a hundred miles and it was hard work!
I was first in and managed to open up and get a lot of things ready before James arrived, which was good. It's typical that I'm being much more confident with all of our tasks just as my time here comes to an end!
My first delivery was to Silverstone and it was a big order - ten cases of beer and about twenty cases of wine. James and Jonathan had given me instructions on how to get where I needed to be, but that all went a bit haywire when I arrived at the main entrance and was told that all deliveries had to go to Gate 3. I duly went and turned around but at Gate 3 I was denied access and told I needed a vehicle pass...I called the woman on my delivery note who eventually told me to go back to the main entrance and demand to be let in so I could get to them via the perimeter road.
By now I was feeling a bit fed up, but I was allowed in, only I took the wrong perimeter road...there are two, apparently! I finally, finally found the way after a bit more wrangling with the stewards and luckily had a team of people to help me unload the van and put all the delivery onto trolleys.
Getting out was much easier than getting in and I was very glad to see the back of Silverstone! I headed off to Towcester to do a delivery at a pub and then drove to a wedding venue in the middle of the countryside where I got lost again! James called to ask where I was as the people at the venue had been ringing to find out where I was, even though I certainly wasn't late! The man arrived and asked me to reverse down a muddy track where another team of helpful men helped me unload and take the wine to a marquee.
I then had to trek right across the county to Badby and the weather looked very ominous. I prayed it wouldn't rain as I was unloading the van and luckily it held off. Back at the shop Sophie and Keith were waiting for me in the car park, which was lovely. They had dropped Mike off in town and had called to say hello, but I was so busy I just had time for a quick chat. It was horrible seeing them drive off!
After a quick lunch I was back out in the van to do another seven deliveries. I went to a couple of places near the town and then went back over to a tea shop near Weedon, before heading back to what I would call "my patch" where my last delivery was to a remote farm. I arrived to find nobody about and after knocking on the farmhouse door and receiving no answer I felt a bit stumped. This could well have been my last ever delivery and it was typical that it was a difficult one. The farm and outbuildings were very eerie and there was a strong wind blowing over the fields making me feel like I was on a set of a horror film!
Luckily a van appeared and a very nice man (with startlingly blue eyes) told me where to go, so that was a huge bonus! I delivered my last order and then headed thankfully back to the shop as it was now almost 6pm!
James and I spent the last remaining hours sorting out deliveries and enjoyed another slice of cake with some cider. The heavens had opened and it was a dark and horrible night. I was so glad I'd escaped the rain through the day!
We left at 8pm and I collected Mike on my way home. It was sheer bliss to get home, have a late dinner and relax. I have one more day to go!
I was first in and managed to open up and get a lot of things ready before James arrived, which was good. It's typical that I'm being much more confident with all of our tasks just as my time here comes to an end!
My first delivery was to Silverstone and it was a big order - ten cases of beer and about twenty cases of wine. James and Jonathan had given me instructions on how to get where I needed to be, but that all went a bit haywire when I arrived at the main entrance and was told that all deliveries had to go to Gate 3. I duly went and turned around but at Gate 3 I was denied access and told I needed a vehicle pass...I called the woman on my delivery note who eventually told me to go back to the main entrance and demand to be let in so I could get to them via the perimeter road.
By now I was feeling a bit fed up, but I was allowed in, only I took the wrong perimeter road...there are two, apparently! I finally, finally found the way after a bit more wrangling with the stewards and luckily had a team of people to help me unload the van and put all the delivery onto trolleys.
Getting out was much easier than getting in and I was very glad to see the back of Silverstone! I headed off to Towcester to do a delivery at a pub and then drove to a wedding venue in the middle of the countryside where I got lost again! James called to ask where I was as the people at the venue had been ringing to find out where I was, even though I certainly wasn't late! The man arrived and asked me to reverse down a muddy track where another team of helpful men helped me unload and take the wine to a marquee.
I then had to trek right across the county to Badby and the weather looked very ominous. I prayed it wouldn't rain as I was unloading the van and luckily it held off. Back at the shop Sophie and Keith were waiting for me in the car park, which was lovely. They had dropped Mike off in town and had called to say hello, but I was so busy I just had time for a quick chat. It was horrible seeing them drive off!
After a quick lunch I was back out in the van to do another seven deliveries. I went to a couple of places near the town and then went back over to a tea shop near Weedon, before heading back to what I would call "my patch" where my last delivery was to a remote farm. I arrived to find nobody about and after knocking on the farmhouse door and receiving no answer I felt a bit stumped. This could well have been my last ever delivery and it was typical that it was a difficult one. The farm and outbuildings were very eerie and there was a strong wind blowing over the fields making me feel like I was on a set of a horror film!
Luckily a van appeared and a very nice man (with startlingly blue eyes) told me where to go, so that was a huge bonus! I delivered my last order and then headed thankfully back to the shop as it was now almost 6pm!
James and I spent the last remaining hours sorting out deliveries and enjoyed another slice of cake with some cider. The heavens had opened and it was a dark and horrible night. I was so glad I'd escaped the rain through the day!
We left at 8pm and I collected Mike on my way home. It was sheer bliss to get home, have a late dinner and relax. I have one more day to go!
Thursday 27 July 2017
Sunshine and showers!
It was back to work for me today and I was working with James so I knew I'd be out and about doing deliveries while he stayed in the shop.
Sophie had a driving lesson at 9.30am and then she was off to work as well, plus Mike was doing a shift in the afternoon, which was great. Every little helps! He seems to be enjoying this job much more than working at the pub.
As predicted I did indeed have deliveries to do, both in the morning and in the afternoon. I went off to Brixworth first and then carried on to a pub in Great Doddington. After delivering to another pub in Northampton I went to Kislingbury and then it was back to the shop for lunch.
Just minutes after I got back the heavens opened and we had a huge downpour. The rain was so heavy at one point I thought the roof was going to come in! Luckily, in the afternoon the sun came out and although we had a few spots of rain my large delivery to a farm in Maidford was dry. I had to drive into the farmyard and the thought of squelching about in the mud was not pleasant!
I was at work until 8pm today but we did have some cake and a drop of blackcurrant cider to make the time go by a little more quickly! Also, a woman came in wanting to buy some Rum so we had an impromptu tasting and she bought two bottles, as well a some wine!
I drove home in the evening sunshine and enjoyed a quick drink before dinner. Earlier in the week I'd emailed Virgin to try and book their V-lounge at Gatwick but they had replied to say it was full, which was a bit disappointing. However, we decided to book into the No.1 lounge instead so hopefully that should provide a nice relaxing start to our holiday. I feel we've all earned it!
Sophie had a driving lesson at 9.30am and then she was off to work as well, plus Mike was doing a shift in the afternoon, which was great. Every little helps! He seems to be enjoying this job much more than working at the pub.
As predicted I did indeed have deliveries to do, both in the morning and in the afternoon. I went off to Brixworth first and then carried on to a pub in Great Doddington. After delivering to another pub in Northampton I went to Kislingbury and then it was back to the shop for lunch.
Just minutes after I got back the heavens opened and we had a huge downpour. The rain was so heavy at one point I thought the roof was going to come in! Luckily, in the afternoon the sun came out and although we had a few spots of rain my large delivery to a farm in Maidford was dry. I had to drive into the farmyard and the thought of squelching about in the mud was not pleasant!
I was at work until 8pm today but we did have some cake and a drop of blackcurrant cider to make the time go by a little more quickly! Also, a woman came in wanting to buy some Rum so we had an impromptu tasting and she bought two bottles, as well a some wine!
I drove home in the evening sunshine and enjoyed a quick drink before dinner. Earlier in the week I'd emailed Virgin to try and book their V-lounge at Gatwick but they had replied to say it was full, which was a bit disappointing. However, we decided to book into the No.1 lounge instead so hopefully that should provide a nice relaxing start to our holiday. I feel we've all earned it!
Wednesday 26 July 2017
A girly, sociable day!
Keith, Sophie and I popped over to Mum and Dad's house this morning to help them with a TV connection problem. They have Netflix installed on one of their televisions, but recently haven't been able to access it. They called an engineer out but he wasn't able to fix it so Sophie and I had a go. After trying to connect the TV to the wireless router, we decided to just turn the set off and back on again...and it worked! Luckily the engineer who came out didn't charge them but sometimes the simplest solutions are the best!
Back home I cleaned the house and Sophie helped me by dusting downstairs and tidying up the conservatory. At 1.30pm we headed into Northampton as we were meeting Gill from CAB after her session finished at 3pm. We had a mooch around the shops as Sophie needed to take back some tops to New Look and then we set off to explore St Giles Street. This is a much nicer part of the town and I wanted to try and find a wine shop that several customers had told me about. We found it opposite the Derngate theatre and it was called The Wine Connection. The shop wasn't large but had a lot of wines for sale, the majority of which were new to me. The man serving said that he used to run Oddbins in the town and was very friendly. I bought a bottle of Californian Merlot and some Saxby's Rhubarb cider and we wandered off to look at more places in this part of the town.
Sophie spotted an interesting looking bar but it had started to rain again so we made a dash for the Guildhall to wait for Gill. Frank wasn't in today, which was a shame as I really hadn't said goodbye to him and I felt a little guilty for just leaving so abruptly. Gill was delighted to see us and we went to Costa where we had coffee and cake. The cafe was very busy (and noisy) but we had a great time chatting about what we'd been up to lately and our forthcoming holidays.
After saying goodbye to Gill Sophie wanted to head back to the interesting bar for a cocktail but it was closed! We went to John Franklin's instead and she enjoyed a lovely Mojito while I had a glass of wine. It was great to sit and chat but we had to get back home for 6.30pm as Sue and Michelle were popping over for more wine and nibbles and to chat about looking after Monty cat while we're away.
Sue and Michelle both brought cheese, biscuits, olives and pate and we managed to get through three bottles of wine during the evening! We had a great time and they didn't leave until 11pm! I'm so pleased they'll be looking after the cat while we're on holiday and with Mum and dad coming over as well, we're hoping he won't be too lonely!
Back home I cleaned the house and Sophie helped me by dusting downstairs and tidying up the conservatory. At 1.30pm we headed into Northampton as we were meeting Gill from CAB after her session finished at 3pm. We had a mooch around the shops as Sophie needed to take back some tops to New Look and then we set off to explore St Giles Street. This is a much nicer part of the town and I wanted to try and find a wine shop that several customers had told me about. We found it opposite the Derngate theatre and it was called The Wine Connection. The shop wasn't large but had a lot of wines for sale, the majority of which were new to me. The man serving said that he used to run Oddbins in the town and was very friendly. I bought a bottle of Californian Merlot and some Saxby's Rhubarb cider and we wandered off to look at more places in this part of the town.
Sophie spotted an interesting looking bar but it had started to rain again so we made a dash for the Guildhall to wait for Gill. Frank wasn't in today, which was a shame as I really hadn't said goodbye to him and I felt a little guilty for just leaving so abruptly. Gill was delighted to see us and we went to Costa where we had coffee and cake. The cafe was very busy (and noisy) but we had a great time chatting about what we'd been up to lately and our forthcoming holidays.
After saying goodbye to Gill Sophie wanted to head back to the interesting bar for a cocktail but it was closed! We went to John Franklin's instead and she enjoyed a lovely Mojito while I had a glass of wine. It was great to sit and chat but we had to get back home for 6.30pm as Sue and Michelle were popping over for more wine and nibbles and to chat about looking after Monty cat while we're away.
Sue and Michelle both brought cheese, biscuits, olives and pate and we managed to get through three bottles of wine during the evening! We had a great time and they didn't leave until 11pm! I'm so pleased they'll be looking after the cat while we're on holiday and with Mum and dad coming over as well, we're hoping he won't be too lonely!
Tuesday 25 July 2017
A day off!
It was lovely to wake up and realise I had today (and tomorrow) off! Luckily the weather was much improved on yesterday and it was great to see blue skies and sunshine again.
We spent the morning sorting out the paperwork for the holiday and packing. I'm working all day on Thursday, Friday and Saturday so time is limited. Sophie and I have booked some pampering treatments for next Monday and with the housework that I need to do, there really aren't enough hours in the day!
After we'd packed we all showered and took Mike to work. He is serving tables at a cafe in a nearby country park where I expected it to be very busy now that the schools have broken up for the summer. After dropping him off we drove to Jones's and stocked up on toiletries and bird food. I'm hoping my parents will keep our hungry feathered friends fed while we're away!
We also popped to the Weston Favell Centre and did a spot of shopping in Tesco. The place was heaving with parents and their children and already some of the mums were losing patience with their offspring! It's only day two!
I treated Sophie to lunch at McDonald's (another busy place, obviously) and then we drove home to sit and relax in the garden. I have a ton of things I really should have done (hoovering, dusting, gardening) but it's my day off! The weather now was beautiful and about 22c, which is perfect for me.
At about 5.30pm we all trooped off to collect Mike. We were astonished to find the gates of the car park were closed already so we sat and waited outside. And we waited. Keith went to find him and saw that he was still cleaning tables and stacking furniture. I moved the car and Sophie and I spent an enjoyable time watching the comings and goings of people visiting the park. One couple turned up after (presumably) cycling around the reservoir dressed as if they had just taken part in the Tour de France. They then commenced the loading of their bikes into their estate car and I've never seen so much faffing about in my life. Surely it would be easier to buy a bike rack? The front wheels came off both bikes and they had large sheets of cardboard to keep the cycles separated. Then they removed their snazzy shoes and gloves. They must have been at it for about twenty minutes before they finally drove off!
Mike came out at 6pm so in future we will pick him up at that time rather than wait, enjoyable though it was! We drove home and played a couple of games of cards with a drink before a rather late dinner!
We spent the morning sorting out the paperwork for the holiday and packing. I'm working all day on Thursday, Friday and Saturday so time is limited. Sophie and I have booked some pampering treatments for next Monday and with the housework that I need to do, there really aren't enough hours in the day!
After we'd packed we all showered and took Mike to work. He is serving tables at a cafe in a nearby country park where I expected it to be very busy now that the schools have broken up for the summer. After dropping him off we drove to Jones's and stocked up on toiletries and bird food. I'm hoping my parents will keep our hungry feathered friends fed while we're away!
We also popped to the Weston Favell Centre and did a spot of shopping in Tesco. The place was heaving with parents and their children and already some of the mums were losing patience with their offspring! It's only day two!
I treated Sophie to lunch at McDonald's (another busy place, obviously) and then we drove home to sit and relax in the garden. I have a ton of things I really should have done (hoovering, dusting, gardening) but it's my day off! The weather now was beautiful and about 22c, which is perfect for me.
At about 5.30pm we all trooped off to collect Mike. We were astonished to find the gates of the car park were closed already so we sat and waited outside. And we waited. Keith went to find him and saw that he was still cleaning tables and stacking furniture. I moved the car and Sophie and I spent an enjoyable time watching the comings and goings of people visiting the park. One couple turned up after (presumably) cycling around the reservoir dressed as if they had just taken part in the Tour de France. They then commenced the loading of their bikes into their estate car and I've never seen so much faffing about in my life. Surely it would be easier to buy a bike rack? The front wheels came off both bikes and they had large sheets of cardboard to keep the cycles separated. Then they removed their snazzy shoes and gloves. They must have been at it for about twenty minutes before they finally drove off!
Mike came out at 6pm so in future we will pick him up at that time rather than wait, enjoyable though it was! We drove home and played a couple of games of cards with a drink before a rather late dinner!
Monday 24 July 2017
A tour of the county!
We awoke this morning to rain but thankfully by the time I'd got to work it was dry and cloudy. I had a lot of deliveries to do today and I also had to go to the bank and fill up with diesel so I left just after 10am.
My first delivery was in the beautiful village of Coton and then it was off to Whilton (never been there before!) and then back to a pub in Kingsthorpe. One advantage of doing this job is travelling on roads I've never been on before and exploring my county!
At the pub I had a fair trek to where the wine needed to go so that kept me busy! My next three deliveries were all nearby to residential houses and my last trip was over to another gorgeous village - Hinwick. Years ago there was a fantastic restaurant here called The Flemish House where I went with Keith for a company dinner. Driving through the village I tried to spot where it was but couldn't. It was a long time ago and very dark when we went!
A charming elderly man opened the gate for me when I arrived so I could turn the van around, and then it was to the shop and some lunch. Phew! I had been out for four hours!
The afternoon was spent putting wine away and we cleared a pallet and a half. By 7pm I was pooped and more than ready for home! It was bliss to get in, have a Vodka and tonic and relax before dinner!
My first delivery was in the beautiful village of Coton and then it was off to Whilton (never been there before!) and then back to a pub in Kingsthorpe. One advantage of doing this job is travelling on roads I've never been on before and exploring my county!
At the pub I had a fair trek to where the wine needed to go so that kept me busy! My next three deliveries were all nearby to residential houses and my last trip was over to another gorgeous village - Hinwick. Years ago there was a fantastic restaurant here called The Flemish House where I went with Keith for a company dinner. Driving through the village I tried to spot where it was but couldn't. It was a long time ago and very dark when we went!
A charming elderly man opened the gate for me when I arrived so I could turn the van around, and then it was to the shop and some lunch. Phew! I had been out for four hours!
The afternoon was spent putting wine away and we cleared a pallet and a half. By 7pm I was pooped and more than ready for home! It was bliss to get in, have a Vodka and tonic and relax before dinner!
Sunday 23 July 2017
Time flies!
Today has been like a replica of yesterday! I took Sophie to work and then carried on to the shop where Jonathan was already unlocking.
We had a very busy day and luckily the time has flown by. I washed a load of glasses that had been returned by one of the pubs we supply and while they were washing I emptied loads of boxes of paper into bags to be shredded. Jonathan managed to put a pallet and a half of wine away, which was great and in between all this we served customers. I also picked all the orders for the deliveries tomorrow and I have quite a few!
At the end of the day we each took a bottle of opened Champagne home with us which I enjoyed with a slosh of Triple Sec as I found it a little dry. We sat and played cards for a short while before Keith cooked dinner of Enchiladas.
The weather has been a real mixed bag again today with heavy showers and very interesting skies! Some of the rain clouds have looked like towering palls of smoke so at least the gardens have benefited from all the moisture!
We had a very busy day and luckily the time has flown by. I washed a load of glasses that had been returned by one of the pubs we supply and while they were washing I emptied loads of boxes of paper into bags to be shredded. Jonathan managed to put a pallet and a half of wine away, which was great and in between all this we served customers. I also picked all the orders for the deliveries tomorrow and I have quite a few!
At the end of the day we each took a bottle of opened Champagne home with us which I enjoyed with a slosh of Triple Sec as I found it a little dry. We sat and played cards for a short while before Keith cooked dinner of Enchiladas.
The weather has been a real mixed bag again today with heavy showers and very interesting skies! Some of the rain clouds have looked like towering palls of smoke so at least the gardens have benefited from all the moisture!
Saturday 22 July 2017
Downpour!
Both Sophie and I were at work today so I dropped her off and then started at 10am, which was a little bonus after my late night!
We had a steady stream of customers in the shop and in the afternoon I went out and did some deliveries. I just missed a heavy shower and as the day wore on, the weather became worse. I felt sorry for all the weddings and parties that were being held today and all the numerous events being held over the county. Blooming British weather!
I finished at around 5pm but we had a little tasting of a Saxby's cider before I went. We'd already tasted the Plum and Rhubarb which were both delicious, and we tried their traditional cider which was also very good. The rain was very heavy by now and I sloshed home through loads of puddles peering at the towering clouds above me!
I had about twenty minutes before we set off to collect Mike from Brixworth and then Sophie from work. Before we left we called the Chinese van in the village and ordered a take-away for collection. The idea was to keep it warm in the oven while we enjoyed a drink and then eat a bit later. I didn't fancy having to go back out again!
Keith had to stand and wait for our meal with an umbrella and I thought again of all the people we'd delivered to who had parties and events planned. After dinner we watched a news series on Netflix called Ozark. It looks set to be very good!
We had a steady stream of customers in the shop and in the afternoon I went out and did some deliveries. I just missed a heavy shower and as the day wore on, the weather became worse. I felt sorry for all the weddings and parties that were being held today and all the numerous events being held over the county. Blooming British weather!
I finished at around 5pm but we had a little tasting of a Saxby's cider before I went. We'd already tasted the Plum and Rhubarb which were both delicious, and we tried their traditional cider which was also very good. The rain was very heavy by now and I sloshed home through loads of puddles peering at the towering clouds above me!
I had about twenty minutes before we set off to collect Mike from Brixworth and then Sophie from work. Before we left we called the Chinese van in the village and ordered a take-away for collection. The idea was to keep it warm in the oven while we enjoyed a drink and then eat a bit later. I didn't fancy having to go back out again!
Keith had to stand and wait for our meal with an umbrella and I thought again of all the people we'd delivered to who had parties and events planned. After dinner we watched a news series on Netflix called Ozark. It looks set to be very good!
Friday 21 July 2017
An evening outing.
Before going to work this morning I had to make a trip to one of our stores in Market Harborough as we needed seven bottles of wine for a wedding delivery and although the bottles were due in on a drop, we thought they would arrive too late.
I took Sophie with me as she was starting work at 10.30am and we both enjoyed the drive through the countryside...it was a bit like old times as I took the scenic route! I picked up the wine, delivered three boxes that they needed and we headed back to Northampton.
When I got to work I discovered that the drop was in already but that the wine we needed was buried under loads of boxes, so it wasn't a wasted trip. James and Jonathan were loading up the van and wanted me to do the morning deliveries. We then decided to have fish and chips for lunch so I was given the task of finding a fish and chip shop on my way back to the shop!
I headed off to the village of Ecton first and then drove to Courteenhall for the wedding delivery. Jonathan had given me really good directions and luckily I followed another car onto the estate. I had to deliver into the marquee and take my shoes off, a request I'd never had before! One of the wedding party helped me with the delivery, which was lovely as it was quite a trek from the van to where I needed to take it!
On the way back to the shop I bought some milk in the nearby village of Roade and asked if there were any fish and chip shops about...it was worth a gamble! However there weren't so I headed to a large housing estate on the outskirts of Northampton where Sophie's friend Laura lives and hoped that this gamble would pay off...luckily it did! I ordered our lunch and headed back to the shop as quickly as I could so that the food would stay hot!
As predicted, we had customers arrive from every corner of Northamptonshire so Jonathan and I rushed around serving them before finally sitting down and eating. I'd put plates over the meals but they were a little cold...never mind!
In the afternoon Jonathan went out in the van and did a very large delivery for another wedding due to take place tomorrow. We had some lovely customers in and lots of good chats about wine, which helped the time pass very quickly.
I left at 5pm, picked Mike up from the Morrison's supermarket in Spinney Hill, then went to work to wait for Sophie who was finishing at 6pm. There were two parties in so the noise level was quite high, something I certainly don't miss!
Back home I jumped in the bath and chatted to Sophie as I was off out in the evening to The Red Lion at Yardley Hastings with Fiona, Andrea and Lynda. I had decided to drive as I was at work the next day and we all met at Lynda's Mum's house in Brafield for a glass of Prosecco (what else?) before we went to the pub for dinner.
We had a lovely evening with good food, but it was a tad expensive. Fiona ordered a Gin and tonic and was given a Warner Edwards Melissa Gin which she really didn't like. We enjoyed bread and olives while we looked at the menu and then I chose crispy salt and pepper squid with mayonnaise to start followed by pork belly served with asparagus and spinach. We found room for dessert, in my case pear, rhubarb and blueberry crumble, which was delicious. With two bottles of Chenin Blanc, a bottle of sparkling water and drinks beforehand the bill came to £167! I was let off some of the bill as I had only had one glass of wine and I offered to take everyone home.
Outside (we were the last to leave by the way) it was pouring with rain so the journey home was not fun! It was a huge relief to finally get home and have a good gossip with Sophie and Keith before bed. Both kids piled in with us for a chat which made a really lovely end to a long and busy day!
I took Sophie with me as she was starting work at 10.30am and we both enjoyed the drive through the countryside...it was a bit like old times as I took the scenic route! I picked up the wine, delivered three boxes that they needed and we headed back to Northampton.
When I got to work I discovered that the drop was in already but that the wine we needed was buried under loads of boxes, so it wasn't a wasted trip. James and Jonathan were loading up the van and wanted me to do the morning deliveries. We then decided to have fish and chips for lunch so I was given the task of finding a fish and chip shop on my way back to the shop!
I headed off to the village of Ecton first and then drove to Courteenhall for the wedding delivery. Jonathan had given me really good directions and luckily I followed another car onto the estate. I had to deliver into the marquee and take my shoes off, a request I'd never had before! One of the wedding party helped me with the delivery, which was lovely as it was quite a trek from the van to where I needed to take it!
On the way back to the shop I bought some milk in the nearby village of Roade and asked if there were any fish and chip shops about...it was worth a gamble! However there weren't so I headed to a large housing estate on the outskirts of Northampton where Sophie's friend Laura lives and hoped that this gamble would pay off...luckily it did! I ordered our lunch and headed back to the shop as quickly as I could so that the food would stay hot!
As predicted, we had customers arrive from every corner of Northamptonshire so Jonathan and I rushed around serving them before finally sitting down and eating. I'd put plates over the meals but they were a little cold...never mind!
In the afternoon Jonathan went out in the van and did a very large delivery for another wedding due to take place tomorrow. We had some lovely customers in and lots of good chats about wine, which helped the time pass very quickly.
I left at 5pm, picked Mike up from the Morrison's supermarket in Spinney Hill, then went to work to wait for Sophie who was finishing at 6pm. There were two parties in so the noise level was quite high, something I certainly don't miss!
Back home I jumped in the bath and chatted to Sophie as I was off out in the evening to The Red Lion at Yardley Hastings with Fiona, Andrea and Lynda. I had decided to drive as I was at work the next day and we all met at Lynda's Mum's house in Brafield for a glass of Prosecco (what else?) before we went to the pub for dinner.
We had a lovely evening with good food, but it was a tad expensive. Fiona ordered a Gin and tonic and was given a Warner Edwards Melissa Gin which she really didn't like. We enjoyed bread and olives while we looked at the menu and then I chose crispy salt and pepper squid with mayonnaise to start followed by pork belly served with asparagus and spinach. We found room for dessert, in my case pear, rhubarb and blueberry crumble, which was delicious. With two bottles of Chenin Blanc, a bottle of sparkling water and drinks beforehand the bill came to £167! I was let off some of the bill as I had only had one glass of wine and I offered to take everyone home.
Outside (we were the last to leave by the way) it was pouring with rain so the journey home was not fun! It was a huge relief to finally get home and have a good gossip with Sophie and Keith before bed. Both kids piled in with us for a chat which made a really lovely end to a long and busy day!
Thursday 20 July 2017
A long day!
We had a really horrible start to the day as it was pouring with rain and I was facing the longest stretch I'd worked yet - 10am until 8pm. Sophie and Keith went to do the shopping and I hated not being able to go with them so I drove to work feeling really miserable...silly I know, but I do like mooching about the supermarket with them and putting funny things in the trolley to wind Keith up!
I got to work first and did most of the opening up, getting thoroughly soaked in the process, so I resembled a drowned rat! We spent the morning putting away boxes of wine as we have another "drop" due tomorrow, of three pallets!
Miraculously, the weather cleared up in the afternoon and I went out in the van to do lots of deliveries and thankfully, they weren't big ones! I drove to Horton first, then went over to Sywell where two lovely ladies helped me with the delivery, which was a bonus! I called home from a layby and spoke to Sophie who was just about to go into uni to have a meeting with the careers adviser. From Sywell I trekked right across to Coton Manor Gardens and did a nice circuit of the car park before discovering where I needed to be! People were there enjoying the gorgeous house and gardens and sitting having tea in the courtyard. I made a note to go there with Sophie and Mum before the summer is over!
From Coton I drove to Nether Heyford but discovered that the road I wanted was closed, so after speaking to a helpful man in one of the road maintenance vans, I re-traced my route back to Flore and followed the diversion signs which involved a very narrow road full of twists and turns and humpback bridges. I delivered to a house in the village and noticed a Sainsbury's van also delivering to a house nearby. When I did my last delivery of the day in a delightful village called Upper Stowe the same Sainsbury's van was delivering to the house I was going to! We had a nice little chat and he asked where we were off to next! I was going back to the store, unfortunately, as I'd really enjoyed being out and about in the sunshine!
Back at the shop I found out that James had had a shoplifter in who had put two bottles of Lebanese wine down his trousers...why he had chosen that particular wine is a mystery, but we think that it was probably because it was the most expensive wine in that particular section, and that he was also hovering about where the Champagne is kept.
I had some lunch and then we put yet more boxes of wine away before we had a little rush of customers. Two ladies came in for a wedding tasting so that meant that the last hour went by very quickly. I drove home listening to the wonderful Georgey Spanswick on the radio which is the only bonus of finishing so late!
Keith was cooking dinner, so after pouring me a drink we ate, but it was only the three of us as Sophie was out at her friend Daisy's house. After eating we caught up with some episodes of neighbours and then it was out at 10.30pm to pick her up and have a good gossip about our day!
I got to work first and did most of the opening up, getting thoroughly soaked in the process, so I resembled a drowned rat! We spent the morning putting away boxes of wine as we have another "drop" due tomorrow, of three pallets!
Miraculously, the weather cleared up in the afternoon and I went out in the van to do lots of deliveries and thankfully, they weren't big ones! I drove to Horton first, then went over to Sywell where two lovely ladies helped me with the delivery, which was a bonus! I called home from a layby and spoke to Sophie who was just about to go into uni to have a meeting with the careers adviser. From Sywell I trekked right across to Coton Manor Gardens and did a nice circuit of the car park before discovering where I needed to be! People were there enjoying the gorgeous house and gardens and sitting having tea in the courtyard. I made a note to go there with Sophie and Mum before the summer is over!
From Coton I drove to Nether Heyford but discovered that the road I wanted was closed, so after speaking to a helpful man in one of the road maintenance vans, I re-traced my route back to Flore and followed the diversion signs which involved a very narrow road full of twists and turns and humpback bridges. I delivered to a house in the village and noticed a Sainsbury's van also delivering to a house nearby. When I did my last delivery of the day in a delightful village called Upper Stowe the same Sainsbury's van was delivering to the house I was going to! We had a nice little chat and he asked where we were off to next! I was going back to the store, unfortunately, as I'd really enjoyed being out and about in the sunshine!
Back at the shop I found out that James had had a shoplifter in who had put two bottles of Lebanese wine down his trousers...why he had chosen that particular wine is a mystery, but we think that it was probably because it was the most expensive wine in that particular section, and that he was also hovering about where the Champagne is kept.
I had some lunch and then we put yet more boxes of wine away before we had a little rush of customers. Two ladies came in for a wedding tasting so that meant that the last hour went by very quickly. I drove home listening to the wonderful Georgey Spanswick on the radio which is the only bonus of finishing so late!
Keith was cooking dinner, so after pouring me a drink we ate, but it was only the three of us as Sophie was out at her friend Daisy's house. After eating we caught up with some episodes of neighbours and then it was out at 10.30pm to pick her up and have a good gossip about our day!
Wednesday 19 July 2017
Hard work!
I had a lot of deliveries to do today, and all of them involved a lot of boxes of wine. Two of them were so big I'd asked if Mike could help and I'd arranged for Keith to drive him to meet me so he could give me a hand unloading.
Today has been truly horrible weather - heavy grey skies, with a threat of rain and high humidity making it really uncomfortable. I left work at 12.30pm and met Keith, Sophie and Mike at a pub where we unloaded over twenty boxes of wine. To make it worse we had to carry them down some very uneven steps into the cellar and I was terrified that one of us would fall and break a leg!
From the pub we went to a nearby village where we were delivering 200 bottles of sparkling wine and 60 bottles of Rose for a weekend party. I could see the marquee in the field behind the house and the man who had ordered the wine showed me where to go in the van so we could unload. I was so glad Mike was with me! I had to reverse down a narrow strip of field with a drop on the right hand side and I had visions of getting it wrong and overturning the van into the marquee!
We were asked to leave the wine on the grass as a cooler unit was arriving later and I hoped fervently that it wouldn't rain! I bid farewell to my lovely family and returned to work to grab a bite to eat before venturing out again to another two pubs, each of which had big orders!
Back at work James and I put wine away from the three pallets that had arrived earlier in the week and I was very thankful when it was time to go! Just before we left James the manager arrived with his new wife and they had brought some wedding cake with them, which was a lovely gesture! We had a chat and then it was home to enjoy a glass of wine and eat cold chicken and roasted vegetables for dinner. I was pooped!
Today has been truly horrible weather - heavy grey skies, with a threat of rain and high humidity making it really uncomfortable. I left work at 12.30pm and met Keith, Sophie and Mike at a pub where we unloaded over twenty boxes of wine. To make it worse we had to carry them down some very uneven steps into the cellar and I was terrified that one of us would fall and break a leg!
From the pub we went to a nearby village where we were delivering 200 bottles of sparkling wine and 60 bottles of Rose for a weekend party. I could see the marquee in the field behind the house and the man who had ordered the wine showed me where to go in the van so we could unload. I was so glad Mike was with me! I had to reverse down a narrow strip of field with a drop on the right hand side and I had visions of getting it wrong and overturning the van into the marquee!
We were asked to leave the wine on the grass as a cooler unit was arriving later and I hoped fervently that it wouldn't rain! I bid farewell to my lovely family and returned to work to grab a bite to eat before venturing out again to another two pubs, each of which had big orders!
Back at work James and I put wine away from the three pallets that had arrived earlier in the week and I was very thankful when it was time to go! Just before we left James the manager arrived with his new wife and they had brought some wedding cake with them, which was a lovely gesture! We had a chat and then it was home to enjoy a glass of wine and eat cold chicken and roasted vegetables for dinner. I was pooped!
Tuesday 18 July 2017
Making a start...
It was lovely to have another day off, but after this I was looking at a long stretch and would be working right through until next Monday!
Sophie was working this morning so we dropped her off at 9am and I came home to get all my paperwork ready to take into school. I will have to go through strict checks and had to provide loads of information, but I didn't mind as I have nothing to hide and ran a children's play area and nursery for many years!
We dropped the paperwork off at school and then went to Aldi to do some shopping. The weather today is beautiful but very windy - apparently there are storms on their way this evening.
Back home I did a packing list and then started actually packing some toiletries and clothes. Both Keith and I feel a bit excited now, but nervous too. There is so much to think about! We picked Sophie up from work at 1pm and she had a driving lesson at 1.30pm. We followed her out onto the A43 and my heart was in my mouth, but it's something I'll have to get used to!
We went to see Mum and Dad as they had an early anniversary present for us, a beautiful bottle of Cahors wine from 1992, which I thought was wonderful. It was in a lovely presentation box along with some wine accessories, so a really thoughtful and welcome gift. They gave us a card which we'll take to Florida with us and a little heart ornament. We had a cup of tea and a slice of cake with them and then it was time to head back home as I had to go to the school at 4pm to meet the woman who runs the after-school club.
We got on very well and she has three children of her own who attend. There was a lovely atmosphere at the school as the end of term is in sight and some of the staff were moving the library to another room, including my friend Sarah who congratulated me on getting the job. After about an hour of seeing where everything was and running through the plan for next term I drove home to relax with Sophie and Keith.
Tonight I made Jerk Chicken pasta and as usual it was hot and spicy! Keith enjoyed some leftover potatoes, fried with an egg. He's really not a fan of Sophie's favourite dish!
Sophie was working this morning so we dropped her off at 9am and I came home to get all my paperwork ready to take into school. I will have to go through strict checks and had to provide loads of information, but I didn't mind as I have nothing to hide and ran a children's play area and nursery for many years!
We dropped the paperwork off at school and then went to Aldi to do some shopping. The weather today is beautiful but very windy - apparently there are storms on their way this evening.
Back home I did a packing list and then started actually packing some toiletries and clothes. Both Keith and I feel a bit excited now, but nervous too. There is so much to think about! We picked Sophie up from work at 1pm and she had a driving lesson at 1.30pm. We followed her out onto the A43 and my heart was in my mouth, but it's something I'll have to get used to!
We went to see Mum and Dad as they had an early anniversary present for us, a beautiful bottle of Cahors wine from 1992, which I thought was wonderful. It was in a lovely presentation box along with some wine accessories, so a really thoughtful and welcome gift. They gave us a card which we'll take to Florida with us and a little heart ornament. We had a cup of tea and a slice of cake with them and then it was time to head back home as I had to go to the school at 4pm to meet the woman who runs the after-school club.
We got on very well and she has three children of her own who attend. There was a lovely atmosphere at the school as the end of term is in sight and some of the staff were moving the library to another room, including my friend Sarah who congratulated me on getting the job. After about an hour of seeing where everything was and running through the plan for next term I drove home to relax with Sophie and Keith.
Tonight I made Jerk Chicken pasta and as usual it was hot and spicy! Keith enjoyed some leftover potatoes, fried with an egg. He's really not a fan of Sophie's favourite dish!
Monday 17 July 2017
An unwelcome visitor
I had a long day ahead of me again today and was working with just Jonathan until 7pm. Sophie started work at 9am this morning so I took her in and sat with a coffee for half an hour. When I arrived at work, Jonathan was already there so the plan to discreetly do my make-up in the car went out of the window!
I did a couple of deliveries first thing and arrived back at the shop at midday. The weather today has been beautiful and the temperature has risen steadily all day until it reached about 27c in the afternoon.
We were very quiet and there wasn't any wine to put away so it was quite a relaxed day. Jonathan and James did a lot more changing around yesterday so the wine was a lot easier to get at than normal! Just before we were due to shut we had a dodgy person arrive who looked high on drugs. He sported a black eye and appeared very dishevelled, which was a bit worrying. Luckily, Jonathan dealt with him and followed him around the shop until he decided to leave, thank goodness, but it did bring it home to me how we can sometimes attract the less than welcome customers!
I drove home at 7pm and sat with a drink talking to Sophie and Keith before we had a late dinner. Tonight it was "starters and desserts" so not a lot of preparation at all. I'd made a chocolate bread and butter pudding yesterday morning and it just needed to be finished off in the oven and served with cream. Delicious!
I did a couple of deliveries first thing and arrived back at the shop at midday. The weather today has been beautiful and the temperature has risen steadily all day until it reached about 27c in the afternoon.
We were very quiet and there wasn't any wine to put away so it was quite a relaxed day. Jonathan and James did a lot more changing around yesterday so the wine was a lot easier to get at than normal! Just before we were due to shut we had a dodgy person arrive who looked high on drugs. He sported a black eye and appeared very dishevelled, which was a bit worrying. Luckily, Jonathan dealt with him and followed him around the shop until he decided to leave, thank goodness, but it did bring it home to me how we can sometimes attract the less than welcome customers!
I drove home at 7pm and sat with a drink talking to Sophie and Keith before we had a late dinner. Tonight it was "starters and desserts" so not a lot of preparation at all. I'd made a chocolate bread and butter pudding yesterday morning and it just needed to be finished off in the oven and served with cream. Delicious!
Sunday 16 July 2017
Celebrating!
I was hoping for sun and blue skies today as it was the Wimbledon Men's Final and the British Grand Prix. However, after a hint of blue just after I woke up, we had a thick layer of cloud all day, so very disappointing indeed.
I went out and tidied up the front garden while Sophie hoovered for me and then prepared the buffet lunch, which was a great help. Mike came back from his party as I was strimming the verge at the front, looking a little worse for wear, with a friend in tow. He looked very surprised when I mentioned that my parents were coming for lunch as it's their anniversary today!
At midday Sophie opened the bottle of Louis Roederer Champagne she'd bought yesterday and we had a little toast to ourselves and all things sporting! It was delicious and a real treat to enjoy a couple of glasses. We watched the Grand Prix until my parents arrived at 2pm and then switched over to the tennis.
Our buffet lunch was delicious and we enjoyed a glass of two of wine with it. The tennis was a bit disappointing as well and at one point I thought Cilic was going to retire with an injury. He battled on, though, and the match lasted about two hours, certainly not like the marathon games we've enjoyed in the past!
We heard that Lewis Hamilton had won the Grand Prix and for the rest of the afternoon we enjoyed the Tour de France where it looked hot and hilly. My parents left at around 5pm and we all settled down to a bit of a snooze and a lazy evening!
I went out and tidied up the front garden while Sophie hoovered for me and then prepared the buffet lunch, which was a great help. Mike came back from his party as I was strimming the verge at the front, looking a little worse for wear, with a friend in tow. He looked very surprised when I mentioned that my parents were coming for lunch as it's their anniversary today!
At midday Sophie opened the bottle of Louis Roederer Champagne she'd bought yesterday and we had a little toast to ourselves and all things sporting! It was delicious and a real treat to enjoy a couple of glasses. We watched the Grand Prix until my parents arrived at 2pm and then switched over to the tennis.
Our buffet lunch was delicious and we enjoyed a glass of two of wine with it. The tennis was a bit disappointing as well and at one point I thought Cilic was going to retire with an injury. He battled on, though, and the match lasted about two hours, certainly not like the marathon games we've enjoyed in the past!
We heard that Lewis Hamilton had won the Grand Prix and for the rest of the afternoon we enjoyed the Tour de France where it looked hot and hilly. My parents left at around 5pm and we all settled down to a bit of a snooze and a lazy evening!
Saturday 15 July 2017
Return of the grey...
I was at work for 10am this morning so dropped Sophie off on my way. It's been a dull, grey day with showers this morning and no sunshine to speak of at all. Horrible!
Jonathan had brought in bacon rolls for us all so we stood around eating them before the first customers arrived. After the first trickle, we had a steady stream of people in all day and the time flew, which was a bonus. James was very happy (or seemed happy) with his voucher and card and we all wished him well for his wedding on Tuesday. Today will be my last day working with him but hopefully I'll return after our holiday to see how he got on!
I was at work until 5pm and before going I bought a bottle of Champagne for Sophie for tomorrow. I was also given two bottles of wine we had won in a regional competition so that was a lovely surprise!
Back home I sat with Keith for half an hour before going back out to collect Sophie. Mike was off to a party in the evening and was going much later than we had thought. We returned with Sophie, had a drink and Keith prepared dinner of Chicken Kiev and he still hadn't been picked up. I was just glad he was getting a lift!
Jonathan had brought in bacon rolls for us all so we stood around eating them before the first customers arrived. After the first trickle, we had a steady stream of people in all day and the time flew, which was a bonus. James was very happy (or seemed happy) with his voucher and card and we all wished him well for his wedding on Tuesday. Today will be my last day working with him but hopefully I'll return after our holiday to see how he got on!
I was at work until 5pm and before going I bought a bottle of Champagne for Sophie for tomorrow. I was also given two bottles of wine we had won in a regional competition so that was a lovely surprise!
Back home I sat with Keith for half an hour before going back out to collect Sophie. Mike was off to a party in the evening and was going much later than we had thought. We returned with Sophie, had a drink and Keith prepared dinner of Chicken Kiev and he still hadn't been picked up. I was just glad he was getting a lift!
Friday 14 July 2017
A couple of purchases...
Today was like the old Thursdays when we went shopping. I hate to have to admit that I miss going which is why we waited until this morning! How sad am I!
Sophie, Keith and I went and did the shop in Aldi and Tesco and had very different experiences in both stores. In Aldi, our purchases were flung down the conveyor belt at top speed making it difficult for the three of us to keep up! In Tesco we went to see our favourite checkout lady and had a great chat with her, which was lovely. What a difference!
Back home we had a quick lunch before Sophie and I ventured into town. I was tasked with getting James the manager a wedding gift and Jonathan had suggested Abraxas as his fiancee does a lot of cooking and baking. We parked in St John's multi-storey, almost on the top floor as it was so busy!
Once I'd bought the gift voucher we had a mooch around the shops and Sophie bought presents for her friend Laura in Lush, where we had an excellent sales assistant to help us. He reminded Sophie of her mate George! He was great! She also bought Laura a bracelet and then we popped into M&S where I tried on a pair of light brown linen trousers and Sophie found a perfect swimsuit.
On the way home we made a detour to enjoy a naughty McFlurry, and then I raked all the leaves in the garden as they were covering the grass. We even had big lumps of bark everywhere too! Once that was done and looking a lot better I went upstairs and Sophie helped me put a colour on my hair. I used a John Frieda product and it was lovely, making my hair feel really soft afterwards, with a great shine. I'll definitely use that one again!
Keith went to the pub and Sophie and I had a couple of hours of catching up on some recorded programmes before it was time to go and collect him and have dinner. It's back to work for both of us tomorrow, but again, I thoroughly enjoyed my day off!
Sophie, Keith and I went and did the shop in Aldi and Tesco and had very different experiences in both stores. In Aldi, our purchases were flung down the conveyor belt at top speed making it difficult for the three of us to keep up! In Tesco we went to see our favourite checkout lady and had a great chat with her, which was lovely. What a difference!
Back home we had a quick lunch before Sophie and I ventured into town. I was tasked with getting James the manager a wedding gift and Jonathan had suggested Abraxas as his fiancee does a lot of cooking and baking. We parked in St John's multi-storey, almost on the top floor as it was so busy!
Once I'd bought the gift voucher we had a mooch around the shops and Sophie bought presents for her friend Laura in Lush, where we had an excellent sales assistant to help us. He reminded Sophie of her mate George! He was great! She also bought Laura a bracelet and then we popped into M&S where I tried on a pair of light brown linen trousers and Sophie found a perfect swimsuit.
On the way home we made a detour to enjoy a naughty McFlurry, and then I raked all the leaves in the garden as they were covering the grass. We even had big lumps of bark everywhere too! Once that was done and looking a lot better I went upstairs and Sophie helped me put a colour on my hair. I used a John Frieda product and it was lovely, making my hair feel really soft afterwards, with a great shine. I'll definitely use that one again!
Keith went to the pub and Sophie and I had a couple of hours of catching up on some recorded programmes before it was time to go and collect him and have dinner. It's back to work for both of us tomorrow, but again, I thoroughly enjoyed my day off!
Thursday 13 July 2017
Gridlock!
This morning I had an interview for an After School Club assistant at our local primary school. I arrived early, as usual, and didn't see the woman I thought I was going to, the bursar whom I've known for years! Instead I was interviewed by one of the teachers (who I did know) and the new Deputy Head. Oh, as well as two children who attend the after-school club and who wanted to ask me questions!
I wasn't expecting that but it all went quite well and I answered everything as well as I could. The job is only part-time for fifteen hours a week but as I've had absolutely no luck with applying for full-time jobs, I'm hoping to get this as it sounds lovely and I miss working with children. I also know the school well as both Sophie and Mike attended.
I was out of the interview at 10am and rushed home to get changed and go to work. Jonathan disappeared to go and do a large wedding delivery while I helped James put away some wine and when Jonathan returned it was my turn to go out.
I had quite a few today! My second drop was in the village of Yelvertoft, somewhere I'd never been to before despite all the mooches that Keith and I used to go on. Whilst I was there I discovered that I had got the job at the school so I was over the moon. At least I have something to return to after the holiday and I could always get something part-time in the morning as well.
I carried on with deliveries, going to my own home patch when I delivered to Spratton and Sywell (I could see my little estate when I drove towards Holcot) and after a drop in town that was hard work (I couldn't park near the door to the pub and had to keep locking the van) I had one more to do before returning to work.
James and Jonathan had been re-arranging the shop in advance of new shelving being installed in August so Chile had moved to where the Champagne section was. I was amazed they had done it so quickly!
I left at 5pm after picking the next day's deliveries and made a bad mistake by deciding to go home via the ring road, rather than through town. There had been a broken down car on the sliproad by Riverside which had caused gridlock of all the surrounding roads. I took a very long and circuitous route home, arriving an hour after I'd left. Not good!
Keith met me with a Vodka and tonic when I'd changed and we all spent an enjoyable hour playing cards before dinner. Phew!
I wasn't expecting that but it all went quite well and I answered everything as well as I could. The job is only part-time for fifteen hours a week but as I've had absolutely no luck with applying for full-time jobs, I'm hoping to get this as it sounds lovely and I miss working with children. I also know the school well as both Sophie and Mike attended.
I was out of the interview at 10am and rushed home to get changed and go to work. Jonathan disappeared to go and do a large wedding delivery while I helped James put away some wine and when Jonathan returned it was my turn to go out.
I had quite a few today! My second drop was in the village of Yelvertoft, somewhere I'd never been to before despite all the mooches that Keith and I used to go on. Whilst I was there I discovered that I had got the job at the school so I was over the moon. At least I have something to return to after the holiday and I could always get something part-time in the morning as well.
I carried on with deliveries, going to my own home patch when I delivered to Spratton and Sywell (I could see my little estate when I drove towards Holcot) and after a drop in town that was hard work (I couldn't park near the door to the pub and had to keep locking the van) I had one more to do before returning to work.
James and Jonathan had been re-arranging the shop in advance of new shelving being installed in August so Chile had moved to where the Champagne section was. I was amazed they had done it so quickly!
I left at 5pm after picking the next day's deliveries and made a bad mistake by deciding to go home via the ring road, rather than through town. There had been a broken down car on the sliproad by Riverside which had caused gridlock of all the surrounding roads. I took a very long and circuitous route home, arriving an hour after I'd left. Not good!
Keith met me with a Vodka and tonic when I'd changed and we all spent an enjoyable hour playing cards before dinner. Phew!
Wednesday 12 July 2017
Tiny villages.
Both Sophie and I were at work today, but as she was starting later than me, Keith took her in. She was really pleased to be working as, after her stint covering for Maureen, the work had dried up a little bit.
I had several deliveries to do this morning, the first one to a restaurant we used to visit many years ago. It has changed hands a few times since, but it was nice to go back and the inside hadn't altered much at all. From there I went to the tiny hamlet of Chadstone and after wandering around a bit, managed to find the correct house to deliver to! It was beautifully quiet and I could have sat all day and just soaked up the sunshine!
After going to a house in Wellingborough and then to a pub in Great Doddington, it was back to the store where we continued to put away the pallets of wine that had come in yesterday. I finished at 4pm and sped home to have a bath before going back out to collect Sophie at 6pm.
The weather today has been gorgeous...what a difference to yesterday!
I had several deliveries to do this morning, the first one to a restaurant we used to visit many years ago. It has changed hands a few times since, but it was nice to go back and the inside hadn't altered much at all. From there I went to the tiny hamlet of Chadstone and after wandering around a bit, managed to find the correct house to deliver to! It was beautifully quiet and I could have sat all day and just soaked up the sunshine!
After going to a house in Wellingborough and then to a pub in Great Doddington, it was back to the store where we continued to put away the pallets of wine that had come in yesterday. I finished at 4pm and sped home to have a bath before going back out to collect Sophie at 6pm.
The weather today has been gorgeous...what a difference to yesterday!
Tuesday 11 July 2017
A busy, but very enjoyable day!
It was lovely to wake up today knowing I wasn't at work! Unfortunately it was raining and the sky was horrible and grey but I had so much to do it didn't matter!
Keith had a blood test first thing so Sophie and I went with him as we were planning on going to Jones's afterwards to buy some much needed items. I have really neglected my poor birds at the moment and our garden is a complete mess so I feel really guilty. The "lawn" is covered in Eucalyptus leaves but it will be the last summer as we are going to cut it down in the Autumn. The tree has grown much too big for our garden and is starting to encroach on next door's property so it's going to have to go, as much as it will break my heart. Perhaps we can buy another one to plant but this time keep it to a much more acceptable height!
We bought lots of things in Jones's, including loads of bird food, and then popped to Boots and Next on Riverside. I needed a hair colour desperately and Sophie wanted some make-up and other beauty products. Keith wandered around with us looking a bit bored but he did go into Sports Direct and treat himself to a new belt!
There was nothing Sophie liked in Next so we had a coffee to take away in Costa (as well as a muffin and a chocolate twist!) and drove to Moulton as Sophie and I had an appointment to get our hair cut at midday. Keith went off to get a newspaper from the Co-op and Sophie and I had our hair washed and our locks chopped. It was a very pleasant half hour being pampered a bit and we walked out feeling much better, although Sophie did say her hair was a bit too short for her liking!
Back home we watched a fantastic travel documentary starring Norman Reedus (of Walking Dead fame, apparently) who rode a motorbike down through the Everglades and to Key West with Peter Fonda. They took the Tamiami Trail as we did, and stopped at a very interesting restaurant on the way called Joanies Blue Crab Cafe which Keith swears he saw on the road. I'm sure he didn't as at the time I was gasping for a coffee and I definitely would have stopped, but he's adamant so we are planning on eating there when we drive down to the Keys next month.
We had a quick lunch of nachos with cheese and salsa before sloshing over to see my parents. Keith stayed at home so it was just me and the children, but it was lovely to catch up for an hour over tea and cakes.
In the evening we went to the Errol Flynn cinema to see Alone in Berlin starring Emma Thompson and Brendan Gleeson. I treated everyone to a drink and a bottle of wine and two beers came to £26! Blimey! It was worth it, though, to sit in the comfortable seats and sip our drinks and much more civilised than a big cup of Coke! The only snag tonight was a man sitting behind us who sniffed the entire time, and I don't mean little discreet sniffs, I mean loud rumbling sniffs. It was horrible!
The film was excellent and very sad and the two main actors were brilliant. I'm a fan of both of them so I knew I would enjoy the film. When we emerged into the rainy dusk we decided to have a quick drink at The Malt Shovel as we'd ordered pizzas from Papa Johns and we were a bit early to pick them up. We parked in Morrison's car park and jumped over the fence before arriving at the pub.
It was quiet and we had a drink and an animated chat before driving to collect our pizzas. It was gone 9pm when we arrived home, so it had been a long, but very enjoyable day off!
Keith had a blood test first thing so Sophie and I went with him as we were planning on going to Jones's afterwards to buy some much needed items. I have really neglected my poor birds at the moment and our garden is a complete mess so I feel really guilty. The "lawn" is covered in Eucalyptus leaves but it will be the last summer as we are going to cut it down in the Autumn. The tree has grown much too big for our garden and is starting to encroach on next door's property so it's going to have to go, as much as it will break my heart. Perhaps we can buy another one to plant but this time keep it to a much more acceptable height!
We bought lots of things in Jones's, including loads of bird food, and then popped to Boots and Next on Riverside. I needed a hair colour desperately and Sophie wanted some make-up and other beauty products. Keith wandered around with us looking a bit bored but he did go into Sports Direct and treat himself to a new belt!
There was nothing Sophie liked in Next so we had a coffee to take away in Costa (as well as a muffin and a chocolate twist!) and drove to Moulton as Sophie and I had an appointment to get our hair cut at midday. Keith went off to get a newspaper from the Co-op and Sophie and I had our hair washed and our locks chopped. It was a very pleasant half hour being pampered a bit and we walked out feeling much better, although Sophie did say her hair was a bit too short for her liking!
Back home we watched a fantastic travel documentary starring Norman Reedus (of Walking Dead fame, apparently) who rode a motorbike down through the Everglades and to Key West with Peter Fonda. They took the Tamiami Trail as we did, and stopped at a very interesting restaurant on the way called Joanies Blue Crab Cafe which Keith swears he saw on the road. I'm sure he didn't as at the time I was gasping for a coffee and I definitely would have stopped, but he's adamant so we are planning on eating there when we drive down to the Keys next month.
We had a quick lunch of nachos with cheese and salsa before sloshing over to see my parents. Keith stayed at home so it was just me and the children, but it was lovely to catch up for an hour over tea and cakes.
In the evening we went to the Errol Flynn cinema to see Alone in Berlin starring Emma Thompson and Brendan Gleeson. I treated everyone to a drink and a bottle of wine and two beers came to £26! Blimey! It was worth it, though, to sit in the comfortable seats and sip our drinks and much more civilised than a big cup of Coke! The only snag tonight was a man sitting behind us who sniffed the entire time, and I don't mean little discreet sniffs, I mean loud rumbling sniffs. It was horrible!
The film was excellent and very sad and the two main actors were brilliant. I'm a fan of both of them so I knew I would enjoy the film. When we emerged into the rainy dusk we decided to have a quick drink at The Malt Shovel as we'd ordered pizzas from Papa Johns and we were a bit early to pick them up. We parked in Morrison's car park and jumped over the fence before arriving at the pub.
It was quiet and we had a drink and an animated chat before driving to collect our pizzas. It was gone 9pm when we arrived home, so it had been a long, but very enjoyable day off!
Monday 10 July 2017
Time drags...
I had an even longer day ahead of me today - as there was just James and I working I had to stay until the bitter end, which was 7pm. Thankfully I have tomorrow off!
I had to do a long route for deliveries today and drove off to my first in Long Buckby at 10.30am. I then went to Crick, to an absolutely beautiful house, before driving along the A5 to Flore. The weather today has been cloudy but still quite warm and rain is forecast for tomorrow. Typical!
I had a delivery to do in town and then it was onto my last drop in Wellingborough before heading back to the shop for about 1pm. James had been quiet and although we had a few people in in the afternoon, the time did drag badly between 3pm and 7pm. However, just before we closed we had to rush around changing the prices of our Italian wines as they are on special offer this week!
On the way home I picked up Mike from Moulton and we headed home. By the time we got in, it was past 7.30pm and I just had time for a quick glass of wine before we ate dinner. I really would not want to do this every day (I used to when we ran the business!) as half the evening had been lost! Roll on tomorrow!
I had to do a long route for deliveries today and drove off to my first in Long Buckby at 10.30am. I then went to Crick, to an absolutely beautiful house, before driving along the A5 to Flore. The weather today has been cloudy but still quite warm and rain is forecast for tomorrow. Typical!
I had a delivery to do in town and then it was onto my last drop in Wellingborough before heading back to the shop for about 1pm. James had been quiet and although we had a few people in in the afternoon, the time did drag badly between 3pm and 7pm. However, just before we closed we had to rush around changing the prices of our Italian wines as they are on special offer this week!
On the way home I picked up Mike from Moulton and we headed home. By the time we got in, it was past 7.30pm and I just had time for a quick glass of wine before we ate dinner. I really would not want to do this every day (I used to when we ran the business!) as half the evening had been lost! Roll on tomorrow!
Sunday 9 July 2017
A long day...
I was back in at work at 10am this morning and facing a seven hour stretch. I did have some deliveries to do at lunchtime which broke up the day a bit, but we had very few customers in so the time dragged. I even resorted to sweeping the stairs which were covered in loose debris and which had been annoying me for ages!
We were finished at 5pm and I dashed home to see the family. As a few of the wines on our tasting table were coming to an end I was able to bring some home with me rather than pour them down the sink...Sophie was very pleased!
Mike was out at a party so we had a repeat dinner of the cold meats and salad as it wasn't worth making a chilli for just the three of us. After a relaxing evening, Keith went to pick him up from Moulton and he was a bit merry, and very affectionate when he got home!
We were finished at 5pm and I dashed home to see the family. As a few of the wines on our tasting table were coming to an end I was able to bring some home with me rather than pour them down the sink...Sophie was very pleased!
Mike was out at a party so we had a repeat dinner of the cold meats and salad as it wasn't worth making a chilli for just the three of us. After a relaxing evening, Keith went to pick him up from Moulton and he was a bit merry, and very affectionate when he got home!
Saturday 8 July 2017
Reaching a decision
I was in at work at 9am today and was sent out on deliveries first thing. After yesterday I was a bit apprehensive but it all went well, even the first drop which was to an isolated farmhouse beyond the village of Weedon! My last delivery was to The Lamplighter, one of our favourite pubs, so that was a bit strange! The weather has been beautiful again today so it was lovely being out in the van.
When I got back the regional manager was in the store so I spoke to him and James to say that I wouldn't be returning after my holiday. They took the news better than I had anticipated and at least it will give them a chance to take on someone new full-time. I think the job needs a young, enthusiastic person who doesn't mind the long hours and physical work. I really don't fancy finishing at 7 or 8pm most nights as what time would I have with my family?
As our store had come second in a regional selling competition we had a tray of doughnuts to enjoy and the rest of the day passed pleasantly enough with quite a few customers coming in. I also sold a bottle of vintage Krug Champagne to a couple for £210 and we had a very agreeable chat about why the price is so high. On the back of each of their bottles is a number and when you type it into their website it will give you the history of that particular bottle. It was fascinating!
Mike turned up at 4.30pm as he had been in town buying shoes but it was a bit early so he wandered off to the nearby Subway and Keith collected us at 5pm. He had been to a pre-season Sileby match against the Northampton Cobblers and had enjoyed seeing them play again, even though, predictably, they lost!
He suggested we have a quick drink in the Thomas a Becket and I think it will be our one and only visit! The less said the better!
We picked Sophie up at 6pm and went home to relax. I'm back in again at work all day tomorrow as there will only be the two of us and I have a couple of deliveries to make. Hopefully it will all go well!
When I got back the regional manager was in the store so I spoke to him and James to say that I wouldn't be returning after my holiday. They took the news better than I had anticipated and at least it will give them a chance to take on someone new full-time. I think the job needs a young, enthusiastic person who doesn't mind the long hours and physical work. I really don't fancy finishing at 7 or 8pm most nights as what time would I have with my family?
As our store had come second in a regional selling competition we had a tray of doughnuts to enjoy and the rest of the day passed pleasantly enough with quite a few customers coming in. I also sold a bottle of vintage Krug Champagne to a couple for £210 and we had a very agreeable chat about why the price is so high. On the back of each of their bottles is a number and when you type it into their website it will give you the history of that particular bottle. It was fascinating!
Mike turned up at 4.30pm as he had been in town buying shoes but it was a bit early so he wandered off to the nearby Subway and Keith collected us at 5pm. He had been to a pre-season Sileby match against the Northampton Cobblers and had enjoyed seeing them play again, even though, predictably, they lost!
He suggested we have a quick drink in the Thomas a Becket and I think it will be our one and only visit! The less said the better!
We picked Sophie up at 6pm and went home to relax. I'm back in again at work all day tomorrow as there will only be the two of us and I have a couple of deliveries to make. Hopefully it will all go well!
Friday 7 July 2017
Early morning wobbles...
Driving into work today I felt horrible - really anxious and dreading the day ahead - so I decided not to go, something I wouldn't normally do. I texted James the manager and returned home where Keith was not that happy about what I'd done. I honestly felt like I didn't want to go back but after a chat with him and Sophie, I agreed to return on Saturday morning and work the rest of July as we'd agreed. I really wish I enjoyed this job but I don't and it does make me worry if I'll ever find employment that I truly love.
I did some ironing while Keith went for a walk and Sophie and I sat out in the garden as it's been a beautiful day. In the afternoon we went to see Maureen as Sophie had bought her a bottle of Rum and we wanted to hear all about her holiday in Vietnam. We stayed for half an hour and it was boiling hot inside the building. I don't miss those temperatures!
Afterwards, we took Mike to an interview at the Willow Tree cafe at Brixworth Country Park and while he was seeing the manager we popped to the village to go to the Co-op. We returned literally fifteen minutes later and waited...and waited. After 45 minutes and an ice-cream I was beginning to wonder where on earth he was and then he sent us a message...he'd gone to the village for some reason! His interview had barely lasted five minutes and instead of waiting for us outside he'd wandered off!
Back home we had a lovely evening sipping wine and watching Bridget Jones's Baby. Bliss!
I did some ironing while Keith went for a walk and Sophie and I sat out in the garden as it's been a beautiful day. In the afternoon we went to see Maureen as Sophie had bought her a bottle of Rum and we wanted to hear all about her holiday in Vietnam. We stayed for half an hour and it was boiling hot inside the building. I don't miss those temperatures!
Afterwards, we took Mike to an interview at the Willow Tree cafe at Brixworth Country Park and while he was seeing the manager we popped to the village to go to the Co-op. We returned literally fifteen minutes later and waited...and waited. After 45 minutes and an ice-cream I was beginning to wonder where on earth he was and then he sent us a message...he'd gone to the village for some reason! His interview had barely lasted five minutes and instead of waiting for us outside he'd wandered off!
Back home we had a lovely evening sipping wine and watching Bridget Jones's Baby. Bliss!
Thursday 6 July 2017
I almost get into a pickle...
Sophie had her theory driving test this morning and I was a bit sad I couldn't go with her because when we booked it I wasn't supposed to be working. She and Keith left before me as her appointment was at 10am and she had to be there fifteen minutes before her allotted time.
Afterwards, she popped into work to see me and tell me that she'd passed! I was over the moon and so proud of her! She bought Maureen a bottle of Rum for her birthday and then they left to go shopping. How I wished I was going with them! I can't believe I'm saying that I miss our shopping day!
In the afternoon I went out to do some deliveries and the heat had intensified. It was hovering around the 30c mark so not very pleasant to be once again lugging boxes of wine about and delivering trays of glasses!
I headed out towards Daventry again and visited a couple of villages I'd never been to before. I was completely reliant on the SatNav! My very last delivery was in the village of Kislingbury and I couldn't find the house so I enquired at the local shop. The SatNav will only take you to the postcode but in future I might try and look up the addresses on Google Maps because I nearly got stuck down a very narrow lane that turned out to be a dead end... I had to reverse backwards and I did think that I was never going to get out...I'm not the best at reversing but luckily I managed to turn into a driveway and then back out so I was facing the other way. I found the house, delivered the wine and made a bid for freedom!
Back at the store we were busy with customers and then at 4pm I headed home. On the way I picked up a delivery of clothes from the library in Brixworth and after I'd had a lovely tepid bath, I tried them on. I think I now have enough outfits for Florida and I'm hoping to buy some clothes out there.
We sat and played cards for a while and after dinner, went back out into the garden so I could water the plants and watch bats. A lovely end to a somewhat stressful day!
Afterwards, she popped into work to see me and tell me that she'd passed! I was over the moon and so proud of her! She bought Maureen a bottle of Rum for her birthday and then they left to go shopping. How I wished I was going with them! I can't believe I'm saying that I miss our shopping day!
In the afternoon I went out to do some deliveries and the heat had intensified. It was hovering around the 30c mark so not very pleasant to be once again lugging boxes of wine about and delivering trays of glasses!
I headed out towards Daventry again and visited a couple of villages I'd never been to before. I was completely reliant on the SatNav! My very last delivery was in the village of Kislingbury and I couldn't find the house so I enquired at the local shop. The SatNav will only take you to the postcode but in future I might try and look up the addresses on Google Maps because I nearly got stuck down a very narrow lane that turned out to be a dead end... I had to reverse backwards and I did think that I was never going to get out...I'm not the best at reversing but luckily I managed to turn into a driveway and then back out so I was facing the other way. I found the house, delivered the wine and made a bid for freedom!
Back at the store we were busy with customers and then at 4pm I headed home. On the way I picked up a delivery of clothes from the library in Brixworth and after I'd had a lovely tepid bath, I tried them on. I think I now have enough outfits for Florida and I'm hoping to buy some clothes out there.
We sat and played cards for a while and after dinner, went back out into the garden so I could water the plants and watch bats. A lovely end to a somewhat stressful day!
Wednesday 5 July 2017
Hot, heavy work!
It felt strange going to work today rather than doing my session at the CAB and I did feel a bit wistful, I have to admit!
Most of today was spent lugging boxes of wine from one area to another as we had three pallets to put away. I'm sure there are better ways of spending my time! We did have a few nice customers in, though, and one woman chatted to me about her narrow boat home and how she was going to sit out on her patio with a glass of wine as soon as she'd finished shopping with us. Lucky thing!
I left at 4pm and took a bottle of The Ned Pinot Grigio with me, on the recommendation of the narrow boat lady. I also popped into Aldi and bought two small bottles of red wine for my Dad as my parents are due around this afternoon to talk about their holiday to Cyprus.
They came around at 5pm, just after I'd had a shower and put fresh clean clothes on. The temperatures today have been very high and it was bliss to get into the shower and wash away all the sweat...not nice!
My parents chatted about the holiday and told Keith that it wasn't the best of experiences! My Mum wasn't drinking so Sophie and I had beer (Brahma and Leffe) while my Dad enjoyed his red wine. They want to go on a holiday to recover from this one, so I suggested a hotel in Puerto Pollensa...it would be ideal!
Most of today was spent lugging boxes of wine from one area to another as we had three pallets to put away. I'm sure there are better ways of spending my time! We did have a few nice customers in, though, and one woman chatted to me about her narrow boat home and how she was going to sit out on her patio with a glass of wine as soon as she'd finished shopping with us. Lucky thing!
I left at 4pm and took a bottle of The Ned Pinot Grigio with me, on the recommendation of the narrow boat lady. I also popped into Aldi and bought two small bottles of red wine for my Dad as my parents are due around this afternoon to talk about their holiday to Cyprus.
They came around at 5pm, just after I'd had a shower and put fresh clean clothes on. The temperatures today have been very high and it was bliss to get into the shower and wash away all the sweat...not nice!
My parents chatted about the holiday and told Keith that it wasn't the best of experiences! My Mum wasn't drinking so Sophie and I had beer (Brahma and Leffe) while my Dad enjoyed his red wine. They want to go on a holiday to recover from this one, so I suggested a hotel in Puerto Pollensa...it would be ideal!
Tuesday 4 July 2017
Back to work...
I was back at work today after three days off and I was a bit envious of Sophie and Keith who were off on a walk, lucky things!
Work was steady and we had quite a few customers in, which was good. However, my poor feet hurt today and I'm going to have to re-think my footwear. The insoles I bought don't seem to have helped at all as my boots have a bit of a heel and all the pressure is on the ball of my foot. Tomorrow I've decided I'm going to wear my trusty walking boots and I don't care how they look! I need to be comfortable!
I left at 4pm and crawled home in the heavy town traffic. Sophie was working from lunchtime until 6.30pm so Keith and I went to pick her up and then had a great game of cards with a drink in the conservatory. The weather has been dry and sunny today and we're due hotter temperatures as the week goes on, with weather warnings out for heavy rain on Thursday.
Bring it on!
Work was steady and we had quite a few customers in, which was good. However, my poor feet hurt today and I'm going to have to re-think my footwear. The insoles I bought don't seem to have helped at all as my boots have a bit of a heel and all the pressure is on the ball of my foot. Tomorrow I've decided I'm going to wear my trusty walking boots and I don't care how they look! I need to be comfortable!
I left at 4pm and crawled home in the heavy town traffic. Sophie was working from lunchtime until 6.30pm so Keith and I went to pick her up and then had a great game of cards with a drink in the conservatory. The weather has been dry and sunny today and we're due hotter temperatures as the week goes on, with weather warnings out for heavy rain on Thursday.
Bring it on!
Sophie M1 photos
Sophie took these last night on the way home on the M1 in Bedfordshire. The skies were lovely...
Monday 3 July 2017
Return of the parents...
Keith went for a walk this morning while I took Sophie to work. He is feeling much better now and the pain that he was experiencing has gone, which is a huge relief.
I returned home and did some little jobs before tackling the housework downstairs. The conservatory was full of dead flies, as usual, and I did feel better when I had finished. Hopefully, Sophie will hoover upstairs tomorrow or Wednesday as Maureen will be back this week and she won't be working so many hours. It's my turn now!
Mike was off to see friends in Brixworth so we dropped him off, popped to the Co-op to get Mum and Dad some essentials and then went to collect Sophie. As we turned into our estate we got behind a huge red lorry that was making a delivery. How he had been directed onto our narrow road is a mystery and he wasn't at all happy! He parked outside our house (of all places) so Keith helped him find the house he needed! He managed to tear up bushes and grass verges as he went on his merry way and I just hope he managed to get his huge vehicle out again!
Keith and I went over to Mum's to pick up their car and we watered the garden for one last time. I'd decided to leave at about 5pm as their flight was due to land at 6pm and I didn't want to spend too long in the car park...the charges were astronomical!
Sophie and I went down to pick up my parents while Keith stayed at home. We had a really good journey down to Heathrow's terminal 5 and arrived just after my parents landed. Sophie treated me to a milkshake at Caffe Nero and before we knew it my parents were walking through the arrivals door.
They looked very tanned but hadn't had a very good holiday, unfortunately. My uncle's way of life is very different to that of my parents and my Dad was marooned without a car so they had to rely on him all the time, which they found very frustrating. I think they were extremely glad to be home!
We made good time back along the M25 and M1 and arrived at their house by 8.30pm. We bid them farewell and sped home to a drink and pate with toast. Lovely!
I returned home and did some little jobs before tackling the housework downstairs. The conservatory was full of dead flies, as usual, and I did feel better when I had finished. Hopefully, Sophie will hoover upstairs tomorrow or Wednesday as Maureen will be back this week and she won't be working so many hours. It's my turn now!
Mike was off to see friends in Brixworth so we dropped him off, popped to the Co-op to get Mum and Dad some essentials and then went to collect Sophie. As we turned into our estate we got behind a huge red lorry that was making a delivery. How he had been directed onto our narrow road is a mystery and he wasn't at all happy! He parked outside our house (of all places) so Keith helped him find the house he needed! He managed to tear up bushes and grass verges as he went on his merry way and I just hope he managed to get his huge vehicle out again!
Keith and I went over to Mum's to pick up their car and we watered the garden for one last time. I'd decided to leave at about 5pm as their flight was due to land at 6pm and I didn't want to spend too long in the car park...the charges were astronomical!
Sophie and I went down to pick up my parents while Keith stayed at home. We had a really good journey down to Heathrow's terminal 5 and arrived just after my parents landed. Sophie treated me to a milkshake at Caffe Nero and before we knew it my parents were walking through the arrivals door.
They looked very tanned but hadn't had a very good holiday, unfortunately. My uncle's way of life is very different to that of my parents and my Dad was marooned without a car so they had to rely on him all the time, which they found very frustrating. I think they were extremely glad to be home!
We made good time back along the M25 and M1 and arrived at their house by 8.30pm. We bid them farewell and sped home to a drink and pate with toast. Lovely!
Sunday 2 July 2017
Holiday shopping
I woke up at 2.45am and heard loud voices coming from somewhere...I just hoped it wasn't the wine tasting still going on at Richard and Michelle's!
When I awoke again at 9.30am I had a terrible headache and still felt a bit wobbly. After a coffee and a hot shower I felt a lot better and on the way to Milton Keynes I managed to drink two bottles of water. Keith drove (obviously) and we were surprised to see how busy it was. We had to wait ages to get into the multi-storey car park!
We headed to Debenhams first as they had a sale and Keith and Mike bought a pair of swim shorts each. Keith also bought a natty pair of suede deck shoes so he was all done! We had sorted his wardrobe out yesterday and that was all he needed!
From Debenhams we went to River Island and Sophie bought a black bomber jacket and a tee-shirt while Mike treated himself to a top as well. As we were all hungry by now we walked to Pizza Express where we had lunch. We shared two plates of the Doppio doughballs accompanied by delicious dips and tucked into two large pizzas. I think we were all still a little hungry afterwards but we had planned on cooking dinner later so didn't want to spoil our appetite.
We visited John Lewis and Next and then returned back down to River Island where Sophie bought some lovely cream shorts. We also popped into Marks and Spencers where Sophie bought loads of bras and I treated myself to some beautiful lightweight pyjamas and some new knickers (it's a holiday ritual!). The men went off to buy some beer and then said they would wait for us in the car as they were now both a bit fed up!
Our last stop was New Look where Sophie bought some knickers and then it was back to the car and the journey home.The weather has been beautiful today and quite warm with a gorgeous "Florida sky".
Back home we sat in the garden with drinks and Sue popped around with some chocolate cake. It had been her Dad's 80th birthday today and she had news of him proposing to his partner and planning a wedding!
Today was supposed to have been our "Florida Day" but we had to change our plans slightly to go shopping as I didn't know when I would be able to go again. I had had so many plans for July and they have mostly been put on hold...typical! We were going to cook Florida dishes but we made do with breaded pork steaks that didn't go down as well as they did the other week. Never mind! After dinner we watched an episode of Zombie House Flipping, which is at least set in Orlando!
When I awoke again at 9.30am I had a terrible headache and still felt a bit wobbly. After a coffee and a hot shower I felt a lot better and on the way to Milton Keynes I managed to drink two bottles of water. Keith drove (obviously) and we were surprised to see how busy it was. We had to wait ages to get into the multi-storey car park!
We headed to Debenhams first as they had a sale and Keith and Mike bought a pair of swim shorts each. Keith also bought a natty pair of suede deck shoes so he was all done! We had sorted his wardrobe out yesterday and that was all he needed!
From Debenhams we went to River Island and Sophie bought a black bomber jacket and a tee-shirt while Mike treated himself to a top as well. As we were all hungry by now we walked to Pizza Express where we had lunch. We shared two plates of the Doppio doughballs accompanied by delicious dips and tucked into two large pizzas. I think we were all still a little hungry afterwards but we had planned on cooking dinner later so didn't want to spoil our appetite.
We visited John Lewis and Next and then returned back down to River Island where Sophie bought some lovely cream shorts. We also popped into Marks and Spencers where Sophie bought loads of bras and I treated myself to some beautiful lightweight pyjamas and some new knickers (it's a holiday ritual!). The men went off to buy some beer and then said they would wait for us in the car as they were now both a bit fed up!
Our last stop was New Look where Sophie bought some knickers and then it was back to the car and the journey home.The weather has been beautiful today and quite warm with a gorgeous "Florida sky".
Back home we sat in the garden with drinks and Sue popped around with some chocolate cake. It had been her Dad's 80th birthday today and she had news of him proposing to his partner and planning a wedding!
Today was supposed to have been our "Florida Day" but we had to change our plans slightly to go shopping as I didn't know when I would be able to go again. I had had so many plans for July and they have mostly been put on hold...typical! We were going to cook Florida dishes but we made do with breaded pork steaks that didn't go down as well as they did the other week. Never mind! After dinner we watched an episode of Zombie House Flipping, which is at least set in Orlando!
Saturday 1 July 2017
A bit tipsy!
Today is the only Saturday I'm not working in July so I wanted to make the most of it! Mike was off to a music festival in London so we dropped him off at the train station and then took Sophie to work. We had a quick coffee with her before returning home to have breakfast. The weather wasn't exactly as I had wished but I did sit out for a little while in the garden with Monty and it became sunnier and warmer in the afternoon.
Keith and I went over to Mum and Dad's house in the early afternoon and I bought some chocolates for Michelle as we are at their house tonight for the Wine Tasting. Before going to collect Sophie from work I had a long soak in the bath and washed my hair as time would be short when we picked her up!
When we arrived at 7pm Sue and Paul were already there and enjoying cocktails - they looked delicious, and they were. Too delicious, I think, as I had another which turned out to be a bad idea! Michelle had put on some lovely hors d'oeuvres and had also made a lovely pasta dish served with salad and garlic bread.
We started with two whites and one of them, the second, was The Ned, the wine we have so much of at work! The first Sauvignon Blanc was very subtle so I didn't guess it at first, but The Ned had much more pronounced typical aromas so I was able to correctly guess which grape variety it was.
Sue then produced three Rose wines and half of us preferred the much cheaper wine that she bought for about £3.50! The third was a rose Sancerre at £18 but I definitely didn't think it was worth the price! By now I was beginning to feel a little bit tipsy so I just had a couple of sips of the red wines we'd taken. They were both Australian Shiraz and I liked them equally although by now I really didn't appreciate the subtle nuances of flavour and aroma! Along with a glass of Limoncello that Richard produced with our cheesecake dessert I was definitely feeling the worse for wear!
As Keith had to go and collect Mike from the station later, we left early, which was a good thing as I was quite ill when I got home. I'm just glad I didn't show myself up in Richard and Michelle's house! Keith went off on his own at about 12.30am while Sophie put me to bed (in her words!). Those damned cocktails! I won't be touching them again!
Keith and I went over to Mum and Dad's house in the early afternoon and I bought some chocolates for Michelle as we are at their house tonight for the Wine Tasting. Before going to collect Sophie from work I had a long soak in the bath and washed my hair as time would be short when we picked her up!
When we arrived at 7pm Sue and Paul were already there and enjoying cocktails - they looked delicious, and they were. Too delicious, I think, as I had another which turned out to be a bad idea! Michelle had put on some lovely hors d'oeuvres and had also made a lovely pasta dish served with salad and garlic bread.
We started with two whites and one of them, the second, was The Ned, the wine we have so much of at work! The first Sauvignon Blanc was very subtle so I didn't guess it at first, but The Ned had much more pronounced typical aromas so I was able to correctly guess which grape variety it was.
Sue then produced three Rose wines and half of us preferred the much cheaper wine that she bought for about £3.50! The third was a rose Sancerre at £18 but I definitely didn't think it was worth the price! By now I was beginning to feel a little bit tipsy so I just had a couple of sips of the red wines we'd taken. They were both Australian Shiraz and I liked them equally although by now I really didn't appreciate the subtle nuances of flavour and aroma! Along with a glass of Limoncello that Richard produced with our cheesecake dessert I was definitely feeling the worse for wear!
As Keith had to go and collect Mike from the station later, we left early, which was a good thing as I was quite ill when I got home. I'm just glad I didn't show myself up in Richard and Michelle's house! Keith went off on his own at about 12.30am while Sophie put me to bed (in her words!). Those damned cocktails! I won't be touching them again!
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