Eureka!

I felt a little depressed this morning on the way to work, and felt that there was surely more to life than this. It was raining and grey, so that didn't help! I had another busy day, and I'll certainly never be bored in this job! On the way home, Keith and I called into Waitrose to ask if a ring had been handed in, but it hadn't. I even scoured the car park!

When I got home, I watched an episode of the new series of Help! We Bought a Village and felt a slight pang of envy for those who had bought derelict or rundown properties abroad and were doing them up. One couple had bought a hamlet of buildings in France and were facing a mammoth task to clear away all the overgrown bushes and trees, so they had called in help. I would as well!

As I was watching, my phone rang, and it was Sophie to say she'd found her ring. She had gone out to her car to drive home, and the ring was sitting in the middle of the passenger seat. Now, this was very weird, as she had checked several times, and I had even knelt on the seat last night to check under the driver's seat! Surely I would have felt it or seen it? She was ecstatic, and so was I! I hated seeing her so unhappy.

I cooked dinner tonight, and we had loads of vegetables as we hadn't been eating too well over the last few days (yesterday was leftover chilli from Friday with nachos). We enjoyed meaty sausages, mashed potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and green beans! It was good not having them for a while, as we all appreciated them more!

Our evening viewing was Carpe Diem, a series we're enjoying very much. It was a lovely feeling that I'm not at work tomorrow and was planning a day in the garden! 

The lost ring

Today was my first day at work without Sheila, so I was a little nervous. Our Fitness Manager, Charlie, came into the office to do some printing, and she looked a little fed up, saying she used to work at another leisure centre and it was totally different to how it was with us. She said, like me, she felt overwhelmed with the workload. I think the problem is that the staff are still getting the hang of things and have either been moved over from my old company or are brand new, like me. We are all in the same boat!

I was very busy all day but felt like I'd done OK without Sheila. I have to say that I do miss my old colleagues, though, and the chats we used to have!

When Sophie came home, she went up to get changed, and I heard her exclaim loudly that she'd lost the ring on her little finger. It was the one she'd bought in L'Escala, and she was devastated. We looked everywhere: in her bedroom, throughout the house, in her car and on the driveway, but her ring was nowhere to be found. She'd had a bad day at work, and this was the final straw. She was worried she'd lost it in Waitrose when she popped in on her way home.

It made for a despondent evening. After dinner, we watched a Panorama documentary on 9/11 (surely I don't need to remind anyone it's the 25th Anniversary of the atrocity this Friday) and the connection between Saudi Arabia and the attack. How can it have been 25 years ago? I remember exactly where I was when it happened - on my way to collect Sophie from school - and we all watched with horror the events that unfolded.

Before going to bed, I reassured Sophie that the ring would turn up... watch this space!

An evening of silliness!

Sophie was running around Pitsford Reservoir this morning and met her friend, Becky, there at 10:00am. I tackled the housework and laundry, and when she got home, she brought goodies again! I enjoyed a matcha and shared a decadent croissant with Keith.

It's been another gorgeous day today, with warm sunshine and a gentle breeze, so perfect for getting the laundry dry outside. Sophie and I sat outside for a while, and I despaired at the state of the garden. There is so much to do in the house at the moment that I don't know where to start! When I'm off next Wednesday, I will try to get everything tidied up! At least the grass has perked up after the drought!

We had tickets for a show tonight: Sam Campbell's Kid Giblet Tour at Milton Keynes Theatre. We set off at 6:00pm and took Olive on the M1, as it was the fastest route. We parked easily near the theatre and went up to the Circle Bar for a drink and a tub of popcorn. I hadn't eaten much today, so I was hungry, but I wasn't sure that popcorn was the best thing to eat, as it was full of air! 

We sat and watched the theatre fill up with people and enjoyed a spot of people-watching. Just before 7:30pm, we went back down to the stalls entrance and found our seats right in the middle of a row. We had a good view, though, and there were various props on the stage, some of which made no sense and weren't even used in the show!

Sophie and I had enjoyed the last show we saw in Leicester, but unfortunately, tonight was not so enjoyable and was very silly. Some bits were funny, and we laughed, but we didn't find Sam Campbell as hilarious as last time. He had a bearded man on stage with him, who was supposed to be his IT support, but he wasn't funny, either. In the interval, we were able to order a bottle of water and ice creams and have them delivered to our seats! How decadent!

In the second half, a woman who had pretended to be an usher appeared and was on stage for a while telling jokes. When Sam Campbell reappeared, he asked everyone to add up their phone number, and anyone who scored over 59 had to go onto the stage! I didn't add mine up, but even if it had been over that number, there was no way I would have appeared on the stage! He spoke to everyone, and there were lots of people, with two winners who scored the highest. I'm not really sure what the point of it was, to be honest. Then they all threw yellow rubber gloves at the audience. Yes, it was that kind of show...

At the end, when we all thought the show was over, he came back on with two of the people who had appeared with him, and they wore weird hats with what looked like sausages sticking out of them, and pranced about the stage. It was a relief when it was actually over, and we could go home!

Celebrity sightings!

Sophie and I were back in London again today, but as the event we were going to see wasn't on until 4:00pm, we had a relaxed morning at home and didn't get a train until midday. The timing of this had to coincide with a Newcastle game, which started at 12:30pm, so we asked Keith to drop us off at about 11:45am. 

It was a gorgeous day with balmy temperatures and a blue sky studded with white fluffy clouds. Our train was a fast one, with no stops until St Pancras, and we had a lovely journey. We'd treated ourselves to canned cocktails for the ride to London and, on the way, booked our tickets for Kettering to St Pancras in November. The tickets were extremely reasonable considering it was a commuter train!

At St Pancras, we went outside and hailed a taxi in a very busy taxi rank. Ahead of us in the queue was a weirdly dressed man, and I wished I were able to take a photo of him. He had some sort of black headdress on, a shirt that was open at the back and the weirdest clothes I've ever seen. How brave to go out in public like that, knowing you were going to draw stares from everyone!

Sophie looking very becoming, unlike some in the queue!

We had a very pleasant taxi journey to the South Bank Centre, where we were going to The Rest is Fest, twenty-two shows featuring The Rest is... podcasts. Ours, of course, was The Rest is Classified versus Scaramucci. Other shows were The Rest is History, The Rest is Football (with Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer), and The Rest is Science.

The South Bank Centre was busy when we arrived, and we went inside to explore. There was a shop, merchandise stalls selling books and tee-shirts, and a couple of bars. Outside, there were glorious views of the river, and people were enjoying the beautiful weather, which was so different to the rain and grey skies we had last week!

We decided to have something to eat and drink and explored an open-air food market, but it was hectically busy, and the choice of food was overwhelming! There was nowhere to sit, so we walked to a  nearby Pizza Express instead. We chose peach cocktails, a big bottle of water, chicken goujons to start, and we shared a pizza. The food and service were great, and it was lovely to sit and chat and look forward to seeing David McCloskey and Gordon Corera again!

We managed to find room for puds - a cheesecake for me and a white chocolate blondie for Sophie. We had a table booked at The Booking Office for 6:00pm, but we were planning on having nibbles with a drink.

Once we'd paid the bill, we walked over the road and went back into The South Bank Centre, this time going up to the second floor for a drink before the show. I ordered a medium glass of white wine, while Sophie chose an Aperol Spritz. £22 for the two!

We sat with our drinks and did some great people-watching. There were groups of teenagers acting very excitedly, and I did wonder if they had come to see the show we had booked. They didn't seem to be the demographic for fans of The Rest is Classified!

Just before 4:00pm, we walked over to the entrance of the auditorium, but we weren't allowed in, so we took two seats at a table. Here, there were even more groups of teenagers all gabbling excitedly and carrying bags with Sherlock & Co on them... We then realised there was another event taking place in another hall, so that made sense! I had never heard of the podcast Sherlock & Co!

Imagine our delight when we saw Gary Lineker walk past! The woman who was sitting at our table was also excited, and even more so when she saw a woman walk past who does a podcast with Anthony Scaramucci, Katty Kay.

When the doors opened, we took our seats in the front row and had a fantastic view of the stage. It was great to see David McCloskey and Gordon Corera again, but this was a much different event than Bletchley Park, which was far more intimate. I then did a double-take when I saw Tracey Ullman walk down to the front and look about for a friend she was joining. She had long grey hair, but it was unquestionably her!

The three men came onto the stage, and it was to be a debate between David McCloskey and Anthony Scaramucci, mediated by Gordon Corera. The question was: Was the CIA a force for good in protecting the US?

The first topic was about Watergate, and it moved on to Trump and Venezuela. They lightly touched on the subject of 9/11, and David McCloskey became a little agitated with Scaramucci! The last part was a question-and-answer session, and we were asked to vote about the CIA.

The show was only on for an hour, and there was no chance of meeting the three men afterwards, so it was very different from Bletchley Park, where we were able to mingle with them and chat. We left, managed to grab a taxi parked outside, and were whisked off to The Booking Office. It was a gorgeous late afternoon, and the sun sparkled on the River Thames, with the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament in the distance. On the way, we came across a filming unit, but we didn't recognise anyone!

Scenes from a black cab

Although we were early for our table, we were able to take our seats and have a look at the menu. We chose a bottle of sparkling water and a carafe of Balfour English rosé. We sat and relaxed for a short time before ordering from the nibbles menu: a charcuterie plate, hummus and crackers, chicken goujons, and French fries.

Lots of other tables were occupied, and the bar was full of people sitting and drinking, although the bar stools didn't look very comfortable! We could see the manager working really hard, and when he came over to us to top up our glasses, we had a chat. He said that three staff members had called in sick, and he sounded very fed up. We chatted for a while, and I said I sympathised!

We had a delightful meal and treated ourselves to a White Russian cocktail instead of a pud. When we ordered, we made the manager laugh; he said he hadn't heard anyone ask for this cocktail for ages! The drinks were so good, we ordered another and then paid the bill, which nearly made us fall off our seats. It was worth it, though!

We were able to catch the 8:05pm train, which should have got us to Kettering at about 8:55pm. We called Keith to let him know and settled back in our seats for the journey. However, minutes after leaving St Pancras, the train slowed because of a slower engine in front of us, and we were about twenty-five minutes late.

Keith had been waiting patiently and whisked us back home, where we were able to relax and chat about our day!

What day is it?

It felt weird having today off, but lovely at the same time! After an early blood test at the GP surgery, I pootled about while Keith went to Tesco to do our weekly shopping. When he got back and had eaten some lunch, we drove to Northampton to visit Homesense. We needed a new container for the wine corks we keep, and I knew they would have a good choice.

We were, indeed, spoiled for choice, and we picked out a huge wine/sundae glass that should accommodate them, with room for more! I also bought some new white cotton pillowcases, two pillow protectors, a candle and some white bowls, as we are badly in need of them!

We drove home; I left Keith there and went over to see my Mum for an hour. The carers were glad to see me, as apparently, my  Mum had been asking and asking where I was and had refused to get out of bed this morning. She seemed fine when I sat with her and chatted, but I was still worried about how thin she was. Jessica, one of her carers, said she only wanted to eat sweet things, which, nutritionally, weren't that good for her.

I showed her a picture I'd taken of her on her 80th birthday, and I was shocked at the change in her, to be honest. I'm honestly not sure how much more weight she can lose.

Back at home, I looked forward to a relaxing evening; perhaps I should have Friday off instead of Wednesday! Keith went to the pub while Sophie and I opened a bottle of red Sablet and watched a Netflix documentary called The Pastor's Wife. Sophie had said one of her friends had enjoyed it, but it left me cold. We started to watch episode two, but I lost interest!

Keith had prepared a spicy chilli for dinner, and afterwards we watched Top of the Pops from 1985. I swooned over Morten Harket, as he was then. He was definitely my teen pin-up! He is now 66! Sophie went outside to try to get the cats in and bumped into Lynn and Daphne the dog. She had been in the garden eating the cocktail sausages that Sophie had put down for Barry the badger! Daphne is the sweetest dog! She came over for lots of cuddles and strokes, and we chatted to Lynn until the chill of the evening air drove us back inside. It's definitely Autumn now!

A better day!

I woke up at 5:00am and was thinking about work, which was silly. I left early to get Sheila some flowers, chocolates and a card, as today was my last official day working with her.

Thankfully, I had a much better day, made even nicer by the scones, cream and jam that Sheila had made. There was a steady stream of people wishing her good luck in her retirement (even though she's working one day a week on a Wednesday) and tucking into the cakes!

We submitted the payroll sheets, and I tackled some of my emails and input a few contracts. I am going to have to get tough with the staff who continually make mistakes, as I won't have time to keep correcting them. They will soon learn! It was lovely to drive home and look forward to another three-day weekend. I am lucky, although I don't realise it at times!

We sat in the kitchen this evening, chatted, and enjoyed a very simple supper of pizza/quiche and roasted vegetables. The cats have been very good this week, as the weather has been changeable and there's been a lot more rain, so it's been easy to get them in! This makes Sophie's life so much better, and she loves getting them in early and taking them upstairs for a furry love-in!

Feeling overwhelmed!

Today has been another crazy day, and our regional manager came in to talk to us about the prospect of accepting cash payments at our sites in a couple of weeks. I'm not sure that today was the best day to talk about it, as both Sheila and I felt a little overwhelmed. One of the things that our manager hinted to me when Sheila was out of the office was that my colleague tends to overcomplicate things, and I agreed. Some of the processes can be more streamlined, and I was reminded that we were there to record the data, not investigate!

Keith came to pick me up, and I said that I wasn't sure if I'd made the right decision, as there was so much to do and Dan, our manager, had asked Sheila to do a last-minute job at 4:00pm. I don't mind staying later, but I will need to have notice, as I can't have Keith sitting and waiting for me for half an hour.

Keith was out tonight watching Sileby play, so Sophie and I had planned jerk chicken pasta for dinner. The chicken had been marinating since yesterday, and I prepared the rest of the ingredients when I got home from work.

We enjoyed a bottle of Chardonnay with the meal, which was a lovely balance of heat and creaminess. It was delicious! We watched two episodes of A Place in the Sun, followed by a deeply moving and saddening documentary about babies that were forcibly given away for adoption in the 60s and 70s.

Keith came home from the match, all bundled up in a coat and a scarf. Is summer finally over?