Alarm bells ring!

I had a bit of drama this morning when the Nursery called to say that the Fire Alarms at work were going off! I'd received a call on my mobile from an unknown number so ignored it, but then they called me again on the Nursery number and this time I answered it, thank goodness!

What had happened was that because this morning was a bit chillier than normal, the heaters had come on and had burnt off some of the dust inside, which had built up over the summer. This had then triggered off the alarms and when I went in, Jeanette had opened three of the doors to let the haze out.

Luckily I managed to turn the alarms off and normal service was resumed! I went home at 9am to get showered as I'd just been about to get into the shower when my phone rang!

Today was a bit quieter as the weather was dry and sunny so it was a good end to a busy week!

In the evening Keith and I went out for a drink, to The Three Cranes in Great Cransley.  It had been ages since we last visited and although the beer wasn't really to Keith's liking, it was a very pleasant, clean and friendly pub with an interesting menu. We may go back for a meal with the children one day!

We had a good chat and then it was home to a Tesco Finest meal. Delicious!

Fun at the gym!

Today has been another busy day although it wasn't as manic or as stressful as yesterday, thank goodness! We still had rain and wind to contend with but at least we didn't have any parties at lunchtime!

After work Sophie and I went to the gym with mum and dad and we had a great time. We all did our workouts first and then went down to the pool where I tried to get mum to use a float and do some exercise in the water. She kept shrieking as she thought she was going to go under so in the end she just walked slowly up and down with Sophie as the pool is about mid-chest height. I was able to do a few lengths in relative peace as Sophie stayed with mum!

After the swim we all went into the spa and we showed Mum and Dad the part of the whirlpool where you can lie back but that caused more shrieks as they then weren't able to get back on their feet! We ended up in the sauna (too hot) and the steam room (too steamy) but we did have a laugh and it was great to go and relax as a family after the stresses of the last few days. It's wonderful to be able to go down to the spa and relax after the exercise and this is the main reason I chose the Virgin gym over any others in the town.

Our evening was lovely as three of us tucked into a roast dinner that Keith had cooked. I say three of us because Sophie couldn't face biting into the meat and had a bowl of soup instead, poor thing!

Nightmare day!

If I thought yesterday morning was stressful, I certainly hadn't reckoned on today! We had a combination of extremely wet and windy weather and two lunchtime parties which made for a manic and chaotic day. Both Mum and I abandoned any office work we had to do and helped out in the kitchen, serving customers, washing up and clearing tables amidst an unbelievable amount of noise!

One of the parties had blowers as well, which made a tremendous racket and by mid afternoon my ears were ringing with the noise and the constant demands from the public. It seemed that every time I went out to clear a table someone asked me for something! Arrrrgggh!! We had moany customers demanding to know when their food orders would be ready even though they could see us all rushing around working as hard as we could!

To cap it all Sophie had a dentist appointment at 2.30pm to have her brace fitted which she didn't enjoy at all. It took about half an hour to be done and I can honestly say she hates it! By the time work was over she was already saying that her teeth ached and that biting into food was painful. 

As you can imagine I really couldn't wait to get home and all plans to go to the gym were put off until tomorrow!

Back to work!

Within an hour of being back at work I was stressed out! Mum and I had to do the cleaning and it took us both an hour and a half to get it all done, and bloomin' hard work it was too! I'd had a shower and washed my hair before going into work and I honestly needn't have bothered!

Thankfully, the day did get a bit better and we weren't too busy at work as the sun was shining outside - well, it would wouldn't it, now that the Bank Holiday was over!

After work we all went for a tramp over the fields but I don't think any of us enjoyed it. I felt full of energy before we went, but half way around I ran out of steam and it was a blissful relief to finally get home, pour myself a glass of red and watch "Sideways" again!

Last day of the hols...

Well, for me anyway! It's a Bank Holiday today and of course, it rained for most of the afternoon! I think it's rained on every single Bank Holiday this year!

Sophie and I went to the gym around lunchtime and it was packed! We did our workout and then had a swim and a dip in the jacuzzi before having lunch in the cafe. We'd arranged to go out with Mum in the afternoon so we drove off to Homesense to look for some little bits to add to the new hallway and cloakroom. I bought a loo roll holder and a loo brush, so nothing really exciting, I'm afraid!

We popped into Mum's for a very quick drink and then it was time to take Keith to the pub. I kept thinking that it was Sunday so I know that all this week I'm going to be a day behind! Maybe not a bad idea seeing as it's back to work for me!

Job done!

It was back to the decorating again today and while Sophie finished off the cloakroom walls, I glossed the doors and skirting boards - not my favourite job! However, when we eventually finished at around 3pm we were both very pleased with how it all looked. It's so much cleaner and brighter now!

Neither of us had any energy to go to the gym or go for a walk so we stayed at home and did very little for the rest of the day. I did a bit of research into my family tree, exploring the lives of my Great Uncles and Aunts, but it was great to relax knowing we'd done what we'd planned to do!

Decorating...groan!

So I made a start this morning and I really did not feel like painting at all! Sophie foolishly asked if she could help as she thought it was going to be "fun" but she soon changed her mind as we got stuck into it! We worked steadily for most of the day managing to get the walls in the hallway painted twice and deciding to leave the glossing until tomorrow. We put a first coat of emulsion on the walls in the cloakroom so we were very pleased with our progress!

I had an appointment in the late afternoon for an eyebrow shape at the beauty salon at the gym so it was lovely to take myself off there and relax, even though it didn't take very long. It certainly wasn't as painful as the threading I had done last time!

Well-laid plans...

Today I was supposed to be starting the decorating in the hallway and cloakroom but we had a very early dentist appointment for Sophie to get a problem sorted out with her front tooth. I decided to abandon the decorating for today and instead do it over the weekend!

The dentist was brilliant and said that the problem was a small bit of enamel missing so he filled it and within minutes the small hole had disappeared, much to our relief! As Sophie had to enrol in 6th Form at 10am we called into work to see Mum and Dad and to have a much-needed coffee!

Enrolment was fine - Sophie had all the grades she needed to get in and do the subjects she wanted but there were a couple of students there who had had to make a different choice because of the outcome of their exams.

The afternoon was spent at the gym and then Sue came around in the evening for a drink and nibbles. I nibbled so much on the olives, breadsticks and cheese that I didn't have any dinner!

Exam results day...

It was a very nervous drive to the school this morning to pick up Sophie's GCSE exam results! I wasn't allowed into the school with her (not cool) so I had to sit in the car and watch the other pupils coming out, some of whom were crying.

When Sophie came back to the car she didn't look very happy, the reason being she was very disappointed with her English result. She was predicted an A/A* but achieved a B which I thought was brilliant. She gained As in French, Spanish and History so entrance into 6th form is definitely assured.

When we got home I looked at the news and discovered that there was a huge row about the English results and that for the first time in the history of the GCSE exams, grades have dropped. It looks very much like the examining boards have altered the grade ceilings but never told the teachers who were obviously predicting higher grades for pupils.

Both Keith and I, and my Mum and Dad, are over the moon with her results, especially as 6th Form is guaranteed. I found my old O Level and CSE exam results and showed her my grades - mostly Cs, one B for English and an E for Geography! Sophie has done far better than me and I don't think I've made a failure of my life!

We went out in the evening to celebrate, to the Chinese restaurant I visited last week with the girls. The place was packed and there were quite a few 16 year olds in there as well! We had a great meal and Sophie is looking forward very much to enrolling in 6th Form tomorrow morning!

My poor baby!

This afternoon, after we'd sweated at the gym, Sophie and I had to make a visit to the Orthodontist to get ready for a brace that will be fitted next week. The Orthodontist very quickly and efficiently fitted four rubber bands around Sophie's teeth and then said that before the brace was fitted we would have to make an appointment with our regular dentist to see about a little problem she has with one of her front teeth. As you can imagine, Sophie was not happy!

She became even grumpier when we went to see the therapist about how to clean her teeth after the brace has been fitted. She was told no chewing gum, no popcorn, fizzy drinks as a special treat only and she would be wearing the brace for about 18 months! Oh, and no biting nails!

I did say to her that she didn't need any of the above food or drink and that it would all be worth it in the end, but she's in a mega grump and nothing I could say would appease her. I managed to book a dentist appointment for Friday morning (very early!) and of course it's exam results day tomorrow. I just hope everything goes smoothly!

I persuaded Keith to go for a walk in the early evening even though I'd been to the gym. With all this exercise I should be buying new, smaller clothes very soon!

Mingling with the tourists in London

Sophie wanted to spend the day in London today so we decided to drive down to the O2, park the car there and then get a Thames Clipper up to Westminster Pier. We picked up Sophie's friend Susie and by 9.15am we were on our way.

The drive down was remarkably easy and we were soon at the O2 where there were still lots of signs for the Olympics as the basketball and gymnastics were held there. The wheelchair basketball will also be held here next week for the Paralympics so there were loads of people wearing the official Olympic badges and looking very important!

After the drive I was craving a coffee so I treated the kids to a drink and some crisps and bought myself and Keith a coffee and a tea. Costa Coffee was heaving with people and the O2 arena itself was very busy with preparations for the Paralympics.

After our refreshment break we sauntered off the Greenwich Pier to see about getting the boat up the river, but when we found out the cost - £60 for the five of us! - we rapidly changed our minds! Before heading back to the Underground we had a quick look over the river and noticed the new cable car ride which looked thrilling! Not sure I'd be up for that, though!

Cable cars above a design structure

An off-peak travelcard for the five of us worked out at a much more reasonable £30 so we caught the Tube to London Bridge and then had a look around Southwark and the brilliant Borough Market which had lots of stalls selling some very delicious food!

We also saw the brand new building, The Shard, which will be Europe's tallest building at just over 1000 feet. It's still being built but dominates the skyline...

We had a great wander around Borough Market and bought some sweets for the children from one of the stalls. I wanted to buy some of the gorgeous bread but knew that by the time we got home it wouldn't be in the best of conditions!

We wandered off along the embankment passing the Golden Hinde, a reconstruction of Sir Francis Drake's Tudor Galleon, and Vinopolis which Keith had to drag me away from! We visited for a mammoth wine tasting some years ago and I would love to go back!

From the embankment we walked past The Globe Theatre and Tate Modern and then went over the Millennium Bridge, where we had a great view of St Paul's Cathedral, before making our way to Covent Garden via Fleet Street and Aldwych.

By the time we made it to Bella Italia in Covent Garden we were more than ready for lunch! Keith and I treated ourselves to a lovely cold beer and then tucked into bread batons with a garlic and cheese dip while Sophie and Susie shared a plate of garlic bread. Mikey opted for a dish of meatballs to start - where does he put it all? Our mains were delicious - spaghetti for Mikey, pizzas for Keith and the girls while I had a very beefy burger with sublime homemade chips. Delicious! I had no room left for dessert but the children packed away a "Godfather" dessert which nearly beat them!

 

After paying the bill (we had Mum and Dad's voucher to use, bless them!) we waddled off around Covent Garden and saw a mad entertainer lying on a bed of nails while a rather large man stood on top of him!

The entertainer pops a balloon held between the victim's legs...

Covent Garden was heaving with people so we decided to take the tube to Westminster Abbey which none of us had been to before. We had to change several times and it was very hot and stuffy on the Underground. Not a journey I would like to make every day!

Again, the area around the Houses of Parliament and Westminster was heaving with tourists and we had arrived too late to go into the Abbey so we had a quick look at the outside and decided to head back to North Greenwich as it was now gone 4pm. The journey back was straightforward but the trains were packed with people and it was a relief to get back to the O2 and venture inside for a quick drink before we headed home.

On the way back to the car we saw some of the official Olympc cars parked up and very smart they looked as well!

Reclaiming the house from the spiders!

Today has been extremely busy. The house was overdue a thorough clean so this morning I spent almost five hours cleaning the downstairs rooms and rearranging the conservatory so we can start to use the double doors that lead out into our gravel garden. There were cobwebs everywhere and lots of dead flies behind the sofa...lovely! The weather was a bit cooler, thank goodness, but very overcast so perfect for staying indoors and tackling essential jobs. I was so pleased when I'd finished as everything looked so clean and tidy!

Sophie dragged me to the gym in the afternoon and we did our workout, followed by a lazy dip in the jacuzzi. Heaven!

Someone's turned the heat up!

Phew! Today has been HOT! All four of us went to see Mum and Dad for a coffee and sitting out in their garden it was already warm!

In the afternoon Sophie and I went off to Homesense as I needed a small mat or rug for my bedroom, to cover three hair colour stains on the carpet...ooops! Sophie found me a lovely small rug that fits perfectly at the bottom of the bed. I also picked out a picture for the hallway (I AM going to decorate over the next week!).

We treated ourselves to a Creamy Cooler in Costa Coffee (nice, but a tad expensive!) and then went home to cool off. The temperature in the car was registering 33 degrees!

Keith barbecued in the evening and after dinner I sat and enjoyed the film Sideways which is a favourite of mine. It's about two men embarking on a boozy week touring the Californian vineyards and normally I can't watch it without a glass of red in my hand but tonight I was good and didn't succumb!

Full of beans!

I woke up this morning feeling a lot less tired and looking forward to our workout at the gym, despite the fact that it was very hot indeed. Sophie and I went at just after 11am and the place was lovely and quiet. I borrowed some ear-phones from Sophie and listened to music while I went on the bike, the cross-trainer and the treadmill and I have to say that the music certainly helped!

After our work-out we went for a swim and then had a blissful 20 minutes soaking in the hydro pool, enjoying all the frothy bubbles. We ventured into the sauna for about 2 minutes but neither of us needed any more heat!

When we emerged into the early afternoon the temperature registered 29 degrees in the car! The heatwave is due to last for a couple of days so it looks like I've picked another good week to have off work!

We popped around to Mum and Dad's house for an hour as Dad had treated himself to a new iPad with his savings and hadn't a clue how to connect to the internet, bless him. I managed to get him on and then Sophie helped him transfer all his photos from his computer to his new toy as she is the expert with the i things!

Back home it was bliss to stretch out on the sofa with the fan full on me!

Thank goodness it's Friday!

I mean that wholeheartedly! I felt a bit tired this morning after my late night and it's been a long day, I have to admit. Mum and Dad popped into work in the afternoon to bring some chocolates in for all of us and told me all about Budapest which they said was a beautiful city. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves there, which was great, and it was a lovely way to celebrate Dad's 70th birthday.

It was a relief to finally get home but then Polly called me to say that I'd left the bag of change in our office which is always kept locked...rats! Keith and I drove back in and then I dropped him off at the pub but I popped in for a quick drink with him before going home. As the evening was a sunny and warm one, there were lots of people out in the garden enjoying the sunshine, but it was lovely to go home, catch up on my recorded episodes of Neighbours and then have a sneaky snooze before I picked him up.

We had fish and chips for dinner and then watched a film - tomorrow we are definitely back to the gym!

Night out with the girlies!

This evening has been rather hectic. I had an appointment to give blood at 5.20pm and when I arrived I was told they were running a little late which meant that I would have even less time at home to get ready for a meal out with three friends. The blood giving went very smoothly and I rushed home to pick up some food I'd bought for mum and dad who were flying home from three nights in Budapest. Keith and I took that up to their house before I jumped in the shower to wash off the grubbiness of the day (it's been warm and humid again).

My friend from across the road, Sue, was driving, which was lovely and she'd brought a friend of hers with her, Laura, who I had met a couple of times before (we'd been out for an Indian some months ago and she's a lovely, friendly woman).

We then picked up Lynda from her house in the village of Cogenhoe and made our way to the Chinese restaurant that is adjacent to a large outdoor park. It was a beautiful evening but for the first time we were seated well within the restaurant so we couldn't gaze out over the lake. However, the quality and abundance of the food more than made up for our lack of view and we had a very good evening. The food was delicious, and very plentiful, and we each chose several starters and main courses so by the end of the evening we were all stuffed! The three of us who weren't driving enjoyed a bottle of South African Pinotage and we declined desserts!

Back home, everyone was still up and looking at some old photographs on the computer of past holidays which made us all chuckle before we headed to bed at the very late time of midnight!

Life's little irritations...

There have been some strange little things going on at work this week, most of which have been irritating. I find as I get older that I get more annoyed by certain things and this week they seem to have been a daily occurence!

It started on Tuesday morning when the phone at work rang and it was Polly, our Receptionist, calling. She was in a right old state because the previous evening, as she'd been leaving our premises, she'd witnessed a couple having sex in a car right outside the Nursery! I mean, it was 6pm for heaven's sake, a time when the Nursery would normally still be open and when we're open as well! Customers could have been walking past with their children!

She had noticed a car parked right outside the building with the engine running and went to investigate. When she peered through the back window she saw a man's naked bottom, and the rest I shall leave up to your imagination!

When she told me I was speechless with shock. I'm not normally easily shocked but this was beyond the pale. I mean, late at night the area is deserted but at 6pm? I went up to tell the Nursery nurses and asked them to keep their eyes out for any strange cars as I will have no hesitation in reporting them to the police!

Today Keith and I noticed that several panes of glass had been dumped in our car park, which could have caused a problem if they'd fallen over or been hit by a car. This is the second time that we've found rubbish dumped inside our gates so I think it's time we hit back at these fly-tippers who appear to be tradesmen as the waste is industrial. Imagine our shock, then, when we opened our recycling container to find about 40 Yellow Pages, which someone had thrown in there!  I called Yellow Pages who seemed very laid back about the whole situation despite the fact that they'd paid someone to deliver them!

The next irritation came from a woman whose daughter has a disability and who visits us, free of charge, most weeks on a Tuesday. A car arrived very early so I went out to see who it was and discovered that it was the little girl's physiotherapist who had arranged to meet her. I had no knowledge whatsoever of the visit yet I'd already asked the mother to let us know when she was coming so we would be ready. As they come along well before we open to the public and come in at no cost, I don't think a courtesy call is too much to ask. Well, I was hopping mad at this and growled at Keith that it would be lovely if the mother could buy some chocolates for the staff every now and again to say thank you! Grrrrr!

So, it has been a week of little niggles, but today is our Wedding Anniversary and we've been married 20 years! We had no plans to go out and bought a Tesco Meal Deal to celebrate, which was delicious. With a couple of glasses of a good French Grenache, all the little petty niggles just melted away and we had a very relaxed evening with the children!

Christmas? Already?

Yes, the first signs have already appeared! Keith and I went off to Jones's today to get some stationery for work and there they were - a shelf of Christmas cards in amongst the reduced garden furniture. Grrr! I say there should be a law against it! I mean it's not even really the middle of August yet! Who wants to think about an event that's still four months away?

It's been hot today as well - well, I think it's hot and the temperature registered 27 degrees in the car. Sophie and I had packed our bags for the gym but we went for a swim in the pool as I really couldn't face getting any hotter on the machines. We swam steadily for half an hour and finished off our visit with a dip in the hydro pool which was bliss!

Back home I relaxed in the garden with Keith and then we barbecued. As usual Monty cat joined us and I could tell he was feeling the heat too, as he kept flopping about and looking at me as if to say, "Phew it ain't half hot, mum!"

One more week!

And then I'm off work for a week! The school holidays are certainly flying by and it seems that everyone is away at the moment!

Today has been a normal Monday with very little to write about, although Keith and I did enjoy two episodes of Wallander in the original Swedish in the evening. It's quite a dark series with hardly any colour and portrays Sweden as a country of perpetual rain! We're both enjoying the acting, though, and it's very similar to The Bridge which we loved earlier in the year. Things have gone back to normal on BBC1 now, thank goodness!

Slow and sluggish...

I woke this morning feeling a bit tired! If I have more than a couple of glasses of wine now I don't sleep well at all so this morning, even though I had a lie-in, I felt a little sluggish!

Unfortunately, I had a lot of things that needed doing! My car was filthy, the grass verge outside the house needed cutting and the house really could have done with a good clean! I changed our bed sheets, mowed the verge and took the car to the local Tesco car-wash which did a very bad job, indeed! I had to come home and wash it again!

Sophie was wanting to go to the gym today so we went in the afternoon and I tried to forget about the housework that needed to be done. It was another hot and humid day and I had absolutely no energy at the gym at all! Even getting up the stairs was hard work!

We did our workout, went for a swim and then spent some time in the jacuzzi which was lovely and very soothing on our tired muscles! Then it was off to Mum's house as she wanted us to call in for a piece of birthday cake. I'm glad I went and did something at the gym!

In the evening we watched the Closing Ceremony of the Olympics and I can hardly believe that it's all over now. The last two weeks have whizzed by!

Birthday celebrations!

Today is my Dad's 70th Birthday. I can hardly believe he's 70 as he certainly doesn't look or act like his age, although I think these days, people are younger anyway. 70 definitely isn't like it used to be years and years ago!

Sophie wasn't working today which was great so we sauntered off to Market Harborough for our customary milkshake in Caffe Nero and to have a look in the shops. We'd planned to go to the gym afterwards but we realised we just didn't have time as Mum wanted us at her house at 6pm for a glass of fizz before a taxi picked us up at 7pm for our celebration meal.

We did, however, manage a walk over the fields, and it was a bit hot! We did the walk in reverse so we ended up walking through the two new fields that we have to use because of the barricade. The ironic thing is that the second field is full of sheep! Sophie tried a bit of sheep whispering and one of them (I think they were older lambs) almost succumbed to her charm!

Six o'clock found us sitting in Mum's garden with a bottle of sparkling wine and some nibbles while Dad opened his presents from us. I'd bought him a very special bottle of Jack Daniel's whisky from a single barrel so he was over the moon with that!

The taxi driver was due to arrive at 7pm to take us to the Wavendon Arms in Milton Keynes but he couldn't find the house! Mum talked him through the directions on the phone but he still managed to arrive 15 minutes late. He was in a big mini bus which rattled and shook us all the way down the M1 but we did get to the restaurant for 8pm so all was well in the end!

We had a fantastic meal with lots of wine and it was great that none of us had to drive! The children were on sparkling form and made us all laugh so we had a lovely night with delicious food and a brilliant atmosphere in the pub which was very busy. The Wavendon Arms is a lovely "gastro-pub" with lots of wood, big comfortable sofas and very friendly and efficient staff.

Our taxi picked us back up at 11pm and dropped us off outside our estate so we could just walk the short distance home. I'd said we would watch a film when we got home but the several glasses of wine I'd drunk had made me very sleepy indeed and it was off to bed for me!

Granny visiting.

Mum and I went off to Kent today to see Nan so we spent much of a very hot day in an air-conditioned car, thank goodness, as the temperatures reached 32 degrees centigrade in the afternoon! Phew!

We had a good run down and I listened to Jeremy Vine's lunchtime radio show with interest as they were debating whether the BBC was focusing too much on Team GB's success in the Olympics. I'm of the opinion that we should big ourselves up as much as possible - why on earth shouldn't we?? I'm very proud that we've done so well and I know that the other countries would only be concentrating on the success of their own athletes!

We had a relaxed afternoon and I did manage to watch some of the BMX event which looked terrifying! I just kept waiting for ET to make an appearance!

On the way home we discovered that the queues for the Dartford Tunnel were so long they'd suspended all charges to enable the traffic to get through more quickly! I'd never heard of them doing this before! Not wanting to wait 45 minutes to get through the jams we decided to head for the Blackwall Tunnel instead, but we were a bit worried about the traffic as this route takes us right past the Olympic Park.

However, although it was a little sticky on the approach, the traffic was fine and we saw several official Olympic cars on the road using the reserved lane. It would have been great to have seen someone famous sitting in one!

Return of the heat!

The heat is back with a vengeance so it was great to have a swim this evening after Sophie and I went to the gym. We did about ten lengths and I'd forgotten how hard swimming can be! Normally on holiday we just mess about in the pool so actually swimming up and down and feeling muscles stretch was great. It just makes me realise how hard the Olympic swimmers must train!

Back home I sat in the garden with Keith which was lovely. The evening was a bit cooler and we were accompained by Monty who was happy to just sit on the grass by our feet. We barbecued some pork chops and after dinner Sophie, Mikey and I had a walk around the estate with the cats again so it's been a very good day for exercise!

Not a good day!

**Whinge alert** Don't read on if you hate whingeing!!

Today has not been good. It started when Keith got into the shower after me and no water came out (well, just a dribble). My shower had been fine so we were both very perplexed and the other shower and taps were all working fine. The poor man had to dodge from our ensuite shower to the main bathroom to rinse off all the soap!

I then left for work in my car and later found out that Keith's car wouldn't start, although he did manage to get it going in the end. Hmmm! He was not very pleased!

My morning coffee was missing the milk (the canister was empty in the machine) and then I received a phone-call from a very irate customer who'd been to us the day before and was complaining that it was too hot. I listened to her rant on for almost 15 minutes and said that because our building was old and had glass in the roof, it did get hot in the summer, although we try and do our best to alleviate the heat for customers. She went on and on and even mentioned that she'd taken her son to A&E with suspected meningitis (how could we cause that, I wonder?) and I just get the feeling that the woman wanted to vent her anger at me rather than expect me to actually do anything! Helicopter mothers, I think they are called! Women who constantly hover over their children in a permanent state of nervousness!

Things calmed down for a little bit after that although when Keith and I went to Tesco they mucked up our grocery bill by over-charging us almost £8.00 on their meal deal. It was all very complicated so I won't go into details but I think customers need to have eyes like a hawk to ensure they pick the right products for the right deal!

Keith left for the day at around 2pm and when he got home he called me to say that my suspicions about my impending speeding fine were correct - I'd been caught doing 38mph so it'll mean a £60 fine and three points on my lovely clean licence. I am not very happy...

As I was sitting at my desk contemplating all this, the Manager from the Nursery popped her head around the door to say that they'd got an infestation of ants in one of the rooms and what could I do about it? Grrrr! I took a look and said that I would call our very efficient pest control man who would sort it out in the morning! No way was I going to try and eradicate a swarm of ants!

On my way back to the office I met Polly who told me that a customer had said the mens' toilets floor was covered in water so up I went with her to investigate and it looked like a couple of little darlings had been busy filling a container and then watering the floor for us! I spent the next 20 minutes mopping up all the mess and then it was time to go home - thank goodness!!

We'd planned to go for a walk after work but it was hot so we settled on a trudge into the village to see Mum and Dad in the hope they would offer us a drink and we could have a whinge at them but they had the audacity to be out, although we did meet them on the way back home and gave them the short version of our day!

Luckily that was the end of the badness as we had a delicious dinner, a couple of glasses of good South African Chenin Blanc and watched an intriguing film called Justice!

Feeling a bit weary!

I was up early and at work before 8am as we had the Tuesday cleaning to do before we opened. The rest of the day was very busy indeed and all plans to go to the gym after work were put on hold as I felt grubby, sweaty and tired. Although we had plenty of staff in, we still needed to help out so I felt I'd done enough running around for one day!

Back home (what bliss!) I had a long soak in the bath and then relaxed by watching Team GB's efforts in the Olympics, which were brilliant. We're doing so well this time, much better than I thought we'd do, to be honest, and at times it does feel great to be a Brit!

To try and make up for not going to the gym we took the cats for a walk just before the sun went down at 9.30pm. They enjoyed it as usual!

Monday again!

The weekends speed by far too fast!

After work today Sophie and I went to the gym and did a moderate workout - I managed to get a grip on the weights this time, but we both still ache from the walking we did yesterday, which doesn't help!

Getting home and relaxing in the evening was lovely, though, and it felt even better to know that we'd done some exercise!

Dodging the showers.

When Keith had his hip replacement operation, he vowed he would walk around Pitsford reservoir within three months, so today was the day!

We left home at 10am and made very good time by completing the seven miles in just under two and a half hours. Half way around we thought we were going to get pelted with rain but luckily the huge black cloud moved away and within half an hour we were walking in bright sunshine.

11.15am

11.45am!

The path was busy with cyclists, joggers and dog walkers but I think if the weather had been better when we started it would have been even busier. I felt great on the walk and Keith said his hip gave him no trouble at all, which was great news.

After getting home we had lunch and then watched the Mens' Tennis Finals between Andy Murray and Roger Federer. It was like a replay of the Wimbledon Finals but we were ecstatic to see Andy Murray win and receive another gold medal for Britain! He then had to play in the Doubles Final so the poor man must have been shattered!

The weather has continued to be showery and stormy all day but I did manage to sneak out into the garden to see what was happening out there. The grass seed we put down last week has not taken at all so we still have large bare patches on the lawn, which is sodden after all the rain we've had this week. Yesterday we had a storm so violent that the drains outside couldn't cope and the road became a river! It feels more like April at the moment!

Taking it carefully!

When I picked Sophie up from work this afternoon we went straight to the gym to do our workout. We had been told to pick up our "keys" from the desk in the middle of the gym but nobody was there to help us. As is always the case when I go anywhere new, I made an idiot of myself by mistaking a poor man for a Virgin staff member. Well, he was wearing a red tee-shirt!!

Anyway, somebody soon appeared, so we got our keys and started our work-outs. To be honest I think that mine was far too ambitious as 20 minutes on the cross trainer was never going to work. When the message "High heart rate" flashed up, I became a bit worried so I slowed down and spent the rest of my allotted time on the treadmill. From there we did some weights and then I spent some more time walking. Sophie did brilliantly!


Mum and Dad were at the gym as well but had finished their routines so we said we'd meet them downstairs in the jacuzzi. Sophie and I had a swim and then we spent some time soaking up the warmth in the "saunarium" before having a shower and heading home. Sophie felt fantastic after her workout but I felt like I hadn't pushed myself so when I got home I looked up my optimum heart rate on the internet (20bpm less than I was doing on the cross trainer!) and I'll exercise within that in future. I'm carrying more weight than I should so I need to start off carefully and if I'd carried on as per the Gym instructor's routine I would not have felt well!

We had a very pleasant evening (a delicius dinner and a glass of wine was bliss), settling down to watch the Olympics which I've been enjoying very much, despite me thinking they would be boring. Team GB have had a brilliant day today, winning lots of medals, so we're all very proud!

Is today the 13th?

It certainly felt like it!

We were busy at work again today and for some reason, the noise really got to me by mid afternoon. Although we weren't terrifically busy, the people we did have in seemed to revel in making a mess everywhere!

I escaped for half an hour to go to the launderette to take all of our kitchen washing and I think I've been done for speeding again... There was a van parked and although I was a fair distance away when I saw him, I was doing well over 30mph so I'm not very pleased. I blame myself entirely but there you go. There seem to be speed cameras everywhere at the moment so from now on I will really have to concentrate on keeping to the limit to avoid getting any more points on my licence.

When I got back to work I helped out in the kitchen and then Polly rushed in to ask me to cover Reception as a child had had a poopy accident in the ballpond and it needed to be cleaned up. Poor Polly! She always gets the good jobs, although I did help her to wash the balls when she'd gathered them all up. Not the nicest of jobs!

To cap it all, one of our best workers has given in her notice as she's found a full-time job so now we have to look for a weekend cook, one of the hardest jobs to fill. Ho hum!

Sophie and I were going to go to the gym straight after work, but we were both hot, sweaty and tired and I felt totally fed up so I'm ashamed to say we went home, I had a long hot shower and then we watched a very silly film called The Chameleon on television.

We will make up for it tomorrow!

Working out!

After work today Sophie and I went off to the gym (in the heaviest rain I've ever expeienced) for our induction with Steve. I wasn't really looking forward to it as I always preferred to do my own thing at the gym, but the hour we spent going around the machines was actually quite enjoyable!

We started off on the cross trainer and then moved onto the weights, finishing on the treadmill for 20 minutes. By the time we were finished we were both a bit hot and sweaty so rather than stay as it was now quite busy, we headed for home and I had a shower there. The other reason I wanted to get home quickly was that Keith had offered to take me for a drink at the pub and I didn't want to miss out on that!

We spent an enjoyable hour in the pub and then it was home for dinner, most of which had been cooked by Sophie!

I feel like a taxi driver!

Today it feels like all I've done is drive about! Sophie had a Birthday lunch to go to and the restaurant was right on the other side of Northampton. Keith came into work with me, so after going to the bank and doing some shopping for the business we went home to pick both her and Mikey up, took her to the restaurant and then went back to work for a couple of hours. Mikey had some lunch then wanted to go home as he was "bored"!

Work has been quite busy today with only a couple of niggles so when Sophie and I eventually arrived home I suggested a walk to restore that inner peace that I seem to have lost over the last couple of days...

Mikey stayed at home but Keith, Sophie and me went off across the fields, trying not to get annoyed with a letter from the Parish Council going on again about dog walkers and children playing in the fields surrounding our estate. It feels like someone has a real vendetta against us at the moment! We were stopped by an upset woman who had lost her little dog and we promised we would look out for her, poor thing. I just really hope she hasn't been in the field with all the sheep.

The walk was great and we felt brilliant charging up the hill - it felt like the easiest I'd ever done it!

Back home we tucked into a Tesco Finest meal (this is becoming a very pleasurable habit!) and then settled down to watch the Mens' Swimming which was very enjoyable indeed!