Bella, bella!

Last night (Friday) just as I thought my working week was over, the phone rang and it was Polly saying she couldn't set the alarm. The nursery had left a door open which has a contact point embedded in it and Polly was unable to open an entrance door to go and close it. There was no other option but for me to go in with Keith and what a filthy, horrible night it was!

Within half an hour the problem was sorted and we were back home but I did hope that was truly the end of my week at work!

Saturday has seen a lovely, dry and sunny day which is supposed to be the calm before Tropical Storm Bertha hits the UK tomorrow. Sophie was supposed to have been in at work but she wasn't needed so we spent the afternoon doing some shopping and sorting out our membership at the gym. We have both decided to carry on going and Sophie is now on the 18-25 membership scheme which means that although she pays slightly more than she did before, she won't have to pay the full amount for a while yet!

Mum and Dad had given me a £30 Next voucher as a way of saying thank you for all the paperwork I'd been doing recently so we went to the brand new shop on Riverside. They have their own Costa Coffee so we popped there first before looking around the shop. I chose a pair of new sunglasses and a new purse so I was very pleased with my purchases. They have a lovely Home section with some beautiful cushions and furniture - I can see us making a trip back!

I also changed some pounds into dollars so that was exciting! This holiday is rushing up to meet us now and we have less than two weeks to go!

In the evening we all went to Bella Italia on Sixfields as we wanted to treat Mikey to a meal before he goes off to Army Camp tomorrow. It was his choice and despite being disappointed in the restaurant the last time we visited, tonight we had a very good experience indeed. Sophie and I shared a garlic and mozzarella flatbread while Mikey chose meatballs and Keith enjoyed a plate of chicken wings. The food was delicious. For mains, Sophie and I both went for the Pollo Milanese - fillet of chicken covered in crispy breadcrumbs and served with the most tender green beans I'd ever had and a pile of spaghetti. Belissimo!!

Keith had a Marco Polo pizza (with duck and spring onions) while Mikey had a meatball pizza! I enjoyed a couple of glasses of Chardonnay and we finished up with Tiramisu, Pannacotta, ice-cream and the dessert that Mikey had really come for, the Godfather!

Replete and very happy with the service and food Keith drove us back to The White Horse where I treated everyone to a drink before we returned home. The pub was looking very pretty with the little bauble lights lit in the front alcove and it felt cosy and welcoming. A great end to a lovely night!