The month is over!

Sophie went off to the gym this morning and downstairs in the kitchen, we discovered a strange pair of shoes in the kitchen cupboard - it looked like Mike's new girlfriend Gemma, had stayed the night...

Keith took me into work again and the time flew past as I was training a new lady called Emma. She was really lovely and we all tried not to overwhelm her with the amount of information we have to know. I received a couple of random phone calls that just demonstrated what we have to deal with!

At 2pm Keith picked me up and we headed home. I realised I hadn't had my lunch or even visited the loo all morning, I'd been so busy!

In the afternoon I tackled the leaves on the driveway and hoovered some up that were on the lawn. It's been a sunny day today but it's turned a lot colder. The weekend is forecast to be horrible, which is a shame!

This evening was the last of our non-alcoholic wine nights...I made it! Keith is very proud of me (as I am of him) and I proved Sophie wrong as well! It goes without saying that the alcohol free drinks helped a lot!

Hanging about!

It was a wild and woolly morning as we have been feeling the after effects of Storm Diana in the UK. Keith took me into work and then went to do the shopping, even though I had suggested we both go when I finished at 3pm. He has a cold and a cough at the moment, given to him by Mike.

I had a pleasant session at work and once Keith had picked me up we returned home where I mooched about and hoovered downstairs again! The leaves were gathering around the back door, but at least I have a weapon to deal with them now!

Dinner tonight was a minced beef stew served in giant Yorkshire puddings. We watched Gino's Italian Adriatic  Escape and it was blissful seeing the scenes filmed in Italy while outside it was cold and dark.

At about 8.30pm Sophie and I took Mike to Brixworth as he was having an interview in one of the pubs there with a local builder. It would be ideal if he got the job as the builder lives on our estate and could give him lifts!

We returned home and I just hoped that Mike wouldn't be too late as I didn't want to be hanging around all evening for him! When it got to 10pm we texted him to say we were coming over, but half way there he told us to go home as he hadn't even been seen yet! He would find his own way home!

Drinks and nibbles.

Keith and I spent all morning cleaning the downstairs of the house and re-arranging the furniture in the conservatory, both in readiness for putting the decorations up this weekend and also because Sue and Michelle were coming around for a drink and nibbles in the evening.

It's been very mild today so I was able to open the windows and let some air in, but everything felt a bit damp. It was great to get the conservatory cleared out and tidied up and it looked lovely when I'd finished and set the table.

After having a shower, we went to get Sophie from work and went to Riverside. After having a quick lunch in Costa, Sophie and I went into Next while Keith went to Wilco's to get some batteries and light bulbs. I still didn't see anything I liked in the store so we met up with Keith and took Sophie back to work.

We went to buy all the nibbles at Aldi and Tesco in Kettering and I bought some delicious buffet foods. Before popping to Tesco we went into Next again and I spotted a silver table runner with six tablemats that would look lovely in the conservatory, so I bought them along with a star-shaped Christmas candle with my gift voucher. At last!

We spent more money in Tesco and I really think I bought too much food! However, the buffet was going to feed all six of us and I didn't want anyone to go hungry!

Back home my Mum called to ask if they could pop in on the way home and when they arrived I made them a cup of tea and tried to sort out a money problem for them. Before I knew it, Sophie was home from work and I started making preparations for the nibbles.

I had bought two bottles of sparkling non-alcoholic wine in Tesco - the usual Freixenet Cava and one from Australia - Rawson's Retreat. We only have three more nights to go! Yippee!

Sue and Michelle arrived and we had a great evening with a lot of laughing and gossip. The food went down very well and both of them loved the Cava (they each had some but had bought their own wine). We weren't so keen on the Rawson's Retreat, to be honest. It tasted like it was corked to me!

By 11pm we were all washed up and back to normal and I was more than ready for my bed!

Running on empty!

I was back at work today and it was a horrible, foggy morning. I had taken Sophie's car this morning as she was going out with friends in the evening and the plan was to pick her up from work and take her into town, to Alice's flat.

Her car was low on petrol but I had to rush home when I finished work and go to the doctor's surgery with Keith as he was having a Doppler test on his legs to measure the blood flow. We were there for ages and didn't get out until 4.30pm. At least it gave me a chance to have a good read of all the home and garden magazines and drool over some of the houses in Country Life! The good thing was that the test was good and there's no problem with his veins, which was great news!

We left the surgery and headed into town despite a queue up ahead in the roadworks. I really didn't fancy turning around and going back to Moulton, but I wish I had now as the traffic held us up and we were still in town at 5.15pm, later than when Sophie finished work. It was then that I noticed the fuel gauge had gone from showing 30 miles to empty to zero, so panicking slightly, I decided to go to a nearby Morrison's and get some petrol. Every time we stopped at a set of traffic lights I turned the engine off as I was dreading running out of fuel!

We finally made it and I filled the car up and we set off onto the gridlocked roads once again. It was as if someone had said a meteor was going to hit Northampton and there was a mass exodus taking place! Was this really normal rush hour traffic?

We finally got to Sophie for 5.45pm and sped off into town, depositing her at just after 6pm. It was then time to go home, grab a quick bite to eat (well, Keith did) and then I took him to the football ground as Sileby were playing. We thought it was better for me to pick him up after the game finished and head back into town to pick Sophie up.

I returned home, had a non-alcoholic lager (tonight I did really want a G&T) and made myself some toast before sitting down to watch a programme about a couple running a hill farm in Yorkshire with nine children and loads of sheep!

I went back out at 9.30pm, picked Keith up and we headed to sleazy Bridge Street where Sophie was enjoying cocktails at a bar with Alice. We waited a little while for her and I was mesmerised by the seedy looking people hanging about. Not the sort of place I would want to visit!

Sophie was a bit merry when she emerged with Alice and kept us entertained for the whole journey home. I wonder what her head will feel like in the morning!

Monday off!

I had today off, which was a lovely feeling! Sophie went to the gym and after getting up with her, I went back to bed! Mike had an interview at an employment agency in town at 10am so we went with him and waited in the car park. He was gone ages but then came back and said he had to go back tomorrow with his ID documents! Why couldn't they have told him that when they asked him in for his interview?

We had planned on going to Ikea as Mike's wardrobe fell apart yesterday but he said he just wanted a clothes rail, which was a bit strange! We asked him to come with us but he said he'd rather stay at home so we dropped him off and drove over to Milton Keynes.

The weather today has been a mixture of sunshine and showers, with dramatic skies. It's set to get stormy and mild over the next few days, so no snow on the agenda just yet! We were surprised to see Ikea so busy but we managed to park under cover and decided to have lunch first. Keith liked the look of the fish and chips and I went for my usual choice of meatballs with mashed potatoes. I won't need to eat tonight now!

We had a good look around and found a clothes rail for Mike. In fact, we bought two as well as some drawers for him to keep his underwear in. If I had my way (and the money) I'd love to get him fitted wardrobes in his room...maybe one day!

We bought lots of little things, including two new pans, glasses, pillows for Mike's bed and some candles. After we'd paid we visited the food section and I bought frozen meatballs, smoked sausages and Elk sausages for Mike as well as some scrummy biscuits!

We drove home and immediately Keith started putting everything together while I sorted out the mess in the kitchen. We could tell Mike had been at home alone! It took me an hour to clear up!

Mike had dismantled his old wardrobe and had thrown all the clothes he didn't want onto a chair in the living room... the house was a complete mess and I despaired of it ever looking OK again! I took all the packaging out to our recycling bin and tried to tidy up before Sophie came home!

Luckily, by about 6pm peace had been restored and Mike had even hoovered his room! Wonders will never cease!

Meeting old friends.

Sophie, Mike and I had appointments to give blood this morning but only Sophie actually donated. Mike said he felt too ill to go (he's coming down with a cold) and when I arrived and told one of the staff about my stomach pains they told me to skip this time. I was really annoyed with myself and felt a bit of a fraud, to be honest! I was also really angry with Mike as there wasn't that much wrong with him.

The hall at Moulton was packed, though, so there was no shortage of donors today, which was good. I sat with Sophie while she donated her pint and then we had a lovely chat with one of the staff afterwards who is a really lovely lady and always chats to us and makes us feel at ease.

Sophie and I had to go to Tesco afterwards as we had decided to make Paella for dinner (well, Sophie was going to cook it!) but before we went we had a sneaky McDonalds as we were both hungry! The whole area around the Weston Favell Centre was busy with Sunday shoppers and I do sometimes think back to when I was growing up and Sundays were lovely and quiet as all the shops were closed!

We met Liam in the supermarket and had a lovely chat as I hadn't seen him for well over a year! He suggested the four of us going out for a drink before Christmas, which would be great.

Back home we mooched about for a while and then took Monty for a walk to see the horses. We took some carrots but only the white horse came over to see us so she had the lot. When the others came over we were empty handed!

We carried on around the estate and met some of the children I knew from the after-school club. It was great to see them playing out and enjoying the fresh air. Today the weather has been lovely with blue skies and sunshine, a bit different to what was forecast, so that was a bonus!

We packaged up our last eBay item as we're giving it a rest now in the run-up to Christmas. It will be a bit of a relief not to have to dash to the post office every Monday! We might even do a car boot sale, though, but we'll see. A month today is Christmas Day!

Out for breakfast!

Keith suggested we go out for breakfast this morning and who was I to argue? Mike was still in London (although it looked like he was actually heading home) so it was just the three of us who went over to Beckworth.

We arrived at about 10.30am and already the place was packed! We hoped it was for the ice-skating and not for people eating! We were seated quite quickly and I chose the hearty porridge served with berries and seeds. I don't think my stomach could have coped with a full English! Keith had poached eggs on toast while Sophie opted for a sausage sandwich accompanied by hash browns.

I think Beckworth were a bit overwhelmed by how busy they were this morning as the usual service we receive was a bit lacking! Sophie was not at all impressed with her sandwich and said it was greasy. My porridge was lovely but the table behind us complained about one of their dishes and we just had a feeling that the servers were more harried than usual!

After we'd eaten we mooched about looking at the decorations but we couldn't find any gonks. I bought some peppermint teabags and some chocolate stirrers for Soph and Mike to make hot chocolate with and then we returned home.

The rest of the day was spent doing very little as my stomach is still not right. Mike had arrived home while we were out and had gone straight to bed (we later found out he hadn't slept on Friday night at all!). Sophie went to the gym in the afternoon and I lounged about on the sofa feeling a bit sorry for myself and annoyed that I didn't have the energy to do what I wanted to do!

So glad it's Friday!

Never have I been so glad to see Friday arrive, but unfortunately I felt horrible again, with crampy stomach pains that were, thankfully, kept in check by Nurofen. Keith drove me to work as he was taking Mike into town to visit an employment agency this morning. He went over to Tesco, bought me the painkillers and dropped them off at Reception so I could take them with my 9am cup of coffee.

The reception staff were lovely and caring and gave me a coffee for free, and Sara said I was welcome to go home if I still felt unwell, but the tablets worked and I felt a bit better. Luckily the time went past quickly and Keith met me at 2pm, saying that Mike had an interview at the agency and that they were confident they could get him a job within the week! Let's hope so!

Back home we did very little (I fell asleep) and Sue came around for a chat, which was good. Sophie arrived home earlier than usual and after I'd had a lovely hot bath we sat on the sofa and sipped non-alcoholic Cava while watching 90 Day Fiance. It was great that Keith drove himself to the pub as, like me, he is having a dry November! Not long to go now!

Dinner in the evening was curry, but just the three of us ate it as Mike is down in London celebrating a friend's birthday. After we'd eaten it was time to curl up on the sofa again, but I really hope I feel better after this weekend otherwise it'll have to be a visit to the doctor on Monday!

Traffic troubles!

We woke up to a very frosty morning and I was glad that Sophie wasn't going to the gym. Keith cleared ET of ice for me and I gingerly set off to work. My stomach still hurt a bit but the Nurofen seemed to help a lot. I have a feeling it's trapped wind..not very sexy, but there you are!

I decided to head straight down the A43 this morning but before I'd reached the Round Spinney roundabout, a police car came screaming past. On the dual carriageway, an ambulance hurtled past us and I could see that the traffic in the distance was at a standstill. Luckily I was able to turn off a short while later but I was later at work than I normally am. It was actually nice to walk in and have everything turned on and ready, for a change!

I warned Keith and Sophie about the accident up ahead and they told me later that it involved two cars, one of which had been crossing the busy dual carriageway at the time. When the road was first built about 40 years ago, the traffic was much lighter, but now it's horrendous and I think the crossings are dangerous! I so wish we had intersections with traffic lights like they have in the US!

I was kept busy at work and the time passed very quickly. At 3pm I sped home and managed to do a few chores rather than collapsing on the sofa. I haven't done much at all this week and feel very guilty, especially as I have been very late in keeping up with this blog!

Keith and I went back down to get Sophie in the evening and it was a really filthy night, with drizzly rain and terrible traffic. On the way we saw three police cars and an ambulance go screaming past us so heaven knows what was happening!

Car troubles!

Thankfully, I wasn't at work today but after waving Sophie off at 8am and making myself a hot chocolate, she called ten minutes later to say that a warning light had appeared on the dashboard of her car. We managed to identify it as the tyre pressure warning light, so we told her to pull into the garage at Moulton and we would come straight out to her. We were both very worried that she would break down on the busy A45 which doesn't have a hard shoulder.

We both threw some clothes on (I can only guess at what I looked like with wild hair, a pale face and my glasses on!) and sped down to sort her out. To our dismay, the air machine wasn't working so we had no choice but to leave little ET on the road outside the garage and take her to work. We made it with two minutes to spare!

We then went back to the garage and I drove ET to the Tesco garage at the Weston Favell Centre. While Keith sorted the tyres out I put some diesel in my car and then we headed home. As soon as we got home I had a lovely hot shower and then helped Keith by driving ET up and down our driveway so he could try and see if one of the tyres had a puncture. He couldn't see anything but we decided that it would  be a good idea to go and get a tyre inflator, so we had one at home.

We'd said to Sophie we would take her out for lunch and on the way we called into Screwfix and bought a little inflator. We will both keep an eye on ET's tyre pressure in case there is a slow puncture going on!

We went to Riverside and the Costa there, and I had a bowl of porridge with honey. It was delicious and just what I fancied! Keith went into Sports Direct afterwards to get himself some thermal leggings to wear to football, but I sat in the car with Sophie as it hurt to walk about.

After dropping her off, it was straight home to sit on the sofa and snooze all afternoon. Very lazy, but it was all I wanted to do! I was really pleased to discover that the Hairy Bikers had an afternoon cookery show on - Comfort Food!

In the evening Keith and I drove ET down to get Sophie and everything seemed fine with the tyres, thank goodness!

Told off!

I felt slightly better today but it was still an enormous relief to leave at 2pm. Keith had driven me to work this morning and before going home we went to the post office at the Weston Favell Centre to post out a little manicure set. It was a difficult thing to wrap as it was so small, but a bit bulky. We'd put it down as a large letter and encased it in an envelope, but the bossy lady behind the counter said it was too wide for the large letter category and I would have to pay £2.95 extra, on top of what I'd already paid to send it!

I declined as the item was only worth about £2 so, muttering swear words under my breath, we went and did some shopping for tonight's dinner. Keith was going to watch Sileby play and normally I would cook Jerk Chicken Pasta or meatballs but I really didn't fancy doing that, so we bought two Tesco Finest Chicken Kievs and some ready made mashed potato...naughty! We also bought Mike a ready meal and then thankfully returned home!

Back at home I did very little and my gorgeous daughter prepared dinner for me. Keith went off to see the football but we didn't really have a very happy meal. I didn't fancy it at all and Mike was not very impressed with what we'd chosen for him to eat, saying it was too small... oh dear!

Sophie washed up while I sat on the sofa huddled up in my throw, my pyjamas and dressing gown, but I still felt cold! After the washing up we watched a very enjoyable Christmas film - Saving Christmas - with Ben Affleck. It was very cosy on the sofa and Monty had the time of his life curled up between us and snoring!

Feeling yukky!

Sophie woke me up this morning as she was going to the gym and although my stomach still felt sore, my headache was gone, at least!

However, as the morning wore on I felt worse and I dreaded the drive home on my own. I hadn't bought a coat with me and for the first time ever, I was cold in our office, so we turned the radiator up! I managed to get through my shift and went home to sort out the parcels we had to post out. Sophie had wrapped them all yesterday so all I had to do was stick the labels on and post them in Brixworth.

Keith drove and when that was all done it was bliss to get home and curl up on the sofa. Even though I wrapped myself up in my new throw I just couldn't get warm!

I ate some of dinner, which was a lovely cottage pie, and then it was a dose of Nurofen and an early night!

It's feeling very Christmassy!

I was up at about 6am and had a lovely lazy morning until it was time to go and fetch the Sunday newspapers. We called to see Mum and Dad and thanked them for a lovely evening last night.

Back home, Mike wanted to go to East Hunsbury, on the other side of Northampton, to see his latest girlfriend so Sophie and I gave him a lift there and came back to relax before deciding to go for a walk.

It's been a gorgeous day today with clear blue skies and lots of sunshine. We walked down to the bridge, just before you come to the village, and tried to play pooh sticks but the stream was too slow-moving and the sticks just stayed in the water!

We walked slowly back as I didn't feel that well, to be honest. My stomach hurt again and I really hoped it wasn't a repeat of what I had last year! We did manage a circuit of the estate with Monty, though, so that was good. He really seems to love going out for a walk with us!

Keith cooked a delicious roast turkey in the evening with all the trimmings but I felt I didn't do justice to it. It was a lot of hard work for him but he seemed to enjoy it!

After dinner we watched the start of "I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!" as I wanted to see the Christmas adverts. However, I was in bed before the John Lewis advert came on!

Dinner with the family!

I actually managed a lie-in until 7.50am this morning and it was lovely to have a lazy start to the day. I used my new leaf vacuum machine at the front of the house and it dealt with the leaves effortlessly! It's brilliant. It mulched them all up so all I had to do was empty the bag and put them into the compost bin.

I was out in the garden for a good while as the weather, although a bit cold, was lovely and sunny. It was fab to see the blue skies and sunshine after yesterday's murk!

At midday Sophie and I went to Jones's to get Christmas cards, wrapping paper and chocolates for Mum tonight - we're all off to their house for a meal. We also bought a couple of decorations to add to the trees. It won't be long now before we'll be getting them down from the garage rafters!

After Jones's we drove to Wyevale where we had a coffee and some lunch, and had a look at their decorations, which were a bit disappointing to be honest. In years past, they have arranged them by colour but they weren't that good this year at all! The place was actually quite disorganised, I thought, with a lot of tat crammed in all over the place!

We then walked over to Waitrose and I managed to spend £23 on two bottles of non-alcoholic wine (one for tonight, one for tomorrow) and a bottle of Rioja for my Dad. Oh, and I also bought some chipolatas wrapped in bacon for tomorrow night's turkey dinner! Waitrose have lovely food but it is so expensive!

We returned home in the beautiful dusk and had a nap before getting ready to go out to Mum's house in the evening. The house was beautiful and welcoming and we sat in the living room while my parents put the finishing touches to their dinner. We enjoyed prawns and scallops lightly fried in a garlic butter served with salad followed by tender pulled pork, mashed potatoes and vegetables. As usual the children kept us all entertained, especially as Mike did his usual trick of recording us all!

Dessert was cheesecake and we had to say no to the cheeseboard as we were all too full. Sophie, Keith and I drank non-alcoholic beverages while Mike, lucky thing, had a couple of beers. Mum and Dad had a DVD of Boz Scaggs playing in the background which was lovely and the music brought back lots of good memories. Cheers!

The grey and the gloom!

I drove to work in Sophie's car this morning as she was going to Milton Keynes with her manager and had to be at her house by 9am, so Keith was going to take her. I would then be meeting her at Riverside in the afternoon, which I was looking forward to!

Work was very pleasant but a bit busier than last week. At 2pm I sped off down to Riverside and discovered that Sophie was only about twenty minutes away. I sat in the car and waited and gazed out at the gloomy, grey, typically November weather. I have to say it never got light today!

When Sophie arrived we had hot drinks in Costa and she told me about her day which was really interesting. She told me of one ex-offender who had really turned his life around by getting an education in prison and was now successful and doing really well in his career.

After our drinks we had a mooch around in Boots and Next (I was on the lookout for Christmas cards but didn't see any I liked) and then it was time to head home and curl up on the sofa in the warm. I took Keith to the pub as afterwards we were going to get fish and chips from the shop in Broughton. None of us felt like cooking the meal we had planned!

Out on the town!

Today, unfortunately, has been grey and overcast but as I was at work until 3pm it didn't really matter! I was kept busy by inputting the school holiday activities and the time flew by.

At 3pm I went home but at 4.30pm I was back out again to pick Sophie up from work. She was supposed to have been giving a friend a lift into town but there was a bit of miscommunication and her friend thought she was picking her up from her home, not work! We drove into Brackmills to get her, but she was heading home first.

As expected, the traffic was appalling but we made it to Alice's house by 5.30pm and I waved her off. They were going for cocktails and then to have a meal at a favourite club. I drove home in heavy traffic and arrived back at about 6pm. Keith had put some potatoes in the oven to bake and was doing pate and toast for Mike who was actually joining us for once!

We had a quiet evening and at 9.30pm ventured out again to get the girls. We gave both Alice and Sophia a lift home and the alcohol fumes from the back were over-powering! They'd all enjoyed several cocktails and had had a brilliant time, which was fab!

Christmas treats.

Sophie was due at her manager's house this morning at about 7am so Keith and I took her there, returned home for a quick shower and then went to have breakfast at Beckworth Emporium. Before we went I received an email from Sky to say that the remote we'd ordered two weeks ago was out of stock even though they'd taken the money and told us they'd despatched it on the 1st November!

We decided to pop down to Curry's and buy one there instead after we'd eaten our lovely breakfast. We enjoyed bacon, sausages, eggs, mushrooms, beans and a hash brown accompanied by toast and coffee! Delicious! The meal kept us going all day!

After we'd eaten we had a mooch about but I wasn't that impressed with the Christmas decorations. It looked like they hadn't properly finished so we'll be back later to check them out again. In the food hall we looked at the turkeys and Keith was taken with a boneless butterflied bird, wrapped in bacon and all ready for Christmas. We saw one weighing about 10lb so we bought it! We'll have to freeze it, but I was amazed we'd made the decision and chosen it so early!

We nipped home to put it in the freezer then drove down to Northampton to get the remote. It cost us £24.99, so more than from Sky and we did wonder whether we'd actually ordered the right one in the first place! We then ventured over the road to B&Q as I was on the lookout for a leaf blower/vacuum. I wage a regular battle with leaves and we often get them covering our driveway and congregating outside the front of the house. The one we saw in B&Q had the ability to hoover them up, blow them about and mulch them so I could put them on the compost heap. Before we took the plunge I looked the machine up on the internet and saw they had the same one at Screwfix for a bit cheaper. The reviews were good as well, so we decided to head for the branch on Brackmills. Before we went, though, we did some shopping in Aldi, next door, and Lidl where I saw some lovely festive treats. Keith also bought some non-alcoholic Becks beer in there and I treated myself to four bottles of aromatic tonic water. It all helps!

At Screwfix we picked up the leaf blower and made our way home. Keith was tasked with setting the machine up while I disappeared into the living room to sort out the remote. It didn't take both of us long to get everything sorted and what a difference the machines made to our lives! The leaf vacuum had cleared away several piles of leaves within a few minutes and they were all chopped up into little bits! The remote means we can now pause live programmes before and it works effortlessly, unlike our old one that never responded when we pressed the buttons!

I spent the rest of the afternoon pootling about and gave our fridge a good clean. Sophie was back in Thrapston by 5pm so we went over to get her and then I made a lovely fish pie for dinner!

A startling discovery!

Sophie went to the gym this morning at 6.30am and, as usual, I woke up with her and went downstairs to have a cup of coffee. I discovered we'd sold some pillowcases on eBay so I packaged them up and gently eased myself into the day!

We had to take Mum and Dad to the hospital in Daventry today as Dad was having minor surgery to his foot and couldn't drive afterwards, so we left at 11am, went to the post office and then picked them up. As it was a fair journey, Dad said I could drive his car, which helped with my fuel consumption! At least now that Mike is no longer working at the Golf Club my car is not greedily drinking diesel like it used to!

Today has been a beautiful day with lovely blue skies, lots of sunshine and mild temperatures. We found Danetre Hospital and I was really impressed with the place. It was small, but very clean and very quiet! We were a bit early for Dad's appointment so we went to the cafe on the first floor and had a light lunch. I chose sandwiches for Keith and I, a tea and a coffee along with a packet of crisps and the bill came to £6.50! I was amazed!

At 1pm we went up to the second floor and my Dad was taken to the day surgery ward where he had an injection into the heel of his foot. The doctors had suspected he had Plantar Fasciitis and that's what they had been treating him for, but today they realised he had a trapped nerve in his foot! We're really hoping that now he will be pain-free as it's been going on for so long.

We gave Mum and Dad a lift back to their house and then popped to Tesco to get dinners for Tuesday and Wednesday nights. We still didn't have a clue what we were going to cook when we went into the supermarket but we finally managed to make up our minds!

We didn't get home until 4pm so we'd been out a fair while!

Back to work...

Keith took me to work today as I had a fair few parcels to send out from the post office, one of which was a new winter coat I'd ordered and I didn't like. It was in a huge box so it was very unwieldy!

Work was OK even though I was working with my least favourite colleague today! Sheila was OK about Saturday and had even hinted about me helping out in March and November next year. Er, I don't think so! Apparently they had about 65 cars on each day of the weekend and took some serious money for the charity, which was great, but I just found the whole thing chaotic and confusing!

We weren't that busy with the phones today so I did some training that I had to have completed by the end of November and booked another week of holiday. Sara said I still had loads left, including Christmas Day and New Year's Day so I've booked the week before Christmas off. Hopefully, Sophie can get some time off as well.

Keith picked me up at 2pm and we went over to the post office in Tesco to send all of our parcels out. We also picked up some stuff we needed for tonight's dinner of chilli and then headed home where I caught up with some chores. We ordered a new Sky remote control ages ago and it hasn't been delivered so I spent a good amount of time trying to call them to find out where it was. Talk about difficult to contact! I gave up in the end and submitted a form so hopefully we will have some news. I suspect it's been lost in the post!

In the evening I saw a flash of light whilst I was sitting in the conservatory and then I heard a rumble of thunder! I didn't see or hear any more but the weather forecast this evening said we're in for some lovely November sunshine and mild temperatures. Fab!

A busy Sunday!

Although I was looking forward to a bit of a lie-in this morning, I was awake at 6am! However, as we had a busy day ahead of us I was able to get lots done before 9am, which was a real bonus.

Keith went to Tesco to get some more alcohol-free beer and I asked him to get Sophie and I a bottle of the Cava as well, as Mum and Dad were coming for lunch today. We'd decided to cook the Hairy Bikers' Chicken and Potato Cobbler so Sophie and I made a start on it after we'd had a quick breakfast. I cut the chicken thighs into quarters while Sophie prepared the impressive amount of veg that goes into the dish - carrots, onions, leeks, celery and mushrooms as well as a tin of tomatoes and garlic.

We cooked it all and emptied the meat and vegetables into a large casserole dish before we cooked and then mashed the potatoes. While they were simmering away, Sophie and I hoovered and set the table and generally tidied up the conservatory.

We had a bit of a tricky moment when I made the dough as I think there was too much potato in the mix. I managed to roll it out and I'd cut a couple of rounds when Sophie took over and added more flour so it was a lot better! We covered the top of the casserole with the cut out scones, brushed an egg and milk mixture over the top and popped it in the oven.

It was then time for a quick shower and I did worry about the topping not cooking properly, but when I went back downstairs, it looked lovely. We did some cauliflower and broccoli to go with it and just after Mum and Dad arrived at 1pm it was ready.

We told my parents about the fiasco yesterday and we had a good chat over lunch. The meal was lovely and my Mum enjoyed one of my Gin and tonics while Dad had a small bottle of Rioja that Keith had bought. I can't believe that Sophie and I are being so good, but the Cava definitely helped as it went really well with the chicken.

We'd bought two chocolate cheesecakes for dessert - I would have loved to have made a chocolate pavlova but I just didn't have the time. By 4pm my Mum and Dad had gone home so Sophie and I went for a walk with Monty to see the horses and took them some carrots, which they ate greedily! It has been a gorgeous day today with blue skies and sunshine. If I hadn't been cooking for Mum and Dad I would definitely have been out in the garden!

A slight mis-adventure!

I had agreed to go to the NEC today with Sheila from work who volunteers for a charity which gives rides to people in vintage/sports cars in return for donations. There was a Classic Motor Show on at the venue and she said that about 60 cars were taking part and it would be very busy. She had briefly told me what it involved but I have to say I was a bit apprehensive!

Sophie wanted to come with me and we were picked up at 7am by Sheila who took us up to Birmingham in her car. We had a great drive up and it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day as the sky had cleared from the heavy rain we'd had last night.

We went "behind the scenes" with Sheila as she had a pass to park just outside the hall where a lot of cars had started to arrive. We put our bags in a small marquee and then as we were very early we decided to wander around and look at the cars.

I was hoping that today would be fun and we'd get to meet some lovely people. It's a great idea to ask people to give donations to take a ride in some beautiful cars, and with the main show going on as well, it was hinted at that it would be very busy.

We went back to the marquee and Sophie was asked to prepare five float bags while I sat down with one of the volunteers and we had to start preparing the "cheat" sheets. There were about 60 cars taking part and each of them had to be recorded by highlighting the name of the car, how many passengers they could take and whether or not they took children. These had all different highlighted areas and it was a little confusing!

Sophie finished the floats and sat down next to me and we had two sheets of cars each. We were very short of highlighters and soon all the car registrations came flooding in as the drivers were arriving and parking right in front of us. The smell of petrol was very strong!

I looked at Sophie and I felt a bit alarmed as we really didn't have a clue what we were doing! The other people kept hinting that it would get very busy and there were various people with forms that the customers had to fill in (names, addresses, etc) and then they would select a slot to have a ride and pay. I understood we had to be careful about booking in children and the height of the child was very important because of booster seats.

As the opening time of the show approached I began to feel a bit panicky as we really hadn't had a lot of instruction and I visions of loads of people approaching me and not knowing what to do. We finished the "cheat"sheets and I said to Sheila that I was dying for a cup of coffee, so Sophie and I went to find Starbucks to get our daily fix!

I was a bit fed up, to be honest, as we had each given up our precious Saturday to be here and although the people on the stand were friendly, it was a bit "cliquey" with lots of people hugging and being over the top with their welcomes.

We found the Starbucks coffee outlet and enjoyed our drinks before reluctantly going back. When we did arrive back on the stand it was crammed with people and as far as we could see there were more than enough people helping out. Most of the volunteers seemed to be wandering around with clipboards and not doing much else! People visiting the show were all gathered in front of the car boards where each vehicle was advertised as to how much it cost to take a ride and what sort of car it was (with a lot of information about it, such as engine size, blah blah). We saw Sheila who looked like she was having the time of her life and asked what we could do (even though we didn't want to do anything!). She confirmed what I had suspected - that there were more than enough people helping out and she said we could go and look around the show. Well, to be honest, that's not what I had in mind today! I would rather have been at home!

Sophie and I went off and decided to see when the trains were running back to Northampton as we had both decided - without any doubt at all - that we were going home, but we needed to see if there were trains available within the next few hours. The thought of staying all day until 6pm this evening filled us both with dread but there was no point saying to Sheila we were going if we couldn't get a train!

The train station is right next to the NEC and we were told that three trains an hour went through Northampton, most of them on their way to Euston. That gave us the impetus we needed so we headed back (seeing a California Highway Patrol car on the way...I hoped I wouldn't see another one!) and tried to find Sheila who was counting the cash. I left a message with another volunteer, giving the excuse that Sophie had a terrible headache (and she did have one coming on!) and we fled!

By now the show was packed and more and more people were arriving. We arrived back at the station, bought our tickets (£14 each) and went straight to the platform to catch a train heading to Euston in London, but stopping at Northampton on the way.

We heard an announcement that the train was a little late, but when it pulled in we got on board and found a seat. I felt a huge sense of euphoria at being out of the show and I was really looking forward to getting home and relaxing with Sophie. She had had a busy week but I was so glad she had decided to come with me, otherwise I would have been stuck at the show all day, and no doubt being in a stress over what I had to do!

We set off and within ten minutes the ticket conductor appeared to check everyone's tickets. He had a look at ours, commented that we were getting off at Northampton, circled the date and moved on. We stopped at Rugby and a lot of people got onto the train. I was thinking that we just had one more stop - Long Buckby - and then we'd be in Northampton. We'd called Keith to ask him to meet us and told him we'd be in at about 12pm.

However, the train just kept on going and we started to get a bit worried when it got past 12pm and there was no sign of Long Buckby. I happened to look out of the window and I saw a road sign for Berkhampstead, which is a fair way away from Northampton and much further south! Where on earth were we?

Sophie took out her phone and looked at our location, which said Watford! For some reason, it had looked like we'd bypassed Northampton completely and we were heading for London! We both started to panic a bit, but I said to Sophie we could get off at Watford Junction and take a train back, only the train just kept on going! Our next worry was getting out at Euston and being charged for the extra from Birmingham, but when we arrived it was an open platform and we could just walk onto the main concourse.

We debated about going for lunch as we were both now thoroughly fed up with the whole situation, but the costs were starting to mount up as single tickets back to Northampton came to just under £60!

We bought the tickets and waited for our platform number to come up, which it did, just minutes before we were due to leave! We called Keith again and told him we were definitely on our way home and we would get in at 2pm, leaving him plenty of time to go and see Sileby play which is all he was worried about! On the way we ate our packed lunch and watched the sky darken and the rain start. It was typical that we'd missed the best of today's weather while we were in the NEC and on the train!

Sophie was fuming about the situation, though, and we decided to try and contact Virgin about why the conductor hadn't told us about our tickets to Northampton. Surely he must have known the train wasn't stopping at our station? All in all, the cost to get home was about £100 and never again will I go somewhere and be at the mercy of someone else! I should have arranged to meet Sheila at the show and driven myself.

In Northampton it was clear that they'd had a torrential rainfall and we sloshed our way home through flooded roads. Keith dropped us off and then sped back out to go and see Sileby while Sophie and I caught up with some washing and finally relaxed! Never again!

Birthday celebrations.

Keith took me to work this morning as he wanted to use the car and I had planned on going straight to see my Mum at 2pm.

Work was lovely and quiet as there were only a handful of us in and the phones were subdued as well! I saw Mum and Dad half way through the morning as they were attending an aerobics class in the main hall and I wished my Mum a happy birthday.

As soon as I finished work we popped over to Tesco and I bought a lovely little chocolate cake and some flowers. We headed off to see my parents and went a different way for a change. Sometimes it's nice to do something a bit different!

My parents were pleased to see us and my Mum was over the moon with her gifts and cards. We had a cup of tea and a good natter and then Keith and I headed home. Sophie was a little early tonight and Keith didn't go to the pub as Dave rang to say he wasn't going. This pleased Keith as he wasn't drinking anyway!

We had fish for dinner and I opened a bottle of non-alcoholic Cava which was lovely, if a little sweet. It's been nine days now and I wish I could see a change in me, but I can't! I'm not sleeping any better (if anything my sleep feels much lighter) and I'm not as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as I imagined I'd be! Perhaps, after a month, I will be!

Miscommunication!

I was very busy at work today as I had a lot of invoices to process and the time flew by. Keith picked me up at 3pm and we headed home where I found out that a parcel I was expecting had been delivered to the library in Brixworth. They were supposed to have sent me an email letting me know!

We went to get it before heading down to pick up Sophie from work. She was going out with a friend to The Lamplighter in town and we were dropping her off at her flat. I was expecting heavy traffic but it wasn't too bad until we reached the A43 at Moulton and we saw a mass of blue lights in the distance. It looked like a really bad accident as one lane of the new dual carriageway had been coned off but it looked like it was a general vehicle check as the ANPR vans were out in full force as well as lots of police cars! The A43 heading into Northampton was at a standstill as cars were being pulled over!

It was abundantly clear from early on that our road was going down to one lane but it didn't stop an idiot trying to get past me! I had moved over to the middle of the road so he was stuck and the lorry behind me wouldn't let him in either! This is a real problem on this stretch of new road where people whizz down the outside lane and then try and nip in before the roundabout where the road goes back to one lane. It makes me really mad!

Keith and I returned home to prepare dinner of jacket potatoes and various yummy fillings before we relaxed for a while and watched a documentary on the First World War. We left to pick Sophie up shortly before 10pm and I drove to The Lamplighter where I expected her to be...only she had gone back to Alice's flat!

She'd had a few drinks in the pub so she was a bit merry. We, on the other hand, were as sober as judges!

An extended shopping trip!

Sophie went off to the gym at 6.30am this morning and I got up with her and had a cup of coffee. I eased myself slowly into the day and before I had even showered and dressed I'd called HMRC to try and sort out a tax problem I have. I've been paying too much tax on my single salary so I contacted them via webchat and within about twenty minutes it had all been sorted out! I should get a new tax code and start paying a bit less!

Keith and I mooched about until 12pm and before going to get Sophie for lunch we dropped Mike off in town as he was going on a date (him and Georgia have split). He had arranged to meet her at the Abington Park Cafe so we dropped him off and carried on down to get Sophie. We were a little early so we explored the village of Great Houghton in a bid to try and find a newsagent, but the village, although having two pubs, did not have a shop!

I needed to sort out my Mum's birthday present so we hot-footed it to Next where I had a wander about and saw very little that I liked! In the end we decided to go and look at Jones's so after having a quick coffee and a mince pie in Costa, and dropping Sophie back at work, we drove across town to the wholesaler's. I had soon spotted a lovely cream chenille scarf and a necklace, and with a big box of chocolates from Mike, that was the children's presents sorted! I somehow managed to spend £48 in there and did get some bird food as well, to make sure our little feathered friends (lots and lots of sparrows at the moment) are kept fed as the temperatures get colder.

We decided to head for the Weston Favell Centre to try and finish the shopping and I'd planned on getting my Mum some Gin. Luckily it was quiet there and I bought her cards and a bottle bag before heading to the alcohol aisle. There were lots of different Gins to choose from and in the end I went with the Bombay Sapphire as it's a lovely bottle and I've always like the smooth taste. With a bottle of Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic, that was my purchases complete. Before I go and see her on Friday I'll get some flowers and a little cake.

We finally headed home and thankfully, it was a much quieter evening than the day had been!

An afternoon stroll

Sophie went off to the gym at 6.30am this morning as she prefers to go early rather than on her way home from work. I waved her off and then got ready to go to work myself. It was a foggy grey start to the day and I was relieved when she texted me to say she was at the gym.

Keith took me to work and I had a slightly more stressful day than yesterday. At 2pm we sped off home and after a quick catch-up with emails, we decided to walk down to the village as it was such a lovely afternoon. It was also very mild so I felt a bit warm in my woolly coat! We strolled down to the village and then turned around and went around the estate for one lap before going home. If we can do this every day it'll help!

Sophie was late home this evening because the traffic, for some reason, was terrible. It took her 45 minutes to do the journey and I don't know how she does it every day, to be honest! We had an early dinner of pizza and wedges as we were off to the cinema to see A Simple Favour.

I drove (to give Sophie a break!) but we couldn't park in the car park as it was heaving so we had to make do with parking at the Weston Favell Centre and walking over. We both enjoyed the film very much but we felt it went on about twenty minutes too long!

A return to work...

We awoke to a grey and foggy day this morning but the weather was set to get better this afternoon, thank goodness!

I wasn't really looking forward to my first morning back at work but it turned out to be a good day so that was a definite bonus! I was also given a bar of chocolate and a voucher for a hot drink so that certainly helped!

At 2pm I sped home as Mike was waiting for me to take him to Brixworth, and I had to go there anyway as I needed to visit the post office. By now the sun had come out and it was beautiful and mild, so when I arrived back home I suggested to Keith that we walk down to see the horses and then have a wander around the estate. He had been in the house all day as both cars were gone so I thought it would be good for him to get out for a while!

We took the carrots and after a lot of persuasion, the horses came over to eat them. We then carried on around the estate and I picked up a couple of cans of a pre-mixed cocktail drink that were lying on the verge. There had been a teenage party at one of the houses on Saturday night and it had been very rowdy, apparently! Sue had texted me that, out on a late night walk with her dogs, she'd seen young lads urinating in the front gardens of some of the residents so that was not very good.

We'd taken a parcel in for Sue and when she came over to collect it we had a very good gossip! I was surprised by what she was telling me about the party as the family are normally very quiet, so you never know!

Sophie came home from work so it was time to relax, watch the end of the Christmas film we'd started on Sunday and sip on a non-alcoholic cocktail. I am finding this no-drinking a lot easier than I imagined!

Drink disappointment!

Keith and I went to Tesco first thing this morning and did a small shop to get us through until Tuesday. As a treat, he bought me a bottle of Seedlip Spice non-alcoholic "spirit" which can be enjoyed with tonic instead of Gin! He also bought a small bottle of o% alcohol Cava for Sophie and some beer for himself to enjoy with lemonade as a Shandy!

We went home, had an assortment of pastries and coffee for breakfast and then Sophie and I put Mum's clothes on eBay. I did some ironing and Sophie did the majority of the work on the internet. Let's hope they sell!

Today the weather has been dismal and grey but it did brighten up a little in the afternoon so we went for a walk to see the horses. We took some carrots with us but they were nowhere to be seen! Typical!
We carried on around the estate and took Monty with us and it was really quite pleasant. Let's hope the mild temperatures last this year!

Keith cooked roast lamb for dinner tonight and Sophie and I watched a cheesy Christmas film while he cooked. Unfortunately the Seedlip Spice did not live up to expectations. I drank it with the Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic and it felt like I was having a proper drink but I'm afraid we still have a long way to go to replace Gin!

Pottering about!

I had a lovely lazy start to the day by getting up at 6.30am and watching Grand Designs with a cup of coffee. It featured a cob house built over seven years and the finished result was gorgeous. I remember seeing the programme when it was first filmed all those years ago!

The weather looked set to be fine and dry and I had plans to get out and enjoy the sunshine if I could! Keith and I went to get the newspaper and after having toast for breakfast I made a start on cleaning my car. It was a lot milder than yesterday and very pleasant in the sunshine. After I'd finished my car I also cleaned Sophie's car and made sure both vehicles had enough water for the windscreen wash. If temperatures continue to dip we'll have to buy some de-icer!

Mum and Dad popped around at lunchtime and dropped off some of Mum's unwanted clothes. We had a cup of tea and a chat and then spent the afternoon sorting out the clothes, giving some of them a wash and an iron and putting them on eBay. I really love selling clothes on the site and laundering them so they look lovely. I know my Great-Great Grandmother was a "Wardrobe Dealer" (not the furniture, though!) so maybe it's in the blood!

Keith went to see Sileby play in the afternoon so Sophie and I had a late lunch and watched 90 Day Fiance with a cup of hot chocolate. When Keith arrived home he said he hadn't been able to get any shortcrust pastry at the Co-op in Moulton for dinner so I said I'd go with him to Mawsley. We'd planned on having just beef casserole for dinner, but my husband does love a pastry top to go with it! We couldn't find any in the shop so we settled for Yorkshire puddings instead. I think there was a firework display going on in the village as lots of people were walking to the field and cars were arriving to park outside of the shops.

Back home I jumped into the bath and then it was time for a glass of non-alcoholic wine before dinner...which was delicious, by the way!

Remember, remember...Guy Fawkes comes early!

Sophie was off to Birmingham with work today so I drove her to Mum's house at 6.30am where she met her manager. It was then home for me and a much-needed cup of coffee!

During the morning I changed our bedding and sorted out the two pumpkins outside the house. I dried out the seeds in the oven for the birds (but not really sure whether they'll eat them) and cut up the flesh into chunks to put on the compost heap. I also hoovered downstairs again (you'd never know I did it all on Tuesday) and then went to have a long soak in the bath!

Sophie was home by 5.30pm which was great news as we were off to see the bonfire and fireworks in the village and it all kicked off at about 6pm. She quickly changed and Keith gave us a lift into the village where we walked the short distance to the field where it was being held. There are roadworks going on at the moment along this stretch of road and I think it has something to do with gas as there was a slight whiff in the air and deep holes had been dug out. Luckily it was well-lit - it wouldn't have been goof if someone had fallen down into one of them!

We were among the first to arrive and as Sophie hadn't had much to eat today she bought a burger from the team of volunteers helping out. She pronounced it delicious and after a little while we indulged in a hot chocolate each. No mulled wine this year!

At 6.30pm the huge pyramid of wood was lit and very soon it was burning brightly and sending out smoke and sparks. We could feel the heat from where we were watching! I texted Michelle to ask if her and Richard were coming along, but about ten minutes later we spotted them! It was great to have a chat and catch up, and watch the splendid display of fireworks above us. The team who organised them certainly excelled this year as the night was a huge success with loads of people attending and a long display that was fantastic, with vivid colours and some really loud bangs!

Once it was over we said goodbye to Richard and Michelle and made our way gingerly home in the dark. Keith had been home since 7pm and had prepared a chicken curry for dinner which was almost ready to be served. Mike was nowhere to be seen and hadn't come along to the fireworks as I'd hoped. Never mind!

A gloomy start to November!

We awoke to fog and gloom this morning so I suggested to Sophie that we take her in again, in case the fog returned in the evening, as it so often does. Driving on a dark and foggy night on our country roads is not pleasant!

We set off at 8am as usual and had the worst ever journey which took us over an hour, meaning Sophie was officially late. We weren't sure what the problem was but the roads were gridlocked and a lot of Sophie's colleagues were also late in. I left her and decided to go a different way home but even that route was busy with cars trying to find a way around the problems on the A45.

Back home Keith and I had a quick breakfast, did a sketchy meal plan and list and went to do our weekly shop. On the way we called to see my Mum and had a coffee with her - my Dad had gone off to see his mates as his flying club, which was brave of him considering the weather!

We did the shopping as speedily as we could and came out of Tesco to a horrible cold rain. It was the gloomiest of days! What a start to the month! After arriving home and putting the shopping away we had lunch, I chatted with Sophie on messenger and then I wallowed in a hot bath for a while. Outside it was still cold and wet but by the evening it had cleared up a bit and when we went to get Sophie, the sky was blue and we saw a gorgeous sunset on our (much quicker) journey down into Northampton.

I'd had a problem with my computer mouse before we left which made me very irritated so as soon as we arrived back home I sorted it out. We seem to have little annoying things go wrong lately, such as the Sky remote not working properly (the pause button is not working and we use it a lot!). I ordered a new one from Sky so hopefully that little niggle will be solved!

Dinner tonight was breaded pork escalopes which took a fair amount of work and involved three of us in our small kitchen. Keith and I have decided to go alcohol free for November, which isn't a pleasant prospect but I'm determined to give it a go! We have a couple of social outings this month but I'll be chuffed to see it through. I bought a bottle of very low alcohol wine in Tesco today (less than 0.5%) and it was horrible! Never mind!