Decisions, decisions!

 It's unbelievable that today is the last day of September... where has this month gone? I'm glad it's October tomorrow, though, as this month has been a touch stressful!

I was in at work from 10am until 2pm, and the shift passed very pleasantly. I sped off to get Mike, and then it was home for a quick change before Keith and I went over to Howden's in Kettering.

The weather has turned today, and it was chilly, rainy and windy. I had a pair of fabric sandals on, which were definitely the wrong choice for the conditions today! We met Matt at Howden's who has taken over from Georgia, and he seemed in a terrible rush, and mostly unaware of what our design looked like. I was unimpressed again...surely, if you know you have a meeting about a kitchen you would look at the design first?

He asked us lots of questions (such as which appliances we wanted, sinks, door handles etc) and I felt like we were being put on the spot. It all felt very hurried and not at all what I was expecting. He ran off downstairs to grab a more technical design of the kitchen and asked if we had a builder/fitter yet. We have been in touch with someone who project manages lots of different trades, and who has some great reviews, so he went off to call him while we waited in the depressing upstairs room. I played about with the kitchen doors and the worktops, but I felt very disappointed with the rushed meeting.

Matt came back upstairs and finally revealed the cost - around £12000 but if we took delivery next week and arranged storage at nearby premises, they could knock the VAT off, thereby reducing the price to just over £10000. This price was certainly in our budget, bringing the total cost to just under £20000 with the building works and fitting, but without any flooring, lighting, tiling or the new fridge freezer.

Again, with the stress on taking delivery next week to take advantages of the sale, I felt like we were being put on the spot. Spending this amount of money and then having to live with any mistakes we might make just felt wrong to me. Plus, we have had so much upheaval this year and in the last few months especially, that I was inclined to wait until the new year.

We said we would let him know by the end of business tomorrow and drove to Aldi to get something for dinner tonight. I fancied something warming and comforting, so we chose some thick vegetable and beef soups, a couple of loaves of sourdough bread and berry crumble for dessert. I also put some olives and hummus crisps in the basket to enjoy before dinner.

We sloshed our way home and talked about the kitchen. I am so wary of making a big mistake and then having to live with the consequences, so I felt that we should wait and do some more research. The man from Harborough Kitchens has still not delivered his design and quote, so I'm going to call them tomorrow and find out what's happened.

Keith watched Newcastle play its evening, and I prepared dinner which was hardly an onerous task!

Catching up.

 I tried to make use of the couple of hours before I started work this morning by changing our bedding, but I confess I'm not keen on these new hours! I like to be up and out, and then finish early!

Keith took me into work as Sophie was working from her office today, which meant two trips there and then two trips back in the afternoon. I'm also finding that parking at almost 10am is difficult, so not good! Yes, I know I'm being moany!

In all fairness, Nicola did ask our opinion about the new hours this morning, and we all said that they weren't ideal. Understandably, we can't go back to how it was after just a few days, but the hope is we can revert back in November when all the furloughed staff return to work. Let's keep fingers crossed!

After the first flurry of calls again, we had a very quiet shift with about 150 calls between the five of us! At one point we were handling over 100 calls each during the shift! I did a lot of cinema work, which I find very enjoyable, plus I dealt with some whiney emails!

At 4pm Keith collected me, and I popped to the Co-op at Moulton to buy some food for the collection this evening. At home, I tidied up, sent the proof of sale off to Mum and Dad's home insurance company and then welcomed my ex-neighbour and friend, Sarah around. We had said on the residents' Facebook page that we had some Nespresso pods to give away and she said she could make use of them. It was an ideal excuse to sit and have a good chat as we hadn't seen each other for about a year!

Sophie arrived home looking very glamorous and asked about Hannah, Sarah's daughter, who she used to be good friends with. I can't believe that the children, who were at Primary school together, are now lovely young women!

Keith cooked a delicious curry in the evening and then we watched an hour or so of The Living Daylights starring Timothy Dalton, who was very pleasing on the eye!

A storm brewing...

Traditionally, at about this time of the year, I list the storm names for the Autumn/Winter season.

Here they are for this year:

Aiden

Bella

Christoph

Darcy

Evert

Fleur

Gavin

Heulwen (different!)

Ian

Julia

Klaas

Lilah

Minnie

Naia

Oscar

Phoebe

Ravi

Saidhbhin

Tobias

Vince

Wilson

 I wonder if we'll ever get to Wilson!

New working hours

 Today was the first day of our new hours - 10am until 4pm - which seems to me to be a crazy idea. What about people that work all day and need to call us about something?

I looked at Google maps first thing and noticed a huge jam on the A45 caused by, I later found out, a lorry shedding its load. I'm just glad that Sophie wasn't going into work as she would have been seriously held up! I warned my colleagues but when the time came for all of us to leave and start work, the road had been cleared.

It felt very strange to be at home past 8am this morning. At work, at 10am, there were four of us answering the phones, and Denise was also in to make calls to prospective members, so the noise level was very loud when all of us were on the phone at the same time! And that happened a lot! At one point we had about ten calls in the queue but it did quieten down slightly as the day wore on.

At 4pm we all logged off, and before going home the four of us had a chat about the new hours. None of us like the new regime at all as it gives us little time to do anything else at home. I yearn for my old hours back - they suited me so well and gave me a lovely work/life balance. I am now working Wednesdays, which was never the idea, and Jo said she hates going in on a Friday as this used to be her day off to spend with her husband.

By the time I arrived home, it was 4.30pm and after changing, I set about calling Sky and then Mum and Dad's home insurance company to cancel their policy. Sky, surprisingly, was great and very understanding, and even the company that provided their home and contents insurance arranged for me to email them with the proof they had moved, so that was easier than expected. 

I did an hour's paperwork before relaxing with Keith in the conservatory and playing cards. Sophie cooked a meaty pasta bake from scratch and it was delicious!

More progress made...

 We've had another very busy day trying to restore order to the house, and sort out the various boxes and bags! Keith went into the garage and managed to clear a lot of space, and as soon as he was able, he popped to Aldi to get food for dinner tonight. Our shopping regime has been sorely disrupted!

When he returned, we went to the tip with a load of stuff from our garage, including an old weights bench that I've been trying to get rid of for years! I sorted out the shelves and stored everything away tidily so we were pleased with the progress we made.

Inside, I sorted out Mum and Dad's paperwork and put it all into folders in a small filing cabinet they have. This will make it easier when I have to contact all the various companies to end services or subscriptions next week. We also managed to take one of our old and tatty leather sofas out to the garage and put one of the new ones in its place. The conservatory will be lovely and cosy when they're both in!

Bit by bit we were beginning to restore order, and Keith and I made another trip to the tip with more stuff we didn't need any more. Why we kept some of it, I'll never know! My poor car was in a right state from all the rubbish so I hoovered the boot and used some upholstery cleaner on the front passenger seat that had chocolate smeared all over it. Another irritation from the last few days!

Sophie had a video chat with Daisy and Laura in the afternoon and Mike called from Euston to say he was on the train and heading home. Keith and I went down to pick him up from the station, and while Keith had a bath I prepared dinner of roast chicken. We had decided to buy ready cooked chickens and just do some roast potatoes with them, bubble and squeak from last night's veggies and some ready-cooked Yorkshire puddings. When that had all been done it was my turn to soak in the bath, which was much-needed as I ached all over!

Sorting out!

Last Tuesday, Sophie had taken a coronavirus test as she had been sent a request to take part in a survey. It was uncomfortable for her, (especially sticking the swab up her nose) but it came back negative this morning, which was a relief for all of us.

We faced a weekend of hard work and, as well as sorting out Mum and Dad's stuff, we needed to get rid of some things of our own to make room in the garage. To be honest, I didn't know where to start as there were boxes and bags everywhere!

We spent the day sorting through everything and Keith made lots more room in the garage for boxes. It will do us good to have a clear-out as we hoard things as well! We had made tentative plans to go to Market Harborough for a cup of tea and a slice of cake, but the weather has been terrible, with a nasty, chilly wind and rain. Not a great idea to be walking about in the open air!

Sophie and I did venture out to the charity shop in the afternoon and I popped to the Co-op in Moulton to buy some nibbles for lunch. We had a rest and enjoyed our late lunch of olives, red pepper hummus and breadsticks washed down with a "fake" Negroni. It was so cold we put the heating on in the house and in the conservatory!

I made Keith set up the new television this morning - he kept putting it off as he was afraid he'd lose the picture completely, and in-between shifting stuff about he did manage to catch some sport!

By the early evening, we'd all had enough of sorting through boxes and trying to find room for everything. Keith had prepared beef casserole with dumplings for dinner - perfect fare for such a cold and miserable day!

After we'd eaten we watched Enemy of the State starring Will Smith. On the new television, it was great to watch and made an enjoyable end to a somewhat hectic day!

An emotional day.

I took Sophie to work this morning so that I could use her car and met Keith at Mum and Dad's house to do the final cleaning and meter reading. We still had a load of stuff to take to the tip so we did that (without any wait) and then headed back to read the meters and mop the kitchen floor.

I called the estate agent to say we had vacated the property and we left the key in the little box by the front door. When we finally locked up and walked away, I did shed a few tears. My parents had only lived there for four years, and my Mum was sometimes unhappy in the house, but it was still emotional, nonetheless. 

We went home, and I emailed the meter readings to a local woman who is a representative for the company that supplied their gas and electricity. Our own house is a complete mess at the moment - a little like one of those hoarding programmes where you have to climb over stuff to get anywhere. We're determined to sort it out as much as we can over the weekend.

I had a meeting at the care home at 1.30pm so, after trying to get through to Sky to cancel Mum and Dad's subscription, I tidied myself up, put some make-up on to look vaguely human, and drove over to Kettering. I was hoping to finish in time to go and get Mike from work, but he had warned us he might finish early so he could get ready for his trip down to London to see Abbie.

I told the care home staff that we had sold Mum and Dad's house, and said that I wanted to bring some of their stuff in for them, namely pictures and ornaments, as well as some photo albums and books. I wasn't there for very long and stopped outside Mum's window to call her, but she didn't answer the phone. I then called Keith but he had obviously gone to get Mike so I headed home where I remembered I hadn't had any lunch yet!

Mike was catching the 4pm train, which was good timing as I needed to collect Sophie at 4.30pm. We set off and became embroiled with terrible traffic in Kingsthorpe. I was worried we'd be late, but we made it with five minutes to spare! Phew!

I had to wait a while for Sophie but I was content to read my book in the car and relax. It had been a hectic day! Back home I took Keith to the pub as he was shattered and then it was back to enjoy a glass of red. The weather has been cold today with a nasty, sharp wind that had us putting the heating on this evening! Brr!

Birthday celebrations!

It was Keith's birthday today and I felt really sorry for him that he had to deal with the house move all day! Sophie took today off work but went to the gym first thing. By the time she arrived back and we were all ready to go, it was after 9am. 

Everything had to be cleared out today so we made many trips to the recycling centre and to our house with the stuff that hadn't been put into storage. Today was much better weatherwise but we did have some heavy showers in the afternoon that put a stop to our work!

It was exhausting gathering up all the bits and pieces, and as we cleared each room I cleaned it. The house wasn't dirty anyway, but I wanted to leave it clean and tidy. When Keith picked up Mike from work they took the televisions and the chest of drawers from the bedroom which we were going to have.

Sophie and I made a trip to the charity shop opposite the Weston Favell Centre as they have a donation drop-off point there, but we had to go around to the back of the shop. We were met by a young lad who informed us that everything had to be either in a bag or a sealed box, so we were only able to drop a couple of things off, which was annoying.

I then had the idea to go to the reuse centre at Moulton Park but they had moved. Sophie googled local charities and a donation centre for Cynthia Spencer Hospice came up. It was two minutes away so we drove over and were informed by them that we had to have an appointment! I know COVID is affecting things at the moment, but this was ridiculous!

The man who appeared took pity on us and said he would accept our donations if we helped him take some stuff over to the other side of the warehouse. The place was packed with donations from people!

We drove back to the house, picked up some more stuff for the tip and saw Keith and Mike on the way. At least the four of us were now working on getting everything cleared!

By 6pm most of the stuff had gone and all there was to do was clean the kitchen, so we went home and had baths and showers, ready to go to the pub in the evening to celebrate Keith's birthday. Before we went he opened his cards and presents and I think he did well this year! He received a bottle of Irish whiskey from me, a canvas print of the Puig de Maria which we gaze up at from Pollensa square, and beer, books and slippers from Mike.

New rules have been introduced for pubs and people have to wear masks until they are seated. We took a table by the fireplace and there were three other tables occupied, so not too busy. We had to order drinks at the table (no standing at the bar) and it was lovely to sit and relax after our busy day.

We were given menus and I chose a burger, along with Sophie and Mike. For starters, Sophie and liked the sound of creamy mushrooms on toast and the men ordered cheesy garlic bread, but were then told that it wasn't available. They opted for soup and pate instead. While we waited we chatted about last year when we celebrated in Mallorca - what a lot of changes have happened since then! 

Unfortunately, the wait for our meals was far longer than we would have liked and we didn't have our first course until almost 9pm. By now we were starving, and we fell upon the starters like ravenous wolves! The mushrooms were delicious and creamy and mine had gone within minutes! We had another wait for the main course and Keith looked at his watch to say that very soon the curfew time of 10pm would be upon us... I can hardly believe I'm mentioning the word "curfew", almost as if we're living in wartime! All pubs, restaurants and bars now have to close at 10pm to help stop the spread, although why that is, isn't that clear!

Our main courses were very good - Keith said the batter on his fish was the best he'd ever had, but the wait was far longer than was acceptable and we declined desserts. We would have had to take them home with us!

Moving day...

 Today dawned grey, cloudy and miserable, which rather matched my mood! I was dreading today because the removals men were due to pack all my parents' furniture and put it into storage.

Sophie went to the gym and then straight to work and at about 7.30am Keith and I went over to Mum and Dad's house. We hadn't been told what time the removals firm was arriving but we guessed it would be about 9am. We were almost right, and they arrived a little before, the huge lorry taking up almost the whole of the road outside.

I sped off to the Co-op to buy some coffee, milk and biscuits which coincided with the school run so there were loads of cars parked everywhere. When I got back I made us all a coffee and while the men worked away, Keith and I packed up all the smaller items.

Looking back, we didn't put as much into storage as we should have done. All the big furniture went in, as well as most of the pictures, some ornaments and chair cushions but a lot of their china, all the books and my Dad's planes will be stored at home with us.

Outside the weather was horrible with misty, grey skies and drizzly rain. I felt so sad seeing all of their possessions put into the huge wooden crates but I suppose it was better than everything being thrown away.

The men left at just after lunchtime and Keith and I popped home for a sandwich. It was then time to go and pick Mike up from work, and he wanted a haircut so we drove to The Men's Room in Kettering. He was gone for a while so it was lovely to sit in the car and relax. I think Keith even fell asleep!

We dropped him off at home and then went back to the house to do some more work. Understandably the house was in a mess but we have the whole of tomorrow to get everything moved out and cleaned.

At about 4.30pm we called it a day, and after preparing the vegetables for dinner, Keith jumped into the bath. I was just about to follow him when Mike called from Brixworth to ask for a lift home! I was shattered but I went and picked him up and then had a much-needed hot soak when I returned home.

At least this evening we didn't have to go anywhere, and it was great to enjoy cottage pie for dinner. After we'd eaten, I was exhausted so it was an early night for me!

Donating a pint.

Before my shift started this morning I had a word with Sara and explained that I would struggle to work 10am until 4pm every day. She was very understanding, and I have reduced my hours to 10am-2pm on Wednesday and Friday, which will give me time to do things and go and visit my parents. 

We had another pleasant shift, and made good progress with the emails, so we can see the light at the end of the tunnel now! I sped off to pick up Mike, dropped him at home and went over to Mum and Dad's house with Keith to spend two hours wrapping all of their pictures in bubble wrap. I am dreading tomorrow when most of their furniture will be going into storage. I have taken Wednesday and Thursday off work, but I'm not sure if it will be enough time!

We finished at about 5pm, and dashed home where I changed, had a quick wash and got ready to give blood with Sophie and Mike. The weather had changed outside, and the lovely sunshine and blue skies had been replaced with dark stormy clouds. 

Keith was going to see Sileby this evening, so it was the perfect chance to cook Jerk Chicken Pasta for dinner. Sophie had smothered the chicken breasts in the Jerk paste this morning, and had done a lot of preparation after she finished work.

We had to wear masks to give blood this time, and all three of us donated without any problems. We were finished at 7.30pm and sped home to put the chicken in the oven and prepare the meal. Keith had kindly put the oven on for us but it was still 8.30pm by the time we had eaten.

I felt very tired this evening, which wasn't surprising! Keith returned home at about 10pm and enjoyed some oven chips I'd cooked for him. I couldn't wait to get into bed... tomorrow will be a trying day!

Working things out...

It was back to work today but I certainly didn't feel like I'd had a restful weekend! Thankfully, work wasn't busy and I helped Sara with the emails. Half-way through my shift, I was called in for a quick meeting and told that the contact centre hours were going to change from next week, and we were all expected to work 10am until 4pm - every day in my case.

I was a little dismayed by the news as finishing at 2pm for four days a week is very useful and enables me to get a lot of things done. It would mean leaving home at 9.30am and getting back at 4.30pm, so virtually the whole day would be gone.

Keith picked me up from work, and we went to get Mike who was a little late coming out. While we waited I called the hospital to find out what was happening with my Dad, and whether I needed to take anything in for him, but the nurse looking after him was on a break. Back at home, I called again and spoke to a nurse who didn't seem to have a clue what was happening with him. It was clear he didn't have to have an operation, and she said that he would probably be discharged tomorrow.

Keith and I popped over to Tesco and treated ourselves to a coffee in Costa. I managed to buy some lovely soft trousers for my Mum (she has lost so much weight, none of her trousers fit her anymore) and a top to go with them, as well as a box of chocolates as a treat. On the way to taking them to the care home, she called and sounded very upset so I was able to see her in the garden room for half an hour while Keith waited in the car. It's not ideal, but at least we can have a chat.

I discussed my new hours with Keith and Sophie in the evening, and I said I was going to see Sara tomorrow and ask if I could reduce them, seeing as I still need to do a lot of things for Mum and Dad. We played cards in the conservatory and had a simple pizza, salad and wedges for dinner. It was bliss to relax after a stressful day!

Total uproar!

It's been yet another gorgeous day today, but predictably, the weather is set to change in the middle of next week when we're set to complete!

Keith and I went over to Mum and Dad's house this morning after a light breakfast. The first thing we did was take the table and chairs back over to our house and put them together. We dismantled our own table, and I washed the chairs ready to put into the conservatory. The seats are fabric and a lot lighter than the ones we have at the moment, so I've told Sophie to put a throw down if Monty sleeps on one of them. His dribble is all over the present chairs, and I don't want a repeat of this!

We headed to the tip with the furniture, and rather than throw them in one of the skips, we were told to put them to one side for recycling and possible re-use, which was a good idea.

Back at home, Sophie had finished most of the prep for our dinner of Thai yellow curry tonight, so she came over to Mum and Dad's house with us. After a lot of effort, swearing, pushing and pulling we managed to get one of the living room sofas into the back of Dad's car, but it was hard work! Keith wanted to take off the feet but didn't have the right tools with him, so we had to literally shove the sofa into the car! 

Sophie and I returned to our house very slowly and carefully, as the sofa was hanging out of the back! Getting it into the conservatory was also fun, but we managed it nonetheless so that was one done! As these sofas are almost brand new, and ours in the conservatory are well past their best, Mum and Dad said we could have what we liked from the house, and it's great that we can put them to good use.

We went back over to the house for a repeat exercise, but this time Keith managed to remove the feet, which made things a lot easier. Both of the houses are now in a complete uproar, and our house is likely to remain that way (and get worse!) for a while.

We spent the afternoon doing all we could and by about 5pm we'd all had enough. Sophie was cooking dinner this evening, so we left her to it, and Keith and I made one last trip over to the house. We left Dad's car there, but I couldn't find my handbag... I couldn't even remember the last time I'd seen it, and it wasn't in Mum and Dad's house or my car. We called Sophie who said it wasn't in her car, or our house so I started to panic. I had gathered up a lot of washing at Mum and Dad's house and left it in the car with the boot open, so I started imagining someone walking by, spotting it and taking it!

Keith and I drove home and I was very worried because my Dad's bank card was in my purse, and I was mentally cancelling all the cards and wondering how I was going to explain to the bank why I had his. At home, we did a thorough search but it was nowhere to be found. We had no choice to go back over to my parents' house and I felt absolutely shattered but I had to find it!

It was Sophie who discovered it hidden under the front seat of my Dad's car because we'd moved it forward when transporting the sofas. The relief was indescribable! 

It was heaven to get home, have a long deep bath and a well-earned drink. Sophie's curry was delicious and a lovely end to a somewhat hectic and exhausting day!

Yet another shock!

 Today dawned beautiful and sunny, and temperatures were set to be warm for the time of year. It was lovely to relax first thing and not rush about!

Sophie was meeting her boyfriend in London today and I took her down to the station at about 10.30am. Keith and Mike had gone over to my Mum and Dad's house to start dismantling the dining room table, and Mike called to say that there had been a leak in the downstairs loo, and the hallway carpet was saturated. I was shocked and dismayed by the news. It's another problem that I really didn't need today... I am beginning to think we have some sort of curse on us.

I dropped Sophie off, told her to have a lovely day and not worry about anything, and headed back to Mum and Dad's house to find out what was going on. On the way, I became caught in the roadworks again on the Kettering Road - will I ever learn?

I arrived to find water bubbling out of the bottom of the cistern and the hallway carpet very wet indeed. In a panic, I rang an emergency plumber but they couldn't come out until Monday, which was no good as we couldn't stop the water because of the stopcock being jammed tight. I phoned another company, and they said someone would be out to us within the hour. I dreaded to think about how much it would cost...

While we were waiting we put the dining room table and chairs into my Dad's car and Sophie's car and I emptied the cupboards and gave them a good clean. The plumber arrived and fiddled about for three hours, finally fixing the problem, thank goodness. I still don't know what it was - he did explain but I was past caring by then! The total bill came to a whopping £450.00. 

Keith was supposed to have to see Sileby play this afternoon, but he cancelled as there was still so much to do, poor thing. We returned home in the late afternoon and left Sophie's car at the house overnight as it was still full of dining room chairs!

Before heading home we called to the tip with some old pots and pans that I was not going to put in storage! Back home we checked that the Chinese in Broughton was delivering, and had a much-needed bath!

We ordered the food, and while we waited we were able to relax for a while - both Keith and I were shattered. As usual the meal was delicious and there was plenty leftover for lunch tomorrow. Sophie called to say she was getting a train at just after 7pm so we both went to collect her and came home to finally enjoy a drink!

More bad news...

 We didn't have a quiet end to the week, which is what I was hoping for! The calls carried on all morning but I did get to do some work in between, which was definitely a bonus!

At 1pm (no extra hours this week) I drove over to the post office at Brixworth and posted a dress back to Asos for Sophie. She'd looked lovely in it, but said it made her look "wide". I still think she looked stunning.

At home, Keith and I had a look at the confirmation email from the removals company and then went to get Mike from work. He was very glad that it was Friday and that he gets to have the weekend off. When we returned I paid for the removals and sorted out a re-direction of all Mum and Dad's post so that it comes to us.

I had an appointment to see Mum and Dad at 4pm today but I'd received a call while I was at work to say that my Dad had fallen again last night. At the care home, they said he had been taken to hospital for an x-ray and that he had a suspected fracture. Can you believe it?

I sat with Mum in the garden and she looked worryingly thin. She was dressed beautifully but she was very confused and kept talking about things that happened ages ago. It was not the most pleasant of conversations, and as it was windy, both of us felt quite chilly.

After almost an hour I went home and Sophie returned from work soon afterwards. Keith and Mike walked to the pub in Old this evening, which I was glad about because there are roadworks everywhere in Walgrave and I'd heard it wasn't possible to actually get through the village!

A trek into Leicestershire.

 Keith picked me up at 2pm today, we went to get Mike, and then we drove to Whetstone in Leicestershire to pick up some boxes from the removals company.

It's been another gorgeous Autumnal day with plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures. We set Google maps to show us the way and decided to take the country route via Market Harborough. After the town, we were directed onto small lanes and then through housing estates, so I had no idea of where we were!

We eventually arrived at the industrial estate to find the way blocked by a gate so we had to do another lap of the area and this time go into the main entrance. The guard on the gate told us where to go but we still managed to get lost and had to ask a man where the warehouse was!

The staff were very friendly and directed us around to the front of the warehouse to retrieve loads of boxes. Inside we glimpsed huge wooden crates stacked up, no doubt full of furniture from people's houses. I never thought my parents' possessions would end up here.

We filled the boot of my car with flat-packed boxes and headed home, this time via the M1 and the A14 - it was a lot quicker! We went straight to my Mum and Dad's house and deposited all the boxes there, ready for when we go over at the weekend.

Back home, via our own scenic route, Sophie was busy making lunches for work the next day and preparing our dinner of chicken and chestnut risotto. She did the whole thing herself, bless her, and it was delicious! The meal had a lovely earthy quality, probably from the chestnuts and I can't ever remember eating them before so it was good to have a change!

Some breathing space!

 I didn't have to be at work until 12pm today. so it was good to have a bit of time this morning. Sophie went to the gym and then straight to work, and Keith and I popped to the post office in Brixworth so I could post some more documents out to the solicitors.

On the way home, I made time to go and get my car washed because I couldn't stand it in its filthy state any more. It was a beautiful day with no rain forecast so perfect to get it done. I then just had time to whizz the hoover around when I got home, before getting a shower.

Keith took me to work, and Sophie had agreed to pick me up at 6pm. To my amazement, Sara was off sick when I arrived, something I'd never known her to be in three years of working at Lings! The emails had built up again but I didn't get the chance to do anything with them as we were so busy!

Sophie collected me at 6pm and then it was home to relax. Keith had been busy organising the removals company, and the date is set for next Wednesday. This should give us a day to make sure the house is clean - I don't want a repeat of when we moved out of our house in Walgrave, and I left the house in a state because we'd run out of time! I will never forget that!

Making plans.

 I didn't sleep well last night because I was worried about the house sale - I still find it hard to believe what has happened with my parents this year, and how things have changed so much in such a short time. I will not be looking back on this time with any fondness, that's for sure!

Yesterday we thought that things were getting better but today was manically busy with, at one time, 13 calls in the queue. Sara was swamped with emails, and there were over 200 in the inbox when I left at 2pm. I had managed to help her with two first thing in the morning, but that was it. Lucky Jo is off to Greece tomorrow, but she is worried that the country will be the next on the list for quarantine when she returns. I don't think Sara will be happy if she is off for two weeks on her return!

Keith met me at 2pm and said we had to rush off to my Mum's house because he had arranged a video survey of the house with a removals firm. He dropped me at the house then sped off to get Mike from work. I sorted out the bedroom where Sophie and I had dumped all the bedding, and then cleaned out the fridge while I waited.

Keith returned at 3pm without Mike, who had insisted on being taken home! I was sent a link by the removals firm and then we connected via video so I could show her all the things that needed taking into storage. We did it very quickly, and she said she would send me a quote later in the week. They had a slot free on the 23rd September for removing all the furniture which would work very well for us.

As it was now warm, we headed home where I had a half-hour nap. Sophie had decided to go into work today because she couldn't face working in the warm conservatory!

Dinner tonight was chilli with jacket potatoes, so we had time to play cards in the conservatory where Keith beat me repeatedly! At one point I threw all the cards at him!

After we'd eaten (in the dark now I hasten to add!) we watched University Challenge, and I didn't get even one answer right! Keith answered loads, so he is certainly on a roll this evening!

Temperatures rising...

 Monday rolls around all too soon, in my opinion! I drove to work by myself because Keith didn't need to go shopping, and I had to pop into town after work to take some documents to the solicitor.

There were three of us working, and it didn't seem as busy as last week, thank goodness! Are things getting a bit better? I don't think I'll be doing any extra hours this week, which was a bit of a relief as I have so much to with preparing for the house sale.

I left at 2pm and drove into town, parking in the small car park opposite the Princess Alexandra pub. The solicitor's office was just around the corner, and I was there for all of five minutes, but it cost me £1! Worth it because when I returned to the car, the traffic wardens were on the prowl!

The temperatures have risen today, and it was 28c outside. Phew! We had talked about having the leftover roasted veggies and new potatoes for dinner this evening, and I was going to get some chipolatas on the way home to add to the mix and make a traybake, but realised I was heading into the school run hour! I called Keith who had just arrived home after getting Mike, and he said he'd cooked the beef we didn't use on Saturday night... he said we could mix it with the vegetables... Yuk!

I said I would come home and we'd discuss what we were going to do. I became embroiled in a massive traffic jam on the Kettering road due to blasted roadworks, which delayed me by about half an hour.

Back home, we agreed that Keith would have the beef in gravy while Sophie, Mike and I would enjoy the traybake leftovers. We waited until 4pm and then popped to Brixworth to buy some sausages, and I was amazed at how warm it was!

Dinner tonight was delicious, and I felt glad that we had used up the leftover food from last night. Halfway through the evening I checked my emails and discovered that the documents I'd taken to the solicitors weren't the ones they needed, so we will have to pay the indemnity insurance. She also wrote to say that the date for completion had been accepted so on the 25th September, that will be it!

It's Beckworth, but not as we know it!

 Poor Mike was at work once again and called us at about 10am to go and pick him up. He always seems to call just as I've made a cup of coffee!

It's been another gorgeous day today with warm sunshine and blue skies. I love days like this in September! I changed our bedding and later in the morning Sophie and I went to Tesco to get Mum and Dad some bits they had asked for. Tesco was very busy indeed, more like a Saturday than a Sunday, and I thought back to decades ago when the shops remained closed on this day and the streets were empty! Not any more!

After getting some more diesel (we are certainly going through it at the moment!) we drove to Beckworth to have lunch. They have converted the skating area into a large garden restaurant and, although it was still Beckworth, it seemed a lot different! Quite a weird feeling!

We had to wear masks until we got to our table and then we could take them off, thankfully. I really liked the layout of the restaurant and it was very green and leafy!

We had a good peruse of the menu, and I chose a jacket potato with tuna mayonnaise while Sophie decided on a pulled pork panini. The food was as good as ever, and it was lovely to sit and relax for a while and forget about the worries we have at the moment.

It was a bit hot under the glass roof, though and when we left the temperature in the car was registering 25c! We drove home where we had time for a quick nap, and then it was off to see Mum and Dad in the garden room for our weekly visit.

My Dad was in good spirits and was joking with us, which was great, but Mum seemed a bit restless and confused again. She did ask about Sophie's boyfriend, though and they had a look at photos of them together. We left after an hour and went home to relax before we started dinner. With the weather forecast showing warmer temperatures for today, we had decided to barbecue, but it was almost dark by the time Keith finished. I have really noticed how dark it's getting in the evenings now. Autumn is definitely here!

Sorting out...

Poor Mike was working this morning and Keith took him in at 5am. It's now dark at this ungodly hour and I'm not overly happy about Mike being on his own with dangerous machinery!

We had an appointment at 9.30am for a kitchen fitter/designer to come to the house and measure up. He was running late and arrived just after Keith left to collect Mike from work. I had tidied up because this was a meeting with a bespoke carpenter and I wanted to make a good impression!

He arrived late (but had called to let me know) and seemed to be in a tearing hurry. I made him a coffee and he measured both rooms but didn't really seem interested in what we were looking for. It will be very interesting to see both the design he comes up with and the quote!

Once he had gone it was time for breakfast of crumpets and coffee and then Sophie and I left to go to Mum and Dad's house. I wanted to search through the correspondence from when they bought their house because I'd had a worrying email yesterday from the solicitors about restrictive covenants and documents missing from when they bought the house back in 2016. They said that if the paperwork couldn't be found then we'd have to take out indemnity insurance which would cost about £200 - not a huge amount but just another little snag to contend with!

Sophie started wrapping up all the china and figurines they had while I went through the documents and found a folder for their solicitor which I decided to take home with me. I felt horrible going through all my Mum and Dad's things but we've got to make a start soon and stop being in denial.

We worked until 2pm and I cleared out the fridge and their cupboards and cleaned as much as I could. I also took him some of the pots in the garden and a metal pheasant that can come and stay with us.

As I was putting things into the car one of the neighbours walked past and we had a chat about my parents and what had happened. I also asked her about the documents and whether there had been a CD with information about the sale when she had moved in. She promised me she would look so that's all I can do at the moment.

Sophie and I went home and she wrapped up a dress that she had sold on the internet. We discovered that there were no post offices open anywhere so we had to resort to sending it via Hermes which could be done at the shop in Mawsley.

By now we were both peckish so we heated up the pasta from yesterday and I had a good look at all the paperwork from the solicitor. I think I may have found what they're looking for, and maybe I really should have used the solicitors we've been dealing with for years, but he can be very expensive! I fired off a quick email to the woman who wrote to me on Friday saying I would take everything over on Monday when I'd finished work.

It's been a gorgeous day today and I seem to have spent most of it cooped up inside! Sophie and I went to Mawsley but once we were there she realised she'd forgotten her dratted mask so we had to go all the way home!

We did have an ice-cream to compensate and ate it in the car park while enjoying the sun! Back home it was time for a spot of relaxation after Sophie had prepared the vegetables for dinner. We had decided to cook the Hairy Bikers' steak in gravy served with our own homemade fries but Mike ducked out saying he'd eaten too much at lunchtime with Abbie, at Nando's of all places!

Dinner was lovely and the chips delicious and crispy!

Changing plans

I was mightily glad that today was Friday - not that I'm wishing my life away, you understand! Thankfully, it was a lot quieter today with nice comfortable gaps between calls which meant I could do some catching up!

We had a minute's silence at 8.46am in remembrance of 9/11 19 years ago - how the time has flown by. The rest of the morning was very pleasant and went by quickly as I was so busy, and it's been the best day we've had in ages. I was straight out of the door at 2pm to go and get Mike from work with Keith. He had been shopping today so the cupboards were no longer bare! 

We had to wait a while for Mike who was in a bad mood with his boss and I was just glad that he now finishes at 2.30pm and not 3.30pm because we had arranged to go and see the kitchen designer at Howdens at 4pm.

We took Mike home and I changed out of my uniform to go over to Kettering. When we arrived we weren't that impressed... the building was small and very cluttered and when Georgia came to see us she hadn't got a copy of our design. I hadn't thought to print a copy myself - I just assumed she would have it on the computer like Magnet.

We went upstairs to a dingy room that held samples of cupboards and worktops and we had a good look and feel of the Chilcombe design we'd chosen. I didn't like the shade of grey, though. It looked like a dirty white so we have swapped to Tewkesbury in the slate grey which makes more of a statement! We tweaked the design slightly as we only want two bar stools at the island and chose a marble-effect worktop, which will hopefully make the kitchen lighter.

Georgia said she would send us a copy of the updated design and she would also send over the names of some builders for us to contact. Once that was done she could give us a price.

We went home to find Abbie had arrived and Keith decided to walk down to the pub this evening as it was dry and sunny. Sophie and I uncorked a bottle of Prosecco this evening but we didn't watch a film as Sophie was cooking dinner, bless her - one of her favourites, the Gino D'Acampo sausage pasta dish. We had used conchiglie pasta instead of the usual orecchiette variety and she busied herself chopping vegetables and de-skinning the sausages.

It turned out to be delicious and easily the best she had ever made. There's enough left over for lunch tomorrow!

Two quiet days...

It's Wednesday and this week is rushing by as usual! I was up early and seeing Sophie off to the gym before having a leisurely coffee and easing into the day.

Keith hadn't been shopping on Monday like he usually does, so there were problems with finding something tasty for breakfast - there was no bread out and when I retrieved a pack of frozen crumpets from the freezer they were mouldy! In the end I had porridge which was probably better for me!

There was no point hanging around the house so I left for work at about 9.15am and called into the garage at Moulton to buy myself a sandwich (no bread, remember!). It was £3.49!!

Once at work I immersed myself in emails and worked steadily through them until midday when I switched over to doing cinema duties. I couldn't find the email address of one distributor so Sheila took me down to the archives to find Stella's old paperwork which included a list of email contacts. She left me on my own to look through all the paperwork and I swore I could smell Stella's perfume... maybe it was because she had touched all the papers but it did bring it back to me how sad it is that she's no longer with us.

The afternoon passed pleasantly enough although we did have seven calls in the queue with just 15 minutes to go! Luckily we dealt with them all and at 6pm delightedly turned the phones off! I sped home to say hello to Sophie before she went out for a meal with Laura and as Mike was out as well, there was just the two of us for dinner. It was very quiet!

We enjoyed one of Keith's favourites, corned beef and potato pie and watched All Creatures Great and Small. Sophie returned at a reasonable hour so not a late night, thank goodness!

On Thursday we had a lovely quiet start to the day which was fortuitous as there were a load of orders in the inbox which I had left from yesterday. It was great to get things out of the way!

Today has felt noticeably chillier but next week it's set to get hot again!

Temperatures rise...

Work was better today because we had Louiza in to take my place answering calls while I concentrated on the emails. Sara is off all this week so I ploughed through them and managed to get the amount down from about 170 to 120, and that was with lots more coming in!

I worked until 4pm and emerged into a warm and humid day. It was showing 25c in the car on the way home! Are we in for an Indian Summer? Mike is now finishing at 2.30pm instead of 3.30pm and we had been hoping that he would be starting later but he still goes in at 6am. We are really keen now for him to start driving lessons and get a car of his own so that Keith doesn't have to get up so early. I do volunteer but he always seems to be awake anyway!

Sophie and I went for a stroll around the estate when she finished work and said hello to a new puppy who lives in the cottages at the front. She was utterly gorgeous and was so excited to see us! It still felt warm and sultry but there was no sign of any storms on the horizon, sadly!

We sat and played cards in the conservatory and I raised the possibility of Keith and I going away for the weekend when Mum and Dad's house sells. I suggested that Sophie's boyfriend stays with her at the house, an idea that went down very well!

Dinner was lovely and possibly even better than yesterday. After we'd eaten we attempted to watch an episode of The Bridge but I almost fell asleep so it was off to bed where I read my latest novel - in paperback form so impossible to read with the light out!

Still busy!

We were all hoping that this week things would be quieter at work, but it was not to be. Even though we had Denise working it was still horribly busy and the calls were non-stop. We are now getting far more complaints that we used to, with people annoyed about swimming lessons (and the lack of communication) and memberships in general.

I worked until 2pm as I needed to get home and sort out the paperwork for the solicitor. I called the office and went through the points I could answer but had to leave some of the questions I couldn't. Keith and I then went to the post office to send everything back and popped to Mum and Dad's house to try and change an appointment for the following day. A new smart meter was being installed but when I called the company to say nobody would be at the house, they couldn't cancel as I wasn't named on the account. I told the woman on the phone that the engineer would make a wasted journey then! How silly!

Feeling annoyed because we'd wasted our time going to the house we headed home and Keith prepared the dinner which was the roast beef we should have had yesterday. Sophie and I sipped a glass of red wine while he cooked and I thought of how lovely it would be if we had the new kitchen and we could sit with him while he worked.

Dinner was delicious and we made sure there was enough left over for bubble and squeak tomorrow. Mike was at Abbie's as it was her birthday today and they returned at 9pm. It was great to have a chat with them before they headed upstairs and Abbie had had a lovely day.

Today hasn't been particularly pleasant so I'm hoping that tomorrow will be better!

A busy Sunday!

I'd had a thought on Friday that this weekend would be a lazy one, but how wrong can I be! Today was very busy and, apart from first thing in the morning, I didn't have a spare minute!

Mike called us at about 9.30am to go and pick him up and when we got home I'd had a message from our neighbour and friend, Paul, who has agreed to keep my Dad's car on his driveway for me. He wanted to pop over at 10.30am, so I hurriedly made breakfast for Keith and I of leftover potatoes, and we gobbled that down before he arrived.

He came around for a chat and after we'd talked about the car we asked him who he bought his kitchen from a few years ago. They'd chosen Howdens as well, so it will be interesting to see what they come up with later this week. He nearly fell over when we told him what we'd been quoted by Magnet yesterday!

Once Paul had gone I sorted all the recycling out in the garage. I'd been left two big bags of pet food pouches the other day and as we were picking up Sophie from Milton Keynes station, we thought it was a good opportunity to take it over. I didn't have as much as last time but it still filled the boot of my car!

When that was finished we took Mike into town and then as soon as we returned home I put a colour on my hair and showered. I had an appointment to see Mum and Dad at 2pm and I needed them to sign some documents for the house, but they also had to be witnessed by an impartial person. Luckily, one of the carers agreed to sign, so that was a huge relief.

I popped to the Co-op before seeing my parents and bought my Mum some chocolates and magazines. However, because we were in the stupid garden room and separated by a thick sheet of plastic, I had to leave the goodies with the receptionist.

My parents arrived and we got the signing out of the way. Luckily I was able to pass the papers under the sheeting! We sat and had a chat but it was obvious my parents aren't happy at all, which made me feel very sad. My Mum had, for some reason, thought that all of us were coming to see them so she was a bit upset. What made it worse was that I thought I could take them both out so I'm confused about the rules in place at the moment?

We chatted for an hour but I'd be wrong if I said I enjoyed meeting them. When it was time to go my Mum started crying, which set me off. Horrible.

I drove to their house to try and find a CD from the builders that the estate agent had mentioned, but after searching in their drawers and cupboards, I couldn't find it. Being in the house made me feel even worse and I will be glad when I don't have to go around there any more.

As soon as I arrived home we were back out again and driving over to Milton Keynes. The traffic on the M1 was busy but we weren't held up and after dropping all the recycling off we made our way to the station. Sophie appeared a few minutes later and it was only then that she told me about a man who had stabbed several people in Birmingham, very close to where they were, last night. They were going to go out for late night cocktails in the area he was in, but thankfully went back to the hotel instead. I had been so busy today I hadn't even seen the news!

We drove to Olney for a drink and went back to the pub we visited on New Year's Day. At the entrance we were instructed to turn around and go to the back of the pub, which was very annoying! Why they couldn't have put the sign further up the road so we'd seen it before getting to the entrance, I'll never know!

We walked into the pub (eventually) and we were told off by a local standing at the bar, because we had walked past them. We had no idea that there was a queue to get drinks and it was the last straw. I said loudly, "Let's find somewhere else!" and we walked out. There's no shortage of choices in the small town!

We tried the Bull Hotel instead but we had to order our drinks on an app and pay for them at the same time. I'm so glad Sophie was with us! Crazy! We sat and chatted and discussed dinner as there was no way Keith was going to cook a roast when we got home! We decided to have a Papa John's pizza so Sophie ordered and we drove over at 7pm to collect it.

The previously lovely day had turned grey and rainy and after eating it was lovely to curl up on the sofa and get cosy. What a busy day!

Choices, choices!

This morning we should have been on our way to France but of course, we've postponed the trip until next April. I am truly hopeful we will go, a year later than planned! It would have been lovely to get away for a few days but I think we're all resigned to the fact that this year will be a year of non-travel.

So, instead of being away on a break, we were at home and Mike was working... and started at 5am! My poor husband took him to work and then came home and went back to bed. I was up at about 6.30am and I hoped that Mike wouldn't be too late this morning as we had an appointment at Magnet at 10am.

Luckily, everything worked out perfectly and Mike called just before 9am to ask us to pick him up. I'd suggested Keith shower before me so he was already dressed and went off to get him. When he arrived back, it was time for us to leave and today I decided on a different route. However, we came across roadworks by Becket's Park but we did arrive on time today, thank goodness!

Sophie came with us as she was catching a train at 11.15am to Birmingham to meet her boyfriend. In Magnet we looked at applicances such as the oven, dishwasher, washing machine and extractor fan. When it came to deciding on the hob we have decided on an induction option which Sophie wasn't sure about. However, when we had a demonstration, Sophie was definitely won over! We could touch the hob itself without being burned!

Once all that was done and added to the kitchen the designer printed off the actual layout for us on A3 paper, so it was great to see what it would look like! Sophie was a bit worried about the time so I took her to the station and arrived back just before we learnt how much it was all going to cost. Keith was hoping for less than £10,000 but I had a feeling that it would be more... the result? £16800! We were both shocked!

This price does not include flooring, tiles, installation or the building works we need such as taking the wall down between the old dining room and the kitchen and putting in a new window. Hmmm! Time to have a re-think and then see what Howdens come up with on Friday!

We left Magnet and popped to Jones's where we bought some boring bits like batteries. As expected, their Christmas range had started to appear so I grabbed two boxes of the Peter Pauper cards that I love.

I think this design is very apt for this year! Also, I bought a new 2021 diary and a calendar - honestly, I cannot wait until this horrible year is over!

Mike called to ask us to pick him up some chicken and pasta for his lunch so we called into Asda on the way home and bought what he needed plus a bottle of Gin for Abbie's birthday on Monday. Then it was lunch in the conservatory and a read of the newspaper.

As I was working quite a bit last week, the house had been neglected so I spent the afternoon giving the downstairs a good clean and catching up with paperwork. I looked at the solicitor forms again and did what I could but I'll have to call him on Monday and clarify a few points that I just don't understand.

Keith, amazingly, went to see Sileby play for the first time in months and met his old chums for a good chinwag. In the evening we had a barbecue and I noticed how dark it's getting now at about 7.30pm. Autumn is definitely here!

Our film choice for this evening was the next James Bond film, Octopussy, which Keith and I though was just silly! Roll on the next one!

Irritating niggles

I let Keith have a lie-in this morning and drove myself to work. Yesterday was the first day since March that I'd started at 8am and the children were at school, so I was interested to see how the new dual carriageway on the A43 would be at that time of the morning. Luckily, it has been fine even though one lane of the new stretch is closed at the moment. They built the new road and then immediately had to dig a long stretch of it up again to put some kind of pipe in! Crazy!

I don't have my safety valve road available to me because there's some kind of work going on with that as well so I am mightily glad that either a) the new road is coping or b) not everybody is back at work yet!

Work this morning was a lot quieter so for that we were very thankful! We had long gaps between calls and both Kathy and I were able to get some much-needed work done. I sped home at 2pm and collected Keith before heading off to Kettering to get some diesel for my car. On the way, the estate agent called about the papers that need signing and several queries that the buyer has. Apparently, he is a very strange individual and I told Jess that I had been extremely busy over the last week so hadn't had a chance to do anything with the sale but that I was seeing my parents on Sunday. I lamented to Keith that why couldn't we have had a reasonable person buying the house? He keeps going on about the flipping boiler and wants to know if we are prepared to have it serviced before he moves in! Short answer...NO!

We picked up Mike from work and drove home and this was my first experience of the area around the golf club being at the mercy of the school run... the witching hour I call it, when parents are in a desperate bid to collect their little darlings from school and drive too fast as they're late! What a difference it was to how we were used to and there must be at least two schools churning out pupils at the time we are driving home!

When we arrived home I had a good look at the papers the solicitor had sent and there was some nonsense about paying the vicar of Cransley an amount of money every year which dated back decades! I felt too morose to do anything about it this evening so I will take the papers to sign on Sunday and then concentrate on them on Monday. Sophie's boyfriend is a trainee solicitor and has just done a stint on conveyancing so I might get some tips from him!

Sophie and I had a glass of wine this evening but we sat and chatted about work and my parents until 7pm. I then watched half an hour of Top of the Pops from 1977 and it was great! I was nine years old at the time and seeing Michael Jackson so young and fresh-faced gave me a bit of a pang!

Almost Friday!

I was back in at work at 8am this morning and it felt like I'd barely left! Sara had asked another staff member to work today to cover my morning shift so I could concentrate on the emails, and we had 199 in the inbox first thing!

It was great to be off the phones and after a slow start it became very busy again. Sara and I dealt with the emails and when I left to go home at 4pm they were down to 124, even though more had been coming in during the day. I am hoping that one day this will all be a distant memory!

After a morning of rain (and the roads were flooded again) we had a sunny afternoon and a lovely evening. I gave Sophie a lift to the beauty salon in town and spent a very pleasant half hour reading the paper in my car and looking at the beautiful sky.

Back home while Sophie cooked a truly delicious paella, Keith and I played cards in the conservatory! After we'd eaten we indulged in another episode of The Bridge... Kim Bodnia is scrumptious!

A long day...

I had a long (for me anyway) day at work and decided to go in a bit earlier to catch up with some invoices that I hadn't been able to process yesterday. I then discovered that two of them were for the Forum cinema in Northallerton so I emailed them back to the film distribution company! Bonus!

As usual we were extremely busy with calls and this is definitely the pattern for the week. A lot of our queries were about swimming lessons and all of us agreed that if we'd just activated a blanket freeze of all of our memberships back in March when lockdown started, it would have saved us an awful lot of trouble now!

Sophie was due to pick me up on her way home from work but she finished at 4.30pm so Keith came to get me instead. It was pouring with rain! This morning I'd had a brief moment of bliss when I ate my breakfast in the sunny garden so the change in the weather was a shock!

Abbie was over for dinner and Keith made a delicious chicken pie. It carried on raining all evening so at least I didn't have to go out and water the garden! After we'd eaten Keith and I watched the new series of All Creatures Great and Small. I am a huge fan of the James Herriot books and read them all when I was younger. The second series is looking good but I do miss Robert Hardy as Siegfried. No doubt I will get used to the new characters and it looks like very pleasant viewing!

Autumn beckons

I was in at work at 8am today and we were hoping for a quieter day, but it was not to be. Sara had asked if I could do some extra hours this week and we agreed that I would tag two hours on to my working day Tuesday to Thursday and an extra hour on Friday. I really do like to finish a bit early at the end of the week!

The phones were even busier than yesterday with the longest interval between calls barely a minute. I had my fair share of moany people, so that wasn't pleasant! Over the weekend and yesterday we'd had work done on our computer system and it was playing up today so I abandoned the box office returns. I am only thankful we are putting just one film on a day otherwise I would have been in trouble!

It felt like we were all drowning in work today as we had 200 emails in the inbox, well over 200 calls when I left at 4pm (plus over 70 abandoned ones) and it had been a really stressful day. And no doubt, we'll have more of the same tomorrow!

Keith picked me up at 4pm and it looked like it had been a gorgeous Autumnal day. Sophie and I went for a walk when she finished work and we walked through the fields to Old and back along the road. We went to see the horses, but they weren't interested so we did a lap of the estate and then home.

Dinner tonight was beef stroganoff (originally planned for Sunday) and I helped Keith in the kitchen. It was delicious, as ever. Afterwards Sophie and I watched a film called Submission starring Stanley Tucci about a college professor having an affair with a student. It was an hour and a half of my life that I will never get back!