Boris's frightful news...

I woke up this morning to the news that we're facing a second lockdown in England, coming in as soon as next week. To be honest, I wasn't surprised. I had a feeling that before long we'd all end up in Tier 3 with the way things are going. This lockdown will be slightly different from the one that started in March, though, with schools, colleges and universities staying open.

The weather outside was stormy and unpleasant, too, today! We had the first of our named storms, Aiden, making an appearance, and we all began to regret making an appointment in Market Harborough to have a chat about our kitchen today!

We sloshed our way over in lashing rain and strong winds and parked in the usual car park. As we were a little early we ran to Starbucks for a coffee and something quick to eat. The cafe was packed but we finally found a table, and Sophie ordered the drinks and snacks.

Keith had chosen a toasted sandwich and halfway through eating it, he had a coughing fit... Not really what we want at the moment! The lady sitting next to us got up and left but nobody else batted an eyelid!

At 11.30am we walked the short distance to Harborough Kitchens and met with Les who had designed a plan for us. He showed us the difference between what they made, and what we would get if we went to a larger company like Magnet or Wren. We all loved the look of the cabinets and especially the worktops and sinks, but how much would they cost? That's the burning question!

We went over the plans again, and Les said he would have something over to me with regards to price by the end of the week. The weather was still nasty so after buying a newspaper we drove home. Luckily, the roads weren't as drenched as they were on the way over, but it was still horrible!

Back home I put all the recycling I had collected (and been given) into the back of my car, and Sophie and I drove over to Milton Keynes to take it to George.

I didn't think I had that much to take, but it filled the boot of my car! We had Tassimo and Nespresso coffee pods, pet food pouches, ink cartridges, and some cat food that Monty won't eat.

On the way, the rain came down even harder, and at times visibility was terrible on the M1. I was glad to get to George's house and offload it all! Sophie and I then drove to Woburn to have lunch and a mooch about the shops.

We chose to eat at the Woburn Brasserie and took a seat in the window. It was lovely at first and then the sun made an appearance and I was blinded! We had a look at the menu and fancied a ciabatta each - Sophie had a club sandwich while I went for the brie, bacon and cranberry. We ordered a side of skinny chips and a glass of wine each.

When our food arrived, Sophie was not happy. The bacon had barely seen the grill, and the chicken looked anaemic. There was no mayonnaise or salad inside the ciabatta, either. Mine was also cold with just slabs of cheese, the same undercooked bacon and a smear of cranberry sauce. We really should have complained but Sophie didn't want to make a fuss, especially as the place was quiet.

The chips were hot and salty, and my side salad had a delicious dressing, but I doubt we'll go back in the future. When the bill arrived we found that we hadn't been charged for Sophie's ciabatta... normally when this happens we would say something, but as we had been so disappointed with the food, we paid up and fled!

Outside the sun was still shining, and it was lovely to wander around and have a look in the lovely independent shops. I bought two bottles of white wine in a tiny wine shop, and Sophie bought two Christmas tree decorations in one of our favourite little shops, Minchin and May.

We had a look around the homeware shop which is set out in different rooms and then decided to drive home, via the grounds of Woburn Abbey. Up ahead the traffic was at a standstill, and we realised it was because a large herd of deer were crossing the road!

We took a meandering route through some gorgeous countryside to get back to the M1, ending up at Junction 12. Back home the house was empty - Keith was watching Sileby play, and Mike was with Abbie. I lit a candle and put it inside our little terracotta pumpkin, and hoped that some children would be out trick or treating. I hadn't been expecting anyone but when we saw a little group in the distance, I put out some wrapped chocolate biscuits for them! There certainly wasn't as many groups as in previous years but it was still good to hear their excited voices!

Sophie and I started watching Psycho but at 6.30pm we turned it off and switched to BBC1 to hear Boris's speech. He was late on and it was almost 7pm by the time he appeared with his scientific advisors. I actually hate seeing them on television now. They just bring bad news, and the first ten minutes was taken up with graphs and statistics. This was to prepare us for the news that a second national lockdown would start on Thursday 5 November, and last until the 2 December, in an effort to reduce the number of infections. Pubs, restaurants, cafes, non-essential shops, gyms, leisure centres, golf courses, soft play and beauty/hair salons would all close. The furlough scheme would be extended to December but it likely means I will be off work for a month. We will have to wait until Monday to hear more from our management team.

I chatted with my colleagues on our WhatsApp message board, and the two girls working tomorrow were very worried, and not sure what to say to customers who call tomorrow. We watched Strictly and ordered a Chinese takeaway for all of us (Mike and Abbie included) from the Far East in Broughton.

The food came at about 8pm and we had a lovely meal and a real laugh around the dining table. I don't think the news has really sunk in yet for us!

New jobs!

It was really quite strange having Sophie return from the gym this morning as for the last seven months she has always gone into work on a Friday. It was her one day when she could dress up a bit, put make-up on, and see her colleagues face-to-face. However, there were too many people in the office for her to go in as well, so she was resigned to staying at home and working in the conservatory.

As promised, Sheila did indeed have some work for me to do, and it was quite complicated, which made it even better! We have some new classes to put on for the children, but it also meant I had to go into the bookings part of the system and take out some activities that were already planned, such as cleaning. I was glad that we had some more classes booked for the children, so hopefully, that will make it easier for people to make a decision about whether to come back or not.

We still have no films planned at work, but I asked Sophie to book tickets for the Northampton Filmhouse's showing of  On The Rocks, starring Bill Murray, on the 16 November. It will be the first time I've been to the cinema since seeing 1917 in January!

At 2pm I returned home to find Keith still there. Mike was going for a drink with his work colleagues when they'd finished as one of them was leaving today. By the time he eventually left and then got back again, it was time for me to go and do some shopping for Mum and Dad.

Keith volunteered to come with me and we popped to Tesco to get some toiletries for them both. It was starting to get busy in the store, and the roads around the retail park were crammed with the Friday evening traffic. We went to the Care Home, Keith gobbled a sandwich in the car (he'd hardly eaten all day), and then we made our way to the garden room to see them both.

My Dad looked particularly thin today, but they were both fine. They said they were fed up with not being able to go out but I said that life is not like it was at the moment. The wearing of masks everywhere, and constantly being worried about catching this horrible virus puts a dampener on everything we do.

We chatted for almost an hour and then I dropped Keith off at the pub on the way home. Sophie and I opened a bottle of white wine and contemplated dinner, which we'd decided was to be chicken fajitas. The only problem was that neither of us fancied it at all! In the end, we chucked all the vegetables, mushrooms and chicken into a big pan with couscous, and did a traybake. I added a good glug of red wine and it was very good! Friday nights should mean an easy meal and a few glasses of wine!

Phone woes again!

 Again, after the first flurry of calls, work was very quiet today and I had nothing to do. I was reluctant to let Sara know as there are plans for all of us to start contacting ex-members and try and entice them back. At the moment, I think that's foolish, due to the number of infections rising again, and we have hardly anything for our junior members. Our cinema looks doomed as we have no films planned for this weekend, even though it's Halloween on Saturday. The job of having to call people and hassle them is not one I would enjoy, to be honest!

We limped on through the day, and after Sara had gone home, we had another discussion about work. All of us are worried about the current situation and the furloughed staff are due back next week so heaven knows what they will do!

At 4pm I went home and sat with Sophie in the conservatory. My phone had lost battery again but she has a handy little portable charger that she let me use, which restored the power.

Mike was out tonight with Abbie for a meal, so it was just the three of us sitting down to a meal of pizza, crispy potatoes and Caesar salad. Afterwards, we caught up with the latest ITV drama, The Sister, which came to a conclusion tonight. It was a bit creepy!

Christmas shopping!

Work carries on being quiet at the moment, and the madness of a few months ago is a distant memory. With four of us answering the phones, it means we have a lot of time on our hands! I am hoping that Sheila will have something for me by Friday, as there is talk of putting activities on for the children soon.

I went to get Mike at 2pm and noticed, with dismay, that the battery on my phone was dropping fast. It's obviously not right as I'd hardly used it all day! I think a trip to the Apple store in Milton Keynes is on the cards.

After getting home I quickly changed and charged up my phone a little bit. Keith and I had decided to pay a visit to Beckworth to see if we could get our Christmas turkey. We bought it around the same time last year! 

Beckworth was busy and we had a good mooch around in the shop, selecting a turkey that would do us all nicely. There is no hope of my parents coming to us this year, which is a huge shame, especially as they went away last year. I don't quite know what to expect from Christmas this year,  but I don't think it's going to be the best we've ever had!

As well as the turkey, I bought a bottle of wine for tonight to go with our fish pie, some luxury mince pies, and a packet of lovely crisps for wine night on Friday. We had a look at all the Christmas decorations on sale but I'll come back with Sophie another time and have a proper look. We did see some gonks, though!

Back home we sat in the conservatory and enjoyed a cup of tea and a mince pie. Sophie was working away, and she will be at home more often as now only four of the staff can be in the office at one time. Keith and I did the shopping list and decided on the meals for the next few days.

Tonight we cooked fish pie and I added some prawns, much to the disgust of Sophie who picked them all out, saying they were chewy!

Storm clouds gather

Work was very busy for us first thing, and at one point we had 18 calls in the queue! I have never seen that many in the three years I've been working in the contact centre! Predictably, most of them were to book swimming sessions, and we are now warning people when they ring that any money paid is non-refundable!

After the first flurry of calls, it did go quiet and I ran out of things to do. As yet, we have no films planned for this weekend, which is worrying. I did email the man responsible and suggested we put some classics on, but he hadn't replied by the time I left at 4pm. Our favourite, the Northampton Filmhouse, is re-opening in November and I'm sure if they can make a success of it, so can we as we have been known for putting on independent films in the past.

After Sara had gone home, the four of us had a discussion about the hours we're working, and it dawned on me that we will never go back to the way things were before the pandemic. I loved the hours I did then as they suited me so well, and it was great to have a break in the middle of the week so I could catch up with things I needed to do.

I sped home at 4pm and marvelled at the sky and the huge storm clouds that were overhead. It's been a day of sunshine and heavy showers, and I really wish I'd been able to take some photos!

Keith went out to watch Sileby play this evening so that meant only one thing - Jerk Chicken Pasta! I had marinated the chicken this morning, and before he went he watched us cook the dish. Tonight it was very hot indeed and brought us out in a sweat!

After dinner, Sophie and I watched Singin' In The Rain, starring Gene Kelly and Donna Reynolds. Perfect viewing for an Autumnal evening!

Flying leaves!

Sophie had an appointment for a blood test at the surgery in Guilsborough this morning, so I said I would drive her over before I went to work. It was another Autumnal morning with the leaves flying about, and the trees looking gorgeous with their red and orange foliage.

We were all done before her appointment time, and heading home for breakfast, so that was a bonus. I had a leisurely 45 minutes to have a second coffee and some toast before heading off to work. Today is the first day of the October half-term and I expected us to be busy with people booking swimming sessions. There were four of us manning the phones and, predictably, the noise was loud! We did indeed have a lot of calls about swimming sessions and, annoyingly, people moving their bookings to another day, which causes us a lot of hassle.

It was a huge relief to get out at 4pm and drive home. The late afternoon was still sunny but the dusk fell very quickly, and all plans to go out for a walk at 5pm were shelved as it was really quite dark! We played cards in the conservatory and enjoyed a light dinner of soup and crusty bread, followed by apple crumble and custard. I had a long chat with my Mum on the phone and she sounded quite cheerful, which I was relieved about. She mentioned playing bingo and watching Strictly Come Dancing in their cinema, so I'm hoping she's having a great time at last!

An extra hour!

The clocks went back last night so we all had an extra hour today. I still woke up at about 6am (would have been 7am) so I had a lovely leisurely start to my Sunday.

Sophie went to the gym this morning, and when she got back Keith and I went to the new Aldi at Kettering. Talk about exciting! It was busy with people but we didn't have to queue. I met my manager, Sara, who had just arrived and they were making their first visit as well!

The new store is much bigger, and it was light and airy but it did feel like I was in the supermarket in Kingsthorpe. While Keith rushed around with our shopping list, I meandered about looking at the Christmas goodies! It won't be long!

We returned home where Sophie was getting ready to go out for lunch with Laura. They were going to Olney again and eating at The Bull Hotel, and when my daughter appeared she looked lovely. She wore a new short skirt (from a charity shop), a black top and her new black cropped jacket. She was stunning!

Funnily enough, on this day last year, when the clocks went back, she and Laura went out for lunch and then visited Olney. How weird is that! While she was gone I cleaned the house and attempted to tidy away some of the boxes we still have hanging about. The stuff on eBay has been very disappointing this week, and we haven't sold as much as I would have liked. There goes my goal of having a good clear out this winter, and saving some pennies for a trip abroad when all this is over!

Sophie returned home at about 4.30pm so not as late as last year when she took a long and winding route back from Olney! Just as I was settling down with a cup of tea and a mince pie, Mike called and asked us to pick him up. We set out in quite stormy weather to get him - this morning was fine and dry but the afternoon was marred by squally showers and a stiff breeze.

Back home again, Sophie and I watched the end of Mrs Doubtfire and then we both fell asleep on the sofa. She didn't felt too well when she woke up, and I think her lunch may have been a bit on the heavy side. Keith had prepared a roast beef dinner but only three of us sat down to eat it. It was amazing how dark it was by 5.30pm. The long nights are here!

Tea and a mooch!

Sophie had asked for a long lie-in this morning - she was still shattered from last week so we were happy to oblige. Unfortunately, at just before 9am, a load of banging started up across the road, which woke her up. I knew that it would, and just wished that they had started work a little later!

We had a lazy-ish morning, and I sorted a lot of financial stuff out, as I tend to do on a Saturday morning! At 1pm Sophie and I headed over to Olney for a mooch about and a cup of tea. We managed to find a space in the busy little car park in the middle of the town and, after buying the newspaper, headed for the first of the charity shops we had seen. I remember when Olney was stuffed full of antique shops, but these have mostly gone with just the odd one or two about. There now seems to be a lot of dress shops, tea-shops and gift shops on the busy high street.

Sophie picked out a jacket and a dress in the first place we went to, and I added a DVD of Mrs Doubtfire to the pile. It's one of our favourite films, but we have never bought the DVD! From there we walked through a narrow alleyway to a small restaurant that serves lunches, as well as cakes and afternoon tea. They were full and the wait was 20 minutes so we went off in search of sustenance elsewhere. Luckily, we stumbled upon Teapots, and we were lucky to bag one of the last free tables. We just wanted cake and tea, and I chose a walnut and coffee confection while Sophie went for lemon drizzle. The staff were lovely and very friendly and efficient.

Next to us, a couple were obviously on their first date, and we tried not to hear too much of their conversation! The cakes were delicious - moist, and baked by someone who knows their stuff! We lingered over the tea as both of us loved the ambience of the cosy little tea-room.

After we'd finished and reluctantly left, we wandered back along the high street and had a good look in the shops. By now, it had started to drizzle so we were pleased that there were quite a few shops to pop into. I was amazed by the variety of houses on the main street - there was even an old lace factory that now looked like it was a private home.

We went into another two shops and Sophie bought a top from another charity store. She had a good bagful today! Because the weather had worsened we decided to head for home, but I bought a bottle of Bordeaux white and some fancy crisps in the small Tesco Express before going back to the car.

It was a real Autumnal day today with the leaves literally flying about and carpeting the paths and roads. Back home we relaxed, and while Keith cooked dinner, we started watching Mrs Doubtfire. After we'd eaten a delicious home-cooked chicken pie, we watched the rest of Strictly Come Dancing, but I lost interest and decided to catch the new Rebecca film on my Kindle Fire. I don't think the original starring Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier, and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, can ever be beaten but I enjoyed it nonetheless!

Catching up with old friends!

Things were back to normal this morning when Sophie woke me up early and then went to the gym. I pootled about until it was time to go, and took my Dad's car to work. Keith had an appointment at the respiratory clinic at the hospital at 2.30pm today, so I was charged with collecting Mike from work, and then taking him into Northampton so he could spend the weekend with Abbie.

I was worried about parking this morning because last week the car park was full. Today is the 50+ session, which is very popular with our members, but luckily there were a few spaces left. Work passed pleasantly enough, although it was very noisy at times, and I have to say that some of my colleagues have very loud voices especially when they laugh!

At 2pm I sped off to get Mike and he came out at just after 2.30pm so he didn't have to wait about. It seemed ages since I'd been to collect him from work! He was very tired on the way home, and after having a quick shower and changing his clothes, he was ready to go into Northampton.

We had a lovely chat in the car on the way in, chiefly about the noises people make when eating, which was hilarious! We chatted about our senses and how much we'd miss them if something happened to them.

After dropping Mike at Abbie's I headed home and parked Dad's car back on Paul's driveway. He was in the garage so we had a chat, and then it was time to see how Keith had got on at the hospital. He said the clinic was deserted and the staff had nothing to do. He had to blow into a tube and he'll get the results via his GP.

I gave Keith a lift to the pub tonight and returned home to have a lovely soak in the bath. This evening I was going out for a meal with Lynda, Fiona and Andrea to The Telegraph pub in Moulton, a night out we'd arranged back in August. Sophie very kindly drove me there and then went to get Keith on her way home, so I could enjoy a glass of wine or two!

The girls were already seated at the same table we'd occupied a few years ago at Christmas. We ordered drinks - G&Ts for Andrea and Fiona, Chardonnay for me and tonic water for poor Lynda who was driving. To eat, we all chose the Panko breaded squid with lemon mayonnaise to start, followed by salmon for the girls, and a chicken and halloumi stack for me served with skin-on fries and Asian slaw.

The food was delicious, and we all made room for puds - sticky toffee pudding, Eton mess sundae and a Belgian chocolate cheesecake for me. The bill came to a hefty £160 but then we did have pre-dinner drinks and two bottles of wine with the meal. It was lovely to have a chat and catch up with news, especially as there have been a lot of changes since we last met up with Andrea in January. She has split from her husband and has a new partner, so that was a shock!

I had already asked Sophie to come for me at 10pm and the pub was anxious for us to leave before then. Sophie and Keith arrived, and Fiona's daughter came to take Fiona and Andrea home. I had said to Sophie that we could maybe sit up until later with a drink but she was shattered and going to bed seemed a very good idea!

A gorgeous walk

Sadly, Zain's grandmother died during the night so he was on the phone to Sophie until the early hours. She looked exhausted this morning and decided not to go to the gym, which I was very relieved about. 

I took her car to work, and the shift passed quickly. We have learnt that our centres aren't going to open on either Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve, so that pleased me as I was going to ask for both days off anyway!

Driving home at 4pm, the weather was gorgeous so I suggested a walk when Sophie finished work. I think she needed to get out of the house, and the evening was too good to be cooped up indoors. We walked up to the village and the smells were just fabulous - a subtle mix of woodsmoke, leaves, earth and fresh air. I said to Sophie I wish we could bottle it or make the lovely aromas into a candle.

In the village, there were loads of leaves covering the path so we kicked them up, loving the sound they made! We were like big kids! We turned around at the "triangle", a patch of grass on the edge of the village, and made our way back home. The sky was a beautiful blue with light pink fluffy clouds on the horizon where the sun was setting.

Back home we sat in the cosy conservatory and chatted while Keith made chilli con Carne for dinner. Our conservatory is so comfortable now, and it was bliss to sit there, sip a drink and have a good chat!

The right result!

Sophie came bounding down the stairs this morning to announce that her Covid test was negative, which was a huge relief to us all. Amazingly, she had received the results during the night, so we were impressed.

Although she was in the clear, she didn't go to the gym and worked from home today. I was facing a short day and finishing at 2pm. Work was fine except for one angry woman who had left a parking fine for almost a year before deciding to do something about it. She then expected me to solve it for her. As it had reached the court summons stage, there was nothing we could do although I did say I'd try. However, that wasn't the response she was after, and she became gradually more abusive towards me. When I politely pointed out that she'd had a responsibility to sort it out much earlier, the conversation became very nasty! I was on the point of telling her I was going to terminate the call when she slammed the phone down on me!

At home, I sorted out my car insurance (once again I had to shop around as my policy had gone up by £100, even though I hadn't made a claim) and I paid my car tax. Keith and I then went to see my parents and I saw my Dad for the first time in over a month. He was a bit thin and frail-looking but he smiled when he saw us, and we sat and chatted for almost an hour.

We left at 6pm and headed home where Sophie was preparing the dinner. She looked shattered as Zain's grandmother is very ill and he had been on the phone to her a great deal, both overnight and during the day today. Once the sausage casserole was in the oven, Keith and I washed up and tidied the kitchen, set the table and peeled some spuds. We then had a short time to relax before we put the finishing touches to the dinner.

Abbie joined us for the meal this evening and then stayed overnight. We had a good chat and then it was time to relax for the rest of the evening. What a relief today has been!

Very testing times!

I was woken by Sophie at 7.30am this morning and she told me that Zain had tested positive for Covid. I was very shocked but the good thing was that she hasn't seen him since last Monday, the 12th of October, which was eight days ago. He has mild symptoms and is very worried about his grandmother.

I have to confess I was a bit angry with Sophie at first, not that it's her fault at all, but I did expect that either Mike or Sophie would come into contact with someone who had tested positive, purely because they've both been to London several times, and mix with far more people than Keith and I do. Sophie arranged to have a test first thing this morning, and our nearest centre is very close to where Mike works as we pass it every day.

I called work to let Sara know, and she said that it should be OK for me to go into work today, but did check with someone from HR, who said it was fine. Obviously, if Sophie tests positive as well, it will not be OK!

I quickly had a shower and we drove over, getting there exactly at 8.30am. At the gate, we were told to keep our windows closed and she had to show the QR code on her phone. We were also told to turn the dashcam off. We then went to another point where Sophie's ID was checked (she didn't realise she needed it, but gave her date of birth) and then to yet another point where she was asked whether she wanted to do the test herself or have someone else administer it. She had already done a test a few weeks ago as part of a research panel, so she opted to do it herself. We had to drive into a bay and were given the test in a plastic envelope. Sophie read the instructions, swabbed her throat (right at the back) and her nose, which made her sneeze about ten times!

After the swab had been placed in a test tube with some liquid in the bottom, I put the hazard warning lights on, another man checked everything had been sealed, and we drove into a tented area where a woman held out a bin to drop the test kit into. That was it, all done.

We sped off home, and I changed and had a quick cup of coffee before going to work. Sara was very understanding and my shift passed quickly. We weren't busy but it's half-term next week and people have started booking swimming sessions, so I can see it building up over the week.

At 4pm I dashed off home to find out that Zain's grandmother was not well at all, and his family have been told to expect the worst. Sophie thinks she has pneumonia but it's not Covid. Understandably, Zain was devastated.

Keith watched the football after dinner, and Sophie and I retired upstairs and caught the latest episode of Married At First Sight. The two couples were embarking on a life together during lockdown, which added extra challenges to their relationships!

Early morning frights!

Mike went out with some friends last night and didn't get home until after midnight so I lay awake worried about where he was. He was starting work at 6am in the morning, so a late night really wasn't a good idea! I then found out this morning that he had sleep-walked to Sophie's room, and was just standing in the doorway of her bedroom, which freaked her out completely when she woke up and saw him there! It was, therefore, a disturbed night for us all, and I felt very weary this morning!

To make matters worse, we'd received a bid for Sophie's camera so I had to scramble about with that first thing! We accepted the offer but the buyer wanted to provide his own shipping, which I was unsure about. In the end, we reduced the cost of delivery but I made sure I had enough insurance to cover the cost of the camera if it went missing or was damaged.

Keith went off to give his mate Dave a lift back from a garage in Northampton, and I took my Dad's car to work because Sophie was working from her office today. My shift passed pleasantly enough, but because I was still feeling tired I was very glad to get out at 4pm and head home.

Sophie is very worried about her boyfriend at the moment - his mum and grandmother both feel ill, and his grandmother was suffering from shortness of breath, so was admitted to the hospital today. His brother took a Covid test, which proved negative, but Zain has taken one as well, just to be on the safe side.

When Sophie returned home we packaged up the camera and printed out the address label ready to send off tomorrow. By the time we finished, it was well past 6pm and dark outside. Where does the time go?

Keith made a delicious cottage pie for dinner, and after we'd eaten we watched the last episode of The Movies, from the early 2000s to the present day. It was then an early night for all of us, Mike included!

Pootling about!

After a reasonable lie-in this morning it was lovely to have cheese on toasted sourdough bread for breakfast and enjoy a slow start to the day.

Keith and I took Sophie's car to the Tesco garage and put some petrol in for her. We've been using it a lot lately! Back home we sorted out some unwanted stuff to sell on eBay - I had a vintage cutlery set that has been languishing in the cupboard for ages, and that we never use, so we've put it up for sale along with Sophie's Nikon camera. Her iPhone now takes brilliant pictures so the poor camera is no longer needed! Let's hope it finds a good home!

Sophie took lots of photos of the stuff we no longer wanted, and for lunch, we sat and enjoyed the sausage rolls we bought yesterday at Farndon Fields. Today has been overcast and grey with no hint of blue sky or sunshine at all. 

Mike called us at about 4pm to ask us to collect him from Abbie's so we drove over. It seemed like he had been gone for ages! He'd bought a new pair of heavy-duty boots for work as the ones he has now let water in and make the skin on his feet peel! Yuk!

Dinner tonight was "Pierrot chicken" - we were trying to re-create a dish we enjoyed in France at a lovely outdoor restaurant. They cooked a half-chicken on top of vegetables such as carrots, onions, garlic, swede and parsnip. We also chopped up some potatoes and let the whole dish bake in the oven and then served it with peas and stuffing. It was delicious!

So, the weekend is over and it's back to work tomorrow. We have completed some chores over the last couple of days and my Dad's car is now empty of boxes, so I'm glad about that!

Catching up with friends.

It was lovely to wake up this morning with the weekend stretching ahead of us. The trouble is, it goes too fast!

After a breakfast of a veggie sausage sandwich and a second cup of coffee, I spent the morning sorting out some of the books we were storing in boxes in my Dad's car. Some of them were very interesting but it was also heartbreaking to come across his books on mountain walks and climbing. He was a very keen walker, and did several mountain skills courses when he was younger, even spending a night on Ben Nevis when it was covered in snow! He had to build an igloo type shelter out of snow blocks and use crampons, so I couldn't face giving the books away. They now have pride of place on our bookshelf. 

To make room for them I put all our paperbacks on a separate, smaller bookshelf so now there's a lot more room. Keith wanted to keep a lot of the books as well, and it showed what a varied taste my Dad had as there were books about the war, motor-racing, Fred Dibnah and Marilyn Monroe! When I see him on Wednesday I'll ask whether he wants me to bring any in for him.

At about 1pm, Sophie and I drove over to Market Harborough, and before we embarked on our shopping, we had a coffee in the tiny little cafe we'd visited before, tucked down an almost hidden, narrow alleyway. The two girls working in the cafe were lovely but they took an age to produce our drinks! Both of us walked in and forgot to don our masks! Oops!

Suitably fortified by the caffeine, we had a good look around the charity shops and Sophie bought a dress, a skirt and two tops in Oxfam, which cost just £21! A bargain! We then decided to enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake at the Polka Dot cafe and bagged the last table. A lot of the cakes had disappeared but we chose the apple and cherry concoction with a topping of almonds, which was moist and delicious.

Sophie made another visit to a charity shop but didn't see anything she liked. We decided to head for Farndon Fields before going home as I wanted to buy a bottle of wine and some chocolates. Keith and I have been invited for dinner at Sarah and Liam's house tonight, which we were both looking forward to. As we queued we spotted Sarah coming out with bags so we said hello and laughed about meeting! I'd had a feeling she would be there!

When we eventually entered the farm shop Sophie begged me not to let her buy too much food. However, she still spent about £20 on some treats and a few gifts for Zain. I bought a bottle of Argentinian Malbec and a box of chocolates, a bottle of beer for Keith and some stuffing for our chicken tomorrow.

We staggered out with our purchases, and headed home in the grey gloom, taking the scenic route where I met a huge tractor. Thankfully I was able to pull in out of his way! Back home it was time to relax and have a bath before getting ready to go out. It was such a shame that Sophie couldn't invite Zain over, but she made do with video-chatting with him all night!

Keith and I drove over to Sarah and Liam's house in Sophie's car and I just about remembered the way! It was so much easier when they lived next door! We were met by their huge Irish Wolfhound, Gatsby, who was a real gentle giant, thank goodness! Dinner was lamb shanks served with mash and peas followed by Farndon Fields cheesecakes and then a selection of cheeses and biscuits. Now I know why Sarah was there! We had a good chat and it was lovely to catch up!

It's Friday!

I arrived at work this morning to find a bottle of sparkly rhubarb and ginger Gin on my desk! What a great way to start a Friday morning!

Work passed pleasantly and at 2pm I was finished for the week. I returned home to find some letters for my parents and I spent the next hour dealing with that. We sat and listened to Boris at 4pm - there are arguments raging about Greater Manchester going into Tier 3 with Liverpool, and the effect it will have on their economy. Listening to the figures was depressing, but Boris did say he would be rolling out new tests for people over the coming weeks, with a wait time of fifteen minutes to find out whether you have the virus or not.

I had an appointment to see Mum at 5pm and I took one of her coats with me. She came down to the garden room wearing it, bless her! We sat and chatted for almost an hour, and then I sped home to find Sophie waiting for me to start Wine Night. Keith had walked down to the pub so we settled down and watched more of Vertigo from last Friday. How the weeks fly by!

Dinner tonight was an assortment of pates, cheeses, grapes, celery and lovely biscuits. As it was Friday we opened a bottle of Port that I'd bought for last Christmas!

A meal out

Keith went off to do the shopping this morning, and as Sophie was going into work, I had to use my Dad's car. I emptied some more boxes and put them in the garage because I was worried about leaving the car at work with them on show.

Work today was quiet, and the calls have slowed right down now. Whenever there's a news alert, Sara's phone goes off and it did that several times today! We have heard that Liverpool has been put into the highest tier of alert, and London and Essex have been put into tier two. This means that Sophie will have difficulty seeing Zain in London and meeting him indoors. Mike is still in London with Abbie so we're not sure what he will do as the restrictions come into force at midnight on Friday.

Before we left Nicola showed us a photo of the M&S Snow Globe Gin liqueur:

She then said that she would go and get us some at M&S today so we all put our orders in! I asked for a bottle of the Rhubarb and Ginger! At £18 they look like very good value, and a bit of a mood lift for these miserable times!

I finished at 4pm and sped home where I mooched about until Sophie returned. It's been a chilly day today so I had a soak in the bath and we got ready to go out for a meal.

We parked, finally, near the pub, donned our masks and waited to be seated. It's table service only so a bit difficult for Keith to peruse the beers on offer. We decided on fiery chicken wings and garlic bread to start, followed by steak and ale pie for Keith, fish and chips for me (there's a turn-up for the books!) and a burger for Sophie. The food was delicious as always and it was lovely to sit and chat in the cosy, dimly-lit pub. If they had the fires going, it would have been perfect!

Sophie and I shared a dessert and we then set off for home. We were all full!

Getting annoyed!

 My work pal, Sue, brought in a big bag of recycling for me this morning - she'd been collecting it since we stopped working back in March, which was very kind of her! She had collected crisp, snack and confectionery wrappers, as well as some dog treat packaging, so that's one big bag that won't go into landfill!

Work was fine and my shorter shift today passed very quickly. At 2pm I drove home and sat with Sophie in the conservatory for a while. She had been invited to book an appointment for cervical screening and I was insistent that she do it, as I feel it's very important. She told me she'd called the GP surgery to book, but was put on a waiting list of 65 women! I was angry because this is yet another case of using Covid as an excuse not to carry out vital screening! The screening starts at 25 years of age so if she isn't called before then I'm going to look into having it done privately.

After getting changed, I spent an hour in the garage sorting out all the recycling to take to our local bins. I had been hoping that Sophie would go for a walk with me to take it all, but she was held up at work until past 6pm, poor thing. 

Keith and I did the shopping list for tomorrow, and we decided to treat Sophie and book a table at The Lamplighter for Thursday night. After her long shift at work, Sophie cooked beef tacos for dinner and was mollified by the plan to eat out tomorrow! She has certainly done her fair share of cooking this week!

A quiet Tuesday

Sophie was back at the gym this morning and woke me up at about 6.30am. I had been in the middle of a dream so I felt groggy and disorientated!

Keith took me to work and went to do some shopping for the next couple of nights. Work was quiet and has slowed down a lot - I'm not really sure if there is enough for the four of us to do, but we are trying hard to enrol new members to make up for those who have fallen by the wayside.

The news is full of the pandemic ramping up again, and as we go into the winter, it's not good news. I have stopped listening to the figures every day as I find it depressing. I cannot believe how this year has turned out, and I dread another lockdown and not going to work.

At just before 4pm, the phones went down for some unknown reason, which was a bonus! We all had to log off and they never came back on again before we left, so we were all out on time for once!

Sophie had been at work all day but she came home and started making a lovely Paella for dinner. I find it real comfort food, and I thoroughly enjoyed the meal despite Sophie saying she thought it was tasteless. There was enough left over to take for my lunch tomorrow in the food flask, which will be a welcome change from sandwiches!

We watched another couple of episodes of The Movies after dinner, and enjoyed seeing films from the 90s - there were some great ones, including Titanic!

I am the winner!

I turned my phone off overnight, and this morning it seemed fine. I was able to text Sophie, and it was cool to the touch so I kept my fingers crossed! However, when I got to work the temperature had shot up again, and it had lost battery... how strange was that?

I kept it on my desk throughout my shift, and it was fine so I was mystified! Work was very busy - I had several jobs to do as well as answering the phone, and the time flew by. Sophie had returned to Northampton, and Keith had driven down to pick her up from the station. I sped home in horrible weather at 4pm - it was raining, misty and very grey.

I caught up with Sophie's news of her weekend away, and we sat and played cards in the conservatory. I think both Keith and Sophie were a bit fed up with me as I won all three games! We ate dinner early this evening and enjoyed leftover cold roast beef with bubble and squeak. Delicious, as always!

My phone seemed fine all evening but I left it alone and didn't use it. If this problem persists I'll have no choice but to get it fixed, as I do rely on it so much, especially when travelling.

After dinner, we watched two episodes of The Movies, all about films from the 1980s, which was great as both Sophie and I are fans of this era. Keith and I then decided to watch another episode of The Fall in bed, which is the only place we can see this drama!

Phone woes...

I slept fitfully last night - the dessert was definitely a mistake! At 8am I went downstairs in search of coffee, and I was delighted to see that the rain from last night had cleared, and we had blue skies and sunshine.

Keith and I took my Dad's car to the garage this morning, and put some petrol in just in case I have to use it one day. It's not so full of stuff now, as Keith took out a lot of boxes the other day, and stored them in the garage up on the eaves. Thank goodness we have this space!

My phone has been playing up over the weekend. Yesterday, it was in my pocket when we drove down to the station, and after waving Sophie off, I took it out but it had an alarming message on the screen saying it was overheating... I turned it off but noticed that the battery had gone down to about 30%, something that never happens unless I use it a lot to navigate somewhere with the maps. I kept an eye on it but this morning it was playing up again, so it was a bit worrying.

After a breakfast of coffee and pastries, I made a start on the housework and managed to clean upstairs and then work my way down to the bottom floor. The rug we have in the hallway is always covered in bits, and I suspect it's down to Mike, so we'll see what it's like over the next few days with him away in London!

The house looked much better when I finished, and I had a shower before going to see my Mum at 1pm. She looked good - she wore make-up and her clothes were very smart so there's been a definite improvement. The last time I'd seen her she'd asked me to order her some new foundation and lipstick so I was able to pass these to her through the window! She was delighted!

My phone was playing up again so I turned it off as it was almost dead. I chatted to my Mum for an hour and then popped to Tesco to have a chat with the staff in the mobile shop. I was wearing a dratted mask so everything I said sounded muffled! I spoke to a young man who kept asking about upgrades and warranties. As I only took possession of the phone last October, I was not about to upgrade! Also, the phone should last longer than a year! It was not the most pleasant of experiences, and I left feeling very annoyed!

I bought some things that Mum had asked me to get for her, dropped them off, and then went home where I wasted a good few hours mucking about with my phone. At one point it wouldn't turn on without warning of a high temperature so I went online to talk to an Apple technical advisor. He advised me it was a safety issue and not to use it at all. 

After a lot of toing and froing with Apple and Tesco, the phone seemed to improve and I charged it up without any problems. The thought of being without my phone is a bleak one; I rely on it so much and most of the time I use it to keep in contact with Sophie and Mike.

Keith cooked a delicious roast beef for dinner and then we watched the end of Licence to Kill. That's another one off the list!

A quiet day...

Annoyingly, I was awake at 6am this morning, so it was downstairs for a coffee and a relaxing start to the weekend.

Sophie woke up and we cooked breakfast - veggie sausages, toast, and scrambled eggs for Keith and me. My daughter then disappeared to shower and get ready for her weekend away. We took her to the station and called to get a paper on the way home. I had no plans to do anything today - in fact, I fancied a bit of a rest from sorting boxes, so we pootled about for the rest of the day and did very little!

The weather has been a real mixed bag - frequent showers but spells of sun and blue skies. It feels much cooler than of late. I went and had a lovely hot bath at about 5pm and then managed to get Netflix working on the television in our bedroom. I started watching The Fall starring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan, and over the hour it was on, became hooked! Keith also had a bath and then started watching it with me!

We went to the pub in Walgrave for a meal this evening and walked in find the place pleasantly busy. We picked a table near the bar, and Ian brought over free drinks for us - to wish Keith a belated happy birthday, and to apologise for the slow service we'd experienced last time.

We sat and studied the menu, and as I was hungry, I chose the mushrooms on ciabatta that I'd enjoyed last time, and a burger. Keith opted for whitebait and the monster cod. I had to go for something beefy because I was drinking a good Malbec!

The service was much better this evening (Ian was in charge), and the food as good as it always is. To my delight, one of the girls I used to look after when I worked at the after-school club came in with her family - Izzy and her brother Joseph. We said hello and when they got up to leave I asked how she was doing at secondary school. She looked so grown up, bless her, and Joseph is now in Year 6!

Keith and I braved a dessert, which on reflection, was probably a mistake as the portions were huge! I had bread and butter pudding while Keith enjoyed a treacle tart, both served with custard. We were so naughty!

At just after 9pm we waddled out into pouring rain... then it was home to collapse on the sofa and watch Licence to Kill starring Timothy Dalton. I had never seen the film before, which is unusual as I was (and probably still am) a fan of the actor. I have to say the hour we watched wasn't brilliant, though! No wonder he only did two Bond films!

What a relief! It's Friday!

This week seems to have gone over in the blink of an eye. I remember getting up on Monday morning and facing the week, but it's flown by!

I had a somewhat trying shift at work, with some bad-tempered calls. We are still getting people moaning about the same old problems, which I thought would have stopped by now! I was very glad to get out at 2pm and drive home! Keith had already picked up Mike from work which was a real bonus. No matter how hard I try I just cannot get out of work on time.

At home, Mike was showering in readiness for his trip down to London by train. We dropped him off at the station at about 3.30pm and by 5pm he was texting me to say he'd arrived at Abbie's flat, which I thought was very good going indeed. Keith was going to walk to the pub this evening but a huge black cloud moved over the sky and it started to rain, so we thought it best to give him a lift!

Sophie and I tried a new wine tonight - The Ned Sauvignon Blanc. It was a crisp, floral white without the overpowering cats' pee aroma you sometimes find with this grape variety. However, we both agreed that we still preferred the Pinot Gris. We munched on the delicious crisps I bought in Waitrose on Wednesday and baked some potatoes in the oven for dinner. An easy night!

Sophie and I had decided to watch Vertigo again this evening. I had downloaded three films to watch but in the end, we didn't really fancy any of them! Now that we're watching The Movies, we're learning about some of the classics, so I picked The Last Picture Show starring an extremely youthful Jeff Bridges, Easy Rider and Erin Brockovich. The Last Picture Show was filmed in black and white and after about ten minutes, we decided it wasn't for us, Sophie had already seen Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich, and neither of us really fancied Easy Rider so we enjoyed James Stewart and Kim Novak in Vertigo again. 

Dinner was delicious - we had brushed the potatoes with a little butter and the skins were all crispy. Yum!

A disturbed night!

We had a very disturbed night last night! Mike came blundering into our bedroom at about 1am and tried to get into bed with us, obviously mistaking our bed for his! Then, an hour later, Keith turned on the bedside light and said we'd had a power cut. He made a huge fuss about setting the clock and the alarm again!

Sophie woke me up at about 6.30am and I felt bleary and tired. She said that Mike had returned home at about 11.30pm, a bit worse for wear, which was foolish on a weekday night, but he was up as normal this morning, thank goodness!

Before I went to work I made use of the time I had and hoovered the house. Keith had gone to Tesco after dropping Mike at work so I helped him put everything away and sorted out the washing. I drove myself in and my shift passed very quickly and pleasantly. At three minutes to 4pm, we had three calls in the queue which was annoying! I managed to answer two of them (Denise was on another call) but that was it!

I sped home, deciding to go the country route to avoid the busy A43, and back home I phoned my Mum and made an appointment to go and see her on Sunday. Both Sophie and Mike are away this weekend, visiting their respective partners, so Keith and I will be childless. We are planning on going to the pub on Saturday night for a meal!

Keith made an utterly delicious chicken casserole this evening, and we popped some dumplings on top, which were all crispy on the outside and fluffy within. After dinner, we caught up with another episode of The Movies, which we are finding very enjoyable. There are still so many films I haven't seen, but which look good!

Indulging in some treats!

I finished work at 2pm today, and I'd asked Keith to pick up Mike so I went straight home. We had some books to be picked up by a courier on Friday, and we needed a box to put them in, and bubble wrap, so I suggested to Keith that we go to Jones's.

It's been a lovely day today with sunshine and blue skies but there was a real Autumnal feel to the air. The trees are starting to turn now, and it's lovely to see all the beautiful colours as we drive about the countryside.

At Jones's, I bought a roll of bubble-wrap, and we found a box that they leave out for customers to pack their stuff into which was the perfect size. On the way home, I fancied a cup of tea so I suggested to a reluctant Keith that we pop into Waitrose. He agreed in the end, but when we drove into the car park we could see that the cafe was closed. Why?

I wanted to go in anyway and I bought some treats - two bottles of wine, some luxury biscuits (so we could enjoy them with a cup of tea at home), some crisps for Wine Night on Friday, and a couple of salads to have at work for my lunch as I am heartily fed up with sandwiches!

Back at home, I made tea and we sat in the conservatory with Sophie who had been having a bad day again. I honestly feel that she would be better off going back into work full time now, and she herself says she works better in the office!

Dinner tonight was a delicious cottage pie, and Mike was in a tearing hurry to go out, to see a friend who is going back to university. With more restrictions on the horizon, I do wonder how long he'll be able to go out and see his mates. I feel that at the moment, we are at the same stage as we were back in March, and customers at work have started cancelling their memberships again, "just in case".

I have stopped watching the news now and just try and catch the headlines. It's too gloomy!

A noisy one!

Today has been fairly uneventful. I felt like I was hanging around for ages before Keith took me to work! We had a busy shift, but it was also a very noisy one. At points during the day, the noise levels were too much, especially when all five of us were talking on the phone. I seemed to attract people that wanted to sign up to be members, which was great, but it's very time consuming and it's probably far easier and quicker for them to do it on their own PC or laptop!

When I left at 4pm, it was pouring with rain and we've had spells of sunshine and showers all day. We sloshed our way home, and I called the hospital who said that my Dad had been discharged. Both my parents also received their flu jabs today, so that was one thing out of the way!

Sophie had been in at work, and she rushed home to get straight into the shower. She was off out with Daisy and Laura this evening to an Indian restaurant in town. After dinner, Keith and I watched an episode about the Blitz in London and it was very moving hearing about what happened, and how the bombardment went on, night after night.

Sophie returned home at about 10.30pm. They were chucked out at 10pm as is the rule these days! She wasn't impressed with the food at all, saying our local in Mawsley is far better!  

The start of the working week.

 I really didn't want to go to work this morning - I felt lethargic and still weary from the weekend. Sophie went to the gym, and when she got back I said I would love to just curl up on the sofa and watch television all day... Of course, this is something we rarely do (Boxing Day, maybe) but the thought was heavenly!

I took Sophie's car to work and parked easily so this problem has proved to be non-existent. Sara was back today, and I think she was a bit stunned by the noise level in the office, especially when all five of us were talking on the phone.

Today seemed to drag, and it was a relief to get out at 4pm and call to get some petrol for Sophie on the way home. The weather has been rainy again but not as bad as the weekend, thank goodness. The roads around Holcot now seem to flood whenever we get any rain, and I should think the fields are waterlogged.

As soon as we were home I called the care home to see if my Dad had returned but he hadn't, so I called the hospital again. They said he was still on an intravenous drip for antibiotics but would be seen by the consultant again tomorrow.

Keith and I dashed over to the post office at Brixworth and posted some clothes back to Asos for Sophie. She'd been having a bad day but didn't have a drink this evening, even though I think she had earned one!

We watched the film Runaway Bride, that we'd recorded last night, and Keith cooked beef pie and veggies for dinner. The evenings are certainly colder now and it's so lovely to put the heating on and get cosy!

More sorting!

We were woken at 11.30pm last night by the care home letting me know that my Dad has gone into hospital again - this time because he hadn't eaten or drunk much throughout the day, and was "not himself". This means that, just as his period of self-isolation is up, he will have to do it all again.

Mike was working again this morning, and we went to get him at about 9am. When we returned home, Keith was insistent on clearing the conservatory today and managed, by himself, to get the larger of our two leather sofas out of the room, and into the garden! Sophie and I were trying to make breakfast but he ploughed on, regardless!

When we'd finished eating I gave the floor a hoover and a clean, and we moved the new sofa into place. The rest of the morning was spent trying to sort out more stuff but sometimes I felt we were just moving it from one place to another!

The weather was still bad today with endless drizzly rain and grey skies. Sophie and I went out in the early afternoon and took some old sheets and pillowcases to a textiles bin, and the charity shop at Weston Favell. We had been planning on going to Beckworth this afternoon but we couldn't be bothered with all the faff so we snuck to McDonald's drive-thru, and enjoyed a chicken salad wrap for lunch instead!

We then headed to the tip and managed to get rid of some of our old lamps and other small electrical items. We are slowly making room for things, and we had a cull of our books and DVDs. We found a website that buys books, CDs and DVDs, and managed to get about £10 for some stuff we didn't want any more. We just need to parcel it all up and a courier will collect it next week!

By about 4pm we'd had enough, and Sophie made us a little fake Negroni cocktail. I sorted through the drawers in the study and threw out old insurance policies from four years ago, and other stuff that had just been gathering dust.

Mike called us to ask us to pick him up at about 5pm - Abbie had stayed over last night but they'd been out for lunch - so Keith and I went to get him, and I was delighted to see that the rain had stopped and the sky was a lovely mix of blues and greys with some interesting clouds.

Back home, it was definitely time to relax, and we enjoyed a gorgeous bottle of wine with some cheesy nibbles. It was, undoubtedly, the highlight of the weekend! We sat and watched The First Wives Club film while Keith finished off our dinner of a spicy Chilli con Carne. Mike didn't eat with us - he'd pigged out at lunchtime and was still full!

Rain, rain, rain...

 Well, the weather has certainly been bad today with constant rain and heavy grey skies. Mike was working this weekend and at 9am I went to get him while Keith grappled with the television in our room. It's one of Mum and Dad's and has Netflix and Amazon Prime installed so I thought it would be good to have in our room. Just as we were trying to get the old one off the wall, Mike called!

He was wet and dirty again but in a better mood than yesterday, thank goodness! I had barely ten minutes at home before it was time to take Sophie to the station so she could catch a train to London to see Zain, her boyfriend.

On the way home I called into the garage at Moulton and bought some pastries and the newspaper. I was determined to go home, have a coffee and some breakfast! When I arrived, Abbie's car was parked outside and she and her mum were sitting in the living room, which was a bit of a surprise. Mike explained that they were all going to see Abbie's grandfather, something I wasn't aware of. That meant that Mike couldn't help Keith with sorting the conservatory out... oh well!

Keith and I grappled with the TV some more, and then I insisted on having some breakfast. It was while we were eating that we remembered we had to prepare the coq au vin for dinner tonight! We both did the preparations and while I washed up and cleared away everything, Keith had a shower. We needed to go to Tesco to get an antenna lead for the TV, which was a nuisance, but we did need some things in there anyway.

The rain hadn't let up at all, and the roads were flooded in places. Tesco was busy and we found what we needed quickly. I then treated Sophie to a bottle of Vodka and bought myself some Brandy. We splashed our way home and sorted out the TV so at least Keith can watch Sky in the bedroom if he is banished there by us girls sometimes!

The rest of the day was spent doing housework and trying to clear some space in the conservatory. Keith went to see Sileby play (very surprising the game was on, considering the weather) and Mike and Abbie returned. 

By 4.30pm I'd had enough of housework and I settled down in front of the television to watch a couple of very weird programmes. I downloaded a new series called Brave New World but quickly gave up with that after about ten minutes! I then turned on a programme on Sky Arts that had been showing since 9.30am this morning and was surreal! The bit I watched was set out at sea with two masts poking out of the water with a figure of a man on top of one of them... was he real or a sculpture? With the spooky music and the grey and miserable weather outside, I decided it wasn't for me at all and went and had a bath!

Sophie called to say she was having trouble with the train journey home - due to the awful weather a lot of trains to Northampton and beyond had been cancelled... She said she was going to try and get the 6.45pm train which would arrive in Northampton at about 7.30pm, perfect as she could then have dinner with us.

However, she called back again to say that all the trains to Northampton and Birmingham had been cancelled, and could I pick her up from Milton Keynes at 7.15pm? I dashed out into the gloom and drove down the M1 to collect her but when I arrived she kept saying the train had been delayed because the driver could only travel at 50mph instead of the usual 125mph! She eventually got in at about 7.45pm so it was a mad dash home to eat at 8.30pm! Phew! I certainly needed a drink when I got in!

Near miss!

 I took myself off to work today to give Keith a rest from all the driving about he does at the moment. As forecast, the weather was horrible, dark and rainy. When Sophie left for the gym this morning it was properly dark, with no hint of the sunrise at all.

Work was OK but we dealt with quite a few moany customers this morning. I tried to clear some emails for when Sara is back next week. At 2pm I sped off to get Mike and was astonished at the bad driving I witnessed, especially as the weather was so foul and the conditions horrible. 

It started at the roundabout by the new development of houses on the A43, where the dual carriageway reverts back to one lane. A black souped-up Fiesta overtook me and dodged in between me and the car in front. Behind me, a dark grey BMW tried the same thing, and then realised he wasn't going to make it, so managed to get in behind me.

All the way up the A43 the black Ford in front was driving far too close to the car in front of him, which then turned off at Hannington. As we approached the Walgrave turn he had to brake because of a line of traffic, and as we neared the roundabout by Broughton something happened as all of a sudden, the two cars in front of the Fiesta swerved left and right, the Ford braked hard, forcing me to slow down drastically as well. I thought the BMW behind me wasn't going to be able to stop, so I braced myself for him hitting me and tried to go left a bit to give him more room.

By some sort of miracle, we were all OK and nobody hit anyone. How that happened I'll never know, and I still have no clue what caused the two cars to swerve, unless someone braked hard and they panicked? It really shook me up, I can tell you, and just says how important it is to leave a good gap between you and the car in front!

I carried on to get Mike, and he got into the car filthy dirty and soaking wet. He was in a foul mood and we had a few words on the way home - not what I needed after my fright!

Back home, Keith was sitting in the kitchen, the shredding machines balanced on his work-mate and surrounded by bits of paper. It was chaos! I rushed around getting things ready to take into the care home for Mum and Dad, and all too soon it was time for me to leave.

The weather was still terrible, and I struggled across the car park with some pictures and a couple of bags. My Mum was brought down to the garden room, and we chatted for almost an hour. She looked smart and her hair was nicely done so I was pleased about that.

I left at about 5pm and went home to relax for a bit. We are recording every episode of Pointless now as I'm sure the two episodes we saw back in January will be shown soon! Keith didn't go to the pub this evening and cooked a delicious dinner of beefburgers and homemade fries. They were scrummy!

Stormy weather on the horizon!

 Today, apparently, is the calm before the storm - we're due to be battered by the tail end of Storm Alex (a storm from France) over the next few days, with weather warnings out for the weekend. Keith and I both want to get the conservatory tidied up and the other leather sofa moved out, so we can spend time there relaxing. There's nothing nicer than being cosy and warm while the weather rages outside!

Keith went off early to do the weekly shop, and when Sophie returned from the gym we ate breakfast together in the conservatory which was a lovely start to my day. All too soon it was time to go and I arrived at work to discover that Sheila wanted me to spend time putting the playscheme places on for the October half-term. I was delighted with the news but did feel a pang of sadness because the last time I did this work was back in February/early March when life was normal.

The office was very busy and noisy this morning, as we had two extra people in and there were five of us manning the phones. It wasn't too busy but it was good to start receiving enquiries about the playscheme in the afternoon! Get 'em booked in!

At 4pm I returned home and put the hoover around the downstairs rooms. Outside the weather was horrible but it has turned a bit milder so we didn't need to put the heating on like we did the other day!

After dinner of a hearty toad-in-the-hole, Keith and I caught up with All Creatures Great and Small and then I went to bed at 9pm as I felt a wee bit weary! I am so glad that tomorrow is Friday!