Easing into the week!

I really hate Monday mornings! When Sophie wakes me up it's a real effort to swing my legs out of bed and get up! Never mind! Before I know it, Friday has arrived!

Work was much better than Friday and although we were busy with phone calls, I managed to help Sara with a lot of emails. It was lovely and light when I left at 4pm today so that was a real bonus. I do like driving home and seeing the sky!

Sophie was meeting up with her old manager Sharon this evening and they'd booked a table at the Harvester restaurant on Riverside. Keith and I had leftovers from the turkey yesterday, and when Sophie arrived home it was great to catch up with what Sharon had been doing. In a weird way, I miss those early trips to Thrapston when Sophie used to visit the prisons!

Staying at home...

We've had another day of sunshine and I was able to get out this morning and wash Sophie's filthy car. It looked so much better when I finished!

I also cut back the geranium in the garden, but as I was doing it I did wonder if it was a good idea... I remember reading something about tiny pollinators living in old vegetation over the winter, so I hope I haven't disturbed any minibeasts! I didn't see any, but I think next year I'll leave it until a bit later to cut the plant back.

Sophie was more than happy to stay at home today, and while she did a workout and enjoyed a face pack in the afternoon, I spent some time researching my family tree. As expected, it was frustrating but I'm going to persevere, no matter what! I hope I have the patience to do it and I'll try an adopt a very methodical way of looking at the information I already have!

We had the most gorgeous sunset this evening - the sky was a deep pink with beautiful clouds. I just wish now that Sophie and I had gone out for a walk and taken photographs!

Keith busied himself with cooking the turkey crown we'd bought a few weeks ago while Sophie and I played Scrabble in the kitchen. We had a cocktail each and then moved on to white wine to drink with the meal.

Keith had prepared loads of vegetables so they were earmarked for bubble and squeak tomorrow!

Catching up!

After the perfect lie-in (I woke at about 7.45am) Keith and I had a lazyish morning. Sophie contacted me to say she would be getting the train home at about 1pm, so Keith and I went out and managed to get my car washed. We had to queue but it was worth it to get rid of all the muck that was covering it!

We drove home, I titivated the outside and then went to collect Sophie from the station. She'd had a great time and had loved seeing Aries with Zain. He had enjoyed it as well and had been bopping along to the music. We chatted about what she'd been up to and she horrified me with tales of the prices they'd paid in London. Even she was fed up with paying £10 for a glass of mediocre wine (I'd pay £10 for a bottle if it was a special occasion!) and £80 for a Thai meal that they had to eat in twenty minutes, as the restaurant was closing.

I understand a lot of places will need to recoup some of the money they lost during the pandemic, but surely this is daylight robbery? A £10 price tag for wine must mean a huge mark-up for the restaurant. I simply wouldn't pay it, London or not!

We decided to have a quick Subway lunch and we both chose wraps with lots of added salad. We even had some delicious little chicken bites and a cookie! £12 for both of us!

Back home I prepared the vegetables and chicken for our Chow Mein this evening, and then we relaxed and chatted about a programme I'd watched called You Are What You Eat. I had to show Sophie what one of the women was putting away every day - between 5000 and 8000 calories! I didn't feel so guilty about the odd biscuit I eat, but I'm trying to cut them out!

Keith came home from the football looking half-frozen but the temperatures have been very mild today, about 15c. It was getting colder outside, though, so we put the heating on and Sophie and I played Scrabble and drank the Champagne that Keith and Sophie had bought for my birthday. It was a Blanc de Noirs from Aldi, and it was delicious and made entirely from red grapes, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Sophie and I cooked dinner - I stir-fried onions, a pepper, asparagus, garlic and ginger, and then added the chicken. Once that was all cooked I added ham, frozen peas and noodles and poured over dry sherry, soy sauce and sesame oil. Meanwhile, Sophie used a ready-cooked packet of rice and added an egg to make a side dish of egg-fried rice. The meal was delicious!

After we'd eaten we were transported to the Caribbean to watch Death in Paradise. I wish I was there!

Two into one again!

Thursday

Unusually, I was at work today, covering for Sue who was off with Covid. It was a shorter shift so I was able to have a bit of a lie-in this morning (after Sophie went to the gym!).

Sophie arrived home very late from work and had had a bad day. Her workplace is also suffering from staff shortages due to Covid, and she's taking the strain, poor thing. One of her close colleagues tested positive on Wednesday, and Sophie has been asked to take tests every day, despite recently having it herself.  At least she is off tomorrow and going down to London to see Zain! 

Friday

I was up at 6.30am this morning and enjoying a delicious cup of coffee before work. I woke Sophie at 7am and she went to the gym at the same time as I went to work. Tonight she is seeing one of her favourite rappers, Aries, at the O2 in Kentish Town. Funnily enough, the last time she saw him was just before the pandemic struck in January 2020, along with Mike. It'll be great for her to go with Zain tonight.

Kathy and I were looking forward to a quiet Friday as we were the only ones in the office. Unfortunately, we had a horrible shift with non-stop phone calls for the whole six hours. There was no let-up, and at times I felt like crying with frustration as every time I tried to write an email the phone rang again. There seemed to always be a call waiting and both of us felt drained when we left!

I missed my wine buddy tonight as Keith went to the pub, and I sat and watched a recorded episode of The Good Karma Hotel. The storyline was about an infected village - eerily close to reality!

A busy day!

It was Mike's birthday today, but he sent me a rather unpleasant text first thing this morning accusing us of taking fleas down to their flat on Saturday... Monty is the cleanest cat I have ever known and has never had fleas. It was Archie who used to pick up worms and fleas, as he spent so much time out of doors. I was upset with the text, as I was going to send him lots of birthday messages and this certainly took the shine off his day. 

I consoled myself with a cup of delicious coffee from my new machine. It arrived yesterday but it was too late when I got home to have a coffee! I would have been up all night!

Sophie's car was booked in for its MOT and we dropped it off at Moulton at 8am. At least the weather has improved today, and it's been gorgeous with blue skies and plenty of winter sunshine. After dropping the car at the garage we had a coffee at Cafe 900 opposite where Sophie works, and I treated myself to a sausage bap for breakfast. The woman behind the counter was delighted to see us and remembered my choice of coffee, bless her! Sophie hasn't been in for a while so we all had a good chat. Sophie is so lucky to have a good cafe on her doorstep!

After we dropped our daughter off at work we drove home, and I had half an hour spare before I was due to pick up my Mum from the care home. She'd arranged a Chiropodist appointment at 12pm and I said I would take her. The care home is still closed for visitors so it was an ideal opportunity to get her out for a few hours!

At the appointment, she had her feet sorted out expertly by Mrs Kirwan, and we chatted about Mallorca. Mrs Kirwan owns an apartment in Puerto Pollensa and had been out in November when they'd had eleven days of rain. It just shows how lucky we were in December!

After the appointment, we went to Beckworth for lunch. It wasn't my ideal choice but it was better than the Weston Favell centre! The restaurant was busy and we lunched on a jacket potato with chilli (Mum) and tomato, red pepper and basil soup (me).

Keith called while we were eating to say Sophie's car was ready. It had needed new rear brake discs and pads so we had warned Sophie that the bill may be a bit higher than she'd expected, poor thing! I dropped Mum off and went to collect Keith, but before we went to get the car I called into the little hardware shop in Brixworth to buy a flea comb. We used to have several but in the upheaval of the kitchen renovation, they were lost.

I tried to get my absolutely filthy car washed on the way home but there were already three cars waiting so I gave up. It's really getting to the point where I can't stand it any longer, and as we haven't had any rain for a while, it really is disgusting!

Back home, I thoroughly combed Monty (he loved it) and spread out the bits of fur on a piece of white paper. There was not one flea at all. I texted Mike and sent him a photo but he ignored everything I said and went on to say that we personally had made Hugo bleed. Naturally, I was extremely upset by what he said. What a birthday!

I was able to quickly hoover downstairs, and then it was time to collect Sophie from work. Tonight, she was going out with Laura for a meal so we were given instructions to be early! I had to drive as fast as I could on the way home, and she left for her meal at about 6.30pm. 

Keith and I had a very quiet night after she left... what a day!

Two into one...

Monday

I walked into the office this morning to find the noise still there... wonderful! A man did arrive before 10am and changed the battery but it still continued! He said that it might be the power unit itself that needed changing. Everyone who came into the office couldn't believe that we had to put up with it! 

Sheila will be off all this week with Covid, and I said to Sara that I was amazed we hadn't picked it up from her on Friday. I had taken two tests over the weekend as I'd had a bit of a dry throat, but they were both negative thank goodness.

My shift wasn't too busy today and after work, I went to collect Sophie from her office on Brackmills. Before I went down there I called into a little shop near work to post off an unwanted order. I used to visit this little shop decades ago when I lived at home with Mum and Dad, and there were several shops on the little parade. Now, there's only one and it's completely different from the little newsagent and sweet shop I used to go to. I suppose time moves on, but I remember the owner of the shop being a lovely, friendly man.

I had half an hour to kill at Sophie's office, but I was able to read my Kindle. She had an appointment at the beauty salon so I drove her there and waited, which was bliss! It was lovely to sit and relax for a while after a busy day!

Tuesday

At work today I learnt that Georgie also has Covid... on Friday he very kindly fetched me a coffee, so that was two people we had contact with who have tested positive! Georgie is unvaccinated so I hope he'll be alright. This Omicron variant is rampant and it seems everybody is getting it!

As usual for a Tuesday, the shift was very noisy. One of my customers said that he could hear my colleague on the phone more clearly than me! Not a good thing!

There is not much to report today, so it's a two-for-one post!

End of a coffee era...

My old, faithful, coffee machine decided to stop working properly today - instead of the coffee flowing smoothly from the little spout, it erupted everywhere! I tried another coffee pod in case it was that, but had the same result. Even when I used the plastic Tassimo disc, the water went everywhere. I shouldn't really complain, though! Keith bought it for me in 2013 and it has never given me a problem over the years. It was time to invest in a new one, so I picked out the Tassimo "My Way" on Amazon where you can adjust how hot or strong you like your coffee. It has an inbuilt water filter which is great for where we live as the water is so hard. Hopefully, it will be delivered tomorrow!

It was lovely to have a quiet day today and do very little! Sophie drove to Woburn to meet Zain at lunchtime, and the only time Keith and I ventured out was to take some things to the care home for my Mum.

The weather has been grey and dismal, but cold at the same time. Not a nice combination! I managed to start doing some more research on my family tree as I'm determined to try and prove the Irish link. I have a feeling it might be very frustrating but I'm going to try my hardest! I'm going to look into my Dad's side of the family and this might involve some trips down to Kent. We haven't been to Dartford for years, and I sometimes do miss the journey down the M1 and M25!

Sophie returned at about 3pm and we were able to play a game of Scrabble in the evening with a drink. Dinner tonight was a very relaxed affair of pate and toast, plus some cheeses and hams. I can't believe the weekend has gone so quickly. I definitely had that Sunday night feeling tonight!

A trip down south.

At 9am this morning we set off for Southampton to visit Mike and Abbie. The weather was disappointingly cloudy, and it was cold. The last time we travelled this road it was sunny and Autumnal, and the trees were beautiful shades of red and gold. Today they looked dark and forlorn if that makes sense!

We made good time but I insisted on stopping for a coffee about half an hour from Southampton, near Highclere Castle, the setting for Downton Abbey. The queue in the fuel garage was long, and when we arrived back at the car Keith was impatient to leave. Mike had asked if we could take some DIY tools down as he obviously had a job that he wanted Keith to help him with, but we didn't know what it was or how it would take.

We parked in the small car park behind the flats and met Mike who came down to let us in. I gave him a big hug and handed him a giant Toblerone, something we always buy for him! The kittens were a bit skittish today but I managed to have a quick cuddle with Hugo who is gorgeous!

The DIY job was a cupboard door that needed fixing and within minutes it was all done. Mike gave me a bottle of Scottish Gin and some chocolates for my birthday, and then we left to go to a nearby pub for a drink. I had a bit of difficulty parking, but we were soon sitting with drinks in The Rover. Sophie and I stuck to soft drinks today but the men indulged in pints and Abbie sipped a shandy. The pub was on the cool side, but with fuel prices rocketing, that's not surprising!

Mike and Abbie had booked a table at a pub within Southampton Common called The Cowherds and it was already bustling with people and dogs. We took a table by the window and Keith and Mike went to get drinks even though it was table service. They couldn't wait for another beer!

We all chose our meals and Mike and I shared a flatbread and calamari to start. For my main course, I opted for the Hunter's chicken schnitzel with a side salad. Various other meals were pork belly, pizza, fish and chips and fishcakes served with a poached egg. The food was good and the service efficient and friendly.

Before going back to the flat we called into The Witch's Brew again for a drink, The man behind the bar was wearing a different coloured nail polish on each finger - it's a very quirky place!

We left at about 4pm and headed home in the gathering gloom. Keith fell asleep in the back of the car while Sophie and I chatted in the front. It was heaven to get home at about 6.30pm and relax with a drink. Southampton was playing Manchester City on the television, and we were really glad that kick-off was 5pm and not earlier in the day, because of the traffic!

Too close for comfort!

I was up before 6am this morning and after Sophie had gone to the gym I made myself a coffee and watched the news.

It is definitely getting lighter in the mornings now, which is a relief! I really hate dark winter mornings! Work was very busy and I managed to do a whole load of orders, put all the films on until the end of February and make inroads with the half-term crash courses. The time flew by, and I enjoyed the shift as we weren't too busy with calls! The only drawback to being quieter was that we could still hear the annoying beeping, which is still with us!

I was looking forward to a glass of wine with Sophie this evening and to watching The Descendants, a DVD I'd bought last week in a charity shop. Keith went to the pub to meet his mate John, and now Josh, Dave's son, goes up to have a drink with them as well which is great. Perhaps he sees them as a link to his late Dad?

Dinner tonight was Chicken Kiev (Tesco's own) with roasted vegetables, asparagus and crispy potatoes. I had a shock when I received a WhatsApp message from Sara to say that Sheila had tested positive this evening. I hadn't had much to do with her today but had been talking to her once or twice at close range, so I immediately took a test that turned out to be negative. I had a bit of a dry throat, but the result reassured me! Sara was asking people to cover for Sheila tomorrow but we are off on a long-awaited trip to Southampton to see Mike and Abbie so I couldn't work. This is now affecting more and more of us - four staff are off at the moment with Covid, so it really is getting a little too close for comfort!

A little home cooking...

After a relaxed start to the day (I went back to bed again!) Keith and I did our shopping. I sent off the Tassimo discs at a small shop in Broughton, which is a lot easier than going to Milton Keynes!

I managed to resist stopping for a coffee at Costa in Tesco and just before midday, we were all finished and heading home. Lunch was a sausage roll and a cup of tea, and then we finished the conservatory. At one point we were both balanced on the arm of the sofa trying to reach the corner of the window frames, and how we didn't fall off, I'll never know! Everything looked so much cleaner so I'm really pleased we tackled it, despite the dodgy balancing act!

After that was all done I set about making a pea and ham soup with the meat we didn't use for the pie yesterday. I chopped up an onion and a potato, gently fried them with some garlic and then added ham stock (yes, we found some in Tesco!) and almost a whole bag of frozen petit pois and the chopped up smoked ham.

I let it all cook together for a while and then took it off the heat to infuse together. To go with it I made a seed bread from a recipe in the newspaper - I combined a whole tub of natural yoghurt, oats, mixed seeds, olive oil, bicarbonate of soda and salt and plopped it into a lined loaf tin. It cooked in the oven for about fifty minutes and looked lovely when I brought it out.

Keith and I played cards this evening and all I had to do with the soup was blend it and then heat it up. Before serving I sprinkled some chopped up ham on top, and that was it! Sophie said it was one of the most delicious things I'd ever cooked, and another helping went into the fridge for her lunch tomorrow. The seed bread was lovely spread with a little butter, and I'm sure it would be very good toasted.

We watched some tennis again this evening and we were all disappointed that both Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu have been knocked out of the Australian Open. Never mind!

Miracle worker!

After Sophie went to the gym this morning at just after 6am, I have to confess to going back to bed until 7.30am, accompanied by Monty cat, who curled up next to me, as close as he could get!

It was a gorgeous morning with frost and blue skies, much more preferable to milder temperatures but clouds! I pottered about trying to catch up with jobs in the morning and managed to sort out all the recycling that had been building up in the garage. I bagged up two lots of soft plastics to take to Tesco tomorrow and printed off a form to send the Tassimo discs back via Yodel. It does take a fair bit of effort, but I couldn't imagine throwing it all in the bin now, I've been doing it so long! While I was sorting all that out, Keith was making sausage rolls - something to enjoy with a cup of tea later in the day!

In the afternoon Keith and I tackled a long overdue job - cleaning the window frames in the conservatory. Sometimes I don't know how we contain our excitement...! They needed doing, though, and the white sealant we'd applied in the first lockdown was going a bit mouldy. We don't use the conservatory as much as we used to, and it's shut up a lot of the time so it's only to be expected! I cleaned the frames and when I'd finished Keith applied some magic mould remover that actually does work wonders! Within a couple of hours, the mould had all gone! It did look a lot better, so that was good motivation!

Keith and I also prepared one of our favourite meals - the chicken and ham tangle pie. He cut up the chicken, onions and leeks and we cooked them before mixing the ingredients with creme fraiche and letting it cool. Just before dinner all we needed to do was assemble the filo pastry topping.

I went and had a long soak in the bath after all of our hard work and then it was time to relax with Sophie and Keith by watching the tennis from Australia before doing the final preparations for dinner. The meal was pronounced as delicious as ever and a good helping went into a Tupperware container for Sophie's lunch tomorrow! 

Irritating noises...

I didn't have the best night's sleep so felt groggy and tired when Sophie woke me this morning. I am getting to hate waking up so early. Before the pandemic, when I worked 8am until 2pm it was somehow manageable, and I wonder how Sara and Sheila do it every day? I am a wimp!

Luckily, I wasn't held up by anything today, and as I drove to work I witnessed the most beautiful sunrise. Wispy mist hung over the hedgerows and the sky was a gorgeous pink colour from the sun. It was freezing cold with a heavy frost on the fields and trees, and I wished I could have stopped and taken photos. The good thing is the mornings are getting a little lighter, as are the evenings. It won't be long now!

Work was busy, and very noisy again, and the high-pitched whine was still with us. Nicola came back today and said she felt ill, which was slightly alarming seeing as her daughter has tested positive for covid! She made sure she stayed in her office!

I worked on cancellation emails all day - we are getting a fair few at the moment, and I think that although some people make a resolution to get fit in the new year, another group of people make a decision to look at their finances and reduce their monthly payments as well! I'm not sure the joiners outweigh the leavers!

I couldn't wait to get out at 4pm and drive home. The previous sunny weather had given way to thick clouds so no beautifully lit-up moon like we had yesterday on the drive home!

Keith and I played cards in the evening with a drink and then it was a spicy chilli for dinner. Delicious!

One of those days...

I knew today was going to be "one of those days" when I became stuck behind a bus in Walgrave, just two minutes from home! A lorry was parked on the crossroads, making a delivery I assume, so the bus couldn't get through the narrow gap. We sat and waited for about five minutes, and although I wasn't late for work, it set the tone for the day!

There were only two of us answering calls, and the phones remained busy all day, leaving us little time to do anything else. It took me an hour and a half to eat my sandwich, as every time I went to take a bite, the phone rang! Also, we had the most annoying high-pitched whine blight our day - a battery in a power-pack was on the decline and there was no replacement, so we had to endure the horrible noise for the whole shift!

It was a huge relief to get out at 4pm and head home in the peace and quiet of my car! Keith had been waiting for the plumber all day today but he hadn't turned up, so that was a waste of time. Because of this, he hadn't been able to get out and do any shopping so we had booked a table at Akasaka for 8pm as a treat.

We went to John Franklin's next to Derngate first and enjoyed a couple of drinks. The bar was very quiet, probably because the theatre was closed, but it was heaven to sit in the quiet and chat. It was also wonderfully warm, which was great as outside it was very cold, with temperatures already plunging to zero.

After our drinks, we walked to the restaurant and had a good look at the menu. We went for something different tonight - I chose the tempura vegetables to start followed by the Korean sweet and sticky chicken. Sophie had the same sort of dish served over beansprouts, and Keith chose the same as me. The meal was delicious and served with lots of vegetables, but it defeated us!

Back home we collapsed on the sofa for half an hour and then it was time for bed!

Are we in France?

A little while ago, I'd booked tickets for Sophie and me to go to a Winter Light Trail at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire. I'd been surprised and pleased that, after the festivities of Christmas, they were still having such an event, and we were looking forward to going very much.

The day dawned sunny and cold, which was a bonus! I'm not sure we would have been so keen if it had been raining hard! We set off, after a lovely relaxed morning, at 12pm and took Dad's car as it was about a ninety-minute journey to Waddesdon, near Aylesbury. Until we get this flywheel problem sorted, I think it's prudent to take Dad's car!

Waddesdon Manor opened at 2pm so we were among the first to arrive. We had to wait half an hour for the shuttle bus, but that was no hardship as we opened the sunroof in Dad's car and enjoyed the sunshine!

We took the shuttle bus, although you can walk up to the Manor if you want. I'd booked tickets to be on the safe side, but we agreed, that if we come in the summer, we'll do the walk through the grounds. As we got onto the bus we noticed a lot of women wearing what looked like princess dresses and they were wearing elaborate make-up. Both Sophie and I sat down next to two women and we were both itching to ask what was going on! The dressed-up women were with a lot of other people carrying big bags and we thought they were taking part in some kind of entertainment.

We were the first visitors of the day so we had the place to ourselves at first! We were bowled over by the beauty of the building, and both of us felt like we'd been transported to France for the day!

We discovered that, although the National Trust own the house, it's managed by the Rothschild Foundation and that Baron Ferdinand Rothschild built the manor in 1874, using a French architect. So that's why it looks like it belongs in the Loire Valley! It was lovely to have the place to ourselves for a while, and we wandered about, admiring the turrets and gorgeous architecture of the house - it looks like a fairy-tale castle.

We both wanted to have some lunch so we headed for the stables, down a steep winding path, through a woodland playground. Here, there were very few people so we were able to take a seat inside and order some food. The choices were limited to fish and chips, pasty and chips, chips and cheesy chips, so guess what we had? Yep, chips with a buttered roll each! It wasn't quite what we had in mind but the chips were hot and delicious and very filling! We also indulged in a cup of mulled wine to accompany our lunch.

In the stable block was a light exhibition by a man called Leo Villareal. He has installed lights on nine of London's bridges and works all over the world to create illuminated displays using LED lights. We spent a very pleasant half-hour looking at a video of the London bridge displays, and Sophie went and booked a tour later in the evening when we returned home!

We decided to return to the house by a steep path that wound up through woodland. Waddesdon Manor is situated on the top of a hill with outstanding views over the Buckinghamshire countryside. It has gardens to the front with a pond and fountains, but all the statuary was covered up to protect the stone against the winter frosts. As the light faded they became rather sinister!

We soon found the explanation for the dressed-up women... they were modelling the dresses and outfits against the backdrop of the house. It was quite annoying as they had bagged all the best spots for photos, and both Sophie and I wondered how they had got away with it without asking permission? We had noticed one of the staff quizzing them as they got off the bus, and she was saying they weren't allowed to film if they were a business.

We wandered about gazing at the beautiful building and wondering if you could go inside (yes, it opens in the Spring) as all the windows were shuttered up. The light was fading and we knew that sunset was about 4.20pm, so we decided to visit the shop to have a look around.

The Rothschilds own vineyards in France (most notably Chateau Lafite) and the shop was a wine lover's dream! Each of the three walls was stocked with wines from all over the world, and some of the bottles were very expensive indeed! There were Bordeaux vintages from 1961 which cost thousands of pounds! As well as the wine, they were selling delicious foods, greeting cards and decorations for the home including some Christmas baubles. I bought a box of tealights that were scented with the aroma of woodsmoke and a National Trust diary for Keith.

Back outside, and wishing I could buy loads of wine, we went around to the front of the house in search of hot chocolate. It was about 4pm and loads of people had arrived for the Winter Light Trail so it was a lot busier than earlier.

Models in the foreground...

We queued for a hot chocolate and a cookie and watched as the house was lit up at intervals, accompanied by classical music. We both felt a bit chilly by now so we decided to drink our hot chocolates and then go and do the light trail as it became darker.

The trail is on a winding path through the grounds and starts near the aviary houses, which contain exotic birds from all over the world. Most of the lights were in the trees and I have to say that Delapre Abbey's light show was better!

It took us about half an hour to complete the trail and it was very busy the whole way around. When we finished we stood for a little while looking at the lit-up house, and then we took the shuttle bus back to the car park.

By now, the car park was heaving with people arriving as the light show was on until about 8pm. We set the satnav for home and followed some very dark country roads to get back to Northamptonshire. It was heaven to get home, have a drink and sit and chat to Keith before our dinner of beef casserole. We watched a programme about the Vicar of Dibley, which was the perfect end to a perfect day!

Birthday girl!

We awoke to thick fog this morning, and it has hardly lifted all day. It was my birthday, so first thing I opened my presents and cards from Keith and Sophie. Keith had bought me a bottle of Chivas Regal which will make an ideal base for several cocktails! Sophie had put together a lovely little treat bag with some gorgeous cosy socks, face masks and scented candles! Perfect!

We sat and watched Saturday Kitchen in its entirety, and we both thought that Elvis Costello was rude, as he hardly ate any of the delicious food prepared for him! He looked thoroughly bored and we suspect he was made to go on the show to promote his latest album!

At lunchtime, we made our way through the thick fog to Market Harborough. We were lucky and managed to get a table at Miller's cafe where we ordered toasted chicken, mozzarella and pesto sandwiches with coffee and tea. We managed to squeeze in a slice of cake afterwards, and the treat was on Sophie!

The other day, when Keith and I had visited Market Harborough, we had noticed three more charity shops so we made sure we visited them today! Sophie found some gorgeous white boots, a pretty summer dress and a couple of tops, so she did very well!

By 3pm we were both ready to go home and get cosy as was very cold. Before returning, though, we popped to Waitrose to buy a bottle of Angostura Bitters for the cocktails we were planning later, either Old Fashioneds or Manhattans!

Outside of Market Harborough, the fog was still hanging about and it was great to get home and relax. Keith was out at a football match watching Sileby and a beautiful bouquet of flowers had arrived from my Mum and Dad, along with a small box of chocolates! Sophie put the hoover around downstairs (Monty had been sick on the living room carpet) and when Keith came home and turned on the football at 5.30pm it was time for Scrabble and cocktails!

Sophie made us Manhattans - whisky, red vermouth, Angostura bitters and a cherry - and they were divine, and really too delicious, as we had two! Things were certainly a little merry in our household this evening! We ordered a Chinese takeaway, and although they didn't bring our chicken chow mein, we still had enough food and the meal was lovely.

It has been a perfect day and much better that we're not in lockdown this year!

The remains of the week...

Sophie woke me at just before 6am this morning so I had an hour to enjoy a cup of coffee and watch Escape to the Country before I got ready for work. 

Kathy was off again today, as her Aunt had died on Tuesday, and she was sorting out the funeral. Sara had asked Tracie to come in and cover so it was lovely to see her again as she normally only works on a Saturday.

My shift was busy and I had plenty of work to keep me occupied! We learnt that Nicola's daughter had tested positive so Nicola worked from home today, and was going to take a PCR test to see if she also had covid. It is spreading so quickly!

It was lovely to leave at 4pm and I am sure the evenings are getting subtly lighter every day. It was so nice to drive home and still see blue skies! Spring is on its way and I noticed the other day that the bulbs I planted in the Autumn are being to push through the soil in the pots!

Keith went to the pub tonight to see John and Sophie and I had a glass of wine and watched The Remains of the Day starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. I had never seen the film before but we both thought it was quite sad, and beautifully done.

Dinner was another easy meal - baked potatoes and salad. Perfect for a Friday evening!

Out and about...

As it was a cold morning, we put the heating on and unfortunately, one of the small pipes in the boiler in the kitchen started dripping... we are both heartily fed up with this now and thought that all of our central heating problems were over and done with! We texted Sophie to ask her if she could contact the obnoxious little plumber again, as she had his details on her phone, and ask that he come out yet again.

At about 8am Keith and I took my Dad's car for its MOT, to the garage in Moulton. It was another gorgeous morning with frost and winter sunshine, and the roads were busy with school traffic.

From the garage, we drove straight to Kettering to do our shopping and then it was home for a late breakfast of toasted brown sourdough bread, which was delicious. Just after we'd finished eating, the garage rang to say the car was ready for collection. We decided to go and pick it up but visit Wilko's first, though, as I had run out of bird food, and with the colder temperatures at the moment, our little feathered friends needed some sustenance!

At the garage, Dad's car had had its MOT and a full service and was all set to go. My car has been making some clattering noises when it's stationary, and the mechanic said it was the flywheel. He estimated it would be about £800 to put right, but I could leave it for a while yet, so not to worry! That'll be something we'll definitely have to sort out at some time in the future but we were relieved we could leave it a while!

We returned home and I received an email from the care home to say that my Mum had left the heated curlers I'd bought her for Christmas in reception, as she didn't want them. As they'd cost me about £40 we went to get them straight away and I'll give them to Sophie to use. She loves curling her hair so the heated curlers will be a useful addition to her range of beauty products!

I spent the rest of the afternoon preparing Mulligatawny soup for dinner and then doing some much-needed housework, hoovering downstairs, giving the kitchen a good clean and mopping the floor. By the time I'd finished the house looked lovely and I lit some candles to make everything cosy!

Over the past few days, Keith and I have been sitting at the kitchen island in the evening after we've watched the news headlines, and have been playing cards, which is lovely. Sophie joins us to chat and we put the heating on in there, so it's warm. This evening's dinner was very easy - the soup just needed to be blended and then a bag of rice added before heating up. With some naan bread, it was a delicious meal!

A sneaky breakfast!

I had a lie-in this morning, which was lovely, but my good fortune was Sophie's pain as she had a headache and had decided not to go to the gym, poor thing. She left at about 8am in frosty, but beautifully sunny conditions.

I went and picked my Mum up at 9am to take her for a hospital appointment, a yearly consultation with the Parkinson's Disease consultant. We were very lucky to find a space, and even luckier that a kind woman gave us her parking ticket, valid for another two hours! 

We were both quizzed about coming into contact with anyone with Covid (me) but thankfully, I was allowed to go into the meeting with Mum. The consultant mentioned that it had been ten years since her diagnosis and she was doing very well. with hardly any sign of the disease at all, apart from a slowing down of her movements.

We were in the meeting for barely ten minutes, and as we had both missed breakfast, decided to go to Beckworth to have something to eat there. It was only 10.30am so the breakfast service was still on. I had a "light" breakfast (the usual suspects) while Mum had scrambled eggs on toast. We both had very good hot coffee, but I noticed the prices have crept up again, with a large filter coffee priced at £3.40!

After we'd eaten we had a good look around the shop and I picked out a beautiful cushion as a present from Mum for my birthday. I had seen the cushion before Christmas and wanted it, but now it was the ideal gift!

Before taking Mum back we called to my house so I could pick up the clothes I'd washed for her, and then we returned to the care home. We'd made the most of being out, as they have now closed the care home for visits out until the threat of Omicron passes, which is a real shame.

I had suggested to Keith that we pop over to Market Harborough in the afternoon as I wanted to get my engagement and wedding rings resized. I managed to get them off my finger last night using vaseline and I didn't want to wait too long to get them sorted. As soon as I got back from seeing Mum we drove over and headed straight for a jeweller's in the middle of the town. 

We waited a little while as the woman in the shop was busy with another customer, and when it was our turn I explained what I wanted. The woman, wisely, said for me to wait up to eight weeks to get the rings resized as my finger looked a little swollen from where I'd removed the wedding bands. If she resized my finger now, it might be too big!

We left the shop and went in search of a turkey at Hobb's, the fishmonger and poulterer. I fancied having turkey for a Sunday roast but it's very difficult to find one after Christmas! When we enquired, they said they had a frozen one in their freezer from Christmas, but the woman serving said that a local Spar had some leftover turkey crowns in their ice-box compartment! 

We walked to the shop, which was a fair distance away, and managed to bag one for £11! We carried it all the way back to the car and then went to get some petrol from the Tesco on the outskirts of Market Harborough. There was a long queue because of roadworks so we took a different route home, following signs for Braybrooke, and ending up on very muddy narrow lanes in the countryside. I'm glad I didn't get my car washed like I'd planned to!

Misty morning

The weather was truly awful this morning with a constant drizzle that made driving difficult. It was so dark and horrible I felt really fed up. Surely there must be more to life than this!

At work, I spent my two admin hours putting on the playscheme places for the February half-term, making sure the prices were correct and then testing them before I let them go live. We had an enquiry yesterday about booking, so at least parents can get organised now!

It was extremely noisy in the office all day as four of us were on the phones, and there were other staff members in as well. Nicola has returned from a long Christmas break, and took great delight in catching up with all our news yesterday and today!

It was heaven to escape at 4pm and have a peaceful drive home. Was I mistaken or was it a little bit lighter this evening? Let's hope so!

Sophie had had a stressful day as someone in her office had sent out an email, that was intended for just one person, to five thousand... Oh, dear! The phones hadn't stopped ringing with people calling to ask if it was a mistake... erm, yes! As well as that, there was a traffic jam on her way home, that forced her to take another route so she was in a right foulie when she arrived home. We made her a stiff drink!

The Monday groan...

It literally felt like the middle of the night when Sophie woke me at about 6am this morning. Groan! I could have easily slept another couple of hours! She went off to the gym and I made myself a coffee and watched the news until 7am.

Before I left for work I took a test, just in case as you never know! Work was busy, and we learned that some more staff had gone down with Covid since last week, probably spread by Monica! I helped Sara with a lot of customer service emails as we seem to be getting quite a few membership cancellations at the moment, with people worried about the new variant, or just cutting down on expenses every month. It always makes me laugh when people call up and want to join as I'm sure most of them fall by the wayside after a couple of months!

When I got home I pottered about and did very little, I have to confess. I can't wait for the lighter nights and an end to going to work, and returning, in darkness!

The Chilly Willy...

As predicted, Sophie's test this morning was a clear negative so she was free to end her self-isolation. We celebrated by booking a table at Teapots in Olney for 12.30pm.

It was fantastic to see the sun today, and the blue skies brought out loads of people, including a whole herd of cyclists we met on the way to Olney! After that, we came upon a long, long line of bikers who were out for a charity ride. I have never seen so many motorcyclists gathered together in one constant stream! They held us up for a while so we arrived with minutes to spare, and managed to park in the middle of the town. It was a good job we'd booked as Teapots was very busy, and they were turning people away!

We chose a baked potato each - mine with Coronation Chicken, Sophie's with beans and cheese, and tucked in! We managed to find some room for a slice of cake, a coffee and walnut creation, although Sophie said her portion tasted a bit bitter. While we were eating the bikers came past and everyone was out cheering and waving. Apparently, the charity event is called the Chilly Willy motorcycle ride and about 600 bikes took part to raise money for the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.

After we'd eaten, neither of us was keen to walk about as a lot of the shops were closed, so we drove over to Boots at Riverside, and then headed home. Sophie had a group chat organised at 3pm with Laura and Daisy over Zoom, so she sat in the kitchen chatting to her friends while Keith and I popped over to take Dad a DVD player I'd ordered for him, and to collect some clothes from Mum to wash. The skies were still clear and the sun was slowly setting when we drove home via the scenic route, for a change.

Back at home, I sat with Sophie in the kitchen as she chatted to Laura and Daisy, but she finished at 5pm so we could have a game of Scrabble. Keith was cooking dinner and, as it was taking a while, we managed to have two games! Dinner tonight was a lovely roast chicken and all the trimmings, and Keith cooked pigs in blankets as well! We were very spoilt!

Staying warm!

Sophie took a test this morning and it was negative. If it's the same tomorrow she'll be free! It's looking likely!

We had a very relaxed day and stayed inside as the weather was horrible, cold and rainy. We sat and watched Saturday Kitchen Live all the way through, which was very enjoyable, and enjoyed sausage sandwiches for breakfast.

Keith was supposed to have gone to see Sileby play this afternoon, but after checking the fixtures, the game was postponed. It could have been the awful weather or a lack of players, who knows? Covid seems to be everywhere at the moment, and it's spreading so easily.

It was bliss to stay at home and not have to go anywhere. I signed up for a year's subscription to Ancestry again as I'm determined to prove the Irish link in my family. They had a good deal on so I signed up for the year to try and make some more progress on the family tree.

Sophie and I enjoyed a face pack in the afternoon and while it was setting, we watched Castaway, starring Tom Hanks. It's one of our favourite films and it was a real treat to lie on the bed and watch it.

Of course, it was Scrabble night tonight and Sophie beat me! Keith cooked beef stroganoff and we sat in the kitchen while he pottered about. After our dinner, we watched the last two episodes of The Tourist (I'm hoping there'll be a second series) and then I had a yearning to watch Gorky Park, for some strange reason! It was on Amazon Prime so we started watching it at 9.30pm. I wish I could stay up late but by 10.30pm my eyelids were drooping and it was time for bed... we'll have to watch the rest tomorrow!

A busy end to the week...

I had an early start this morning and was up at 6.30am, taking a test, as usual. It was negative, as I expected it to be, and I do wonder how Keith and I managed to avoid getting Covid. Was it because we'd had the flu jab as some people are suggesting? Or are our immune systems very healthy? It's a mystery, as Sophie, earlier in the week, was sneezing everywhere, so the germs must have been literally flying about!

A box of tests had arrived so I took three into work to give Sara back the ones she had lent me. When I arrived, Sheila told me that one of the leisure centre staff, who had spent a lot of time in our office yesterday, had tested positive. I remember her saying she had a cold, and alarm bells rang then! I gave Sheila a test to use as she had been sitting very near her but thankfully it was negative!

Work was very busy today and Kathy was still off. Denise came in at 1pm which meant that Sara and Sheila could come off the phones, lucky things, and get on with their own work. Sheila gave me lots to do when I'm in doing admin next week - all the playscheme places to put onto the system, as well as the swimming crash courses, so that will keep me very busy! As yet, there aren't any more films to put on, which is a bit worrying. I send the MD the average attendance every month, and in December it was just 24 seats filled out of 150. Is it worth it at the moment?

It was bliss to escape at 4pm and head home for Wine Night. Keith had been to the doctor today about his tummy problems, and all looked to be OK, which was a relief. The GP was trying to arrange a scan, but at the moment, with the NHS stretched to capacity, that may take some time.

Sophie has to take a lateral flow test tomorrow and one on Sunday, and if they're negative, she can go back to work on Monday. Over the last couple of days, she has been much better with no sneezing or dry throat at all, so she's keeping everything crossed that she'll be fine!

Keith didn't go to the pub, and we sat and played cards before ordering dinner. Yesterday I had made a right idiot of myself by ordering fish and chips from a place in Broughton by mistake... I had seen someone on Facebook recommend them, and had done some investigating at how easy it was to order online, and had inadvertently ordered a meal for all of us! The poor delivery man had turned up just as we were about to eat dinner and I was mortified! Keith had gone over today to try and pay them, but they said not to worry, so we ordered tonight. The fish and chips were delicious, and lovely and hot! We'll definitely use them again, and how lovely that they deliver!

We couldn't help watching two more episodes of The Tourist after dinner. We're all enjoying it and couldn't wait for it to be shown every week, so we're bingeing on BBC iPlayer!

Called into work...

I was just sitting relaxing with a coffee and watching Escape to the Country this morning when my phone rang. It was Sheila asking if I could go into work and cover Kathy's shift, as she had to go and sort out a problem with her aunt. I owed work a shift so I could hardly say no, and the alternative was doing housework, so I took a test, had a shower and prepared to go into work.

I arrived just after 10am, and I was as busy today as I was quiet on Tuesday. Sara wasn't in so I tackled some of the 88 customer service emails, sorted out a load of cinema invoices that had been authorised in my absence and answered many, many phone calls. I was working with Denise and Sue so it was a very pleasant shift!

At 4pm I sped home and sat with Sophie for the last half hour of her working day. Keith and I played cards at the island while Sophie cooked dinner this evening - chicken enchiladas which were delicious.

After we'd eaten Sophie and I watched the end of Pride and Prejudice and even Keith enjoyed it, I think!

Nasty man!

It was great to have a lie-in this morning as Sophie couldn't go to the gym (well, she can't go anywhere at the moment!). I took a test first thing and it was negative again, so that was a huge relief as I thought that by now Keith and I would have been showing symptoms.

Sophie hadn't been able to get a laptop to work on so I offered to go down to Brackmills to fetch one for her, otherwise she would have had to take today as a holiday. I drove down in gorgeous sunlight and collected it from one of the staff who backed away from me like I had the lurgy... well, I suppose I still could have but I was wearing a mask and made sure I kept my distance!

Back home, I caught up with a lot of little jobs that needed doing and sat with Sophie while she worked at the kitchen island. It was just like old times when we were in lockdown!

We were expecting the heating engineers today and they arrived just as I was making lunch - typical! That's a tip... if you want someone to arrive, start cooking or preparing food! Sophie and I moved into the conservatory when one of them came down to the kitchen to give the boiler a service. I took an instant dislike to him as he quizzed me, in a very condescending tone, about how long it had been since it had been serviced and why the carbon monoxide alarm was in the hallway as it was "no use" being there! He also said that the screws weren't fastened properly on the outer casing, as if I had deliberately sabotaged it! 

The other man was upstairs fiddling about with all the pipes and things in the airing cupboard and I think they both had great difficulty in getting the boiler going again when Mr Nasty had finished servicing it. Ha! Serves him right! They left the kitchen in a bit of a mess and charged us another £500 for the privilege. That's over £1000 we've now spent on the central heating, but when you consider it hasn't given us any trouble in 21 years, I suppose that isn't bad! Let's hope that's the end of it now!

After they'd gone, Keith and I drove over to Mawsley to pick up the lateral flow tests Sophie had ordered. I made sure I kept well away from everyone and bought Sophie a nasal spray for her nose. She is really only suffering from a blocked nose and a dry throat and still has her sense of taste and smell, which is good.

When we arrived back home I went and had a bath. The weather has definitely become colder now, which shouldn't be a surprise. It is winter after all!

After dinner this evening, Sophie and I went upstairs and watched Pride and Prejudice starring Kiera Knightley and Matthew McFadyen. We both loved the film and have decided to try and visit some of the houses used on the set!

One of us succumbs...

I was at work at 8am this morning, and as Keith and Sophie had nowhere to be and were still asleep, I was up on my own. I took a test at 6.30am, and again, it was negative, which was another relief. It's like living on a knife-edge all the time!

The drive into work was horrible. It was dark and raining (and sleeting as well) and the temperature was just 4c, so a bit of a shock to the system! The traffic was much heavier, as most people have returned to work today.

I had very little to do in the two hours set aside for admin work. Sara and I chatted about New Year and I thanked her for helping me out on Sunday. At 10am, Jo, Louiza and Denise came into work, and at first, the phones were very busy, but then it quietened down a bit, so the time did drag! I wished I was at home with Sophie, who had received the result of her PCR test - she was positive. 

Although we'd been expecting it, the news was still a shock. She received lots of information from the NHS about what she needed to do, and they asked where she'd been from the 26th to the 30th December, which was unexpected. Had she caught the virus in Birmingham or London as we'd thought or had she come into contact with someone before that? During that week, we'd been shopping in various places, and out for lunch at Pizza Express, so we were baffled. I texted Mike in the evening to let him know as he had been at home during that time frame. 

Sophie and Keith had been very busy today, though, and had taken all the Christmas decorations down and cleaned the living room and conservatory. Sophie had even managed a workout in her bedroom, so apart from a sniffly nose, she was still feeling fine!

After another delicious supper of chicken in a white wine sauce and dumplings, we settled down to watch The Tourist, which we'd recorded over the last few nights. I have to say we really enjoyed it and might binge-watch it on BBC iplayer!

Testing times!

I didn't have to be at work until 9am today, and I took a test as soon as I got up. It was negative, which was a big relief! 

Kathy and I were working together today and there was just the two of us in the office. The centre itself was quiet and one of the reception staff told me that a couple of people had phoned in sick with Covid. It's literally everywhere at the moment!

The phones were busy today with people booking swimming sessions, so the shift passed quickly. Sophie had texted me to say that she'd been to Mawsley to pick up the lateral flow tests she'd ordered but they were closed. Even Brixworth pharmacy was closed. I hate to say it, but wouldn't it have been a good idea for these places to be open today to help people with getting tested? I know it's a Bank Holiday, but we're experiencing huge infection rates and people need to know if they have the damn virus!

She had received her PCR test, and she had taken it and posted it back in the priority postbox at Mawsley. Let's just hope it doesn't take as long as our holiday tests to be delivered!

Sophie still felt stuffed up, but other than that she felt fine. Keith was also OK, despite spending most of the day with his daughter! They had opened windows, though and tried to keep their distance!

Dinner tonight was a very spicy chilli with jacket potatoes and salad. Delicious and perfect as the weather is turning colder!

Plans thwarted...

Sophie woke this morning with a cold and a sore throat, which was not a good sign. We were due to leave to go to the Rugby at 12pm so I made her take a test, just in case... it was a good job I did as she tested positive... Can you imagine if she hadn't?

At first, there wasn't a line, but as the minutes ticked away, one appeared. She was very upset indeed, but I said it was bound to happen sooner or later, and any one of us could have picked up the virus anywhere - the pub, work, going shopping, last night when we went out, the list goes on. We're having to try and live our lives now alongside this virus, and all of us have been double vaccinated and boosted.

Keith and I did a lateral flow test straight afterwards and both our results were negative. We're now just having to wait and see if we develop any symptoms. Sophie ordered a PCR test to be delivered and they estimated it would arrive within the next few days.

I tried to get in touch with Anthony to let him know we weren't able to make the Rugby today, and then I drove over to Tesco at Kettering to see if I could get some lateral flow tests as we were now out of them completely. I'd ordered some on Friday, but with the Bank Holidays, they might not get to us before Tuesday.

Unfortunately, Tesco had no tests at all, and after quickly buying something for my and Sophie's dinner this evening, I went to another couple of pharmacies in Kettering but had no luck. Back home I called my manager, Sara, and explained the situation. She had some she could lend me so I drove over to her house in Rushden and collected three, making sure to keep my distance and wear a mask. At least now I can take a test before I go to work tomorrow.

Sophie had the classic symptoms of a cold - stuffy nose, slight sore throat and bouts of sneezing. She kept away from us for the rest of the afternoon, but when was she infectious? Today? Or yesterday? We hadn't got a clue!

With the extra time, I managed to put a colour on my hair, which was great as I had started to resemble a badger! The weather today has been gloomy and dull but it's due to get colder next week, with even a chance of snow in some areas.

Although we had expected it sooner or later, it was a shock to think the virus was now in our house. My worry is Keith getting it as he does suffer from coughing in the winter and any cold he has goes straight onto his chest. We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed!

Hello 2022!

After our late night (well, for us anyway!), it was a late start to 2022. After a couple of coffees, I cleaned out the fridge and threw away some old food lurking in there. It was much better to see what we had rather than a jumble of food!

I then gave the kitchen a thorough clean, and hoovered the house, but will leave a deep clean of the living room and conservatory until Wednesday, when we take the decorations down. As it was so mild, I also opened all the windows and let some fresh air in. Lovely!

Sophie was arriving at 3pm, and before we picked her up, we went to scout out somewhere where Keith could drop me and Sophie off at the Rugby on Sunday. Keith has decided he can't go, and he phoned Anthony on Friday to ask if Sophie could go in his place. 

Sophie arrived and had had a great time in Birmingham and London. She said that Zain had a bad cold which dampened their festivities a little bit, and as soon as she got home she did a lateral flow test, which was negative thank goodness. I am resigned to getting Covid at some point, as it's spreading so quickly, but we'll keep on taking tests two or three times a week to check!

We were looking forward to going out in the evening to The Saracen's Head at Little Brington - a meal out on New Year's Day is one tradition we like to keep! The drive over was dark and the roads were quiet. We noticed that The Althorp Coaching Inn was still closed, which is a real shame. I wonder if it will ever re-open?

The pub was busy with people drinking, but very few dining. We were seated in the quiet dining room and enjoyed big juicy prawns served with chorizo in a spicy sauce to start. Sophie and I shared a bottle of Chardonnay which went well with the sea bass we both ordered. The fish was served on a bed of gnocchi with pancetta, and the gnocchi defeated me! They reminded me of the potato dumplings we have had in Berlin!

I made room for a couple of scoops of ice cream but Keith and Sophie tucked away a chocolate brownie and apple crumble apiece! Phew! It was only 8.30pm when we finished and we were the only ones left eating. We waddled back to the car and made the dark journey back home. 

It was then heaven to don our nightwear and collapse on the sofa with BBC 4 and a music programme before bed!