Another discovery...

I walked into work this morning to discover that our man of yesterday had left a bag in the car park, and it contained beer cans, heart medication, an ECG and leaflets from the ambulance service with written notes regarding a visit to him. The man was obviously in need of medical help so we hope that last night he found somewhere warm and safe to stay. I called the police and reported seeing him, and told them that we had his bag, so I only hope they manage to find him. It was very sad.

We were all sad about what we'd seen, and it really brought it home to me how some people can suffer even though we're supposed to be a rich country. It seems incredible that there are homeless people who have nowhere to call home in this day and age!

The rest of the day passed quietly and it was lovely to look forward to a day off tomorrow. Keith was out watching Sileby play this evening, and I made him wrap up as it was still bitterly cold outside! Sophie and I had last night's leftovers of chicken casserole and dumplings, washed down with a very good white Chateauneuf-du-Pape. 

We watched a very silly film called Deadly Illusions starring an aged Dermot Mulroney, and then an interesting programme about Morman missionaries. Sophie and I both agreed that the religion seemed more like a cult and was very restrictive, and a bit sinister! In their defence, they do have a fantastic genealogy website and have helped me in the past with family tree problems!

Keith came back from a Sileby local derby (they were playing Moulton) looking chilled to the bone!

A shocking discovery!

I have been Mrs Grumpy today, and have been irritated by everyone and everything! Not a good frame of mind to be in!

At 4pm I walked out with my colleagues and we were all shocked to see a man lying in a space in our car park. At first, I thought he was dead, but then he moved. Sara went back into the building to fetch one of our duty managers, and as she went in, he staggered to his feet, mumbling something. He was either drunk or high on drugs, and I said to everyone to get in their cars just in case. We all wanted to help, but you can never be too careful these days and thoughts of the Luther series were uppermost in my mind!

Sara came back out with one of the young, male duty managers who followed the man over in the direction of the B&M store. He looked dishevelled and I wondered what had happened to him to get him in that state?

It was lovely to get to my own warm home (there's been a bitterly cold wind blowing this evening) and realise how lucky I am!

A date with Luther.

Sophie returned home this morning having had a great couple of days away in the Oxfordshire countryside. I had been pottering about and catching up with housework and other jobs in my scruffs, so I declined the offer to meet Vikesh! I would much prefer to meet him when I wasn't looking like a bag lady!

At about 1pm Sophie and I drove into town to have lunch at Akasaka before our date with Idris Elba. The car park was busy but we managed to squeeze into a space, and very soon we were sitting in a pleasantly buzzing restaurant perusing the menu.

We decided to share starters - chicken gyoza, tempura prawns and edamame beans. All three dishes were lovely. For the main courses, I chose the chicken katsu curry (as I always do) while Sophie went for the chicken yakisoba, a lovely noodle dish with lots of vegetables. We ordered a large bottle of sparkling water and a tiny bottle of Sake.

It was great to see the restaurant busy with lunchtime diners, and it was lovely to sit and catch up with my daughter after her weekend away. The film was due to start at 3.15pm so we left with plenty of time and walked the short distance to the cinema. 

Armed with a glass of wine and ice cream we took our seats and settled back to watch Luther: The Fallen Sun! There were more people in the cinema than I'd thought there would be and we had the usual rustlers sitting behind us! Our ice creams were long finished but the couple in the seats behind us managed to make their noisy sweets last the whole two hours!

We enjoyed the film, but both of us thought it was a little far-fetched. I won't spoil the story for anyone who wants to see it when it comes out on Netflix on the 10th of March (or in the cinema) but we missed the gritty scenes of East London, and we noticed several irregularities in the film that jarred. We also missed Alice, even though we knew she had died in the last episode of series 5. There were several, very disturbing scenes and I think the writer must have a warped mind!

We emerged at about 5.30pm and drove home in the light, thank goodness! Watching something like Luther does make you a bit jumpy! Neither of us fancied playing Scrabble so we sat and relaxed with a glass of wine. Sophie finished off the takeaway from last night and we all enjoyed a bowl of the bread and butter pudding that Keith made on Friday with a good dollop of custard. We watched a couple of episodes of The World's Most Dangerous Roads, and I have to say it had been a very enjoyable day!

A quiet afternoon!

I was at work before 9am this morning and asked Keith to drive me in, as parking can sometimes be difficult at the weekend. I was working with Tracey who was unsure about logging onto the internet side of the system as she'd only done it once before. I had to help her log in, Jo came in for a chat (she was doing a class) so the fifteen minutes I had to log myself in and get a coffee, disappeared!

Luckily, Amanda brought us both a hot drink and we started to take phone calls, most of which were swimming bookings, so very easy and straightforward. The five-hour shift passed very quickly and I managed to tackle the customer service emails and process a couple of orders as well. The time flew!

At 2pm Keith came back for me and we returned home. I was looking forward to a quiet afternoon with the newspapers that I hadn't had a chance to read since Tuesday! I made myself a cup of tea, had a bite to eat and settled down in the kitchen with the mound of papers! Keith went to see Sileby play so I turned the television off and enjoyed the peace and quiet!

Before Keith came home I paused the rugby on BBC1 as England were playing Wales, and made sure the house was nice and warm. As usual, he arrived home and said he was frozen! It was bitterly cold outside and I even thought this morning we would see some snow!

While Keith watched the rugby I wrote the blog and enjoyed a drink. Dinner this evening was a Chinese takeaway so no cooking was required. Bliss!

A somewhat trying Friday!

I said a fond farewell to Sophie this morning and went off to work hoping she'd have a great weekend away. 

Work was a bit hectic this morning, as I helped Sara with follow-ups to the emails we received yesterday. Sheila was a bit upset first thing; I think she's doing too much and the printer jammed up, sending her over the edge, bless her. She was due to work tomorrow so I offered to go in instead. Sophie is away, and I have nothing planned so I was quite happy to work an extra shift. At least it's only five hours! A breeze!

Work carried on being a bit stressful with Shirley having to ask questions for almost every phone call. Sara had asked her to go to her for help, as Kathy was suffering from a bad back and it hurt her to keep turning around, but she asked lots of questions and directed them to both of us. With the emails and my own phone calls, I felt like I was going mad! What annoyed me slightly was that some of the queries were easy to work out, such as a squash court booking!

It was a huge relief to leave at 4pm and head home. Keith was off to the pub so I had a soak in the bath (it's been a very cold evening) and then I poured myself a glass of wine and caught up with the writing of the blog. The days go by so fast!

I missed my wine buddy, but I'm looking forward to lunch out and Luther on Sunday! Bring it on!

Moan, moan, moan!

I spent my shift dealing with emails today, a lot of them very moany indeed, which was quite draining. And they weren't serious complaints, either! People seem intent on arguing with us at the moment if they don't receive the outcome they want, which can be frustrating!

At 2pm I returned home, popped to the surgery with Keith to pick up a prescription, and then went to see Mum and Dad. I took them a box of cakes and we sat and chatted for an hour which was very pleasant. The carpets in the corridors are being replaced so there was a fair amount of noise from the men scraping the underlay away, but it'll look so much better when they've finished.

Back home I put the hoover around and lit the candles. It was an unofficial wine night tonight as Sophie is going to Bicester with Vikesh tomorrow. We had dinner and then watched the last two episodes of Luther! We've done it. We're now officially all Luthered out!

A wonderful day!

Sophie and I had booked tickets on the 9.18am train this morning, and we left home at 8.30am, battling through the school run traffic to get to the station in time to enjoy a coffee and pastry. We were a bit disappointed to see there was a delay with our train, so we did something sneaky and boarded the 8.48am train instead which had also been delayed and was more expensive, but it left before our scheduled time! As this train then qualified for being "off-peak", we felt justified!

We managed to find seats and had a good chat on the way to Euston. Luckily, our tickets weren't checked, but Sophie is getting fed up with problems every time she travels by train. Go by train! they say... Use public transport! Fine if everything runs on time, or there's not a strike planned!

At Euston, we took an Uber to Marylebone High Street and made straight for Le Pain Quotidien where we had a coffee (me), a juice (Sophie) and shared a delicious Bakewell Tart. 

Outside it was a bit drizzly and grey but we didn't need to use the umbrella Sophie had brought with her. We walked to Harley Street and arrived in good time for Sophie's appointment with Dr Bawa. She had Botox injected into her nose, and upper lip to correct her smile and it was all over within fifteen minutes. They both had a lovely chat about restaurants, as they always do, and then that was it. Another five months and we will be seeing him again!

Our plan today was to eat at Le Relais de Venise - L'Entrecote, just off Marylebone High Street but it was a bit early so we went for a drink at Home, a few doors down from Le Pain Quotidien, and right in the hub of the busy high street.

We sat at a tall table and enjoyed two glasses of Prosecco each. What a lovely way to spend an hour on a Wednesday afternoon!

It was very relaxing and Sophie was fascinated watching the staff working away. The restaurant/bar gradually filled up with people and it was wonderful to sit and chat. I could do more of this!

We left just before 1pm and walked the short distance to Le Relais de Venise. Already, the restaurant was packed to the gunnels, but we spotted a table for two in the corner and joined the queue. You can't book here, and they won't let you in if your party is not complete! Ahead of us was a group of three so we hoped we'd be next!

We didn't have to wait long and soon we were ushered through to the table we'd seen. The restaurant, open for just over an hour, was heaving with people chatting, eating and drinking. We managed to shoehorn ourselves into the tiny table and a waitress came along and asked how we wanted our steak. When Sophie asked for "medium rare" she was barked at! Only medium or rare! 

The only choices you have at Le Relais de Venise - L'Entrecote, are: how you want your steak cooked, what you're having to drink, and what you want for dessert. That's it! We gave our orders and sat back. First up was a beautiful green salad in a mustard vinaigrette, topped with walnuts. We were also given some lovely fresh French bread to mop up the gorgeous dressing. We'd ordered a bottle of the house red and this was lovely and fruity.

Once we'd gobbled up the salad, the waitress came over with a smallish plate of slices of steak in a delicious sauce accompanied by French fries. I was slightly disappointed. The set menu is £29 for the starter and main course, and I had hoped for a more substantial serving!

We made our way through this and the food was excellent, I have to say. The steak (I had mine medium) was perfectly pink and tender and the chips lovely and crispy. We sat back and gazed at our empty plates, but within minutes, the waitress came over and served us another portion of steak and another pile of French fries! This was more like it!

We managed to get through this, and I think this was one of the best steaks I'd ever eaten. We looked at each other and definitely decided to go for dessert. There's no menu and I couldn't remember what was on the list (which is quite extensive) but I wanted something French so I went for the tarte au citron, while Sophie ordered profiteroles. Again, the food was excellent.

The people at the table next to us left, and within two minutes it was set again and another party were sitting down. Outside, a queue had gathered and stretched the length of the window. The restaurant closes at 2pm so you have to be quick to get in! No all-day dining here!

The bill came to £108 for the two of us (including service, plus the wine and desserts) so it's not cheap but I heartily recommend eating here. It's like being in France and it's very authentic.

We waddled back out and waited for an Uber. We had no plans to go anywhere else! We wanted to go home!

More eateries

Waiting for an Uber...

I love this area of London, it's like a village!

Back at Euston, we managed to get on the 2.56pm train to Northampton and by 4pm we were home. Keith met us and we drove home, telling him all about our day. He would have loved the steak!

Neither of us ate anything else that evening and we just drank water. We went upstairs to watch Luther (Keith was watching football) and it was heaven to relax on the bed and enjoy the television!

A quiet Tuesday

Today was a much better day at work, thank goodness and I was looking forward to a day off tomorrow and a trip to London with Sophie.

It's been fairly uneventful, so there is not much to report. The mornings are definitely lighter now and I don't think it'll be long before Sophie is setting out for the gym in full daylight. I really cannot wait! I do love March, April and May... we get more sunshine and some interesting weather if we're lucky!

We watched Luther again this evening. The film had better be worth it! I'm very surprised I haven't had nightmares watching the episodes. They really do prey on our fears!

A little frustrated!

Sadly, the news this morning was all about a body being found in the river near where Nicola Bulley had disappeared more than three weeks ago. What a terrible and tragic end to this story, and how sad it must be for her family. I think we were all hoping she would be found alive, but that's now no longer the case. What made me astonished was the number of people travelling to the area and causing problems with the local people, and being a huge nuisance. Who does that kind of thing? How ghoulish!

Today has been a bit frustrating at work. We're suffering an epidemic of people being off sick at the moment and nothing ever seems to be done about it. We were given another list of cancelled swimming lessons and expected to call the parents to apologise. Understandably, some of them were not happy!

Sue is now on indeterminate leave because of her mother, so we're going to have to cover Saturdays. I really feel like I need the weekend to recharge, but I'll do my bit when necessary. Not every weekend, though! Jo and I had a good chat when we left work, so some of the pent-up frustration was alleviated!

Sophie cooked a delicious paella tonight and we were able to relax with a glass of good red wine before more of Luther! 

Sunny Sunday

Sophie's friend, Laura, came over to see us this morning, and we asked Keith to go to the Co-op at Brixworth to buy pastries for a late breakfast. While they were chatting in the kitchen, I tried to sort out more boxes from the garage. Our previously tidy conservatory now resembles a dumping ground! We have sold some books with Ziffitt and I have a bagful of old clothes to go to a charity shop but I felt like I was taking three steps forward and two back!

The weather has been lovely today with real hints of Spring, but I think it's going to get colder again towards the end of next week. Don't be deceived by the mild temperatures and sunshine! It was lovely and sunny in the conservatory, and I opened the windows to let some fresh air in.

As well as sorting the boxes out, I washed several piles of laundry and actually managed to get some of it on the line to dry! That'll save on the fuel bills!

In the afternoon, after Laura had gone home, we collected Mum and went to the garden centre at Burton Latimer. It's a really funny little place, and very old-fashioned, but it has a certain charm. Sophie and I had a late lunch and a pot of tea, and after we'd eaten we went to see the parrots. They were both being very loud, and we are convinced one of them said bye to us as we walked away!

My Mum spotted a pretty bracelet so I offered to buy it for her for the forthcoming Mother's Day next month, as well as a box of chocolates. We took a leisurely route home through Kettering and before leaving we went up to see Dad and gave him a framed photo of him driving a sports car at Silverstone, taken years ago, I'd had the photo since they moved and I'd printed a new photo out for him this morning and cleaned the frame. He was delighted.

Sophie and I took the scenic route home, and it was wonderful to see banks of beautiful snowdrops on the roadside verges. There seem to be lots this year, and they're everywhere! I wonder if someone has been going around planting bulbs?

Back home, we discovered we'd sold one of Sophie's tops on eBay, but when I went to print out the postage label, I had no ink left! I must have used it all on the photo this morning! In the end, I had to email the label to Sophie so she could print it out at work tomorrow! I am a plonker!

After making lunches and porridge for breakfast, and emptying the dishwasher and the tumble dryer, it was time to relax with a cocktail and a game of Scrabble. I managed to beat Sophie this evening!

Dinner tonight was coq au vin (which I'd prepared this morning) accompanied by a red beauty that Sophie had bought in Woburn!

Just pootlin'...

We had a very relaxed start to the weekend this morning with coffee and pastries for breakfast, Sophie was going to London with Vikesh today and they were taking the train from Wellingborough to St Pancras. He picked her up at about 9.30am, and I quite envied them going to the city today as they were visiting the National Gallery and then having a late lunch.

Keith made a great job of cleaning the oven, and I tidied up our messy hallway cupboard where all our coats and shoes live. We had a cull of various coats, with some of them re-locating to the wardrobe upstairs. I don't know how we lived before we created this cupboard in the hallway, although I do remember shoes being chucked into the kitchen cupboard (which is now our utility "room") and our coats hanging on the cloakroom door! I hoovered the cupboard, disturbing a couple of spiders who were lurking there, probably all nice and cosy in the darkness!

Keith went to see Sileby play in the afternoon and I pootled about, enjoying the peace and quiet and having a lovely bath. When he came home at 5pm, he dashed into the living room to turn on the television to watch Newcastle, but that soon ended when Liverpool scored twice in the first fifteen minutes. He turned off the television in disgust!

Sophie arrived home at about 6pm and we sat and had a good chat about her day over a glass of wine. She'd had a lovely time but the gallery was busy and a lot of rooms were closed. My favourite painting - Susanna At Her Bath by Francesco Hayez - had been moved and Sophie thinks it was being exhibited elsewhere.

It was too late to play Scrabble so it was lovely just to chat instead. Keith and I enjoyed very good Wagyu beefburgers for dinner, which were deliciously meaty and afterwards we caught up on another couple of episodes of Luther. We have calculated we can watch the remaining series and episodes by next Thursday!

Friday!

I was heartily glad it was Friday and the last day of the half-term holiday! Shirley was in with us and coped very well. After the first busy hour, it quietened down and I managed to get all the Easter playscheme places onto the system, which was a huge bonus! I didn't think I'd be able to do that this week!

Back home I tidied up and when Sophie returned we opened a bottle of Freeman's Bay Sauvignon Blanc, which was delicious. We still miss our Pinot Gris from Aldi and it hasn't made a return. Perhaps it never will, which is a shame as it was such good value. I am looking forward to stocking up with some Alsace wine in April - they grow Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris grapes in the area and Colmar, where we're staying, is surrounded by vineyards!

Keith went to the pub as usual and Sophie and I put some potatoes in the oven to bake and settled down to watch a couple of episodes of the World's Most Dangerous Roads. The first programme came from Lesotho, a country I didn't know much about. It was beautiful and very mountainous, though, with some scary roads! The second was brilliant and featured the Old Telegraph Track in northern Australia. Stephen Mangan and a comedienne who I'd previously never heard of, Lara Ricote, both took the wheel on the most terrifying roads I'd ever seen with sheer drops into rivers! Definitely not for the faint-hearted, but both of them coped admirably! I do get very envious seeing these programmes and would love, one day, to compete in a car rally!

Scary stories!

Things were a bit frantic this morning at work, and although we had three staff on the phones, Sara had to go on as well, as at one point we had thirteen calls waiting. I was engrossed with orders and emails so I hadn't really noticed at first until I heard Sara start to take calls. Thursday is rapidly turning into a hard shift as Shirley is in and still not sure what she's doing, and Sue is still preoccupied with her ill Mum, so we're getting abandoned calls. I was glad I wasn't roped in as well, though!

At 2pm I sped home and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. I hadn't slept well last night so Keith and I curled up on the sofa and watched Vera from Sunday. I don't normally watch television during the day, but this afternoon I bent the rule! I think I even had a little nap as well, I was so tired!

By the time Sophie came home, though, I had tidied up, made the porridge for breakfast, made my lunch and peeled some potatoes for dinner. We had a very easy supper of breaded fish and mash so no long preparations this evening!

After we'd eaten, we watched two episodes of Luther, one of them very scary with the murderer who wore a Punch mask. It was terrifying!

Just pottering!

Keith and I had a very lazy start to the day and we pottered about this morning catching up with jobs. It's been a beautiful day today with clear blue skies and sunshine. Long may it continue!

Just before midday we drove over to the bank and paid some £1 and £2 coins into our joint bank account. Keith has been saving them up for ages and we decided that we needed to do something with them, so we've been putting them through the coin machine in Natwest and then paying them into our account.

From the bank we drove to Jones's, somewhere we haven't been for ages, and bought some things we needed. To be honest, Jones's is no longer as cheap as it used to be and we're finding that Wilko or even Tesco have comparable prices. The wholesaler was full of garden equipment and outdoor furniture and we spotted a lovely bench seat. The one we have at the moment is way past its best, and is covered in bird poo from where the birds use it as a perch! I can't wait to get out into the garden when the weather improves and tidy up!

I tried to get my Dad's car washed today but the carwash we went to was closed so we drove home. It was a good thing, as in the afternoon, the previously lovely weather clouded over and we had some rain.

The afternoon was busy with preparing dinner - homemade chicken Kyiv - and doing lots of jobs, such as sorting out the laundry and vacuuming downstairs. There's always something to do! Sophie was very pleased when she came home that I had made my lunch and the porridge for the morning, so I was definitely in her good books!

Hearts and flowers

Today was another busy one first thing, but it did quieten down towards lunchtime, so that was a relief! I arrived home to find a huge bouquet of flowers for Sophie from Vikesh, and she was delighted with them! They were gorgeous and in a big box so no fiddling about with vases.

Sophie and I were cooking a new recipe tonight, with tomatoes, chorizo and gnocchi. The list of ingredients included an onion, which we didn't have, so Keith and I trekked over to Mawsley to get a pack of three. The previously mild temperature had plummeted, going from 12c to 4c in the space of a couple of hours, so it felt very chilly! I told Keith to wrap up at the football!

Back home, it was almost 7pm so Sophie began to cook and by about 7.30pm it was done. The meal was delicious, and the rich, tomatoey sauce was gorgeous with the plump gnocchi. We drank a new Californian wine with the meal, which went with it very well.

After we'd cleared away we sat down to watch An Affair to Remember starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. The outfits she wore in the film were stunning and it was lovely to watch, although Sophie was a bit disappointed in the ending (I'm not giving anything away!). It's certainly a tear-jerker!

Keith arrived home looking frozen to the bone and tucked into some chips that I'd cooked for him!

Half-term starts.

I was expecting to be busy at work with phone calls today, and we were. The first hour was mad! Most of the calls were from people booking swimming sessions, and I wonder how many go to our pools without booking and are disappointed?

In between the calls, I managed, miraculously, to finish the moan report, so that's done. One onerous chore ticked off the list! Before heading home I had a chat with Jo and Kathy (in the lovely daylight) and then headed to the post office to send back an iPhone charger that I'd ordered from Amazon in November. It had been recalled because of a safety concern so that was another little job completed!

Dinner tonight was very easy - bubble and squeak, that Keith had already prepared, with sausages cooked in the oven. We watched another couple of episodes of Luther this evening, but tomorrow, Keith is going to see Sileby play so Sophie and I have a date with Cary Grant and some gnocchi!

More tidying up...

I was awake at 8am this morning and managed to get my blog updated before Sophie was up, which was a bonus!

After coffee and breakfast, we went to Tesco at Kettering so Sophie could buy some Valentine's Day gifts. It suddenly dawned on me that I needed to get something for my parents from each other, so I bought cards, chocolates and wine. Keith can then drop them off tomorrow when he goes shopping.

When we arrived home I noticed how scruffy the front garden was so I went out, swept up a whole wheelie bin full of leaves and turned over the soil. I could see some little daffodils peeping their heads through the earth so hopefully, it won't be long before they're in flower.

I chatted to Graham who drove past in his car and said how sorry we were to hear that Dennis, his lovely dog, had passed away. He knew about Monty so we commiserated each other. As I was sweeping up, a man walked past, commented on my gardening and walked up the red brick drive. He must be our new neighbour, but he never said anything!

I was pleased with how the garden looked and the grass verge could breathe again after being covered in dead leaves! Sophie was in the kitchen making little heart-shaped custard cream biscuits for work, so I had a couple with a cup of tea and carried on tidying up the garage, making more room for Dad's car, although Paul has said we can still use his driveway, which was very kind of him.

Sophie finished her baking and we went to the tip with some old wood before attempting to take some unwanted books to the charity shop in Weston Favell. The shop was closed and the car park was full of people trying to park after having lunch at the Mandarin Buffet. It was mayhem! I will have to take the books when I'm off on Wednesday instead.

We had one more job to do before going home - dropping off three bags of Tassimo pods to the Co-op in Moulton. This recycling business can be hard work sometimes! I wish our council would pick them up!

Sophie and I had a very pleasant evening sipping a new spiced Ginger Negroni cocktail (made with Campari, Spiced Rum, sweet vermouth and Ginger wine) and playing Scrabble. Keith cooked a roast chicken and it was delicious, with enough vegetables left over to have bubble and squeak tomorrow!

We watched another two episodes of Luther. The race is on to see them all before we watch the new film!

Sorted!

Initially, I woke up at 6.39am this morning but settled back down for a little snooze... which turned into a long one and I snapped awake at almost 9.30am! Horrendous! Half the day had gone! I flew downstairs and made myself a coffee, amazed that Sophie had woken before me! I hate getting up so late!

After our lazy start, we had a very fruitful day. Sophie put some items (mainly clothes) onto eBay, while I sorted out the large cupboards underneath the worktop by the new window. These cupboards have become a dumping ground, and every time I open the door, things fall out, which is very annoying. I took everything out and then threw a load of stuff out, putting all the books back tidily. We then sorted out our recipe folders as, again, recipes were just shoved in and kept falling out. We had about six or seven Tesco magazines so we went through the recipes and cut out any that we liked the look of.

I am a big fan of Stacey Soloman's Sort Your Life Out, and can't believe how some people can live as they do! It verges on hoarding! I am as guilty as anyone of keeping stuff, but it feels so good to get rid of things you no longer need or want. We put some of our books and DVDs on Ziffit so hopefully, that will add to the savings pot for our next trip to London, when we plan to eat at a lovely French restaurant called Le Relais de Venise L'Entrecote in Marylebone.

Sophie washed her dirty little car in the afternoon and then hoovered the house, bless her. By 4pm the house was cosy and I went to have a bath, falling asleep in the hot sudsy water! I must need to make up a few hours of lost sleep!

By 6pm we were settling down to play Scrabble with a delicious version of a Negroni - Campari, red Vermouth and Prosecco. It was delicious! We ordered a Chinese takeaway tonight, and for the first half hour listened to Bert Bacharach's "This Guy's In Love With You" and then Miles Davis. Very chilled and relaxing!

The meal we ordered was hot and spicy, and after eating, we started watching Luther from the very beginning. Sophie and I have booked to go and see the new film at the Northampton Filmhouse in a few weeks' time so we wanted to watch the series again. Some of the episodes are very scary!

We finished our evening's viewing by watching an excellent programme about the late Bert Bacharach and listening to some of his beautiful songs. A lovely end to a fruitful day!

Stupid missives!

Work hasn't been too bad today, and although Shirley was working with us, she didn't ask as many questions, which was a relief. There is a fine line between genuinely asking for help, or trying to work it out for yourself, which she needs to start doing now. I had the next tranche of films to put onto the system, which kept me busy before the phone lines opened!

At home, I arrived to find a letter from the council about Mum's care home fees (not my Dad's). Some stupid pen pusher had said that as she had over £23,500 in savings, she would have to pay the care home fees in full. What has she been doing for the past two and a half years then? I immediately called the number on the letter and spoke to an employee, saying that in the next two months, she would be below the threshold, which I thought we were sorting out! This has been going on since the 1st of December! It drives me crazy!

This, of course, made me all riled up, but I tried to relax as it was Friday night, my favourite time of the week! Sophie was going out for a meal with Laura and Daisy to The Four Pears in Little Houghton, so she came home, told me to relax as well, and then went to get ready. 

Keith had made Pan Haggerty (or Panaculty as we call it) a corned beef and potato stew which we enjoyed with cabbage and crusty bread. It's a real Northern dish and is perfect for a winter's night. We enjoyed Death in Paradise after our meal, and Sophie returned at about 11pm, laden with Christmas gifts from Laura and Daisy, lucky thing!

A trying day!

Today has not been one of the best days at work! I had to stop what I was doing and answer calls as Sue left in a flood of tears because her Mum, ill in hospital, had taken a turn for the worse. Shirley was also working with us today and had managed to muck up logging into the phone line so badly that we had to call IT to sort it out...

I felt like I was being pulled in all directions, as Shirley kept asking for help, and I needed to respond to a complaint by 2pm and was having conversations with our centre manager who had asked me to draft a reply. I had tried to make a start on the moan report, but had to abandon that!

At 2pm I flew over to Kettering to collect Mum for her nail appointment, and we drove back to Northampton with plenty of time for her 3pm slot. I left her there and went to the Tesco garage at Weston Favell to get diesel. I wanted to use the ATM there to draw some money out but it was out of action, so I had no option but to go into the centre and use the bank cashpoint there. As I had an hour, I decided to take some time out and have a coffee in the Costa nearby. What a treat! It was lovely to sit for half an hour, drink my coffee, enjoy a chocolate crispy cake, and scroll through my phone in peace and quiet!

I went back to collect Mum and we headed home to pick up some items she needed. Keith came back with me to keep me company and by 5.30pm we were home. Phew! What a day!

The hunt for a space!

I set my alarm today for 8am, but it does help if you turn it on! Consequently, I woke up at 9am to find Sophie had been trying to get hold of me and was a bit worried I hadn't responded to her texts! Finally, she called home and Keith, who was downstairs, answered and said I was still asleep! Not a great start to the day!

Mum had an appointment with her Parkinson's consultant at 11.30pm so I collected her at 10.30am and drove over to Northampton. It was a gorgeous day with clear blue skies and sunshine, but the temperature was a bit chilly. I think Spring is still a way off despite getting little hints the other week!

We arrived at Northampton General at 11am and drove to the far end of the grounds to a small car park. I'd been worried about parking, and predictably, this car park was full, with people waiting. I spotted a space but then realised it was for electric charging only, so we had to keep on looking. 

After about ten minutes we gave up and went to look for a space somewhere else. There was a smaller car park but that was full, and even the main car park was heaving with people trying to find somewhere! It was also a long way from where she was due to have her appointment, so we returned to the one nearest the department and waited again. 

Unfortunately, it was hopeless, so I suggested we try and park in an area of the car park that houses one of our leisure centres and try there, but even that was full! The only other car park was across the road. We found a space and I paid £2 but by now it was almost 11.30am and I was worried about Mum on the long walk back to the hospital. We gave up.

I don't know why Mum has to see this particular consultant anyway. Last year we were with him for about ten minutes and all he does is ask her a few questions and that's it. She gets far more support and help from the Parkinson's nurses she sees on a regular basis!

We decided to go and have lunch at Dobbie's garden centre at Wootton, and already the restaurant was full. The noise level was tremendous, both from the nattering going on around us and the music blaring out! I could barely hear Mum when she was speaking! We had a sandwich (me) and baked potato for lunch (Mum) with coffee, and before leaving, we had a look around. 

I drove Mum back and returned home to try and catch up with some jobs. There was no meal to prepare as Sophie was out tonight with Vikesh, so I pootled about, amazed at how quickly time was flying today!

I made our breakfasts and lunches for tomorrow and as soon as Sophie arrived home she flew upstairs to get ready. Keith and I had a naughty dinner of sausage, egg and chips and finished watching an episode of The Rise of the Nazis which had been recorded for ages. It was interesting to get the occasional glimpse of Berlin, ravaged and destroyed by the Allies and know now how great it was again! 

Terrible news stories...

The news today was full of the terrible earthquakes that have struck Turkey and Syria, and as I write, over 9000 people have lost their lives. We are living in horrible times at the moment. The pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and now these earthquakes. 

There is also the terrible disappearance of Nicole Bulley in Lancashire - what has happened to her? As I write, 12 days after she went missing, she still hasn't been found, despite extensive searches of the river. It must be heartbreaking for her family.

All this terrible news makes me appreciate my quiet life, even if it is sometimes mundane!

Work was busy today - we had nine calls in the queue when the phone lines opened - but in the afternoon, when it quietened down a bit, I came off to catch up with the emails, especially as some of them needed answering or a holding reply sent out. The time flew by again and I wrote an email to Sara to bring her up to speed just before I left for the day.

At home, it was lovely to relax and sit with Keith in the kitchen while Sophie cooked again! She made a gorgeous spicy dish - chicken in a black bean sauce with lots of vegetables and served with noodles and prawn crackers. She's having a night off tomorrow and being taken out for dinner. She deserves it!

Another busy Monday!

I walked into 69 customer service emails today, which wasn't bad seeing as the box hadn't been looked at over the weekend. It was great to be off the phone and writing to people instead of talking to them!

I was so busy that the time literally flew by and before I knew it, it was time to go home. That's Monday out of the way, thank goodness!

Sophie was cooking again tonight, bless her, and she made us a chicken and bacon pasta bake, which was lovely and comforting. The temperatures drop overnight and it's been about -2 to -3 in the early mornings. I am so looking forward to Sophie leaving in the sunlight and the temperatures being well above freezing!

Keith and I watched an episode of Death in Paradise this evening and it was so lovely to see the sun-kissed beaches and colourful clothes of the characters! Roll on the warmer weather!

Being busy!

This morning was busy sorting things out for our next break in April, and I sent off for a Crit'Air sticker so we wouldn't be worried about going near any big cities! It only cost 4 euros and it'll be posted to us from France, so it was a bargain for peace of mind! We also booked two Airbnbs - one for the journey down to Alsace, and one for the trip back to Calais. We were starting to get a little worried that we wouldn't find anywhere suitable! Both of them are in small villages, and the reviews were excellent, so that's another job sorted.

Mike appeared mid-morning and was picked up by Abbie so we didn't have to give him a lift into town. It was lovely to see him, and even better knowing he was coming so we could plan! Sophie busied herself with preparing the dinner for the evening  (breaded pork escalopes with vegetables) and we both did some housework as well, so it was a busy morning!

In the afternoon we took Mum to Tesco at Kettering so she could do some shopping, and we popped over to the Costa café and had a coffee before taking her back. We drove the scenic route home and the sunset was gorgeous. I really love to see the stark outlines of the trees against the sky. It was a shame that yesterday couldn't have been sunny, but the next few days are set to be cold and clear with blue skies and sunshine.

Back home it was time for Scrabble, and amazingly, I beat Sophie again! We enjoyed a bottle of Picpoul de Pinet while we played and the wine went very well with the pork escalopes, which were delicious and served with mash and cheesy broccoli and cauliflower.

I didn't have Sunday syndrome this evening -  I'm not on the phones tomorrow and am looking after the customer service emails as Sara is away. Yippee!

Somewhere new.

Today dawned grey and cloudy and it remained like this for the whole day, which was a shame as we'd planned on going to Stamford. We left at about 11am after a relaxed start to the day, and pastries and coffee for breakfast.

The journey along the A43 was pleasant and straightforward, and we were soon parked next to the river. It was a short walk across a bridge to the main shopping thoroughfare, and it was lovely to explore somewhere new for a change.

The town was busy with shoppers and we found several charity shops, where Sophie bought a dress, a top, a chenille jumper, and some embroidered trousers. All of them were bargains. I also found a First Edition copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and as it was only priced at £3.50, I snapped it up. Maybe a sale on eBay?

We couldn't shop for long as we'd booked a table at Pizza Express for 1.15pm, and we were looking forward to pizza and doughballs! The restaurant was busy when we arrived and we were shown to a table overlooking the busy preparation area, where the chefs were expertly tossing pizza into the oven. We ordered drinks and doppio dough balls to start, as well as halloumi bites and breaded chicken fingers. We shared a large chicken pizza, which was very spicy, and indulged in a dessert of white chocolate roulade between us. We were stuffed!

Both of us wanted to head home after our meal, but I definitely think we will return to Stamford. It's only about 45 minutes away and the shops were lovely and worth revisiting.

At home, Keith had gone to see Sileby play, and Mike was upstairs on his Play Station. Sophie and I relaxed on the sofa and we both had a nap! The heating was on and our living room was lovely and cosy! Keith returned, switched on the rugby and Sophie and I played Scrabble with a drink each. Mike had bought me a bottle of Gin which I enjoyed with a can of tonic, and I narrowly beat Sophie tonight, for a change!

Dinner this evening was another spicy dish - a chicken Madras curry - which was delicious. As Mike was eating with us we sat in the conservatory again and had a good chat over our meal.

Our viewing choice for tonight was "Don't Say A Word" starring Michael Douglas, which I thought was brilliant!

A pleasant Friday!

Shirley wasn't in today and had volunteered to go in on Saturday instead, so Kathy and I had a very pleasant shift. I was able to deal with all the customer service emails and send off another couple of monthly cinema reports and the time passed quickly. Today was a lot better than last Friday when I was tearing my hair out!

I was looking forward to wine night tonight and a good film. Sophie and I drank the remnants of a bottle of wine I'd used for cooking which wasn't bad at all and then I opened another bottle of Viognier to watch with the 1954 version of Sabrina, starring Audrey Hepburn, William Holden and Humphrey Bogart. We thought that Humphrey Bogart was a strange choice for the love interest, and discovered that originally Cary Grant had been cast in the role of Linus, a much better choice!

Dinner was beef pie, which was very easy, and after we'd finished watching the film, it was a couple of episodes of A New Life in the Sun. Roll on the weekend!

Belated celebrations!

I was kept very busy at work today, making sure I'd completed the monthly reports I have to do, and dealing with all the customer service emails. Shirley was in working and asked many, many questions. It was either Sheila or me who helped and towards the end of the shift, I said to Sara that I wouldn't be able to do this tomorrow, as there was just Kathy and me working and, as she was on annual leave, I'd be doing emails and orders.

She looked very affronted and said she would cancel her holiday, which was silly. She said Sheila would be available to help, but Sheila said she wouldn't have time either, as she was also busy with her own work! I suggested Shirley shadow Kathy and me throughout the shift, but Sara wasn't keen so I left at 2pm without knowing what would happen tomorrow.

Back home I felt shattered as I'd had a bad night's sleep, so I have to confess to taking a nap, something I felt guilty about, but Mike was due home later, with Abbie, and I was cooking his favourite meal! They walked in at just after 5pm and we had a great chat in the kitchen. Sophie came home from work and when she'd changed I poured a glass of wine for each of us girls and we toasted Mike's birthday. 

The wine I'd chosen, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, was not pleasant and smelt of cats' pee and sweaty armpits! It seems that our favourite wine from Aldi, the Pinot Gris from the same vineyard, has been discontinued, which is a huge shame. We won't be drinking the Sauvignon Blanc again, and we switched to a lovely Viognier instead.

I had marinated the chicken last night, so I popped it into the oven and prepared the sauce. We ate in the conservatory tonight, and luckily, it was warm! The meal went down very well, and after we'd eaten I lit the Happy Birthday candle on Mike's cake, and we all sang to him!

Mum takes a tumble...

Keith and I went out for breakfast this morning, as we needed, after a long absence, to go to the Weston Favell centre. Our first job was to go to the bank, but it wasn't open until 10am, so we went to Jenny's to have something to eat. It's really the only place you can get breakfast at the centre and we had the usual suspects, plus tea, coffee, and toast.

We went to the bank, deposited some money into our joint account for the first time in over a decade and then popped into Tesco. Sophie had asked me to get Mike a birthday present and I wanted to get him some US sweets and drinks, which I knew were available on the supermarket's back wall. I also wanted to look in the World Foods aisle because tomorrow I'm cooking Jerk Chicken pasta - his favourite dish - and although Keith had been here yesterday and had bought a jar of the Jerk seasoning, I wanted to make sure it was the right one.

I used to love hanging out in the World Foods aisle and looking at all the different food on offer, but it was now much reduced and I could only see a handful of Caribbean foods. There were no other jars of paste available so we meandered down to where the US foods were kept, but they had gone. Nothing stays the same! We asked a couple of staff if they had been relocated elsewhere but they weren't any help at all.

Fed up, we took our purchases through the checkout and went downstairs to a sweet shop, but the prices were horrendous so I told Sophie that Keith would buy Mike a bottle of Jack Daniels in Tesco tomorrow, instead.

Next, it was time for my car to be washed as it was completely filthy. The carwash at Morrisons was closed so we drove to the BP garage on the Harborough road and put it through there. At least the next few days are set to be dry so it won't get dirty again!

Back home I pootled about and did some jobs and at 3pm I went over to the care home to sit with Mum and Dad while their carer wrote their care plan. While we were waiting, Dad popped to the loo, but on the way back to his chair he lost his footing and fell back, sending Mum flying across the room, and she hit her head on the skirting board. The noise of her head hitting the wood was horrible and I expected to see blood and a deep gash, but after sitting up and having her blood pressure taken, and her oxygen levels read, she was able to get up and sit with me on the sofa. I was shocked at how easily it happened and just glad that the carer had walked back into the room to see Mum falling.

It just brings it home to me that they do need the level of care they're receiving, and the carer said to Dad that he had to press the buzzer to get help, rather than rely on Mum.  We went through the care plan and had to sign a couple of forms, which was very reassuring. I am more than happy with the care they receive and they seem popular with the staff, which is great.

Mum seemed OK and hadn't sustained a bump on her head, which is what I was expecting, but she would be monitored throughout the rest of the day and night to make sure she wasn't feeling queasy or had a headache.

Sophie made dinner tonight for the fourth night in a row - a delicious chicken casserole with dumplings. It's my turn tomorrow but I'm sure she will help out!