Nearly there!

Mike bid us farewell this morning and headed to Nottingham to spend the weekend with Abbie. Sophie and I had a relaxed start to the day watching Saturday Morning Kitchen with a coffee. Everyone looked festive on the show, but I still don't feel like it's Christmas!

At about 11.30am, Sophie and I went into Northampton as she had an appointment at the beauty salon. She was in and out quickly and we drove to Kettering to visit Tesco. Mum had called earlier and said she needed some toiletries so we braced ourselves and went into the busy supermarket. It wouldn't have been my choice to go in so soon before Christmas!

I bought Mum and Dad a range of toiletry items, as well as chocolates and cakes, a bouquet of flowers for them, and a box of Ferrero Rocher. The weather outside was dreadful with squally rain and wind. Mum and Dad were sitting having their lunch when we arrived and I was annoyed to see that Mum wasn't using the special cutlery I'd bought her, to help with eating. When I asked where the set was, I was met with blank looks which annoyed me further. Sophie and I left everything we'd bought, including two pairs of new shoes I'd ordered for Mum, kissed them both goodbye and left. I am in definite need of a break!

The rain on the way home was torrential and it was lovely to get back home and pootle about. Sophie and I enjoyed the leftover soup from last night, with a slice of garlic flatbread and a small glass of wine from last night! I don't think we have ever not finished a bottle of wine on a Friday night!

Later in the afternoon, I went upstairs so Sophie could paint my toenails, and I caught the beginning of a hilarious film called What's Up, Doc starring the beautiful Barbra Streisand and the equally gorgeous Ryan O'Neal. It was a madcap film about confusion over four bags, set in San Francisco and it made me laugh out loud several times! Just what I needed this afternoon and I certainly felt more relaxed!

We spent the early evening sipping drinks (I had a G&T) and watched the end of the film we started last night. Sophie had prepared a delicious sausage casserole for dinner, and we watched the fourth Bourne film, The Bourne Legacy after we'd eaten.

I am now four days behind with my whiskies, so I'm taking them all to Mallorca to enjoy there! I opened every window, made a note of which whisky it was and packed them away in the suitcase!

We also burned our German advent candle down to the 21st today - it's the winter solstice!

Feeling a little glum!

I didn't have the best night's sleep and woke up feeling out of sorts this morning. I  have no idea why! Sophie went to the gym and had woken me before she went and I didn't go back to sleep, so maybe I was just tired.

Keith went shopping and I tackled some housework and started packing. We're sharing one suitcase and as the weather will be warmish during the day (I hope) we're taking lighter clothes and winter woollies for the evening! After I packed I weighed our case, and it was just over 20kg, so I'm taking one of the cabin cases as well and will put it in the hold. I hope we can get everything in our hire car!

I drifted about for the rest of the morning, and I honestly think I would have been better off going to work! Sophie returned home at 1pm, so she is now finished for Christmas as well. We shared a cream tea that her company had sent, which was delicious and much appreciated!

Towards the end of the afternoon, I went upstairs to watch a film on BBC iPlayer that had been on earlier in the day and looked interesting. It was called Now, Voyager starring Bette Davis and was made in 1942. Sophie joined me and we both nodded off, to be woken by a knock at the door. It was Mike, who had said he was coming over, but it was a little shock that he intended to stay the night! 

He and Keith went to the pub at 6pm so we had to hastily tidy the conservatory and warm it up! Sophie had made a delicious-smelling soup earlier in the day and luckily there was more than enough for all of us. We watched He's Just Not That Into You and sipped a white wine from Vacqueyras while the men were at the pub, but I could tell we both felt a little glum and it wasn't our usual happy Friday Wine Night!

Sophie's soup - chicken, leek and pasta - was gorgeous (the best she has ever made, I think) and she served it with crusty sourdough garlic bread. We gave up watching our film after dinner and I thought an early night would be a good idea!

It's been two years today since Monty-cat left us. RIP little one.

A girly night out!

So, my last day at work arrived and I tried to get as much done as I possibly could. I walked in to find 88 emails in the inbox as Sara had been busy yesterday, and I also received another list of films to put on until the end of January. 

By 2pm, I had cleared all the emails, put the films on, updated the cinema spreadsheets, and input the February half-term playscheme places. I felt very pleased indeed, but weirdly enough, a little sad that it was my last day!

I drove home and chatted with Keith and then pootled about for the rest of the afternoon. I can't get used to this free time, and I'm off again tomorrow!

Sophie and I were out in the evening to our local pub with a group of women from our estate. Before we went, we sat and had a glass of wine at home and chatted. Sophie was looking forward to a half-day tomorrow and the start of Christmas!

Our table was booked for 7.30 p.m. and there were about sixteen of us sitting down to a festive meal. Our table was upstairs, and beautifully decorated with crackers and little candles.

Sophie and I bought a bottle of wine to share and we were the first to arrive. It was great to see familiar faces, but some of the women we didn't know so our host, Sonal, asked everyone to move after the main course and sit with different people to get to know them.

Sophie and I had chosen the same starter - Brixworth paté, followed by a traditional turkey dinner and then bread and butter pudding. The food was very good and the noise level increased as the evening wore on! Sophie's school friend, Elise, sat next to us so we had a good chat.

After the main course, I sat with four other women, all of whom I knew. I was trying to establish how many women present had been among the first to move onto the estate and I could only count three of us. The rest were all "newbies"!

It was a lovely evening and we opened our Secret Santa gifts, with Sophie and I both choosing little games as our presents. Keith picked us up at 10.30pm and we gave Elise a lift home. We then spent half an hour trying to entice little monkey Gomez into the house, before a late bedtime!

A little shopping

Sophie and I were off work today, and at 10am we drove over to Tesco at Kettering to buy food, toiletries and baby items for the local food bank. Sophie collects money every year at work but we only had £100 (including contributions from ourselves) this year. It was much less money than she collected in 2023, which was disappointing. As well as the money, we had several bags of groceries, so we concentrated on toiletries, baby items and baby food today.

It didn't take us long at all, and after we'd packed it away in the car, we had a cup of coffee and shared a sausage bap. It was then time to shop for my Mum and Dad and I bought them clothes from each other, as well as buying cards and chocolates for the carers. 

The food bank closes at 1pm so we drove over, deposited our bags and gave a box of chocolates to the staff. Sophie became a little emotional as we were leaving as a couple of people were queueing up to receive parcels, and she said how lucky we were that we didn't have to worry about food or where our next meal was coming from.

Before going home we dropped off Mum and Dad's shopping, had a chat with them and then took the scenic route back. It's been a windy day today and we were blown about like mad when we were packing the shopping in the car!

Back home, Sophie heated up last night's pasta for lunch and we pootled about for the rest of the afternoon. I had no idea what day it was because Sophie was off as well! It felt like a Saturday or Sunday! Later in the afternoon we walked around the estate and delivered cards to our neighbours. We were hoping Mooney would come with us but he was nowhere to be seen, the little monkey! 

Dinner tonight was a savoury mince crumble and we drank a red wine with the meal, so no whisky tonight! I will have a fair few to try over the weekend, perhaps!

A short shift!

I had a very short shift today, working from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. to use up my holiday allowance. I've bought an extra week again next year, so I can't carry any over. It felt so weird walking out at 11 a.m. and going home! I wished the colleagues I won't see until 2025 a Merry Christmas and had a hug from Jo, which was lovely.

I intended to take my Mum shopping this afternoon but despite calling her numerous times, the call went straight to voicemail. I went over at 2pm anyway and found that she was unprepared for going out, so I abandoned the plans to go to Tesco. Sophie and I are going tomorrow anyway and I'll get everything then. I spoke to my Dad who looked and sounded fine, and helped him with his CD player again.

Back home, I pootled about and then decided to have a soak in the bath, which was heaven. Afterwards, I lolled on the bed and watched a good documentary about polar bears. It was a truly indulgent afternoon, and it was lovely that I didn't have to prepare our porridge or think about packed lunches!

Before playing cards with Keith, I opened today's whisky:

December 17th: Lochlea "Our Barley" Single Malt Scotch Whisky at 46%.  This was not a success - Sophie said it was horrible and smelt like vomit and there was a nasty bitterness on the aftertaste. I said toasted marshmallows (not sure where that came from) but it's a whisky we certainly won't be buying! 2/5

Sophie prepared a delicious pasta bake with chicken, peppers, mushrooms and asparagus, and we ate this with salad and garlic bread. There was more than enough left over for our lunch at home tomorrow. Yipeee, we're both off!

A trip out

So, my last Monday at work for a little while and Keith drove me in before going shopping. Last night, neither he nor Sophie felt well, and he went very pale at one point and said he felt sick. He seemed to be OK this morning, though and insisted on doing the shopping even though we were recycling last night's meal.

I only had the morning at work as I was going to a meeting in the afternoon at one of our centres, and getting a lift with Sheila. She was late to work because her husband was ill, so it's been a worrying time for us! I had another lift lined up but I hated being without a car! I do miss my Audi!

The morning passed swiftly and at 12.30pm we left to go to another site. The meeting was in the Dance Studio and it was freezing! Plus, there were mirrors everywhere! Yuk! The meeting was informative and we had to take part in two games, but by about 2.30pm we were finished and Sheila and I returned to the office, which was lovely and warm. For once, I appreciated it!

The rest of the afternoon passed pleasantly and Keith collected me at 4pm to go home. He said he still felt a little light-headed but no longer nauseous. We do not want any sickness this week, thank you very much!

We sat in the kitchen before dinner and played cards and chatted about our days. The recycled curry was delicious and we used the rice and vegetables from the biryani as the basis for the meal. After we'd eaten, Sophie and I shared another whisky while watching University Challenge.

December 16th: Widow Jane (ooh...) Rye Mash Oak and Apple Wood-Aged (Bourbon) Batch 59 at 45.5%.

This smelt and tasted like coconuts (think coconut milkshake) and vanilla. 4/5

It was a lovely end to a good day!

A marathon tasting!

Sophie and I sat and watched most of yesterday's Saturday Morning Kitchen with a cup of coffee and a pastry first thing, before embarking on some jobs. I started packing and making sure we had our maps and guidebooks and discovered, sadly, that the train to Soller from Palma was closed until the end of January. We'd planned on taking this one day over the holiday, but we can still drive to the seaside resort instead, although not the mountainous route, which is a bit hairy!

Outside we saw sunshine and blue skies again but it was chilly. I still can't believe we're escaping to warmer climates over Christmas! It doesn't seem real.

My Mum gave me a slight shock today when she called to say that my Dad wasn't well and she thought he was going to die... not really what I wanted to hear a week before we go! I called the care home and spoke to one of the carers, who said that he had a bit of a cough and that they were monitoring him. So, not at death's door then... I think she's playing up a little as I haven't seen my Dad for a few weeks. I'm always twitchy during the week leading up to a holiday and fear anything going wrong so this did give me a bit of stress today!

I opened four of my whiskies this afternoon and shared them with Sophie. It was lovely to sit and relax, enjoy a slice of fruit cake and sip the drinks!

December 12th: Glen Scotia Double Cask Single Malt Whisky at 46%. This reminded us of apples. For me, in a good way, such as apple crumble with winter spices, but Sophie hated it and said for her it tasted of rancid apples... Oh! 3/5

December 13th: King of Trees 10-year-old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky at 46.5%. Terry's chocolate orange, crystallised fruits? and pear drops. We both loved this one and would definitely buy a bottle. 5/5

December 14th: Balblair Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 15-year-old at 46%.  Shortbread biscuits, cookie dough, slightly piney. Sophie said pine needles, butter and eucalyptus. 4/5

December 15th: The Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey 40%.  A beautiful colour, pear drops again, custard and fruit crumble. Sophie said Tia Maria and pepper! Lovely, and we both enjoyed this one. 5/5

Phew! We both had to go and have a lie down after that!

Sophie cooked dinner tonight, a recipe for chicken biryani that Vikesh's mum had given her, but it was not a success. There was very little flavour, so we decided to eat it again tomorrow and add a curry sauce to it in the hope of injecting a little spice! Sophie said she was sorry, but I have made some truly disastrous meals in the past - my pork and apple dish springs to mind - and once we both cooked inedible pork ribs! It happens! We hardly remember all the good dishes we turn out, it's the bad ones that stick in the memory! I just felt so sorry that she had taken ages in preparing it!

A relaxed Saturday

Sophie had a Reiki appointment this morning, and I went with her. We had decided to pop into Tesco straight afterwards to buy the Food Bank shopping, which Sophie organises every year. For once, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day! I sat and read while she had her treatment and when she came out, she said she needed to go home to get a coat she'd been given, so she could get it dry-cleaned.

Our plans changed and I suggested shopping for the Food Bank on Wednesday when we're both off work and we could deliver it afterwards. I imagined it would be quieter than today! Sophie agreed but still wanted to take her coat to be dry-cleaned at the Timpson outlet, so we decided to have a sneaky lunch at McDonald's, do a quick shop and spend the afternoon relaxing.

McDonald's was heaving with people so we placed our order and ate in the car. Strangely, Tesco was not busy, which surprised me, and I bought two presents for Secret Santa gifts, a bottle of Chambord for an afternoon cocktail and a pack of new knickers for the holiday! I'm going to start my packing tomorrow and I've been watching the weather forecast closely for how it's going to be while we're there. Hopefully, I can get away with teeshirts and jeans during the day, and warmer tops at night!

Back home, we said goodbye to Keith who was going to see Sileby play, and we relaxed. Sophie prepared tomorrow evening's curry and we both agreed to skip dinner tonight because of our McDonald's lunch! Sophie said she felt guilty, but as we'd last eaten from the restaurant back in September (in France) I didn't think there was anything to feel guilty about!

After Sophie had made all the preparations and marinated the chicken, we sat in the living room and she made us French martinis. I put on a screensaver on the television (a beautiful Alpine Christmas scene) and we sipped our cocktails.

The drinks were delicious and we had a lovely, relaxed afternoon reading and cuddling with the cats. Keith arrived home looking frozen to the bone and watched Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa. We gave him a couple of chicken tenders that we hadn't eaten, which he enjoyed with a spicy chilli dip.

After the football, we watched an interesting programme about The Grand Hotel in Gstaad, where the cheapest room was £1000 a night. We can only dream! The scenery was stunning, with snow-capped mountains and a beautiful town. We then caught a documentary about the Wham! hit, Last Christmas, which was great!

I've decided to take the stack of books by my bedside to Mallorca to read there. I struggled with Jane Austen's Persuasion after a busy day at work, and trying to cut through the flowery language she uses was hard work! We are so used to modern novels edited to be as concise as possible! 

Hopefully, away from a busy working day, I can read them all. I can hope!

Friday the 13th dropsies!

The last day of the working week didn't get off to a great start when I dropped a large tub of Greek yoghurt all over the floor. Some of my porridge went with it, so it looked like someone had been sick! I had to leave poor Keith to deal with it, and fled to work!

Our office was beautifully quiet today and I managed to finish the moan report, and answer all the emails (there was only one left when I left at 4pm), so I was pleased with myself. Next week I am hardly at work so it was great to get so much done today.

I received a lovely surprise when I arrived home and checked my emails. Our MD had sent us an Amazon voucher, which I thought was a lovely touch and much appreciated! My friend Lynda also popped over with presents for Mike and Sophie, and Christmas cards but I didn't hear her knock on the door and she'd hung the bag on the door handle. I have to admit to nodding off for five minutes while watching Michel Roux's programme set in Provence (the lack of sun here at the moment is awful) and Keith was upstairs in the bath! I sent her a message and she said she'd had to go to Kettering so it was probably just a fleeting visit anyway!

Sophie came home and was in a slightly better mood, but it took us a while to decide what to watch this evening. We cracked open a bottle of Austrian Riesling (the one Sophie bought in Olney) and it was delicious. In the end, I suggested Something Borrowed, a classic rom-com, and it was great!

When Keith arrived home from the pub, we gave Sophie the Newcastle United football shirt we'd been looking for on Wednesday. In the end, we'd had to order it from the official club shop and we'd had Joelinton printed on the back, her favourite player. To me, he sounds like he's the son of a County Durham miner, but he comes from Brazil and this is just his first name! She was delighted and whooped about the living room with it on. I don't think we'll be able to separate her from it when she's not at work!

Dinner tonight was pizza for Keith and Sophie and quiche for me, and I managed to drop a slice of pizza, face down on the floor... I certainly had the dropsies today, but if that was the worst that happened, it wasn't bad! All in all, it's been a lovely day!

Things are a little fraught!

While we were driving back from Kettering (the first time) yesterday, I took a call from My Heritage Ltd about the unexpected payment for another year's subscription. I argued my case, saying I hadn't been given enough notice, but the man I spoke to (with an American accent) stated that I'd set the subscription to renew automatically. Yes, maybe, but that was a year ago! A lot has happened since then! A reminder would have been most welcome.

He went off to speak to a supervisor, and to cut a long, slightly argumentative story short, he has given me a two-year subscription for the price I've paid, a third year at half price, and a free DNA test for Keith. I was mollified a little, but it's a lesson to learn! I will now ensure I set aside some time to do more research. Let's hope I find a link to William the Conqueror!

This morning, we were all out by 7:30am. It was so dark when we set out, darker than I have seen so far this winter, and not helped by the foggy, damp conditions. Keith and Sophie dropped me off and when she got to work Sophie called VW on Riverside. They told her she has a home recovery service so they arranged for someone to be at the house by 9am.

My shift at work passed pleasantly (what a difference to Tuesday) and Keith collected me at 2pm. He told me that the recovery man had to break the flap to get it open, and I expected to see it hanging apart when we arrived home, but it looked fine. VW will repair it properly on the 3rd of January, the day after we return from Mallorca!

I spent two hours pootling about doing jobs, and at 4:30 pm, we left to collect Sophie from work. The weather hadn't improved at all, and it was misty and drizzly. The traffic was horrendous; the dual carriageway down to Riverside had two long lanes of slow-moving traffic, so we resolved not to go back that way!

We collected Sophie and headed home in the gloom, an atmosphere that was inside the car as well. Sophie was stressed again from work, and when we arrived home and sat in the kitchen, we discussed the problem. Unfortunately, this resulted in an argument so it was not the best of evenings! I wasn't in the mood to try my whiskies so they'll have to wait until the weekend when things will have hopefully calmed down!

Car catastrophe!

There was no lazing about this morning, and Keith and I were up, showered and out by 9:30 am. I treated my husband to a cooked breakfast at Frankie and Benny's at Riverside, and it was a lovely start to the day. We were on the hunt for something, but I can't say what as Sophie reads this blog!

In the end, we had to admit defeat and we drove over to Kettering. I had an appointment for Mum in the afternoon at a small hospital in Kettering and wanted to check out the parking. Bad memories of trying to get parked at Northampton General Hospital once have made me wary! As I expected, there weren't many spaces, so I asked Keith to drive us.

Back home, we barely had time to pootle about and try and do some jobs before we had to leave again! I'd asked Mum to meet me in reception, but she was still in her room when I arrived, so I was glad Keith could just drop us off. We drove the short distance to St Mary's Hospital, and would you believe I drove straight into a space! Typical! 

We followed directions to the part of the building where she was having "Hand Therapy". I'd had no leaflets or letters about the therapy and neither of us knew what to expect... it's probably my mind but I thought it sounded vaguely smutty! Mum had been referred by the Parkinson's nurse as she struggles to hold her cutlery. We saw a lovely young occupational therapist who went through her medical history and gave her some exercises to carry out. She told us you can buy foam pads on Amazon to fit over pens and knives and forks to make them easier to grip. I never knew! Mum would also benefit from trying to pick up coins or paper clips to improve her dexterity, so I can sort that out before her next appointment in January.

As it was getting late, and I still had loads to do, we dropped Mum back and returned home. I did all the usual Wednesday chores, and Sophie arrived home slightly later than usual as she'd had to go via Brixworth again.

She went back outside to charge up Olive but the flap covering the charging point on her car wouldn't open. I went out and tried to help, but it wouldn't budge. She had 10% battery left so she had to get the flap open to charge it. There was no way she could have driven it to the gym and work tomorrow with it so low.

All efforts to open the flap failed so we started Googling solutions. One piece of advice was to repeatedly open the car while pushing the flap at the same time. That didn't work. We took Olive around the estate in the hope that when she turned off the engine, it would magically re-open. That didn't work. 

Then, Keith and I watched a YouTube video about prising open the flap with a credit card (they used a hotel card in the video) but that didn't work either. We couldn't contact anyone at VW in Northampton (I called Bristol Street Motors by mistake and earned a glare from my daughter), so we had no choice but to leave it. We did find a panel in the boot where you can release the charging cable but that wasn't much help in this situation!

We sat at the island in the kitchen, a family of glums. Sophie had had another stressful day at work, and this seemed to be the last straw. She will have to go in with us tomorrow and be at work from 8am, poor thing.

After dinner (I left a lot as it was a tasteless chicken escalope) I opened two more whiskies for us to share while we watched Never Mind The Buzzcocks. The two were:

December 10th: Black Bottle Captain's Cask Alchemy Series Blended Scotch Whisky at 46.3%. I found it a bit fiery and harsh at first but it softened with a drop of water. Sweetish, and honeyed, reminded me of Biscoff biscuits. 4/5

December 11th: Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky at 40.0%. This reminded both Sophie and me of cherries, almonds, marzipan and Bakewell Tart. Delicious! 5/5

Before going to bed, we watched the end of the Simple Minds concert. Earlier, I'd watched one of their old videos from the 1980s and I couldn't believe how young Jim Kerr looked then! Well, it was forty years ago! We all looked a lot younger!

A trying day!

To be honest, today has been a little trying. Our office was noisy, and I found it difficult to concentrate when writing emails and the moan report. I kept having to answer the phone as Sara took Jo and Angela off to brief them on new practices, and Angela also had to do a training course which lasted almost an hour. By mid-afternoon, I felt like screaming! I really want to get as much done as I can before I go away, and I had to put on the children's activities as a priority as it'll be far too late when I return! I nearly put on my headphones to try and block out some of the chatter! Arrggghh!

At 4pm, I checked my phone to find a voicemail from Keith saying he was delayed because of problems on the loathsome A43. It turned out to be roadworks, so we returned home via Brixworth, and we advised Sophie to do the same.

It was great to relax in the peace and quiet and we sat in the kitchen and chatted. I put on a gorgeous screensaver from YouTube showing a snowy scene with trams and little cafés, and Sophie played our music. She is also having a stressful time at work so it was lovely to sit and relax with a glass of red. We were having meatballs and pasta tonight, so no whisky tasting! We drank a 14.5% Cairanne, a village we drove through in October in the Cotes du Rhone, and which her ex-boss had given her. It was gorgeous!

Dinner was also very good and after we'd eaten I enjoyed watching a BBC4 Simple Minds concert at the Hackney Empire. It was an acoustic concert so the music was a bit softer than their usual hits from the 80s. They played several of my favourites: Don't You (Forget About Me), Promised You A Miracle and Waterfront. The music brought back happy memories of being a teenager in the 1980s!

A stiff drink!

When Sophie woke me this morning, I really didn't want to get up! I was cold and tired so took myself back off to bed until 7am when I jumped in the shower. After today, I have only one more Monday to get up. Yipeee!

I drove myself to work this morning and Keith was pleased he didn't have to go shopping! Sheila was on holiday today, so it was just Sara and me in the office until Kathy came in. I managed to scan over the cash-up sheets for Sheila, do the box office returns and make a start on the emails. Jo returned today and said she'd felt very ill with whatever it was that she had last week. She was left with a hacking cough, and at one point all three of my colleagues were coughing loudly. I made a swift exit at 4pm!

Back home, I scooted around and did the usual evening chores, and then it was time to relax in the kitchen. We had to write the shopping list but as soon as that was over, Keith and I played a game of cards while Sophie dipped into her book. After the first game, I opened my two whiskies to try:

December 8th: Redbreast Cask Strength - Batch B1/23 12-year-old Single Malt Pot Still Irish Whiskey at a whopping 57.2%! We were all astonished at the strength of this whiskey and it proved too much for me. Our first sip made us all cough and splutter! I detected sweetness when I smelt it but drinking it was like imbibing firewater! Far too strong! 2/5

December 9th: Talisker Storm Single Malt Scotch Whisky at 45.8%. Another smoky, peaty whisky which put me in a poetic mood... log fires on Skye and misty mountains... coming back from a day's tramping over the hills and warming up by the fire. Perfect. Sophie detected cream and vanilla. I could have drunk it all evening! 5/5

Relaxing on a Sunday

Today has been very relaxed and uneventful—a perfect Sunday! Both Sophie and I woke up late again, but we must have needed the extra hours of sleep. However, I felt like I'd wasted half the day, and the time whizzed past even more quickly!

After enjoying a coffee, we sent Keith out into the wind and rain to Tesco to buy some items we needed. I finished cleaning the oven, did several loads of laundry and wrote out my Christmas cards. It was great to potter about, catch up with jobs and enjoy being in the warm inside. Even going out to our recycling bin was an ordeal and it was cold and rainy, with the wind coming from the north. I really felt for anyone who was suffering in a cold house, or worse, was homeless. I couldn't imagine not being able to put on the heating or have something hot to eat. It just makes me realise how lucky we are.

We decided to eat at 4.30pm this evening and Keith had prepared a beef casserole earlier in the day. It had been slowly cooking in the oven and I made dumplings to pop on the top. I don't think that Sophie and I were really ready for dinner so early, though, and my appetite had disappeared. I didn't try my whiskies tonight because we had a bottle of red with our meal. I can then try a couple tomorrow night!

Our evening was relaxed and we sat in the living room. Keith fell asleep watching football so we sneakily turned over and saw the end of yesterday's Saturday Morning Kitchen. I wished that it was Saturday morning all over again!

Storm Darragh

I had a nasty shock this morning when I opened my emails and saw one from a family tree research website that said my subscription would be renewed at a cost of £229.00! I am certain I set the subscription to non-renew automatically, and I was given no notice of the money being taken from my credit card. I was furious, and it comes hard on the heels of Keith topping up his mobile phone with a company, and no credit being added. Some of these scams hide in plain sight! Do not use ontopup.com!

The family tree website is based in the US so trying to get through to them proved impossible. It was also equally difficult to get through to my credit card company. I just wanted to speak to a human! I did find out, though, that the payment has to clear before the credit company will do anything and I have to wait up to fifteen days. £229.00 is not something I've budgeted for at the moment, especially as I haven't done any work on my family tree for ages! Grrrr!

To take my mind off the annoying problem, I amused myself by cleaning the oven, using the kit I'd bought from Amazon. I  poured a viscous liquid into a big plastic bag, added the grills and sealed it up, shaking it so the metal was coated. I then poured the remaining gel into the two ovens and coated every surface. I was then advised to wait at least four hours before rinsing off with soapy water. Our bottom oven was particularly bad so I was looking forward to the results of my endeavours!

Outside, the weather was horrible with strong winds and constant rain. Certainly not a day to be out and about and we heard on the news that two men had been killed by falling trees. We all stayed firmly indoors and I ticked off some more chores on my list, including ordering a new food bin so no pesky animals can get inside!

As an afternoon treat, I shared two more whiskies with Sophie and Keith, from the 6th and 7th of December:

December 6th: Talisker 10-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky at 45.8%. Keith and I visited the Talisker Distillery years ago and they used to add a blended whisky to make it more palatable, as it can be very peaty. I loved this, though, and didn't find it as antiseptic as the Caol Ila. I thought peaty, smoky and smooth, with hints of toast. 5/5

December 7th: The Antiquary 21-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky matured in Port casks at 40%. We loved the beautiful tawny colour of this whisky, probably due to the Port casks. It reminded us of Christmas cake and dried fruits, with a sherry-ish taste. It was smooth and delicious. No wonder we loved it, it was £100 a bottle! 5/5

In the evening, after I'd wiped off the oven-cleaning solution and was overjoyed with the results, Sophie and I caught the end of The Holiday and had cheesy nibbles with a glass of red wine. I then played cards with Keith while Sophie cooked paella for dinner in the sparkling clean oven! It was a delicious meal with enough left over for our dinner on Monday night!

Onset of the storm

I took Sophie's car to work today and Keith drove her in so she wouldn't have to worry about driving home after her Christmas party. They were having a festive day with games and craft activities, and then having lunch at The Picturedrome in Northampton, followed by an after-party with music and dancing.

My shift passed quickly, and I caught up with the emails, put on lots of children's activities up until Easter next year and made some progress on the moan report. I also put on some more films, so I was kept busy!

At 4pm, I sped home in the gloom (it was windy and raining) and had a soak in the bath. Keith went to the pub so I had an hour and a half to myself, which was lovely. Most of it was spent cuddling Mooney on the sofa. Gomez was nowhere to be seen despite the terrible weather.

Keith and I had a simple supper and my husband spent the evening watching some kind of snooker game where they're timed. There's an annoying beep every couple of minutes, but he enjoyed it, and I read! Outside, it grew worse and throughout the evening, I kept calling for Gomez but he didn't appear. Where on earth does he go when the weather's so awful?

Sophie asked us to pick her up at 11pm so we set out in the gathering storm to Northampton. I wondered which was the best way to go to avoid falling trees! As we neared The Picturedrome, she was outside waiting for us, and we sped home, going via the busy and colourfully lit Wellingborough Road where revellers were ignoring the weather and having a great time!

Back home, there was still no sign of Gomez even though Sophie called and called him. We shut the garage door, after calling him inside in case he'd crept up to the rafters, and got ready for bed as it was now almost midnight. Sophie, however, made one last effort to get him in and opened the garage door again. The little devil appeared, jumped down from the rafters and landed on the gate. He must have been in there all the time, so why had he ignored us? He nearly got to spend the night in the garage!

Sophie thinks he was the runt of the litter and was maybe dropped on his head... he certainly acts strangely at times!

A long and busy day...

Do you remember the sausage I mentioned in my blog yesterday? Well, this morning, as Sophie was getting ready to go to the gym, we opened the back door, and it was lying on the driveway! We don't have a lid on our horrible food bin, and a cat, fox or other animal had dragged out one of the food bags, and there was a half-eaten bread bap and the sausage lying on the ground! Obviously, the sausage wasn't to their taste, as it was untouched and looked even worse! Yuk!

My shift at work passed quickly, and Keith collected me at 2pm. I dropped him off just outside the estate and rushed to Kettering to collect my Mum for her nail appointment. We made it back to Northampton in time today, and she chose a festive sparkly red, which looked lovely.

Natalia didn't finish until almost 4.30pm, and I drove home to pick up Keith to keep me company. Silly, I know, but I hate the drive back from Kettering in the dark! We became embroiled in traffic just past the roundabout for Mawsley and crawled slowly all the way to the care home. Luckily, as I rang the doorbell, one of the carers arrived and said she'd take Mum back upstairs so I could leave.

Going back the way we'd come wasn't an option, as the traffic was horrendous, so we made the decision to go via the village of Loddington. I managed to get behind the slowest taxi known to man, who drove along and never exceeded 30 miles an hour. By now, it was raining heavily and the sides of the road were potholed and full of puddles, so overtaking wasn't possible. I sat behind him all the way until the turn-off for the single-track road leading to Old when I could finally increase my speed a little.

Sophie arrived seconds after me and it was great to finally be able to relax. Outside, it continued to pour with rain all evening and we have another storm to look forward to over the weekend - Darragh.

Before cooking dinner, I tried three of my whiskies, and shared them with Keith and Sophie:

December 3rd: Loch Lomond 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 46% ABV.  For me, the alcohol overpowered this whisky and I found it quite harsh. I noticed a peatiness and bitterness on the aftertaste. Sophie said it reminded her of oranges. Keith loved it, he said there were hints of creaminess. 3/5

December 4th: Fielden Rye Whisky at 48%. Sophie was a huge fan of this, and I liked it too. It reminded me of "Fisherman's Friend" cough sweets, even plastic! Then I detected notes of cream soda. Sophie gave it 5/5, and I awarded it 4/5.

December 5th: Caol Ila 12-year-old Scotch Whisky 43%. Even before I smelt and tasted this I knew it would be peaty. And it was! It was like liquid Germolene. Very peaty and smoky, but softened with water. Sophie hated it, and I gave it 3/5. Keith was non-committal.

Tomorrow night, Sophie is attending her office Christmas party and we're picking her up from town at 11pm, so no alcohol for me at all. I don't think it will do me any harm!

A work gathering

I had a lie-in this morning and I refused to feel guilty about it! When I eventually went downstairs for coffee, I had a cuddle with Mooney and eased myself into the day.

Keith and I did his pre-op questionnaire first, and I was mightily glad we'd left it until today as it took us almost an hour to complete. Some of the questions were very probing about earlier operations, his medication and his health in general. I would not have been happy completing it on Monday night after a somewhat stressful day at work!

The rest of the day was spent doing chores, and I gave the cupboards a good tidy, as well as the fridge. It made it a lot easier for us to do the hated shopping list and come up with meals until Sunday! We both loathe doing this, but the thought of poor Keith trawling around Tesco not knowing what to buy or what we need is too much to bear! I had a good clear out of the fridge and threw away a sausage that Sophie and I had bought in the delicatessen in Marylebone on the 25th of September... every time I opened it, I was confronted by something that looked disgusting, to be honest, so it went!

We also bought Keith's travel insurance for Mallorca, so that's another job out of the way! I can't believe that it's getting so close! I'm not at all ready and I need some new clothes, but what to take? 

In the early evening, I made my way over to my colleague, Sue's, house where we were having a little work gathering. She and her husband have a pub in their house, and I was amazed to see how professional it looked! They even had beer pumps! Heaven knows how many whiskies were behind the bar, and old beer bottles and glasses lined the walls. A music video was playing (they have karaoke nights as well, I understand!), and there were plenty of bar stools to sit on.

Keith would have been happy!

Sue was a fantastic hostess and made all of us feel at home. It was great to see my workmates away from the office, and we had a good chat. Sue had made pasta and pizza and we stood in her beautiful kitchen to enjoy the meal.

As the evening had started very early, we weren't late, and when I emerged into the night, it was raining hard. Back at home, I sat with Keith and Sophie, who were watching Newcastle play Liverpool. There was a lot of shouting going on but the final result was a draw, which I think they were happy with!

A family gathering

As expected, Jo was off sick today, and I dreaded Sara asking me to answer phones, but Denise got the job instead. To be honest, I would have struggled with the number of emails that needed answering, the Christmas holiday activities to put onto the system, and the moan report to start! I want to get this done before I finish on the 19th of December, so Sara doesn't have to do it.

We had a quick meeting before the phone lines opened, and then it was back to work. I steadily tackled the emails and managed to get them down to zero before I left. Thankfully, there was no repeat of the issues we experienced yesterday!

Our office was busy and noisy today, with staff down again from our Derbyshire leisure centre and other managers wandering in and out. It was great to leave at 4pm and I asked Keith why he'd been in a foul mood this morning. He eventually said it was because I'd asked to leave doing his pre-op questionnaire until tomorrow when I'm off. He had asked me to do it on Monday night at 6pm, after a stressful day at work, so not the best of times! He knows that I leave lots of chores to Wednesday when we have plenty of time to sort out paperwork and other issues!

We returned home to freshen up and change for our evening out with Mike and Sophie. We had booked a table at The Rose and Crown in Yardley Hastings for 7.30pm and we were looking forward to catching up with Mike. We hadn't told him where we were going and he was under the impression we'd booked something in town, but Sophie had promised Keith a pint of Abbot!

The restaurant was looking suitably festive, and we took our table in the middle of the pub. They were offering a Christmas menu and we all chose different starters - paté for Mike, black pudding Scotch egg for Keith, smoked salmon for Sophie and prawn cocktail for me. Sophie and I both chose turkey for our main course (we're trying to have as many turkey meals as we can, seeing as we won't be having it on Christmas Day this year!) and the men chose roast beef.

Sophie and I enjoyed a bottle of Chenin Blanc and the men worked their way through several pints of Abbot, thank goodness! The food was good and we had thick slabs of turkey with roast potatoes, red cabbage, Brussels sprouts and mini sausages. We managed to find room for puds - three of us enjoyed marmalade and whisky bread and butter pudding, while Keith chose the gingernut sticky toffee pudding.

We had a great time and a lot of laughs and it was lovely and relaxed. I do think we all get on better as a family when we're not living on top of each other! Mike told us about his job but said he was going for an interview later in the week for a groundskeeper job at a golf course in town. 

We left at about 9.30pm, dropped Mike off and drove home to see the cats, who had been in all night, and were sleepy when we arrived back. We'd left the heating on as tonight was chilly so the house was lovely and warm!

Stopping the flood!

I was on my own until 9am this morning and enjoyed the peace and quiet, which was a good job, as the rest of the day was not the best! Jo arrived feeling ill and coughing loudly, and she worsened as the day wore on. 

I tackled the emails and was surprised to suddenly see that the number in the inbox had climbed to over ninety... I then realised it was multiple messages saying one of our emails couldn't be delivered. I looked at the address and saw that it was an email from a company that was touting for business and had contacted us just before 10am. From then on, we were getting between five and six emails every minute! Our normal emails were being lost in the hundreds flooding in, so I spent twenty minutes on the phone with our IT department to see if they could resolve it!

As fast as I deleted them, more flooded in and I had to leave them until the early afternoon. I tried to block the address but they just kept on coming! We were also receiving repeated abusive phone calls from someone who had hidden their telephone number so it made for an interesting day!

By mid-afternoon, IT had managed to stop the flood, but I estimated we'd received over six hundred emails from this company, Apparently, when we sent an automatic reply to them, they sent one to us, resulting in a never-ending loop! Jo and Kathy had carried on receiving horrible phone calls and in the end, we stopped answering any from an unknown number.

It was heaven to escape at 4pm and go home! I pootled about and when Sophie came home we sat in the kitchen and chatted about our days. Keith hit us with the shocking news that he'd been contacted by the hospital to have his hernia operation before Christmas. His umbilical hernia, which was repaired back in 2016, has come back and it's been affecting him for about eighteen months. Last week, he'd seen the surgeon again, and now the hospital had called him! However, when he mentioned we were going to Mallorca over Christmas, they weren't able to admit him as he needs six weeks to recover before flying. He was disappointed, but we can't cancel the holiday, so hopefully, they'll contact him again in the new year.

While we were absorbing the news, I tried the second whisky of my Advent Calendar. Here are my notes from the first two:

December 1st: Quartermaster, an 11-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky at 46.4% ABV. This was delicious, sweet and honeyed with notes of raisins and dates. I loved it, but discovered it's about £75 for a bottle! I gave it 5/5.

December 2nd: Lagavulin, an 8-year-old Single Malt at 48%. As expected, it was peaty and tasted of antiseptic and put me in mind of misty mountains, wet evenings by the fire (woodsmoke) and carbolic soap. There was a sweet finish and I loved it as well. 5/5. It's about £60.

These are 30ml samples so more than enough to taste properly and mix with a little water to bring out the flavours. Tomorrow night, we're going for a meal, en famille, so I'll have to leave the 3rd whisky until later in the week!

A festive Sunday

For some unknown reason, Sophie and I both slept in until almost 10am this morning! I was horrified when Keith woke me up and told me the time as I thought it was about 8am! He admitted thinking we were drugged because this was so unlike us! I felt dreadful after such a long sleep and had a muzzy head all day.

However, we had a busy Sunday ahead of us, with cleaning and decorating our two trees. I had a strong coffee to wake me up and we made a start, with Keith bringing the trees in from the garage and Sophie putting them up. I blitzed the living room and moved all the furniture to give everything a good clean.

Both cats were out and it was a grey, damp day outside. We didn't have any issues with them last year attacking the trees, and when Mooney did come in he seemed uninterested! As a precaution, though, we placed some of the more fragile baubles higher up to avoid temptation! Sophie spread the Scandi ornaments over the kitchen island and we reminisced about where we had bought some of them. This year we had new baubles from Lisbon, Berlin and Woburn!

By about 2pm we were finished and we could relax. Sophie and I enjoyed the cheese and biscuits we'd bought in Oxford with the delicious piccalilli. We didn't want a big lunch as we'd planned on eating at 4pm, but eventually put it back to 6pm as neither of us was hungry!

Keith had prepared a spicy chilli con carne and it was a perfect, easy meal after spending most of the day decorating. The living room was lovely and cosy and it was great to see all of our decorations on show, including our little tribe of gonks!

A relaxing Saturday

I woke this morning feeling a little fragile after not sleeping very well! I can't do late nights and red wine as well as I used to! Isla's mum had sent me a message saying that one of the cats had caught a live mouse and was heading home with it. In the conservatory, there was a standoff between them with the (now) dead mouse lying on the floor. Gomez was growling at Mooney, even though I think it was Mooney who had caught the creature in the first place! The next time I looked out there, the mouse was gone. I swept the floor and mopped it as there were smears of blood, grass and little mouse organs. It was like a murder scene!

After tidying up the conservatory, it was lovely to pootle about and not do much today! Sophie prepared tonight's dinner, a Malaysian coconut chicken curry, and when she was mixing the spices, it smelt divine!

I made bacon sandwiches for Keith and me and caught up with the newspapers from the previous week. We've given up on the regular delivery now and buy them whenever we're out. Some of the bills were approaching £100 as the newsagent delayed invoicing us!

I contemplated cleaning the oven but decided to invest in a proper kit from Amazon to do it properly. Any other cleaning was put off until tomorrow when we'll put up the Christmas trees, and I'll blitz the house. So, it was great to relax and unwind after a busy week at work.

In the evening, Sophie and I played Scrabble and she made Martinis with the juice from a jar of ginger. They tasted delicious, a kind of dirty ginger Martini! I beat Sophie at Scrabble so I seem to be on a run at the moment, much to her disgust! She then finished cooking the curry while I boiled the rice. It was delicious and there was enough left for our lunches on Monday.

After dinner, we argued about what film to watch, and gave up in the end, choosing to see Never Mind The Buzzcocks instead. To my and Sophie's delight, Charlie Simpson (late of Busted) was on one of the shows! We have fond memories of going to see him at the O2 in Islington and we were great fans about ten years ago!

A sleepy Gomez

Scrabble and cocktails

A sociable evening!

I was back answering the phone today as Kathy had taken a day's leave. We had visitors in the office from our Derbyshire leisure centre today and it was great to put faces to names! As well as answering calls, I waded through the emails and put the films onto the system. Sheila also gave me details of the Christmas holiday activities and a new swim teacher course, so I'll be busy next week!

Despite not looking forward to today, it was a pleasant shift and the time flew by. At 4pm, I drove home and had a bath. Sophie arrived home at 5.30pm and after she'd showered and changed, she straightened my hair so it wasn't so fluffy!

We left for Sarah and Liam's house and I said on the way that I wished they still lived next door and we could walk around! We were met by their enormous Irish Wolfhound, Bram, who wasn't sure of us at all and ran away! It was the first time we'd seen their gorgeous new sunroom and it looked beautiful. They had the table set and a fire alight in the log-burning stove so it was lovely and cosy!

Liam was an excellent host and kept our glasses filled, although Sophie just sipped a small glass as she was driving us home, bless her. We sat at their kitchen table and chatted before enjoying samosas and salad, followed by a butter chicken curry and naan bread. 

Bram kept coming in and wandering about but he was still hesitant about having a cuddle. Max, he was definitely not! I still miss that dog and the walks we used to have!

With mince pies for pud and lots more red wine, we stayed and chatted until almost midnight before making our way home. It was a pitch-black night and Sophie got us home safely. When we arrived back, we discovered that Mooney had managed to open the conservatory door and escape through the catflap! Gomez was waiting for us in the conservatory and Mooney came back in a little later, the monkey!

A touch of Morse...

Sara was back today, and Sheila also returned from her break, so we were able to catch up with things before the others arrived for work. I managed to finish the moan report and tackled all the emails. Another list of films also arrived, so I'll put them on tomorrow which should take us over the Christmas/New Year period. Phew! Time is flying!

My shorter shift passed quickly and Keith collected me at 2pm. I dropped him off at home and drove straight over to pick up my Mum to take her to Tesco so she could do a little shopping. I will have to help her with her Christmas purchases as well, but I can tackle that once it's December!

I queued for a coffee at the Costa outlet, but the man behind the counter was working on his own, so I gave up. I treated Mum to a lovely soft and comfortable pyjama/loungewear outfit to replace the dressing gown I'd bought her, as well as a box of chocolates. I also selected a bottle of Ravenswood Californian wine to take to Sarah and Liam's house tomorrow night when we've been invited around for dinner.

After we'd finished shopping, I dropped Mum back off (managing to avoid seeing my Dad) and drove home. The sky was gorgeous this evening, a mixture of indigo blue, pink and purple, and the bare trees looked beautiful. It felt chilly, though!

Back home, I busied myself with the usual evening chores and lit the candles to make the house cosy. Sophie came home and was shattered as she is having to work on her own at the moment. Her working day must have been bad as she refused to talk about it!

After dinner this evening Keith and I waded through the first-ever episode of Inspector Morse, inspired by my visit to Oxford yesterday. The episode came out in 1987 and the cars seemed so old!

A day out in Oxford

After a decent lie-in, Sophie and I set off for Oxford at 10am. My daughter wanted to pop into the café opposite where she works first, as she owed them money for her lunch yesterday. Their card machine had broken down, and she hadn't any cash, so she wanted to settle her bill. Unfortunately, it still wasn't working so she promised to go back in tomorrow.

We had a good trip to the Pear Tree Park and Ride, but a long queue awaited the bus. We joined the end and didn't think we'd get on, but we did, although we had to stand for the journey into the city centre. We were both dying for a coffee, so we went to Waterstones and enjoyed a flat white and a cake each. Afterwards, it was great to wander about and look at the books. I was tempted by a wonderful French/English version of Flaubert's Madame Bovary, and a pretty edition of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Sophie also bought two books; one of them, Love In The Time of Cholera, is a tome I've always wanted to read.

Posters advertising events - so many things to see!

From Waterstones, we went to the Christmas market, but we were a little disappointed this year. There weren't many cabins and one of my favourites, the stall selling Christmas decorations made from fruit, wasn't there.

We had lunch booked for 2pm, so we didn't want anything to eat. We wandered about for a little while but as we had over an hour to kill before our table was ready, Sophie suggested going for a drink at The Randolph Hotel, opposite The Ashmolean Museum.

I readily agreed, so we walked the short distance and went into the hotel by a side entrance. We found ourselves in Alice's restaurant with a beautiful bar area.

There were a couple of tables occupied and a staff member came over to see us. Sophie asked if we could just have a drink and he took us to the gorgeous Morse bar where a fire was burning in the grate, and it was beautifully cosy.

We sat at a table and perused the drinks menu, choosing The Secret for me, and a French Martini for Sophie. The barman made our drinks and it was wonderful to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the busy city.

I loved the ceiling!

Photos of John Thaw's Morse on the walls

Not everyone was drinking cocktails; two women opposite made themselves content with coffee, but it was lovely to sip our drinks and soak up the heavenly atmosphere for an hour. This is definitely a new favourite place to visit!

Reluctantly, we finished our drinks, paid the bill and had a quick look at the elegant drawing room where you can take afternoon tea.

Back outside, we experienced a dose of reality, with shoppers queuing for buses and people selling The Big Issue. Before going to the restaurant, we paid a quick visit to a lovely cheese shop, where Sophie bought chunks of Lincolnshire Poacher and a strong Cheddar. I bought a box of cheese biscuits and a jar of piccalilli.

We crossed the road to No.1 Ship Street and took our seats in the cosy, dimly-lit restaurant. We both chose from the set lunch menu - a celeriac velouté for Sophie and fried baby squid with aioli for me as starters, and cottage pie for our main courses. We chose a bottle of Portuguese red wine and munched on delicious bread and butter before our food arrived. 

There was a lovely atmosphere in the restaurant, and two Spanish women came to sit next to us, sharing a glass of beer!

Our starters

The wine was delicious and we lingered over the meal, enjoying our cottage pie main course (although I have to say Keith's is better!) and choosing desserts of chocolate fondant and creme brulée. As the afternoon wore on, the staff dimmed the lights even more, and it was heavenly to sit and chat.

By 4.30pm we'd finished, so we paid the bill and emerged into the dusky evening. It was still cold and people were huddled against the elements. We walked back to the bus stop, taking some photos on the way.

Hat shop

"Please do not park bicycles against these railings as they may be removed!"

I saw an electronic sign saying that the next bus for our Pear Tree Park and Ride was due in eight minutes, which was perfect. We joined the long queue and I was sure I overheard someone say the bus was delayed. In the end, we waited almost half an hour and managed to grab two seats on the very back row of the bus. An older couple were already seated by the window, and two women came and sat opposite. 

The bus journey back to the car park took almost an hour, and we were constantly held up by traffic. This gave us a chance to all have a good moan and find out where we were headed once back at our cars. Sophie and I said Northampton and a man who had just joined the throng of people now standing in the aisle said he was driving to Kettering. This started a conversation about the recent floods and how bad the weather had been. The journey passed pleasantly because of the conversation, but I felt a little sorry for the wife of the couple as her husband was entirely engrossed in his phone for the whole time we were on the bus! The standing man kept trying to butt into our conversation, saying he'd been made aware of problems on the A43, but he wasn't really part of our little group, so we ignored him...! Only joking! It was great to sit and actually talk to strangers and find out a little about them!

Back at the car, we made our way onto the busy A34, then the M40 and finally the A43. It was a dark and hectic journey, and we made it home by 7.15pm. We were still full from lunch so we didn't touch the cheese or biscuits, but we had to make the porridge and lunches... back to reality with a bump!

The name lives on!

Keith took me to work this morning as he had a hospital appointment at 9am. We went in earlier than usual, and I was on my own until 9am. Our MD came in, and we had a lovely chat about our old soft play business - the two centres we bought earlier in the year now carry the same name, which made me feel very pleased and proud! It's lovely that the name my Mum chose so many years ago will live on!

Work passed quickly today, and I tackled all the emails before I left at 4pm. I was looking forward to a relaxing evening and seeing Sophie after her trip away yesterday.

When she returned, she was shattered and glad that she'd booked tomorrow off. The plan is to go to Oxford, pootle about the Christmas market and have lunch in Ship Street. We sat in the kitchen with a drink, and she told us about her trip to Leicester. She'd bought goodies home with her: pens, a lovely notebook, chocolates and some little phone holders. She can go again!

Storm Bert - the aftermath!

High on our shopping list today were candles! The last of the power cuts yesterday was at about 7pm, plunging our estate into total darkness, and I was glad we had candles lit in the living room. If we are going to have regular power cuts then we will need an ample stock of candles!

Sophie was driving to Leicester today to attend a conference and awards ceremony, and her route to the  A14 was affected by the flooding. I suggested she go up to the A43 via Walgrave as there were no reports of flooding along this stretch of the road. Keith and I set out at 7.30am and I learned that the caravans at Billing had been evacuated, and we were due to have some of the residents taking shelter with us at work.

They started arriving mid-morning, and we not only had people, but cats, dogs and a rabbit! There would be nothing on this earth that you could offer me to do what they were doing - bedding down in our squash courts with total strangers for the night!

It has certainly been a trying day at work! Sara was working from home and when I spoke to her on the phone she still sounded ill. Jo was late in, as her daughter had given birth to a baby boy in the early hours of the morning, so I was answering calls with Kathy, trying to file the box office returns, scan the cash sheets to help Sheila and deal with the customer service emails. Phew! 

When Keith collected me at 4pm, the car park was full and it was great to head home and relax. Sophie was looking forward to a good dinner, but later told me they were serving goat's cheese for a starter and lamb for a main course, two of the foodstuffs she loathes!

Keith and I dined on leftover chicken and vegetables and managed to get the cats in nice and early. We've had no rain today, but there is more due on Wednesday, the day Sophie and I are planning to go to Oxford!

Storm Bert, Part 2... It gets worse!

Our weather has been worse today, with stronger winds and far more rain than we had yesterday. It was a day for not going out and staying in the house. It hasn't been cold - the temperature was about 15c - but the wind and rain have been terrible!

A tree down outside our estate - (photo courtesy of a local resident)

We had a lazy start to the day before doing housework and washing several loads of laundry. The cats didn't stray far and kept coming in, soaked to the skin. I mopped the floor in the conservatory, but little muddy footprints soon appeared again!

We planned to have a later roast chicken lunch today, but still earlier than our normal evening time, which is around 7.30pm. Sophie prepared the vegetables, and there was a veritable feast of them, including Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, swede and parsnip. We popped the chicken in the oven after smothering it with butter and placing a lemon in the cavity. The meal was delicious and Sophie and I drank one of the Rieslings we bought yesterday, which was gorgeous and worth the price tag!

In total, we endured three power cuts today, and our electrics also tripped. After eating, we relaxed and kept up to date with local happenings on Facebook. Local residents were reporting flooding between our village and the road over to Lamport - water was gushing over the road from the fields and it was impassable. The road to Mawsley was also flooded, and by the duck pond in Holcot. We also heard of problems on the A508 towards Market Harborough and on the A14. We had a yellow weather warning today but looking at all the issues I think it should have been an amber warning! There have been serious problems in Wales as well, so Storm Bert has certainly made his presence known!

The rain continued all day and I indulged in two episodes of Michael Palin's Around The World in 80 Days, which was lovely. It was hard to believe it was filmed in 1988. Oh, what a different place the world was then!

Storm Bert, Part 1

After Sophie's acupuncture session, her last until February, we drove over to Olney. The UK has been lashed today by the innocuous-sounding Storm Bert, which affected the west side of the country the worst. We have had high winds and rain and it was a thoroughly miserable day!

After a couple of laps of the small car park, we found a space and made our way over to the Willen Hospice charity shop. I found a pair of black trousers that were perfect for work and Sophie bought a dress and a top. She was looking for a more formal dress for an awards event she's going to on Monday night, but didn't have a lot of luck, bless her!

We sloshed our way over to the High Street where we looked in two other shops. I found a lonely Christmas gonk, so he came home with us, and Sophie found another top for work. It's been the wind that has affected us most today, sending our hair all over the place and leaves flying everywhere. The rain has been patchy but it was horrible to be out in the nasty weather!

At 1pm, we'd had enough and walked to the lovely brasserie tucked away in a courtyard. Both of us were hungry, ordering a burger for me, and a club sandwich for Sophie, both accompanied by French fries. I enjoyed a glass of Merlot, while Sophie chose a Pinot Grigio. The staff were lovely and friendly and the restaurant was buzzing pleasantly with people enjoying their lunches. This has rapidly become one of our favourite places to eat, as the food is good, the prices are reasonable and the staff are welcoming.

We lingered over the meal but neither of us had room for a pud, so we paid the bill and left. Sophie had mentioned we had hardly any bottles of white wine at home, so we popped into a slightly posh wine shop on the main square. 

The woman running the shop welcomed us and asked if we needed help, but we both wanted to browse and take our time. Upstairs, I could hear loud voices and laughter, so I asked if they had a restaurant or wine bar. The woman explained it was a private party enjoying wines but said we were welcome to sit on the sofa downstairs and enjoy a bottle if we wanted.

We had a good look at the wines, which weren't cheap, and the party from upstairs all came down and mingled in the shop. The shop owner asked if they wanted to try a Riesling, and apologised about it... I have no idea why as Riesling can produce beautiful wine. One of the men, a real pretentious prat, refused, saying he would never drink Riesling! What an idiot! Was he perhaps put off by Blue Nun from Germany?

I was actually looking at a Riesling from Australia while he made his pompous speech, and the woman offered us a taste of Canadian Riesling. Sophie immediately said it tasted of apples, which it did, and quite tart ones at that! It wasn't for us, but I bought the bottle of Australian Riesling and Sophie picked out an Austrian wine made from the same grape.

I love the name on this!

We made our way home through the wind-blown, sodden countryside and noticed that The Falcon at Castle Ashby was closed up. I'd received an email from them last week saying they were closing the hotel and restaurant and turning the place into a "Wellness" retreat by the Spring of next year. We weren't surprised, as the prices were astronomical and the once lovely welcoming and hospitable coaching inn had been turned into a place that locals certainly didn't go to.

Back home, we put the heating on, lit the candles and kept the cats in, much to their disgust, but what on earth was the point in going out? Keith was watching Sileby play (I was amazed the game still went ahead) and came home looking frazzled by the wind.

We spent a pleasant evening reading and watching football and Keith and Sophie presented me with a whisky advent calendar again! I was delighted with the present and can't wait to try out the different whiskies throughout December!

We watched Love, Actually this evening and it was wonderfully warm and entertaining. Outside, the rain came down even harder, and the wind gusts were forecast to be 50mph! Phew!