Halloween!

Today has dragged, but that's only to be expected as it was my last day at work until next Thursday! I tackled all the emails and then scanned three months' worth of box office returns to a folder on my computer. We are having to think now about the stuff we store at work, as we will be moving offices soon, probably as soon as next month. I'm not looking forward to it, to be honest, as the new office will be a lot smaller and Nicola will be sitting with us and won't have an office of her own. It's going to be noisy bedlam!

At 4pm, I sped home and prepared the house for tonight's Halloween festivities. Unfortunately, Mooney spotted our horrible cackly demon and fled. It not only cackles and screams, but its eyes flash red as well! Scary!

I put lots of sweets in a bowl, lit some tealights under our terracotta pumpkin and awaited Sophie's arrival. As soon as she came home, she put on some spooky makeup and made us Dragon Breath cocktails, consisting of vodka, triple sec, raspberry syrup and, weirdly, egg whites! The drinks were delicious!

Sophie and Gomez

Keith went to the pub and we settled down to watch The Shining, gettting up every now and again to welcome Trick or Treaters! We didn't have that many, so now we have a lot of sweets left! Sophie will take them into work and try and get rid of them!

It took ages for us to get Mooney in tonight, and he didn't appear until almost 10pm, so I was starting to get worried. Gomez, unusually, came in early. Typical!

Good news... and bad news...

I don't know whether it's because of the half-term holiday, but we've received far fewer emails this week, so it's given me a chance to catch up with other jobs. I put two new classes on today, and also, to my great delight, worked out the new system for our playscheme places and put them onto the system as well. I was so pleased! It suddenly just fell into place, so now I need to show Sara and Sheila, and we'll have to test them on our website, something I can do next week. I'm on annual leave Monday and Tuesday, so I'm looking forward to five days off.

Keith picked me up at 2pm, we drove home, and then I went straight out again to see my parents. My Dad had gone down to one of the lounges to play carpet bowls, so I sat on the sofa with my Mum, who seemed to be in a very morose mood. When my Dad returned, he appeared vacant, so I said goodbye and returned home.

It was my turn to prepare dinner tonight, and we'd decided to have a Berlin favourite, a potato and sausage soup. I chopped up potatoes, an onion and celery, and sweated them gently in a casserole dish. Once they were softened, I blitzed them and added chopped up frankfurters. We ate the meal with flatbread, and I have to say the soup was delicious and almost as good as the one served in Reinhard's. How we miss that restaurant!

After dinner, the care home called to say that both my parents had fallen over (my Mum helping Dad when I told her not to) and they had to call an ambulance for my Mum as she'd cut her head. I was angry with them both for ignoring all the advice and getting themselves into another dangerous situation again. At 10pm, the phone rang again, and it was one of the carers saying that she didn't think my Mum would need to go to the hospital. Thank goodness for that!

Looking back

I have spent today pottering about, and it's been very enjoyable! I amused myself first thing by doing the usual Wednesday chores, and we managed to get the shopping list completed early. It's always a bonus when that's out of the way, and I scoured the recipe books for something different to eat on Sunday. It's a real chore choosing meals, and sometimes I'm tempted to take out a Hello Fresh subscription. Whenever we cook something that needs exotic ingredients, we're left with a whole jar that we rarely use again. There was a jar of galangal paste in the fridge that we'd only used once!

Talking of which, I did a bi-annual cull of the jars in the fridge and chucked out a load of stuff that was well past its "best by" date. Being good, I emptied the jars into our food waste bin and washed them out before recycling. A horrible job, but needs must!

There was no chance of getting out into the garden today as it was damp and chilly. I'm waiting for the wasps to die off in the nest in the compost bin, so we can tackle the corner behind the garage, which needs a lot of attention. A nice, dry and sunny day in late November should be perfect!

In the afternoon, I transcribed my 1987 Nepal diary and also read my normal diary, which I kept at the time. I was always out on the town then! Or working! It's hard to believe that it was 38 years ago! 

Sopie cooked us "stand and stuff" minced beef tacos for dinner tonight, and the meal was delicious. There was enough left for me to have two lunches; Sophie is still eating the jerk chicken pasta I cooked last night!

Nice and spicy!

Today has been better than normal, and nowhere near as loud as it usually is! I finished the moan report (hooray) and played around with the new playscheme bookings page as it neared 4pm. 

Keith collected me from work, and back at home, I relaxed. Keith was going to see Sileby play this evening, and Sophie and I were going to cook Jerk chicken pasta. Keith had marinated the chicken breasts for me, so that had helped.

We opened a bottle of Cotes du Rhone white wine, nibbled on some Pringles and started watching the last film in the "Before" trilogy, Before Midnight. We had to turn it off after about half an hour to concentrate on cooking dinner. When it was all done and we were eating, Sophie said it was the best I'd ever done! It was certainly hot and spicy!

We watched the rest of the film, overjoyed to get both cats in early tonight! What a bonus! Gomez curled up on the sofa between Sophie and me and fell asleep. He likes me to rest my hand on his belly, and he lifts his leg up in a really strange little manoeuvre! He can be so sweet!

Keith came home well chilled to say that Sileby lost 3-4... oh dear!

Half-term starts!

Sophie didn't go to the gym this morning, so we sat and enjoyed Hunted with a coffee. We were impressed that a convicted sex offender, who had been wrongfully released from prison on Friday, was caught yesterday in London. The show may be more realistic than we thought!

I drove myself to work and had a busy day, tackling all the emails and spending the afternoon putting the finishing touches to the moan report. We had a full office again, and our MD visited in a very jolly mood! It's definitely the season for coughs and colds, though, and Nicola's daughter was in to help, despite feeling unwell, bless her. It was the first day of the October half-term today, but the phones weren't as busy as we were expecting.

We had last night's meal for dinner tonight, and we really need to consider the vegetables we're choosing to accompany the meals. Tonight, we had boiled cabbage, a mix of swede, carrot and parsnip, and Brussels sprouts. Both Sophie and I are heartily sick of them, so I ordered a vegetable cookbook from Amazon. I'm hoping to get some inspiration!

A quiet Sunday

I had a lovely lie-in this morning and didn't feel guilty as the clocks had gone back an hour last night! It was great to pootle about, do some jobs and not have to go anywhere. Sophie and I still felt disappointed with last night, and we read some more reviews this morning, all of them saying that although Erykah Badu is a great performer, she does a lot of improvisation with her songs and has several costume changes. This, coupled with appearing later than advertised, means we would have been very late home!

I found this review from The i Paper by Siobhan Norton:

"No one seemed in a hurry to get seated at the Royal Albert Hall, even as the lights dimmed and the warm-up DJs began. Rows of seats remained empty, and the main arena only had a scattering of people milling about. Yet it was a sold-out performance to see Erykah Badu, the queen of neo-soul, for a tribute to her seminal sophomore album, Mama’s Gun.

“Let’s just hope she turns up,” one concert-goer said to her friend as they settled in at the bar. In 2024, Badu cancelled her headline performance at the London festival Cross the Tracks, despite making it as far as a sound check. She cited illness, but fans speculated that she might have had other reasons – this woman plays by her own rules. Tonight, time began to creep, yet the mood of the crowd didn’t dip – they know Badu well.

At 50 minutes past her scheduled stage time, she emerged – nonchalant, poised and resplendent in her now signature towering hat and oversized coat and trousers, more fitting to an Alpine ayahuasca ceremony than an Italianate concert hall – and all was forgiven."

Hmmm!

Sophie went to see a friend at lunchtime, and I continued my pottering about, not doing an awful lot! Keith had prepared all the vegetables for tonight's dinner of toad in the hole, so there wasn't much to do for dinner. 

After Sophie returned, I had a bath, completed some feminine tasks, and we gathered back down in the kitchen to chat. We all decided, again, that we didn't fancy dinner, so we postponed the meal until tomorrow. We are going to have to rewrite the rules for our weekend meals!

Just waitin'...

After a decent lie-in, coffee, a Wordle-off and a new game, Connections, I drove Sophie to Kingsley Beauty Salon for a quick treatment. Unusually, there were no spaces in the tiny car park, so I had to drop Sophie off and park a few streets away.

When she was finished, we popped to Waitrose to get a newspaper and something light for lunch as we were driving down to London for an Erykah Badu concert at the Royal Albert Hall in the afternoon. Even here, the forecourt was rammed and I was forced to park opposite. The slight inconvenience set the tone for the rest of the day...

When we arrived back home, every surface in the kitchen was liberally covered in flour. Keith had made a batch of sausage rolls and didn't tell us until Sophie had unwrapped some scones to have for her lunch. I had, in a moment of madness, bought myself a Cornish pasty to eat (which I knew I was going to regret later), and both of us stared at him in amazement. Why didn't he tell us he was going to make sausage rolls before we left earlier? Sophie had spent £10 in Waitrose!

We decided to take a couple with us to eat when we arrived in London, and while Sophie had a shower, I cleaned up the kitchen and swept the floor. Keith had also made a jam tart, and the door of the fridge had a big smudge of jam all over it. There was flour on the floor, on the cupboard doors and all over the worktops. It was like cleaning up after a toddler had been baking!

I then had a shower and we left at 1pm. We'd booked a parking space through Just Park on Exhibition Road, about a five-minute walk from the Royal Albert Hall, and had booked a table at a Georgian restaurant nearby. I had elected to drive to a) save money on train fares and taxis, and b) because we didn't want to catch a train home late at night. 

We had a stop-start journey down to London on the M1 before taking the North Circular and then driving along residential streets to Kensington. I was astounded to see that all the roads had a 20mph speed limit. Driving at 20mph was difficult. Even with my foot off the accelerator, I had difficulty, so I just prayed I wouldn't get a ticket.

It took us an hour to cover five miles, but we arrived at the block of flats just after 3pm. I was amazed to see these were the flats we used to walk past to get to the museums years ago, when the children were small. We had to press a buzzer to get into the gated forecourt and spoke to the concierge, who gave us a laminated sign to put in the car. We then drove down to the bowels of the building to park. It was very tight, but I managed to reverse into the ultra-secure space. We made our way back up to reception, and Sophie asked the friendly concierge if she could use the loo. He kindly took us back down to the boiler room, and we tried to remember the way back!

We made for Hyde Park first, and spotted a café. Sophie ordered a hot chocolate and a tea, and we sat outside, well away from a screaming baby who belonged to a French family. It was a gorgeous, Autumnal afternoon, and it was pleasant to be able to sit outside and watch people come and go. We sneakily ate the sausage rolls and threw the crumbs on the ground for the fat pigeons who strolled about.

After we'd eaten and I'd used the facilities, we walked over to the Albert Memorial opposite the Royal Albert Hall.

In the distance, we could see ominous clouds gathering, so we decided to see if we could have a drink at Stein's Berlin, a café/restaurant a few doors up from one of our favourites, Ognisko. Why hadn't we booked a table here, we wondered? Because we wanted to try something new, and a friend of Sophie's had recommended the Georgian restaurant.

The staff at Stein's Berlin were friendly and accommodating, and led us to a table at the back of the dining room. There was a lot of pale wood, and it wasn't at all how I expected the restaurant to be. Berlin bars and restaurants tend to have dark wood and are dimly lit, so I did wonder if the owners had ever been to Berlin!

We had a look at the drinks menu and both chose the Berlin Spritz - Riesling, Aperol, soda and strawberry liqueur. It was delicious and came with a little bowl of pretzels. Perfect!

We sat and enjoyed our drinks and chatted. We were tempted to stay and enjoy the German food, but I wanted to experience Georgian cuisine, so we drank up, paid the bill (£30) and walked down Exhibition Road to an area that was bustling with tourists and had lots of bars and restaurants. We had been visiting the museums for years, but never ventured across the road to this area!

Shoty was situated on a lively street, and we went down a flight of steps first, thinking this was the entrance to the restaurant. A waitress took up back up to the street and into another dining area, a long, narrow room with a few tables already occupied.

We took our seats and looked at the placemat menu. I have to admit that neither of us was ravenously hungry after stuffing sausage rolls and pretzels, and this did have a bearing on the food we chose. We decided to share a starter of meat rolls (blini) and Sophie spotted dumplings on the menu (pelmeni with chicken). I just didn't fancy boiled beef or pork, but I briefly toyed with the idea of having fried Spring chicken. In the end, I opted for cotlet but had no idea what meat it was! We also ordered a bottle of Georgian dry white wine to accompany the meal.

The restaurant was quite austere, with sombre paintings on the wall and a television set broadcasting Georgian songs on YouTube. Two men were putting up lights outside, and the waitresses were efficient but not particularly friendly.

Our starter arrived and we tucked in, dipping the pancake rolls into soured cream. They were filled with some kind of meat and were delicious. Once these were eaten, our main courses were delivered. Sophie had seen giant dumplings on a nearby table, but they weren't the same as she had ordered, unfortunately.

Her dumplings were small, and that was all she had! No salad, no vegetables and just a small bowl of soured cream again.

My cotlet turned out to be two patties, very similar to McDonald's burgers without the buns. They were smothered in mashed potatoes and served with wedges of cucumber, tiny tomatoes and onions, and a tomatoey sauce. Sophie was bitterly disappointed with her meal and said the dumplings had no flavour whatsoever. The same could be said of my meal. Maybe we had just ordered the wrong items, I don't know, but we were both disappointed. The wine at £32 was OK, but definitely not worth the price!

After a little interval, we chose a walnut and honey cake for dessert. This was a thick slab, and if we were hoping to get cream or ice cream with it, we were disappointed... again! It was like eating a brick!

We stumped up just under £100 for the meal, and I asked Sophie if we could get a black cab to the Royal Albert Hall. I had been suffering from a headache all day, and Sophie had also had one earlier, so she readily agreed. The thought of walking back to the venue, with full tummies, was not a pleasant one!

The journey didn't take long, and our friendly driver dropped us off right outside. People were streaming in, and although we were early, we went up to the third floor to take our seats. The auditorium was virtually empty, but then it was 6.30pm! The show was due to start at 7.30pm, and while we sat, we listened to some great music. We liked a couple of tracks and even added them to our favourite playlist!

However, as it grew near 7.30pm, hardly any of the seats had been taken. A couple had arrived to sit next to Sophie, and quite a few people were in the row behind us, but we could see loads of empty seats. The music then changed to rap with a lot of swearing, which I wasn't happy about. I hate rap, and being forced to sit and listen to it was most unpleasant! I stuck it out for about fifteen minutes, but then had to leave. By now, it was about 7.45pm, and people were still milling about and heading for the bar for drinks. We had a horrible feeling that they all knew more than we did...

We stood in an empty bar area and watched more and more people arrive, none of them in any hurry! I said to Sophie that if Erykah Badu wasn't on by 9pm, we should go. Sophie stared at me in amazement! She said she'd be on long before that, but then we started to look at reviews of the shows. Every single one said she was consistently late and kept her audience waiting. The normal time she appeared was about 9.30pm, and sometimes even later! 

We were astounded. I had anticipated being home at about midnight, but if she was on until 11pm, it would be after 1am when we got home. If I'm brutally honest, neither of us was in the mood, and although we like quite a few of her songs, we weren't huge fans. If it had been John Mayer or Ben Howard, we would happily have waited, but both of them were on time when we went to see them and didn't keep us waiting!

Sophie asked the friendly usher when she was likely to appear, and he said about 9pm, but I think he was being optimistic! We decided to leave and go home and not think about how much we had paid for the tickets. We spoke to the security men at the entrance door who said she would be on at about 9.15pm, but again, I think he was being cagey!

We walked back to the car and drove out of the decidedly creepy underground parking space. Several cars were covered in sheets, and we saw Porsches, Bentleys and a Rolls-Royce, all snug and dry! I couldn't imagine a safer spot to park a high-value car!

After a brief panic when the gates wouldn't open, we were out and heading home through busy streets, full of people enjoying the nightlife. Cyclists and mopeds weaved in and out of the traffic, and I was terrified of hitting someone on a bike. Hardly any of them were using lights, and I really had to rely on Sophie to be another pair of eyes. Two cyclists even rode into oncoming traffic! 

Thankfully, we were soon in North London and then, miraculously, on the M1. I have never been so glad to see it! We made good time home and arrived at 10.45pm. Keith had already changed the clocks to an hour earlier, so we sat and relaxed until midnight, telling him all about our day and hanging about waiting for Miss Badu!

A quiet end to the week!

I was hoping for a nice, quiet end to the week, and work wasn't bad. I tackled the emails in the morning and spent most of the afternoon writing the moan report. This time next week, it will be the last day of October, which begs the eternal question: Where has this month gone?

Keith drove today and picked me up at 4pm. I was a little late as I had to write a last-minute email for Nicola, but it was great to head home and look forward to the weekend. Keith really didn't fancy the pub this evening, but went as it was John's birthday yesterday. 

Sophie and I opened a bottle of red from Vaison-la-Romaine and settled down to watch Before Sunset, the second film in the trilogy starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. It followed the same format as before, with them spending time exploring Paris before Ethan Hawke caught a flight home. There are no other major roles in the film, and I did wonder whether the main characters do some improvisation as they talk continually. Learning the lines must have been hard work!

An evening treat

We had heavy rain and wind overnight, and Sophie said that the cats seemed spooked by the rain in particular. Mooney is still traumatised by a nasty thunderstorm we had a year ago and now hates it when we have heavy rain! Keith stayed at home this morning, so I drove myself to work through the rain and wind. It wasn't as bad as I thought, though, but I wore a cardigan to ward off the chill! 

We had a big meeting taking place at work this morning, so our office was a hive of activity as the managers arrived and then disappeared down to our Dance Studio. Twenty people were attending, and I was glad I wasn't in there, as several had colds, and I'm sure the germs would have had a field day! A couple of people I know have covid again, so it's doing the rounds! There are a couple of new variants, and I just hope none of us catch it again!

I escaped at 2pm and returned home, where Kym, our chiropodist, was already seeing to Keith. I'm just glad he had stayed at home! Once he was done, Kym sorted out my feet for me and we had a good chat, as always. She's so easy to get on with and I look forward to her visits!

The rest of the afternoon sped by, and we looked forward to a meal out in the pub this evening. We'd booked a table for 7.30pm and when we arrived the place was heaving. Our pub seems very popular at the moment!

Because there were so many people in the bar, we moved to our table in the snug straightaway and perused the menu. Sophie and I ordered a bottle of Chardonnay to share, while Keith stuck to Beavertown Brewery's Neck Oil, which is the only beer he likes that is available. This is our only gripe about the pub, the lack of decent ale.

Sophie and I shared starters of pigs in blankets, Turkish flatbread with houmous and halloumi bites. We then enjoyed chicken burgers for a main course. Keith indulged in a starter of whitebait, followed by cod and chips. Tonight, we didn't find any room for desserts!

It was a lovely evening and we had a good laugh, reminiscing about the holidays, with Keith and I telling Sophie some funny stories of when we holidayed in Scotland before she was born!

Back home, Keith and I watched half an hour of the last episode of the excellent series, Human, before it was time for bed!

Christmas shopping!

It was lovely to have a little lie-in this morning and see Sophie off to work, as she didn't go to the gym. Keith and I pottered about and drove to the care home at 11am. I went to Mum and Dad's room to see them and have a chat, while Keith sat in the car. Both my parents looked a little frail today, but Mum was having a perm this afternoon, so I hoped that would cheer her up. I stayed for an hour and rejoined Keith in the car. 

From Kettering, we drove to Beckworth Emporium, amazed to see the car park full! We wanted to see if we could get our Christmas turkey, and they had lots in the chiller cabinet. Along with the bird, we bought scones and clotted cream as a treat for Sophie and a loaf of fresh bread. I know I've said it before, but the store is rammed with products and I always find it a little overwhelming! People were queuing for the restaurant, and there were loads of people browsing all the different departments, but we paid for our purchases and fled home to have lunch!

I spent the afternoon pootling about and doing the usual Wednesday chores. Plans to get out into the garden and do one last cut of the lawn were put on hold as the weather wasn't great. Tomorrow, we have two warnings in place for wind and rain and a French storm, Benjamin, is due to affect the UK. I think we will have to leave the grass until next Spring now, which isn't a problem. The grass seed I put down a few weeks ago has sprouted, and the dry, straw-like grass of a few months ago is a distant memory!

Training day!

I was training for most of today and not looking forward to it, I have to admit! Nicola said I could sit in her office, where it was quieter, but Jo was due in late, and Angela had taken today off, so it would be a tiny bit quieter!

I was training on a new system for our swimming lessons and play scheme places, so that parents could log in online and book them without having to call us. The new system was very different to the one we currently use, and I think Stella, who was doing the training with me, had a few misgivings. 

I was in Nicola's office until 3pm, and then I tried to catch up with emails in the time I had left. Keith came to collect me, and we drove home to relax. It had been quite an intensive day!

Sophie wanted to mark today as being single for one year, and had asked Keith to buy her Champagne in Aldi, as well as nibbles for a buffet-style supper. She arrived home just after us, and we drove to Mawsley to get Keith some beer. Why he hadn't bought any earlier when he went shopping, I have no idea!

Back home, Sophie and I played Scrabble with a glass of Champagne, and I beat her for once! It's not often I do that! We watched Hunted, enjoyed our delicious buffet and watched an hour of the Newcastle v Benfica game before retiring upstairs with Mooney. A relaxing end to a busy day!

Return of the blog

I opened up the blog again this evening only to see suspicious activity almost immediately, which was deeply disappointing. Last week I had a nice chat with an AI bod, and he/she gave me some tips to try and protect the blog, and also see if the suspicious IP address was malicious, which it was.

I also spent wasted hours wrangling with WordPress last week, and tried to download this blog to one there, but I gave up in the end. Blogger, the platform for this blog, have been no help whatsoever. I can't block the IP address as they use a different one each time, and now they've started appearing from different countries, such as the US, Germany and Japan.

Sadly, cyber security is becoming a more serious problem, and it sometimes feels as if we're being attacked on all sides, with unsolicited phone calls, emails, texts and WhatsApp messages. You have to be on your guard constantly.

Today has been fairly uneventful, so not much to report!

The return of the wanderers!

I had a bad night's sleep and was awake at 5am. I wanted to know if the cats were in, so I went downstairs, dismayed to see the living room, kitchen and conservatory empty. By now, I was really worried about Mooney, as this wasn't like him at all. I opened the door to the garden and called both of them, and then went to the front door. Within a couple of minutes, I heard a miaow, and Mooney appeared. I was so relieved!

He seemed completely unfazed, gobbled down some food and then looked at me as if to ask what all the fuss was about! Sophie had heard me moving about, and she took Mooney to bed with her. I went back to sleep, thank goodness, until 8am!

Mooney hadn't lasted long with Sophie, as he had been jumping all over her, standing on her head and generally being a monkey. I suspected he'd been in the conservatory asleep all night and had gone out through the cat flap before I called for him.

We had various things we needed to get done today. Keith prepared vegetables for our spaghetti Bolognese dinner, and I put a colour on my hair. Sophie hoovered, tidied up, and did some cleaning. We discovered we had no Parmesan cheese or a bottle of red plonk for the sauce, so Keith and I drove over to Mawsley. We still hadn't seen Gomez, but I was less worried about him now. He was obviously on one of his escapades over the fields!

Once back, I prepared the Bolognese sauce so it could simmer all afternoon. It had started raining outside, and this wet weather is expected to last all week, ending a real dry spell. We were overjoyed to see Gomez come in late in the afternoon, soaking wet and ready for another long snooze on Sophie's bed. When we eventually managed to get Mooney in, that was it! We weren't going to let them out again this evening, and it was truly horrible outside with rain and wind.

Our tagliatelle Bolognese was delicious served with garlic bread and Parmesan cheese, and we cracked open a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape to accompany the meal. After we'd eaten, we relaxed but it was an early night for all of us, including the cats!

More cat drama!

Sophie went to the gym for a yoga class this morning, and, with Keith, I pottered about the house, doing all the usual chores that needed to be done to run the house! I was up later than I wanted to be, but I must have needed the extra sleep!

When Sophie returned at 11am, we sat and had a coffee and toast in the kitchen and decided to pop over to Smith's Farm Shop at midday. We needed jacket potatoes for tonight (we had so much chilli left, we decided to finish it tonight with baked spuds), and we both fancied having a cup of tea and a slice of cake.

The weather has been grey and overcast today. I can't remember the last time we had blue skies and abundant sunshine. It has certainly been very Autumnal. Sophie ordered a scone for me and a cake for her, accompanied by a cup of tea each. My scone was nowhere near as moist and delicious as the one I enjoyed at Farndon Fields a couple of weeks ago; it was dry and crumbly, and there was no cream!

The café was full of people with dogs; it seems to be taken for granted now that dogs, like children, can go everywhere, and most places have special treats and water bowls for them. It's fine if they sit quietly under the table, but sometimes we've witnessed fights breaking out between dogs, and a relaxed snack or meal is blighted by yapping, snarling and barking!

After we'd eaten, we had a look around the shop and I picked out some baked potatoes, oatcakes, and a new gonk for Christmas. I think he will blend in perfectly with the others! Sophie picked out sweet pickled gherkins, crisps and hummus.

Rather than go straight home, I took Sophie on a little mystery tour. The new road bypassing Chapel and Church Brampton is still not open, but we headed through the two villages to Harlestone, and I pulled into the car park to have a drink at The Fox and Hounds. Whenever I've driven past, it always looks cosy and welcoming, so I thought now was the perfect time to test it out!

I really should have carried on past, as we were ignored by the young staff behind the bar, and Sophie was on the point of walking out. We eventually ordered two halves of Guinness and took a seat, and I was dismayed to see the dark painted walls chipped and unsightly. The decor reminded me of a seedy nightclub, and if you're going to have such dark paint on the walls, they need to be maintained!

We chatted and did some people-watching, but I was disappointed with the visit and doubt I'll ever feel tempted to go back. Sophie suggested another drink at The Althorp Coaching Inn, so we drove over and joined the crowd of people in the bar area. I paid for two halves of Guinness and two bags of crisps, and we settled at a small table in a little nook by the fireplace. Our table had been reserved for 3.15pm, but there was no sign of the occupants.

This is one of my favourite pubs and has almost everything I'm looking for: flagstone floors, low ceilings with beams, a huge real fireplace, and dimly lit little nooks. The staff are friendly and there's always a lovely, relaxed atmosphere. There were several dogs here as well, but they were on their best behaviour!

We had a drink, munched on our crisps and then made our way home through the Autumnal countryside, the trees wearing their gorgeous colours of red and gold. I just wish we'd had a blue sky as well! Back home, we fed Mooney and enticed him out for a walk. Gomez was still asleep on Sophie's bed, absolutely zonked out from his wanderings, so we left him in peace.

We took Mooney to the green, but he seemed nervous and jittery, so we came home to relax and put the fire on in the living room. Gomez went out, refreshed from his sleep, and Mooney went off again, to who knows where! Sophie and I enjoyed snacks with a whisky and ginger ale, and watched Bridget Jones's Diary, which was lovely. I will never tire of the film!

After we'd eaten, we settled in the living room and, at the house opposite, where a party had been going on all afternoon, a series of loud fireworks were let off, some of them terrifically loud. We tried to get the cats in, but even Mooney didn't appear, which was very unusual for him. He's normally in by 8pm and curled up on his bed. We were annoyed that nobody had said anything about the fireworks, as we now let other residents know if they're going to be let off, especially if they have pets.

We tried in vain to get the cats in all night, and I was worried about Mooney because he is never far away, and this behaviour was out of character for him. We watched two episodes of The Vicar of Dibley, some of the BBC music from 1975, and then retired for the night, still without any furry babies in the house. They are such a worry!

The wanderer returns!

Gomez didn't come in last night, so we were all worried this morning. Sophie didn't go to the gym as she'd had a bad night's sleep and had even gone downstairs at 2am to check the conservatory in the hope he'd come in overnight. Keith and I drove to work, and my heart was in my mouth as we drove out of the estate and onto the road. Thoughts of Archie still haunt me, and I pray that we never have to go through that again.

Work passed in a blur of emails again, and before I knew it, it was 4pm and time to go home and start the weekend. I slowed right down as we drove towards the estate, but there was no sign of a little black cat, thank goodness. Before Sophie came home, I called and called him. Keith had only seen Mooney today, who is never far from home, bless him.

When Sophie arrived home, we walked up to the green, but Mooney followed us, so we didn't want to venture out onto the road. Our neighbour, Lynn, was gardening and came over to talk to us, saying she'd seen a black cat a little while ago in her garden. We were convinced it was Gomez, and Sophie swore she heard him miaow from the bushes.

Another neighbour came by with her dogs and said she would keep a lookout, as she often sees the cats in the field behind her house. We returned home, and minutes later she knocked on the door as she'd seen Gomez in the field, having the time of his life. Sophie went to her house with her and said it was definitely our little wanderer!

Keith went to the pub, and Sophie and I settled down to watch Before Sunrise with a glass of Crozes Hermitage. The film was lovely, and there are two sequels to enjoy as well!

Dinner was a delicious chilli with rice, and after we'd eaten, Gomez returned! There was then a mass love-in with Sophie, who was delighted to see him home safe and sound!

A very bad cat!

I had a busy shift at work today, dealing with emails and orders, and the time flew by. Sophie was enjoying a social day with her company, attending a Murder Mystery session in the morning at the Northampton Town Football ground, and ten-pin bowling in the afternoon after having a buffet lunch.

Normally, I would go and see my parents this afternoon, but the home was closed because of a stomach bug outbreak. I went home and pootled about with Keith, and we managed to get some chores done and out of the way.

We learnt on our residents' Facebook page that the hanging witchy skeleton has gone missing... the two children who had bought it with their own pocket money were upset, and the mum was incensed that someone had taken it down, whether to steal it or because they didn't like it. Everyone checked their Ring doorbell cameras, but the culprit hasn't been identified. We were all shocked, to be honest, as we didn't expect that from anybody nearby, and we couldn't imagine someone randomly passing by on the road and seeing it.

Sophie was home earlier than usual, and we sat in the kitchen and chatted. Keith and I played cards before cooking gammon steaks and shoestring fries for supper. After we'd eaten, we watched last night's episode of Grand Designs, and it must have been one of the most boring shows ever screened... Last week's was boring as well! Come on, Kevin! We need drama!

Well, we had our own drama when Sophie couldn't get Gomez in this evening. She called and called him up until 10.30am, but then went to bed as she was tired. At least he's able to go into the conservatory overnight and curl up on the sofa! He causes us no end of worry!

Somewhere new...

I waved Sophie off to the gym this morning and returned to bed for a lie-in. Bliss! Keith and I pottered about in the morning and then got ready to go to Oundle at lunchtime.

We have high pressure over the UK at the moment, meaning the weather is staying dull and overcast with heavy cloud cover. Trish navigated us to Oundle via the A14 and the A605, and it was great to be out and about rather than stuck in the house! The market town was somewhere I've always wanted to go, and I was hoping for a nice cosy pub to have lunch.

We had a little difficulty parking next to the Co-op, but we were soon walking into the pretty town and having a look at the shops. I spotted a brand new pair of slippers in the window of a charity shop, so in we went! They were perfect for Keith and just £5! What a bargain!

We noticed a few interesting-looking shops, and I might return with Sophie one weekend nearer Christmas. We had spotted The Ship Inn on our drive in and decided to have lunch as it was now almost 1pm.

The staff were lovely and friendly, and there was a real fire burning in the grate, emitting delicious aromas of woodsmoke. The pub was low-ceilinged with black beams and many pictures of old ships on the walls. We took a table by the window and had a look at the menu, which was in the process of being changed, so the lovely waitress explained everything to us. We both chose the steak ciabatta served with French fries and coleslaw.

The food was delicious and the service was friendly and attentive. Keith sipped a pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord while I enjoyed half a Guinness. More people came in, so that was good. I'm not a fan of sitting in an empty pub!

I managed to squeeze in a bowl of apple crumble with custard for pud, and then we paid the bill. Keith pointed out that we hadn't been charged for two drinks, and the barman was impressed with his honesty! We ambled back to the car, and I popped into a Tesco Express to get myself a sandwich for my lunch tomorrow.

We took a different route home, driving through the outskirts of Oundle and seeing gorgeous old buildings made from honey-coloured stone. We saw the famous school where the fees are about £19,000 a term for children who board! We had seen a lot of pupils walking about the town in their smart uniforms, and they reminded me of the Harry Potter films!

Once past Oundle, we followed signs for Woodnewton and Bulwick, and we were soon out in the wilds. The weather was still grey and overcast, but at least it wasn't raining. That's due to arrive later in the week when it's set to get wet and windy.

We skirted Bulwick and headed for the A43 and Corby, and then Kettering and home. It was lovely to potter about for the rest of the afternoon and do very little. Sophie had gone out to dinner with some friends at work and was dining at a fried chicken outlet at Rushden Lakes, called Wing Stop.

She arrived home as we were watching the second episode of a documentary about the evil Nazi doctor, Josef Mengele, so I was more than happy to hear all about her evening!

Noise reigns!

As Sophie was up late last night with naughty Gomey-cat, she didn't go to the gym this morning. We watched the second episode of Hunted after seeing the first one last night. Sometimes, it's a bit far-fetched, but it's good fun!

I did not have a good day at work. Tuesdays are normally loud, but today the day really excelled itself in terms of noise and chaos. We had extra people in the office, and both Jo and Angela were loud on the phone. We also had a visit from Sara's daughter and her grandson, so that added chaos to the mix! It was so noisy that I considered dropping today and working just on Monday, Thursday, and Friday!

It was bliss to escape at 4pm and go home with Keith, who had been shopping today. It was even better to look forward to a day off tomorrow!

Keith and I played cards this evening, and then we had a very easy and light supper of paté, crusty bread and salad. The red Sablet that we'd opened on Saturday night had improved, and that went well with the meal. Sometimes, a little air can do wonders! Too much and it's not good!

Gomez is a bad cat!

The first day of a new week dawned, and it was back to the usual routine. Work was busy, and I cleared all the emails before I had to take over on the phones just before 3pm.

Before I left work, I noticed that one of our neighbours was really getting into the Halloween spirit and had hung a witch figure from the tree in her garden. She has two sons, so no doubt they were getting excited.

When I drove into the estate, she looked very spooky, dangling from the tree!

Our neighbour had asked on our Facebook page if anyone objected, but there was unanimous support from everyone, and it was just a bit of fun!

Back home, Keith said one of the cats had been on the sofa in the conservatory all afternoon, and I assumed it was Mooney, but it was actually Gomez! He looked at me warily when I stroked him, which made me sad. Their personalities have changed in the two years that we've had them, as Mooney always seemed to be the more timid of the two, but he has really blossomed now and is a much more confident cat. In the house anyway!

Both cats went out before Sophie came home, and Gomez stayed out until almost midnight, driving poor Sophie mad with worry. This was because he'd been in all afternoon, asleep! He really is a monkey!

Spider season!

We awoke to thick fog this morning, and that had been forecast for today! The mist highlighted the abundance of spider webs in the garden. I've never seen so many! One was huge and was right in the path we'd take to get to the back of the garage. A face full of web if you hadn't spotted it! Ugh! And there were more in the trees and bushes!

After pottering around in the morning, we drove to the pub in the village for lunch. The car park of the pub is tiny, so cars were parked everywhere, and we went in expecting crowds of people, but the bar was quiet. We had a drink sitting in the window seats first and then moved to our table in the snug at the back of the pub. 

We were hungry and we ordered starters of chicken wings (Keith and Sophie) and a beetroot and goat's cheese tart (me). My tart was beautifully presented and delicious! Gradually, the pub had filled up and the staff were hurrying backwards and forwards carrying loaded trays of food and drinks. It was great to see the place so busy.

For our main courses, we enjoyed roast chicken (Sophie), roast lamb (Keith) and fish and chips for me, which was not usual! Keith was envious of my crispy batter, but said his lamb was excellent and it had fallen off the bone. Sophie and I shared a bottle of South African Chardonnay, and we even found room for puds, after a little break! I went with something I hardly ever choose, the sticky toffee pudding, while Sophie chose the chocolate brownie. We were stuffed! As it was our only meal of the day, though, I didn't feel guilty one bit! It had been a lovely meal, in great surroundings, and the staff were friendly and hospitable. We feel lucky to have a good pub on our doorstep.

Back at home, it was definitely an afternoon to loll about and do very little. We tried to entice the cats in, but they seemed content to stay outside where it was still overcast and chilly. It was heaven to curl up on the sofa in the living room, sip a glass of Ratafia digestif, and while away the Autumnal afternoon!

Super Saturday!

Today has been relaxed and we didn't get up to much at all. I swear I saw that the weather was due to be mild and sunny today, but we've had a thick blanket of cloud all day, and it's been chilly. Sophie went to the gym first thing and took part in a yoga class, while Keith and I stayed at home and pootled about. Keith was feeling better, so that was a relief.

When Sophie came home, she made toasted cheese and ham sandwiches for an early lunch, and then made a start on some admin work she needed to do. It was boring, adult stuff that she hates! But needs must!

In the early afternoon, we drove to the recycling centre in Brixworth and offloaded a bag of old clothes, two small electrical appliances (one was the defunct travel iron that refused to work in L'Escla) and a big bag of garden rubbish. Nothing went into the landfill skip! Hooray! We had also walked around the estate earlier with Moon Bums and taken a small bag of stamps and old make-up to a neighbour who sends them off to generate money for charities. That was our good deed done for the day!

I did some more research on my family tree in the afternoon and found it enormously frustrating. I'm wondering whether I should continue with it, as not being able to find certain records leads to disappointment and annoyance! I'm not subscribed to Ancestry at the moment, as I paid for My Heritage when I did my DNA, but I'm finding it difficult to use the website. 

Sopihe and I played Scrabble in the evening, enjoyed some nibbles and opened the bottle of Dornfelder we bought at Biddenden. It was acceptable for an English wine, but it definitely lacked the depth of the southern Rhone wines we've become accustomed to.

Sophie made a delicious chicken salad for supper, and we watched the 2020 remake of Hitchcock's Rebecca. Sophie had just read the book and spent the whole evening shouting at the screen, saying it wasn't the same as the novel! It wasn't even the same as the 1938 film starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine! Why do screenwriters have to alter the original so much?

We had polished off the Dornfelder over the course of the evening, so we opened a bottle of Sablet for one glass. However, it had a weird, plastic aroma, so we had to pour our glasses back into the bottle in the hope it would improve with a little air. Instead, I uncorked a Segurét (the next village), which was gorgeous and a whopping 15%! Wow!

Gomez was in a huff tonight as we were still downstairs watching the film until almost 10.30pm, and he wanted Sophie to go upstairs with him. He lay on the back of the sofa with his back to her, clearly in a mood!

I am in a mood...

Spider from Wednesday

It's beginning to look a lot like Halloween!

Temporarily AWOL!

Regrettably, I felt I had to take steps to temporarily make the blog private earlier this week, because I'd noticed an alarming amount of highly suspicious activity on Tuesday and, particularly, Wednesday. It was worrying that such a huge amount of traffic, from one place, could visit the blog. I don't think it was because of my scintillating writing! By making the blog private for a few days, I'm hoping it will put an end to it! I've also changed the security settings, so hopefully this will help, and downloaded the information, so I don't lose anything. If that were to happen, I'd be devastated.

But, don't fear... I will be keeping a close eye on things!

An attack of the dizzies...

Sara hadn't managed to get cover for Sharon, who was on annual leave today, so I was facing a day of answering the phone. However, when I arrived at work, I learnt that Sue had agreed to work until 2:30 pm, so that was great news! Sheila had to help me with some complicated bookings first thing, and then I cleared all the emails and started working on September's moan report!

Luckily, the phones were quiet this afternoon, but it was still great to get out at 4pm and drive home with Keith. He went to the pub this evening, and Sophie and I settled down with some nibbles, a bottle of Emporda white wine - Cap de Creus - and the film, The Woman in Cabin 10.

Keith came home early as he said he felt dizzy, and I was annoyed that he had driven home if he felt unwell. He ended up missing dinner, and we made him sit and relax for the rest of the evening. We think he had a touch of vertigo, maybe caused by a problem in his inner ear. He has complained of neck pain and a ringing in his ears, so maybe it's his turn to see the GP!

We watched the rest of the film after dinner, and it was a bit silly. I remember starting to read the book, and I gave up, but Keira Knightley was quite good in it, and there was a suitably evil performance from vintage Bond actor, Art Malik.

We finished the evening with an episode of Gone Fishing. It never fails to soothe, and the cats enjoyed the shots of wildlife on the river!

Jijivisha

Back at work, I tackled all of the emails and had a pleasant shift until 2pm. I drove home, collected Keith, and he came over to the care home with me. I popped into the shop at Mawsley first to buy some treats for Mum and Dad, but both of them were in a morose mood for my visit today. My Dad's cough was still bad, and one of my Mum's toes was badly swollen. It was not a pleasant visit at all...

Keith and I returned home, sat with a cup of tea and had a chat. This week is flying by again, and I can't believe it's Friday again tomorrow! I've had to book some more holiday at work as the end of the year is rapidly approaching, so I've chosen a couple of days in early November. I would love to go back to St Valery-sur-Somme, which I've fallen in love with, but that may be pushing it a bit too far!

Thinking of yesterday, though, and the relief at the surgery, made me realise we need to live each day to the full, and brings to mind the Hindi word jijivisha - a strong wish or will to live. Yes, there are worrying things to deal with in life, but I'm going to make an effort to embrace each day and enjoy it as much as I can!

Huge relief!

Sophie worked from home today, so I was able to have a bit of a lie-in this morning. I had an appointment to see my GP in the afternoon to check out a bump between my breasts, and I was very nervous about the visit. I'd made the appointment last Wednesday for today and told Sophie on Monday night. She had been worried as well, so I was hoping the GP would be able to let me know what it was. I suspected a small cyst, but there was always a fear that it was something more sinister.

I pootled about in the morning and sat with Sophie as she worked in the conservatory. I had no motivation to do anything and, when Sophie finished work at 1.30pm, we went to Brixworth to have lunch before the GP appointment. Naturally, she wanted to come with me.

We didn't have much choice for somewhere for lunch in the village, other than the two pubs, so we went to The Workhouse. They had a range of toasties, but I didn't really fancy any of them, and I was so nervous about the GP appointment, I had lost my appetite! In the end, I settled for one with halloumi cheese, tomatoes and a harissa sauce, served with coleslaw and a cup of tea.

I didn't really enjoy it, to be honest, and left half on my plate. It was a bit greasy and I wasn't really in the mood! Before going to the surgery, Sophie popped into a scruffy convenience store opposite and bought us a bar of chocolate for later.

We had to wait ages at the surgery, and when we were eventually called in, the GP was very offhand with me, which was a surprise as she has always been friendly. She had a good look at my little bump and said it was a retentive cyst and fluid-filled. I was told to keep an eye on it and not prod or poke it. She said she was definitely not worried, and it wasn't in the breast tissue. The sense of relief was incredible, but Sophie wasn't happy with her attitude at all. 

To celebrate, we decided to drive to Farndon Fields and have a scone. By now it was past 3pm, but they still served drinks and cakes until 4pm. The sun had come out, and it was a gorgeous Autumnal afternoon. When we arrived, we saw pumpkins everywhere! I've never seen so many!

We ordered scones with cream and jam, and Sophie treated herself to a glass of Prosecco while I had a pot of tea. There were very few of us still in the restaurant, and the staff were keen for us to eat and drink up and be gone! I chatted to the waitress while she took our payment, and she said that the number of staff had been reduced, but it was still busy. I knew the feeling!

After enjoying our impromptu treat, we wandered about the shop and had a good look at the Christmas goods on offer. 

And, of course, more pumpkins!

Because I was full of scone and tea, I resisted the temptation to buy any food, and we made our way home. I avoided the scenic route on the way home as we'd met an enormous tractor on the way over just outside Draughton, and I didn't want to chance my luck again and get stuck behind one on the narrow rural road!

Back home, we were delighted to see both cats, so we took them up to the green for a play on the grass. They were both hyper-aware of their surroundings, and Sophie and I were surprised at how many cars were driving around the estate!

Gomez

Before we went back into the house, we marvelled at the spiders spinning webs on the bushes under our front window! There were several right at the centre of the webs, trying to catch flies. We had no idea they were there, so close to the house! It felt very spooky and Halloween-ish!

We didn't eat dinner tonight (because of the scones) and Keith and I played cards while Sophie painted a lovely mountain scene. It was heaven to sit, sip a soft drink we'd bought at Farndon Fields and feel a huge sense of relief that today was over!

Getting things done!

I managed to put on most of the swim camps today, as well as complete the dreaded moan report, so I was pleased. It's great what you can do if you put in the effort and get on with it!

Keith went to see Sileby play this evening, and Sophie cooked a delicious dinner of meatballs and pasta, accompanied by dough balls. We opened a bottle of Gigondas, which took a little while to mellow, but was delicious with the meal. We enjoyed multiple episodes of Help! We Bought a Village! which was thoroughly enjoyable, but I still think the people buying the old houses are mad!

We are fascinated by the two men who have bought a village called La Buslière in Normandy, and the way they have tackled the falling-down cottages that they own!

Keith came back from the football nicely chilled and said Sileby had won 3-1. Sophie had a job getting Gomez in tonight, and we think the full moon was to blame!

A pleasant start to the week

Today has been a pleasant day, and I managed to get a lot done during my eight-hour shift. Our MD made a flying visit and was chatty and smiley, which was a bonus! As I tackled all of the emails, I can spend tomorrow catching up on jobs that must be done!

Back home, I did the usual evening chores and prepared a sausage casserole for dinner. This was the meal we should have had last night! Keith wasn't keen, so he enjoyed leftover savoury crumble. I'm not a fan of having two different meals at the same time, so I was glad when dinner was over!

We sat and watched Only Connect and University Challenge after dinner, and I have to say that the UC questions were hard tonight! Normally, Keith and I can answer a handful of them, but tonight we did badly!

More research

Compared to the sloth of yesterday, today was much more productive. I gave the downstairs of the house a thorough clean and cleared more dead flies and spiders from the conservatory. It was a beautiful day, but the wind was still cold and quite strong.

As well as the housework, we also did lots of laundry and opened the windows to get fresh air into the house. At 1.30pm, I drove Sophie to Moulton, where she bought flowers, chocolates and wine before going to her friend Daisy's house for a "sip and paint". I returned home, made myself cheese on toast for lunch and prepared the crumble topping for tonight's meal.

I did more research on my family tree in the afternoon and discovered that my sixth Great-Grandparents were married in the village of Plaxtol in Kent. I had a look at the village, and saw that there was a pub there, called The Papermaker's Arms, which looked lovely. Nearby was the 14th-century Ightham Mote, so that might be worth a day out in the future! Lots of my relatives are descended from this area of Kent, so it might make for an interesting day.

I had arranged with Sophie to pick her up at 6pm, and when we got home, I opened a bottle of Cotes du Rhone red (15%!) and we sat in the kitchen and chatted. The wine was delicious and was the same one, albeit a different vintage, as the wine we'd bought in Carpentras a couple of years ago, when we couldn't find anywhere to eat. She had brought back paints with her and some paper, so I might do a little landscape!

We drank the 2024 vintage

We ate a little later tonight and enjoyed another episode of Gone Fishing, which was both hilarious and touching at the same time. No staying up until midnight tonight, though! It's back to work tomorrow!

Mixed feelings

Sophie and I had a relaxed start to the day and watched Saturday Morning Kitchen with a coffee. Outside, the wind grew stronger, and we were forecast to have 50mph winds. Phew! Sophie was travelling to Birmingham this afternoon and we hoped that the trains wouldn't be cancelled!

I didn't do a lot in the morning, and gave Sophie a lift to the station at midday. As she walked off, she put her coat over her head to shield herself from the rain, and it blew up like a cape with the gusts of wind! I drove home through flying leaves and made salad and ham sandwiches for lunch. 

Keith was engrossed in the sport, so I went upstairs to attend to feminine tasks (foot care) before having a long, hot shower and then relaxing on the bed. I watched a mish-mash of programmes before going back downstairs to the computer and having a look at my family tree. I am constantly getting emails from the family tree websites I use, and I move them all to a folder to look at later. I had promised myself that I would spend some time on more research when the weather was bad, and today's Autumnal conditions were perfect!

I opened the emails that promised connections to my ancestors and got lost in the research for a couple of hours. Sophie texted me to say she was getting the 6pm train home, which was earlier than expected, and a bonus! Keith had already said he didn't fancy tonight's planned dinner of savoury crumble, so when I asked Sophie if she was hungry and fancied a Chinese, she jumped at the chance!

I left home at 6.30pm and drove to the station under gorgeous skies, which were a mixture of pinks, blues, greys and peaches with wispy clouds making the vista more interesting. I played BBC Radio 3 Unwind and felt very relaxed!

The station was busy with trains arriving and people collecting friends and family. When Sophie got in the car, she said she didn't know whether she'd enjoyed her afternoon or not... She'd spent the afternoon with a man she'd met back in 2022, and this was the second date. They'd been ten-pin bowling and out for a late lunch, but she had mixed feelings about him and wasn't sure whether she'd see him again. After their first date three years ago, they hadn't met again, so I'm not sure whether this will go the same way.

Sophie ordered the Chinese from the car, and we returned home to sit in the kitchen with Keith and have a good chat. Judging from the conversation, she seems to prefer being single at the moment!

We ate dinner and watched a couple of episodes of Gone Fishing and country music on BBC2. We had a late night tonight... we were up to almost midnight! Woohoo!

Storm Amy

Time flew at work as I had so much to do. Our MD was in again, so that's been every day this week. Is he listening to us, I wonder? It wouldn't be so bad if he were friendly and chatty, but he's not! Our coffee machine was on the blink for a second day in a row, so I had to endure instant muck that was horrible! I think we should have our own coffee machine in the office!

By 4pm, things were much more manageable, and the emails were down to single figures, but next week I must finish the moan report and input the October half-term swim camps onto the system. I'm in denial that it's October... what happened to September?

When I emerged at 4pm, the rain was lashing down. Storm Amy had arrived! The wind was also strong, but both cats were out in it; they're complete loons! Keith went to the pub to see John tonight, for the first time in a while and Sophie and I opened a bottle of Picpoul de Pinet, enjoyed cracksters (yes, I still have a few boxes left!) and Pringles and watched Before I Go to Sleep starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman. Sophie had read the book while we were in Spain, so she knew the ending. I had also read the book ages ago and knew there was a twist, but I couldn't remember what it was!

The rain and wind continued all evening, and we managed to get the cats in early, thank goodness. Tomorrow, the wind is set to get worse, and we have a Yellow (Possible) weather warning in place. Sophie is supposed to be going to Birmingham to meet a friend, so I just hope the trains will still run!

Two days in one

Wednesday:

I saw Sophie off to work at 8am and started my day with a coffee. My Mum called me before 9am and told me she didn't want to go out this afternoon, so I said I'd see her tomorrow instead. This meant I could pootle about all day and not leave the house! Heaven!

I caught up with jobs that needed doing and transcribed some more of my Nepal diary (two more days are now available). My 2015 book arrived while we were in France, so I'll take that over to Mum's tomorrow so she can have a good read. A lot has happened in ten years, not all of it good, but it'll be interesting for her to look back and remember a year that was important for all of us.

Thursday:

I returned to work and was horrified to see the number of emails that needed tackling. There were over one hundred, so I spent the whole shift dealing with them, managing to get them down to a more acceptable amount before I left.

The care home had left a message for me on my phone while I was working, and I learnt that my Dad had been taken to the hospital for an X-ray on his chest and had been prescribed antibiotics. It's certainly the season for it at the moment, and a couple of people in our office have been affected by colds and coughs. As I was going to see Mum anyway, I didn't call back, but dropped Keith off and went straight over.

Dad was still in the hospital, and I spoke to their carer, who said it was just a precaution. I gave my Mum the book and she was delighted with it. I also ordered her some more face cream (the one we bought the other Saturday hadn't turned up) and a hamper of chocolates from Amazon to cheer her up. I just hope they get to her tomorrow!