My 48th pint... roll on 50!

I faced another day of dealing with emails... It's a bit like Groundhog Day at the moment! I had a nice chat with our MD this morning when he came in to say hello, and he asked about how customers were reacting to the removal of the gym equipment from the centres. I had added them to a folder to deal with, but the reaction wasn't great! I said that with all that's going on in the world at the moment, perhaps our members need a little perspective! He agreed!

The rest of the day flew by, and I emerged into a beautifully sunny and mild day. Keith picked me up, and I went home to pootle about for an hour before going to Moulton to give my 47th pint of blood at 6:00pm. Sophie waved me off and said she would have dinner ready for when I got home. Lovely!

My blood donation was straightforward as usual, and my carer said I could probably get to my 50th donation this year! Fab! After a little chat with a fellow donor and a Kit Kat, I drove home and joined Keith and Sophie in the kitchen, where dinner was almost ready. Sophie had cooked beef tacos this evening, and the meal was delicious.

Keith and I watched the penultimate episode of series 7, and we won't know what to do with ourselves when we finish it! Look forward to series 11, I suppose, but it won't be the same without Douglas Henshall! We enjoyed the three series with Alison O'Donnell and Ashley Jensen, but I think Douglas was excellent!

A waste of time!

Sophie and I weren't looking forward to today as we had a dentist appointment in Kettering at 9:00am. We left home and arrived nice and early, even though we'd had to park a little way away. We sat and waited, and waited, and by 9:10am, we were both feeling annoyed. We knew we were the first appointments for our dentist, so why were we waiting? 

Sophie went to reception to ask how much longer we'd have to wait, and she was told it wouldn't be too long. Five minutes later, we learnt that our dentist was stuck in traffic and would be late. We simply didn't have time to wait any longer, so we cancelled the appointment, made another for June, and fled back to the car. Both of us were seriously annoyed at the time we'd wasted.

Sopihe dropped me off at work, and I started at 10:00am, so that was two hours wasted, when we have so much to do at the moment. I then discovered I was manning the phones from 2:00pm until 4:00pm,  but at least I was working until 5:00pm today, so I had an hour to try and catch up!

Sophie collected me at 5:00pm and looked traumatised when she got out of the car! She urged me to drive home and said she'd hated the pedestrians and crossings on the route through the hospital grounds! It's something I have now got used to!

Back home, it was lovely to relax, and I opened a bottle of Italian red to go with the beef stroganoff. I think we deserved it after our stressful day!

Celebrating Mums!

It was officially Mother's Day today, but yesterday had been very special with Sophie's afternoon tea and the walk to the pub. I tackled a load of laundry and tried to sort out what pillowcases and sheets we have. I think it's time for some new ones, to be honest!

Most of the morning was spent pottering about, and after lunch of leftovers from yesterday, Sophie and I went to Tesco as I needed to get Mum some things. I'd already bought her a card and chocolates, but I wanted to get her a bunch of flowers as well. Imagine my shock when every single tub was empty! Not one bunch to be had! In the end, I settled for two bunches of daffodils!

The previously good weather turned to rain, and it was lashing down when we drove to the care home. Predictably, it was busy, and I had a feeling my Mum was going to be in a bad mood today. It was just a premonition I had, and I was proved correct when we walked into her room. 

She seemed preoccupied with a woman whom she said had ignored her, and wouldn't stop talking about it for the whole time we were there. We tried to steer her away from the subject, but she was morose and not at all like she was last Thursday when I visited.

We stayed and chatted and opened a bottle of non-alcoholic Prosecco, and enjoyed some chocolate cakes we'd bought in Tesco. It wasn't the best of visits!

Back home, I relaxed in the living room, and the curse of Sunday Syndrome descended again... to chase it away, Sophie and I played Scrabble and opened a bottle of Rosé. It was an excellent game, and it was neck and neck right up to the last tile! I beat Sophie, and she was very gracious in defeat!

Our planned meal of beef stroganoff was postponed until tomorrow, and Keith and Sophie just had a snack. I had enjoyed a slice of Sophie's delicious Victoria sponge cake at lunchtime, and that did me for the rest of the day!

A perfect Saturday!

Earlier in the week, Mike had texted me to say he was moving to Nottingham to live with Abbie. It was a bit of a shock as he had always resisted giving up his greenkeeper's job and moving, but obviously, he had had a change of heart. He sent me a text this morning to ask if he could pop in on his way to collect some stuff and say goodbye.

Keith went shopping this morning, armed with a long list of things to get for Sophie, who was planning a special afternoon tea for later today. Mike arrived mid-morning and gave me a lovely hug, facing our barrage of questions with a grin on his face. He had given in his notice at work and was going to find a job in Nottingham (hopefully). He also told us about his travel plans, and I do hope he manages to get away and see some of the world.

He went and fetched his huge collection of lighters, which were contained in two boxes, and he showed us his prized ones, some of which were like little works of art! I then gave him one of my Dad's watches, which he was pleased about, so he went off to Nottingham in a very good mood! We said we'd visit him when he got settled in and take him and Abbie out for a meal. We're glad that Nottingham isn't as far as Southampton!

Sophie spent the morning preparing for the afternoon tea, making a Victoria sponge cake, and whipping up various fillings for sandwiches. What a treat to look forward to! She suggested a walk to the pub in the early afternoon, and Keith said he would come with us!

We all walked up just after lunchtime and parked Keith on a bench in the community field. Sophie and I had a squelchy walk around the perimeter of the meadow and then rejoined him to walk to the pub.

Perfect for a picnic in the summer!

It was a beautiful day, with fluffy white clouds scudding across the blue sky. At the pub, we ordered drinks and a bowl of chips to share and sat in the window to chat. The pub wasn't overly busy, and it was bliss to sit and relax for a couple of hours.

After our drinks, we ambled back home, and Sophie carried on with her preparations, bless her! Within an hour, she was calling us to the table for Champagne and a selection of goodies! We enjoyed a selection of sandwiches (coronation chicken, egg mayonnaise, cheese and ham with chutney and smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber), sausage rolls, Scotch eggs and quiche. 

After the savoury, we enjoyed scones with jam and clotted cream and cups of tea. We had no room whatsoever for Sophie's cake, so it had to wait for later!

It was time to relax, and we sat in the living room and watched Newcastle v Chelsea. Newcastle won, much to our delight! What a great end to a truly lovely day!

Phew! It's Friday!

So, another week has whizzed by, and time is flying because we're so busy! We're now coming into the last two weeks of our contract, and I can see things getting more difficult before we finally exit the three sites. Customers have started hearing about the removal of the gym equipment, which is not going down well! What else are we expected to do, though? It's like moving house; you don't leave everything until the last minute!

In the afternoon, I was asked to send out 1,960 emails to the parents of our junior members. I had to be very, very careful to make sure I bcc'd the email addresses because of GDPR rules! I sent the emails with an attachment (another worry) to forty addresses at a time, and soon enough, we started receiving calls and emails! I was glad we only had another couple of hours to go until 4:00pm!

It was bliss to go home and look forward to the weekend. Keith went to the pub this evening, Sophie and I opened a bottle of Chilean Pinot Gris, and we watched a Danish documentary about a woman who went missing in a small town.

Our dinner tonight was not a success as we had baked potatoes which went very mushy when I cooked them... Sophie and I left ours, and it's put us off having them again. I am known in our household for liking my baked potatoes firm (and my mashed spuds with lumps, weirdly enough), but these were horrible!

The evening was saved by watching an entertaining show hosted by Alexander Armstrong as he travelled around India. An enjoyable end to Friday the 13th!

Good communications!

I have started arriving at work early and eating my porridge in the car while reading. I can also listen to the Easiest Quiz on the Radio again on Scott Mills's show! It gives me twenty minutes of peace before I go into the office and face the deluge of emails!

I was tasked with replying to a particularly irritating customer's email by our MD, which pleased me! This customer had been posting negative comments about us on Facebook, so I was careful in the way I replied to him! Let's see how he responds!

At 2:00pm, I sped home, typed a letter to be signed by Mum, so I could liaise with my Dad's pension company on her behalf, and drove to Kettering to see her. She was having her feet seen to when I arrived and was in a good mood. I chatted with the podiatrist, and when she had gone, I had a very pleasant visit with Mum. What a difference it makes! We looked at photographs and some of them were very poignant, especially one of my Dad, both Grandmothers, and my Aunt and Uncle, all of whom have now passed away. I loved a photo of my two Grandmothers in a pool, laughing in the sunshine. It's moments like that which are so precious.

Back home, I pootled about and did the usual evening chores. There is always so much to be done! After a simple dinner of fishcakes, Keith and I watched another episode of Shetland. We are nearing the end of series six now, and things are hotting up!

A lunchtime treat

I saw Sophie off to work this morning and then sent Keith off to Tesco to do the shopping for the rest of the week. He's enjoying Cheltenham, but he hasn't had any big wins, sadly!

I pottered about while Keith was away, and at lunchtime, drove to meet Sophie to go for a matcha at Costa Coffee on Riverside. It was a gorgeous Spring day with sunshine and blue skies, but it was still breezy with a chill in the air.

We went to the Costa within Next and found the place packed. I grabbed the last small table and asked Sophie to get our drinks and sandwiches for lunch. She came back with two matchas, and my first sip was delicious, but as I worked my way down the drink, it tasted a little bit green! It is green tea after all!

After we'd eaten, we had a wander around the shop, and I was surprised to see so many tacky things for sale. I only really shop in Next for perfume, but there seemed to be some sort of obsession for gaudy peacocks and Highland cattle! Weird! There were some seriously ugly things on the shelves!

I took Sophie back to work and went to get the VW washed at a garage in Kingsthorpe. I had to wait again, but it was worth it when the car was all shiny and clean! Before heading home, I popped into the Aldi in Moulton to get the minced beef that Keith had forgotten in Tesco this morning!

I spent the rest of the day pottering about and cleaned the downstairs of the house before Sophie arrived home from work. Keith and I did the preparations for tonight's dinner, a savoury mince crumble, which was delicious!

"Compact it!"

I had another busy shift, and we're starting to make inroads into the cancellation emails. We have definitely passed the peak now! It was lovely to leave at 4:00pm and look forward to a day off tomorrow!

Sophie had suggested we go and watch Sileby play tonight at the O.N. Chenecks ground, on the Billing Road, in Northampton. I don't think Keith was too keen, but he agreed, so we decided to have beef and salad rolls before the game rather than eat dinner at home.

When Sophie came home, she made the baps for us, and we left at 6:30pm, as parking is notoriously bad at the ground. It's the main home of Old Northamptonians Rugby Club, and the Boys' School is opposite, so we weren't surprised when we arrived to see only a few spaces. I just felt lucky to get one! The car park was chaos!

We sat and ate our rolls in the car and then went in search of the bar. Keith paid £21 for us to see the match, and we asked a grumpy man selling soft drinks and sweets where the bar was. It was up a set of iron steps, with views over the pitches, and was busy with what looked like a committee meeting in progress, and a gathering of pupils from the school across the road stuffing themselves with pizza while their parents looked on.

There was an unappetising aroma of sweaty jockstrap lingering in the clubroom and lots of beefy men wearing club ties. It was all very cliquey! Keith ordered a pint of lager, while Sophie and I had halves of Guinness, and we sat at one of the tables. I contented myself with people-watching while Keith and Sophie watched football on a large screen in front of us.

At 7:45pm, the match between ON Chenecks and Sileby kicked off, and we went down to the pitch. Both Keith and Sophie disappeared to the loo, while I attracted the attention of an old man who asked if I'd ever played football... er, no! He then proceeded to try to tell me his life story, but thankfully, I was rescued by my family, who bore me off to the stand! Phew!

Keith said he felt seriously cold, so Sophie and I sat on either side of him to try to warm him up. There was a nasty, bitterly cold wind blowing, and I looked at the players wearing tee-shirts and shorts and shuddered!

Unfortunately, the game wasn't very good, and Keith said that one of the best players was missing this evening. In front of us, one of the Sileby coaches constantly screamed at the players, shouting, "Compact it!" and "Bodies around!" throughout the first half! He also kept referring to one of the players as "Shag", which was a bit disconcerting! When he screamed, "Quality, Shag!" I wondered what on earth he was referring to!

A few of Keith's cronies were present, and they all agreed that the performance was dire. We decided to leave at half-time as Keith was clearly freezing, and the match was so bad, it wasn't worth staying! We thankfully returned to the car, cranked the heating up high and drove home!

We were lucky to catch a great show on BBC2 with Katya Adler in Europe. It was a real treat to see her in Berlin and visiting the Russian Memorial in Treptower Park!

Shock news!

Today was the last day this week that Keith was going to take me to work, as Cheltenham is on from tomorrow, and he will be glued to the television every afternoon!

Work was as busy as ever, and in the afternoon, we learnt that from next week, all the gym equipment and spin bikes will be moved out of the three centres we're losing. We'll only be offering racquet sports, basketball, swimming and classes that don't need equipment, so that was a bit of a shock! I have no idea what customers are going to say, but I don't think they will be pleased! The end of the contract is getting so near now, and it's going to be a turbulent couple of weeks.

We spent the evening relaxing and enjoying roast chicken, new potatoes and salad for dinner. Keith and I watched the second episode of series five of Shetland and enjoyed it slightly more than the first one, which was very confusing!

Sunday syndrome strikes again...

It's been yet another grey and miserable day - when are we going to get a run of beautiful Spring days? The house was awash with laundry this morning as we changed beds and put some throws in the machine. I also put a colour on my hair, and I was mightily glad when I had finished two hated chores!

We had Friday's leftover Chinese for lunch before Sophie and I drove to the carwash in Kingsthorpe to tackle filthy Olive. Yesterday, I had followed two old Land Rovers that had liberally splattered the front of the car with what looked like manure! Horrible! She was well overdue for a good wash, and I was determined to get her cleaned today!

There was a long queue, and it took us an hour to get through, but she was back to her lovely white self afterwards. Now we just need to take the VW in for a cleaning!

Once Olive was all shiny again, I drove to the care home to see Mum for a little while. She kept thinking that today was Mother's Day, but it's next weekend. The care home has a little event planned in the afternoon, so I'm hoping we can go to that.

Back home, we both felt a bit glum, so we decided that from now on, we'll try to do something cheerful on a Sunday afternoon! We played Scrabble with a David McCloskey cocktail, and I narrowly beat Sophie for once!

Dinner was easy chicken burgers, and then it was time for a new episode of Shetland! We had sneaked the last episode of the previous series in yesterday!

A tale of two towns

After a lazyish start to the day, Sophie and I headed over to Olney to have a coffee and a pastry. The weather was grey and miserable, with heavy cloud cover. We queued to get to the centre of Olney, and couldn't get parked as the small area in the middle of the town was already rammed with cars, even at 11:00am!

We had no choice but to backtrack and park by the rugby club, a short walk away. Our first port of call was JJ's café opposite the market square. Sophie ordered a matcha made with oat milk while I settled for a flat white. I wanted to try her drink first before committing! We also indulged in a small cake each, as we hadn't had any breakfast.

I loved Sophie's drink, so when I'd finished my coffee, she went back to the counter and ordered me a matcha as well. I'm a convert! The café was pleasantly busy, and outside, there was a non-stop procession of people walking past. Olney has become very popular!

After our drinks, we called into the Oxfam bookshop, a second bookshop, which had a very eclectic range, and one of our favourite charity shops, where Sophie spotted a brand new pair of Birkenstocks for just £15! What a bargain! She could hardly believe her luck as they normally retail for about £90!

Suitably jubilant, we returned to the car and made our way to Woburn for the second half of our day out. Again, we had terrible trouble finding a space, and after about four circuits, we were forced to wait for a couple who had returned from a walk and were changing their boots!

We did a short walk towards the grounds of Woburn Abbey, but as the day was so grey and miserable, we walked back to the main street and had a look in Zoohaus. We both spotted the most beautiful leather-lined bar that would look fabulous in the conservatory!

At £1955, as well as the two bar stools, it was a serious investment! Maybe one day!

Amazing homeware!

Before our lunchtime booking at The Black Horse, we crossed the road and had a drink in The Nook. Sophie ordered half a Guinness, while I opted for a half pint of Witchstone, a malty dark beer, which was delicious.

We took our drinks and sat in the quiet lounge, enjoying the peaceful ambience of this little bar. However, the peace and quiet were short-lived when a group of three people came in with a dog and started playing a noisy game on one of the counters. The dog then started barking... We finished our drinks and fled next door to the pub!

We were seated deep in the pub, away from the noisy bar area, and studied the menu. Sophie was tempted to have one of the specials, a ham and leek pie, so I chose the chicken Milanese served with French fries and a green salad. We chose starters of padron peppers and halloumi sticks served with a delicious dip.

The starters vanished quickly, and Sophie enjoyed a glass of Chardonnay. Being good, I stuck to sparkling water! My main course had a hint of a herb about it that I didn't like, and was also very garlicky, so I was a little disappointed, but Sophie's pie went down very well, and it was just what she wanted.

As a treat, I ordered the chocolate fondant on the menu, but it must have thrown the kitchen into a real tizzy as my dessert took ages to appear, with the waitress even coming out to apologise and say the first one they had cooked wasn't up to standard! When my chocolate cake did appear, it oozed beautifully and was worth the wait!

We paid the bill, ambled back to the car and drove into Woburn Abbey's parkland to see the deer. Numerous herds were grazing the extensive grounds, with cars slowing down to look at them. We decided to make a detour to Ampthill to have a look around, and the town was very pleasant with an array of interesting shops. We will be back!

Our journey home took us towards Bedford and then back along the A428. We drove through Castle Ashby, Whiston and Cogenhoe before turning onto the A43 and home. The weather hadn't improved at all and was still grey and misty. When are we going to see the sun?

Keith had been to see Sileby today and was home watching the rugby between England and Italy. We mooched about, and Keith decided to record the football match this evening between Newcastle and Manchester City. I was pleased as I didn't fancy watching football on a Saturday evening!

The end of an era...

My shift passed in another dizzying blur, but before I tackled the emails, I put on the last of our films up until the 31st of March. Our last ever film will be an animated children's film, Hoppers. It will be screened on the 31st, at 2pm, and that's it. The end of an era. I felt very sad, as I've enjoyed working on the cinema stuff and reporting the box office returns. Some of our members can't take it in that we will no longer have the cinema, and I find it hard to believe as well!

Keith and I were celebrating 38 (38!) years together today, and he wasn't going to the pub, so we ordered a  Chinese takeaway and cracked open a bottle of Champagne. Sophie lit all the candles, and the house looked lovely. Our usual restaurant was closed, so we ordered from Brixworth and were pleasantly surprised by how good the food was! Sophie and I chose the set meal for two and tried dishes we wouldn't normally choose. The food was delicious, with enough left for lunch on Sunday.

Sophie and I watched Sabrina, a remake of the original 1954 film, starring Julia Ormond and Harrison Ford, who was a much better choice than Humphrey Bogart in the older brother role! 

Yippee! It's Saturday tomorrow and a lie-in beckons!

A flying visit

I took myself to work this morning, and we faced another mountain of emails. I think we have passed the peak, though, and Bob has been turned off. Customers must now email us directly.

My shift passed very quickly, and I sped home to find Kym already attending to Keith's feet. When it was my turn, she told me about the problems she'd been having with her wedding venue, and how the woman running it had conned about thirty brides out of their money. It sounded terrible, and she was furious! She also kept me entertained with her story about her Hen Night in Newcastle, and not being told what she was doing over the weekend. When she finished, we made another appointment, so I'm dying to hear all about it!

Once Kym had gone, we dashed over to the care home to see Mum, who was sitting in the dining room having tea. I stayed for a quick chat and then returned home to do the usual chores before Sophie arrived.

Dinner tonight was a delicious beef pie with loads of vegetables and a return to Shetland. We have one episode of series 5 to watch, and the tension is building!

Having a clear out!

I had a lovely lie-in this morning, and it was great not to have to rush about as I normally do. Keith had an appointment with the GP, and then he went to shop for tomorrow's dinner as he won't be able to go on Thursday. We have Kym coming at 2.30pm to see to our feet, and she always arrives early!

I pootled about and made an appointment for the tip, for 11:30am. When Keith arrived home, he backed the car up the drive, and together, we heaved the huge bag of garden rubbish into the boot. I made sure I wore gloves and a long-sleeved top! My arms are almost back to normal now, and I don't want the rash coming back!

Just before our allotted time, we drove to Brixworth and got rid of our rubbish, which included our BBQ as well. Back home, I made another appointment for 1:30pm, as we still had a large box of greenery, some electrical items, and batteries. I was glad that none of the stuff we took today went into the landfill skip!

I swept the garage and tidied up a bit, but there's still stuff that needs to be cleared out. We'll wait for slightly warmer weather!

The rest of the afternoon was spent pottering about doing jobs, and I had a soak in the bath. When I undressed, I found bits of leaves and twigs down the front of my top!

Keith had made a delicious curry for dinner, and then he retired to the living room to watch Newcastle play football. No Shetland tonight, then!

A little bicker

It's so much easier when Keith drives me to work, as we don't have to leave so early, and there's no worry about finding a space! I called into Tesco to buy myself a sandwich and arrived nice and early, ready to start another day!

I put my head down and dealt with all the Bob conversations, and then switched to normal emails. We're not behind in terms of age, just sheer volume! I didn't volunteer to go to work on Wednesday, as Keith and I need to go to the tip to get rid of all the garden rubbish. And I'm going to wear long sleeves and gloves!

When Sophie arrived home, we had a bit of a bicker about how much water I'd drunk during the day. I am notoriously bad about this, but I'd had three coffees, a bottle of orange juice (rare for me) and eaten fruit. She wouldn't join us in the kitchen when Keith and I played cards, and the atmosphere was a bit tense all night...

Apparently, Mercury is in retrograde again... I'm blaming it on that!

Who's in, and who's out...

Sara told me this morning that I would have to man the phones from 2:00pm until 4:00pm, as Shirley wasn't able to cover. It was a bit of a blow as we had so much work to do. However, I was resigned to it!

The shock I'd received on Friday was common knowledge today, when some of the staff discovered if they had been transferred to Everyone Active on the 1st of April. To my huge surprise, Sheila had been TUPE'd over... I'm not sure what she'll be doing, as she is a manager who looks after the banking and finance side of the business. She's due to retire in November, which was one of the main reasons behind the decision. So, there were a lot of meetings going on today, and hushed conversations. I already knew I was staying with the company, which was a huge relief!

Around midday, we had another fire alarm, so we all had to troop outside until it was safe to go back in. Luckily, it was a lovely day, and the sun was shining! Some poor people who'd been in the pool joined us, wrapped in towels! 

At the end of the day, we hadn't made much inroads into the emails, so tomorrow it will be more of the same old, same old!

Lazy Sunday

In complete contrast to yesterday, today has been very lazy, which is just what we planned! We did do laundry, and we washed up the last few glasses from yesterday evening, but it was lovely to potter about and relax. The house was clean, supper tonight was simple, and both Sophie and I would be busy back at work tomorrow. I had sneaked a peek at the work emails and was horrified to see so many coming in. I knew I'd be in for a busy week!

In the evening, Sophie and I played Scrabble, and she made us both Mexican Mule cocktails with the last of the Tequila and ginger beer. They were delicious! She beat me at the game, though!

Spring is finally here (the meteorological Spring, anyway!), and we said we'd have to use the conservatory more often. I have put my bed throw over the sofa, and it looked cosy and inviting. A perfect place to sit and read on a Sunday afternoon in the future!

Dinner was cold meats and cheeses, and then it was time for an episode of Shetland before an early night. The working week beckons!

A manic day!

We had Sarah and Liam coming over for dinner this evening, and Sophie and I were in charge of the cooking. The night was Italian-themed, and we had asked Keith to get the ingredients for panna cotta. We had planned on making this, and then going shopping for the meats and cheeses for a charcuterie board as a starter. However, when Sophie took the tub of cream out of the fridge, she realised she didn't have enough... 

We decided to go shopping at once and buy everything we needed, and then come home and prepare the dishes. It must have rained heavily in the night, as the roads were awash with water. We sloshed over to Kettering and braved the crowds in the busy supermarket. 

We bought everything we needed, and a box of chocolates for Mum. We called to see her on the way home, and she was up and dressed nicely, which was a relief. I'd dreaded going into her room and seeing her still in bed.

Back home, Sophie made a start on dessert while I chopped up the vegetables for the tagliatelle Bolognese. Sophie discovered that gelatine sheets she'd asked for were actually sachets of powder, so she had some calculations to make! 

She managed it, though, and decanted the panna cotta mixture into pretty glasses. She'd even found time to tie ribbon around the stems, bless her! I made the Bolognese sauce and let it simmer for the rest of the afternoon. 

I then cleaned the conservatory (a job I'd been planning to do last Wednesday), and Sophie made sure all the crockery, cutlery and glasses were gleaming. She ironed the tablecloth and set the table while I draped a throw over the sofa. This area is very much the domain of the cats, and it took a while to remove all traces of them!

After cleaning the kitchen, scrubbing the cloakroom and hoovering the living room, we were all done and could relax for a little while! I had a soak in the bath before applying a coat of clear varnish to my nails, and getting dressed. My allergic rash is still flaring up now and again, and I've had to remove my engagement and wedding rings as they make the irritation worse.

I joined Sophie in the kitchen as she was putting the finishing touches to the charcuterie board, and I lit all the candles and turned on the heater in the conservatory. We were all done!

Sarah and Liam arrived, and I was given a beautiful plant, Italian wine and chocolates. We stood and chatted in the kitchen before moving into the conservatory for the meal. The Italian meats, cheeses and olive bread went down well, and we served Prosecco with the starter. Sophie took care of the pasta and garlic bread, and the Italian wine Liam brought went beautifully with the main course. He was driving, so he only had one glass, but Sophie and I certainly enjoyed it!

We had a pause before the starters, and we were hugely relieved that the panna cotta had set and was delicious served with chopped up strawberries! We also had tiny glasses of Limoncello to accompany the dessert.

Sarah and Liam left at 11:00pm after a great night of chat and laughter, and we promised we'd see each other again soon and not leave it so long!

We did some washing up and then had a real job getting Moonbums in... we called and called, and eventually he emerged from where he'd been when Sophie walked up the road to call for him. We grabbed him, had a cuddle and then went, thankfully, to bed!

A morning shock...

Keith dropped me off at work this morning, and yet again, I faced a mountain of emails to deal with. I honestly didn't think we would have this many cancellations! The situation with the loss of our centres was on BBC Radio Northampton, and I managed to catch a small segment while on the journey to work. I have to say that Everyone Active wasn't coming across too well!

In the office, Sheila and Sara gave me some truly shocking news, which completely floored me. I then had to concentrate on the box office returns before spending the rest of my shift tackling emails. Even with five of us working on them, we still didn't make any inroads.

Keith collected me at 4:00pm, and we trundled home, where I went onto the computer and listened to the BBC Radio Northampton breakfast show. We, along with Everyone Active and the council, had issued a statement, but the main gist of the complaints was against the new company and what little information had been given out.

Keith went to the pub, and Sophie and I watched a Netflix documentary about the former Prince Andrew's interview with Emily Maitliss. The casting of the gorgeous Rufus Sewell as Andrew was a little bizarre!

We had dinner, watched the end of the programme, and then found the original interview on YouTube. It was amusing to see the Queen's favourite son squirming so much!

The normal routine

I spent my six hours at work today trying to answer as many emails as I could, but they just kept coming in a relentless stream. At least I was spared from going on the phone as Kathy came in at 10:00am, so that was a relief!

At 2:00pm, I sped home, quickly had a chat with Keith and then went to see Mum. One of the carers handed me a sheaf of letters that had arrived, so I looked at them before taking them home with me to sort out. I sat with Mum for an hour, and we chatted about this and that, but she is still very confused.

Back home, it was the usual chores and the added task of doing our shopping list as Keith is going tomorrow. We had a delicious dinner of chicken wraps with salad, and then it was time for Shetland again. Same old, same old!

A telling off!

Sophie didn't go to the gym this morning, but I woke up before it was time for her to leave. I sat and had a coffee and then waved her off to work.

I had a GP appointment at 9:30am to discuss the results of my blood tests. Everything was fine, including my cholesterol (perfect), but I was advised to cut down on alcohol... I had to agree with the lovely doctor I saw, and he's booked me in for another blood test in eight weeks. I will be the first to admit that I drink too much, and see a glass of wine or a vodka and tonic as a treat when I get home from work. The annoying thing is that I don't drink sugary or caffeinated beverages (I can't remember the last time I had a Coke) and prefer water to pop or fruit juices. However, I'm determined to cut down and will be researching alternatives to spirits! 

Keith had accompanied me, giving me a lift to work, and I was so glad he had, as the hospital car parks were rammed! I would never have found a space at 10:30am! As soon as I got into work, I made a start on the emails, and Sara and I also cleared out a load of older messages that needed answering.

I stayed on until 5:00pm, and Sophie picked me up from our rear car park. It's been another beautiful day today, and it was great to drive home with Sophie and chat.

Dinner tonight was a very easy meal of baked potatoes with lots of salad. Scrumptious!

Chaos on the roads!

It was truly lovely driving to work in the light this morning, and sunrise is now around 7:00am, so it can only get better!

We faced another load of BOB cancellations, and Sara and I managed to tackle them all over the shift, so at least I felt like I'd done something! The weather has been very pleasant today with milder temperatures and sunshine. Are we over the worst?

Keith picked me up at 4:00pm, and he'd had a busy day as well, with a visit to the dentist for his six-month checkup. We drove home in the lovely Spring-like weather, but despite this, the roads were full of drama! Two police cars came screaming past us while we were on the A45, and then we saw an accident just past the Riverside roundabout. A car had been crossing the busy dual carriageway, and it had hit another vehicle head-on. The front had been ripped off, and there was debris all over the road. Why these openings are still in use, I'll never know, as they are so dangerous. I see cars queuing up to cross the main road on my way home, and I think the drivers are mad! 

We carried on our way, and the traffic queuing on the other side was horrendous. When we arrived at the Moulton bypass, something else had happened, and the traffic was backed up again! I texted Sophie when we got home to warn her, and saw another three incidents on the Moulton bypass and A43! It's mad to think that this was the first pleasant evening at rush hour and there were multiple problems! Sophie's satnav sent her a different way home because of the problems and she looked stressed when she arrived home. 

I felt very restless tonight and couldn't settle, probably because I had agreed to work tomorrow and try to make inroads into the email situation. Work seems to be dominating my life at the moment, and I fear it can only get worse!

Keith had prepared chilli for dinner, so I sat in the living room and watched the first episode of Lord of the Flies on BBC iPlayer. I'm not sure I will watch any more! The cinematography was beautiful, though!

After a delicious dinner, Keith watched Newcastle v Qarabag, and I fell asleep on the sofa! Back to Shetland tomorrow!

Feeling overwhelmed!

My arms were covered in a rash this morning, and they itched like mad. I seem to remember last time the rash lasted quite a while, but I hadn't had much contact with the leaves this time, unlike the time before, when I was squashing them down into a box! 

As we had no paella last night, I called into a Tesco store on the way to work to buy myself a sandwich. When I arrived in the office, Sara said there were 180 "Bob" cancellations. These aren't straightforward, as we have to read the conversation with the AI chatbot and then obtain the DD reference number before sending an email to the customer service inbox to action. It takes far longer than a normal cancellation email, and I couldn't believe my ears when Sara told me how many were waiting to be done. I really didn't think that so many customers would desert us, but it seems they're very attached to the centres we're losing!

Sara and I worked steadily all day but I hardly felt like we'd made an impact! I'm surprised I'm not dreaming about emails!

Sophie made a delicious paella tonight, and we all sat in the kitchen and chatted before she made a start on the meal. It was then time for an episode of Shetland and a spot of relaxation before bed!

A spot of gardening

I think we were all suffering from Sunday syndrome today, even though Keith doesn't work! At least the sun was shining again, though! That managed to lift our moods a little!

Keith and I went out into the garden and chopped down two bushes behind the garage (the ones that had been affected by the caterpillars). We cut them right down to give them a chance to grow back healthily. I would love to have an outdoor kitchen in this area, as the grass is patchy and we store mostly rubbish here, which needs to go to the tip!

We then turned our attention to the hibiscus tree, which hasn't flowered for years and is spindly and weedy. We managed to get the root out, and we took out another spindly tree that wasn't doing a lot. I want to gravel over this border and place a bench here, as it's shaded in the summer. We left one tree alone and started to tear down the rampant ivy that has completely taken over the fence. 

Too late, I remembered that I come out in a rash if I have contact with ivy and I could already feel my hands starting to itch... We carried on, though, and cleared a large section of the fence. I was very surprised that the wood was still intact, buried under the leaves and hadn't rotted! It looked a lot better, but we left all the prunings on the lawn to be taken to the tip on another day. It felt great to be out in the garden on a mild, dry day, and although we made a complete mess, it will look better soon!

While we'd been working in the garden, Sophie had cleaned the house, which had helped! I made lunch for Keith and me, leftover mashed potatoes mixed with grated cheese and crispy bacon bits. We had been doing laundry all day, so that needed to be sorted out, and the twin beeping of the washing machine and tumble dryer nearly drove us mad!

The plan for dinner tonight was paella, but Sophie asked if we could postpone the meal until tomorrow instead. We readily agreed, but Sophie and I still drank a lovely Rioja! 

A right old mooch about!

We awoke to a rare thing in the sky this morning... the sun! We all had a relaxed start to the day, and Sophie and I went to Market Harborough at 10:30am, as we wanted to have a coffee in Just So Italian. 

I took a seat in the window and reserved another for Sophie, who was queuing to order our coffees. The man at the end of the row departed, and another took his place, but he was under the impression that the stool I'd had at one point between my legs was for his wife! It was a good job that there was another seat next to me on the right-hand side. We couldn't believe how rude he was!

We sat and enjoyed our coffees and almond croissants before doing some shopping. Sophie bought three books in Waterstones and all of them looked interesting! She also had a good haul in the charity shops, buying some pretty tops and dresses for work.

At 1:00pm, we walked to The Little Thai for lunch. It was Sophie's birthday treat for me, and we had a delicious lunch, choosing chicken money parcels, fishcakes and prawn crackers as sides, with a curry and sweet and sour chicken for our main courses. We had a glass of wine apiece and a bottle of sparkling water, and passed on desserts! 

After eating, I wanted to look for a wooden platter for serving charcuterie, so we popped into Bagel and Griff, a shop we'd never been in before. It was gorgeous! The wooden platters were beautiful, but pricey, and we explored the upper floor, which was stuffed with candles, soaps, bathroom items and greetings cards. I picked out a bar of soap and a box of incense sticks to take home with me.

We also called into another, very similar shop called Bunny and Clarke, where we had a good mooch about, and I sprayed myself with a couple of perfumes. When we left, we said goodbye, but the owner ignored us and didn't even look up! Charming! I finally found my wooden platter in the Cookshop, and it's beautiful but more reasonably priced! 

After all the shopping, we decided to have a glass of wine at The Wine Shed and sat outside. All day, the weather had been very pleasant, but it had clouded over a little, and rain was forecast. We were persuaded to order a bottle of Grüner Veltliner, but we didn't drink it all! It was lovely to sit outside and chat and enjoy a glass of wine with a small bowl of crisps. Towards the end of our visit, it did get a bit chillier, but it's been a lot milder today.

We paid for the wine, and managed to take some home with us! In the car, we turned on the heated seats, which was bliss, and popped to Farndon Fields to buy something for supper, and to have a look at the food. Sophie bought a couple of rustic Scotch eggs, and I popped a bag of ricey snacks into the basket! They'd be perfect with a cocktail.

As we mooched about looking at yet more candles and tableware, the heavens opened! We paid and took the scenic route home through Clipston, Maidwell and Draughton. The countryside was still a medley of greys and browns, but signs of spring are about, if you look carefully!

We spent the next couple of hours relaxing and decided to watch a new drama called The Curfew, about Britain in the future, when all men have to stay indoors between 7:00pm and 7:00am. I wasn't keen on the show right from the start, and the programme started an argument between Sophie and Keith, which rumbled on all night. Not really the best end to a lovely day!

Friday's here again!

On Monday evening, I remember saying to Sophie that the first day of the working week was over, and it would be Friday again before we knew it! I was right! This week has whizzed by!

I was facing mountains of emails again today, knowing I just wouldn't have the time to answer them all. To make matters worse, Sara has been unable to get anyone to cover on Monday, so I will be on the phone from 10:00am until 4:00pm... wonderful!

It was lovely to escape at 4:00pm and drive home, with the weekend to look forward to. We opened a bottle of Viognier, munched on some snacks and hummus, and watched a silly film on Netflix called Cellar Door. It was roughly an hour and a half of our lives we'll never get back!

Time whizzes past!

Sara is off for the next two days, so I was in charge of the customer service emails. Unfortunately, I couldn't handle everything in my six-hour shift, but Macy and Sheila helped with the cancellation emails. Consequently, the time absolutely whizzed by and before I knew it, it was 2:00pm and time to rejoin Keith in the car park.

We drove home in heavy traffic, and I dropped him off before going to Kettering to see my Mum. This time, she had the remote control, so we were able to sit and watch some television in between chatting. We started watching an interesting documentary on bears in Laos, but I felt so sorry for some of them who were chained up and kept in cages that I had to switch channels. I can't bear to see any animals (or fish or birds) kept in such a confined space.

I stayed for over an hour and returned home, where Keith and I watched the end of a Shetland episode from last night... we have the last episode of series 3 to watch this evening, and we just needed to know whodunnit!

A spot of pre-Spring cleaning

After a relaxing start to the day, I gave the upstairs of the house a deep clean. I paid particular attention to the bathroom and scrubbed the tiles and grouting. I even put the shower head into the dishwasher with a few other items that needed a good clean! Everything came out shiny and clean except the detergent drawer of the washing machine. Why does a piece of equipment, only used to clean clothes, get so dirty? It's a constant annoyance!

Keith prepared the ingredients for tonight's chicken stroganoff, so we were both busy. As I worked my way through the rooms upstairs, it felt good that I was tackling the chores that needed doing! Our house isn't dirty, but it was great to clear away cobwebs and move furniture out of the way to clean. By the time it was 5:00pm, I had cleaned downstairs as well (a deep clean will be done next Wednesday), and, between us, Keith and I had prepared dinner, so it just needed to be heated up. I lit all the candles, and the house was lovely and cosy.

Keith watched Newcastle this evening, but the kick-off was at 5:45pm, so the match didn't affect our evening's viewing of Shetland. Keith and I are becoming addicted to this series, but we have series 4, 5, 6 and 7 to watch, so it will be a long time before we finish!

Same old, same old...!

Monday and Tuesday have almost been identical this week!

Masses of emails at work ✔

Masses of phone calls at work ✔

Too much to do, too little time  ✔

Relaxing around the kitchen island after a busy day at work ✔

Watching episodes of Shetland and wondering whether I fancy Douglas Henshall or not? ✔

At least the weather was pleasant on Monday, although we had sunshine and showers! It's been bitterly cold, as well, but I'm now driving to work in the light and coming home in daylight, so that's a boost to the mood! It's school half-term in our area this week, so the roads have been quieter on both journeys. 

I had an interesting conversation with one of my colleagues on Tuesday afternoon about keeping up with the news, as a fair few of our customers still seem to be unaware of the imminent loss of three of our centres, which has been advertised on our website and in correspondence to customers. There has also been much said on Facebook, with several heated discussions taking place.

This colleague informed me she has no interest in social media whatsoever (OK, I'm fine with that) but never watches the news or reads a newspaper... She said she preferred to remain in a bubble without knowing what was going on. I was astounded! We always make a point of watching the headlines of the news at 6:00pm, and I would just have to know what's going on in the world and how it may affect me! Why bury your head in the sand! She's an adult, surely she needs to know what's going on in both the UK and the rest of the world? I'm not as informed as some people, but I have a working knowledge of what's happening, and I hope I can be able to comment on news items! 

The world is a bit of a frightening place at the moment, and we don't revel in upsetting news stories, but if we go away on holiday and don't have access to a British newspaper or news channel, I always worry I'm missing out!

I'm looking forward to a day off tomorrow, and not having to answer any emails! Bring it on!

A lunchtime treat

Keith and I went over to see Mum this morning and stayed with her for a little while. She'd had another fall yesterday but seemed fine. I am having trouble contacting her on the phone lately, which is a shame, as at least we were able to speak every day. 

Back home, we got ready to go to the pub for Sunday roast, something we were all looking forward to, especially as the weather was horrible again! It has rained all morning, and the roads out towards Mawsley were starting to flood.

The pub was packed, and we sat and had a drink before our meal. The fire had been lit, and it was lovely and cosy to sit and natter! At 2:30pm, we were seated in the snug and chose our meals, with Sophie and me opting for the roast chicken, while Keith was brave and decided to have the trio of roasts - chicken, beef and gammon. We had starters as well - chicken wings for Keith and Sophie, and a goat's cheese and beetroot tart for me.

We were all pretty hungry by now, so as soon as the food arrived, we tucked in! The starters were delicious and set us up beautifully for the traditional main courses. Keith looked at his plate in amazement when it was served, as it was piled high with food, including a huge Yorkshire pudding and three mammoth roast potatoes! He genuinely struggled to eat everything! We certainly didn't have any room for pudding!

Just as we were finishing our meal, a party of people from our estate came in and sat behind us, so we said hello. We much prefer this pub to the one in Walgrave now, as the staff are always efficient and friendly, and the food is lovely. Sophie and I are looking forward to walking up in the summer and sitting in the garden with a drink!

Back home, it was time to relax and while away the cold and wet afternoon! We snoozed in the living room, and Keith and I caught up with a couple of episodes of Shetland in the evening. We are well and truly hooked!

At last! Some sun!

We had a relaxed start to the weekend, and it was great to see the sun shining. It was cold, though, and we had frosty patterns on the conservatory roof again.

At 11:00am, I drove Sophie to Daisy's house in Moulton, as they were going to Olney with Laura to have a mooch about the shops and eat lunch. I had forgotten it was Valentine's Day today, and the girls had renamed it "Galentine's Day"!

I haven't done a lot today, and I didn't feel guilty one bit! I pootled about the house, and in the afternoon, I researched houses in Normandy for my birthday in 2027! I picked out seven possible contenders to show to Sophie when she came home later. We want to stay closer to Deauville next year as we both love this stretch of the coast.

Keith went to see Sileby play, so I put the heating on and had a long, hot shower as I felt cold. Afterwards, I watched a couple of episodes of Ever Decreasing Circles and had a little nap. What a relaxed afternoon! Both cats have been in today, and I didn't blame them as it was so cold outside!

Keith came home at 5:00pm, chilled to the bone, and immediately switched on the England-Scotland rugby match he'd recorded. Sophie texted me to say she was on her way home, so after they'd dropped Laura off, I drove to Moulton to pick her up from Daisy's house.

On the way home, she told me about her day. She'd bought two of David McCloskey's books, some tulips for me, and a couple of items of clothing. Neither Laura nor Daisy bought anything, not even a book!

We sat and had a look at the houses I'd picked out with a small cocktail. Each house was lovely, but in the end we decided on a sweet bungalow in Houlgate, one of our favourite towns. It's where we collect shells on the beach, and the town is beautiful and very close to Deauville. We didn't even have to pay a deposit! The owner contacted us straightaway, so we were delighted. Another little trip to look forward to!

Sophie had eaten Italian today, so she didn't have dinner with Keith and me, which was prawn salad, served with wholemeal bread. I prepared it while Keith watched the Newcastle-Aston Villa game, and Sophie and I opened a bottle of Italian Pinot Grigio. 

After eating, we watched Alan and Amanda in Corfu, followed by an episode of Masterchef: The Professionals, as Matt Tebbutt is now a judge!

Yippee! It's the last day of the working week!

I was mightily glad it was Friday and the end of another week. I apologise if the blog has been a little lacklustre lately... this winter is dragging on and on, and the weather is getting to all of us. My painful cyst hasn't really healed, and the antibiotics that I've been prescribed aren't suiting me at all. I long for warmer, sunnier days, as we all do!

Sara had told me that she had asked Nicola if we could postpone the moan report for a while as we were so busy, but our MD had wanted us to carry on, so I finished December's report this afternoon. At least in May, I won't have so much to do! I also enrolled a number of people on a lifeguard course that's taking place next week, and tackled as many emails as I could.

Back home, I caught up with an episode of Ever Decreasing Circles, which never fails to make me smile and cheer me up. When Sophie arrived, we opened a bottle of "Orange" wine from Austria and watched the last hour and a half of Rebecca. I wasn't keen on the orange wine at first, but it grew on me!

With an easy dinner of fishcakes and mash for dinner, and the figure skating from the Winter Olympics on after we'd eaten, we had a lovely, relaxing evening!

Another week speeding by!

I was helping to cover our 10:00am to 4:00pm shift today, so I didn't have to go to work so early. I was able to have a little lie-in, and Keith and I left the house just after 9:00am.

Kathy had also volunteered to help, so she covered the phones until 2:00pm, and then I took over. Needless to say, we had lots of emails to deal with, and the calls and queries are ramping up after posts have appeared on Facebook about the changes taking place, with people criticising Everyone Active, West Northamptonshire Council and us. It's horrible reading some of the comments, and we're obviously not allowed to hit back at what people are saying.

It was a relief to leave at 4:00pm and head home. As there was so much pasta bake left last night, we decided to have it again tonight, with any remaining food left for Sophie's lunches. It was great not to have to cook tonight, and Keith and I played cards while Sophie read her latest book by Salman Rushdie. Rather her than me!

In search of lost items...

Both Keith and I had an appointment at the GP surgery for routine blood tests this morning, so once that was out of the way, we decided to go to Beckworth Emporium and have a look at the food side of the store. 

It was a wet, miserable day again, and the roads were awash with water. I don't think I've ever known such a prolonged period of rainfall for the country. I was expecting Beckworth to be quiet, but it was packed, so we made our purchases and fled home. Keith wasn't in the mood for looking around anyway, as he's not a fan of the place!

Back at home, I pootled about doing a few jobs and then went to see my Mum. She had lost the remote control for the television, so it was a difficult visit as she wasn't making a lot of sense, and I didn't even have a programme such as A Place in the Sun to alleviate the gloom! I searched and searched for the remote control, but I had no idea where it was, so when I left, I let one of the carers know, so at least Mum could watch some television. The thought of her sitting there staring into space didn't bear thinking about.

 

Back home, I did some more jobs, hoovered and lit the candles to make the house cosy. Sophie cooked a delicious beefy pasta bake for dinner, and it was lovely, accompanied by a fruity Malbec!

A manic Tuesday!

I started work at 7:30am this morning because I needed to leave early for my nurse appointment. As I predicted, we had over 150 emails to deal with, and although I did my best, there were still over 80 left to do when I finished at 3:30pm.

I followed the SatNav advice and arrived at the surgery just after 4:00pm. No sunshine to accompany me home tonight; it was grey and rainy! The nurse called me in, and I explained that I'd seen my GP in October, but that over the last couple of days, the cyst had become red and sore. I'd tried hot and cold compresses, but nothing had worked. She examined it and said she was going to prescribe me a course of penicillin, and she also took my temperature, which was fine.

As soon as I arrived home, I took a tablet, with another one planned for just before bed. I really want to get rid of this cyst as it's painful and horrible! When Sophie arrived home, she'd had a stressful day, so we had a drink while watching Rick Stein in the Languedoc-Roussillon area of France. How I wish we were there with him!

A little Spanish celebration

I duly called into a Tesco store on my way to work and bought myself an egg and cress sandwich. There is no sign of our "restroom" being finished, so we are still eating at our desks.

Before I started, I had to call our GP surgery to arrange an appointment with a nurse. I was hoping to go on Wednesday when Keith and I have appointments for blood tests, but I was able to get one for tomorrow after work. The little cyst I saw the doctor about last October has become painful and red, and I'm worried it's infected. Just what I need!

We had many, many emails to deal with today, and we had Tilly, the assistance dog, with us for an hour. She was perfectly behaved, bless her, and Nicola made a huge fuss of her. Our MD wasn't aware, and Nicola dreaded him coming in when she was lying on her mat!

To add to my woes, I was on the phone until 1pm today, and the booking system went down, so I had to keep telling customers I'd call them back when it was up and running again. In the end, I used Sheila's computer while an IT man tried to get it fixed!  

Just after lunch, we had a fire alarm, and we all had to go outside. At least it was dry! This is the second one we've had in four days, and it's very inconvenient, especially when we have so much to do! I tried my best, but I couldn't clear the emails, so there's more to do tomorrow. Oh joy!

Keith and I drove home, and the weather was lovely, with blue skies and sunshine. What a difference it made to my mood and really made me think that Spring was just around the corner!

Another boost to our mood was our Puerto Rican night, in honour of Bad Bunny, who appeared in the half-time show at the Super Bowl. Keith had recorded the game last night, so we could watch the performance. We started the evening with gorgeous Margaritas and nibbled on olives. Sophie then prepared Spanish tortilla, cheeses wrapped in ham, a selection of Spanish hams, crusty bread and aioli, as well as stuffed peppers. The food was lovely, and the cocktails went down very well!

After we'd eaten, we watched Bad Bunny's fabulous performance, and Lady Gaga joined him with a fantastic version of Die With a Smile. The whole show was brilliant!

An interesting discovery...

We have spent another day pootling about, doing housework and laundry. The weather has been a little drier today, but more rain is in the forecast. There seems to be no end in sight!

After our lunch of Chinese takeaway leftovers, Sophie and I drove to Mawsley, where she sent off a parcel of books that she'd sold, and then we drove to the care home to see Mum. We stayed for a while, and I showed her the photos I'd found yesterday of the snow 17 years ago. She didn't seem to remember the day at all, and all the hard work clearing the snow. We were so reliant on the weather for business, and having snow really did it for us, as people didn't venture out at all!

Back home, I was tidying up some old files on the computer when I came across 132 pages of a novel I'd written back in about 2002-2003. It kept me hooked, so maybe I'll have to do something with it, and also bring it up to date, as there were some references in the novel that definitely belonged to the early noughties!

We had Sophie's vegetable and chicken soup, but I don't think any of us really appreciated it and all the hard work she'd put into making it... She took what was left over for her lunch tomorrow, and I resigned myself to calling into Tesco again to buy a sandwich!

After eating, we treated ourselves to an hour of Caribbean sunshine and watched Death in Paradise. Oh, how we all long for blue skies and sunshine!

Looking back...

We awoke to... yes, you guessed! Another wet and miserable day! However, I had a notification from Google Photos about this day, 17 years ago:

Mum shovelling snow

Mikey aged 9

Dad trying to clear it all away!

Back in February 2009, it had snowed over the last few days, and we were forced to go into work on Saturday morning to try and clear the snow away so customers could park! The main car park was unusable, but we had to try and do something as we had birthday parties booked! Imagine if all the rain we'd had lately had fallen as snow! It doesn't bear thinking about!

Sophie and icicle!

Back to the present day, we didn't have any plans for this weekend, so it was great to stay inside and keep warm. Sophie was determined to finish two books she was reading, and I pootled about doing some jobs. Outside was grey and overcast, and I looked at some of the flood warnings in place. I think England has over 300!

I had a very long soak in the bath in the afternoon and then lolled about on the bed reading. What a lovely way to spend a grey and dismal Saturday afternoon! When Sophie and I reconvened in the kitchen at about 5:30pm, we agreed we didn't fancy the soup that my daughter had spent most of the morning making, and fancied a Chinese takeaway instead!

Keith was in agreement, so we ordered our dishes, and Sophie and I played Scrabble. She made David McCloskey's cocktail - No3 London Gin, dry Vermouth and a twist of orange peel. It was delicious! I  beat Sophie tonight, and we played some interesting words!

Our meal tonight was particularly good, and there was enough left for lunch tomorrow. We elected to watch Casino Royale this evening, and Sophie and I indulged in a Vesper when James Bond enjoyed his!

Rain, rain rain...

Keith took me to work this morning, and I stopped off at a small Tesco on the way to buy myself lunch. We had nothing in the house as Keith didn't go shopping yesterday!

I had a busy shift, trying to deal with as many emails as I could, but as fast as I was answering them, more were coming in. Members were understandably worried about their memberships and losing three of the centres. Some of the people have been with us for decades, and I remember using Lings when I was a teenager! We dealt with them as best as we could, as we still haven't got any details about what's going to happen with the transfer to Everyone Active at the end of March.

It was a huge relief to finish at 4:00pm and join Keith in the car. I used the satnav to get us home again, and we were pulling onto the drive at 4:30pm, which was brilliant! Needless to say, we'd had rain and grey skies all day. I think this photo sums up the last few weeks:

The lovely Friday when Sophie and I drove the Normandy coast road and enjoyed a walk on the sunny beach seems an age ago!

Keith didn't go to the pub this evening, and Sophie and I opened a bottle of Porta 6 and watched the original Rebecca, starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. We enjoyed pizza, quiche and salad for dinner and then watched Alan and Amanda in Corfu. The glorious blue skies and sunshine were almost too much to bear!

Winter washout

It was pouring this morning when I drove to work, and I heard on the news that some parts of the country have had continuous rain since the start of 2026. I think we are all heartily fed up with the rain, the dark, and the chill. I long to see some sun, and I bet I'm not the only one! I wouldn't mind if it were cold and frosty with blue skies!

Letters went out to our members today about what's happening with their memberships at the end of March, so we had a flurry of calls and emails. Unfortunately, many members are cancelling because they only use the sites that will be taken over by Everyone Active, so I expect to see quite a few more cancellations in the coming weeks.

I left at 2:00pm, drove home to see Keith briefly, and then went to Kettering to see my Mum. She seemed a little brighter today and had had her hair done. We sat and chatted for over an hour, and then I sloshed my way home in the gloom, as it had now turned misty as well!

At least this evening we didn't have to think about dinner as we were meeting Michael in town to have dinner at The Lamplighter. Need I say it was chucking it down when we drove into Northampton? We ran into the pub, dodging puddles and arrived wet and dishevelled!

We took our drinks up to a table and texted Mike to say we had arrived. He came through the door a few minutes later and bought himself a pint before joining us. It was great to catch up, as we hadn't seen him since my Dad's funeral in early December. 

We ordered our meals: beefy nachos to share as a starter, followed by fish and chips (Keith and me) and burgers for Soph and Mike. We sat and chatted, but the loud background music and awful choice of playlist made it uncomfortable. Keith couldn't hear anything we were saying, as directly below him (we were seated on a little raised stage) was a noisy group of people that made it difficult to hear.

Keith and I enjoyed our fish and chips, but although the batter was deliciously crispy, the fish inside was very thin. At least, Sophie and Mike scoffed their loaded burgers and pronounced them fab! It was a good night, but I don't think we will be back soon, which is a shame as it's always been a favourite of ours. The music was just too raucous for me!

We bade farewell to Michael and sloshed our way back home. The roads were covered in water, and large puddles lined the side of the A43. When we arrived home, the cats ran in as they'd been out while we were in Northampton. I think they were very glad to see us!

A tale of two firsts...

I wanted to go and get our passport photographs done today, so Keith and I decided to go to the Weston Favell Centre, post a parcel back at the Post Office and get them done in one of the special booths.

We had a frustrating journey as we discovered the road up to the A43 was closed. A driver warned me, so we turned around and went via Moulton. I followed the driver who had flashed me, and he drove like a snail the whole way! At the moment, we are suffering from potholes on all of our roads, and it's the worst I've ever experienced. Whether he was driving so slowly because of the condition of the road, I don't know, but it was very frustrating! I then managed to get behind another slow and timid driver just before we got to the shopping mall... arrgghhh!

We went to the Post Office first, and then I treated myself to a coffee and a BLT sandwich in Costa. Keith didn't want anything, even a cup of tea! We used the escalator to get to the ground floor, and I was astonished to see a new climbing facility where Wilko's used to be! The place was called Pinnacle Climbing and they had a separate area for children called Clip 'n' Climb. It was very colourful with two levels that I didn't know existed! The place was empty, but it's probably hectic at the weekends.

 We found the passport photo booth, and I took my photo, but I couldn't pay. Inserting my card didn't work, and using contactless wouldn't work either! It was £10 for just one photo, so I decided we'd do it at home instead!

We drove to HomeSense next, and I was on the lookout for a little table for Sophie's chair where she can put a lamp and her drink when she sits and reads. HomeSense had loads of tables, but none of them were suitable or were way too expensive! I did buy a new jar for storing our dishwasher tablets, a new holder for the kitchen towel and a pretty box to store all my Dad's paperwork.

Next door was The Range, a store I'd never been in before. We spotted a white table with an alcove for books and a drawer, but there was no price on it. In fact, hardly any of the items seemed to have prices displayed, so in the end I had to ask a staff member to help. It was £40 and was ideal for what we wanted, so I asked the man helping if he could take it down to the tills for me. I also treated myself to a new lunch bag as my previous one had been put in the tumble dryer and had shrunk!

Our last stop was to Starbucks to buy Sophie and her friend, Becky, an iced matcha latte each. We delivered the drinks to their office and headed home. However, on the way, I said to Keith I'd love a cold beer, so we went to The Royal Oak, and we had a drink. For the first time ever, I ordered a pint of Guinness! The sandwich I'd had earlier had made me thirsty, so the beer was delicious! We spent a very pleasant half hour enjoying our drinks and chatting in a deserted pub. 

Back at home, we pootled about, caught up with the usual Wednesday jobs, and I arranged Sophie's "nook". When she arrived home, she was overjoyed!

A little snow...

I took myself off to work this morning and arrived in good time, with my pick of spaces. We had another busy day answering loads of emails, and I was mightily glad when it was 4:00pm, and I could pootle off home!

I used Google Maps again, and this time she took me off the dual carriageway at the next junction. I then headed towards Ecton on the old A4500, and into Sywell, before crossing the A43 and missing all the long queues. I got home at 4:45pm, but ten minutes of that were spent waiting to get off the hospital grounds.

Keith went to watch Sileby play this evening, and Sophie cooked us both jerk chicken pasta and doughballs. The meal was delicious! We drank a lovely white Italian Gavi with the meal and watched a BBC documentary about Steve Rosenberg, the Russia correspondent based in Moscow. It was fascinating, but I didn't envy him his job! He regularly gets followed! It was a bit like Russia here as we had light snow throughout the evening, and at one point I thought it was going to settle! Brrrr!

We ended the evening with another documentary about four women who had been abused by the same man over two decades. He was a thoroughly nasty man, and I hope he stays in prison for a long time!

A little chat

Keith took me to work today, and as soon as I arrived, I asked to have a chat with Sara about losing my hours on a Thursday. Although she didn't really have any answers for me (and the meeting actually raised more questions!), at least I made my feelings known. She asked if I wanted to meet with Nicola, but I said no; she always has an answer for everything! It was good for both of us to have a chat and a bit of a rant!

The rest of the day was hectic, and we had loads of emails to deal with. Letters are supposed to be going out this week to customers to let them know what's happening, so I can only see it getting worse!

We used Google Maps to get home, as I'm fed up with choosing a route that's busy. We were directed the normal way (along the dual carriageway and the A43), but I think I'm going to get into the habit of doing this every time I go home, to find the best, least congested journey.

Dinner was simple again, and after we'd eaten, Keith and I watched Shetland and we're enjoying the series. I have to wonder why we didn't watch it when it was on the first time around!

Another rainy Sunday...

It was the Australian Open Tennis Final this morning and Sophie and I settled down to watch Alcaraz play Djokovic. We wanted the Serb to win, but although he took the first set, he eventually lost. But not bad for a player in his late 30s! His compatriots - Nadal, Federer and Murray have all retired!

We didn't watch the whole match, and we pootled about the rest of the morning and sorted some jobs that needed doing. We booked a timeslot for the tip this afternoon to take our old television and all the packaging, as well as some old clothes and small electrical items. Outside,  yet again, it was another wet and horrible day, so not really the best day to go to the tip, but needs must! Roll on the warmer, drier weather!

We also ordered a new DVD player from Amazon, so I'll be able to watch my Ever Decreasing Circles DVDs!  They always cheer me up and make me laugh!

Keith and I went to the tip in the afternoon, and we both had to manhandle the old television; it was so heavy! I flung the old DVD player and the annoying speakers into the electrical skip. The tangle of wires behind the television stand has now gone, and it's much tidier.

Back home, we relaxed, and I had a short nap while sitting with Keith as he watched football. We had a very simple supper tonight of cheese, biscuits, grapes, celery and apple, so that didn't require any preparation at all. The DVD player arrived, and we set it up easily! While Sophie set everything out for dinner, I watched a couple of episodes of my favourite comedy! Bliss!

Supper was delicious, and we even had a glass of Port with the meal. There was enough left for tomorrow's dinner as well!

Ladies who breakfast...

I was up and out of the house by 8:45am this morning to meet Lynda and Fiona for a 10am breakfast booking at The Swan at Salford. We met at Lynda's house in Cogenhoe, and Fiona had elected to drive us to the pub near Milton Keynes. As Andrea lived close by, she was meeting us there.

It was a beautiful morning, and we were looking forward to a good catch-up over a great British breakfast! Our route took us through Olney and towards Milton Keynes, and we passed an area with a lot of building going on and new roads, which upset Fiona's satnav a bit!

We arrived just before 10:00am, and Andrea was already waiting for us. Apart from us, the pub was empty, and as soon as we sat down, I ordered a Flat White from our Australian waiter, while the girls had orange juice.

It was great to catch up with my three friends - I can't remember the last time I'd seen them! Our chat was interrupted by the waiter who took our order: three full cooked breakfasts, and poached eggs and avocado on sourdough toast for Andrea.

The food was beautifully cooked and presented, and we all tucked in!

This was a great thing to do as we still had the rest of the day to be with our families, and three of us had plans for later in the afternoon. We agreed to meet up again in April for another breakfast, but in Northampton, and I said I would find somewhere for us to go.

Before heading home, we went to see Andrea's new house, and we said hello to her partner, Clif. They told us about their very quiet neighbours (they live next to a graveyard) and the one grave which is in a neighbour's garden. This was a criminal, buried just outside the consecrated ground of the churchyard. Andrea's neighbours tend the grave and make sure there are flowers growing around it, which I thought was lovely.

We said goodbye to Clif and Andrea, and Fiona drove us home, this time through Newport Pagnell, Horton and Brafield-on-the-Green. It only took us half an hour, which was great as she was looking at a house with her son at 1:30pm. I was looking forward to going to Market Harborough with Sophie for a drink at The Wine Shed!

When I arrived back, I was delighted to see that Keith and Sophie had set up the new television and had cleaned the TV stand and the corner of the room behind it, which was very dusty! The new television was lovely and had a beautifully clear picture! The old TV was in the garage with all the packaging, and the only problem was that our DVD player no longer worked with the new television. It was quite old, so Keith said he would order a new one. I need to watch my Ever Decreasing Circles DVDs!

Sophie and I drove to Market Harborough, and we had a look in Waterstones first. Sophie bought  The Outside by Albert Camus, a book I'd had to read for my French A-level. I hope she enjoys it.

From Waterstones, we went to The Wine Shed, and we were seated inside. The place was very busy with a noisy table of women next to us. They were enjoying platters of cold meats and cheeses, which looked delicious. Sophie ordered a cheese toastie, as she hadn't had any lunch, and we both chose a glass of wine. My daughter picked a French Merlot, while I opted for a glass of Vouvray.

It was lovely to sit and chat, and we squeezed in a slice of fruit cake with a small glass of dessert wine as a treat. Outside, it had clouded over from this morning, and it began to rain hard as we walked back to the car. Sophie wanted to buy a bottle of No3 London Gin (as drunk by David McCloskey), and after an unsuccessful visit to Majestic, we found one in Waitrose.

Before going home, we popped to the care home to see Mum, who was sitting in the dining room having tea. We took her back to her room and stayed for a chat, but she didn't make a lot of sense, unfortunately. She seems to be having vivid dreams at the moment, which she says are very real.

Back home, it was time to relax on the sofa and read. I had a short nap, and Sophie prepared our evening's meal, Tesco Indian curries with accompaniments. Sophie wanted to watch Newcastle v Liverpool after dinner, even though Keith wasn't keen. We said Newcastle would win, but they didn't, and I don't dare write the full-time score here! Oh dear!