Today's been hard work! We decided to scrub the floor in our seating area and also try and clean a section of carpet that was stained, and I really wish we hadn't bothered! We've just bought a new Vax carpet cleaner and at the end of the day we came to the conclusion that it's OK for dealing with spills and light stains but we really need an industrial carpet cleaner to deal with a larger area of the floor. It should be OK for use at home though!
The tiled floor didn't look as good as it normally did so I felt we'd wasted most of the day cleaning and it didn't look any different!
As I was on my feet all day (in my boots that have a fair-sized heel on them) my feet were a little achey when it was time to go to the gym...Sophie and I decided to give it a miss tonight and went home where I jumped straight into the bath for a long soak!
Monday, 14 October 2013
Sunday, 13 October 2013
Christmas cake!
I spent what felt like most of the morning making my Christmas cake! The girls were all still asleep so after breakfast I shut myself away in the kitchen and set to!
I followed the recipe exactly and after about an hour the cake was ready to go in the oven. Here's a pic:
It took about three and a half hours to cook and was ready when Sophie and I got back from a swim and lunch at the gym. It looked lovely and I have to say that Keith and I had a slice with a cup of tea! I wanted to make this cake the experiment and I will bake another next week. I've found a Mary Berry recipe that calls for the fruit to be soaked in Brandy for three days so I'm going to try that!
I followed the recipe exactly and after about an hour the cake was ready to go in the oven. Here's a pic:
It took about three and a half hours to cook and was ready when Sophie and I got back from a swim and lunch at the gym. It looked lovely and I have to say that Keith and I had a slice with a cup of tea! I wanted to make this cake the experiment and I will bake another next week. I've found a Mary Berry recipe that calls for the fruit to be soaked in Brandy for three days so I'm going to try that!
Saturday, 12 October 2013
Thrown out!
After a fairly busy day Keith and I were made to go out in the evening as Sophie had invited a couple of her friends around for a girly evening in. To be honest Keith and I really didn't fancy going out as Keith had decided to stop drinking until Christmas and a pub was the last place he wanted to be! We thought of going to the cinema but that didn't appeal either so after much debating we decided that for one night only, he would break his rule and have a beer.
I suggested The Swan Inn at Braybrooke as we hadn't been there for a while and it was on the way to Market Harborough where we intended to finish the evening at an Indian restaurant. It was a horrendous night - torrential rain and winds - the sort of evening made for staying in!
We sloshed our way over to the village and parked a short distance away, which meant we entered the pub looking like drowned rats! Keith had a taster of a dark beer called Titanic Plum Porter and ordered a pint before saying he disliked it! Make your mind up, man!
We were able to sit at the bar and watched with amusement as a crowd of people arrived dressed up to the nines. The women were in evening gowns while the men wore black tie so obviously something was going on! We both felt under-dressed even though there were people sitting eating and drinking who were dressed as casually as us. We both agreed it was a one-drink only pub so after downing our drinks we sloshed our way back to the car and drove over to The Queens Head at Sutton Bassett, another of our favourite pubs from the past, and one which has undergone different fortunes in all the years we've been visiting.
Tonight it was undergoing one of its less favourable periods as it was like entering someone's living room. The Queens head has never been one of the most modern of pubs (at one point in time it had the original cash register from the 1940s, I think!) and the building consists of a small front lounge with window seats and a corridor leading to the small back lounge with more tables and chairs. We think the pub was going through some sort of refurbishment as they only had two beers on pump (neither of which Keith liked) so he ordered a pint of Poretti lager and a sparkling water for me.
As we sat at the bar he pushed the lager towards me and asked if I could drink it while he had the water and then he'd drive from now on. He was seriously underwhelmed with both pubs we'd visited and, feeling a bit guilty about drinking in the first place, said he would stick to water for the rest of the night!
We had just the one drink (what a shame we will probably not go back) and then drove to Market Harborough to an Indian we've been to before which goes (or went) by the name of The Shagorika! We were able to park nearby and I was mightily glad I had one of our Berlin umbrellas with us as the rain was still tipping it down.
We arrived at what was the Shagorika to find that it's now called Dhancora. The restaurant was very quiet with just a few other tables taken but we had a delicious meal. We started with poppadums and relishes followed by Chicken Pakora (beautifully crispy) and then a curry for each of us. I chose Chicken Jalfrezi while Keith opted for an eye watering Vindaloo, but I think my dish was the hotter of the two! With some Naan bread and a side of Mushroom bhajee, we were stuffed to the gunnels at the end of the evening!
It was still raining heavily when we left and we arrived home to find the living room looking like a beauty parlour!
I suggested The Swan Inn at Braybrooke as we hadn't been there for a while and it was on the way to Market Harborough where we intended to finish the evening at an Indian restaurant. It was a horrendous night - torrential rain and winds - the sort of evening made for staying in!
We sloshed our way over to the village and parked a short distance away, which meant we entered the pub looking like drowned rats! Keith had a taster of a dark beer called Titanic Plum Porter and ordered a pint before saying he disliked it! Make your mind up, man!
We were able to sit at the bar and watched with amusement as a crowd of people arrived dressed up to the nines. The women were in evening gowns while the men wore black tie so obviously something was going on! We both felt under-dressed even though there were people sitting eating and drinking who were dressed as casually as us. We both agreed it was a one-drink only pub so after downing our drinks we sloshed our way back to the car and drove over to The Queens Head at Sutton Bassett, another of our favourite pubs from the past, and one which has undergone different fortunes in all the years we've been visiting.
Tonight it was undergoing one of its less favourable periods as it was like entering someone's living room. The Queens head has never been one of the most modern of pubs (at one point in time it had the original cash register from the 1940s, I think!) and the building consists of a small front lounge with window seats and a corridor leading to the small back lounge with more tables and chairs. We think the pub was going through some sort of refurbishment as they only had two beers on pump (neither of which Keith liked) so he ordered a pint of Poretti lager and a sparkling water for me.
As we sat at the bar he pushed the lager towards me and asked if I could drink it while he had the water and then he'd drive from now on. He was seriously underwhelmed with both pubs we'd visited and, feeling a bit guilty about drinking in the first place, said he would stick to water for the rest of the night!
We had just the one drink (what a shame we will probably not go back) and then drove to Market Harborough to an Indian we've been to before which goes (or went) by the name of The Shagorika! We were able to park nearby and I was mightily glad I had one of our Berlin umbrellas with us as the rain was still tipping it down.
We arrived at what was the Shagorika to find that it's now called Dhancora. The restaurant was very quiet with just a few other tables taken but we had a delicious meal. We started with poppadums and relishes followed by Chicken Pakora (beautifully crispy) and then a curry for each of us. I chose Chicken Jalfrezi while Keith opted for an eye watering Vindaloo, but I think my dish was the hotter of the two! With some Naan bread and a side of Mushroom bhajee, we were stuffed to the gunnels at the end of the evening!
It was still raining heavily when we left and we arrived home to find the living room looking like a beauty parlour!
Friday, 11 October 2013
Autumn arrives...
Today the weather has been horrible, but worryingly, we weren't busy at work. I picked Sophie up from school and we went home early so I could attend to some feminine tasks (colouring my hair as I was beginning to resemble a badger!).
Keith's mate Dave phoned up and said he was ill which meant that Keith stayed at home - so rare for a Friday evening! We sat in the conservatory and played cards and I opened a delicious bottle of Chilean Merlot which I think my Dad brought me when my parents came to dinner one evening. I had to resist drinking the whole bottle as it was gorgeous!
Keith's mate Dave phoned up and said he was ill which meant that Keith stayed at home - so rare for a Friday evening! We sat in the conservatory and played cards and I opened a delicious bottle of Chilean Merlot which I think my Dad brought me when my parents came to dinner one evening. I had to resist drinking the whole bottle as it was gorgeous!
Thursday, 10 October 2013
Not a good day...or was it?
Today has been horrible. Work has been very stressful today and we had a customer complaint that I had to deal with mid-morning whilst I was in a meeting with the local HSE representative, which I could really have done without!
Today we'd advertised it was "Freeday" at work, rather than Thursday, something we're doing one day a week to give our customers a little freebie. Today we were giving everyone a raffle ticket for a free draw to win a month's pass, potentially worth around £100 but one customer assumed that we were offering free entrance! She'd already been arguing with Polly and had then demanded to speak to someone in Management so I had to leave my meeting and go and talk to her. Realising that whatever I said wasn't going to make a difference, as she was like a spitting cat, I apologised and offered her some free tickets when she left. Who in their right mind would run a business these days!
Sophie and I went off to the gym after work and it was great to get rid of my stress by doing some much needed exercise! I relished the half hour I spent in the jacuzzi just relaxing and enjoying the warm water.
Back at home Keith had made a fish pie for dinner which was delicious. Even the children ate it all up! For dessert he suggested fruit salad but it was nearly the last dish he would ever eat as he started to choke on a piece of apple and really started to panic. I've never seen him looking so scared so I knew it was serious. I made him bend over slightly and hit him hard in the middle of his back, but that didn't work, so I hit him again harder and luckily this made the piece of apple move and he was able to spit it out.
All of us were shaking but Mikey stayed very calm and I didn't panic myself, even though I always thought I would in a situation like that. However, if that hadn't worked then maybe I would have felt a lot different. Funnily enough, I sat and watched a programme on BBC2 that touched on the subject of saving lives so it was quite apt. I did my First Aid course almost two years ago and I'm glad that I have a basic knowledge.
We all shakily sat down to watch TV again and after about fifteen minutes the phone rang. It was my Dad to say that the alarm had gone off at work, for the second time. Knowing he wanted me to go in with Keith I said we'd pop in to make sure everything was OK. Watching a recorded episode of "Whitechapel" was not the best thing to be doing tonight as it's been very scary (and a bit silly, if I'm honest) so the children flatly refused to stay in the house while we drove to work!
My place of work at night is not great and as it was a windy night the whole building was creaking! We soon found the problem up in the Nursery as the girls had hung a huge banner from the ceiling which was activating the alarm sensor. We took it down, locked all up and headed home where Sophie insisted we all watch an episode of "How I Met Your Mother" to cheer us up before bed. The finish of "Whitechapel" will have to wait!
Today we'd advertised it was "Freeday" at work, rather than Thursday, something we're doing one day a week to give our customers a little freebie. Today we were giving everyone a raffle ticket for a free draw to win a month's pass, potentially worth around £100 but one customer assumed that we were offering free entrance! She'd already been arguing with Polly and had then demanded to speak to someone in Management so I had to leave my meeting and go and talk to her. Realising that whatever I said wasn't going to make a difference, as she was like a spitting cat, I apologised and offered her some free tickets when she left. Who in their right mind would run a business these days!
Sophie and I went off to the gym after work and it was great to get rid of my stress by doing some much needed exercise! I relished the half hour I spent in the jacuzzi just relaxing and enjoying the warm water.
Back at home Keith had made a fish pie for dinner which was delicious. Even the children ate it all up! For dessert he suggested fruit salad but it was nearly the last dish he would ever eat as he started to choke on a piece of apple and really started to panic. I've never seen him looking so scared so I knew it was serious. I made him bend over slightly and hit him hard in the middle of his back, but that didn't work, so I hit him again harder and luckily this made the piece of apple move and he was able to spit it out.
All of us were shaking but Mikey stayed very calm and I didn't panic myself, even though I always thought I would in a situation like that. However, if that hadn't worked then maybe I would have felt a lot different. Funnily enough, I sat and watched a programme on BBC2 that touched on the subject of saving lives so it was quite apt. I did my First Aid course almost two years ago and I'm glad that I have a basic knowledge.
We all shakily sat down to watch TV again and after about fifteen minutes the phone rang. It was my Dad to say that the alarm had gone off at work, for the second time. Knowing he wanted me to go in with Keith I said we'd pop in to make sure everything was OK. Watching a recorded episode of "Whitechapel" was not the best thing to be doing tonight as it's been very scary (and a bit silly, if I'm honest) so the children flatly refused to stay in the house while we drove to work!
My place of work at night is not great and as it was a windy night the whole building was creaking! We soon found the problem up in the Nursery as the girls had hung a huge banner from the ceiling which was activating the alarm sensor. We took it down, locked all up and headed home where Sophie insisted we all watch an episode of "How I Met Your Mother" to cheer us up before bed. The finish of "Whitechapel" will have to wait!
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
Planning!
No gym for us tonight as Sophie was at school until 5pm so it was home, a soak in the bath and then a lounge about watching Pointless...ahhh! Simple pleasures!
While Keith cooked roast chicken for dinner I started planning my Christmas cake. I'm going to cook it this weekend as time is running out and I still have some Bucket List things to do before 2013 ends. I think I will be glad when this year is over, to be honest. I said to Keith that it's been a good year for travel, but a bad year for people. So many people I know have died this year (Polly at work has lost three members of her family).
The weather is set to change over the next few days and the mild temperatures are due to be replaced with an Arctic blast!
While Keith cooked roast chicken for dinner I started planning my Christmas cake. I'm going to cook it this weekend as time is running out and I still have some Bucket List things to do before 2013 ends. I think I will be glad when this year is over, to be honest. I said to Keith that it's been a good year for travel, but a bad year for people. So many people I know have died this year (Polly at work has lost three members of her family).
The weather is set to change over the next few days and the mild temperatures are due to be replaced with an Arctic blast!
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
Autumn skies
After work I bullied Keith into going for a walk with me. Time is running out as on this date next month it'll probably be dark at 5pm - what a thought!
Luckily the gate was open so we sneaked through it, which cut off a fair section of the first part of the walk. Once we'd emerged into the large field we could see that the left hand side of the meadow was obviously going to be fenced off for more sheep farming as there was a stately procession of posts already marked out. Our estate backs onto this field, and whoever had bought it had already put posts right up next to the boundary fence. The people who had cheekily installed a gate in their fence are in for a shock by the look of it!
We had a shock when we reached the gate leading into another field and saw a machete embedded in the post! We'd never noticed a rickety old stile before but whoever had left the knife had been clearing the area of brambles so it looks like we're going to have to climb over that rather than walk through the always-open gate.
The rest of the walk was uneventful but I did take some photos of the beautiful stormy sky!
Luckily the gate was open so we sneaked through it, which cut off a fair section of the first part of the walk. Once we'd emerged into the large field we could see that the left hand side of the meadow was obviously going to be fenced off for more sheep farming as there was a stately procession of posts already marked out. Our estate backs onto this field, and whoever had bought it had already put posts right up next to the boundary fence. The people who had cheekily installed a gate in their fence are in for a shock by the look of it!
We had a shock when we reached the gate leading into another field and saw a machete embedded in the post! We'd never noticed a rickety old stile before but whoever had left the knife had been clearing the area of brambles so it looks like we're going to have to climb over that rather than walk through the always-open gate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)