This week has been a bit heavy on the taxiing services for Sophie. Tonight she was out at a school reunion event, to pick up her A level certificates and to have a glass of wine and some nibbles with her old teachers and ex-classmates.
I dropped her off at the school at 7pm and then sped home to have dinner with Keith and Mikey. As we were relaxing after our meal, the phone rang and it was my Mum to say that an article had been printed in the online edition of the local newspaper, saying that our business had been "saved from closure" by our new buyers.
Naturally we were all very angry that the article was wrong as the reason we're selling is so that Mum and Dad can take a well-earned retirement. I put a statement on the business Facebook page hoping to alleviate some of the worries that our customers may have, especially those who had booked parties with us!
At 10.30pm it was back out in the car to collect Sophie from a pub in Brixworth where the party had moved to. She had had a great time and was a little tipsy!
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
Bunking off early...
Things were a little quieter at work today as most of the older children have gone back to school after the Christmas holidays. We were still quite busy though, which was great. If only it could be like this every day!
Sophie and I managed to get away a little earlier than normal and I went home to indulge in some recorded programmes. We are going to have to make some serious decisions about the gym soon as neither of us have been for quite a while. I can't seem to kick start myself into a diet or getting back to exercise and I know exactly why this time of the year is so horrible as the weather is still bad and we seem to have so few hours of daylight. I will be glad when January and February are over and we can look forward to longer days and warmer temperatures!
Both Keith and Mikey were out this evening - Mikey to Cadets after his break and Keith to a local football match. Rather him than me as it was a very cold night! Sophie and I cooked dinner and then we sat down to watch....yes! Desperate Housewives (which we've nearly finished by the way!).
Sophie and I managed to get away a little earlier than normal and I went home to indulge in some recorded programmes. We are going to have to make some serious decisions about the gym soon as neither of us have been for quite a while. I can't seem to kick start myself into a diet or getting back to exercise and I know exactly why this time of the year is so horrible as the weather is still bad and we seem to have so few hours of daylight. I will be glad when January and February are over and we can look forward to longer days and warmer temperatures!
Both Keith and Mikey were out this evening - Mikey to Cadets after his break and Keith to a local football match. Rather him than me as it was a very cold night! Sophie and I cooked dinner and then we sat down to watch....yes! Desperate Housewives (which we've nearly finished by the way!).
Monday, 5 January 2015
Manic Monday!
Today was the last day of the school holidays so we were open...and busy!
Keith and Mikey popped in for an hour as they'd both had haircuts and Mikey wanted to have lunch at work. We took his shattered iPod over to Timpsons to see if they could repair the glass and they quoted me £100! It needs to be done, though, but Mikey will have to stump up some of the dosh!
Sophie and I were at work until 6.30pm and after taking Polly home it was great to get the dinner on and relax with a new episode of Neighbours! It's been off the screens for four weeks and I did miss my daily fix of Aussie sunshine! I'm not a huge fan of soaps generally (I never watch Coronation Street, Eastenders etc) and sometimes the storyline of Neighbours is a bit silly, but it is a means of escape!
I picked Keith up from the pub then it was home to have dinner. Our house is looking very bare as everything has been taken down now, even the little lights we had outside. I've left some up though! The twinkling lights on the mantelpiece are still there so there's a little bit of magic to light up the gloom!
Keith and Mikey popped in for an hour as they'd both had haircuts and Mikey wanted to have lunch at work. We took his shattered iPod over to Timpsons to see if they could repair the glass and they quoted me £100! It needs to be done, though, but Mikey will have to stump up some of the dosh!
Sophie and I were at work until 6.30pm and after taking Polly home it was great to get the dinner on and relax with a new episode of Neighbours! It's been off the screens for four weeks and I did miss my daily fix of Aussie sunshine! I'm not a huge fan of soaps generally (I never watch Coronation Street, Eastenders etc) and sometimes the storyline of Neighbours is a bit silly, but it is a means of escape!
I picked Keith up from the pub then it was home to have dinner. Our house is looking very bare as everything has been taken down now, even the little lights we had outside. I've left some up though! The twinkling lights on the mantelpiece are still there so there's a little bit of magic to light up the gloom!
Sunday, 4 January 2015
Return of the gloom...
Last night, we went out to get a newspaper from a nearby village and we saw fog descending, almost out of nowhere. With the nearly full moon it was quite spooky, and when we woke this morning we discovered the mist had hung about all night.
We were all up later than we'd wanted to be and it was a bit of a scramble to get ready, take Sophie to work and then pop to Booker to get some urgently needed stuff for work. I had thought that the thick fog would clear as we could just about make out blue sky and faint sunshine, but on the way to Milton Keynes the grey gloom descended again and it never lifted all day.
We had a great time in MK with Mikey, which was a bit of a novelty as we rarely go shopping, just the three of us. It's extremely rare for Keith to spend any time at the shops but we had to take his jacket back and I wanted him to choose a replacement as I hadn't a clue what he liked!
First stop was M&S for coffee and a snack and then Mikey went off on his own to do some shopping. Keith and I trawled around the racks and we finally (after trying on about eight jackets) found a lovely Italian garment that had been reduced from £210 to £132 in the sale. I had to put a bit more money towards it, but the jacket looked lovely on Keith and fitted him really well. I hope he is now pleased!
As we were queuing up to pay Mikey came back and said he didn't want to shop on his own...ahhh! And there was me thinking he didn't want to be seen out with his mum and dad!
We all went to Next where Mikey tried on some jeans and a pair of trousers for school and then we called into Schuh where Keith bought him a pair of Converse trainers as the ones he had were literally dropping to bits and they had lasted him very well. I wouldn't dream of buying my son clothes and shoes any more as he is so exacting about what he likes and doesn't like. I can remember buying his clothes in M&S and he would wear whatever I bought him...not so now!
We sped back to the car as Sophie wanted to be picked up from work at 3pm as she is out tonight at a 6th form party, even though she left six months ago! We looked very busy indeed at work which was good news, and the weather hadn't improved at all so it was no wonder we had lots of customers!
Back at home I made a cup of tea and we had a slice of my Christmas cake. I am not looking forward to going out again twice tonight to take her to and from this party...the fog is looking really horrible!
We were all up later than we'd wanted to be and it was a bit of a scramble to get ready, take Sophie to work and then pop to Booker to get some urgently needed stuff for work. I had thought that the thick fog would clear as we could just about make out blue sky and faint sunshine, but on the way to Milton Keynes the grey gloom descended again and it never lifted all day.
We had a great time in MK with Mikey, which was a bit of a novelty as we rarely go shopping, just the three of us. It's extremely rare for Keith to spend any time at the shops but we had to take his jacket back and I wanted him to choose a replacement as I hadn't a clue what he liked!
First stop was M&S for coffee and a snack and then Mikey went off on his own to do some shopping. Keith and I trawled around the racks and we finally (after trying on about eight jackets) found a lovely Italian garment that had been reduced from £210 to £132 in the sale. I had to put a bit more money towards it, but the jacket looked lovely on Keith and fitted him really well. I hope he is now pleased!
As we were queuing up to pay Mikey came back and said he didn't want to shop on his own...ahhh! And there was me thinking he didn't want to be seen out with his mum and dad!
We all went to Next where Mikey tried on some jeans and a pair of trousers for school and then we called into Schuh where Keith bought him a pair of Converse trainers as the ones he had were literally dropping to bits and they had lasted him very well. I wouldn't dream of buying my son clothes and shoes any more as he is so exacting about what he likes and doesn't like. I can remember buying his clothes in M&S and he would wear whatever I bought him...not so now!
We sped back to the car as Sophie wanted to be picked up from work at 3pm as she is out tonight at a 6th form party, even though she left six months ago! We looked very busy indeed at work which was good news, and the weather hadn't improved at all so it was no wonder we had lots of customers!
Back at home I made a cup of tea and we had a slice of my Christmas cake. I am not looking forward to going out again twice tonight to take her to and from this party...the fog is looking really horrible!
Saturday, 3 January 2015
Goodbye to Christmas
I had a busy day ahead of me today as we'd decided to take down all the Christmas decorations and do some much needed cleaning. Tomorrow is ear-marked for a day in Milton Keynes so we would be out for most of the day. With Keith, I took the tree down in the living room and gave everything a really good clean. And boy! did it need it!
I pulled out all the furniture and we carefully cleaned behind the television which was thick with dust and cobwebs... Luckily, the TV stayed tuned in which was a relief as Keith was watching sport in between helping me! I even found an empty (thankfully!) packet of Cheddars behind the small shelving unit which houses all our DVDs, most of which were also covered in dust!
It felt very good to give the downstairs rooms a good clean but we have decided that we desperately need new carpets and a new sofa for the living room and the window-sill is badly in need of a fresh coat of gloss. I attempted to scrub the sofa seats but all I did was make them very wet so I had to use a hair-dryer to try and dry them out before Keith sat down! Hopefully, we'll get everything done at some point this year!
Sophie suggested we go and have a coffee in the afternoon so we both showered and I drove to Riverside which was heaving with people. We visited Boots first and then Sophie treated me to a cup of tea and a cornflake crunch cake in Costa Coffee. It was lovey to have a break from cleaning for half an hour!
When we got home we had to put two thick towels on the sofa so we could sit in comfort without getting wet bums! Keith cooked a delicious roast turkey tonight for dinner and I watched a great programme about singers competing to take part in a Frank Sinatra centenary show. Some of the young people taking part were fantastic singers and I could have sat and listened to them all night!
I pulled out all the furniture and we carefully cleaned behind the television which was thick with dust and cobwebs... Luckily, the TV stayed tuned in which was a relief as Keith was watching sport in between helping me! I even found an empty (thankfully!) packet of Cheddars behind the small shelving unit which houses all our DVDs, most of which were also covered in dust!
It felt very good to give the downstairs rooms a good clean but we have decided that we desperately need new carpets and a new sofa for the living room and the window-sill is badly in need of a fresh coat of gloss. I attempted to scrub the sofa seats but all I did was make them very wet so I had to use a hair-dryer to try and dry them out before Keith sat down! Hopefully, we'll get everything done at some point this year!
Sophie suggested we go and have a coffee in the afternoon so we both showered and I drove to Riverside which was heaving with people. We visited Boots first and then Sophie treated me to a cup of tea and a cornflake crunch cake in Costa Coffee. It was lovey to have a break from cleaning for half an hour!
When we got home we had to put two thick towels on the sofa so we could sit in comfort without getting wet bums! Keith cooked a delicious roast turkey tonight for dinner and I watched a great programme about singers competing to take part in a Frank Sinatra centenary show. Some of the young people taking part were fantastic singers and I could have sat and listened to them all night!
Friday, 2 January 2015
Another week gone...
As yesterday seemed like Sunday, it was a shock to realise that today was Friday and the end of another week. We were busy at work which was great, even though the weather has been beautiful again today after the overcast gloom and grey of yesterday.
Sophie and I were going to go to the gym but Mikey had been to Milton Keynes with his friends and I wasn't sure what time he'd be home. As Keith was off to the pub at 6pm we went home in case he called me to pick him up after Keith had left. As luck would have it, he called just as Keith was about to walk to the pub so we both went and collected him from Brixworth. He hadn't spent all of his Christmas money, thank goodness, and had had a great day with his mates. His only purchase was a tee-shirt as he'd split hot chocolate on the one he was wearing!
We dropped Keith off at the pub and back at home I settled down to watch Desperate Housewives with Sophie. A perfect end to a busy week!
Sophie and I were going to go to the gym but Mikey had been to Milton Keynes with his friends and I wasn't sure what time he'd be home. As Keith was off to the pub at 6pm we went home in case he called me to pick him up after Keith had left. As luck would have it, he called just as Keith was about to walk to the pub so we both went and collected him from Brixworth. He hadn't spent all of his Christmas money, thank goodness, and had had a great day with his mates. His only purchase was a tee-shirt as he'd split hot chocolate on the one he was wearing!
We dropped Keith off at the pub and back at home I settled down to watch Desperate Housewives with Sophie. A perfect end to a busy week!
Thursday, 1 January 2015
Welcome 2015!
We had a very quiet New Year's Eve. Sophie and I were at work until 4pm and it was great to know that the business was closed and wouldn't re-open until 10am on Friday. We could go home and relax!
Keith and I had decided to cook a beef casserole with a sliced potato topping and it went down very well. As soon as I got home I made a fruit Pavlova and the meal was spread out over the whole evening, so it seemed a very short time until midnight.
We opened a bottle of sparkling wine, Mikey was first footer and then after a short while it was time for bed. The houses all around us were very quiet indeed, with nobody coming out and very few lights showing.
We all achieved a major lie-in this morning and I woke up at abut 9am! Annoyingly, the weather, as forecast, was grey and overcast, the gorgeous blue skies and sunshine not in evidence on the very first day of the year.
After a bit of a debate we decided to head for the town of Uppingham and a pub on the shores of Rutland Water, The Horse and Jockey in the village of Manton. However, when we arrived and parked in the very posh car park, we were told that there were no tables available, but we could eat straight away as long as we were out by 2pm... Keith was having none of this so we left and as we drove out of the village we saw a sign for Wing and I knew there was a pub there as I'd looked it up on the internet. We headed for the village buried deep in the Rutland countryside and found the inn tucked away on the main street.
First impressions of The Kings Arms weren't brilliant but once inside we all changed our opinion very quickly! There was a lovely smell of woodsmoke coming from a huge open fire, and the staff, although busy, were very happy to accommodate us if we didn't mind a bit of a wait. We were shown to a table in the restaurant and I sipped a half pint of a dark, locally brewed ale while Keith enjoyed a full pint. There was a lovely relaxed atmosphere and we certainly weren't in a hurry to eat.
When we received our menus, Keith and I chose the Catch of the Day in a beer batter, Sophie went for the curry while Mikey had a pulled pork burger. The pub take their food very seriously and most of it is sourced locally. They even had squirrel on the menu!
The food was delicious - our fish was beautifully cooked and the batter was crispy, just how we like it to be. The staff were all very friendly and with the lovely ambiance and quirky interior we had a great experience. So much so, that I booked there and then for my birthday in two week's time!
We left in the darkening gloom and drove home where the rest of the day was spent doing very little!
Keith and I had decided to cook a beef casserole with a sliced potato topping and it went down very well. As soon as I got home I made a fruit Pavlova and the meal was spread out over the whole evening, so it seemed a very short time until midnight.
We opened a bottle of sparkling wine, Mikey was first footer and then after a short while it was time for bed. The houses all around us were very quiet indeed, with nobody coming out and very few lights showing.
We all achieved a major lie-in this morning and I woke up at abut 9am! Annoyingly, the weather, as forecast, was grey and overcast, the gorgeous blue skies and sunshine not in evidence on the very first day of the year.
After a bit of a debate we decided to head for the town of Uppingham and a pub on the shores of Rutland Water, The Horse and Jockey in the village of Manton. However, when we arrived and parked in the very posh car park, we were told that there were no tables available, but we could eat straight away as long as we were out by 2pm... Keith was having none of this so we left and as we drove out of the village we saw a sign for Wing and I knew there was a pub there as I'd looked it up on the internet. We headed for the village buried deep in the Rutland countryside and found the inn tucked away on the main street.
First impressions of The Kings Arms weren't brilliant but once inside we all changed our opinion very quickly! There was a lovely smell of woodsmoke coming from a huge open fire, and the staff, although busy, were very happy to accommodate us if we didn't mind a bit of a wait. We were shown to a table in the restaurant and I sipped a half pint of a dark, locally brewed ale while Keith enjoyed a full pint. There was a lovely relaxed atmosphere and we certainly weren't in a hurry to eat.
When we received our menus, Keith and I chose the Catch of the Day in a beer batter, Sophie went for the curry while Mikey had a pulled pork burger. The pub take their food very seriously and most of it is sourced locally. They even had squirrel on the menu!
The food was delicious - our fish was beautifully cooked and the batter was crispy, just how we like it to be. The staff were all very friendly and with the lovely ambiance and quirky interior we had a great experience. So much so, that I booked there and then for my birthday in two week's time!
We left in the darkening gloom and drove home where the rest of the day was spent doing very little!
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