It was my turn to train someone at work today, a young lad called Alex who, I later found out, knew Mike! They'd been at school together and Alex also worked at the same golf club that Mike works at. It was a busy morning, with almost non-stop phone calls, so it was great to leave at 2pm and know I had the weekend off. I went to get Mike from work and this was a little highlight of my day! I sit and wait with the car windows down to catch the breeze and read my Kindle on my phone. Bliss for about ten minutes!
At home I quickly changed and Keith and I went over to the Weston Favell Centre to get a float for tomorrow. I changed £40 into fivers, pound coins and 50p pieces in anticipation of lots of people buying our bits and bobs tomorrow! We also popped into Tesco to get something for tonight's dinner as Sophie and Mike are out and the original plan had been to have fish and chips, but we're taking Sophie into town at 7.30pm and we would have ended up eating far too late. We picked out a quiche and some salad which was perfect to come home to after our running around.
Mike went out in the evening with his friend called Connor who popped in to say hello. He is 6'6" and towered over Mike who is about 6' himself! We chatted about car insurance as Connor was driving and he said he pays about £200 a month for insurance and has loads of jobs to pay for it! Blimey!
As soon as Sophie arrived home from work she showered and changed and we picked Keith up from the pub at 7pm and drove into town. We dropped her off at a bar called "Revolution" (Revs) where she waited for her friends Daisy and Laura to arrive. She wasn't too happy that they were running late!
Back home Keith and I had dinner and then watched the television until Sophie texted me to ask us to pick her up at 11.30pm. Yawn! We drove into town and managed to park right outside Revs to wait. As usual, we saw some real sights and I'm just glad that Sophie's trips into town on a Friday and Saturday night are rare!
She was a little tipsy when we picked her up and didn't stop nattering in the back with Daisy when we gave her a lift home! She'd had two strong Long Island Iced Teas so no wonder!
Friday, 14 September 2018
Thursday, 13 September 2018
A little disappointment...
It was an absolutely gorgeous morning with mists and shafts of sunlight as I drove to work. Not for the first time I wished I'd had my camera with me and the time to take photographs! Keith took Sophie to the station just before I left as she was going to the NEC again but this time with a different colleague.
Work was busy and we had lots of swimming lesson queries again - some parents really get heated on the subject! I finished at 3pm and returned home to pootle about and wait for Sophie to call us as we were picking her up from the station.
She pulled in at about 6pm and predictably the traffic was busy both on the way there and on the way home. Keith had been shopping today and he'd bought me a Bison Grass Vodka as my usual Elderflower Gin was out of stock. When we got home from collecting Sophie he mixed me a cocktail but I hate to say I didn't really like it - it was a bit like aniseed.
We had a delicious dinner tonight of beef casserole served in giant Yorkshire puddings and I switched to a smooth Californian red to go with the meal. Sorry, Keith!
Work was busy and we had lots of swimming lesson queries again - some parents really get heated on the subject! I finished at 3pm and returned home to pootle about and wait for Sophie to call us as we were picking her up from the station.
She pulled in at about 6pm and predictably the traffic was busy both on the way there and on the way home. Keith had been shopping today and he'd bought me a Bison Grass Vodka as my usual Elderflower Gin was out of stock. When we got home from collecting Sophie he mixed me a cocktail but I hate to say I didn't really like it - it was a bit like aniseed.
We had a delicious dinner tonight of beef casserole served in giant Yorkshire puddings and I switched to a smooth Californian red to go with the meal. Sorry, Keith!
Wednesday, 12 September 2018
A long shift!
We took Sophie to my Mum's this morning as she had to meet her boss there at 8am. From there we drove through heavy rush hour and school traffic to a very quiet Tesco's at Kettering, bought some food for tonight's dinner and then returned home to have breakfast. I was just biting into my toast when my phone rang and it was work asking if I could go in a bit early as one of the staff was feeling poorly. I said I could make it for 11am which meant I was facing a nine hour shift!
I was in for 11am and worked with Sue until 2pm and then Wendy thereafter. She was a bit of a natterer but the time did pass fairly quickly so that was a relief! Sophie had had a great day at the NEC and had met lots of people. She was able to text me to say that Dad had picked her up and she was home. I left at 8pm and walked back to the car with a crowd of people which was great as I was a little worried about walking through the dark grounds of the leisure centre to the car on my own...it's not the sort of place you want to hang about!
Back home Keith made me a drink and we enjoyed cheese and biscuits for supper. It was far too late to have a big meal so that was perfect. It was lovely to sit and catch up with what Sophie had been doing all day and I was pleased she'd enjoyed herself!
After dinner we watched an episode of Zombie House Flipping and it was the perfect end to a busy day!
I was in for 11am and worked with Sue until 2pm and then Wendy thereafter. She was a bit of a natterer but the time did pass fairly quickly so that was a relief! Sophie had had a great day at the NEC and had met lots of people. She was able to text me to say that Dad had picked her up and she was home. I left at 8pm and walked back to the car with a crowd of people which was great as I was a little worried about walking through the dark grounds of the leisure centre to the car on my own...it's not the sort of place you want to hang about!
Back home Keith made me a drink and we enjoyed cheese and biscuits for supper. It was far too late to have a big meal so that was perfect. It was lovely to sit and catch up with what Sophie had been doing all day and I was pleased she'd enjoyed herself!
After dinner we watched an episode of Zombie House Flipping and it was the perfect end to a busy day!
Tuesday, 11 September 2018
A full day!
It was great to have a day off today but I was very busy! I spent the morning sorting out stuff for the sale on Saturday and ironed more bedding and clothes. Outside it was grey but breezy and rain had been forecast for later in the afternoon.
Sophie sent me a text with a colleague's address as she is going to the NEC in Birmingham tomorrow and will be brought back to a house in Desborough. As I'm working until 8pm tomorrow night, it'll be Keith that has to go and pick her up so we drove over to find it.
On the way back the weather grew drizzly and misty - horrible! We drove down to collect Sophie from work at lunchtime and took her for a Costa at Riverside. It was lovely to catch up for an hour and it really breaks up her day. I had a chicken pasta salad for lunch that was far more pasta than chicken - I found just two slices of meat!
Back home we pootled about and I did some research on Keith's family tree. I learnt that his great-grandmother was living on a farm in Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1861 and was a servant to two unmarried brothers and their unmarried sister. She was 17 and I can only imagine the sort of life she had, right on the Scottish borders where it would have been freezing in winter. The brothers were 56 and 65 and I can't understand why none of the family were married? It really intrigued me!
In the evening we all went out to Akasaka for a meal and I think Keith enjoyed his first real taste of Japanese cuisine! He went for the Chicken Gyoza and then the Katsu curry while I tried the octopus meatballs as a starter.
I was given four and they were delicious! Mike sampled the crispy fried squid with a chilli dipping sauce and he said it was lovely. It was much busier than it usually is, which was a good sign!
After the meal we went to the Errol Flynn (now re-named the Northampton Filmhouse) to see BlacKkKlansman which was by turns funny and sad, especially the last scenes of the film. We enjoyed the movie but it was very thought-provoking.
It was a late night and we arrived home at 11pm. Yawn!
Sophie sent me a text with a colleague's address as she is going to the NEC in Birmingham tomorrow and will be brought back to a house in Desborough. As I'm working until 8pm tomorrow night, it'll be Keith that has to go and pick her up so we drove over to find it.
On the way back the weather grew drizzly and misty - horrible! We drove down to collect Sophie from work at lunchtime and took her for a Costa at Riverside. It was lovely to catch up for an hour and it really breaks up her day. I had a chicken pasta salad for lunch that was far more pasta than chicken - I found just two slices of meat!
Back home we pootled about and I did some research on Keith's family tree. I learnt that his great-grandmother was living on a farm in Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1861 and was a servant to two unmarried brothers and their unmarried sister. She was 17 and I can only imagine the sort of life she had, right on the Scottish borders where it would have been freezing in winter. The brothers were 56 and 65 and I can't understand why none of the family were married? It really intrigued me!
In the evening we all went out to Akasaka for a meal and I think Keith enjoyed his first real taste of Japanese cuisine! He went for the Chicken Gyoza and then the Katsu curry while I tried the octopus meatballs as a starter.
 |
| They look like muffins! |
I was given four and they were delicious! Mike sampled the crispy fried squid with a chilli dipping sauce and he said it was lovely. It was much busier than it usually is, which was a good sign!
After the meal we went to the Errol Flynn (now re-named the Northampton Filmhouse) to see BlacKkKlansman which was by turns funny and sad, especially the last scenes of the film. We enjoyed the movie but it was very thought-provoking.
It was a late night and we arrived home at 11pm. Yawn!
Monday, 10 September 2018
Start of the working week!
I really didn't feel like going to work today and had a terrible headache. However, after a coffee and a shower I felt better, but Keith took me in, just in case! He'd already taken Mike to work as he's back to normal this week after his short break.
We had a busy morning, made worse by my colleague training someone on how we worked, so I had to answer most of the phone calls! There was so much information for the poor woman to absorb, no wonder she looked a bit shell-shocked, and she isn't even going to be working in the contact centre anyway!
Keith picked me up at 2pm but Mike was working a bit later today so we went home, calling into the pharmacy at Mawsley on the way to say we were going to go back to our surgery to get our prescriptions. Our doctor hadn't been too happy when we confessed we'd swapped and had explained how it affected the surgery, so we decided to swap back!
Back home, Keith and I decided to catch up with the drama series, Bodyguard, but half way through, Mike called to ask us to pick him up. Of course, this coincided with the school run so the roads were hectic! I hope this isn't going to be a permanent arrangement as it suits me nicely that he finishes at 2.30pm and I can pick him up after work!
Mike went out in the evening with Georgia, so there was just the three of us for dinner again. They appeared later in the evening and I was reminded of how lovely she is. I just hope it lasts!
We had a busy morning, made worse by my colleague training someone on how we worked, so I had to answer most of the phone calls! There was so much information for the poor woman to absorb, no wonder she looked a bit shell-shocked, and she isn't even going to be working in the contact centre anyway!
Keith picked me up at 2pm but Mike was working a bit later today so we went home, calling into the pharmacy at Mawsley on the way to say we were going to go back to our surgery to get our prescriptions. Our doctor hadn't been too happy when we confessed we'd swapped and had explained how it affected the surgery, so we decided to swap back!
Back home, Keith and I decided to catch up with the drama series, Bodyguard, but half way through, Mike called to ask us to pick him up. Of course, this coincided with the school run so the roads were hectic! I hope this isn't going to be a permanent arrangement as it suits me nicely that he finishes at 2.30pm and I can pick him up after work!
Mike went out in the evening with Georgia, so there was just the three of us for dinner again. They appeared later in the evening and I was reminded of how lovely she is. I just hope it lasts!
Sunday, 9 September 2018
A very busy day!
Sundays, just lately, have turned out to be very busy indeed, and today was no exception! Sophie said she wanted to go to the gym this morning so we agreed that she would go while Keith and I went to see Mum and Dad. When we all got back the plan was to sort out all the stuff we're taking to the table top sale next Saturday.
We went off to get the Sunday papers and had a coffee with Mum and Dad. While we were there, Sophie called to say that the main dual carriageway she uses to get to the gym had been closed completely and she was going to call off her visit and come home. It sounded like a serious accident had happened. We returned home as well and I discovered that a pedestrian had been knocked over and killed by a police car in the early hours of the morning and the road remained closed all day.
I made breakfast for Keith and I and then Sophie and I tackled all the stuff we intend to take next week. We sorted out some bed linen that we no longer wanted and washed and ironed most of it, as well as washing some clothes Sophie didn't wear any more. Today has been beautiful and the most perfect laundry day as it was dry, sunny and breezy. It was so good seeing the clothes and sheets drying on the line and then ironing them! I should have been a laundry woman! We also found some crystal that I no longer wanted and I washed and polished that before wrapping it in old newspapers.
We managed to find time to go for a little walk in the afternoon and went to see the horses. We'd forgotten to take some carrots with us but we gave them a handful of grass and they seemed happy. Monty was very inquisitive and the horses sniffed at him before he disappeared under the hedge! We were going to walk around the estate but we came across some neighbours with their dogs so we beat a hasty retreat!
In the evening Sophie and I made chicken and mushroom pie from The Hairy Bikers' Chicken and Egg cookbook. Earlier in the day Sophie had cut up some mushrooms and an onion and I diced two packs of chicken thighs. We then cooked the meat and the vegetables and added some white wine and cream to the pan before mixing it all together and letting it cool down. We had bought puff pastry (we're not quite up to doing that!) and after rolling it out and lining a dish, we let it chill in the fridge while the pie mixture cooled.
When everything was ready we rolled out the other half of the pastry for the top and popped it in the oven for about forty-five minutes. It turned out to be delicious, but the top hadn't really risen, and certainly not like Keith's does when he makes it, but then he does use the whole of the pastry for the top!
We went off to get the Sunday papers and had a coffee with Mum and Dad. While we were there, Sophie called to say that the main dual carriageway she uses to get to the gym had been closed completely and she was going to call off her visit and come home. It sounded like a serious accident had happened. We returned home as well and I discovered that a pedestrian had been knocked over and killed by a police car in the early hours of the morning and the road remained closed all day.
I made breakfast for Keith and I and then Sophie and I tackled all the stuff we intend to take next week. We sorted out some bed linen that we no longer wanted and washed and ironed most of it, as well as washing some clothes Sophie didn't wear any more. Today has been beautiful and the most perfect laundry day as it was dry, sunny and breezy. It was so good seeing the clothes and sheets drying on the line and then ironing them! I should have been a laundry woman! We also found some crystal that I no longer wanted and I washed and polished that before wrapping it in old newspapers.
We managed to find time to go for a little walk in the afternoon and went to see the horses. We'd forgotten to take some carrots with us but we gave them a handful of grass and they seemed happy. Monty was very inquisitive and the horses sniffed at him before he disappeared under the hedge! We were going to walk around the estate but we came across some neighbours with their dogs so we beat a hasty retreat!
In the evening Sophie and I made chicken and mushroom pie from The Hairy Bikers' Chicken and Egg cookbook. Earlier in the day Sophie had cut up some mushrooms and an onion and I diced two packs of chicken thighs. We then cooked the meat and the vegetables and added some white wine and cream to the pan before mixing it all together and letting it cool down. We had bought puff pastry (we're not quite up to doing that!) and after rolling it out and lining a dish, we let it chill in the fridge while the pie mixture cooled.
When everything was ready we rolled out the other half of the pastry for the top and popped it in the oven for about forty-five minutes. It turned out to be delicious, but the top hadn't really risen, and certainly not like Keith's does when he makes it, but then he does use the whole of the pastry for the top!
Saturday, 8 September 2018
End of an era...
It was a lovely feeling waking up this morning and knowing I had the weekend off! Sophie wanted me to take her into work today as she had planned on getting some gifts for the people she worked with, because it was her last day. We popped into the Co-op and she bought some wine for Maureen and Polly, and cakes for the other staff.
I dropped her off and went home to have breakfast (chocolate pastries from the Co-op) before doing some housework. I then spent a lot of the afternoon researching Keith's family tree online and, as always, it turned out to be a frustrating exercise!
Keith went to see Sileby play in the afternoon and I had a long soak in the bath, which was lovely. It hasn't been the best of days, weatherwise, and there's a definite hint of Autumn in the air. When we went back to collect Sophie from work I realised that it was the end of an era for us, as although I work for the company that now owns the activity centre, I will have very little to do with it from now on so it was a bit sad. Perhaps it's for the best, though. It's been three years since we sold the business and it's time to move on!
Back home we relaxed with a drink and Keith cooked beef in a black bean sauce. Mike had gone out so it was just the three of us tucking into the lovely meal!
I dropped her off and went home to have breakfast (chocolate pastries from the Co-op) before doing some housework. I then spent a lot of the afternoon researching Keith's family tree online and, as always, it turned out to be a frustrating exercise!
Keith went to see Sileby play in the afternoon and I had a long soak in the bath, which was lovely. It hasn't been the best of days, weatherwise, and there's a definite hint of Autumn in the air. When we went back to collect Sophie from work I realised that it was the end of an era for us, as although I work for the company that now owns the activity centre, I will have very little to do with it from now on so it was a bit sad. Perhaps it's for the best, though. It's been three years since we sold the business and it's time to move on!
Back home we relaxed with a drink and Keith cooked beef in a black bean sauce. Mike had gone out so it was just the three of us tucking into the lovely meal!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)