On the hunt for pasta...

I didn't have a brilliant night's sleep last night because of the blood pressure monitor, and at 2am I was sitting downstairs watching television with Monty keeping me company...

However, when I went back to bed I must have fallen asleep and I woke up at 7.45am. The blood pressure monitor did one last reading at 8am and then I took it off. What a relief!

Sophie had an eye test this morning at the Weston Favell Centre, which is not an ideal place to go to on a busy Saturday morning! We managed to locate a space after driving around and around, and she had the eye test to be told she really needed glasses for reading and working on the computer.

After she'd chosen some lovely frames and paid for them, we went across the road to my office as Sara had asked me to go in and check the cinema box office returns, which had to be done today. I wanted Sophie to see where I worked, which was great! We had a chat with Sara and Sheila and then we drove to Beckworth to try and find some pasta for tomorrow's dinner - the orecchiette (or "little ears"). Beckworth didn't have any so we decided to get some bread and cheese for lunch and then headed home to have a quick bite before going to pick up Mum from home.

She said that Dad had had a better night so that was a relief. We headed over to Kettering and Sophie popped to Next to take back a gym top she'd bought. We then headed to Costa for a coffee and a cornflake crispy cake which I just cannot resist!

Our next stop was Tesco where Mum did some shopping and Sophie and I went on the hunt for the pasta again. Imagine our shock to see the pasta shelves almost empty! The only packets left were the expensive real Italian brands and we still couldn't find the orecchiette, so we had to make do with conchiglie instead. Were the shelves empty because people are panic-buying or was it because Tesco had a problem sourcing the pasta from northern Italy? I noticed that the noodle shelves were also similarly affected!

After dropping Mum back at her house we returned home where Sophie hoovered, bless her and I tidied up. We then prepared all the vegetables for dinner but by now I felt really weary so it was time for a little nap!

Dinner tonight was "Coq au Riesling"- a Hairy Bikers recipe - and the chicken had been soaking in a whole bottle of wine since this morning. Sophie cooked the entire dish and it simmered away in the oven for an hour and a half. We enjoyed a bottle of Riesling with it as well, a wine we'd bought in Wimereux last year and it was very good indeed.

Dinner was delicious - I said to Sophie it tasted like a meal I'd eaten in France and it was full of flavour. To carry on with the French theme we watched a new drama that we'd recorded over the last couple of weeks called Just One Look. It was very intriguing!

Being monitored!

At 8am this morning I went to the GP surgery to have a 24-hour blood pressure monitor fitted. I was seen by one of the nurses who is lovely and we had a laugh while she fitted it. It can come off tomorrow morning and I will be mightily glad when it does!

I'm a bit annoyed I agreed to have it fitted today as Keith and I celebrate 32 years together! All plans to go out for the day or a drink this evening have been put on hold as I really didn't fancy going out with the thing attached to me!

Back home Sophie made us cheese on toast for breakfast (she has taken today as holiday as well) but the grill suddenly stopped working and flipped one of the switches. It means we'll have to get someone out to fit a new grill element and also fix the oven door hinges that aren't working at the moment! It never rains...

We took Mike to Abbie's house and then popped to the pharmacy to pick up Mum's prescription before calling around to see them. The doctor was there when we arrived, as Dad has been repeatedly waking in the night to go to the loo and it's affecting their sleep. Hopefully, with some antibiotics, the situation will improve!

My blood pressure monitor went off every twenty minutes through the day which was quite irritating and my poor arm felt like it was being constantly squeezed! Sophie and I did manage to get out for a walk, though, and went down to the village and past our old house before walking along a lovely lane with views out over the fields. It's been a glorious day today and it's been lovely to see the sun and blue skies.

We were out for about an hour and I felt really good after the exercise. We stopped and spoke to a young lad that stands outside his house and waves to everybody, and he said he was 18 today! I think he will be celebrating in the pub tonight, bless him!

Keith walked down to the pub this evening and Sophie and I prepared dinner of baked haddock, roast new potatoes, asparagus and peas served with a cheese sauce. Delicious!

Walk...thwarted!

I was very busy at work this morning and we'd received the unwelcome news last night that the new Bond film is going to be delayed until November. Thankfully, I hadn't actually put the film onto the system yet but the new brochures were out today and obviously they had included the film in our May listings. The reason it's been delayed is because of the coronavirus, which is a bit alarming, to be honest!

At 3pm Keith picked me up and we went home where I managed to persuade him to go for a little walk. However, no sooner had we set out than Mike called to ask us to pick him up from Brixworth, where he'd been staying with a friend.

We turned around (we'd only got to the entrance of the estate) and drove over to collect him. To be honest, it was very cold so I think Keith was a bit relieved!

Being nosey!

Mike had a hospital appointment this morning and we had to take him to the Respiratory department at Northampton General. I'm not sure that being in a hospital at the moment is a good thing, but he'd already cancelled one appointment so we'd made him go. We were there for about half an hour and he had to breathe into a mask and do various tests.

We dropped him back off at home and Keith and I popped to Tesco in Kettering to get dinner for this evening. The previously beautiful weather had turned a bit grey, and rain had been forecast but I wanted to go and look at the new road layout in Moulton because Keith and I are very nosey!

As we drove over it started to rain but we pressed on and left the car by the Shell garage on the outskirts of Moulton. The old part of the A43 has been closed completely and anyone living further down the road has to drive into the village and access it by another road. I should think the local residents are a bit irritated!

Keith and I have been using this stretch of the A43 for over thirty years and it was weird to see it so empty - like a ghost road! I suppose the residents must love having it so quiet, though, after years of it being so busy!

We walked right down the road, almost to the Round Spinney roundabout where a lot of roadworks were still taking place, as they were building a new road to link onto the dual carriageway. We think this meant that the people living right next to the roundabout would have to drive along the stretch of new road up to a new roundabout if they wanted to go into Northampton.

On the way back to the car we diverted down a road that used to lead straight to the village of Overstone but which has now been cut in half, with the new bypass road running through it. There was a new phase of homes being built here and we managed to find out way through the maze of building works back out to the old road.

While we were walking through the new estate I said to Keith that we could be anywhere and I certainly didn't feel like I was still in Northampton. It all looked so strange!

Back at the car I bought a pack of biscuits to have with a welcome cup of tea at home as we were now wet and cold. It had started to rain heavily so we fled home and put the heating on!

In the news...

I suppose I had better mention the subject that all of us are now talking about and which is dominating the news - the coronavirus, which now seems set to affect the UK population. I am a bit worried that Keith will get it as whenever he has a cold it goes straight to his chest, and of course, Mike has chest problems as well.

At work we had a parent cancelling her children's swimming lessons and although we laughed about it, if other parents have the same ideas, it could spell disaster for us. I remember when we first learnt about it (towards the end of January) I never thought for one moment it would reach the UK, but with modern travel, it now seems set to spread across the whole globe.

I do think that it's being hyped up as most people who are infected recover, but I worry about my parents and Keith in particular. We are all being urged to wash our hands regularly and the phrase "self-isolate" is now being bandied about everywhere. There's even a case in Northamptonshire - someone had been to Northern Italy and has brought it home with them.

Work was OK this morning - Joanne and I were left alone to get on with our work as the managers were off at a training session. I put all the crash courses on for the Easter holidays but at the back of my mind was the thought that if the illness does strike, would they even be allowed to happen?

Keith picked me up at 2pm and we went to see Mum and Dad who are really in the best place at the moment - self-isolation! We had a cup of tea and then returned home where I pottered about until Sophie arrived back. We are abstaining from alcohol from Monday to Thursday this week and just drinking water. Boring, but good for us!

Sorting out...

I was surprised to see "heavy snow" forecast for during the night but we awoke to absolutely nothing and barely a frost. I was mightily relieved, as the thought of Sophie driving off into deep snow at 6am was slightly unnerving!

I went to work by myself this morning as dinner tonight is bubble and squeak and cold roast beef so Keith didn't have to go shopping. Work was busy and noisy as there were three of us answering the phones this morning!

At 2pm I sped home to change because I was going to Ruth's house to help with the recycling sort. There were just four of us helping today with two women I didn't know (one was a bit strange, to be honest and I had the strong feeling she didn't like me for some reason!). It was a bit messy but we managed to get it all done in under an hour and at least this time I had a cup of tea!

Back home Keith and I watched the end of the Bond film we'd started watching last night. The ending was very sad but it was the only outing for George Lazenby, who was replaced by Sean Connery again in Diamonds are Forever. I discovered that our cinema at work is screening the new Bond film from the 1 May (a month after it's released) but that will give us time to catch up!

Just pottering!

Keith and I popped to Tesco this morning and I took a load of plastic bags to recycle in the store. It's surprising how they mount up so quickly!

On the way home we called to see Mum and Dad who seemed a little better today, thank goodness, but I could tell Mum was finding it hard to be cooped up in the house. It's a shame the weather is so cold at the moment - although it's sunny and dry (at the moment), the wind is freezing!

Back home I hoovered Sophie's car and then gave it a good wash as it badly needed it. I was tempted to do mine as well because it's filthy, but looking at the forecast I could see it was going to rain this afternoon so I left it and went back into the house to get warm!

Sophie let me know she was at the Kitty Cafe in Birmingham and said that after they'd visited they were going to leave to come home. Laura's mum had very kindly offered to drive her home so we didn't have to go and fetch her from the station. I had a long soak in the bath to celebrate!

Sophie arrived home at about 4pm and we relaxed and listened to what she'd got up to over the weekend... cocktails featured a lot in her tales!

Relaxing with Monty

Keith cooked dinner this evening - roast beef with all the trimmings and Sophie and I shared a bottle of red wine which was delicious. After we'd eaten Keith and I settled down to watch "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" with George Lazenby. I didn't think I'd seen it before but I must have as I remembered lots of scenes from the film, the saddest being the end when Diana Rigg cops it! We didn't watch all of it as it was over two hours long and it's back to work tomorrow!