It's been another hectic day and my poor car is certainly clocking up the miles! Sophie took the day off today as she had a whole day of free periods so she stayed with me to help and be a moral support! We had a problem first thing as the deadbolt that I'd put on last night was stuck and we couldn't open the back door, which we use almost constantly. It really annoyed me that I couldn't get it to open but there was nothing I could do before work so I was forced to leave it and hope that I'd find a solution later in the day.
Sophie and I went to Booker (in dad's car, thank goodness!) and we were met by the Manager who gave us a box of chocolates as a thank you for being a customer! Nice touch! We bought some more things for the weekend, tasted a sample of beefburgers and returned to work where it was busy with customers.
At 1.30pm Sophie and I left for the day and went to visit Keith in hospital. He was still on the assessment ward but was pretty cheerful considering he was incarcerated! We didn't stay long as we had to be home for Mikey and on the way back to our house we called into work to pick up my Tassimo order. At least I can have good coffee and hot chocolate over the weekend!
At home I tried my hardest to sort out the lock on the door but it wouldn't budge. The weather today has been truly and utterly horrible with strong, cold winds and a driving rain. The locked door means we have to go out through the conservatory, not too bad, but it's still inconvenient, especially when the weather is so nasty!
At just after 5pm I ventured out into the rain and wind to visit Keith again. The traffic was horrendous and to say I felt miserable is an understatement! However, when I got to the hospital Keith was in good spirits and was laughing and joking with one of the nurses so that made me feel better. I would have hated him to be miserable and fed up. He told me to leave the door as he would sort it out when he got home!
I stayed until almost 8pm and then battled my way back home in the gloom. I'm just glad it wasn't snowing! As soon as I got home I prepared dinner (fishfingers for all of us with mashed potato) and then had a well-earned rest in front of the TV!
Friday, 31 January 2014
Thursday, 30 January 2014
Affairs of the heart
This morning Keith and I were up very early as he had an appointment for a stress test at the hospital. Over the last month, he's been having chest pains again and he wasn't really sure if it was his heart as he's had a bad cold and cough. I dropped him off at the hospital at 7.30am and then returned home to collect the children (and my mum who wanted a lift in) and do the normal school run.
At 9am Keith called me to say that he had to see the heart surgeon and they wouldn't allow him home until he'd had an angiogram, which could be a long wait. I went home, collected some bits for him and drove to the hospital to find him waiting in the corridor without anything to read or eat. By now it was almost lunchtime so I bought him a sandwich and a cup of tea and waited with him until he was taken to a small room where at least he could watch the television. I hated leaving him there, but I needed to get back to work and buy something for dinner as that was to be one of his jobs today!
I hadn't been in the office long before I received a call from school - it was Mikey saying his trousers had ripped and could I go and get him another pair? Cursing like mad, I drove all the way home, delivered the trousers and then went back to work to grab a quick sandwich before it was time to go and pick Sophie up from school. I then went back home to wait for Mikey who took the bus home. Phew!
In the evening I prepared dinner, gave Sophie instructions so she could start it off for me, and went back to the hospital to find that Keith had been put on an assessment ward. I had a feeling that he was going to be in all weekend as there'd been no mention of the angiogram and once the hospital get you in their clutches, there's no escape!
We chatted about what had happened and I left at 8pm to go home and finish off the dinner. The children had been brilliant and by 8.30pm we were sitting down to meatballs, pasta and garlic doughballs! I had a large glass of red wine and hoped fervently that my husband would be home for the weekend!
At 9am Keith called me to say that he had to see the heart surgeon and they wouldn't allow him home until he'd had an angiogram, which could be a long wait. I went home, collected some bits for him and drove to the hospital to find him waiting in the corridor without anything to read or eat. By now it was almost lunchtime so I bought him a sandwich and a cup of tea and waited with him until he was taken to a small room where at least he could watch the television. I hated leaving him there, but I needed to get back to work and buy something for dinner as that was to be one of his jobs today!
I hadn't been in the office long before I received a call from school - it was Mikey saying his trousers had ripped and could I go and get him another pair? Cursing like mad, I drove all the way home, delivered the trousers and then went back to work to grab a quick sandwich before it was time to go and pick Sophie up from school. I then went back home to wait for Mikey who took the bus home. Phew!
In the evening I prepared dinner, gave Sophie instructions so she could start it off for me, and went back to the hospital to find that Keith had been put on an assessment ward. I had a feeling that he was going to be in all weekend as there'd been no mention of the angiogram and once the hospital get you in their clutches, there's no escape!
We chatted about what had happened and I left at 8pm to go home and finish off the dinner. The children had been brilliant and by 8.30pm we were sitting down to meatballs, pasta and garlic doughballs! I had a large glass of red wine and hoped fervently that my husband would be home for the weekend!
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
The interminable grey!
Today has been horrible - unrelenting grey skies and rain and not really a lot to write about. I had a stressed journey into work with the traffic and stupid drivers and Booker delivered when the rain was at its worst and it was blowing a gale!
After work Sophie and I went off to the gym but neither of us felt particularly into it tonight so we had a short session and went home via the garage to fill up with diesel and a shop to buy Mango Chutney that Keith had forgotten to buy earlier in the day!
After work Sophie and I went off to the gym but neither of us felt particularly into it tonight so we had a short session and went home via the garage to fill up with diesel and a shop to buy Mango Chutney that Keith had forgotten to buy earlier in the day!
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Oh, the irony!
This morning didn't get off to a good start at all, unlike yesterday. To begin with I had no toast to enjoy and the weather was really horrible. Sophie was in a foul mood and kept Mikey and I waiting while she fiddled with her hair, and then moaned because it was going to get wet in the torrential (and I mean torrential) rain. Driving to school and work was like going out at dusk, it was so dark and gloomy!
I had a busy day and spent most of my time sorting out paperwork and throwing out letters and invoices, some of which were dated 2002! Where have all the years gone! Also, I can hardly believe it will be February on Saturday!
It was bliss to get home at a reasonable hour and sit and watch Neighbours...which reminds me, we still haven't see our new ones. Keith did speak to the man on Friday afternoon to say hello but that's it. I haven't set eyes on either of them and I don't think we're going to be on as friendly terms with them as we are with Sarah and Liam and Paul and Sue. I did have a feeling before they moved in that they would keep themselves to themselves and my prediction is proving very correct.
I'm not for one minute expecting to be bosom buddies with them, but at the moment I get the feeling that they are purposely avoiding us. I could be wrong (it's been known to happen) but if that's the case then I'd be very disappointed as it's always lovely to meet new people and welcome them to the neighbourhood. As I said, our houses are very close, we share a driveway and we need to be able to get on and be, at the very least, civil.
I did laugh while watching Neighbours (it's the only soap I watch and I've stuck with it ever since it first started despite some very dodgy storylines!) as new neighbours have appeared in the series. Somebody saw movement in a house that is up for rent but no-one has been seen so naturally everyone is curious as to who it is and speculation is rife!
Anyway, on the bright side at least I won't have to look after a Gecko this summer!
I had a busy day and spent most of my time sorting out paperwork and throwing out letters and invoices, some of which were dated 2002! Where have all the years gone! Also, I can hardly believe it will be February on Saturday!
It was bliss to get home at a reasonable hour and sit and watch Neighbours...which reminds me, we still haven't see our new ones. Keith did speak to the man on Friday afternoon to say hello but that's it. I haven't set eyes on either of them and I don't think we're going to be on as friendly terms with them as we are with Sarah and Liam and Paul and Sue. I did have a feeling before they moved in that they would keep themselves to themselves and my prediction is proving very correct.
I'm not for one minute expecting to be bosom buddies with them, but at the moment I get the feeling that they are purposely avoiding us. I could be wrong (it's been known to happen) but if that's the case then I'd be very disappointed as it's always lovely to meet new people and welcome them to the neighbourhood. As I said, our houses are very close, we share a driveway and we need to be able to get on and be, at the very least, civil.
I did laugh while watching Neighbours (it's the only soap I watch and I've stuck with it ever since it first started despite some very dodgy storylines!) as new neighbours have appeared in the series. Somebody saw movement in a house that is up for rent but no-one has been seen so naturally everyone is curious as to who it is and speculation is rife!
Anyway, on the bright side at least I won't have to look after a Gecko this summer!
Monday, 27 January 2014
Clear out!
My Monday morning got off to a good start when I made myself some toast from the bread I made yesterday. There's something very satisfying from eating bread you've made yourself - taking a heap of dry ingredients and seeing them turn into a lovely wholemeal loaf. I took the rest of the bread into work to make sandwiches for all of us so that saved us money as well!
We cleared out one of our storerooms today and threw a lot of old stuff away that we'd been keeping. We're very good at this, I have to admit. Things that have stopped working or "could come in useful" are stored in a large cupboard and there was so much stuff in there that there was a risk they'd fall off the shelves! I found a big box of papers that were out of date so I'll be doing a lot of shredding in the next couple of days. It felt good to clear everything out though and the cupboard was very tidy when we'd finished...it'll stay that way until the staff go back in there and start rummaging around!
It was off to the gym after work and I did 30 minutes exercise on the treadmill and the bike, but I didn't do any weights as I was a little worried that I'd feel light-headed again. However, I felt fine after the exercise and we even managed to have a short swim before relaxing in the spa. On Wednesday it'll be back to normal with a double set of weights to make up for not doing it today!
We cleared out one of our storerooms today and threw a lot of old stuff away that we'd been keeping. We're very good at this, I have to admit. Things that have stopped working or "could come in useful" are stored in a large cupboard and there was so much stuff in there that there was a risk they'd fall off the shelves! I found a big box of papers that were out of date so I'll be doing a lot of shredding in the next couple of days. It felt good to clear everything out though and the cupboard was very tidy when we'd finished...it'll stay that way until the staff go back in there and start rummaging around!
It was off to the gym after work and I did 30 minutes exercise on the treadmill and the bike, but I didn't do any weights as I was a little worried that I'd feel light-headed again. However, I felt fine after the exercise and we even managed to have a short swim before relaxing in the spa. On Wednesday it'll be back to normal with a double set of weights to make up for not doing it today!
Sunday, 26 January 2014
Birthday boy!
This morning, in an attempt to make up for last night's dismal dinner, I cooked a family breakfast to celebrate Mikey's 14th Birthday. The day was shaping up to be a truly horrible one with strong winds and a cold, driving rain. The sort of Sunday I truly hate!
After we took Sophie into work Keith and I popped into Booker to buy some chicken for dinner and on the way we called into our new rival's play centre on Riverside. As all parking on the approach roads has now been stopped I wanted to see what they were doing, which was not a lot. There was a man in a fluorescent yellow jacket talking to a couple of drivers but it was obvious that their car park was full and we saw several cars leave. No wonder we've been so busy over the last couple of weekends! Their customers look like they're coming to us instead!
Mum and dad came over to see Mikey in the afternoon and we shared a cake (not baked by me!), most of which was eaten by the Birthday boy! Although he has lost a fair bit of weight lately, his love for chocolate has not diminished!
P.S...I still haven't seen the neighbours.
After we took Sophie into work Keith and I popped into Booker to buy some chicken for dinner and on the way we called into our new rival's play centre on Riverside. As all parking on the approach roads has now been stopped I wanted to see what they were doing, which was not a lot. There was a man in a fluorescent yellow jacket talking to a couple of drivers but it was obvious that their car park was full and we saw several cars leave. No wonder we've been so busy over the last couple of weekends! Their customers look like they're coming to us instead!
Mum and dad came over to see Mikey in the afternoon and we shared a cake (not baked by me!), most of which was eaten by the Birthday boy! Although he has lost a fair bit of weight lately, his love for chocolate has not diminished!
P.S...I still haven't seen the neighbours.
Saturday, 25 January 2014
Dinner disaster!
Today has been very busy and despite Keith and I being in and out (almost constantly it seemed!) we have not seen our new neighbours. I had just had a shower when Sue popped over to, ahem, lend me a book on bread making, but we all know she really came over to see if we had any gossip, bless her! I couldn't give her any! Bailey ate all the cat food, we had a quick chat and then I carried on getting ready to go to Meerkat Harborough with Sophie.
I thought today was mild but we received a shock when we got out of the car and walked into the town! Market Harborough is always windy but today it was really blustery and it was a relief to go into Caffe Nero and have a drink and a cake. Afterwards, while Sophie made her usual visit to New Look I went into Tesco to buy a Birthday cake for Mikey (he'll be 14 tomorrow) and to get some flour as I intend to bake some bread this weekend.
The main point of coming to the town today was to go and see Duncan who was hosting a Burns Night whisky tasting. He had said on Facebook that if you turned up wearing something tartan then you'd get a bigger measure! We obviously made for the Edinburgh Woollen Mill where I managed to bag a Campbell tartan scarf that actually went well with the top I was wearing!
I thought the shop would be busy with people sampling some fine Scottish whiskies but it was pleasantly quiet and we spent a very agreeable half hour tasting (despite the tartan I asked for a small measure as I was driving) and chatting to Duncan and Nick. Duncan had entered into the spirit of things by wearing a kilt and he looked great!
I bought a bottle of Highland Park whisky from Orkney with my Birthday money. Of the three I tried it was the most delicious being slightly peaty and sweet. Strangely enough, I'm now a convert to having a tiny drop of water added to it. The water really brings out the aromas and softens the taste. I also treated myself to one of Duncan's gorgeous red wines, the Chateau du Donjon which is a whopping 14.5% alcohol!
We popped back to the car with our purchases and then walked over to the Joules shop as I wanted another bottle of body wash (Sue had bought me one and I love the fragrance and frothy bubbles) but the shop was closed for refurbishment. Deciding to call it a day we drove home (via Waitrose and Draughton) and I'm glad we did as about twenty minutes after we arrived we had the most violent thunderstorm with torrential rain, hail and strong winds. We saw flashes of lightening and heard booms of thunder which was really strange as I don't think I've ever witnessed a storm like that in winter.
This morning Keith had had a bet using £20 worth of vouchers that Mum and Dad had given him for Christmas. He'd managed to turn the £20 into just over £50 so he was very pleased! We popped over to the shop to claim the money and we were amazed to see trees down just outside Walgrave. There was debris all over the road and a man was cutting the branches up. I'm just glad we weren't driving in the storm! To compensate though, there was the most beautiful sunset and the sky was a mixture of peaches, greys and pinks. I couldn't capture any of it on my camera, though, as I was driving!
In the evening we'd planned on going to the Toby Carvery in Northampton to celebrate Mikey's Birthday (his decision, no idea why) but I hadn't booked a table as I thought that we'd just be able to walk in and be seated, even if it meant waiting a little while. However, when we arrived the place looked very busy and we were told (eventually) by a very harried front of house man that there was a thirty minute wait and after that he couldn't guarantee that he'd have any beef or turkey left! What! This is a carvery, for heaven's sake!
We would have been more than happy to wait half an hour but to be told there'd be no meat was ridiculous so we left and drove to the Oriental Paradise in Billing. This restaurant was heaving as well and they had no tables at all. I was beginning to feel very guilty now as I knew I should have booked a table at the Carvery but Mikey didn't seem to mind that his evening was in danger of being ruined. We made one last attempt at dining out by driving to Buddies near Junction 15 of the M1 but they were packed with people so we sat in the services and rang Lee's Express in Brixworth for a Chinese takeaway! Not really what we had planned but Mikey seemed quite happy!
By the time we got back to Brixworth I'd been driving for an hour and I was longing to get home and have something to eat and drink. We'd never been to the actual premises before - they're on an industrial estate on the outskirts of the village - and were amazed to see a long convoy of gritter lorries from the nearby depot making their way out into the night. Maybe it was a good thing we were headed home!
I thought today was mild but we received a shock when we got out of the car and walked into the town! Market Harborough is always windy but today it was really blustery and it was a relief to go into Caffe Nero and have a drink and a cake. Afterwards, while Sophie made her usual visit to New Look I went into Tesco to buy a Birthday cake for Mikey (he'll be 14 tomorrow) and to get some flour as I intend to bake some bread this weekend.
The main point of coming to the town today was to go and see Duncan who was hosting a Burns Night whisky tasting. He had said on Facebook that if you turned up wearing something tartan then you'd get a bigger measure! We obviously made for the Edinburgh Woollen Mill where I managed to bag a Campbell tartan scarf that actually went well with the top I was wearing!
I thought the shop would be busy with people sampling some fine Scottish whiskies but it was pleasantly quiet and we spent a very agreeable half hour tasting (despite the tartan I asked for a small measure as I was driving) and chatting to Duncan and Nick. Duncan had entered into the spirit of things by wearing a kilt and he looked great!
 | |
| Duncan! |
We popped back to the car with our purchases and then walked over to the Joules shop as I wanted another bottle of body wash (Sue had bought me one and I love the fragrance and frothy bubbles) but the shop was closed for refurbishment. Deciding to call it a day we drove home (via Waitrose and Draughton) and I'm glad we did as about twenty minutes after we arrived we had the most violent thunderstorm with torrential rain, hail and strong winds. We saw flashes of lightening and heard booms of thunder which was really strange as I don't think I've ever witnessed a storm like that in winter.
This morning Keith had had a bet using £20 worth of vouchers that Mum and Dad had given him for Christmas. He'd managed to turn the £20 into just over £50 so he was very pleased! We popped over to the shop to claim the money and we were amazed to see trees down just outside Walgrave. There was debris all over the road and a man was cutting the branches up. I'm just glad we weren't driving in the storm! To compensate though, there was the most beautiful sunset and the sky was a mixture of peaches, greys and pinks. I couldn't capture any of it on my camera, though, as I was driving!
In the evening we'd planned on going to the Toby Carvery in Northampton to celebrate Mikey's Birthday (his decision, no idea why) but I hadn't booked a table as I thought that we'd just be able to walk in and be seated, even if it meant waiting a little while. However, when we arrived the place looked very busy and we were told (eventually) by a very harried front of house man that there was a thirty minute wait and after that he couldn't guarantee that he'd have any beef or turkey left! What! This is a carvery, for heaven's sake!
We would have been more than happy to wait half an hour but to be told there'd be no meat was ridiculous so we left and drove to the Oriental Paradise in Billing. This restaurant was heaving as well and they had no tables at all. I was beginning to feel very guilty now as I knew I should have booked a table at the Carvery but Mikey didn't seem to mind that his evening was in danger of being ruined. We made one last attempt at dining out by driving to Buddies near Junction 15 of the M1 but they were packed with people so we sat in the services and rang Lee's Express in Brixworth for a Chinese takeaway! Not really what we had planned but Mikey seemed quite happy!
By the time we got back to Brixworth I'd been driving for an hour and I was longing to get home and have something to eat and drink. We'd never been to the actual premises before - they're on an industrial estate on the outskirts of the village - and were amazed to see a long convoy of gritter lorries from the nearby depot making their way out into the night. Maybe it was a good thing we were headed home!
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