I was working today, mainly to help Sara out as she had worked yesterday and would have been in every day for almost two weeks. I didn't mind, but I would have preferred to have been at home!
I was working with Denise and the day passed pleasantly enough, with nicely spaced calls and some work to do for Sara, which kept me busy. It was a relief to go at 4pm though, especially as there was a wrestling match on in the main hall and it was very busy and noisy! I sped home and learned that we hadn't sold anything this week on eBay, but Sophie had put some more items on, mainly bundles of DVDs and PS3 games. She had also made some banana cakes and cookies so we sat down to read the papers and had a cup of tea with a slice of cake.
The weather outside was cloudy and cool so we didn't venture out for a walk. Keith made Coq au Vin for dinner which was delicious and after we'd eaten we settled down to watch The Cry, which is turning out to be very good, despite the numerous and annoying flashbacks!
Sunday, 30 September 2018
Saturday, 29 September 2018
What a shambles!
Mike, poor thing, was working today and Keith took him in at about 6am. I picked him up at 10am just after we'd finished breakfast so at least he had a few hours overtime!
I had arranged to go out for lunch with Fiona, Andrea and Lynda today and we'd booked a table at The Aviator Hotel in Sywell. It was a gorgeous day and when I arrived people were milling about watching the planes and sitting in the sun.
Andrea and Fiona had already bought their drinks and were sitting in the lounge area so I joined Lynda at the bar and she bought me a sparkling mineral water as we couldn't start a tab. We then joined the other two ladies and sunk into deep armchairs that were very difficult to get out of! It sort of set the tone for the rest of our visit!
When our table was ready we were handed scruffy menus but they looked a lot different to what was advertised on the website. Lynda had obviously taken a look as she had already chosen what she wanted but all they were doing were sandwiches, salad platters and a handful of hot meals, accompanied by sides. There weren't any starters. I have to say we were all a bit disappointed! Fiona even mentioned going somewhere else and I wish now that we had!
We asked if there were any specials and the waitress disappeared and then came back with a hand written list. She mentioned smoked salmon and lobster tails and we asked if this was a salad, to be told it was. The girls ordered that as their main course while I opted for the lambs' liver served with a spring onion mash, bacon and seasonal veggies. As a sort of starter we ordered two portions of bread, olives and balsamic vinegar dip.
There was no wine list on the table so when the waitress re-appeared again I asked her to bring it to us so we could choose. She said it was "out of date" and went on to recite a list of white wines, so we had no idea what we were ordering or how much the wine cost! It was comical! I settled for a Pinot Grigio and this rapidly arrived accompanied by tiny 125ml glasses! It was like something out of the Ark!
Our bread and olives arrived and we were warned that the olives still had the stone inside. The bread was cold and clearly not fresh and the butter pats (one for each of us) were rock hard and impossible to spread on the chilled bread. Had it been previously frozen? We weren't given side plates and when the waitress brought them out after we'd asked for them, she just plonked them down on the table!
But even better was to come! When our starters were cleared away our main courses appeared, but instead of the lovely colourful salad the girls had been expecting, they were presented with pots of fish pie, accompanied by more hunks of bread! Fiona looked horrified as it was clear she does not like fish pie so she asked for the salad that was already listed on the menu. The girls agreed with her and asked for theirs to be sent back and they re-ordered the same salad! It was atrocious!
My liver arrived and although the mash and gravy were tasty, the liver was overcooked and one piece even crumbled into a mush. It became obvious that nobody was in charge and that the two girls serving hadn't got a clue what they were doing. The restaurant was empty - there was just us and another large table sitting down to eat and I'm sure we saw another couple of meals go back.
We didn't have the heart to order dessert so we settled for a coffee each and they were lukewarm. Mine was served with the milk already added but I needed more so the woes carried on! When it came time to pay, the staff disappeared and I think we could have got away with just walking out. I was sorely tempted to! The bill was £91 and we left a small tip as I really think the waitresses should have had better training and some direction from a manager in charge. It was a total shambles! We all arranged to meet up before Christmas and thankfully there was no mention of the Come Dine With Me evenings!
Back home I learned from Sophie that Georgia had been to see Mike with her Dad! I'm not sure whether he was checking us out but they had gone by the time I had arrived home. Sophie and I went for a walk to see the horses and we fed them some apples, which they loved! Their big rubbery lips scooped up the fruit and they crunched it with gusto! I stood and stroked one of them and he/she (think it's a she) just stood there and let me scratch her all over!
I had arranged to go out for lunch with Fiona, Andrea and Lynda today and we'd booked a table at The Aviator Hotel in Sywell. It was a gorgeous day and when I arrived people were milling about watching the planes and sitting in the sun.
Andrea and Fiona had already bought their drinks and were sitting in the lounge area so I joined Lynda at the bar and she bought me a sparkling mineral water as we couldn't start a tab. We then joined the other two ladies and sunk into deep armchairs that were very difficult to get out of! It sort of set the tone for the rest of our visit!
When our table was ready we were handed scruffy menus but they looked a lot different to what was advertised on the website. Lynda had obviously taken a look as she had already chosen what she wanted but all they were doing were sandwiches, salad platters and a handful of hot meals, accompanied by sides. There weren't any starters. I have to say we were all a bit disappointed! Fiona even mentioned going somewhere else and I wish now that we had!
We asked if there were any specials and the waitress disappeared and then came back with a hand written list. She mentioned smoked salmon and lobster tails and we asked if this was a salad, to be told it was. The girls ordered that as their main course while I opted for the lambs' liver served with a spring onion mash, bacon and seasonal veggies. As a sort of starter we ordered two portions of bread, olives and balsamic vinegar dip.
There was no wine list on the table so when the waitress re-appeared again I asked her to bring it to us so we could choose. She said it was "out of date" and went on to recite a list of white wines, so we had no idea what we were ordering or how much the wine cost! It was comical! I settled for a Pinot Grigio and this rapidly arrived accompanied by tiny 125ml glasses! It was like something out of the Ark!
Our bread and olives arrived and we were warned that the olives still had the stone inside. The bread was cold and clearly not fresh and the butter pats (one for each of us) were rock hard and impossible to spread on the chilled bread. Had it been previously frozen? We weren't given side plates and when the waitress brought them out after we'd asked for them, she just plonked them down on the table!
But even better was to come! When our starters were cleared away our main courses appeared, but instead of the lovely colourful salad the girls had been expecting, they were presented with pots of fish pie, accompanied by more hunks of bread! Fiona looked horrified as it was clear she does not like fish pie so she asked for the salad that was already listed on the menu. The girls agreed with her and asked for theirs to be sent back and they re-ordered the same salad! It was atrocious!
My liver arrived and although the mash and gravy were tasty, the liver was overcooked and one piece even crumbled into a mush. It became obvious that nobody was in charge and that the two girls serving hadn't got a clue what they were doing. The restaurant was empty - there was just us and another large table sitting down to eat and I'm sure we saw another couple of meals go back.
We didn't have the heart to order dessert so we settled for a coffee each and they were lukewarm. Mine was served with the milk already added but I needed more so the woes carried on! When it came time to pay, the staff disappeared and I think we could have got away with just walking out. I was sorely tempted to! The bill was £91 and we left a small tip as I really think the waitresses should have had better training and some direction from a manager in charge. It was a total shambles! We all arranged to meet up before Christmas and thankfully there was no mention of the Come Dine With Me evenings!
Back home I learned from Sophie that Georgia had been to see Mike with her Dad! I'm not sure whether he was checking us out but they had gone by the time I had arrived home. Sophie and I went for a walk to see the horses and we fed them some apples, which they loved! Their big rubbery lips scooped up the fruit and they crunched it with gusto! I stood and stroked one of them and he/she (think it's a she) just stood there and let me scratch her all over!
Friday, 28 September 2018
Phew! It's Friday!
I was working a longer day today so we arranged for Keith to take Sophie to work so I could pick her up at 5pm as I was only ten minutes away. He dropped her off and went to do the shopping and I had a good session at work with plenty to keep me occupied. Mum and Dad popped in again as they want to become members but I wanted them to see one of the gym instructors first because of their dizzy spells and my Dad's unsteadiness on his feet.
I finished at 4.30pm and sped down to get Sophie. We took a different route to avoid the main roads and we were home by about 5.15pm. Keith and Mike went to the pub and Sophie and I settled down to watch 90 Day Fiance with a drink before preparing dinner of fish pie.
I have to say it was the nicest I've ever done and even I enjoyed it, despite not being a huge fan of the dish. With all the cooking Sophie and I have been doing, I've been adding seasoning (something I rarely did) and I sprinkled some mixed herbs over the fish as well as using white wine and cream when I mashed the potatoes. There was nothing left at the end of the meal and Keith was scraping the lovely bits off the side! I was very pleased!
Mike's at work over the weekend so Keith retired to bed a bit early as he will be taking him in the morning. Ugh!
I finished at 4.30pm and sped down to get Sophie. We took a different route to avoid the main roads and we were home by about 5.15pm. Keith and Mike went to the pub and Sophie and I settled down to watch 90 Day Fiance with a drink before preparing dinner of fish pie.
I have to say it was the nicest I've ever done and even I enjoyed it, despite not being a huge fan of the dish. With all the cooking Sophie and I have been doing, I've been adding seasoning (something I rarely did) and I sprinkled some mixed herbs over the fish as well as using white wine and cream when I mashed the potatoes. There was nothing left at the end of the meal and Keith was scraping the lovely bits off the side! I was very pleased!
Mike's at work over the weekend so Keith retired to bed a bit early as he will be taking him in the morning. Ugh!
Thursday, 27 September 2018
Enjoying the sunshine!
Keith took me into work this morning as he was off to a funeral later - a good friend of ours who used to run The Royal Oak in Walgrave, had died suddenly at the age of 61 which was a huge shock. My parents were also going as Peter used to look after the Nans when they came to stay while my parents were on holiday years ago, and really looked after them very well, taking them out to lunch and treating them to drinks. They loved him!
Work was busy with both phone calls and admin jobs so the time flew by. I finished at 2pm rather than 3pm today so that was a little bonus! Keith came to pick me up but as Mike was doing an hour's overtime we had some time to kill. We discussed going to Waitrose for a coffee but in the end went to The Windhover for a quick drink as it's literally two minutes from where Mike works.
Over our drinks, Keith told me about the funeral and how many people had attended. There were so many that Keith couldn't get into the church! I was pleased about that as I had wanted to go myself, and it was lovely that so many old friends and acquaintances had turned up to pay their respects.
Mike didn't finish until 3.30pm so we sat in the car and I think at one point I fell asleep! We eventually arrived home at 4pm, two hours after I'd finished work! As it was such gorgeous weather again I went to sit in the garden with the newspaper until I heard a knock on the door. It was Sue who had come to collect all of her sloes that she'd stored in our fridge! She had asked to store cakes for the Macmillan coffee morning in the village but had put the sloes in there instead. They were all destined for the Warner Edwards distillery where she reckoned she'd be able to swap them for two full size bottles of Sloe Gin!
She had about 20kg of the fruit and I helped her over the road with them. Just as I was saying goodbye Richard and Michelle appeared and we had a chat before I went back to the garden to find, to my dismay, the paper scattered all over the garden!
Sophie arrived home early from work and we relaxed with a drink while Keith cooked dinner tonight, a delicious beef pie!
Work was busy with both phone calls and admin jobs so the time flew by. I finished at 2pm rather than 3pm today so that was a little bonus! Keith came to pick me up but as Mike was doing an hour's overtime we had some time to kill. We discussed going to Waitrose for a coffee but in the end went to The Windhover for a quick drink as it's literally two minutes from where Mike works.
Over our drinks, Keith told me about the funeral and how many people had attended. There were so many that Keith couldn't get into the church! I was pleased about that as I had wanted to go myself, and it was lovely that so many old friends and acquaintances had turned up to pay their respects.
Mike didn't finish until 3.30pm so we sat in the car and I think at one point I fell asleep! We eventually arrived home at 4pm, two hours after I'd finished work! As it was such gorgeous weather again I went to sit in the garden with the newspaper until I heard a knock on the door. It was Sue who had come to collect all of her sloes that she'd stored in our fridge! She had asked to store cakes for the Macmillan coffee morning in the village but had put the sloes in there instead. They were all destined for the Warner Edwards distillery where she reckoned she'd be able to swap them for two full size bottles of Sloe Gin!
She had about 20kg of the fruit and I helped her over the road with them. Just as I was saying goodbye Richard and Michelle appeared and we had a chat before I went back to the garden to find, to my dismay, the paper scattered all over the garden!
Sophie arrived home early from work and we relaxed with a drink while Keith cooked dinner tonight, a delicious beef pie!
Wednesday, 26 September 2018
Traffic misery!
I took Sophie into work this morning as I had a two hour training session to attend and the plan was to finish at 11.30am and then have lunch with her. I dropped her off at 8.45am as the traffic had been terrible this morning with long queues on the main roads. I sped back to my work and had a coffee while we waited to go up to the function room for the presentation.
The training was about retaining customers and was held by a man who had a PHD in Behavioural Psychology. The main talk was an hour long and he talked at length about Disney and Starbucks, so it was quite interesting. The chairs were uncomfortable, though!
As soon as we'd finished I went to get Sophie from work and we went to Next at Riverside for a coffee. I enjoyed a sandwich and a slice of almond cake, and afterwards we had a mooch about the store but although I had a £20 gift voucher to use (from my Mum) I couldn't find anything I liked. I did spray myself with lots of different perfumes, though! Sophie bought a pair of trousers and some tops for work and they looked really smart.
I dropped her back off at work and went home to mooch about until it was time to collect Mike. As soon as I got back I decided to wash my car, which was dusty and muddy and badly in need of some TLC! It's been another gorgeous day today with warm temperatures and sunshine so ideal to spend some time outdoors. Of course, it's very social as well, and I said hello to our new neighbour, Sue, and my friend, also Sue, who lives opposite!
Keith and I went back to get Sophie at 5pm and drove back through the town as a lorry had broken down on the A43 near Sywell and was causing horrendous queues. Dinner tonight was paella and Sophie and Keith cooked it while I stood in the kitchen and completed some crosswords with a glass of wine. Bliss!
The training was about retaining customers and was held by a man who had a PHD in Behavioural Psychology. The main talk was an hour long and he talked at length about Disney and Starbucks, so it was quite interesting. The chairs were uncomfortable, though!
As soon as we'd finished I went to get Sophie from work and we went to Next at Riverside for a coffee. I enjoyed a sandwich and a slice of almond cake, and afterwards we had a mooch about the store but although I had a £20 gift voucher to use (from my Mum) I couldn't find anything I liked. I did spray myself with lots of different perfumes, though! Sophie bought a pair of trousers and some tops for work and they looked really smart.
I dropped her back off at work and went home to mooch about until it was time to collect Mike. As soon as I got back I decided to wash my car, which was dusty and muddy and badly in need of some TLC! It's been another gorgeous day today with warm temperatures and sunshine so ideal to spend some time outdoors. Of course, it's very social as well, and I said hello to our new neighbour, Sue, and my friend, also Sue, who lives opposite!
Keith and I went back to get Sophie at 5pm and drove back through the town as a lorry had broken down on the A43 near Sywell and was causing horrendous queues. Dinner tonight was paella and Sophie and Keith cooked it while I stood in the kitchen and completed some crosswords with a glass of wine. Bliss!
Tuesday, 25 September 2018
New experiences!
Apart from Mike who was at work early, the rest of us got a bit of a lie-in as Sophie wasn't meeting her manager until 11am, at my Mum and Dad's house.
She wasn't very happy today which was a shame as I hated to see her like that. I don't think she wanted to go out on business, but I did say it broke up the week a bit and made for a change. The weather today has been glorious and after seeing Sophie off we had a coffee and a chat with Mum. It was then off to Tesco to get dinner for this evening and tomorrow and we popped into Screwfix on the way home to get a new handle and lock for our cloakroom door which has been playing up and wouldn't close properly.
After we'd picked up Mike I mowed the back lawn and was delighted to see it look a lot healthier than a few weeks ago. I'd put some grass seed down on the bare patches and it looked so much greener! After cutting the grass I tidied up the border at the back of garden where it's shaded by our trees and put everything onto our compost heap which is looking good. Our garden bin is full, though, with a lot of greenery I haven't put onto the compost heap (big branches and some nasty wees) so we'll have to make a trip to the tip soon to get rid of it. It hasn't been bad, though, as the last time it was emptied was June!
Sophie arrived home a lot earlier than we'd expected which was a huge bonus! She had had an interesting day visiting a prison for the first time and was a bit overwhelmed by the attention she received! It was lovely listening to what she'd been up to and hearing about her new experiences!
She wasn't very happy today which was a shame as I hated to see her like that. I don't think she wanted to go out on business, but I did say it broke up the week a bit and made for a change. The weather today has been glorious and after seeing Sophie off we had a coffee and a chat with Mum. It was then off to Tesco to get dinner for this evening and tomorrow and we popped into Screwfix on the way home to get a new handle and lock for our cloakroom door which has been playing up and wouldn't close properly.
After we'd picked up Mike I mowed the back lawn and was delighted to see it look a lot healthier than a few weeks ago. I'd put some grass seed down on the bare patches and it looked so much greener! After cutting the grass I tidied up the border at the back of garden where it's shaded by our trees and put everything onto our compost heap which is looking good. Our garden bin is full, though, with a lot of greenery I haven't put onto the compost heap (big branches and some nasty wees) so we'll have to make a trip to the tip soon to get rid of it. It hasn't been bad, though, as the last time it was emptied was June!
Sophie arrived home a lot earlier than we'd expected which was a huge bonus! She had had an interesting day visiting a prison for the first time and was a bit overwhelmed by the attention she received! It was lovely listening to what she'd been up to and hearing about her new experiences!
Monday, 24 September 2018
More Birthday celebrations!
I volunteered to take Mike to work this morning as a treat for Keith and we were up and out by 5.45am. It was so dark! What a difference a couple of weeks make!
Work was OK this morning and as soon as I'd finished and picked Mike up I returned home, changed out of my work clothes and drove to the Wyevale Garden Centre at Wootton with Keith. We returned his size 8 shoes and swapped them for a pair of size 9s which fitted perfectly.
As a treat, Keith bought me a coffee in the Costa there and I enjoyed a slice of banana and pecan cake while Keith had a late lunch of a chicken salad sandwich. On the way home we called into the post office at the Weston Favell Centre so I could send out our eBay items.
We arrived home at just after 5pm and as soon as Sophie got home, she changed and we awaited Georgia's arrival before all heading into town to have dinner at The Lamplighter.
The pub was very quiet and we found a table by the window to have a drink before we ordered. I sometimes think that Georgia feels a little overwhelmed by us as we can be quite loud and as a family we're really close, despite our occasional squabbles!
The meal was lovely, as always, and we ordered garlic breads and nachos served with beef to start, followed by the usual burgers for the children and me. Keith ordered fish and chips but they were off, so he had to settle for a steak and ale pie and Georgia chose the sausages and mash. We urged her to have a dessert but she went all shy on us and had a hot chocolate instead! Mike bought a couple of rounds so all in all it was a great night!
Work was OK this morning and as soon as I'd finished and picked Mike up I returned home, changed out of my work clothes and drove to the Wyevale Garden Centre at Wootton with Keith. We returned his size 8 shoes and swapped them for a pair of size 9s which fitted perfectly.
As a treat, Keith bought me a coffee in the Costa there and I enjoyed a slice of banana and pecan cake while Keith had a late lunch of a chicken salad sandwich. On the way home we called into the post office at the Weston Favell Centre so I could send out our eBay items.
We arrived home at just after 5pm and as soon as Sophie got home, she changed and we awaited Georgia's arrival before all heading into town to have dinner at The Lamplighter.
The pub was very quiet and we found a table by the window to have a drink before we ordered. I sometimes think that Georgia feels a little overwhelmed by us as we can be quite loud and as a family we're really close, despite our occasional squabbles!
The meal was lovely, as always, and we ordered garlic breads and nachos served with beef to start, followed by the usual burgers for the children and me. Keith ordered fish and chips but they were off, so he had to settle for a steak and ale pie and Georgia chose the sausages and mash. We urged her to have a dessert but she went all shy on us and had a hot chocolate instead! Mike bought a couple of rounds so all in all it was a great night!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)