Making muffins!

I made muffins this morning, with old bananas that had been hanging around for far too long and some pears that were over-ripe. I hate seeing food go to waste so it was great to make twelve muffins to enjoy as a late breakfast with a cup of tea.

Keith and I had various chores to do and we popped into B&Q and Wickes to look at lights for the kitchen. We have little lights under the cupboard that have hardly ever worked and Keith wanted to see if we could find some and replace the ones that were broken. We saw some but I fear it will be a fiddly job, to be honest!

In Wickes we spotted some tiles that we liked so we bought a sample from the gormless member of staff on the checkout. They're lighter than the ones we picked out before and have a sort of marble effect...

I think they'll go great with the carpet on the landing and make the room a lot lighter!

Not the best of days!

Today didn't start out well as I had a huge argument with Mike. We start waking him up at 6am and this morning he was still in bed at 6.50am...and we leave at 7! I shouted at him to get up, so we didn't have the best of journeys into work. I am totally fed up with his attitude in the mornings and it's hard work, to be honest. The person I feel most sorry for is Keith as he really shouldn't be getting up early at all!

Work was busy again, but we had slightly fewer phone calls than yesterday which enabled me to do most of the box office returns. It still annoys me that a lot of our phone calls are to do with information that is readily available on our website!

At 2pm Keith picked me up and we headed down to Riverside where we enjoyed a coffee in Costa (along with a sausage roll each!). I hadn't even had time to go to the loo at work so it was lovely to sit and relax for a while!

After popping into Boots and JD Sports (Keith wanted some shorts) we drove to get Mike in the pouring rain. This morning the sun shone out of a beautiful blue sky, but it has steadily got worse over the course of the day and it was really lashing it down when we went to get our son. He came out a bit early so we were home at just after 3.30pm!

When Sophie came home I happened to notice a message on our answerphone and it was from Sophie's insurance company, regarding the very minor prang she'd had last Friday. She hadn't heard from the other woman which we thought was strange but it looks like she had gone straight to Sophie's insurer and was now claiming whiplash injury. This was laughable as there was hardly a scratch on Sophie's car and even less on hers and Sophie must have been travelling at about 2 miles an hour when she hit the other car. Sophie had a long conversation on the phone and was assured that everything would be OK and she was asked to take photos of her car and to send them off. It goes without saying that they are contesting the claim.

Sophie was very upset by all of this, as were Keith and I and it's just another little niggle in a long line of problems. We all felt fed up. To try and cheer Sophie up I made her an Old Fashioned and we sat and played cards while our chilli con carne cooked. Over dinner, Mike made funny videos of us so Sophie was laughing by the end of the meal, thank goodness!

Busy, busy!

I'd forgotten that I had a first aid training session after work this afternoon so I had to call Keith before my shift started to ask him to pick me up at 3pm.

Predictably, as it was the first Monday of the school holidays, we were hectically busy and there was only Louiza and myself manning the phones. The calls were non-stop. Stella, the cinema lady, was off sick today and although I said to Sheila I'd try to do the box office returns, I just didn't have the time.

At 2pm, the two Saras and me went downstairs to one of the studio rooms and we were given training on CPR and the use of a defibrillator. I'm just glad it was a little cooler today as it was quite energetic doing CPR and kneeling about on the floor! I was quite pleased when it was over, to be honest!

Keith had picked Mike up from work at 12pm as his arms were hurting so we went straight to Brixworth where I posted out some parcels, and then on to Tesco where we bought dinner for tonight. It had turned warm again and was about 27c so not that pleasant to be shopping and thinking about meals!

We watched the racing in the evening and I picked out a winner! Keith is having a great time putting the odd £1 or £2 onto various horses and is enjoying having an interest!

Not an easy dinner!

Eating a big meal doesn't agree with me any more and I had a fitful night's sleep. I awoke at 9.15am to find that Sophie was at the gym! I stumbled blearily downstairs and tried to wake up with a cup of strong coffee!

After feeling a little more awake, Keith and I went over to see my Mum and Dad and we had a coffee with them. Mum felt much better and the bump had gone from her head so that was a relief. We sloshed back home through the rain (it's been even worse today) and mooched about until it was time for Sophie to go to Virgin for a beauty treatment. I sat in the car and read the Sunday papers while she was in the salon and then we popped to Jones's where we bought a few things that we needed. We only spent £9...one of the lowest amounts ever!

From Jones's we drove to the St James retail park where we had a drink and a snack in Starbucks, before driving over to Homesense because the rain was lashing down! What a horrible day it was!

Sophie bought an armful of things in Homesense - wine, olive oil, pasta and salt granules. I contented myself with a scented candle and some chocolate! It was packed in there as usual and I was very glad we'd bagged a space almost opposite!

Back home we started making preparations for dinner - Nadiya's Meatloaf roll which she made on her television programme the other evening. Sophie chopped up the onions and garlic and added the chilli flakes while we put five eggs on to boil. Looking back we should have used the pre-rolled pastry but it didn't take long to roll it out and then we mixed the minced beef with the sausage meat and the rest of the ingredients.

While Sophie took a bath, I made the meat roll which was fiddly, to be honest! I'm not sure we had enough meat but in the end I managed to get the five eggs down the middle and then encased them in the other half of the meat mixture. I wrapped it in clingfilm and then popped it in the fridge to chill.

Sophie helped with the pastry and we brushed the surface with the marmite mix before laying the pork and beef roll on top. Then I made a mistake by not wrapping the join of the pastry underneath and when we cooked it in the oven, the top split and all the inside oozed out!

We served it with crushed new potatoes, asparagus and tenderstem broccoli, which I have decided I don't like. There was a strong taste of garlic in the meat mixture, probably because we didn't cook it first. We were all quite disappointed and this was the second night in a row that I had a bad meal. We certainly won't be cooking it again! I don't think it was easy at all!

A rude awakening!

Keith and I were woken at 3.30am this morning by Mike who'd been bitten on his arms and they were driving him mad. I think it was horsefly bites and last night he'd asked us to change his bed, which we agreed to as long as he stripped it first and brought it downstairs.

Well, he hadn't bothered, so this morning he came into our room complaining of being bitten by something in his bed. After a lot of yelling and shouting, I got up and put fresh bedding on for him but I was really angry, especially as he hadn't apologised for waking us up and had been totally useless when it came to helping me. I went back to bed but it took me an hour to get back to sleep!

Sophie has friends coming over tonight so it was a good excuse to give downstairs a thorough clean. We had a cooked breakfast and then made a start. Outside the weather was atrocious with wind and rain - what a difference to the other day! We did loads of washing and gave the rooms a good clean before popping over to Tesco where we bought the ingredients for tomorrow's dinner and some wine for the girls tonight.

On the way home Keith called to say that my Mum had fallen over in her house and could I go over to see her? I dropped Sophie off and together we drove over to Broughton to find my Dad on the phone to the NHS helpline. They asked loads of questions, and although my Mum had a bump on her head and a slight headache she seemed fine. The last thing she wanted was to go down to A&E and sit there for hours!

We stayed for an hour and I said that if she started feeling sick or light-headed she should go to the out-of-hours centre. Keith and I went home where I managed to relax for a while with a G&T and a film on my Kindle!

In the evening I was meeting Lynda, Fiona and Andrea at Cafe Marseille for dinner. They were holding a "Wine and Jazz" evening so I was really looking forward to an evening of chat, good food and wine, and relaxation! Keith drove me so I could indulge in a tipple or two, and the girls were there when I arrived. The awful weather hadn't let up at all which was a bit disappointing!

We all had a glass of Prosecco on arrival and then we looked at the menu, which as per the name of the restaurant, has a French theme. I decided on French onion soup while the girls chose the melted Camembert. For mains Lynda and I chose the duck (something I don't normally go for), Fiona had chicken and Andrea the steak. The wine choice was hard with the different meats so we opted for a Rose first which was a bit pricey at £22. I hoped it was worth it!

Because we'd ordered a bottle of wine we were given an array of nibbles to try and I was so hungry I dived in! We had a vol-au-vent, as well as pate and cheese on crackers. I have to say there wasn't much taste to any of them! Very soon after, our starters arrived and my French onion soup had no crouton nor any cheese. It was very creamy and sweet.

Our main courses arrived and I had about four hard nuggets of duck which were difficult to cut with the knife I'd been given. They sat atop a bed of red cabbage with a thick block of dauphinoise potatoes. I think all the cream that should have accompanied them went into my soup!

I was very disappointed to be honest. The food was tasteless and dry and not at all what I'd been expecting from a restaurant that professes to be French. We took a break between courses and for dessert I thought I'd really test the chef's skills by ordering one of my favourite dishes - Chocolate Fondant. Fiona opted for cheese while Lynda and Andrea chose the very orangey Crepes Suzette.

When my fondant arrived I cut into it but only a little thick dribble of chocolate appeared. The Masterchef test had failed! We'd ordered another two bottles of Malbec to go with the rest of the meal and the total bill came to a breathtaking £207, the highest we'd ever paid when going out for a meal. I felt cheated and really resented parting with my share of the bill.

Keith arrived and we gave Andrea a lift home. Sophie's friends, Laura and Daisy were still at home, but went shortly afterwards. We sat with our feet up for a little while and then it was time for bed!

A little prang...

Today, the temperatures went down a bit but it was still warm and muggy. We also had a fair amount of rain which we really need!

Work passed pleasantly enough and at 2pm I left work and received a text from Sophie to say she was leaving Riverside at the same time. However, as I was driving to collect Mike she called to say she'd had a prang on the roundabout and had hit the car in front of her... I offered to go down and see her, but she had Laura with her and was going back to work. She said the damage wasn't bad but I think she was a bit shaken up, poor thing.

I went to get a newspaper and waited for Mike to come out of work. He was hot and sweaty and as soon as we got home I made him put all of his clothes into the washing machine. His baseball cap did not smell good!

Sophie sent me photos of ET and the damage didn't look as bad as I'd imagined, thank goodness. As soon as she returned home Keith and I went to have a look and I think we'll be able to push the front bumper back in. She was thoroughly fed up and said she'd texted the woman whose car she'd hit but that she hadn't replied. The woman had a child in the car with her and had taken photos of both vehicles so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. I don't think it's worth getting Sophie's car seen to as there's only a few scratches.

We opened a bottle of wine and relaxed while Keith went off to the pub in Sophie's car. He's not drinking again so it was great for us not to have to go out and get him. Dinner tonight was jacket potatoes and then it was an early night. We were all shattered!

Too hot!

Today, the UK almost set a new record for high temperatures! The previous one was 38.6 but in Cambridge it reached 38.1c and this was only because of some cloud cover passing over the city. We had been warned but the reality was horrible!

I was at work until 3pm and people kept coming into the office saying it was so much cooler than out in the main building. When Keith picked me up the car temperature was registering 37.5c which was the highest I'd ever seen in this country!

We drove to get Mike and as we sat waiting the temperature went up to 38.5. This obviously wasn't an accurate reading if the highest was in Cambridge, but it was impressive!

It felt like a hot Florida day, to be honest, and was very humid. The difference is that in Florida, virtually all the buildings are air-conditioned and you can easily escape the heat! Keith got out of the car and went to find Mike and I stood by the car but it was like a wall of hot, moist air enveloping me! It was such a relief to get back into the cool car!

Driving home it briefly hit 40c which was mind-boggling! Again, it wasn't accurate but it was amazing to see!

Back home we lolled about in the heat and Monty was really suffering, poor thing. We went to put out the bins for a friend who lived up the road and he came with us, but I think he regretted it as back home he was breathing very quickly. Sophie cooled him off with a damp tea-towel which he seemed to like!

For most of the evening I sat with my feet in a bowl of water and when I went to bed I dampened a bath towel and slept with it on top of me!