The end of an era...

I bid a fond farewell to Mike this morning and said that if he ever needed us, we'd be there for him. We just hope that he keeps in touch, and comes back to see us regularly! There was talk of us taking him down tomorrow with some of his things, but as the flat has fallen through, and they're staying with friends, all of their furniture is still being kept at Abbie's grandad's house. I did get a panicked call from him before I started work, though, asking where his passport was! I hadn't seen it and the last I knew was that he had it!

Today at work was as horrible as yesterday was lovely! There were a lot of extraneous people in our office, so sometimes the noise level was unbearable. We were very busy as well, and Jo and I had some nasty callers. One woman was screaming down the phone at me about her membership and in the end, I put the phone down on her, as there was no point in carrying on trying to help. When she immediately called back I got her again! She had calmed down a bit and did apologise, so that was something!

It was a huge relief to walk out at 4pm and sit for a few moments in the car, relishing the peace! At home I mooched about, deciding to leave any housework for tomorrow when I'm off. I love Tuesday evenings when I'm facing two days away from work!

While Keith cooked a delicious chicken pie this evening, Sophie and I played cards and had a deep conversation about relationships! A lot of the things I worried about when I was young now seem irrelevant but at Sophie's age, things can seem daunting!

Dining out!

I'm really not keen on working on a Bank Holiday Monday, but I'm on annual leave for two weeks from next Monday, so I can't really complain. Jo and I were working together, and we didn't know what to expect today. I was hoping it wouldn't be manic!

Luckily, my hopes were met, and although we had a few busy moments first thing, we were able to get a lot of other jobs completed. I did the weekend box office returns, put the rest of the films onto the system, processed a load of cinema invoices, and added the distributors to the spreadsheet to make it easier for Sheila when I am away. I also tackled some customer service emails so the time passed very quickly.

At 4pm I sped home and sorted out the recycling as our bin was full in the kitchen, and also in the garage. I was delighted to learn the other day that Tesco is now taking crisp packets and pet food pouches. Very soon we won't need to go to George in Milton Keynes anymore! 

We had decided to go to Akasaka for a meal tonight, as Mike is off to Southampton tomorrow with Abbie to start his new life, and we thought it would be a lovely send-off for him. We left at 5.30pm and went to The Princess Alexandra first for a drink. I just about managed to get into the car park opposite, taking the last space available. That's one of the problems with the pub - there is no parking otherwise!

We had a couple of drinks and watched a man who was obviously waiting for a date to arrive. I imagined it was his wife, and that he had come out while she finished getting ready, but Mike and Sophie were convinced he'd been stood up! He had already bought her a glass of red wine, and we all watched him like a hawk as various people arrived. Just as we were giving up hope, his very attractive date arrived in a flurry of apologies, and he looked immensely relieved!

Our table at Akasaka was booked for 7.30pm, and we were able to find a parking space almost right outside. The town seemed very quiet, and I think a lot of places close on a Monday evening. The restaurant was busy, and we were seated next to a group of young people who were swapping stories about their gap year. Again, Mike and Sophie listened in! We are so nosy!

The food, as always, was delicious. Sophie and I shared chicken gyoza and tempura battered vegetables, accompanied by a dish of spicy edamame beans that everyone tucked into. For our mains, Sophie and I chose the Katsu chicken curry, Keith had Teriyaki chicken, while Mike went for his favourite, the Ramen soup. I can't quite believe that Mike is leaving tomorrow, and won't be returning in a few weeks like he used to do. I just hope they both find somewhere lovely to live and make a go of it.

On the way home, he was contacted by friends that wanted to see him before he left, so Sophie and I gave him a lift to Brixworth. I knew I would see him in the morning, but I still felt a bit emotional when I said goodbye!

Ladies who lunch (and shop!).

Sophie and I went and picked Mum up at 11am this morning and after grabbing a drive-thru coffee at Costa, we trundled over to Weedon. We wanted to go back to the huge antiques shop by the canal and thought Mum might like to come with us.

She was astounded by how much there was on display! Sophie was looking for old glasses, while I was on the hunt for jars or bottles to decant our laundry products into, to make my little "utility" room look pretty. At the moment it hasn't got the look I'm after!

I didn't see anything in the antique part but next door, where there were more vintage items, I spotted a grey, laundry powder tin and a pewter hook for the door to hang our aprons on. I've made a start!

From Weedon, we drove to the Shires Shopping Yard and had lunch at Darlington's. We are always lucky with a table here, and we were seated by a huge fireplace. Darlington's is one of my favourite places to have lunch, or tea and cake, and the food is always good, with excellent service. Sophie and I enjoyed a club sandwich again with masses of salad, while Mum went for a plate of chilli con Carne with rice.

We all found room for cake and Sophie and I had a cup of tea as well. Suitably fortified, we had a look in the shops and Mum bought Dad a model Spitfire aeroplane kit, in the hope that it will keep him occupied!

While Sophie and I climbed the stairs to the fabulous cookshop, Abraxas, Mum went back to the car. I bought a glass jar with a chrome top for the laundry capsules we use. My collection is expanding! Sophie spotted some beautiful, and very unusual coffee cups and bought two for one of her work friends. There is so much gorgeous stuff in Abraxas and I could have spent a fortune!

We returned by a much more direct route and dropped Mum off at the care home. Before playing Scrabble with Sophie, I read the weekend papers and tried not to think about going back to work tomorrow. This weekend has not felt like a Bank Holiday weekend at all. The weather continues to be grey and overcast and I keep forgetting it's August!

After a game of Scrabble, we started dinner and made the Hairy Bikers' Chicken Makhani, a version of Butter Chicken. We both had so much room to cook and Keith sat with us as we prepared the meal. It was delicious and one we'll definitely try again, but next time we'll follow the recipe to the letter and grill the chicken to achieve that lovely charred effect!

 

Back comes the rat!

It was great this morning to be able to ease gradually into the weekend, and not have to rush about! A local painter and decorator arrived at 10am to give us a quote for the kitchen. Mum and Dad have used his services in the past to decorate their house, and have always said how good he was. We have given up on the man who came around ten days ago, as he hasn't even bothered to contact us with a quote and we've wasted time. We are both very annoyed.

David gave us a quote then and there but said that we had the wrong paint for the three doors. When I looked at the tin again I realised I'd been given emulsion and not paint for wood. Keith said that we could use it in Mike's bedroom, for one of the walls and that we'd go and get some more next week.

After David had gone, Sophie and I had breakfast and I pottered about, doing a few chores and some paperwork, and then ventured out into the garden to tidy up all the branches that Keith and Mike had cut down a few days previously. Sophie spent a good couple of hours preparing dinner for this evening, and marinating a pack of chicken for the curry we're planning to make tomorrow. Very soon the kitchen was full of gorgeous spicy smells!

Our grass hasn't really grown at all in the back garden, and it could be because there has been a distinct lack of sunshine this month. We seem to be having a run of very overcast and grey weather, and the thick cloud is horrible! Summer has been extremely disappointing this year!

I mowed the lawn and then cut up all the prunings and put them in the bin. By the time I'd finished, it was completely full! The garden did look a lot better, though, and I weeded the border and cut the edges. Thankfully, it doesn't take long to do and in between, I sat on the garden seat and looked out for the birds, but they had disappeared. For some reason, I have been a bit neglectful of the birds lately, so when I finished I put down some fat snax to encourage them back.

Unfortunately, it also encouraged our rat back. Keith had found three dead ones the other day when he was gardening, but we now have a very healthy, very big one back with us. Sophie and I both said that it's pointless to try and eradicate them. We are surrounded by countryside here, and although we've tried almost everything to get rid of them, they still come back. I will just have to stop putting food on the grass. Three whole fat snax disappeared in the space of half an hour!

Keith went to the football in the afternoon, and Sophie and I relaxed with a face pack. It has been a lovely day today, and just what we wanted from a Saturday. Sometimes it's lovely to just stay at home and chill!

While I was getting a shower, Abbie and Mike arrived, and we all congregated in the kitchen to chat, which is just how I imagined we'd be doing. Sophie and I played Scrabble and I was ably helped by Mike, so I beat Sophie, something I don't do very often these days!

Sophie cooked this evening - she made the delicious sausage and orecchiette pasta, accompanied by a huge mound of garlic bread. The food went down very well and needless to say, there was none left at the end of the meal!

After a cocktail and wine, Sophie was very sleepy and fell asleep on the sofa, bless her! Keith and I watched 50 years of celebrating Michael Parkinson, the revered talk show host. Some of the celebrities who featured looked so young, but then some of the footage was from 50 years ago!

Not a quiet end to the week!

Any hopes that today would end on a quiet note were dashed, as it quickly became apparent that we were going to be busier than the early part of the week. It meant that, reluctantly, I had to come off the phones to do the box office returns otherwise I would never have managed to do them before my shift ended!

There doesn't seem to be an end in sight to the swimming bookings, and I estimate that these calls made up 90% of our conversations today. Even the customers don't like having to book in advance!

Therefore, it was a relief to leave at 4pm and head home. Although this is a bank holiday weekend, I will be working on Monday, but I do have two weeks annual leave to look forward to, from the 6th September.

Keith was not at the pub this evening as his friend John was unable to make it, so we didn't have to go out at all. Sophie and I sipped a glass of red and started watching Desperate Housewives again, right from the start!

Dinner this evening was a simple chilli and jacket potato affair, and then we watched a new series called Deceit about the Rachel Nickell murder in the 1990s. I remember being shocked by what happened, and the series is about the "honey-trap" set for Colin Stagg who they think murdered her. Keith wasn't keen but Sophie and I enjoyed it!

A new broom sweeps clean!

After a slow start, Keith and I went to do the shopping at Aldi and Tesco. It's still school holidays so it was busier than usual, and Keith vowed to go earlier next week! I looked for new things for the kitchen in Tesco, but only found two storage jars and a muffin tin!

Back home we unpacked everything (so much easier now!) and had some lunch. I wanted to try and get some bits for the kitchen so we went to Jones's. I found two new doormats and a new broom, but no storage jars for the flour we use. As they're hidden away in a cupboard at the moment, I'm not too worried! As expected, Christmas items were beginning to creep onto the shelves in the wholesaler's and here's my annual picture of what's for sale, even though we're in August!

Gonks galore! I wasn't tempted... not just yet!

We drove back home where I tidied up, used my new broom, and then mooched about for the rest of the afternoon. We still haven't had a quote from the painter and decorator that came out to us last Tuesday, even though I messaged him on Saturday asking when we would receive it. Both Keith and I are very annoyed because now we've wasted ten days waiting around for a quote that will, most likely, never get sent. Why not just say to us he didn't want to do it? He had lots of recommendations on the local forums, so I can't understand why he just wasn't honest with us? I called a painter that Mum and Dad used to use, and who lives in the village, so I just hope that he responds to my plea for help!

At 5pm I had a wallow in a deep, hot bath and when Sophie came home we sat and watched television for a change. I am into George's Remarkable Renovations at the moment, and love seeing what other people have done with their kitchens!

Sophie cooked paella tonight, while Keith and I sat at the island and did the crossword puzzle in the newspaper.

This was just how I imagined it would be!

Eating at The Hare

Our aim today was to sort out the poor conservatory which has been used as a kitchen/dumping ground for the last few weeks! We had to make room for the computer table, and before we moved any furniture, I gave the place a good clean. I don't think I have ever seen so many dead flies!

Keith helped, and mid-way through the morning, he made me a sausage sandwich to keep me going. I was just glad it wasn't too hot! August has been very disappointing in terms of the weather... most days have been overcast and grey, and today was no exception.

I finished the conservatory much more quickly than I had imagined. We've now set the printer up, so we don't have to get it out of a cupboard each time we use it!

Once the conservatory was cleaned, I moved onto the rest of the downstairs rooms and mopped the kitchen floor. It came up beautifully when I'd finished, which was a relief as, when it was first down, I was worried it would show every mark!

Keith and Mike were outside trimming some of the bushes that were overhanging on our side of the garden. Sadly, Sarah and Liam haven't yet done anything with the Silver Birch on the other side of the fence. It is way too tall and really should have been pruned and maintained every couple of years, rather than let it get to the height it is now, which is taller than our house.

At 2pm I drove over to the care home to take Mum to see Avery Park again. We had to do another lateral flow test (I had already taken one at 1pm), and we came to the decision that Mum would be best sharing a companion room with Dad. I am worried she won't eat properly or take her medication on time if she lives in an apartment on her own, and she agreed. I was also worried a little concerned about security, and if she wakes up in the night feeling anxious.

We had another good look around, spoke to the manager, and said they would like the rooms on the ground floor when they become available. From there we went back to my house and had a cup of tea in the conservatory. Mum was delighted with the kitchen, and how lovely it looked!

Keith had taken Mike to Abbie's earlier, and when Sophie came home he suggested we go out to eat. We tried The Royal Oak first but they were busy, which was great news! We could eat straightaway, at about 6.45pm or wait until 8.30pm. Neither option was good, so we drove to The Hare at Loddington. We had visited the pub before for drinks, so it was new to us to have a meal there.

We were shown to a table, and we sat in splendid isolation all evening, but that was fine with us! We chose garlic bread to start (underwhelming), and steak pie, chicken forestiere and fish and chips for our main courses. It was me who chose fish and chips for a change! The food was very good, and Sophie and I even found room for puds - apple pie and custard, and a white chocolate and raspberry roulade.

Stuffed, we made our way home afterwards on quiet country roads, and collapsed on the sofa!