My fridge is full

No sooner had I posted Monday’s blog, when the phone went.  It was Harriet to say that she had just read my blog and in doing so, I’d made her Monday morning even more miserable!  She suggested that I may like to take a break from the blog!  And maybe she has a point, but for now, I can promise that today, it’s all good news.  I’m fed up being so whiney and it’s amazing, once you change you’re mindset, how quickly things pick up.  Mind, you the lovely weather we’ve been having lately has certainly helped.

The first good news is that Phil’s dad is feeling much better.  Both his mum and dad went to the doctors for their results last Friday and were seen by a new lady GP who is now their doctor because their usual doctor has just retired.  We’re really glad about this because we thought that he was incompetent.   Their new GP soon sorted them both out with the right pills.  Phil’s dad still has to have some more tests because of his heart attack but Phil’s mum has now got pills for her arthritis which won’t interfere with her anaemia pills.   So, all is good with the parents for the time being and long may it continue.

The other ‘good thing’ to happen this week is that I have lost 3 pounds.  Okay, its early days and we have a bank holiday weekend coming up but at last the scales are going in the right direction.  Mind you, I have been trying very hard and have had to put all of my diet tricks into force and stick to them.  First thing in the morning I have a thimble of ‘Honegar’ which is a mixture of honey and vinegar.  I mix this with the same amount of boiling hot water and down it in one because it tastes vile.  It’s not really a diet trick but I read some years ago that Honegar is good for arthritis, not that I have got this yet, but I’m hoping that swallowing it now will keep help my bones healthy later on down the line.

After the Honegar, I put a few drops of Omega 3 oil in a small glass of pure juice (this week it’s Pomegranate).  Again, this isn’t for the diet but Omega 3 is meant to be good for all kinds of things.   For breakfast, I’ve had low fat yogurt and fruit with a few grains sprinkled on the top.  Also about 20 minutes before I eat lunch I have a port glass of organic cider vinegar, again mixed with hot water.  I read somewhere that it’s meant to help you digest your food more quickly.  I’m not sure about this but it does give me the shits.  If I just manage to cut out the white wine, I’d be really healthy! 

On Monday I managed a 40 minute run on the treadmill.   This is the longest I have run since I’ve been back.  I normally do interval training but I was so going well so I decided to see how far I could last.  It nearly killed me and my face was red as a beetroot when I got off the treadmill.  Actually it was so red for hours afterwards!   I have been doing sit-ups in the evening and using my weights but I did slightly overdue it I think, because everything ached yesterday.  And I mean everything.  Anyway, if I carry on loosing a pound a day I shall reach my target weight by the end of next week!

Phil wasn’t very happy because I booked us both in with the nurse at Superdrug for a blood pressure and a glucose test.   Surprisingly, both my tests came out absolutely normal but Phil’s blood pressure was sky high, as were his sugar levels.  The nurse strongly recommended that he make an appointment with his GP but of course he won’t, well, not until he’s lost some weight.  We’ve been down this same road a few years back, he lost 2 stone and then stopped and didn’t go back to the doctors.  I give up with him at times, you can take a horse to water but you can’t make him drink; still at least I have him insured (that’s Phil I’m talking about, not the horse!) I was really pleased that my blood pressure was normal so I can stop worrying about that now.  Phil says that he is starting his diet today but we shall see.  Since he took control of the shopping, both fridges are full to the gunnels with all sorts of food and drink!  Laugh out loud; some of the food is healthy though, bar all the wine, the beer and the double pack of chocolate biscuits.  I threw a bit of a wobbly yesterday morning when I made my cup of tea and went to get one biscuit to dunk, only to find Phil that had polished off the whole packet off when I’d gone to bed.   It wasn’t a big deal, but you know what it’s like when you really fancy something and can’t have it.

Instead of making a ‘to do’ list each day, on Monday I did a huge list of what I needed to achieve for the whole week and by the end of play yesterday, I’d managed to tick everything off.  Amongst my many jobs was my kitchen floor; I gave the kitchen floor a really good clean (hands and knees jobbie) even managing to get underneath all of the units.  One of the good things about having a free standing kitchen is that it is really easy to clean.  Having a stainless steel oven isn’t so great because it’s a bugger.  Whilst I was in the kitchen, I also cleared everything off my worktops and oiled them.   You need to do with this with wood every few months, because if you don’t, the wood gets dry and can split.

Phil’s car went in for its MOT on Monday and thankfully it passed but he did need two new tyres.  It’s a bit of a trek getting to the Land Rover garage in Whaddon but at least they give him a courtesy car which is very convenient.  I popped over to check everything was okay with the CF flat without mad Betty noticing I was there.  This is the second trip in a row that I’ve managed to avoid her but my good luck won’t last.  We’re thinking of putting the flat up for sale and are probably going to talk to some local later today.  Phil had a call from Derek asking him if he was interested in buying 2 of his flats.  We most definitely are! Especially, as one flat is directly underneath our maisonette flat in Oldbrook.  Derek always said he would give Phil first refusal and he has kept his word.  Actually if we get this flat, it could lead to a really big property development, which could just make us enough money to retire forever.  I can’t say too much at this stage, as the saying goes; I don’t want to count my chickens before they’re hatched.  The only problem is a) we don’t have any money and b) without jobs, getting a mortgage will be tricky.  But if it is meant to be, then I’m sure it will happen.   We can’t slob out forever and a project (or even 2) maybe just what we need.  Watch this space!

Gloom & Doom

I apologise now for the title of this blog but sometimes you set your mind on a title and you can’t deviate.  Phil, in between weeding out the dandelions on the back lawn (his latest passion) and watching the snooker sprawled out on the reclining leather sofa in the conservatory has been wading through the hardback blogger book.  Personally I can’t be arsed to reflect back, it’s all a bit too recent for my liking, but no doubt, sometime in the future, when I’m old and grey, and arthritic, sitting in my arm chair, I shall take great delight  looking back at things we’ve done in a past life.  Books are always are a great delight for me and always have been; in my early life with my alcoholic, abusive mother, books were my saviour.  We weren’t that well off and I can never forget the pure seductive smell of new Penguin books from the book club, that once a month, I was allowed to order.  I don’t have many skills in life but one thing I can do, is speed reading. Have I mentioned this before?  I dunno; Phil thinks it’s a gift but actually it really is not.  Devouring books, on holiday sometimes, as many as 5 or 6 a day it not really a gift, it’s a curse.  When you’re away, the endless search for stuff to read can be a nightmare and at times like this, I wish I was normal.  Worse still, if I catch hold of a good writer, I can’t put it down; much to Phil’s annoyance. I can watch TV, read and still hold somewhat of a conversation.  Phil thinks I skim read, which is true and to some extent I do, but I can still retrieve the whole plot, albeit in the short term.  My skill, as my DH says, or what I think of as a curse, makes me very cross.  I wish I was normal like everyone else.

Anyway once again I diverse; what I was going to say that whilst Phil was plodding through the blog book, he commented that I used many of the same titles and was very repetitive. I know in my own heart that this is true, and much of what I spout is pure dribble, mindless moans of a middle aged grumpy woman.  And so you wonder, as do I, why do I bother??? The answer is I honestly don’t’ know. In the past, I’ve come to think of blogging as my therapy, a harmless way of letting off steam.  You know, putting it down in cyber space, wondering but not really caring whether anyone reads you or not. But putting down thoughts and feelings simply makes it all better some how. How is that?  Again, I don’t know.  Making yourself vulnerable for all of your friends and family and the entire cyber world, how can that help I wonder??? 

I am conscious that this blog is not reading very well, it’s lacking a certain 'joie de vivre'. I am all too aware of that, and during the last couple of weeks I have struggled to write.  This has never happened to me before and I’m not sure why.  Can I blame it on my low and somewhat negative frame of mind, or is it that I really can’t be arsed to write about my dreary life?  I struggle for the answer to this question. I do wonder after our Australian adventures over the winter that anything we do now will seem dull in comparison. 

This leads on to my next problem, which is my weight.  Anyone reading this that knows me may feel I am a little vein in this department.  BUT believe me, vein I am certainly not.  Body conscious maybe, but honestly, an extra 11 pounds on a short arse like me is not a good look. Besides that, nothing in my wardrobe fits.  I was even reduced last week to going out to buy a few baggy garments and pants with an elasticated waist! How depressing is that.  It doesn’t help that I haven’t been very strict with the diet.  I’ve done quite well cutting down on high complex carbohydrates but I’ve not managed to cut out the wine and have recently developed a craving for dark chocolate digestive biscuits. Which is most strange, because normally, I’m not a sweet girl. If I am really honest, I have been really hormonal this past week, and Phil, as is his due, can certainly endorse this!  My body has been doing some horrible things, I won’t go into the gory details but my worst thing is my face which broke out in big red horribly spots.  Why is it, you can cope with the internal stuff (just about) but when it comes out to your face, for all the world to see, you just want to hide away. Thank goodness for concealer and foundation!

Despite complaining about my writers block, this morning I seem to be on a roll, my moans and groans are spilling out quite easily.  I was wishing for my life to more interesting and well, after posting on Wednesday morning, I got a little more excitement than I really wanted.   Deciding on forgoing the gym and doing the right thing instead, I decided on driving to the CF flat to drop off the wasp foam.  No sooner had I left home when I got pulled over by a policeman with a speed camera just off the A421.  He was in an unmarked car and was waiting with the speed machine trap.  Apparently I was doing 41 in a 30 zone. Now, I NEVER speed, that’s Phil’s job. To make matters worse I was un-showered, so no makeup, spots on show and, to be honest, I was a little shaken.  I only have to see a police car and I feel guilty!  When the officer asked what the speed limit was, I told him I knew it was 30 miles an hour.  He had no choice but to book me but while he was doing the paperwork, in my nervous state, I told him all about Phil getting done for speeding in Melbourne.  He was friendly enough but I wasn’t very happy to get a sixty quid fine and 3 points on my ‘clean’ licence.  Luckily, despite my early morning text, mad Betty was out of town, so I was spared this at least.

The rest of Wednesday was un-eventful but Phil did have a laugh when I got back from Cranfield because he knows I never speed.  And honestly, Officer, I really don’t.  I emailed Harried and she laughed out loud on email because she said “mum I can’t believe YOU of all people got stopped for speeding”.  And I quote.  On Thursday I met up with Janet for a walk and she too couldn’t believe I got done.  It was really nice to see Jan, I can moan all I like on the blog but you can’t beat face-to-face contact.  The day was lovely and although, Janet was busy at work and probably couldn’t spare the time, I was glad she managed to get away from her desk for half an hour and I was just happy to be out in the sun.

The weather has been beautiful for the last week or so, in fact, ever since the ash trauma.  I love this time of year, when the daffodils and bluebells have sprung and the wasps aren’t out in full force to terrorise me.  As Phil said, we had after a very nice lunch in Bray on Friday but we had a terrible drive back home.  Grumpy and tired from being stuck in traffic jams, we decided to put the accounts away and chill out in the conservatory with a glass of wine.  Anyway, we were just enjoying ‘Coach Trip’ when we heard some urgent knocking at the front door.  I answered because Phil had taken off his trousers. No funny business, it’s just that it’s baking hot in the conservatory, especially late in the afternoon.  Much to my surprise, standing before me was the same copper that stopped me for speeding on Wednesday.   I invited him in and to cut a long story short, he said not to bother paying the fine because he’d mucked up the paperwork and hadn’t put the speed I was actually doing on the form so this made my fine null and void.  He said he must have been distracted, that was probably me ranting on about Phil’s bans in Melbourne.  I said "thanks officer" and showed him the door.  Luckily I hadn’t paid the fine but I had already been to the police station in MK to show evidence of my insurance and surrender my driving licence.  Never mind, can’t complain, I’m sixty quid richer and my licence is still in tact.

We had, what I call, a 'fairly normal' weekend.  Domestics, the gym for me and minted lunch chops on the BBQ for lunch on Saturday.  Now the weather has turned nice, Phil is out cooking on the gas Barbie every chance he can.  Phil picked up G and took her around some industrial estate for some driving practice.  Phil said she struggled at first but progressed as the lesson went on and eventually got to grips with the KA.  I think a few more sessions and she should be well on the way to going for her test.  Saturday evening was a few recordings and the X-Factor at 8pm.  I’m not particularly enjoying this series so far, it’s all full of weirdo’s, I much prefer the old format.

The weather wasn’t so great on Sunday morning and we woke up to rain which was a bit of a surprise.  We’d discussed turning the heating off once and for all all for the summer but I think we shall leave it on for a few more days because it’s chilly first thing.  Phil went out and got the Sunday papers and cooked us fish fingers, fried eggs, tomatoes, fried potatoes and a slab of bread and butter.  A bit naughty really but I did try and counteract the damage with a trip to the gym.   The rest of Sunday was lazy and we spent the afternoon as lounge lizards watching several episodes of ‘The Sopranos’.  There was some talk of a bike ride and maybe a trip to the cinema but it just didn’t happen.   I did feel a bit guilty for being so lazy so I did get out the ironing board in the evening but that was all the action for Sunday.

Despite my title, I’ve decided that this week is going to much more positive for the both of us. God knows, I certainly need to inject more 'joie de vivre' into my life.  I’ve know I’ve vowed to do this before but spring has definitely sprung and so must we.  I am back to the diet, the job hunt and am going to try and spend less time in front of the telly and more time in the gym.   I’m not sure what Phil has planned for the week.  He says he’s going into his old company today and tomorrow the land rover is booked in for its MOT.  We had a talk last night about the sharing of household domestics.  I complained that I virtually do more than my fair share; housework, washing, ironing, putting out the rubbish plus I do mostly all of the shopping.  Phil does most of the cooking but not all of it and he has now agreed that he should take over the food shopping.  He who cooks must also shop, and anyway, I hate food shopping and Phil loves it so it makes sense. We shall have to see how this pans out this week.  I’ve just realised that I am now on page 4 and a quick word count reveals 1,962 so it is definitely time for me to sign out and get in that gym.   

Blumen Hestontine on Monkey Island

Shortly after the new financial year starts we have our annual expedition to our accountant Rashmi in Holyport. Over the years, even though our income has decreased significantly, our accounts just keep on getting more complicated and we now have 3 lots to prepare for our end of year. When we were working Rashmi used to come in on a Saturday to meet us which always helped but now we try and visit on a Friday morning as Rashmi plays golf in the afternoon. We always try and have lunch on our way home and have never stopped at the same place twice until this year. Even though we have been doing this journey for many years, until last year we hadn’t realised how close Holyport was to Bray. Bray is the small village that I have mentioned before because of all the excellent restaurants there. The Roux brothers have the Waterside Inn (

http://www.waterside-inn.co.uk/) and Heston Blumenthal has the Fat Duck (http://www.thefatduck.co.uk) to name but a few. Last year Rashmi told us that Heston also had a pub which was much cheaper and easier to get in so we tried it. This year he told us that Heston had also bought another pub in Bray called The Crown and he had an interest in the Waterside Brassiere.

I tried to book a table at The Fat Duck about 5 times without success but we managed to get a lunchtime sitting at the Waterside for my 50th Birthday. This was incredibly good value for money for a 3 Michelin Star restaurant at £40 each for a 5 course lunch which turned into a 7 course one with all the bits and bobs that also came. The main expense came from the wine which started at £35 a bottle and most were over £100 and some as much as £2000 a bottle. This is an excellent restaurant and everyone should try it once. We had a little walk to the river to get a photo while we waited for the pubs to open and I had a little look at the menu outside. Still not bad at £41.95 for a 2 course set lunch or £56.50 for 3 courses. I also noticed that you could by wine by the glass starting at £8 which is better than buying a bottle. If you just have water that is unusually complimentary so for lunch its still attainable for most people.

When we first arrived in Bray looking for a parking space we spotted Heston talking to a man outside his pub, The Hinds Head (http://www.thehindsheadhotel.com) dressed in his chef’s suit which is next door to the Fat Duck. Unfortunately the camera was in Claries saddlebag and by the time I had parked and ran around the corner he was gone. We walked around to his new pub the Crown for a drink but they didn’t serve lunch for about an hour so we sat outside in the beer garden making the most of the best day this year. I took a picture of the menu so you can get an idea but we decided to go back to the Hinds head because Heston was probably working there today. Also I wanted to try his famous steak and kidney pudding. The prices aren’t cheap but much cheaper than the £150 a head for his tasting menu next door. The pudding was actually, Oxtail and kidney and was delicious and Claire tried the special of Pork T-Bone which came with his famous triple cooked chips and a micro salad. One problem with this place is that for most dishes you have to order the vegetables separately which bumps the price up. I went for the new potatoes and beetroot with horseradish which was served hot. Mmmmm yummy, can’t wait for next years new financial year to start.

Bray is a lovely little village on the Thames, a great day out with so many choices of food for your lunch. If you like Italian food then you also have the Caldesi which also has celebrity chefs and is supposed to be superb but you pay the same for lunch as you do dinner but you can do a cookery course there if you have time. While I was waiting at the bar for a drink a wedding party was talking and mentioned that they had their reception on Monkey Island at The Monkey Island Hotel which is also in Bray and is only accessible by bridge or boat (http://monkeyisland.co.uk/live/). This is where we stayed when we came to eat at the Waterside 5 years ago. Apparently it has recently been renovated so this might also be worth a look. The island has the Thames on one side, a tributary on another and I think a canal on the other side but the whole island is the hotel grounds and is very pretty; try it for a weekend. Maybe we will be back for my 60th if I last that long. Its only an hours drive on a good day from Milton Keynes; however, it took us 3 hours to get back so don’t use the motorways on a Friday afternoon.

Girlie gibberish

Back to last Friday.  Even with the road works we had a pleasant enough journey heading south on the A14.  It took us just over an hour to get to the The White Horse in Milton just on the outskirts of Cambridge. Actually we were a little early but as the car park filled up, we decided to go in and order a drink rather than wait in the car.  Our timing was good because just as Phil got served at the bar, John turned up.    The pub was busy and we ordered some pub grub and caught up with each others travel tales.  John & Marie were actually away for nearly 6 months taking their campervan to La Manga in Spain.  We wiled away a couple of hours catching up and left just after 2pm.  The roads were busy because the kids are still on holiday and it was a Friday but we made good timing and stopped off at the Cranfield flat on the way back rather than go via the motorway.  

Organised girlie that I am, I had all the clean bedding in the back of the land rover.   The agent told Phil that the cleaners would go in, but still I wanted to make up the with fresh stuff; As well Phil knows, I can’t bear unmade beds and I it helps with the viewings.   The flat wasn’t in too bad a state but I still wasn’t that happy.   I did have my cleaning stuff with me but Phil was anxious to get home.   Of course, any trip to the CF flat involves an encounter with mad Betty from next door.  I had a garbled conversation about her eldest daughter and an incident with FaceBook and the social services and something about a problem with her car but I wasn’t in the mood, or rather, Phil wasn’t in the mood for social chit chat.  I will have to make up for it at a later date but we got in and out in under half an hour.

It was just as well that I got the days crossed for our Cambridge trip because when we got back from Cranfield, Phil checked his laptop and realised that he had to go to Oxford for his tutorial on Saturday.  He was cross because he told me the date and I hadn’t remembered!   LoL, what does he think I am, his personal secretary??   We had an early start on Saturday as the grand prix qualifying was on.  Phil went downstairs to watch it but I lingered in bed.  When Phil left I packed my bag and went to the gym.  I didn’t really feel like it and only managed a rather pathetic workout and a swim.  The weekend was sunny and I’m afraid to say, fairly uneventful.

Actually, I hesitate to post a blog today as my life has been as dull as dishwater. I guess dull is better than drama but I think I must do something to liven things up.   I still haven’t found a job (and neither has Phil) and I have failed to loose any weight.  In fact, quite the reverse and whilst ‘on the diet’ I have put 3 pounds on!  It’s all quite depressing.  On Monday I left Phil working on the accounts and went over to the Cranfield flat to carry out the cleaning.  I hadn’t been in there long when mad Betty appeared at the window.  Sure enough, as anticipated, it was pay back time for our quick visit last week.   I listened to her gibberish and contributed some of my own, impatient to get on with my chores.  Whilst at the window I noticed a number of wasps above me and we soon worked out that there was a nest above my lounge window.  My worst nightmare but Bet said if I got some cans of wasp destroyer she would spray the nest for me.

Luckily I had some cans under my kitchen sink so I drove back over to Cranfield yesterday afternoon.  I stood in my lounge with the windows firmly closed and watched Betty spray the foam into the hole in the wall.  I don’t know what I expected but nothing happened, no wasp fury, just dollops of foam dripping down my lovely clean windows.   I thought that was the end of it but oh no.  I had a text message from Betty early this morning to say that she’d got stung by a wasp and needs more wasp destroyer foam.  So that means another trip to Cranfield some time later today. Joy.

Phil’s dad is still not very well and we are quite worried.  He went back to the doctor and this time saw a different doctor who suspects that Phil’s dad may have suffered a heart attack.  He’s had many tests this week and they think he has water on his lungs but he won’t get his final results until Friday.  It’s all very worrying and I personally think he should be treated in hospital.  But there’s not much we can do for now, just wait to hear his test results and go from there. 

I can’t think of anything else to say today.  We’ve had another late start and we are both still in our dressing gowns.  I fear we are turning into middle aged slobs.  I’m undecided whether to go to the gym first or whether to go to Cranfield and sort out the wasp problem.  Tough decisions. It really is time for me to get up off my arse and get myself a job.

3D’s to start the week

Hi, another eventless week this week but time seems to fly by relentlessly. Claire and I were a little disappointed with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchants film Cemetery Junction as Claire explained but just a couple of words in its defence. It basically isn’t a comedy and I guess that most people were expecting one. Also it was quite clever showing someone disagreeing with an argument one day and the next arguing with other people in the opposite direction. This does happen, I have noticed myself doing it; and they even use the same words to argue the point as they had heard the first time. This happened more than once so was deliberate. I think that this film was far more settle than their others; I just hope that their subtlety doesn’t go too far like it did with Andy Kaufman.

Friday we met John, Claire’s step dad in Cambridge and I drove the opposite way to Oxford on Saturday for my first Open University tutorial. I don’t seem to be very good at this course even though I am enjoying it. I only managed to achieve 55% in my first CMA but I was expecting close to 100% feeling confident about all the questions. I must think that I am much cleverer than I really am I guess or maybe they were trick questions and I will be ready for them in the next one. I did manage to watch the F1 qualifying live before setting off on Saturday and also the race live on Sunday. Quite an eventful weekend and I did fell sorry for the Red Bull guys. However, well done Jenson who is now top of the chart but Lewis did even better really with 2 more tyre stops than Jenson and finishing just behind him. I think if there had been a couple more laps he would have overtaken him. What about poor old Michael Schumacher, what’s going on with him? The rainmeister seems to be no more, maybe he shouldn’t have come back.

I also managed to watch the first MotoGP race last week and I see that the next race at Spain has just been cancelled because nobody can fly there in time. One little volcano and the whole of Europe comes to a standstill. What’s going on there? There have been loads of volcanoes erupting in my life but I don’t remember a single one effecting air traffic. Maybe they have only recently found out that it’s so dangerous in which case it might go someway to explaining the Bermuda Triangle. I looked up to the sky yesterday to see no evidence of dust clouds only perfectly clear blue skies. It was so lovely that we went on another bike ride to Linford and back and then around Tongwell lake. I was surprised when Claire rode straight past the Nags Head at Linford but she didn’t manage to get past the Giffard on the way home. We sat outside in the sun and one of those nightmare families was kicking a ball around outside the beer garden. It wasn’t long before the ball came over and knocked my glass of beer all over me and Claire. A little kid came in to get her ball back and said, “My dad did that” which seemed to amuse the others in the beer garden. At least he bought me another one and the sun soon dried up the wet patches. It’s finally spring as the 3D’s are out; the daisies, dandelions and daffodils.

Friday........

It’s been a long week and once again, I don’t think we’ve achieved what we should have done. Monday was pretty much end of year accounts all day long.  We’ve made an appointment with the accountant for next Friday so there is a deadline to meet.   Tuesday was pretty much taken up with the new plasma TV.  I went to the gym whilst Phil waited in for the delivery and it turned up just before lunch.   The box was massive and it was a job just getting it out of the packaging. The old bolts for the bracket didn’t fit so first up, was the task of hunting in the garage and the summer house for the other bolts. Luckily we found them without too much trouble.  Getting the plasma on to the bracket onto the wall was another matter and took great effort on my part.  We got it up on the wall eventually but my back has been hurting me ever since.

I can’t quite remember what jobs we did on Wednesday but I am certain we weren’t idle.   I went to the gym as I have done every single day this week but I am not making any headway in the weight loss department.  In fact it’s a complete nightmare and I have put on 2 pounds since I started the diet and the exercise regime.  Okay a couple of times I have cheated but not really that often. I’m not sure what to try next.  Or maybe I should simply give in to middle aged spread?

Phil went into Rexam in the afternoon to try and see his old boss to ask him for some work.  Unfortunately he was in Sweden and not back until the 25^th April but Phil spoke to one of his colleagues and he said that they were still very quiet, so I don’t think Phil has much chance of going back there to work.  I applied for a job a couple of weeks back and was successful in the telephone interviews.  I was meant to attend a face to face interview but after checking out the location I decided that it was too far to travel.  The job paper should come through the letterbox today so fingers crossed they’re will be some jobs that I can apply for. 

Yesterday afternoon we went to the cinema to see the new Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s film ‘Cemetery Junction’.   Usually we love everything this duo write but I have to say this film was a big disappointment.   It seemed to go on forever and well, it just wasn’t that funny.   Cemetery Junction is a cosy take on small town angst in the 1970’s and had the potential to be good but it failed miserably. 

On a more serious note, Phil’s mum phoned this morning to say that Phil’s dad has not been very well.  They were meant to go on holiday to Great Yarmouth tomorrow but have had to cancel, which is a great shame because they were really looking forward to it.  Living so far away, there isn’t much we can do and it’s at times like this, that we feel pretty useless.  It’s all a worry and they both are not getting any younger. 

It’s all gone a bit pear shaped this morning, it’s gone past nine thirty and I am still in my dressing gown.  This is not a great start to the day and by now I’d usually be sweating it out at the gym.  Actually it’s a good job that I didn’t go to the gym.  Just had a telephone call from step-dad number 3 asking what time we were meeting up in Cambridge today??  WHAT! I said I thought we were meeting up tomorrow but he was adamant that I’d said it was today!   I must be getting early senile dementia because I was sure I said Saturday.  Never mind.  There is no time to waste, I must get my butt in the shower (and Phil’s) and set off for Cambridge.

A few that got away

Not very much to report I’m afraid as we have been preparing our end of year accounts and doing little jobs around the house rather than anything interesting. So first a few photo’s that slipped through the net. The first one is when Harriet went "wind walking" as Claire called it, and I guess more appropriate on the day. Claire was so cold that she wore her head scarf in a Muslim sort of way but it kept her warm. The second one is of Julia when she stopped the night. Notice her novel cigarette lighter that she uses for three reasons. It’s easy to find in her handbag, it stops people stealing it and it doesn’t burn her fingers in the wind.

We finally managed to replace our 50” TV with another plasma screen yesterday but it was a bit of a struggle to lift it on the wall again. They really are quite heavy so I had to get Claire standing on some steps before I lifted it up to her. Maybe next time I ought to help her a little more or get somebody else to help her. Anyway, we got it up, installed it and now our BT Vision has stopped working again so we spent another night in the conservatory where we both fell asleep in the comfy chairs. The next photo is of the garden after we have worked on it for a while; it does look much better now. It must have been 2 years since I weeded the edges because we weren’t living in it for a year then we went away for a few months. Last time I weeded the edges there were loads of young Oak trees sprouting up everywhere which took ages to pull up. This time I couldn’t find any at all but I guess that is because we have had such a severe winter. Everyone knows now that cold weather improves Squirrels memory. When they have an easy winter they forget where they have buried their acorns.

We also spotted a little industrious mouse collecting leaves from the flower beds and taking them under the end shed to make a nest. Much as I like watching it they soon spread if you don’t stop the problem early on. We still had some poison in the shed so I put it out near his entrance. I checked it at the end of the day and some had been eaten but not much. Mice tend to eat only a little of new food that they have never tried before then wait to see if they get ill. If they do get ill they will never eat the new stuff again otherwise they go back and fill their boots. The second day much more had been taken so I guess that’s the end of that little family. The manufacturers of the poison have to make it taste good and also not to start to work for over 24 hours. Still it’s a very good survival strategy, just one more reason why they are so successful. I will move the poison to another shed later today just in case we have more elsewhere.

We went for another bike ride yesterday and this time I remembered to take the camera with us and we have some pictures of our journey around Willen Lake. On the way there we went over the boardwalk across the swamps which reminded me of our trip to Brisbane where they have them through the Mangrove swamps. Ours aren’t quite as exotic, just swamps. The first thing we spotted at Willen Lake is the Peace Pagoda so I went down across the grass to take some pictures while Claire rode around the pathways. That was the last I saw of her until I was on the other side of the lake when she caught me up. She had been waiting at the top for me but I thought she had gone on ahead and I was to catch her up. That’s why it took her so long to catch me up because I was trying to catch her up; if you know what I mean. All this excitement and racing around made our stop at the Shop Ashore more enjoyable on the way home.

Did anyone see the very last “Frost” last weekend? If you missed it, here is a picture of it. It’s been on for 18 years now and has finally finished. Does anyone remember David Jason’s first TV series called “Lucky Fella” about two brothers living with their mum? It was hilarious but they only made a series of about 6 which was a shame. I hope they reshow the series again someday. David played the pathetic brother trying to get a girlfriend while his brother played the cool one that kept stealing them from him.

Good news! There’s another great book out again this week, well its so big it had to come in two volumes and it’s called, “The Naked Bloggers”. Even more sad tales about an average couple living in Milton Keynes, when they are not swanning off around the world every chance they get. In this one they managed to get to, Turkey, Majorca, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Cape Verde, Goa, a canal boat trip and the infamous camper van trip. As well as several weekend breaks and a couple of months working and living in Somerset. Most of the rest was about renovations and moving house. We don’t seem to have moved on much in the last few years. I was only saying to Claire yesterday that it’s a shame that we weren’t doing a blog when we visited Naples and Sicily as that holiday was very eventful as was our tour of the United Arab Emirates where we toured all 7 states and got engaged in Dubai. Never mind, maybe we will have to go back so we can share our experiences with you.