The Spice of Life

Here we are halfway through the week and since Monday, it’s been manic.   On Monday morning we popped over to see the agent in Stony Stratford to sign some contracts.  We just got out of the office when Phil took a call from Matt, his agent, offering him a 3 month contract at the company that he was interviewed for last week in Oxford.  Of course, this was great news, the only down side was that they wanted him to start the next day which wasn’t ideal because there was so much to organise.  First thing was to drop in at the barber’s in Wolverton so Phil could get his barnet sorted.   After this, we decided to go to the carvary in Shenley as we figured this would be the last time we could this for a while.

When we got back Phil printed all the contracts that the agent had emailed him.   We had to get a load of company information sent back and also the signed contract.   The afternoon went in a whirlwind; Harriet got sent home ill from work and I had the job of sorting out all her bills from the flat.  Phil decided that he would take my car to Oxford as a) it’s cheaper on petrol, and b) my car is slightly more reliable than the Land Rover which is still prone to over heating and the engine light is still flashing intermittently.  So I took the KA to the garage, filled her up and got the Polish guys to give her a thorough clean.  It badly needed it; I’ve been carting so much junk to and forth the inside looked like a bomb had gone off. 

It was a bit of a shock to the system having to get up so early but we managed it and Phil left with his sandwiches at quarter past seven.  I’m not sure who was more nervous, him or me.   Harriet was flying off to Tenerife with her mates on Tuesday morning so I woke her up and then went to the gym for a swim.  It was lovely and quiet and I virtually had the whole pool to myself.  Our contract with David Lloyd is well and truly over and funnily enough I’m not missing it as much as I’d thought.   I got back home at nine thirty just as Harriet was jumping in her car to go and pick up Jenny & Jade from Newport.  Not long after they all arrived back and I threw their cases in the Land Rover, not before making them reluctantly pose for a pre holiday photo in the garden!   The drive to Luton airport was tedious and very slow with the road works.  It took me nearly an hour but finally I dropped the girls off just before 11am.  This gave them plenty of time to check in as they weren’t flying until half past one in the afternoon. 

Unfortunately time was not on my side and I had to race back to MK and get to the train station in time to get the 12.02pm fast train to London Euston.  I just about made it in time and it was nice to rest on the train and have time to read the paper.  When I arrived in London I hopped on the northern line and then got off at the Embankment and changed to the metropolitan line to Temple tube station which was only one stop.   The reason for my quick trip to the city is that I needed to do a CHAPS transfer at the Yorkshire Building Society.  We are due to complete on the shared ownership flat on Friday and on Monday night Phil realised that we couldn’t get the money to our solicitor in time for the completion.  There isn’t an YBS in MK, there are branches in Coventry & Leicester but I figured it was easier to go to London.   I wasn’t too sure about where I was going but I found the branch on The Strand without too much trouble.   I was worried that the transfer would be complicated and was nervous because I hadn’t done this sort of transaction before, but in fact, it couldn’t have been more straightforward.   Mission accomplished, I went back to Euston and caught a train home. 

Harriet sent a text to say they’d arrived safely in Tenerife some time around 6’ish so obviously she’d had no delays.  I wasn’t sure if Phil would want dinner when he got home, so just in case, I cooked a bit pot of chilli and rice.  I tried a little but then decided against it figuring chilli probably wasn’t the best thing for a fragile stomach.  Phil walked in the door about quarter past six, absolutely shattered.  He grabbed a can of beer from the fridge, whipped off his work trousers and fell onto the recliner.  Bless him!   His first day went well; the company seem nice although Phil said they don’t really know what they’re doing.   Apparently the work team is an even mix of permanent staff and contractors, which is good.  Normally contractors are outnumbered greatly by permanents and they often get treated like second class citizens.  Phil says that the electrical engineer that should have started on Monday didn’t turn up so hence the reason Phil was called in.  He doesn’t mind, at least its income and if he can stick the journey and can do the job, it will look good on his CV.  Watch this space!

It’s seems very strange being home alone without Phil which I suppose is only to be expected when you think we’ve pretty much been together 24/7 for the last 18 months.  I’m pretty sure I shall find things to fill my time.  Mind you, that said, today I haven’t stopped.  I got up at half five which was just as well because Phil had set the alarm for 6am and it didn’t go off.  I went upstairs at 10 past 6 to wake the boy up and whilst he was in the shower I jumped in the car to post a card for Georgina.  She is off to South Africa on Friday for 2 weeks to do some environmental voluntary work and Phil wanted to send her spending money.  She also has driving theory test today so let’s home she passes.   I went to the Giffard Park to get Phil some cheese and onion crisps to go with his cheese and onion sandwiches (he’ll stink tonight) but it was closed.  I went to the little shop in Newport but that also was closed.  I ended up going to the garage on the dual carriage and just got home in time to see Phil off just before 7am.  

I decided to go to the gym but first decided to do a quick shop in ASDA because shopping is so much nicer when there’s no one around.  I filled the Land Rover up with petrol from ASDA and then went to the gym next door.   I decided to try a run on the treadmill; I thought I would struggle because I haven’t done any cardio for weeks but actually I surprised myself and managed 5k with hardly any effort or sweat.  I finished off with 20 lengths in the pool and then popped to Harriet’s flat to do an inventory for the agent.  Lastly, I popped in to John Lewis to get some hoover bags and was back home having a cup of coffee by half past ten.  Not bad for a mornings work!  After coffee I washed all my empty spice jars and refilled them.  I also did the same with the ground salt and pepper pots.  I've been meaning to do this ages and it was very satisfying.  I'm just waiting for Phil to call me in his lunch break and then I’m off to the Cranfield flat to drop off some things.  Thankfully, mad Betty is on holiday in Wales this week so I will be able to potter in my flat without any annoying distractions.

I don’t know if any of you have been following Ray & Narelle’s blog ‘Adventure before Dementia’?  Ray and Narelle live in South West Rocks and we spent a delightful Valentine’s night with them earlier this year whilst we were in Australia.  They’ve been in the UK celebrating Ray’s 60^th birthday and we had hoped to meet up with them whilst they were over.  Alas, it hasn’t panned out, they go home at the end of the week and I think the window of opportunity has passed.  Shame really, but from their blog tales, it sounds like they’ve had a great trip.  Narelle planned the whole journey herself which is remarkable as I don’t think she’s ever been to England before.  Anyway, if we don’t get to High Wycombe, I hope you guys have a safe and comfortable journey home.