26 February 2008
What is wrong with the formatting???
Does anyone know why my formatting goes wrong when I press "publish post"? When I look at it in preview, it looks fine but when I look at it after publishing, the spacing goes all over the place. Even if I go back to edit and preview it still looks fine. It is immensly annoying and I want to find out what is going on. Do you have any ideas; please let me know. Thanks.
Skinhead
Haha, I did something rather stupid yesterday. I had been thinking for a while to have my hair cut but I'm fed up with pay extortionate prices for hair dressers when the wont cut my hair the way I want it. They always leave it too long and there is some excuse about it sticking up etc as to why they can't. What's wrong with sticking up anyway? I spend ages trying to make it stick up but as soon as it's dry it flops down again.
So, eventually, I got the idea to cut it myself, using the clippers that I use on Chris. Our biggest guard thing is size 4 so I thought that should be okay for the top and then I would have to use size 2 for the back and sides as size 3 is broken.
I was a little nervous when I started but thought, what the heck, whatever happens it will grow back. I started with the size 2 and shaved all the sides and what I could reach of the back. It wasn't looking too bad at all at this stage since I hadn't touched the top at all.
Then I changed the guards and finished off the top. Oooooops! It was a lot (and I mean a lot) shorter than I anticipated. Oh my God, I think I shall have to wear a hat, was the only thought I could get through.
Chris came back and I hid behind my bedroom door and asked if I could borrow his baseball cap. "Why" did he reply. I said "I just want to borrow it, isn't that okay?" He must have been thinking that something was odd at this stage. "Why do you want to borrow it, what have you done?" he said and barged the door open.
His face looked hilarious. I wish I could describe the initial shock and the later amusement that he displayed. Quite clearly, he just couldn't believe his eyes. Then it turned out that I had missed a lot at the back which were sticking out as a hen's backside. He couldn't stop laughing for ages. Eventually, he offered to tidy it up for me.
I put on a winter hat and felt rather foolish going in to Longton to get myself a baseball cap, wearing it when there was no snow or frost about. I managed to get a brand new, genuine Puma hat for 50p, with the authentication label still intact. What a bargain.
Later on I met Helen and she immediately wanted to know why I was wearing a hat. However, when I said my head felt cold, she seemed to accept it okay. However, later on in the evening she suddenly snatched the hat of my head. She was pleasantly surprised and shouted "Oh, I like it, it suits you" I could tell that she really meant it. She said "You don't need to hide it from me, I think it looks great".
By now, I'm actually getting used to it, and I am feeling quite pleased that I was brave enough to try it. So if anyone else has thought of doing something like this. I would say go for it. You might surprise yourself.
21 February 2008
Stressed!
I went to the doctors yesterday regarding my memeory. It has always been rather poor but recently it has become terrible. I have even been making mistakes at work through not remembering things.
Anyway, I eventually got seen by my favorite doctor. I asked her if I could have a test for Alchimers (no idea how to spell it) or something like that. She asked me about my circumstances at home and at work and said that she thought it was most unlikely to be anything serious.
Apparently I am stressed. It doesn't really surprise me at all, as I have been thinking that myself at times. She gave me some tablets, which I haven't even looked at yet, and told me to stay off work for a couple of weeks.
Since I also happened to have an old problem with my wrist as well, she put that on the sick note. She thought it was better than admitting stress. I really don't think my boss would have minded as she already knows about the situation at home.
The rest of yesterday, I stayed in bed all day even though I didn't get much sleep. At least I was keeping my wrist warm and relaxed. Maybe it will get better soon.
Today I will put another heat wrap on my wrist and walk in to Longton. I'm sure the exercise and fresh air won't do me any harm and I have been meaning to make an appointment with optician for a while. This is a perfect opportunity to do it.
Anyway, I eventually got seen by my favorite doctor. I asked her if I could have a test for Alchimers (no idea how to spell it) or something like that. She asked me about my circumstances at home and at work and said that she thought it was most unlikely to be anything serious.
Apparently I am stressed. It doesn't really surprise me at all, as I have been thinking that myself at times. She gave me some tablets, which I haven't even looked at yet, and told me to stay off work for a couple of weeks.
Since I also happened to have an old problem with my wrist as well, she put that on the sick note. She thought it was better than admitting stress. I really don't think my boss would have minded as she already knows about the situation at home.
The rest of yesterday, I stayed in bed all day even though I didn't get much sleep. At least I was keeping my wrist warm and relaxed. Maybe it will get better soon.
Today I will put another heat wrap on my wrist and walk in to Longton. I'm sure the exercise and fresh air won't do me any harm and I have been meaning to make an appointment with optician for a while. This is a perfect opportunity to do it.
18 February 2008
I own a bank!
Wow, I heard it on the news today. Yes, I own a bank and so do you if you are an UK tax payer. This is what the news said:
Chancellor Alistair Darling will put forward emergency legislation in Parliament to nationalise Northern Rock, with a Commons statement due later.
Mr Darling defended the decision to nationalise Northern Rock, saying the move offered the best value for taxpayers' money.
There was mixed reaction to the Government's announcement that Northern Rock is to be nationalised.
The decision was welcomed by John McFall, chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, who said the Government had "explored every avenue".
"At the end of the day the biggest issue is the safeguarding of taxpayers' money. If nationalisation saves that money, that has to be the correct step in the long term," he said.
Nationalisation is "not the right answer" for Northern Rock, Sir Richard Branson said.
The head of the failed bid by Virgin for the beleaguered bank said the group had tried its best to save "Northern Rock and the jobs of the staff".
In a statement, Sir Richard said: "We have tried our best to save the Northern Rock and the jobs of the staff.
"We put all the resources of Virgin's senior management team on this for five months and we believe had a very strong proposal, an experienced team and one of Britain's best brands.
"We believe nationalisation is not the right answer and that a commercial solution would have been the best way forward."We wish the Rock and its staff the best of luck with the future," he added.
Until Sunday, Virgin Group was widely seen as the front-runner in the battle to secure troubled Northern Rock.
"Now the taxpayer will bear the full risk of lending £100 billion of mortgages in an uncertain housing market".
Oh, well, we'll have to see what happens
Chancellor Alistair Darling will put forward emergency legislation in Parliament to nationalise Northern Rock, with a Commons statement due later.
Mr Darling defended the decision to nationalise Northern Rock, saying the move offered the best value for taxpayers' money.
There was mixed reaction to the Government's announcement that Northern Rock is to be nationalised.
The decision was welcomed by John McFall, chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, who said the Government had "explored every avenue".
"At the end of the day the biggest issue is the safeguarding of taxpayers' money. If nationalisation saves that money, that has to be the correct step in the long term," he said.
Nationalisation is "not the right answer" for Northern Rock, Sir Richard Branson said.
The head of the failed bid by Virgin for the beleaguered bank said the group had tried its best to save "Northern Rock and the jobs of the staff".
In a statement, Sir Richard said: "We have tried our best to save the Northern Rock and the jobs of the staff.
"We put all the resources of Virgin's senior management team on this for five months and we believe had a very strong proposal, an experienced team and one of Britain's best brands.
"We believe nationalisation is not the right answer and that a commercial solution would have been the best way forward."We wish the Rock and its staff the best of luck with the future," he added.
Until Sunday, Virgin Group was widely seen as the front-runner in the battle to secure troubled Northern Rock.
"Now the taxpayer will bear the full risk of lending £100 billion of mortgages in an uncertain housing market".
Oh, well, we'll have to see what happens
13 February 2008
Looked at a couple of houses
Last week I looked at some websites showing rented accommodation and signed up with some Estate Agents for newsletters. I got one a few days ago which showed a few places that looked reasonable on paper.
Yesterday we decided to go and have a look at some of them (only from the outside) to determine what I could have for my money. I was horrified when I saw the first one; a terraced house in Shelton. It wasn't the cheapest property as it was approximately £400 per month, but it was hideous. I felt really defleted. There was absolutely nowhere to park and the whole street looked a complete dump.
We then proceeded to another terraced house in Hanley. The house looked okay and although there was still no driveway; it did seem to have plenty of room for parking in the street. I thought it might be walking distance from work but it wasn't really close enough.
I decided to forget that one and move on to the cheapest property on the list; a three bedroomed semi in Abbey Hulton. In the eigties Abbey used to have a reputation for being a bad area but over the years a lot of the council houses have been bought by the tenants and the area has improved enough for me to want to have a look.
The first house in Abbey Hulton was £350 per month and seemed great from the outside. I could see that it had a consevatory built on and the front garden looked quite neat and so did the windows. It captured my interest enough to ring the Estate Agents and make an appointment to view it.
The appointment was at one o'clock today. We got there first and shortly after the agent turned up along with a load of other prospects. To my disappointment the place was hideous on the inside. It was mingingly dirty and the floors had badly fitted and badly marked laminates which I hate. The bathroom had no shower and was shockingly pink. The kitchen had a really weird layout and extremely plain and dreadful. I thoroughly hated the place and could never see myself living there.
Lucky for us, the guy had made an appointment to go and look at the other house in the Abbey. I rejected that one yesterday because I thought that I would be paying nearly hundred pounds a month more for just a driveway.
We tagged along and had a look at that one and wow....what a difference. The bedrooms were a bit smaller but otherwise that place was fantastic. There was a greenhouse as well as a shed. The bathroom was upstairs and had a champagne coloured suite with a shower. The kitchen was large and modern with plenty of space for a dishwasher, washing machine and tumbledryer. The cupboard doors were made to look like hardwood. The sink was a proper 1 + 1/2 bowl kitchen sink located in front of the window overlooking the garden. There was even a huge larder.
It's really sad that I'm not really in a position to be able to take it up yet but at least it gave me a good idea of what is available and what it will cost. I was already feeling sad that it's time to go home tomorrow but now I feel slightly worse.
Yesterday we decided to go and have a look at some of them (only from the outside) to determine what I could have for my money. I was horrified when I saw the first one; a terraced house in Shelton. It wasn't the cheapest property as it was approximately £400 per month, but it was hideous. I felt really defleted. There was absolutely nowhere to park and the whole street looked a complete dump.
We then proceeded to another terraced house in Hanley. The house looked okay and although there was still no driveway; it did seem to have plenty of room for parking in the street. I thought it might be walking distance from work but it wasn't really close enough.
I decided to forget that one and move on to the cheapest property on the list; a three bedroomed semi in Abbey Hulton. In the eigties Abbey used to have a reputation for being a bad area but over the years a lot of the council houses have been bought by the tenants and the area has improved enough for me to want to have a look.
The first house in Abbey Hulton was £350 per month and seemed great from the outside. I could see that it had a consevatory built on and the front garden looked quite neat and so did the windows. It captured my interest enough to ring the Estate Agents and make an appointment to view it.
The appointment was at one o'clock today. We got there first and shortly after the agent turned up along with a load of other prospects. To my disappointment the place was hideous on the inside. It was mingingly dirty and the floors had badly fitted and badly marked laminates which I hate. The bathroom had no shower and was shockingly pink. The kitchen had a really weird layout and extremely plain and dreadful. I thoroughly hated the place and could never see myself living there.
Lucky for us, the guy had made an appointment to go and look at the other house in the Abbey. I rejected that one yesterday because I thought that I would be paying nearly hundred pounds a month more for just a driveway.
We tagged along and had a look at that one and wow....what a difference. The bedrooms were a bit smaller but otherwise that place was fantastic. There was a greenhouse as well as a shed. The bathroom was upstairs and had a champagne coloured suite with a shower. The kitchen was large and modern with plenty of space for a dishwasher, washing machine and tumbledryer. The cupboard doors were made to look like hardwood. The sink was a proper 1 + 1/2 bowl kitchen sink located in front of the window overlooking the garden. There was even a huge larder.
It's really sad that I'm not really in a position to be able to take it up yet but at least it gave me a good idea of what is available and what it will cost. I was already feeling sad that it's time to go home tomorrow but now I feel slightly worse.
08 February 2008
Washer has gone to heaven
Ever since we first went to Sioned and Anna's, we have had problems with their washer. It kept tripping the electrics and on Tuesday it packed up altogether. Yesterday, I got a chap to come and look at it and his verdict was that it needs to go to the washing machine heaven. There was no point in spending any more money on it. At least the guy managed to open the door and get the washing out for us.
I texted the sad news to Sioned and asked if we could do anything. After two weeks away, they are going to come back with a huge pile of washing. We thought that maybe they would like us to get a replacement, asap. However, the reply came back to say that they had not made their mind up what to do with it. I guess they will want to do it themselves.
We have been keeping the cats in for the rest of the week since it was getting so late before they would come back. Poor Jake was going mad trying to get to his girlfriend. He was jumping on the kitchen windowsill and knocking all the bottles off and crying by the back door. His girlfriend has been sitting outside the kitchen window every day. Aaaaw, Bless!
This morning we decided to let them out again as they were getting more and more restless. It doesn't bother Teazer at all as she loves being inside but the others just don't seem to like it.
I have really been spoilt now as the last couple of days I have been getting home made lunch as well as tea and today I have been schauffeur driven as well. No race to get out of the compound (the last person out has to shut and lock the gate) and no being stuck in traffic. How fantastic is that? I really shan't want to go home.
I texted the sad news to Sioned and asked if we could do anything. After two weeks away, they are going to come back with a huge pile of washing. We thought that maybe they would like us to get a replacement, asap. However, the reply came back to say that they had not made their mind up what to do with it. I guess they will want to do it themselves.
We have been keeping the cats in for the rest of the week since it was getting so late before they would come back. Poor Jake was going mad trying to get to his girlfriend. He was jumping on the kitchen windowsill and knocking all the bottles off and crying by the back door. His girlfriend has been sitting outside the kitchen window every day. Aaaaw, Bless!
This morning we decided to let them out again as they were getting more and more restless. It doesn't bother Teazer at all as she loves being inside but the others just don't seem to like it.
I have really been spoilt now as the last couple of days I have been getting home made lunch as well as tea and today I have been schauffeur driven as well. No race to get out of the compound (the last person out has to shut and lock the gate) and no being stuck in traffic. How fantastic is that? I really shan't want to go home.
06 February 2008
Jake has a girlfriend!
On Monday morning, when I got up to make coffee and breakfast, I let Dizzy and Jake out again, as I normally do. They both stayed out all day. However, on Monday night I knew it would be difficult to get them in because it was raining quite heavily.
I fed Teazer at her normal time around 6pm in the hopes that it would entice the other two to come in but it made no difference. There was no sight or sound from either of them. Must have found a good shelter somewhere, I thought.
It was not until a couple of hours later that I managed to get Dizzy in. She finally braved the rain and scurried in to the food bowl. After feeding she just calmly laid down on her sofa for a sleep with no care in the world. At that stage there were still no sign of Jake and we started to get quite worried about him.
It was very difficult to relax as during every commersial break on the telly one of us was up looking for him. Eventually, it was nearly midnight before he decided to show up. By then we had decided that we weren't letting them out again as it wasn't worth the hassle.
Yesterday, all the cats stayed in without any problems really. Teazer has taken a liking to their cat box (as supposed to her own) and spent most of the day sleeping in there. The other two slept on the sofa. Doesn't look that I'm ny closer at getting the photo yet.
Helen told me that, earlier in the day, there was a black and white cat sitting on the kitchen window sill. She looked as if she was waiting for the door to be opened. We believe that she must have been Jake's reason to stay out so late. His girlfriend!
Last night was a lot easier without having to keep getting up looking for cats. There was a nice tea ready for me again. This time it was stuffed peppers which we had with real mash, veggies and gravy and it was very yummy. On Monday night we had Biriani made with Turkey, King prawns and vegetables.
I fed Teazer at her normal time around 6pm in the hopes that it would entice the other two to come in but it made no difference. There was no sight or sound from either of them. Must have found a good shelter somewhere, I thought.
It was not until a couple of hours later that I managed to get Dizzy in. She finally braved the rain and scurried in to the food bowl. After feeding she just calmly laid down on her sofa for a sleep with no care in the world. At that stage there were still no sign of Jake and we started to get quite worried about him.
It was very difficult to relax as during every commersial break on the telly one of us was up looking for him. Eventually, it was nearly midnight before he decided to show up. By then we had decided that we weren't letting them out again as it wasn't worth the hassle.
Yesterday, all the cats stayed in without any problems really. Teazer has taken a liking to their cat box (as supposed to her own) and spent most of the day sleeping in there. The other two slept on the sofa. Doesn't look that I'm ny closer at getting the photo yet.
Helen told me that, earlier in the day, there was a black and white cat sitting on the kitchen window sill. She looked as if she was waiting for the door to be opened. We believe that she must have been Jake's reason to stay out so late. His girlfriend!
Last night was a lot easier without having to keep getting up looking for cats. There was a nice tea ready for me again. This time it was stuffed peppers which we had with real mash, veggies and gravy and it was very yummy. On Monday night we had Biriani made with Turkey, King prawns and vegetables.
04 February 2008
Quiet Weekend
Did we have snow on Friday? Hah, of course not. However, I was quite pleased that we didn't as it meant that I didn't have to drive in it. I was spoiled rotten on Friday night. First a nice cup of coffee and then a wonderful tea of spag bol was ready for me when I got home. The cats were already in and waiting to be fed and I didn't have to a thing. What a nice change. We had a peaceful evening watching telly with a couple of glasses of wine.
On saturday morning there was a thin sprinkling of snow on the cars and payments but not thick enough to cover the grass. Dizzy and Jake went out as normal but Teazer of course had to stay in which suited her fine. She hates going out anyway. We also stayed in all day as we didn't have any reason to go out. The TV was rubbish so we just finished the wine and did some reading.
Sunday was very uneventful apart from the fact that we kept trying to do some washing but the washer kept tripping the electrics. Sioned did warn me about this so we were aware that it might happen. It wasn't so bad in the daytime but after it got dark it was a right pain. We went to Tesco earlier and bought a take-away curry which only needed heating up in the gas oven but it was still a right nuisance when the electrics tripped. I was cutting up a salad and suddenly it would go pitch black and even the telly went off. How in earth do they put up with that? We decided not to do anymore washing at night.
Last night I was getting worried because I was struggling to get the cats in. Eventually Helen managed to get Dizzy in about half past eight but Jake didn't come in until bed time. This morning he was the first one wanting to go out as well. I wonder if he has found a second home or Helen suggested that he might have a girlfriend.
Even though I had a wonderful sleep last night, I still felt very tired this morning. I let my phone snooze a couple of times before putting the telly on for GMTV. I still fell asleep again which scared me a bit as I could have easily overslept.
I was late leaving the house and couldn't believe it when I saw the car was frozen all over. I got the de-icer out but realised pretty soon that it wouldn't work, so I had no choice but to go back in and get the kettle. There was a massive que waiting to turn right on to the main road but luckily most drivers were in a good mood and let us out quite quickly. I was still one of the first at work so the frost must have caught everyone else out as well.
On saturday morning there was a thin sprinkling of snow on the cars and payments but not thick enough to cover the grass. Dizzy and Jake went out as normal but Teazer of course had to stay in which suited her fine. She hates going out anyway. We also stayed in all day as we didn't have any reason to go out. The TV was rubbish so we just finished the wine and did some reading.
Sunday was very uneventful apart from the fact that we kept trying to do some washing but the washer kept tripping the electrics. Sioned did warn me about this so we were aware that it might happen. It wasn't so bad in the daytime but after it got dark it was a right pain. We went to Tesco earlier and bought a take-away curry which only needed heating up in the gas oven but it was still a right nuisance when the electrics tripped. I was cutting up a salad and suddenly it would go pitch black and even the telly went off. How in earth do they put up with that? We decided not to do anymore washing at night.
Last night I was getting worried because I was struggling to get the cats in. Eventually Helen managed to get Dizzy in about half past eight but Jake didn't come in until bed time. This morning he was the first one wanting to go out as well. I wonder if he has found a second home or Helen suggested that he might have a girlfriend.
Even though I had a wonderful sleep last night, I still felt very tired this morning. I let my phone snooze a couple of times before putting the telly on for GMTV. I still fell asleep again which scared me a bit as I could have easily overslept.
I was late leaving the house and couldn't believe it when I saw the car was frozen all over. I got the de-icer out but realised pretty soon that it wouldn't work, so I had no choice but to go back in and get the kettle. There was a massive que waiting to turn right on to the main road but luckily most drivers were in a good mood and let us out quite quickly. I was still one of the first at work so the frost must have caught everyone else out as well.
01 February 2008
Two Weeks of Cat/House Sitting, Yeah!
Yesterday morning I got a text to tell me that Sioned and Anna were at the airport, ready to fly off to sunny Egypt. They informed me that they had forgotten to put the alarm on to which I promptly replied to say, it didn't matter as I was dropping Teazer and my stuff off before going to work. Therefore I can put the alarm on myself.
Jake and Dizzy greeted me at the door and Teazer seemed at home straight away. It seems that I did the right thing bringing her to be introduced earlier. By the end of the fourtnight I'm hoping to get all three cats together on the sofa for a photo.
At lunch time I did the shopping online and had it delivered to us later today. I still had to go and get a few essentials for last nights tea. Couldn't make my mind up for ages, at first, but eventually I settled for Chunky oven chips and breaded cod steaks with mushy peas, mixed beans and carrots.
When I got back, the cats all ate their tea peacefully in their respective order. There was only a little hissing but nothing to worry about. The possibility of a photo is looking more promising. We had a very peaceful eveing ourselves; had our tea, watched Emmerdale and an early night.
The weather forecast for today is saying that we may be getting snow this afternoon, so watch this space.... There is no sign for it at the moment though as the sky is blue and the sun is shining. What a wonderful day in every way!
Jake and Dizzy greeted me at the door and Teazer seemed at home straight away. It seems that I did the right thing bringing her to be introduced earlier. By the end of the fourtnight I'm hoping to get all three cats together on the sofa for a photo.
At lunch time I did the shopping online and had it delivered to us later today. I still had to go and get a few essentials for last nights tea. Couldn't make my mind up for ages, at first, but eventually I settled for Chunky oven chips and breaded cod steaks with mushy peas, mixed beans and carrots.
When I got back, the cats all ate their tea peacefully in their respective order. There was only a little hissing but nothing to worry about. The possibility of a photo is looking more promising. We had a very peaceful eveing ourselves; had our tea, watched Emmerdale and an early night.
The weather forecast for today is saying that we may be getting snow this afternoon, so watch this space.... There is no sign for it at the moment though as the sky is blue and the sun is shining. What a wonderful day in every way!
25 January 2008
Warmest January since records began
Wow, this morning I heard on the news that the average weather in January should be between 5 and 9 degrees. However, this month we have been experiencing temperatures up to 14 degrees and apparently, overall that is the warmest January since records began (whenever that was?).
It appears that last year's freak weather conditions are continuing. The daffodils are coming up in the garden and the grass and weeds have continued to grow all winter. We had a few frosty nights just before Christmas but nothing since.
I suppose we should be saddened by all this as it just proves that the Global Warming scares are very real. There are an awful lot of people in Britain that have already felt the bad effects of the warming of the ice caps. Large parts of the Midlands has just had their houses flooded for the third time in 8 months.
Much as I do love the winter conditions around Christmas time, I am secretly pleased that we haven't had any snow and all the obligatory chaos it brings. It isn't really worth the hassle on the roads for just a couple of inches which melt away after a few hours anyway. There are some advantages to the British weather after all.
It appears that last year's freak weather conditions are continuing. The daffodils are coming up in the garden and the grass and weeds have continued to grow all winter. We had a few frosty nights just before Christmas but nothing since.
I suppose we should be saddened by all this as it just proves that the Global Warming scares are very real. There are an awful lot of people in Britain that have already felt the bad effects of the warming of the ice caps. Large parts of the Midlands has just had their houses flooded for the third time in 8 months.
Much as I do love the winter conditions around Christmas time, I am secretly pleased that we haven't had any snow and all the obligatory chaos it brings. It isn't really worth the hassle on the roads for just a couple of inches which melt away after a few hours anyway. There are some advantages to the British weather after all.
21 January 2008
Rumpleteazer's trip
This weekend we were cat sitting again. We are soon doing it for a whole fourtnight so Stan and Anna have said that I can bring my cat Rumpleteazer with me. I decided to bring her this weekend, just for the one night, so that she can meet the cats and get the feel of the place. Teazer is a seasoned traveller as she always used to come camping with me.
I think she could smell the dog because at first she spent several hours skulking behind the TV but eventually she ventured out to inspect the place. Stan's cats were not very friendly towards her but that was only to be expected. She was intruding on their space. Jake did a lot of growling and Dizzy just hissed at her but at least there was no dog.
By tea time they sorted out in which order they were eating and surprise, surprise it was Jake first, then Dizzy and Teazer got what was left over. Dizzy went to sleep in the kitchen whilst Jake and Teazer curled up on the sofas (one each, not together).
When I came down in the morning, I discovered that Teazer had been desperate for the toilet in the night but unable to recognise where it was despite of me showing her. She may have just forgotten or got disorientated, but yes there was a massive puddle on the floor, poor thing.
The rest of the day went well. I shoved her into the catlitter a couple of times and there were no more accidents. The cats seemed to tolerate each other even though they weren't exactly friends. We'll just have to see what happens when she stays for a fourtnight.
I think she could smell the dog because at first she spent several hours skulking behind the TV but eventually she ventured out to inspect the place. Stan's cats were not very friendly towards her but that was only to be expected. She was intruding on their space. Jake did a lot of growling and Dizzy just hissed at her but at least there was no dog.
By tea time they sorted out in which order they were eating and surprise, surprise it was Jake first, then Dizzy and Teazer got what was left over. Dizzy went to sleep in the kitchen whilst Jake and Teazer curled up on the sofas (one each, not together).
When I came down in the morning, I discovered that Teazer had been desperate for the toilet in the night but unable to recognise where it was despite of me showing her. She may have just forgotten or got disorientated, but yes there was a massive puddle on the floor, poor thing.
The rest of the day went well. I shoved her into the catlitter a couple of times and there were no more accidents. The cats seemed to tolerate each other even though they weren't exactly friends. We'll just have to see what happens when she stays for a fourtnight.
17 January 2008
Sun Holidays
Last week the Sun news paper ran tokens for the £9.50 pp holidays every day. We had to collect 7 different tokens and then pick five different resorts and five different dates for a Monday to Friday break. Even though it's £9.50 per person, the minimum payment is for groups of four.
Helen has never been to the Lakes so we thought that would be our obvious choice to go. There were no resorts exactly in the Lake District but we found three that were quite near and then picked two others in North Wales.
We decided to choose two dates in April, one in May and two in September. We are hoping that because these dates are in relatively low season, we would have better chance in getting something. Apparently most people choose May and June (I wonder why?????!)
It has been a while since I've been on one of these holidays, as they are always demanding payment with a cheque. I don't deal with cheques and I don't believe it is safe to send any kind of payment via Royal Mail these days. In fact I would rather avoid sending anything with them. On this occaison I was talked into giving them the benefit of doubt.
However, It would be really nice to go away for nearly a week for just £38. Lets face it, it would be nice to just go away, full stop. Fingers crossed now that we manage to get something. I'll keep you posted.
Helen has never been to the Lakes so we thought that would be our obvious choice to go. There were no resorts exactly in the Lake District but we found three that were quite near and then picked two others in North Wales.
We decided to choose two dates in April, one in May and two in September. We are hoping that because these dates are in relatively low season, we would have better chance in getting something. Apparently most people choose May and June (I wonder why?????!)
It has been a while since I've been on one of these holidays, as they are always demanding payment with a cheque. I don't deal with cheques and I don't believe it is safe to send any kind of payment via Royal Mail these days. In fact I would rather avoid sending anything with them. On this occaison I was talked into giving them the benefit of doubt.
However, It would be really nice to go away for nearly a week for just £38. Lets face it, it would be nice to just go away, full stop. Fingers crossed now that we manage to get something. I'll keep you posted.
04 January 2008
Swimming
Last night Helen and I decided to go swimming. It sounded like a great idea even though neither of us have been swimming for years. It shocked me how expensive it was; £6.40 between us. We thought it was around £2 each. Maybe it shows how long it has been since we last went :-)
It didn't look very reassuring to arrive at the pool, only to find the car park almost full. We eventually found a space and trotted in. Changing didn't take long as we both had already got our cozies on. Helen used the freezing cold showers by the entrance to the pool but I had to que up for the only two proper showers which were both occupied by three kids, who were in no hurry whatsoever, before I could get in the pool.
The pool water seemed relatively pleasant after standing around waiting for the showers. It was just the right temperature for swimming in but perhaps a little cool for standing about in. I did a few brisk lengths and realised that I was not as fit as I would have liked to be as I was not able to swim the way I used to do.
It didn't look very reassuring to arrive at the pool, only to find the car park almost full. We eventually found a space and trotted in. Changing didn't take long as we both had already got our cozies on. Helen used the freezing cold showers by the entrance to the pool but I had to que up for the only two proper showers which were both occupied by three kids, who were in no hurry whatsoever, before I could get in the pool.
The pool water seemed relatively pleasant after standing around waiting for the showers. It was just the right temperature for swimming in but perhaps a little cool for standing about in. I did a few brisk lengths and realised that I was not as fit as I would have liked to be as I was not able to swim the way I used to do.
We spent an hour partly swimming and partly floating about and talking. Eventually I had done more swimming than I could take so I was absolutely knackered. Then we were all asked to come out for a little while because they were doing a "change over" whatever that meant.
We didn't stop around to see what was going on as we were frozen so the warm showers were far more appealling especially as they were vacant. We grabbed them whilst we could and decided to leave. A cup of hot chocolate at McDonalds seemed very inviting especially as it was only around the corner from the baths.
To our disappointment the chocolate machine was broken so we had to make do with a cup of coffee and tea. It amused me that we had been in the pool and used up X amount of calories but as soon as we got out we were eating a large box of fries. Still, it could have been worse. We could have just eaten the fries and not bothered with the swimming.
All in all, it still turned out to be a very pleasant evening.
What a funny week
Yes, I went back to work on Wednesday, which ofcourse felt like a Monday. It's now Friday but to me it feels like a Wednedsay. Does anyone actually follow this?
Anyway, The last few days I had to try to cram in over a week's worth of tasks in order to catch up from the holidays. If I had even a half decent pc at work it would have probably been possible.
However, according to the IT company, my PC belongs in a museum and it is toatally inadequate to be used on the network. As I am spending majority time just waiting for the pc to stop doing whatever it's doing, I have not been able to complete those.
Yesterday we were promised a small amount of snow which would have been our first for the season. There were very mixed feelings about it but as it was it never actually happened. It went down to minus 1 degree but then it warmed up again without any snow showing.
This weekend it's time to take down the decorations for another year and in my case; I'm hoping it's the last time that I see them in this house. Hopefully I will be in my new house before too long. Keep you posted!
Anyway, The last few days I had to try to cram in over a week's worth of tasks in order to catch up from the holidays. If I had even a half decent pc at work it would have probably been possible.
However, according to the IT company, my PC belongs in a museum and it is toatally inadequate to be used on the network. As I am spending majority time just waiting for the pc to stop doing whatever it's doing, I have not been able to complete those.
Yesterday we were promised a small amount of snow which would have been our first for the season. There were very mixed feelings about it but as it was it never actually happened. It went down to minus 1 degree but then it warmed up again without any snow showing.
This weekend it's time to take down the decorations for another year and in my case; I'm hoping it's the last time that I see them in this house. Hopefully I will be in my new house before too long. Keep you posted!
02 January 2008
Happy New Year!
I spent a quiet New Year's Eve, in Longton (of all places), with Helen and we had a wonderful time. We watched an absolutely brilliant Take That concert live and had a nice Chinese meal and a couple of bottles of wine to go with it.
New Years Day was a relaxing day as I spent most of the day working on the laptop. I had a webcam for Christmas so I tried to set it up but I couldn't get it to work, so in the end I uninstalled it and re-installed. So far I did get the impression that it is working but I'm not hundred percent sure until I try it.
First day back at work was dreadful. I had developed a bad sleeping routine whilst I was off so I didn't sleep much and was not at all ready for the clock to go off this morning. Luckily the traffic was kind for a change, but when I got to work there was an enormous pile of invoices and gas safety certificates waiting for me. Nice? -NOT!
30 December 2007
Christmas in the Peak District
On the Saturday, after the party, we drove to Derby and did some shopping before continuing to the cottage where we were spending Christmas.
Because we had to leave the hotel at 11 but we couldn't book in to the cottage until 3, we assumed there was plenty of time to spare. However, it surprised us how much time it took to do the shopping. It wasn't even as manic in the supermarket as it could have been the last Saturday before Christmas. I think we can thank 24hour shopping for that.
We arrived at just after 3 and found the cottage to be small but very pleasant. It was fantastically well kitted out and we even managed to find space for the 7ft Christmas tree that I had insisted on taking with me.
The whole week was like being in heaven. We did absolutely nothing, just spent a lot of time in bed, eating some wonderful food and watching TV. Just the sort of holiday that I dream about.
I had waited so long for a rest and it was so gratefully received. I really, really didn't want to come home.
Because we had to leave the hotel at 11 but we couldn't book in to the cottage until 3, we assumed there was plenty of time to spare. However, it surprised us how much time it took to do the shopping. It wasn't even as manic in the supermarket as it could have been the last Saturday before Christmas. I think we can thank 24hour shopping for that.
We arrived at just after 3 and found the cottage to be small but very pleasant. It was fantastically well kitted out and we even managed to find space for the 7ft Christmas tree that I had insisted on taking with me.
The whole week was like being in heaven. We did absolutely nothing, just spent a lot of time in bed, eating some wonderful food and watching TV. Just the sort of holiday that I dream about.
I had waited so long for a rest and it was so gratefully received. I really, really didn't want to come home.
Christmas Do - 3 of 3
Well, the highly awaited day for our evening do at the Grand, finally came. As I had booked a room, I went straight from work to the hotel and had a little sleep, before getting ready for the party.
I thought the meal was very nice but I admit that it was not worth £35 each but then again, what is? I had a melon for starter and ham carvery for main meal with cheese cake for pudding.
Everyone had plenty to drink and so did I, but I can still remember that it was a very good evening. There was a disco and I did a little dancing but also spent some time in the bar, chatting to others.
A succesful evening, all in all and a great start for the Christmas holidays.
I thought the meal was very nice but I admit that it was not worth £35 each but then again, what is? I had a melon for starter and ham carvery for main meal with cheese cake for pudding.
Everyone had plenty to drink and so did I, but I can still remember that it was a very good evening. There was a disco and I did a little dancing but also spent some time in the bar, chatting to others.
A succesful evening, all in all and a great start for the Christmas holidays.
21 December 2007
Christmas Do - 2 of 3
Well, the much awaited company party finally came about yesterday afternoon. What a flop that turned out to be. I don't know if it was our high expectations or what it was.
The free drink that we all had looked forward to turned out to be a rumour. With other words there wasn't one. We had to pay full price for all the drinks. I only had one pint of Shandy since I was driving anyway.
The karaoke that we had been threatened with was also a viscious rumour and the disco turned out to be somebody's ghetto blaster, which half-deaf people like me couldn't hear at all.
The buffet had very little salad stuff and, if there were any vegetarian stuff, they were not labelled. Majority of the food was clumpy sandwiches, which I didn't touch at all. I had a little bit of salad and a few cheese sticks. I heard later that an awful lot of food went to the hostel, because the staff didn't want it.
The tables were arranged into little groups so needless to say, all the staff sat in their own deapartments and there was very little mingling. After an hour and half we had a little speech by the Chief Executive, thanking us for all the hard work and for working over Christmas (for those that do).
Then we had a little presentation for a staff member who was leaving and for another whose 50th birthday it was. We took a few photos and chatted for a bit but by 3 majority of us were going home, including me.
In the words of Shanaya: That didn't impress me much!.
The free drink that we all had looked forward to turned out to be a rumour. With other words there wasn't one. We had to pay full price for all the drinks. I only had one pint of Shandy since I was driving anyway.
The karaoke that we had been threatened with was also a viscious rumour and the disco turned out to be somebody's ghetto blaster, which half-deaf people like me couldn't hear at all.
The buffet had very little salad stuff and, if there were any vegetarian stuff, they were not labelled. Majority of the food was clumpy sandwiches, which I didn't touch at all. I had a little bit of salad and a few cheese sticks. I heard later that an awful lot of food went to the hostel, because the staff didn't want it.
The tables were arranged into little groups so needless to say, all the staff sat in their own deapartments and there was very little mingling. After an hour and half we had a little speech by the Chief Executive, thanking us for all the hard work and for working over Christmas (for those that do).
Then we had a little presentation for a staff member who was leaving and for another whose 50th birthday it was. We took a few photos and chatted for a bit but by 3 majority of us were going home, including me.
In the words of Shanaya: That didn't impress me much!.
19 December 2007
Christmas Do - 1 of 3
Yesterday was the time for our department's christmas meal. We booked initially in August but have already changed the date twice, but finally it came around.
Linda sadly couldn't make it but everyone else made it so there was 16 of us seated at two tables. The meals were all pre-booked so we all had different things. As usual, I opted for the vegetarian which was phenominally cheesy (in a nice way).
For starters I had Goats cheese with a salad, walnuts and oranges. For main course I had a huge 3-cheese pie with roast potatoes, swede pure, cauliflower, carrrots, peas and gravy. For pudding majority of us had cheesecake so you can see why I said my meal was cheesy.
We also did the secret santa. I was very lucky because I had three presents. I got some note paper with a pen, a card organiser with 24 greeting cards and a bottle of sherry of Carol. I bought Michelle various smelly things for the house from the Indian shop. She has a dog so I thought she might like those.
We all collected money for a fantasticly luxurious fluffy dressinggown for our manager. All in all, we had a fabulous time and the White Lion did well to accommodate us all and clean up after us. Thanks!
Linda sadly couldn't make it but everyone else made it so there was 16 of us seated at two tables. The meals were all pre-booked so we all had different things. As usual, I opted for the vegetarian which was phenominally cheesy (in a nice way).
For starters I had Goats cheese with a salad, walnuts and oranges. For main course I had a huge 3-cheese pie with roast potatoes, swede pure, cauliflower, carrrots, peas and gravy. For pudding majority of us had cheesecake so you can see why I said my meal was cheesy.
We also did the secret santa. I was very lucky because I had three presents. I got some note paper with a pen, a card organiser with 24 greeting cards and a bottle of sherry of Carol. I bought Michelle various smelly things for the house from the Indian shop. She has a dog so I thought she might like those.
We all collected money for a fantasticly luxurious fluffy dressinggown for our manager. All in all, we had a fabulous time and the White Lion did well to accommodate us all and clean up after us. Thanks!
Looking forward to Do number two on Thursday.!
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