Susie Sue & the Operation

We left Overstone real early on Monday; I dropped Phil off at the GP flat and got to Sue’s house just before half seven. As expected Sue was already packed and ready to go.  She was really cool, a little anxious but that was only to be expected.  Actually if I am honest, I think I was more nervous than she was.   I know it’s not me or my body but it seems that we have been waiting for surgery for a long, long time.  It almost seems sadistic to say that Sue was looking forward to surgery because that would be untrue.  But when you have an alien in your womb that you don’t know what its damaging it’s only natural to want it out.  Sue wanted it out ASAP and although she knew that she would feel pretty crap for some weeks afterwards, she was ready for the operation.

Our drive to Oxford was pretty smooth.  In fact we probably left a tad too early but hey it was a Monday morning and you never know with the M40.  We arrived in plenty of time and got to the Jane Asherley ward just before 10 am.  We had to wait a little while before admission to the ward but Sue was advised to get there for 10 am because the cardiology wanted to see her.  As it happened, Sue was issued one of the only 2 private rooms and it was lovely.  I was really impressed with the ward in total. Only female patients and only female nursing staff.  The added bonus was the day room which not only had a fridge but also tea and coffee making facilities with fresh milk.  Sue’s room had its own bathroom with a free TV; the view was over the car park.  Me and Sue joked that it could almost that we could almost have been in a hotel.  We expected lots to happen but aside from OB’s it didn’t.  I left at about half two after Sue having had to literally kick me out the door.  I was reluctant to leave but there was so much waiting around and there really wasn’t much I could do. I gave Sue a big hug; I wished her luck and said I would see her other side. It was a bit of a sad goodbye for me and I have to say, although Sue was light and breezy, my heart was heavy when I left her.

Tuesday was a messy day. Phil left Overstone for MK in the Landrover around 8.30am and I left 

in my car about quarter past nine. I was on a time limit because I had to be in Bletchley for 10.00am to get my windscreen changed in order for my car to pass the MOT.  Luckily the sun was shining and I already knew that I had to wait for 2 hours.  It was a bit of long wait but I sat out the time with Sue’s kindle at the Burger Van across the way with several cups of tea.  I have to say that Sue was very much on my mind. I already knew that she was one of the first down to theatre on Tuesday morning and I was conscious that whilst I was supping cups of polystyrene tea, my good friend was under the chop.  Finally I got my car complete with new windscreen back at quarter past twelve.  I dropped by at the GP flat to see Phil and then I went to DAYS garage to get a re-MOT.  It seemed to take forever but by half one I was finally legal, thank goodness.

After the Re MOT I went to Sue’s house and whilst I was there I got a call from Matt (Sue’s son) to say that the operation had gone well and she was in recovery waiting to come back up to the ward.  Because of the carcinoid and Sue’s rare condition, it was always a condition that Sue would go straight to ICU after her operation so it was great news that she was going straight back to the ward.  

Thank goodness it went well  and much better than expected.  I have much respect for Sue; she has more strength and courage than any other person that I have met and god only knows, these last 2 years she has certainly needed it.  I went to see her at the Churchill yesterday and was amazed to see her sitting up in her chair.  Yes she was tired, and yes was attached to drips (several) but she looked good, as Sue always does . It was amazing seeing that she had just had major surgery the day before.  I was really relieved to see her in such good form. Okay not dancing around with red wine in the kitchen good form, no, but none-the-less, in really good shape considering the surgery she had just undergone.  

Unfortunately there was an accident on the A34 and the journey back to MK was long and tiring.  The drove to Oxford and back can be tedious at the best of times but yesterday was not one of my journeys.   Phil went out, as usual, with the Wednesday night boys and it felt a bit weird staying at Sue’s house without her.    I ate one of Sue’s frozen fish pies which was actually lovely.  It was a bit of a weird evening which was interrupted by Sue’s friend, Dave the plumber and his dog. Luckily they didn’t stay very long which was good because I suspect I wasn’t very good company.

This morning we drove down to Melton Mowbray to see Phil’s mum and dad.  It had been 3 weeks since we last saw them and we were pleased to see them and them us.  I am always glad to be busy and because the plumber had been in the day before, I was able to paste back the loose wall paper where the radiators had been.  I also painted the pantry and Phil built new shelves.  We went to lunch at the Bowls Club and it was very nice.  Not nouvelle cuisine but I was glad that Phil’s mum didn’t have to cook for a change.  The journey back was tiresome and long.   I am feeling weary but so glad to hear from Sue tonight.  All tubes are out, she has been moved to another unit and I am going to see her tomorrow.   Hopefully she will be able to come out of hospital over the weekend.

Hot, Sticky but Sweet!

I’m hot and I’m sticky so it’s going to be a brief posting tonight I’m afraid. Hooray you are saved and yes you probably are from my usual rantings, but I’m glad to say, that all in all though, we have had a really great weekend.

We drove early into MK on Saturday morning; I dropped Phil off at the GP flat to finish off the final part of the boxing and went over to help Sue put away her mega table.  Sue had held a dinner party 8 on Friday night so we needed a de-brief to see how it all went.  It all went well, although pre op I think she was kind of crazy cooking for so many when she faces a major op on Tuesday but it’s up to her.  She was happy enough when I saw her, the evening was successful and we caught up over a cup of tea in deck chairs with the sun shining in the garden.

Afterwards I went to see how Phil was doing.  He had done well, especially in the heat.  I think, although it’s far from finished, that this bathroom is the best that he has ever done.   Unfortunately I couldn’t do much when I got to the flat, as usual I did a tip run and did a hover up but that about it.  We left the flat at midday and went to Sue’s for a shower and change.  I can’t tell you how guilty I feel about abusing Sue’s house and her hospitality but she offers it and it has saved our skin more times than I can say.  

I dropped Phil off at Jim & Shirley’s a little early for Dan’s 30^th and his and Kylie’s departure to Oz party.   The Robb family are so lucky because it happened to be one of the hottest days of the year and I was pleased for them.  I couldn’t stay because I had volunteered to meet Sue at her dad’s annual fete at his retirement home.  For one I needed to meet Bill again and remind him who I was just in case I need to visit whilst Sue is in hospital and secondly I wanted to give her some support.  He is a lovely old chap but it can be wearing on Sue especially when she has to do her dad visiting sometimes 3 or 5 times a week. Actually it was a nice afternoon albeit on the hot side.  I nearly melted when we sat outside and ate our hotdogs but it was nice to see so many people attend and the place was packed out.

I guess I left about half four and that was enough for me, leaving Sue to sort out her dads tea.  I picked up HH from Caldecotte and then we drove to Jim & Shirley’s for Dan’s party.  It was in full swing by the time we got there.  The majority of guests were Dan & Kylie’s friends which is as it should have been, most of them we didn’t know.  They were a crowd and as usual we had a great time. J&S certainly know how to throw a party and hats off to the pair of them, this one was a good one.  We were really surprised to see little Younga from Malaysia because we thought she wasn’t coming but she came out on a secret flight to join Tom and the family.  She is such a lovely girl and we were both shocked and surprised when Tom announced their engagement sometime near midnight.  This means that both the Robb boys will be married within the next year.  I can’t quite believe it; me and Phil still remember them as youngsters.

I am pleased to report that me and Phil weren’t the last to leave although it was half one by the time we got back to Sue’s house.  Thankfully she hadn’t been in long and was still awake.  Apparently the party went on until 7am.  Our Harriet left at 3am and god only knows what time J&S got to bed.  Happy Birthday Dan hope you had good one.   Also congratulations to Tom and Younga. Aka thanks to our Jim & Shirley for inviting us. 

Again, another groggy start to a Sunday morning. We really must stop this partying because we just can’t hack it these days.  Alas, it’s always no social for weeks then everything comes at once.  I must not complain, life is for living right and one must make the most of.  I had already decided that Sue should have a distraction day so me and Phil took her to the cinema to the latest Bourne film. I am not sure, that when the time came, that she really wanted to go because she looked so comfy in the shade with her cup of tea and her book but we went anyway.
The film was okay, it was a distraction but we all agreed that it didn’t really rock all of our boats and we were not certainly holding on to the edge of seats with anticipation.

But hopefully for Sue it was a distraction and time out away from home. I was surprised Phil didn’t fall asleep, he was so hung over and tired and ‘hanging’ as Harriet would say but he hung in there.  As did I, I didn’t feel so rough but I was tired and that is the thing for me.  This girl needs at least 9 hours and that’s without the wine!!!

Unfortunately I had  left my Chevrolet Matiz at J&S’s as I had fully intended to drive on Saturday evening but that didn’t happen which meant that because Phil had left the Land Rover at the GP flat Sue not only had to drive to the cinema but she also had to drive us to lunch.  We decided upon lunch at the pub at Westcroft.  The name of which is escaping me at the moment.  We opted for a table outside which in retrospect was a mad move because the sun moved round and by the time our lunch was served up our table was sunny.  The food was quite good, Phil had one whine about his overdone chips but we suspected that these were thrice cooked chips and Phil is not a fan of these so he was never going to like them.  After lunch was eaten we were jaded, Sue did her injection in the loo and dropped Phil off to pick up my car from J&S’s and also my mobile.  Bless him; my mobile is neither very valuable or life saving to me but I am sure gonna need it this week.

As the weekend comes to an end, I wish I could say that I am chilled and relaxed but alas I am not and neither is Phil.  It’s true; it’s been a great one with plenty of sunshine and a fair amount of R&R, well at least certainly more than we’ve had for awhile.  But the truth be told, that tonight as I post, we are pretty hungover from last night and fairly pooped.  That aside though, our bleary minds and bodies are nothing in comparison to our Sue who goes into hospital tomorrow.  I am driving her to The Churchill at Oxford first thing and then she has her major operation on Tuesday.  All our thoughts are with her.  Hopefully this time next week she will be on her way home and the well on the way to recovery.

More of the same old

As soon as I pulled up at the GP flat on Tuesday, Maurice who lives underneath our flat was out his new front gate to see me.  I wondered if there was a problem but not so, he said that when he came back from holiday he was so overjoyed at his garden makeover that he cried when he saw it.   Before he went on holiday he’d agreed to pay half the cost but I couldn’t get a chance to tell him the total cost and was a little worried that it may be more than he wanted to pay, especially as I didn’t use the contractor that he suggested I use.  But he was cool, he was eager to pay me his money, not as much as half the total cost but this was fine because the frontage belongs to our flat.  I think the price he paid was fair and I did paint his fences and I also cleaned his windows for him.  The whole garden area is looking so much better and I was pleased to see Maurice screwing a new house number on his new front gate. (rather unfortunate house number) It made me smile when I spotted him off load some new garden furniture from IKEA.  He is obviously taking pride in his new garden and long may it continue.  It’s nice to do something sometimes for other people that make them happy.

Phil worked on the boxing in the bathroom on Tuesday morning which was no easy feat.  I repainted the outside of the fence because I decided I couldn’t live with the red cedar.  It didn’t take long and I was pleased with the results.  Sue popped round on the way back from her dad’s and we went for a spot of lunch at The Nags Head in Great Linford.  We’d been a couple of weeks ago and thought the food was good.  It is nice to go somewhere different for a change and when we move in to the GP flat I think that we will enjoy walking across the canal and through the park to Great Linford.  After lunch we got back to the flat only to find Blue the plumber working which was fine except that this meant that Phil couldn’t continue with his boxing so we decided to head for home.

Once again we were back at the flat on Wednesday although I have to say there wasn’t much work for me, it is mostly Phil’s labour that is required and has been for all of this week. I left him to carry on building boxing with plywood and plasterboard and headed to Sue’s for tea and a catch-up.  Afterwards I went to Tesco’s at Kingston.  I went to get some new hospital visiting clothes as most of my stuff is ruined with paint.   On the first floor of Tesco’s I bumped into Vanessa who was a lovely bronze colour having just returned from a week in Greece, lucky girl.

Phil started the wall tiling in the bathroom in the afternoon.  He got on quite well considering there were a lot of cuts to do.   I left about 4pm and went back to Sue’s for a shower and a clean up but Phil had to stay to wait for the glazier to come and measure.   He eventually got back about 5’ish not much before Sue got home.   Sue once again volunteered to cook supper and also invited Jan so I went over to Westcroft to pick her up at least saving her one taxi drive.   It was our usual girlie evening which ended with a surprise visit by Dave, one of Sue’s neighbours on his way back from the pub.   Dave was accompanied by Scamp by his dog.  The evening ended with dancing in the kitchen and a bed time way past midnight.  This didn’t bode with work on Thursday morning.  But self induced and I wonder when we will ever learn. 

There wasn’t much for me to do aside from hovering up dust but Phil managed to finish the tiling off.  He was going to grout some of the wall but by 1.30pm we’d had enough and decided to head for home.  We stopped off at The Plough in Stoke Goldington for the beef and ale pie which was delicious.  The caravan, when we got back, was stifling hot.   Its worse when it’s been locked up for a couple of days.  I unpacked, put a wash on and it was very quiet evening catching with recordings.  Not very exciting I’m afraid but we didn’t have any energy for anything else more strenuous.

Unfortunately we had a disturbed night with toilet visits at 3am and then struggled to go back to sleep until it was virtually time to get up.  In the end we didn’t actually end up getting to the flat until 9.30am which put us under pressure from the start.  We had the carpet fitters coming to fit new carpet in the bedroom and hallway and had to clear the bedroom which was full of tools and all sorts.  We transferred the stuff into the lounge which is now looking like a bomb site.  The clearing didn’t take us that long and Phil was able to get on with the grouting before the new carpet arrived.

We were on a pm delivery but CarpetRight turned up before midday which was good.  The carpets look good but they are a little light and I am wondering whether we have had them fitted too soon.  Time will tell but we should be okay if put dust sheets down.  Lunch was a roast at the carvery at Peartree Bridge; it was alright, I don’t suppose you can really complain at £3.99 a head.  We hadn’t been back at the flat long when the electricians arrived to sort the shower pump and the hob and the oven.   There is still more work for them to do so they will be back again next week.

At the end of this week I was hoping that we would be a lot further forward than we are.  I am not sure why because Phil has been working his socks off. I guess I’m frustrated because I can’t get on with anything until all the tradesmen have finished.  But next week, we need the plumber, the electrician and the glazier back and we still need to find a carpenter to fit the internal doors and sort out the steps.  I am pleased with the look of the kitchen and the bathroom is coming along nicely. All the work will get done I know but its just taking its time.  I will be glad when it’s all finished.  Fingers crossed by the end of next week we could be talking about furniture removals.

Good Times...

We worked flat out on Friday.  It wasn’t a particularly early start as we didn’t leave Overstone until quarter to nine.  Will was already at the flat when we arrived and he’d already started on the new fence.  I made him a cup of tea and then we shot off to Wickes to buy a new shower, a pump for the shower and some plasterboard.   When we got back Phil started doing the stud work in the bathroom and I started painting the new fences.  It was a time consuming job and I was sweltering in the midday sun.  The fence painting was hard work and by 2pm I was getting seriously bored and fed up so I decided to go to B&Q to buy a fence sprayer.  I have tried using a sprayer once before and didn’t get on very well with it.  And Friday was no different.  The sprayer worked for all of 5 minutes before getting block up. 

Phil spent all afternoon in the bathroom doing lots of cutting and sawing.  Will had just about finished the fencing and we are very pleased with the results.  All of the neighbours keep paying us compliments so we must be doing something right.  It was almost 5pm by the time we got back to Sue’s and we only had time for a quick shower and change before driving over to Jim & Anne’s for dinner.  The original plan was to get a taxi but we figured it was easier (and cheaper) to drive and leave my car overnight.

After a long day working, we were more than ready for a chill out evening in the company of friends.  And was a lovely evening we had.  We started with proper Sangria on the decking and then went inside for dinner.  Anne did prawn and avocado salad to start followed by a very delicious steak pie.  We’d only had a sandwich for lunch so a proper home cooked meal was much appreciated.  For dessert Anne had a made a huge trifle; I don’t do puddings but this looked very yummy.  It was a fun evening, first class food and great company.  Thanks to Anne & Jim for inviting us.

Sue once again provided us with a bed and it was very delicate start to Saturday morning.  A lie in wasn’t an option because Tom was due round at 9am to pick his caravan which has been parked on Sue’s drive for several weeks.  We went to the flat and got changed into our dirties.   The last thing I wanted to be doing was painting fences but I forced myself.  Harriet came over to inspect works and she gave Phil a lift to pick my car.  As the sun was shining she wanted to sunbathe so I gave her the key to our caravan.   I guess we worked until midday and gave it up as a bad job and went home.  Harriet was already sunbathing on the patio but the sun had disappeared behind some clouds.  We didn’t have any food in the van so we popped over to The Manor for some lunch.  Harriet stayed for a couple of hours because the sun did come out.  After she left, we just chilled on the sofa and it was a very quiet Saturday evening of which I spent most of sleeping.

On Sunday morning, I popped over to Morison’s in Northampton to get some supplies as we had invited the Robb family over.  I just had time to do some housework and catch-up with my ironing before Jim, Shirley and Kylie & Dan arrived with Harriet not long after them.   I thought the plan was to take everyone down to the Manor to eat but Phil got confused and Jim thought we were doing a bbq.  Actually the thought did cross our minds because although it was a cloudy start to the day the sun did come out at midday.  The fridge was already well stocked and Jim & Shirley brought loads so we decided to make a mad dash out to the shops to get stuff for a BBQ.  Wouldn’t you know, when we unloaded at the caravan with the shopping it decided to rain?   I thought to myself that the afternoon was doomed but it was only a shower and the sun came out again and saved the day.  I can’t say it was the best BBQ spread that we have ever put on but the Robb family hopefully  had a good time.  We certainly did. What I love so much about Jim and Shirley is there so cool and laid back attitude to life and I wish me and Phil could be more like them.  What I envy about the lovely Kylie and Dan is their sense of fun and their youthfulness.   They have both got very exciting times coming up in their lives and me and Phil wish them the very best.  

Everyone had left by 6pm so it wasn’t a late day.  We were still pretty pooped from  Friday evening and after settling ourselves on the sofas we promptly fell asleep. Which was a shame really because we missed the closing ceremony of the Olympics which we were looking to seeing.  But never mind, all in all in all it was a great weekend, friends, family, red wine and sunshine.   It’s good to have a good work life balance and play sometimes even if it does involve late nights and hangovers.

When we woke up we went straight to bed but I found myself wide awake at 2am and couldn’t go back to sleep.  Unfortunately I disturbed Phil which was a shame and we were pretty much awake for most of the early hours.  As is always the case, when the time did come to get up we were knackered before the day had evening started which resulted in a late drive over to MK.  It didn't help that we couldn’t find my car keys which normally wouldn't cause a drama but we’d left the land rover in MK so with only one car and one missing set of car keys it quite easily could have turned in a drama.   Eventually Phil found my keys in his short pockets so that was one crisis avoided but explains why no blog this morning.

It hasn't been the best of Mondays.  We arrived at the GP flat to see Blue the plumber letting himself into the flat.   He had phoned to say that he was going to fit the new sink and toilet on Sunday but obviously that didn’t happen.  With him working in the bathroom, it meant that Phil could carry on with stud work.   I left Phil to sort out Blue and went to Sue’s for a cup of tea and a catch-up.  Sue had had a busy weekend and our Monday morning debriefs, when we haven’t seen each other for a couple of days, well there is always so much to talk about.  Unfortunately this morning I had to be very brief because Phil needed me back at the flat so only half an hour of girlie chit chat and only one cup of a tea.  And a loo visit of course!

I don’t feel that we’ve achieved much today but like I’ve said before everything has seemed liked hard work with the GP flat.  The neighbour downstairs, Maurice, who has been away on holiday and before he’d left he’d agreed to pay half for the garden without knowing the cost, popped a note through the door to say that he thought the garden was great.  I just hope he doesn’t freak at the cost but if he does and refuses to pay; well I would have got it done anyway.  He put a kiss (x) at the end of the note so I think he is pleased but if he refuses to cough up half the cost then so be it.  I will cross that bridge when I come to it.  The only worry that I have, is that before going away he gave me a business card of a landscaper that had been recommended to him by a guy from work.  The trouble is that I had waited on him giving me this for weeks and when he eventually did, I had already given the go ahead to Will.  Oh dear, but what will be, will be.

So what we did we do today; well we went to Wicks to buy lights for the ceiling.  From there we went to Carpet Right to order carpet for the hallway and the bedroom.   We then went into Dunelms to try and buy blinds for the GP flat but they didn’t have the right size so we gave up.  Next stop was lunch at ASDA which wasn’t great. Phil had the steak pie which was burnt and I had the chicken korma which was very bland.  We did however manage to fill up my car with petrol and grabbed a Jacuzzi and a much needed shower at the health club.   From DW we went to B&Q to buy wall tiles and grout.  We heaved 7 boxes up the stairs, checked up on Blue and then went to MK hospital so Phil could have his annual Diabetes dye eye test.  He’s only had this one time before and it didn’t hurt but today it really stung Phil’s eyes and I had to drive home because his vision wasn’t great and his sight was blurred.

Tonight I am done in; it’s as much as I could to fling together a post so an early night needs to be had despite it being the final eviction of Big Brother.  As much as I like to party, and drink for that matter, when you get to a certain age, it does catch up with you.  Funny enough we were talking about this only yesterday afternoon and debating what age is old.  I think old age is when you feel like death still 2 days after the party has ended and plus, so my body is probably telling me something.  Give up old girl while you still can.  On that end note time to go to bed folks.......................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A week with good progress

We have had a busy but very productive week.  Phil worked solidly at the GP flat on Monday and managed to get the kitchen finished.   I have to say that I am really pleased with the way the kitchen has turned out.  Phil did very good.  He stayed home on Tuesday whilst I went over to MK.  First stop off was Sue’s for tea, toast and a catch-up.  When I got to the flat, the gardeners, Will and Dan were already there, busy hacking down the weeds.  I did some cleaning up in the flat; I did a couple of tip runs and grabbed a shower at the health club.  I had taken my gym kit with every intention of trying a workout but it just didn’t happen.  I can’t remember the last time I worked out, it’s been at least a month and probably much longer.

We drove to MK in separate cars on Wednesday morning because Phil had to have his Land Rover at Days garage by 8.30am and I wasn’t quite ready to leave.  His car was booked in for an MOT; whilst going through paperwork on Monday I nearly freaked out when I realised that Phil’s MOT ran out at the end of April! When I got to the flat, the new bath had already been delivered so we went to Wickes to buy a back-to-wall toilet, a sink, taps and bathroom units.   We did well to fit them in the Chevrolet and it was hard work getting them all up the steps but we managed.  Lunch on Wednesday was a shared portion of chips with curry sauce, a battered sausage and half a fish cake from the chip shop.  Very healthy NOT!!

Originally we were going to pull the shed down but Phil re-felted the roof and put new brackets on the door.  I painted 2 coats of dark oak and now it looks as good as new.   I was expecting the gardeners to be at the flat first thing but they didn’t show up until nearly 3pm.  Will and Dan concreted in the wooden posts in readiness for the new fence but that was about all they managed to do.   As usual we stayed at Sue’s on Wednesday evening; Phil went out with the Wednesday night boys and Sue cooked me supper.  It really was my turn to cook but Sue insisted and I gratefully accepted.  Sue has been a godsend whilst we have been doing up the GP flat and we are thankful for all the lunches, dinners, breakfasts, snacks and endless cups of tea.  Not to mention the borrowing of beds, buckets, brushes and other incidentals.  

It was all systems go at the GP flat yesterday.  Will was there early which was good because he was working alone.  He had his work cut out; he had to lay the membrane and shovel tons of gravel on to the garden.  Phil also had lots to do as he had to cut out the new bathroom units and because of the pipes he had lots of sawing to do.  It was such a hot day that he was sweating buckets with the exertion.  My job was painting the existing fencing which took me virtually all day.  Sue stopped by on her way back from the dentist to see how we were doing. She very kindly offered to bring us lunch but we weren’t that hungry and wanted to crack on.  I guess it was around 3pm by the time we finished.  We left Will at the flat still shovelling gravel and felt a little guilty for leaving early. 

It made sense to leave the Land Rover at the flat and went home in my car.  We were tired, dirty and very hungry by this point so we decided to stop off at The Manor for a bite to eat before going back to the caravan.  The sun was still out so we were able to sit and eat in the garden which was nice. We are back at the flat once again today.  We need to leave quite soon because Will said he would be there early and he needs electric so he can screw up the new fence panels.  If all goes to plan, the garden should be all finished by the end of today.  The plumber went in last night to fit the bath and he is going in over the weekend to fit the toilet and the basin.  So finally things are all coming together.   Don’t get me wrong, there is still so much to do but I reckon, give it another week and we will be finished.  Thank goodness!

Rain stop play

What is it with this weather? One minute it is hammering it down with rain and the next its brilliant sunshine.  I for one am totally fed up with it.  It was so cold in the caravan this morning that we had to put on the gas fire.   I am very aware that my post on Friday was a bit flat so I shall try and be a little more upbeat this Monday morning.  No promises mind you but I shall give it a go.

On Friday we were back working at the GP flat.  Phil worked hard sawing bits for the kitchen and I got stuck into painting the door frames.  This was easy because we have no actual doors yet because we took them off and chucked them away. I am really hoping that Phil will let me have some nice solid oak doors but we shall have to price them up first to see if it’s a viable option.

We stopped for lunch and met Harriet at The Tawny Owl in Walnut Tree. The food was okay but the reason for choosing The Tawny Owl was because it’s close to the OU and so easy for Harriet to get back to work.  Actually, after we finished eating the sun came out and we were able to sit outside and finish our drinks.  The only down side was that when we went to go, we realised that the garden seats hadn’t dried so we left with damp backsides.  From Walnut Tree we made our way to Bletchley to see if our piece of stainless steel was ready.  We were lucky because it was, just a shame the guy forgot to call us as we really could have done with it the day before.

Its always hard going back to work in the afternoons especially after a pub lunch and Friday afternoon seemed particularly hard.  Phil put up one of the under cabinet lights and I really didn’t like it.  I am ashamed to say that I had a little bit of a princessey fit so Phil made me go around all the DIY stores to see if we could find some alternatives.  We couldn’t find what we wanted on the shelf so in the end we gave up and went home.

On Saturday morning we were up very bright and early and at the GP flat before 8 o’clock.  I decided to pop round to Sue’s for a wee and a cup of tea before starting work and felt bad because I got her out of bed.  Okay, she was awake but it was a bit naughty of me to disturb her so early especially because I was on her doorstep early every day of last week.  After catching up with Sue, I went back to the flat to do another coat on the door frames.  Lunch was a burger at Burger King and then it was back to the flat for some more jobs.  It wasn’t a long afternoon, Phil was knackered and we were back at Sue’s house a little after 4pm.  We got showered and changed, watched some of the Olympics and then booked a taxi to go to the Orchid Lounge at the Jaipur.

Sue very kindly and very generously offered to treat us to a meal to celebrate my birthday.  Sue was in hospital for my actual birthday so we weren’t able to go out.  The heavens opened the moment our taxi arrived but it was clear blue skies when we got to the Jaipur.  It had been a long time since Phil and I had eaten at the Jaipur and I had forgotten just how expensive it is.  I knew it wasn’t cheap but if I had gone on line beforehand and checked out the menu I think I would have suggested we eat somewhere else.  But Sue wanted to try it as she hadn’t eaten there before and actually we had a very nice evening.  We got a great table and made sure that we weren’t rushed through the courses, which was nice.  The service was excellent and the food was very good.  We all agreed that the food probably didn’t warrant the final bill but sometimes once in a while you’ve got to do these things.  We finished our Saturday night out back at number 2 with music and dancing in the kitchen.  Thank you Susie Sue but next time it is definitely on us. No arguments.

A late night meant a groggy start to Sunday morning, well for me anyway.  In retrospect it would have been nice to have planned a duvet day with Sunday papers and a roast in a country pub somewhere but Phil had I had arranged to go and see his mum and dad in Melton.  We didn’t leave Sue’s until gone half nine and so it was gone 11 by the time we got to their bungalow.  Mum already had the dinner on the go and we sat down to a lovely roast chicken dinner not at midday.  It was an easy afternoon spent watching the marathon.  We had a cup of tea and a slice of lemon drizzle cake before leaving and then made our way back to Overstone.  Sods law, it was fine all the way back but the moment we got to the park, the rain and the hail came down with a vengeance.

Phil went early to the flat this morning but I have stayed home alone.  Phil has plenty of work to do in the kitchen but my painting jobs are just about finished.  We have a fridge freezer being delivered to the flat sometime this afternoon so I am not sure what time Phil will be home.  I have plenty to do at the caravan today having been in MK every day of last week.  Hopefully I will get everything organised and up-to-date here at Overstone and Phil will finish all the jobs in the kitchen so we will at least have one room complete.  This project is taking more time than I thought it would but hopefully by the end of the week we should have the finishing line in sight.  I certainly hope so; I am getting bored now and just want to get on with the rest of my life.

A flat week

It’s the end of the week and I feel weary.  Unlike last week this one has dragged. We have been working at the flat every day and things don’t seem to be progressing very fast. I am not sure why because Phil has been working his socks off.  We had a couple of late starts and we have had a few trips to source stuff from DIY shops.  We went to IKEA to get some LED lights for the kitchen units and were amazed at how expensive they were.  We took ages choosing and in the end went for some cheap ones which turned out to be absolutely crap so they will have to be returned.  We went to Wickes to try and buy a sheet of stainless steel for the splash-back area behind the cooker but we found out that it would take 2 to 3 weeks for delivery so we gave up on that.  In the end we went over to Bletchley to order from our usual supplier. 

Unfortunately the stainless steel is not ready and until we get this, we can’t screw back the kitchen.  Phil has been working hard sawing the white gloss to go round the wall units.  This isn’t an easy job as it involves lots of sawing but the units do look good when they are done so I think it is worth all of the effort.  Things are beginning to come together in the GP flat but it is all taking time, lots of time.  It has not been a particularly strenuous week for me because mostly its been Phil jobs.  I have mostly been cleaning up and doing endless trips to the dump.

On Wednesday afternoon I left Phil sawing and went to see Vanessa for a cup of tea.  I hadn’t seen her in ages so it was good to catch up.  Vanessa had just returned from a climb in Snowden. She was telling me all about her London to Brighton walk which sounded horrendous and even she said it was hardest thing she had ever done.  I take my hat off to Vanessa, I think I am reasonably fit but I couldn’t attempt to do any of the stuff that she has challenged herself to do.  The Ford family minus Shannon are off to Crete on Sunday so I hope they have a great well deserved holiday.

Phil went out with the Wednesday night boys as usual and I stayed home with Sue for a girlie night in and she cooked salmon and mash with fresh veggies.  After all the take-aways and crap food we have been consuming recently it made a nice change to have proper home cooked food.

Other than working in the flat we have enjoyed watching the Olympics this week.  Phil and I both said that we have watched more of the2012 Olympics than we have any other year.  Yesterday afternoon we managed to catch the canoe medals and the clay pigeon shooting medal when we dropped by Sue’s to cadge a cup of tea before heading back to Overstone.  I think we won a few other medals yesterday so definitely a good day for Great Britain.  

Today we are back at the flat; Phil has more of the wall units to encase and I need to finish the painting in the bathroom.  Phil tiled the bathroom floor on Wednesday and he grouted it before we left yesterday.  It will need a good clean this morning and then I can get on with my painting.  I’m afraid it hasn’t been a terribly exciting week and so not much to blog about.  Phil says that i if you don't have anything much to say then you shouldn't say anything at all but I think I'd try a few paragraphs this morning if only to sum up our week.  Unfortunately my camera died on me yesterday which wasn’t surprising seeing as I haven’t charged it for ages so I apologise for the lack of photographs.  That said, there are only so many pictures of painted walls and half made up kitchen units that one can take so perhaps my lack of visuals is a good thing.