Le Weekend

It took ages to pack up the cars on Friday morning even though I had sorted all the stuff the day before and it was all ready to go. Phil didn’t want to leave the caravan without watching the recording of Celebrity BB and I guess it was almost half ten by the time we got to the GP flat.  Better late than never I suppose but it also took ages to get all our stuff up the stairs and unpacked.  When it was all done we went to Harriet’s flat to retrieve some more of our bits and bobs from her loft.  There is still tons of stuff up there and once we get a spare morning we are going to go over and have a proper sort out as there is stuff that can to the charity shops or otherwise we can eBay it.

After the loft we went to Asda where we did a quick shop and had a bite to eat.  And then it was back to the GP flat to wait in for the washing machine delivery.  While Phil was waiting in for Argos to deliver and for the Vac Doctor to pick up the Dyson and take it away for a service, I went to Wolverton to drop off my Acer with the PC Fix man.  The washing machine turned up about 4 o’clock.  Phil put it in the airing cupboard but when I went to inspect, I pointed out that there wasn’t an electric socket so he couldn’t plumb it in.  The electricians should have done this and we hadn’t noticed that they hadn’t.  Phil used the shower for the first time and it was a bit of a disaster.  Our new, very expensive shower screen doesn’t do the job and all the water went over the new door and wall.  I got busy waxing the oak doors with linseed oil.  It was all going well until the tin slipped out of my hand and went all over the bathroom floor. Oh dear. Phil helped me clear it up and fortunately there was enough in the tin to finish off the rest of the doors.  I had planned to have a soak in the bath because I hadn’t had a bath in ages but the time ran away with me and so only enough time for a quick change and to apply a layer of make-up before picking up Sue.

We had booked a table at the Thai Modern restaurant www.thaimodern.co.uk at the city centre but Sue hadn’t seen the GP flat for ages so we decided to stop off for an inspection and a glass of Cava.  With glasses full of bubbles we toasted our first night at the GP flat after 2 hard months of hard graft and also the completion on Sue’s new house.  She’s not moving but has bought a house for her son Matt and his family to rent.  Phil and I hadn’t been to the Thai Modern in ages and Sue had never been before.   When we used to go to The Modern, we went for the buffet but now they only do the buffet on a Sunday.  The restaurant was busy but not over packed and we had a lovely evening.  After deliberating we asked for the set menu to share between the three of us and this was no problem.  The food was good, as was the service, and we all said that we would go back if only to sample the Sunday buffet.   The taxi dropped off us first and then went to Newport to drop off Sue so it wasn’t a late night.

I was up early on Saturday morning and was in Sainsbury’s at half past seven.   That is the beauty of being in MK in that the supermarkets are only a 10 minute drive away.  I had done my shop, brought toilet rolls from Lidl’s and was back home before half past eight.  Phil was still in bed but he got up when I got home.  We had crumpets and fresh fruit for breakfast and then it was time to start our day.  The first job of the day was to go to B&Q to buy a TV wall mount that swivels and also Phil wanted to get some plasterboard fittings.     We had the delivery of the IKEA wardrobes in the afternoon so we just had time to drive over to Broughton to see Sue’s new house.  When we arrived Matt was busy putting up new fittings and Sue was glossing the stair rail. I was a bit concerned that she was might overdue it but she assured me she’d stop if she felt tired.  The new house is lovely and it has a nice feel to it. I am certain that once Matt moves in his furniture, it will soon feel like home.

We had quiche with new potatoes and salad for lunch.  Harriet came round to see the flat and I took her to The Giffard for hamburger and chips as she didn’t fancy cheese and onion quiche.  As it was such a hot day, after lunch, Harriet wanted to sunbathe in the garden but we have a very overgrown tree at the back of our fence which takes away all of the sunlight so the garden was totally in shade.  I am going to have to get on to the council to see if I can get this chopped down.  I also need to see if I can get them to take down the timber structure at the back of us because not only is it unstable but also, it means that I can’t clean my windows.  But this is not high on the priority list and is a job for another day.  It will all get done but it is just a matter of time

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Ikea didn’t deliver the new wardrobe until nearly 3pm which was a shame really because Phil wasn’t really in the mood to erect them.  He’d already worn himself out getting the wiring down in the attic for the washing machine which was a hot and sweaty job.   But he managed to get the main structure of the wardrobes done before calling it a day.  He had a shower and settled himself to watch the highlights of the Grand Prix qualifying.  I didn’t feel that I achieved much on Saturday.  I did get my soak in the bath which was nice and then it was the X-Factor and an early night for me.

On Sunday I left Phil to assemble the wardrobes and popped over to see Sue.  I took her a Sunday paper and went to check if she needed any shopping or needed any jobs doing but she was fine so we had a nice cup of tea and a girlfriend chat instead.  And what a lovely morning, just what a shame we spent the whole day cooped up in the bedroom assembling the wardrobe.  I say we, but it was Phil mostly, I just helped with the odd screw and the doors.  I did roast chicken for lunch but it was too hot for a proper roast dinner so I just did salad with new potatoes, and very nice it was too.  

The IKEA Pax Anstad high white gloss unit were a real nightmare. Phil started at 11am and aside from stopping for lunch, it was nearly 5pm by the time he put his tools away.  The Pax wardrobe looks good and I am pleased with way it sits in the room BUT it was a real bugger to assemble and the hanging space isn’t wide enough.  The only way you can hang stuff up is by putting the hangers at a slant. I wouldn’t buy these wardrobes again.  Another problem that we had with the Pax, was that when we went to put the shelves in the wardrobe they were too wide so it’s back to Ikea again this morning. 

Our first weekend at the GP flat was a success. Friday night with Susie Sue at the Thai Modern, Saturday the sun shone and we had a relaxed evening.  Sunday was long and frustrating but at least Phil got to watch the highlights of the Monaco Grand Prix.   I am really pleased with the way that the GP flat has turned out.  It does feel a little cluttered in the lounge because we have so much stuff but the light from the 3 windows compensates for that.  I think that we will be very happy living here, and I for one, definitely won’t miss the daily 52 mile round trip to and fro from Northampton. 

Our next project will be the caravans.  Now that we have moved the bulk of our belongings from our caravan it is so bare and only has the basic essentials.  We need to re-gig stuff from the caravan next door and also get the rest of the stuff out of the storage unit.  After much debate, we have decided that we will keep both of the caravans on at least for next year.  The plan is that we will move into the caravan next door (no 1) and the keep the caravan that we are currently in (no 3) so that friends and family can stay.  We also want to try and rent it out next season so that we can cover some, if not all, of our costs.  Now that the flat is almost done, it will be interesting to see how much time we spend here and how much time we spend at Overstone. 

On the move once again

This week has been busy and once again we don’t seem to have stopped but it hasn’t been as manic as it has been for the last 8 weeks.  On Tuesday we did half a day in MK; Phil built up the new bedside units and they don’t look as out of place as I had feared.  In fact the units like quite good albeit that they are not really that practical.  The top of the units lift up and they have a mirror which is quite quirky.  The bonus is that they have lots of drawers which gives us the storage space that we so badly need.  While Phil was busy screwing, I popped over to Sue’s to get her shopping list.  She only wanted a few bits but I had quite a lot to get.  We drove back to the caravan in one car stopping off at The Manor to buy meat for a BBQ.  We had just enough time to get showered and changed in readiness for Dave & Eva who were breaking up their journey from Southampton en route to Newcastle.

Dave & Eva arrived at Overstone just after 4pm.  We met Dave & Eva a couple of years ago in Tenerife and we met up with them again when we last went to the Canaries in May of this year.  They are a lovely couple and it was nice to see them again.  Dave & Eva love their holidays as much as we do so we have lots in common.  Since we last saw them, they have been on a cruise around the Baltics and are off again in November on a cruise around the Canaries.  As it was such a lovely day on Monday, we decided to do a BBQ on Tuesday evening.  Unfortunately although it was warm, the sky was cloudy and at one point I thought it was going to rain.  But we were lucky and we managed to sit outside for most of the evening.  

On Wednesday morning Phil cooked bacon on the BBQ and after breakfast we took Dave & Eva for a walk around the lakes.  We had to leave them to their own devices just after 11am because we needed to get to the GP flat to let in the aerial man.  There really wasn’t much for Phil to do at the flat but one of us had to be at the flat to supervise.  And actually it was just as well because Phil noticed that after the aerial guy had fitted black wire in the flat when I had specifically required white wire.   He wasn’t that enamoured when Phil asked him to change for white but it had to be done.  After the job was finished, Phil & I went to Argos to order a washing machine.  Space is tight in the airing cupboard so we had to order a special size.  It is being delivered today so hopefully it will fit.

As usual we stayed at Sue’s on Wednesday night.  Sue was feeling tired after a constant stream of visitors and I was feeling jaded after a late to bed night the evening before so we had a simple supper and I think we went up to bed at 9.30pm.  Sue is recovering nicely after her operation; her wound was a little weepy so she had to call in district nurse for some dressings.  She had a bit of a panic on Thursday morning because her wound went from a little weepy to a lot weepy but the district nurse came out and put on a waterproof dressing.  She said that a build up of fluid is pretty normal and the wound wasn’t infected which was good news.

Phil went back to Northampton yesterday and picked up Georgina and took her and all of her boxes to London.  She is renting a house with a couple of other students from LSE and obviously couldn’t take all of her belongings on the train.  I stayed in MK and went to IKEA to get some bits and pieces for the flat.  I did some unpacking and cleaning at the flat and then went back to the caravan after stopping off to check on Sue.  I had a stack of washing and ironing to do when I got back and I also had to clean the caravan next door in readiness for step dad and girlfriend who are coming to stay next week.  Phil got back from London at quarter to five.  He was absolutely knackered as the sat nav took him right the way through the middle of London.  So it was a quiet night, a sandwich for tea and we caught up with the Big Brother evictions.

It is a big day for us today as tonight we are staying at the GP flat for the first time.  I have got a heap of stuff ready to load in the car and the plan is that we will stay at the GP flat for 3 nights at least.  I feel a little bit all over the place at this moment.  The caravan is looking very sorry for itself now that we have taken so much stuff out.   Phil wants to take the 50 inch plasma to the GP flat and the recorder but I am wondering whether we just ought to take the small telly from next door.  One of the problems is that we won’t have an internet connection at the GP until the 27^th and I am not sure I can go that long without internet access.  I think we may have to invest in one of those doolie dangle thing-me-jigs.  Well not much else to report.  Time is moving and I need to get a shower and get this show on the road. Bring on the weekend!

Where does time go?

I really do not know where the time goes.  Times goes so quickly and I forever seem to be chasing my tail and the ‘to do’ list seems never ending.  Still, I suppose I know that I am alive and hopefully things will quiet down soon.  I picked Sue up from hospital last Tuesday and stayed with her at her house until Friday.  I think initially she was a little nervous about coming home but actually she’s doing very well considering she’s undergone some pretty massive surgery only 2 weeks ago.  I am pleased that she is being sensible and not overdoing things.  Hopefully, as the days go by she will gradually start to feel better.   Sue can’t drive for 6 weeks but maybe next week we can out for some outings, not too far just something to give her a change of scenery.

Aside from Tuesday, Phil has been working at the GP flat all week.  It was a particular busy day on Friday as we had the carpenter fitting new doors and the glazier putting on new window boards.  There wasn’t much that Phil or I could do and we were a little bit in the way.  Both tradesmen were still going at lunchtime so we went back to Sue’s house for some lasagne and salad.  When we went back after lunch the glazier had finished and Joe the carpenter wasn’t far off.  There was lots of mess from the shavings from the doors, so much so, that I almost had a panic attack but in the end I got it cleared up.  I think Phil mentioned in his August blog but we are really pleased with the new oak doors.  They look top class.   Sometimes I wish I had serious money and then I could do really good renovations.  But I do the best I can with what I’ve got and the window boards and the new internal doors have made a big difference to the flat.  Definitely money well spent.

We went back to the caravan late Friday afternoon. I had every intention to do a million things when we returned but in the end I flung on a couple of washes and slobbed out in front of the TV.  To make amends, I got up early on Saturday morning and was in Tesco’s at West Favell by half past seven.  I don’t like this shopping centre but I can just about bare it if I go early in the morning when nobody is around.  Funnily enough it is a huge Tesco at WF but the food selection is not very good. Still beggars can’t be choosers and I came away with everything on my list more or less.

Phil dismantled the desk in the office and I had wanted him to look at the end of the year accounts but it was a Grand Prix weekend so at lunchtime he settled himself on the sofa to watch the qualifying.  We had the remains of the lasagne that I cooked at Sue’s for lunch so that was easy. I spent most of the afternoon washing, drying and ironing.  I also spent 2 hours on live chat with Sky and what a waste of time that was.  Phil fell asleep at teatime; I watched the X-Factor and then went to bed.  Not a terribly exciting Saturday night.

On Sunday morning we went to Sue’s house.  We picked up a French stick from the Co-op in Newport and cooked sausages and onions in Sue’s kitchen for breakfast.  The idea was to have a substantial breakfast because we had planned to have a late lunch so Phil could watch the Grand Prix.  After breakfast we went to the flat as we’d packed the car full of stuff.   I had wanted to unpack all the crates and boxes but Phil wasn’t keen and actually I wasn’t sure where I wanted stuff.  We were back at Sue’s for midday in readiness for the Formula 1 programme. Phil & Sue watched the race whilst I cooked roast lamb and some chicken for Harriet who we’d invited round for lunch.  It was a chilled Sunday with wine, papers and lots of TV and we stayed at Sue’s which saved us going back to the caravan.

Phil had to be up reasonably early on Monday morning as he had to go back to the caravan to meet Jon the removal man and van. We had tried to arrange this for Saturday afternoon but Jon took another job so he couldn’t accommodate us.  I didn’t go back to the van with Phil as there was no point; he knew what needed to be packed on the van.   I did a few domestics for Sue and then met Phil at the flat with the removal man and van.  It’s amazing with the extra sofa and the table and chairs from the caravan how full up the flat now seems.  There definitely isn’t room for any more stuff.  I forgot to take photographs but I am pleased with how it’s taking shape.  We have Stony Stratford Aerials coming to fit a new aerial on Wednesday and hopefully on Friday we will be all but finished.  We plan to stay on Friday night which will be exciting.  We have the IKEA wardrobes being delivered sometime on Saturday so that will probably take us most of the day to assemble.    

Yesterday we went to IKEA to buy high white gloss bedside units.  They are not really practical as they are really high but we have so little storage space in the flat that I needed units with lots of drawers.  Whilst we were in the west of town, we nipped over to the storage unit to get a rug and the futon bed to take back to the caravan.  On the way back we stopped off at The Manor to have a bit of lunch.  It was a lovely sunny day and we sat outside to eat.

The caravan minus the table and chairs, the sofa and the desk was looking really empty and very sorry for itself.  Unfortunately when Phil went to assemble the futon sofa bed we realised that we hadn’t picked up all the bits from the storage unit so it is now stuck in the middle of the lounge where the table used to be.   We have some friends arriving this afternoon but we are going back to MK this morning and are going to try and find time to go back to the storage unit to pick up the bits. If not, then its no the end of the world we shall just have to live with the mess for a few days.  Alas, it will be another job for another day.

August Phil

August always seems to mark the end of the summer for me.  In the old days, I went to Reading Festival for 7 years on the trot which is always held for three days over the August bank holiday.  We used to stay in a tent that I bought second hand when I was a teenager.  When my parents moved and we helped sort everything out, we found it up their attic.  I decided to keep it and transferred it up Harriets attic; not for nostalgic reasons really but because it was kept in my Dad’s old kit bag that he used during the second world war when he was in the German Army.  It might still have a few Marks sewn into the seems.  Georgina had decided to go this year with a few of her college friends and she contemplated taking the old Reading tent with her as it seemed quite appropriate but couldn't quite talk herself into it because she would have lost so much street-cred.  Not just the style but the terrible smell it has accumulated over the years.

This month has dominated my time again by the renovation of the Giffard Park flat as it has taken around 7 weeks to complete.  Most of Claire’s work in it was completed last month which gave her more time to spend with Sue who has had her operation this month.  Sue seems to have made a remarkable recovery so far and she came out of hospital on Tuesday 28th.  She would have been able to come out earlier on Friday the 24th (my birthday) but they decided to keep her in so she would be able to see her consultant much quicker than if she came out and went on the 6 week waiting list.  Ironically, when they rang her consultant on Tuesday after the bank holiday, he said tat it was too early for him to see her so they let her out anyway.  The operation was a complete success but they seem to have taken a few more things out than expected, including her appendix.  I hope they left her vital organs in place.  Well done Sue, lets all hope that this marks the end of your terrible run of bad luck and you can start to rebuild your life again.

The flat looks quite nice, especially the kitchen and bathroom, I am pleased that I forced through all the additional lighting in them both.  The two main jobs remaining are hanging the new solid Oak doors and fitting the window boards and trim; both of which I am getting professionals to do.  We also need a new digital aerial, a telephone connection and wi-fi broadband, none of which I am responsible for.  We also need to buy a wardrobe, shallow washing machine and take some furniture from one of our caravans.  When i say shallow washing machine, I done mean the water level, I mean the depth so that it will fit in the airing cupboard and we can close the new solid oak door.  Do I keep going on about our new solid Oak doors a little too much?  Well maybe its because we normally buy the cheap white panel doors that Claire has to keep painting; this is the first time that we splashed out on solid Oak doors.  Whoops, there I go again.

Working around the flat all the time has meant that we normally get take aways for lunch or stop for a pub lunch.  Our new favorite this time is the Nags Head, an old thatched and stone pub in Linford which will be walking distance when we are in the flat.  Its a proper old pub that smells of pubs with sticky tables and carpets.  Not like most of the modern Milton Keynes pubs that seem to lack atmosphere.  The beer is cheap and the food is tasty at reasonable prices; although Harriet took me for my Birthday lunch and both our meals were a little disappointing.

As usual, we had one day off a week to relax.  One weekend Jim, Shirley, Dan and Kylie came over to our caravans where Harriet joined Claire and myself for lunch.  As rain was forecast we had decided to take them for a pub lunch.  The sun was shining, the Cider flowing and everyone was happy to stay in our gardens so the girls shot to the local butcher to get some BBQ food.  The second that I started the BBQ and put food on it the rain came.  Good job we have the gazebo to shelter under.  I really enjoyed the day but suffered the next because of it.  It was nice to see Dan and Kylie as they are to emigrate to Australia in a couple of months.  Well Kylie is going in less than a month and Dan will follow when his house is sold and his visa arrives.  They will be staying in St Kilda in Melbourne renting a house belonging to one of Kylie’s relatives.  Their house is next to our flat.  Harriet was quite keen to buy it but Dan managed to sell it really quickly for a good price so it will either pay off his student loan or more likely give them a good start to their new life in OZ.  Dan featured in the Olympics opening ceremony with the health service.  He had to dedicate over 100 hours practicing before the event but it was worth it in the end.  Very few people get those opportunities and he will be able to mention it throughout his life whenever he cant think of anything else to say.

Harriet always likes to come over when Jim and Shirley’s family are around because they are all so nice to her.  The other thing that happened this month was a big party at Jim and Shirley’s to celebrate Dan’s 30th Birthday.  It started a little early, Claire dropped me off at before 1.30pm when Jim and I opened our first can of cider.

Tom had come over because it was another of their friends wedding the following weekend.  Joungja had stayed in KL because of job commitments and flight costs.  Tom had joined us with Dan on our Wednesday night old farts night out the same day as he travelled.  One of the first people that I spotted at the party was Joungja who was supposed to have been in KL.  She had popped over for a surprise visit so she could keep her eye on Tom.  Someone had brought Hoola Hoops and Joungja was quick to show us her skills.

It wasn’t long before the circus arrived and the jugglers started the show.  No, it wasn’t the circus, it was Dan’s mates; they all joined the local juggling club and they entertained us all evening.

As the sun went down, the clouds formed a beautiful pattern across the silhouette horizon.  Claire and Harriet turned up.  Claire had already been to another party; well not really a party, a regatta at Sue’s Dads old peoples home.

Jim’s Mum seemed to enjoy herself and seemed in good physical shape.  Just like all mum’s she kept trying to clear up as soon as anyone put anything down.  Jim made her stop, bit thats when the glasses started to get broken.  Mum’s know best.

Kylie brought the birthday boys cake out.  You cant have you cake and eat it.  Or can you?

 Well into the evening, jim turned off the music, quietened everyone down for an announcement.  Tom got up to tell everyone that Joungja and himself were to get married this year and then they would move back to South Korea to start a business.  Congratulations you two, you make a great couple!

 Claire likes dancing as everyone knows.  This time its with Sam who is to be best man at Dan and Tom’s friends wedding.

 Will Trix came over to give our garden and our neighbors garden a makeover.  Watched over by the top boss.

 Will had to shoot off for some more gravel to finish off.

The last job was for Jon with his van and cat to bring some of our furniture over from our storage unit.  He also has a caravan on one of the other sites near us.  He has agreed to take his van this weekend and take some of our stuff from the van to the flat on his return to MK on Monday.

 

Georgina is back from her months work in Shrewsbury, followed by a 3 week backpacking trip on trains around europe, followed by Reading festival.  She has a new boyfriend called James.  I think we will meet him next week.

August Bank Holiday

Phil and I drove together to the GP flat on Friday morning.  The plumber Blue had been in on Thursday evening and had fitted the power shower, the bath panel and the chrome glass shower enclosure.  It looked good and although he charged us a small fortune, I have to admit he has done a good job.  As has Phil with the boxing in and all of the tiling.  I’d go as far to say that this is probably our best bathroom yet.  Of course, it is not finished but it’s not far off.  I left Phil in the flat to wait for the electrician and went off to Newport to get my hair cut.  I stopped off at the tip, checked on Sue’s and got petrol before back to the flat.  The electricians were still there just finishing off and I was really surprised to see that Phil had cleared all of the tools.  I found him hovering the lounge which is a rarity but once I turned up he handed the hoover over to me.  I did a bit of clearing up and cleaning and then it was time to drive over to Oxford to see Sue.

The traffic was heavy but I suppose that was only to be expected seeing as it was a Friday and a bank holiday.  It worried me a little that the ring road and the M40 were really busy going out of Oxford.  Since I saw Sue on Wednesday she had moved wards.  I knew where to go because she was in the same ward that she was in a month or so ago.  When I got to the ward Sue was dressed and sitting in her day chair which a nice surprise and a big improvement from when I saw her on Wednesday.  She is doing great, obviously still very sore and tired but her doctor is very pleased with how things went. 

Whilst I was there Sue got moved to a private room because they needed her bed to keep close observation on a poorly patient; Sue didn’t mind and it meant that that she got to get her own bathroom.  I didn’t stay too long; about an hour and a half I guess which was probably long enough for Sue.  It gave her time to have a rest before dinner was served.  The roads were really busy and it took me 2 hours to get back to Overstone but I guess it could have been worse.  I was expecting to take Phil out for dinner for his birthday but when I got back to the caravan he was already in his pyjamas.   Harriet had taken him out for lunch so at least he had eaten.  They went to The Nags Head but Phil said the food wasn’t as good as it normally is and poor Harriet couldn’t her hamburger. 

We were up bright and early on Saturday morning because we had lots of things to do. Phil went over to MK before me because he had meet Jon the removal man and van at the storage unit in Fenny Stratford.  I wasn’t far behind and my first stop off was Sue’s. She called me on the way and I returned her call once I got to her house.  I was expecting her to say that she wanted me to come and fetch her but her doctor has recommended that she stay in hospital until Tuesday so she can see the cardiologist.  This makes sense as the waiting list is 6 weeks and by staying in, hopefully she can be sorted more quickly.  I think she has made the right decision and also it gives her chance to rest.  Once back home there will be the temptation to do stuff and there is a chance she may over due it.  I am going to try my best to not let this happen but whether she will listen remains to be seen.

I went to the flat to meet the carpenter who turned up a little early.  I wanted a quote for the stairs which really are in a bad state.  Unfortunately he reckons that it is going to cost as much to patch up as it will to replace the steps.  I thought this might be the case and we are waiting on his written quote which he thinks will be in the region of 2k.  We seem to be haemorrhaging money at the moment and its time I sat down and put together a spreadsheet to tally up money spent so far. Another job for my ‘to-do’ list. 

Phil turned up with the removal van whilst the carpenter was still measuring up so it was fully busy in our little cul-de-sac.   I had given Phil a list of things that I wanted from the storage unit and he got all of what was on the list plus a few extra bits.  I hadn’t seen my stuff for nearly a year and it was nice seeing it again.  Sad I know.  There is a temptation to go out and buy new but this would be a waste of money.

After Jon and the removal van left, Phil put together the bed and I made the bed up.  In theory we could actually sleep at the GP flat but it is still missing some vital creature comforts so I think not.  Although saying that, Phil is intent on staying on Wednesday night.  We shall see.  Phil put the backs on the sofa and hung mirrors and pictures up.  It really is beginning to look like a home now.  We still need to get removals from the caravan sorted but first we need to get a digital aerial installed and sort out a landline and broadband.

We couldn’t decide where to go for lunch on Saturday and in the end we chose The Giffard because it was close.   The food was alright and I guess it filled a whole.  The plan was to go to IKEA and revisit the storage unit but we were knackered and decided to go back to the caravan.  I don’t know what’s wrong with Phil & me these days but by mid afternoon fatigue sets in and we are good for nothing.  This was the case yesterday. I did suggest to Phil that we go out to the club house in the evening but he wasn’t keen.  We watched a film and I fell asleep on the sofa at half seven. 

I woke up at 5am on Sunday morning and decided to get up leaving Phil to sleep. And sleep he did and I was glad he was able to have a lie in.  It gave me a chance to catch up with emails and do some cleaning.  I did think about going over to MK to drop some things off but decided to go and do at food shop at Tesco’s at Weston Favell instead.  All this eating out is not doing us any good and its got to stop. Not only is it expensive but it’s mostly crap.  I put together a chicken casserole and switched on the slow cooker and then Phil & I drove to Oxford to see Sue.  She wanted a couple of bits taking and it gave Phil a chance to see Sue.  I am pleased to report that again she is doing really well.  Her sleep pattern is a bit sporadic even though she has own room but hopefully that will sort itself out once she gets back in her own bed.  Soon 3 hours passed quite easily and hopefully between the pair of us, we alleviated some of the boredom.

We had a good run back and although petrol was low we hit the caravan about 5pm so that was good.  What wasn’t so good was that I though I had switched the slow cooker when we left from high to low but I’d actually switched it to off so that meant no dinner.  We decided to hit the club house and managed to catch the last of the Sunday roasts.  Phil said he enjoyed his but there were no veggies left aside from peas which spoilt it for me.  My weight is plummeting to such levels because I have eaten so little of late and I am positive my stomach has shrunk.  I’m afraid it can’t be said of Phil’s tummy and his appetite is the same.  

Sunday evening was quiet and boring.  Same old really, collapse in front of the telly then bed. I know the bank holiday isn’t over yet but we have a very full day tomorrow so I decided to post today.  Unfortunately I have't taken any or photographs and Phil is reluctant to share his so I will take some tomorrow and post after the event.  

Happy Birthday Phil!

It's Phil's Birthday today and he is 57.  His iPhone woke us with email notifications just before 5am.   I got up to make a cup of tea and made Phil open his cards and presents.  We decided to read our books for a bit but then I noticed that Phil had put his book down and gone back to sleep so I got up.  We need to go to MK this morning so I am going to have to wake him up for his breakfast in a minute.   The birthday breakfast is beans on toast, not very exciting I'm afraid but its what the birthday boy requested. I need to go Oxford today but Harriet is picking up Phil and taking him out to The Nags Head for lunch.   Happy Birthday darling husband, hope you have a good one.  And remember if you're still hungry when I get home, dinner is on me tonight!