Shopping, stairs & LBD's

I really don’t know where the last week before Christmas has gone to. I don’t seem to have achieved much in spite of ‘to do’ lists and agendas.  On Monday I was up early and in the new Primark by 8 o’ clock.  It was delightfully quiet and I was able to pick up a few bits.  Nothing major, just some cheap leggings and casual tops, definitely clothes that are not meant to endure.  I then went on to the gym, shopped in Asda, drove to the flat to unpack and was round to Sue’s by 11.00am.  I only went for a cup of tea but ended up having lunch with her. I hadn’t seen Sue for the whole of the weekend and had withdrawal symptoms; we definitely needed a de brief for sure. Phil went to the pub for lunch and a couple of pints with Dan & Tom as this was Phil’s last opportunity to see Dan before he starts a new life in Australia. In the afternoon I spent 3 horrible hours shopping at the city centre.  I hate this time of year and it reminds why we try and disappear for Christmas whenever we can.

Joe the carpenter promised that he would start on Tuesday but the wood delivery didn’t turn up so he said that it he would be round on Wednesday.  My Tuesday was much the same as Monday, gym followed by lunch and another 3 hours in the centre.  It was so busy and I was knackered by the end of it but I did at least manage to finish my Christmas shopping and I also managed to find myself a party dress.  I went in all the shops but eventually found a frock in Jane Norman.  I was adamant that I would wear something other than black this year, I tried very hard, I really did, but I ended up with yet another black dress.  I think a girl can’t have too many LBD’s but this one is slightly different to all my other black dresses in that it’s an off the shoulder job and is sprinkled with glitter.  Sounds naff I know, but it does look better on than off.  It will do.

I was up very early on Wednesday morning, I checked my phone and picked up a voice message from Joe the carpenter saying that the lorry that the wood was on, had broken down so he wouldn’t be able to start work until Thursday.  I had a feeling that the new staircase would be a problem and my instinct was proving to be right.  I decided to go to the gym, but before setting off, I woke up Phil because he needed to be up and about.  Georgina was coming home from university for Christmas and he was picking her up from CMK station and taking her to see her grandparents.  Georgina is spending Christmas in Rome so this was her only opportunity to see grandma and granddad before Christmas.

With Phil out for the day, after the gym, I came straight home as I had lots of things to do that I can’t do when Phil is around.  It was lovely having the whole flat all to myself.  I was able to move the sofas and clean the wooden floor, in fact, I ended up moving and cleaning behind all of the furniture in the lounge.  It amazes me how just how much dust we get in this little flat and because everything is white it really shows.  My time home alone gave me the opportunity to clear out my drawers, catch up with washing, clear out my make-up bag and I also gave the bathroom a good going over.  I just about had time to make a big pot of chilli before cleaning my teeth and going to see Tina, my hygienist at the Two Mile Ash Dental Practice.

I never relish the thought of a session with Tina, she’s a nice enough girl but she is fairly brutal with me; even she admits, that she takes my pain threshold to the limit.  And my appointment on Wednesday afternoon was no exception.  It had to be done though.  Tina says that the pockets in-between my teeth are full of blood and could prove fatal if not dealt with. I was quite brave on Wednesday and so Tina was able to do some deep cleaning, however she is going to keep an eye on my pockets and if they don’t improve she will need to do some work under local anaesthetic.  Apparently flossing helps so I brought myself a pack and will try and remember to do this every day.

Phil met up with the Wednesday night boys at The Ship in the evening.  Jim wasn’t able to go as he was driving Dan to the airport.  We do wish Dan well in this new, exciting chapter in his life and I bet the lovely Kylie will be thrilled to see him.  I think in the New Year, it will seem very strange for Jim & Shirley when Tom goes to Korea, still, I guess there is always Skype, Facebook and they can of course always jump on a plane.  Harriet and I don’t see each other every day but I don’t know how I’d feel if she decided to move to the other side of the world. 

Sue & I met up with Jan at Carluccios in the city centre on Wednesday evening.  Sue & I couldn’t decide between Loch Fynn in the Hub and Carluccios in the centre so we let Jan decide.  Jan choose the latter and actually it turned out to be the right decision.  I have only been to Loch Fynn once but I remembered it to be a little cold and very much lacking in atmosphere.  Carluccios was packed and buzzing; it was just a little unfortunate that our very charming waiter, forgot to put our order into the chef.  I thought we’d waited a long time for our food and it was only when he came to apologise offering us a complimentary bread starter to share, that I realised why the wait.  The breads were nice but too filling and I can’t say I really wanted my spaghetti carbonara when it finally arrived.  Still the girlie chat was great and it was an evening which made me realise how lucky I am to have such nice friends.

Thursday turned out to be a weird day.   I’d woken early (quarter past four) and got up for tea and a bit of telly.  I went back to bed and the next thing I knew, it was 8am.  I was disturbed by the carpenter and his 2 helpers who had turned up early to do the steps.  I knew the forecast was rain and hadn’t really expected them to turn up at all.  I quickly got dressed, put in my tooth and made them all tea.  I didn’t feel like the gym but I kind of decided, it would be best to get out of the way.  I arrived back at midday only to find the gang in the midst of taking out the mid step.  It was a crucial point and I had to wait until they had banged out the metal step before they could provide me with a ladder to get up to my front door.  This wasn’t easy and not helped that it was pissing it down with rain.

After lunch Phil decided to go to Staples, the middle step wasn’t back in situ so he had to jump down but at least he managed to get out.  No sooner had he left when Steve phoned to say that he would be round in half an hour.  Unfortunately he arrived just as the team were securing the middle step back in place, so he too had to wait in the pouring rain before getting up the ladder.  He got up with with a slight wobble or two, and once inside, I made him coffee and sausage rolls.  It was really nice to see him.  Things seem to be going good for all the Pemberton family and I am pleased for them.  Phil got back a short while later so he was able to catch up with Steve which was good.  Steve said that Mads is off work until the New Year so hopefully we shall be able to catch up with them in-between Christmas and the New Year.

I do have to say that Joe the carpenter and his work mates, worked tirelessly all day in the rain yesterday, virtually nonstop.  They finally downed tools at half past four and things hadn’t gone as well as they’d hoped.  I kind of thought that the steps would be tricky and would take longer than anticipated and so far, I have been proved right.  The steps team are coming back again today and we have been told that we won’t have access from 8.30am until half one today at the earliest.  I have decided that we shall take ourselves off to do a food shop.  It’s about time Phil made some input into Christmas 2012 because so far he had done diddly squat.  I have been hammering my credit card of late to the limit and I think it’s high time that Phil got his out.  It's Christmas and we need to indulge. Sod the diet.

Winter Wonderland

Once again this week I have found myself with a reluctance to blog mainly because I haven’t had much newsworthy blog material but I figured seeing as I will be closing this blog off at the end of the month I may as well have a stab.  So here goes.  I went to the gym on Monday morning and then went shopping at the centre in the afternoon.  It was manic which is only to be expected at this time of year.  I still haven’t finished my Christmas shopping so I will be battling the crowds again this week. Hey ho.

I was back at the gym once again on Tuesday morning after going to get fruit at the outdoor market.  Lunch was leftovers and then Rachel, Harriet’s friend, came round to do my hair.  Phil took himself out of the way with various errands that he needed to run.  Rachel did me 2 colours with foil meshes, one blonde and one dark.  She didn’t take much off because I am trying to grow out my basin style cut.  My hair looked better when Rachel had done with me although I think it is going to take a while to grow the length.

The severe frost nearly took my breath away on Wednesday morning and it was such a shame because I was driving down to Suffolk to see step dads partner Marie.  While step dad has been sunning himself in La Manga, Marie has been project managing a kitchen refurbishment in their park home.  I wanted to see the new kitchen and I also wanted to give Marie her Christmas pressie.   I asked Sue if she wanted to come with me as I knew Kay was back from La Manga.  Sue made time in her busy schedule and I got to her house in Newport just before 9am.  I don’t know whether it was because of the frost, but the M1 was static southbound and Newport was clogged up.  We decided to have a quick cuppa to let the rush hour die down before setting off.  I decided to go through Cranfield on the back roads so as to avoid the M1.  I am not sure this was the wisest move because I had to take it slow but at least we weren’t held up and got on the dual carriage way at Moulsoe.

It was a pretty drive to Suffolk as it was so cold the ice hadn’t melted, very picturesque. The A428 was fine and we got to Marie’s house just after half eleven.  I think Marie is pretty knackered after all the upheaval but the new kitchen is looking great.  The space looks twice as big and the revamp has opened up the lounge.  I especially liked her black one and a half bowl sink and mixer tap.  If it were me though I would have probably sorted out the ceiling, walls and flooring before fitting new units but I am sure Marie will have these sorted soon.  I think step dad will have a nice surprise when he gets back from Spain in March.

The original plan was that we would meet Kay at the pub for lunch but Marie was expecting an electrician so she had to stay in.  She made a buffet lunch with hot sausage rolls, sandwiches and mince pies which we had when Kay turned up.   Kay flew back from La Manga on Saturday evening so she could go to her son’s nativity play.  She was also back to take him on a day trip to Lapland.  It was nice to catch up with her and especially for Sue to hear all the La Manga gossip.   I wasn’t too sure what time we would leave but I was worried about driving the entire journey back in the dark and I knew it would be busy at the turn off for Cambridge.  I guess it was about half three by the time we said our goodbyes.

The road was busy and it took 2 and half hours to get home.  Unsure what time we’d get back on Wednesday evening we hadn’t made any firm plans for supper.  In the end we went and got a Chinese takeaway.  Once back at Sue’s, the music was put on, the wine was opened and it was the usual Wednesday night drunken debauchery.  I got a taxi back and was really glad I didn’t have to get up at half past six on Thursday morning like Sue did.  Rather her than me I thought and actually I had a lie in.  I didn’t feel like the gym but instead I persuaded Phil to come with me to the new Primark.  What a mistake this turned out to be as the whole of Milton Keynes had the same idea.  We parked at the Doubletree car-park and walked across.  Phil went upstairs to look at the men’s clothing and I picked up a few things on the ground floor.  However when I saw the length of the queue at the tills, I put it all back.

Lunch on Thursday was at the carvery at Shenley Church End.  Normally we really enjoy the roast dinner here but it wasn’t up to scratch.  Undercooked vegetables and hard potatoes.  Never mind at least it saved cooking. It was a foul day on Friday and when I opened up to the blinds to see the rain I decided against going to the gym.  I did however pop up to the city centre to get some toiletries from Superdrug and a couple of bits from John Lewis.  When I got back to the flat, I had a shower and got ready and we drove to Newport to pick up Sue and Brian.

I saw a Groupon voucher for a 2 course meal for £24.99 at Cameron’s Brasserie in Stony Stratford.  Sue saw it to so we both brought a voucher and arranged a lunch date for last Friday.  The attraction for Cameron’s, aside from the price, was the fact that the chef was one of the finalists from Masterchef.  We all opted for a starter followed by a main.  Phil & Brian had the terrain of pheasant and Sue & I went for the soup. 

The restaurant itself didn‘t have very much ambience; Sue said it felt like a barn conversion but to me it had the feel of a garden centre café.  We were sat by the back door and experienced a cold draught every time a guest came in.  The worst was that it was so noisy that we couldn’t hear each other talk.  The wine was expensive but this is not uncommon and I did think that perhaps we wouldn’t have ordered a second bottle of Chilean Merlot if we didn’t have to wait an hour for the main course to be served.  Sue chose the fish, I had the turkey and Phil & Brian both had spider steak.  The boy’s food was good, nicely presented and tasty by all accounts.  My turkey which was served inside what looked like a roast potato was dry and Sue didn’t eat much of her main.  We had a nice time but I don’t think any of us will be rushing back.  After Cameron’s we went back to Sue’s for mince pies.

I went to the gym on Saturday for a quickie and when I got back we drove over to Overstone to collect the post.  The plan was to stop off at The Maltings in Stoke Goldington on the way back but it didn’t look like it had opened yet so instead we ended up at The Four Pears in Little Houghton www.thefourpears.com It was a pricey, pretentious pub, a little up its own arse and the service was very slow.    Phil’s first choice of main wasn’t available and my fish didn’t taste right.  On the way home we saw that The Maltings was open so could have we kicked ourselves for not checking first.  Saturday afternoon turned out to be a duvet one, on the sofa watching films.

All in all, our weekend was a gentle one. On Sunday I went to the gym leaving Phil working on GAD paperwork and when I got back I cooked roast pork for lunch.   After the winter wonderland weather on Wednesday it was nice to see some warmer temperatures over the weekend.  We didn’t expect to see Joe the carpenter on Friday mainly due to the rain but he phoned on Saturday to see he hadn’t received the wood yet.  But he is hoping to start work on the steps today.  After a quiet week and an even quieter weekend, I don’t think the steps are going to be straight forward.  I rather think it’s the calm before the storm but I don’t really mind, variety is the spice of life and perhaps I shall have something to blog about.

Tis the season to be jolly......

I got on the scales on Monday morning and was dismayed but not altogether surprised to see that I had gained 4 pounds.  I had felt podgy and expected I’d gained a pound or maybe 2 seeing as I have been out dining and wining. The whole box of chocolate orange matchmakers that I stuffed down my face on Saturday afternoon wouldn’t have helped.  But 4 extra pounds this side of Christmas is seriously not good.  I got out my poo tea which doesn’t bode well with my piles but needs must and all of that.  I did a major work out on Monday afternoon.  My energy levels are never that great in the afternoon but I forced myself and even had time for a lovely swim and a steam after my gym session.

On Tuesday I stopped off at the outdoor market for some fruit and was in the gym by half past eight where I had another good workout.  Lunch was Thai green curry which I’d made the night before.  As the sun was shining and it wasn’t too cold outside, I got on my boots and set about clearing the leaves from the back garden.  I filled the entire bin and managed to get most of the leaves up but not all of them.  It wasn’t easy because the leaves were soggy and it was difficult not collecting the shingle along with the leaves but it’s looking much better.  Before the sun went down I took my Chevrolet to the garage on the dual carriage and got it cleaned inside and out.  For only 10 quid, this polish gang do an amazing job.

The snow was a big surprise on Wednesday morning when I opened the blinds.  I don’t think it was forecast and I couldn’t believe there was so much on the ground. I borrowed Phil’s land rover and it was a visit to the gym in the morning for me and then an afternoon of shopping for Christmas presents in the city centre. I got a few bits and it was almost dark when I got back home.  Phil worked on paperwork for the GAD estate and I don’t think he ventured out of the flat all day.  By the time I’d got back from the centre, he had at least got showered and changed in readiness for his night out with the boys.  I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to link up with Sue as her dad is back in hospital again after a fall but she had a good visit in the afternoon at MK General and was free to come round for supper.  Supper wasn’t much; just salmon with a few veg. Sue brought round her newly purchased Christmas CD and we danced to this in my kitchen.

A late night and too much red wine didn’t bode well for Thursday for neither me nor Phil but this is pretty much the norm for a Thursday morning.  I really wanted to lie in but I knew that Phil had a 9.30am appointment with the solicitor and I worried that he might not wake up if I went back to sleep.  I should have set the alarm the night before but this would have been too organised for me.  Phil’s meeting with the solicitor went well and he came back in a very positive state of mind.

I couldn’t say the same for me; I felt like hiding away from the world and decided upon a duvet day.  I did get dressed and also managed a bit of ironing but that was about it for lazy bones me.  We watched a couple of recorded films from Film 4 but they were crap and a little depressing if I am totally honest. At teatime I had a bath, put on my PJ’s, watched some soaps and had an early night.

On Friday morning I was feeling much better after a solid 10 hours sleep and went to the gym having missed the day before.  My journey to DW wasn’t nice, it was a foul morning and sleeting all the way.  Thankfully by the time I had immersed from the gym the sleet had stopped and the sun was shining.  I was pleased because I was driving Sue to the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham.  She said that she was happy to drive herself but it’s cheaper in fuel using my car and also it’s easier to park in the car park.

We left Sue’s house in Newport just before half eleven thinking we would have plenty of time for her appointment with the cardiology consultant at half one but the roads were busy and it took us almost 2 hours.  The Queen Elizabeth is a massive hospital and it was stressful trying to find the right car park but eventually we found car park A and arrived at the unit at 1.27 pm.  So no time even for a wee or a cup of tea.  After her operation in Oxford and subsequent scans and tests with cardiology at MK, Sue was referred to Birmingham for open heart surgery because they have more experience of operating on patients with carcinoid.  Sue was seen almost straight away for weight, BP, height etc., before going for an ECG.  We didn’t have wait too long before she was seen by the cardiology registrar.  Once we got in Sue had to get through her medical history and was checked over before being sent to another unit for a scan.  She was half an hour having a scan and then we got to see the consultant.

The consultant apologised once we got in to see him, apparently Sue should have been sent straight to him and not the registrar.  When we were driving to Birmingham I asked Sue what she expected to find out from the cardiologist and she said she wasn’t sure.  I am certain she wasn’t prepared for the straight talking consultant, who spouted rather frightening statistics and told it how it was, no feelings spared.  The consultant told Sue that she would need open heart surgery sooner rather than later and that because of her very rare condition she had a 10% chance of not surviving surgery.  This came as a bit of a shock but after talking to Sue at length he said that she probably had a better chance of a full recovery.  It was a bit of a shock but after lots of questions from Sue it became obvious that not having open heart surgery to repair her valves simply is not an option.  Her heart could deteriorate in a couple of years and she would have even less chance of pulling through. 

Before we left the hospital the consultant said he would speak to the surgeon and his team and that surgery would take place at the beginning of January. It’s scary as this only gives Sue 3 weeks to prepare herself.  The drive home was horrible, dark and a little scary getting through the centre of Birmingham in Friday rush hour traffic.  The M6 was busy but it was moving and we finally got back to Sue’s house at quarter past six.  We didn’t talk much on the way back; I was busy concentrating on the motorway and I am sure Sue had a million and one things going through her mind.   The consultant said the best thing Sue could do was go home and have a big party so we decided that this is what we are going to do, party right up until the time she goes into hospital.  Okay maybe the day before. I don’t need an excuse to party and for that matter neither does Sue.  After all, tis the season to be jolly…..tra, la, la, la, la, la, la, la.

It was almost 7pm by the time I had got back to the flat; Phil, bless him, had saved me some curry and had been thoughtful enough to record my favourite TV programmes.  To be honest I couldn’t face eating, too much on my mind and of course Phil wanted to know how Sue had got on at the hospital.  On Friday night all I could do was think of Sue.  Sue will be fine, she is a survivor and if anyone can pull through it will be her.  It goes without saying that I/we will do everything to help her. After all that’s what friends are for.

Phil & I were both up early on Saturday morning.  I went to the gym and Phil went to Lidl’s and then drove to Overstone to pick up the post.  I put a chicken in the oven when I got back from DW and Harriet joined us for lunch.   She is excited about her Christmas and asked me if she could open her present which is the only present under the tree. Of course I told her no!  After she left I got my cans of Hammerite out and set about spraying the steps. Joe the carpenter phoned last Friday to say that he plans to start on our steps later this week, weather permitting.  Joe is building a new staircase in softwood but we are keeping our existing metal steps.  So far I have used 6 cans of Hammerite, at £11.98 a can it’s not cheap but they are looking 100% better.  I think another 3 cans will finish the job and Phil says that once the new stair case is in situ, he wants to finish the job by painting the steps with a tin of Hammered Hammerite.  I don’t quite know what difference this will make but if Phil wants to do it, then I certainly won’t stop him. 

We had a panic phone call from mum and dad on Saturday evening to say that all their lights weren’t working. Phil got them to check the fuse box to see if anything had tripped but they said it hadn’t. There wasn’t anything we could suggest other than to call the electrician who fitted the new fuse box earlier this year.   As luck would have it, we were already going to visit yesterday.  I told Phil’s mum that we would be down for 10am because they wanted us to take them to Costco in Leicester.  We were slightly late leaving MK and didn’t get down to Melton until quarter past ten.   We thought no biggie but Phil’s mum was stressed that we were behind schedule.  To make amends, we refused the offer of a cup of coffee; instead we got the old folks loaded in the car and drove them to Costco.

Mum and dad said they knew where the new Costco was but in actually they didn’t and we ended up on a wrong road and asking for directions.  Eventually we got to where we needed to be but the visit was a disappointment because Phil’s dad couldn’t find his German sausage or his brat herring.  He was grumbling all the time and I had to bite my tongue.  We weren’t long in Costco because mum and dad were anxious that we wouldn’t be on time for lunch at The Bowls Club.  In actual fact we had loads of time and arrived quarter of an hour early and had to wait for the food to start. Lunch was a carvary and actually it was really nice.  It was mum’s birthday yesterday so it made a nice change for her not to have to cook. 

When we got back to the bungalow Phil checked the fuse box and the light switch had tripped; Phil flicked it up and hey presto there was light.  Mum phoned to cancel the electrician and at least the problem was easy to resolve.  Phil watched a little bit of the snooker and we had tea and a slice of birthday cake before saying our goodbyes.

And this brings me to another Monday morning and only 2 weeks until Christmas and I am not organised.  I have still got presents to buy, people to see and places to go.  I am pi****d that I haven’t lost any pounds this week in spite of mega workouts and depriving myself of food.  It just doesn’t make sense.  Right now I am going to put out my rubbish and then I am off to the gym.  Need to step up my game if I am going to shift this weight.  

Christmas Countdown

The end of the month took me by surprise and Phil’s monthly didn’t give me a chance to blog about my week.  Not that there is much of great importance to report but I figure, better late than never.  Once again last week I forgot to take out my camera so apologies for the lack of visuals and my explanation for having to improvise.

On Monday morning I went to Sue’s for tea, toast and a catch up in general.  There is so much happening in her world that it’s difficult to keep up.  After Sue’s, I went to Curry’s in CMK to get me a new mobile phone.  My old Nokia finally gave up on me not helped by accidentally soaking the battery in vinegar.  Don’t ask!  My phone has playing up for months and I really don’t know why I have taken so long to get it sorted.  In the end, getting a replacement was easy and cheap.  I got another Nokia for only £7.13. I got it home, charged the battery up and popped in my old sim card which then gave all my contacts. 

I had to wait in on Monday afternoon for eTyres to come out and fit 2 new tyres.  The Chevrolet garage in Northampton gave my car a free safety check which revealed that my 2 front tyres were knackered.  I couldn’t believe it because it’s less than 12 months since I had them replaced.  Normally I get tyres fitted at Kwik Fit at Kingston mainly because they supply free coffee and biscuits while you wait and also they have a good selection of daily newspapers. Plus its warm and the toilets are nice.  However, I decided to do a bit of tyre price comparison and found that eTyres were the cheapest.  It shows that you need to shop around.  I paid £124 last year for 2 tyres and this year I only paid £87.  I do like a bargain.

Tuesday was an easy day; Phil went to Overstone to pick up the post and I went to the gym.  My friend Jane picked me up at quarter to one and we went to Robinsons in Newport for lunch.  The restaurant was busy and I was glad I had booked a table.  I haven’t been to Robinsons (the restaurant) for yonks.   Jane and I went for the 2 course special and actually choose the same 2 dishes, fish cakes to start followed by corn fed chicken on a bed of spinach and mash.  I made the stupid mistake of eating all of my 3 fish cakes which were divine and also a brown roll which made me too full to eat my main course. I do the same every time and could kick myself afterwards.  I barely touched my chicken but never mind it gave me a chance to get up to date with Jane and all of her news.  I only see Jane about 2 or 3 times a year so when we do link up there is just so much to say and last Tuesday was no exception. 

On Wednesday I went to the gym and Phil drove down to the probate office.  I did offer to go with him them I remembered I had an appointment at Specsavers to collect my new glasses.  My glasses were fine, my prescription hadn’t changed that much but I could tell the difference with the new lenses. Phil said my new glasses look just the same as my last glasses and that is probably true because I always choose the cheapest frames.  I figure as I only need spectacles for reading why waste money on fancy frames??

Jan invited me to her house for supper on Wednesday evening and very kindly picked me up from the flat when she dropped Steve off.  Sue was invited for supper as well but she had to cancel as she had a family crisis.  This was a shame as Jan and done a huge lasagne but we still had a nice girlie catch up evening with food and wine.  Unfortunately I conked out on Jan’s sofa and didn’t get back in the taxi until 1am waking up Phil in the process.  Good job Steve was working from home on Thursday and that Jan was going into work late.

I can’t for the life of me remember what I did on Thursday but I don’t recall doing very much.  Friday was a more productive day, gym, food shopping, domestics and paperwork.  On Friday evening we met up with Harriet and Billy and Jim, Shirley & Dan.  It’s true the Giffard has gone downhill slightly but we have a soft spot for this pub and will continue to frequent.  We all had something to eat on Friday evening, the food was okay and we had a good night.  The company is what counts. It’s nice to see Phil enjoying himself as he has been a bit depressed recently which is not like the normal Phil. Harriet and Billy walked with us to the flat and called a taxi back to Caldecotte.  I think it was 1am by the time we got to bed.

Needless to say that I didn’t get to the gym on Saturday.  No, instead we had an easy morning and packed for an overnight stay at the caravan.   Phil needed to pick up the post and we thought we may as well give the caravan a bit of an airing and just check that everything was okay.  The lady at The Manor told Phil that Cogenhoe and Billing had both been evacuated due to the floods but Overstone Lakes was okay.  Our park doesn’t have any history of flooding which is just as well because this wasn’t something we had even considered when we brought our first caravan.

The caravan was absolutely freezing when we unlocked the door and turned the alarm off.  I unpacked our overnight case and Phil put on all of the heaters.  Both the caravans were okay, cold but no outside damage from the high winds a couple of weeks ago.  We went to The Manor for a 2 for £10 meal deal which was okay.  After lunch we did briefly consider a walk in our wellies around the lakes but jaded from the night before, instead we whacked the gas fire on full and settled on the sofas to watch a film.  I think Phil wanted to go down to the clubhouse in the evening but there was no way I could hack 2 nights out on the trot plus it was a freezing cold night. I think it was down to minus 5.  We must have been crazy to pick the coldest night of the year to stay in the van but crazy is what we are.  Actually, once you warm up the fabric of the caravan, its fine.  We had the good sense to get the heated blanket from the caravan next door and switched it for 2 or 3 hours before we went to bed.  It made all the difference.  Both Phil & I slept like logs not waking up until 8am. 

We were driving down to Melton Mowbray to see Phil’s mum and dad on Sunday morning and I really wanted to be on the road by 9am but by the time Phil had had a shower, we’d packed up the car and shut everything down it was gone quarter to ten.   The Land Rover was thick with ice and it took ages to defrost. Everything was white outside and it looked so pretty, I wished I’d have been awake enough to capture it on camera.  It was almost 11am by the time we got to Melton; Phil’s mum already had the roast dinner in the oven and it smelled delicious. 

Aside from seeing mum and dad we had gone down to do some jobs around the house.  Phil had made up some boxing to cover the pipe work in their bathroom which is very ugly.  He’d worked out the size but unfortunately it was too big so he had saw some off to make it fit.  Phil had brought some casing to cover the pipes but the bit he brought, although it was the right size, the fittings were too big for the pipes. Its back to the drawing board on this one but hopefully Phil will be able to find the right size fittings so we can get all their pipes covered.

We had roast lamb for lunch which was lovely; obviously Phil’s mum had gone to a lot of trouble.  As she always does for us but I do worry that it’s all too much for her these days.  Indeed she was in a lot of pain on Sunday and it showed.  Every step she took was a struggle.  After lunch we sat and did the crossword whilst watching the snooker.  As with every time we visit, Phil had to show his mum how to record tv programmes and how to re watch.  Some things never changed and it’s not a biggie. We left Melton just after 3 and got back home at half four.  We unloaded the car and whacked up the central heating.

Now that we are at the beginning of December I can no longer ignore that the fact that Christmas is just around the corner. I hate the festive season with a passion and long for the days when we can fly off and ignore the whole thing.  But it won’t be happening this year.  I feel obliged to spend Xmas day with mum and dad, conscious that they are not going to be around forever but at the same time I have an obligation to Harriet who will be on her own if we go to Melton.  Of course she could come with us but she doesn’t fancy this option. As a compromise, I have said that we will do Christmas Day just the 3 of us at the flat and will do Boxing Day with mum and dad.  My sisters along with brother-in-law, nephew and girlfriend are coming to Milton Keynes in-between Christmas and New Year so we will meet up with them for a meal in the evening.  Other than a night out with Susie Sue on the 21 of December that is about all we have planned.   Yesterday we brought back my twig effect Christmas tree from the caravan and I found a snug place for it to stand in the flat and dressed it with a few baubles.   But other than that, this is as festive as its gonna get in our little flat.

November Phil

This has to be the quietest month of the year for me.  Since our excitement of last months wedding and holiday I just looked back through my photos to find that I have only taken two so far this month.  I have a few days left so that camera will be coming out!  The reason being that I have been concentrating on the alleged fraud of Daphne’s estate by her IFA.  I know that Claire made this blog private since things got nasty but I suspect that its not as private as she imagines.  Going back to the time it was first made private, I told the story, in my end of month summary, that Jim (the other executor) had made a scene at our solicitors and had to physically escorted off the premises.  The very next morning, I had a text from him apologizing for his actions.  Those of you that know me well will know that I don't believe in coincidence.  Then, earlier this month, Claire received an email for someone saying how much she enjoyed her blog and pointed Claire to her own blog.  How does that work when Claire has made all her blogs private?  Anyway, even though this blog is private, I still have to be careful what I say so forgive me as this is not normal for a “naked blogger”.

When I first got to Daphne’s house to sort out her funeral and finances for probate, it was obvious from the start that most important documents were missing, including her latest will.  There were also no documents relating to her late husbands trust fund.  I had a copy of the will which Daphne had sent me and there was a photocopy in her important documents tin but no original.  Apparently, Daphne had realized this prior to her hospital visit, so 2 days before she went into hospital she signed the copy and had it witnessed to say that this was her final will and testament.  The origin will was found round Jim’s house while I was there in the first week.  This was now covered in coffee stains but not ruined.  I believe that the copy of her will Daphne signed just prior to her hospital visit will prove invaluable in the end game.

Almost all Daphne’s documents relating to her finances were missing along with any correspondence with her Financial Advisor.  This IFA later denied to ever have been Daphne’s FA but was rather her very close friend.  Astonishingly to me, the company that he works for also took his side and backed him completely making my job very much more difficult because nobody would give me any documents.  Also, within a week, her FA had persuaded the other executor Jim to become a trustee for Daphne’s house which had been signed into trust while she was in hospital.  This meant that the other executor was in the pocket of Daphne’s FA that was really her best friend.  I found out around this time that the other trustee of Daphne’s house was the wife of her FA which Daphne had never met but of course, her FA insists that she too was one of Daphne’s best friends.  By this time I am acting completely alone and it appears to me that everybody else in in a massive conspiracy to swindle Daphne out of her final wishes.  I became very despondent and probably depressed although I never received any treatment for it.  It wasn’t really until I spoke to my accountant and friend that I really snapped out of it and started the battle properly.  His advice was that if I do nothing, they will win and get everything.  If I fight, I still might not get anything but at least some of the money, if not all, will be used up in the legal battle and reduce the amount that can be gained fraudulently.  In my mind, I now know that I cannot loose.

I started by finding out all the companies that Daphne’s FA had worked for from the FSA website.  I wrote to each of these sending them a copy of Daphne’s will and a death certificate so they could see that I was acting as her executor and they were obliged to treat me s if I was Daphne.  Now Daphne is alive again to fight her own battle.  All these companies were quite helpful, especially to start with and once I had established a relationship I could phone them to get more and more information about her investments, most of which had already been cashed in.  It also meant that I could write directly to the investment companies.  I gradually received copies of old documents which is slowly uncovering a web of deceit.  I also had a few documents that had not been stolen from Daphne’s house and I wrote to each of those companies as well so as to create a working relationship with them.  I think that I now have a pretty good picture of the extent of Daphne’s stocks and shares at the time of her death.  My next step was to visit the probate offices in London to get a copy of her late husbands stocks and shares at the time of his death 10 years ago.  This would have given me the starting point and the end point which should enable me to gradually join them together and eventually uncover every transaction made by her FA.  I visited the probate office in London on Wednesday but it appears that probate was not done for Daphne’s late husband.  I guess that he didn’t leave very much as everything was put into this damned trust.  However, I am now able to talk to all the financial people regarding Daphne’s late husbands trust fund because I have uncovered that I am a trustee of that as well.  I have also found out that Daphne’s FA’s wife is also a trustee of this trust as well.  No wonder he didn’t want anyone to know that he was Daphne’s FA.

I now have lots of documents siting Daphne’s FA as actually being her FA for at least the last 10 years.  Strangely, since uncovering this, both her FA and the company that he works for have now started to send me information and accept that they were Daphne’s IFA’s.  However, the information that they are sending me is minimal and it certainly wont stop me from complaining to the FSA at the end of the day.  Amazingly, I have found one live fund that Daphne had me down as second life covered and once she died, this company created a new customer number for me.  This effectively makes Daphne’s FA and the company that he works for my IFA’s.

I have uncovered some very interesting things so far that could have very big consequences, but at the moment I best not talk about them.  Regarding the original trust, the pendulum has started to swing in my direction.  However, regarding the house trust, there is little that I can do at the moment without a full out court confrontation which would be very expensive.  I think that for the moment, its best to uncover the easier trust first so that any anomalies found there will be in our favor for the second expensive confrontation.    Watch this space.

More immediately, Daphne’s house is now up for sale.  I have visited my solicitor and it is possible to get an injunction to temporarily stop the sale but this process is incredibly expensive.  I don't believe that the gain is worth the expense at this moment.  I have also been told that even if it is sold and the money distributed then I can still recover this money retrospectively from the beneficiaries once the truth is finally uncovered.  Of course, this does not stop me from sticking a few spanners in the works if the house does sell.

Our passports run out early next year so we sent them off for renewal and they finally came back this month.  Claire is now officially Mrs Krause.  It also means that we can go on holiday somewhere outside of the EU again.  When I get a moment I will start searching again.  I really fancy going back to Goa again as it has now been several years since we last went there.  The flight prices seem to have gone up enormously since I last looked, however their exchange rate looks quite favorable.  I have found a cheap week there that includes flights and B&B but they cannot arrange the flights outside of the accommodation.  Ideally we would go for 2 month leaving early next year.  I have also been looking for a cruise again and found a really great sounding one that starts from Barcelona stopping at Madera, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Malaga and back to Barcelona again.  I did enquire about this but they wont let you off the ship until you get back to Barcelona.  Well, you can get off for the day but not for a week and then catch the next cruise ship that comes by.  I found a nice 3 day trip to Iceland stopping in the Reykjavik Hotel.  What a trip that would be especially if you were lucky enough to see the Northern lights.  At the least you could visit all the active geezers and volcanoes, every boys dream.  Unfortunately though, not Claire’s, she would rather stay at home.  Whatever we finally chose, I don’t think that we will have time to get away for more than a few days before Christmas as we have too many commitments already.

We have been going back to the Nags Head again recently and decided to walk so as to find the route.  I thought it was best to follow the canal but Claire thought it quicker to cross the bridge and go through Linford Park.  Claire went one way while I went the other.  When I got there, I took my phone out so I could phone Claire and tell her that I was already there but then I spotted her waiting outside the pub.  She must have ran.  Anyway, the next time we walked there we went Claire’s way but were cut off by flood water so had to go back my way.  Talking of flood water, when I went to get the post the other day I noticed that the other side of Newport was flooded in the fields and that they must have resited the cattle that used to graze there.

Even the pub was closed down as the whole area was flooded out.  I stopped to get pictures all along my journey so this has solved my problem of have so few photos this month.  Trouble is, they look a bit random spread throughout sections that are about something else.  I spotted some cows with very little space to graze or even stand on the way back.  While I visited the probate offices on Wednesday, I decided to stop off at Camden again for some noodles in the market.  This brought back old memories, not all good.  On the little market opposite the main one they have put a load of old scooter rear ends to use as seats along side the canal.  I love it when old useless things are recycled like this.  All it requires is thought.

Great Groupon Experience

I am pleased to report that my first Groupon experience was a good one.  In fact, a very good one and I know that Sue would agree with me. I was a tad early picking up Sue and we arrived at Glotanz in Pottersbury half an hour before our actual appointment.  The Glotanz salon was on a mini industrial estate and as there was nowhere else to go we decided to go inside and at least wait in the warm. The staff were very friendly; they showed us to comfy seats and made us a cup of tea while they got things ready for us.  The salon didn’t look much from the outside but it was very nicely decorated with up-to-date treatment rooms.  Sue & I had n together and I think we thought we would have a beautician each but there is only one full time beautician.  I didn’t catch her name but she showed us upstairs to the beauty room www.glotanz.co.uk 

Sue had her manicure first and then I had mine while her nails dried.  Next up was a pedicure for Sue and then I had my toes done.  Last time we had a pedicure done at MK College we both went home with smudged toe nails but not last Friday.  The next part of our voucher was a mini facial which was very nice.  I made Sue go first for the eye lash extensions because I wasn’t too sure about them but hers look great when they were done so I decided to get my lashes done.  I thought I may as well because I’d paid my money so what the heck.  They did feel a bit weird but not uncomfortable.  Sue has naturally long lashes and I thought her eyes looked better than mine.  We were in the salon for almost 3 hours and I think for £24 (each) we received excellent value for money.

We decided to go to the garden centre just the other side of Towcester where we had a very tasty sausage and onion baguette washed down with a pot of tea.  Very civilised and very much on Friday we were ladies that lunch!  I couldn’t believe the amount of traffic in Towcester town centre, it took us ages to get through town but once we got past the race track we sailed home. Sue was on a fairly tight schedule so I dropped her off at home and then went back to the flat.   It was cracking on for half two by this time.

Our weekend was a quiet; I went to the gym in the morning.  I popped into Asda afterwards and then went home.  It was a truly foul day.  On Saturday afternoon I wrapped some Christmas presents while Phil watched the qualifying of the Grand Prix.  Phil picked up Harriet from Caldecotte and dropped her off in Newport and on the way back he picked up a Chinese meal for one which we shared between us.  

Thankfully it was much a better day, weather wise on Sunday.  I had a good workout at the gym and did the ironing when I got back to the flat.  As it was such a nice day and we didn’t have much in the fridge, we decided to walk to The Nags Head for lunch.  We were quite early which was just as well because a party of 31 was booked for lunch which only left 2 small free tables.  Phil and I both had the roast beef which was okay, not the best Sunday lunch but we’ve had some very nice meals there before so maybe Sunday was a one off.  It was funny because the bar maid was a girl that I used to go to school with and I hadn’t seen her in nearly 31 years.  We walked home, Phil watched the very last Grand Prix of the season and that was pretty much our Sunday.  I’m sorry but hardly anything newsworthy to write about so just a short posting from me today.  I need to do something to spice up my life.  Having enjoyed my Groupon experience I think I may just need to look on their website to see what other bargain vouchers I can find. 

Ups & Downs

I have felt a bit ‘flat’ this week and very much lack lustre.  As with most weeks, this one has had its highs and lows.   I went to the gym on Monday morning as I have done every morning this week but I had to force myself.  On Monday afternoon I went round to number 2 to see Sue.  Unusually I hadn’t seen her since last Thursday; she’d had an action packed weekend so char and a catch-up were badly needed.  Sue was in good form and it’s so nice to see her upbeat and with a smile on her face.

Tuesday, I was back at the gym and I was supposed to be going to Robinsons with my friend Jane for lunch but she sent me a text cancelling first thing in the morning.  I have been feeling a little paranoid of late; Mads & Steve cancelled us on Saturday evening and I have a spelt of family and friends not returning my calls and emails.  It makes one wonder but I think my paranoid is unfounded, just Claire being a typical Cancerian.  I was disappointed at not seeing Jane but her daughter was feeling very poorly and Jane was taking her to A&E.  This was far more important than lunching with me and totally justified as Lauren is taking a gap year in Australia in a couple of weeks’ time and Jane wanted her in good health before she goes off which is totally understandable.

The weather was horrible on Tuesday and on Wednesday for that matter. Days that are grey and dark almost as soon as they start tend to get me down.  I almost feel like I could be a hermit and literally have to force myself to go out.  This was the case on Wednesday; I hit the gym early and then stopped off at the city centre.  I had a bit of shopping to do and then went to Specsavers for an eye test.  I had a feeling that my eyes had deteriorated and sure enough my eyes had got worse and I needed new reading glasses.  It wasn’t too bad, Spec Savers had a 2-4-1 deal so I only paid £89 for 2 pairs of glasses and that price also included the eye test.

Sue picked me up from the flat on Wednesday evening on the way back from her dads and we went back to her house for our usual Wednesday night get together.  Originally she was going to come to mine and I had invited Jan and was going to order a Chinese takeaway but then Jan called to cancel as she had an evening event.  But Sue had stuff in her fridge so I went to her.  She cooked me sea bass along with asparagus and mash and it was really delicious.  Of course the evening involved lots of wine and dancing in the kitchen and I literally fell into bed when I got home. 

It felt fun at the time but not so great the following morning! I decided against the gym and instead Phil and I drove over to Overstone.  We wanted to pick up a few things from the caravan and also pick up post from the manor.  The caravan was cold and felt very unloved.  I think we do need to go and spend a weekend there so I can at least give the van some heat and also give it a good clean at the same time.   Phil had a few letters to collect so it was worth the trip over.  Driving on the way back through Stoke Goldington, we were interested to see that the new pub refurbishment formerly the White Hart now called The Maltings was nearing completion.  We will definitely give this a go when it opens.  When we got home I put a lasagne in the oven which we had with some salad.

After lunch, Phil went to the OU library and on the way back he popped into B&Q to buy some stuff to cover the pipes at mum and dads bungalow.  I forced myself to the gym even though I didn’t really feel much in the mood.  But as always, once I was there and working out I was glad I’d made the effort.  Rather than go straight home I decided to check out the new M&S at MK1 just by the stadium.  It was opening day and I was given a glass of Cava when I walked in the door which was a nice surprise.  Primark isn’t open yet and neither is H&M but this will be quite a convenient place to shop once it’s all open.  Last night was a foul, filthy night and I was glad that me and the DH were safely tucked up warm in the flat.

And that just about sums up our week, not very exciting I’m afraid and hardly worthy of a blog posting. But I’ve been struggling to write of late so I am forcing myself to do an entry. If the time comes when I really am forcing it then I will surrender and give up once and for all. I am reluctant though and reverently hope this writer’s block is down to either lack of a project or SAD syndrome.  I suspect it’s a mixture of the two but only time will tell.  This morning I am off to pick up Sue as we have a Groupon voucher for a manicure, pedicure and lash extensions at a salon in Pottersbury.  It was a really good deal, all 3 treatments for only £24.00.   This is my first ‘Groupon’ experience and I am a little anxious.  I’m really not sure about the lash extensions because my eyes are really sensitive and I can’t even wear mascara.  But Sue’s up for anything and I’m sure we will have a laugh whatever happens.  Fingers crossed.  All will be revealed on Monday.