What will you say?

I think this one is a tribute to my mum, so I’ll say that right away and you can make your judgement of it as you read!

I was walking to the train station on Thursday morning ready to catch the train to Dan for the weekend in Wales to meet Heather and Mark and celebrate Dan’s birthday.

As I walked, I was listening to what was around (as you do), and talking to Dan on the phone (as I do!). I was in the middle of talking about some ongoing roadworks that were happening and how they were being co-ordinated around a big junction so that the traffic wasn’t totally obstructed but the work could still continue when I chanced to hear a snippet of a conversation between a mother and daughter on their way somewhere. They had bikes but were walking at the time.

Welsh Wales here I come (well kinda!)

It’s Dan’s Birthday coming up, and he and I are off with his cousin and her husband for a weekend to Snowdonia National Park. I’m starting the journey on Thursday to join him and then on friday morning we’re off to Wales.

Well, normally I pack for a weekend with Dan the night before, or even on the morning that I’m getting the train. Not 2 days early! Thing is, it’s his birthday, and I’m away for more than double the normal amount of time and I’ve got to make sure the keys are with my lovely catsitter; and I need to make sure I’ve got enough clothes too. Oh, and I’m still working today and tomorrow, so I still have to sort my normal daily routine out too!

So that’s me. I’ll not be able to post while I’m away, but rest assured that I’ll definitely do a big update when I return, and there should be some photos to go with it too!

I know this post is only a very short one, but I thought since I’ve started posting daily, I really aught to keep people in the know on it.

Unexpected surprises from Top Gear

I gave in on Sunday night and watched Top Gear. I don’t normally bother because Jeremy has an amazing ability to wind me up, even while I find Richard and James great.

I had it on silent most of the time, so I could find out what was going on with The Stig. If you recall from the trailers, The Stig was supposed to remove his helmet on last night’s show. Well, he did. However, I don’t believe that Michael Schumacher is The Stig. Sorry to all Schumacher fans, but I really don’t. I was expecting Sabine Schmitz in all honesty. When they said it would be a shock, I was wondering what could be more of a shock than to find The Stig was a woman; but to be honest, it was an anticlimax.

The best bit for me was watching the three-way race to Edinburgh. Jeremy with his flying start and team of experienced crew, James with his jaguar and Richard with his bike.

On boyfriends and bike crashes

Why should Dan have the last word on this I ask myself?

I suppose he was able to have the first word becasue he was witness to it in a way and because he was at his computer at the time.

I went to work on Sunday. I need overtime pay to clear a particular one-off bill I have coming. Trouble is, I worked an early shift. That meant getting up at 5am, and I have trouble sleeping before 11pm; hence I had a fairly short night and a very early start indeed.

I got to work safely enough, and out of kindness didn’t call Dan when the alarm went off. The morning went fairly smoothly, Jas and I co-ordinate quite well. She knows the machines really well, and I have enough knowledge to run them as long as they don’t fall over and break down badly. Because I was tired, Jas got me to take a break; and I gave Dan a call and whinged about not getting a Ted Special Breakfast, and in return heard about the various Father’s Day gifts Ted had “found” around the house when he got up.

A new lease of life

I’m not totally sure how it’s happened, but I have got a bit more energy today. The housework really is getting done.

I have several reasons I suppose. Dan is coming over soon, and my parents will be here at the same time. I’m fed up with how I’ve neglected the house, and I’ve found a few catfleas around too. That last reason is incentive alone, without any of the other reasons!

I have to confess that the FLYlady principle really does work. Only do one thing at once, and break it down into manageable chunks.

I did the bathroom in two sections over a couple of days. I cleared out the junk from the floor and cleaned the bath, sink and toilet; and then next day I cleaned the floor and windowsill. Each task took half an hour or less.

The living room, as you can imagine, was a far bigger job. I did it in small chunks. Cleared one thing at once; and rather than just shunt it to the next dumping ground, I put the stuff away, or in the bin, or stacked it for shredding, or in the wash or the washing up. After I’ve cleared an area I sit and have a coffee, or watch a favourite tv program, or even do a chore I enjoy! Actually, I’m really discovering how nice it is to have clear and clean spaces after a very long time of not being bothered “because there’s only me to see it” or “I feel really low, I’ll go to bed and do it another time” or “its such a mess how the hell am I ever going to do it?”. I might even be able to keep it looking like this (But I’m not holding my breath – I know me!)

Even the washing up is happening. Admittedly the fact that Dan calls me and reminds me to clear it, but it’s getting done.

My house is starting to look really good and my mother will probably take my tempurature when she sees it!

One grateful girl

I’ve spent a few days now wondering where I’d put my MP3 player, yesterday I found out very quickly where it was – when I emptied the washing machine.

I happily shook out each item of clothing before putting it on the clothes airer, until I got the last pair of jeans ready and thought “this pocket shouldn’t look this bulky, what’s in it?” Thinking that maybe it was a pair of socks, only to find it was the MP3 player that I thought was buried at the bottom of my lunch bag.

When you haven’t many spare pennies because someone stole the saddle of your bike a couple of weeks ago and you had to spend good money replacing it, the last thing you want to discover is that your favourite gadget for train journeys (after the coffee flask!) has been washed and probably fried!

Nothing for it, I decided. It’s after midnight, I can’t go racing out to buy a new one; lets see if taking it apart and allowing it to dry makes any difference to it in the morning. So I did that, and went to bed and festered about it for quite a while before finally sleeping.

This morning, while coffee was brewing, I put the battery back in that had been through the washing machine and tried to see if it would switch on. Um. It did. So I plugged in the washed headphones to see if it would play and make sound. It did. Decent sound.

I don’t know what the hell happened with that little gadget, but it still works just fine; and I’m one grateful girl!

The train journey

I love train journeys.

It probably helps that I was going somewhere I really wanted to be and that it was a really sunny day – even at six o’clock in the morning!

I got my hair dyed yesterday, after about 4 months of forgetting to do it and having 2 inches of grey hair showing. It does look lovely again, my natural colour but with an added hint of red which suits my skin tone really well and makes me look natural and not like I’m going prematurely grey! Unfortunately that and an emergency shopping trip on the way home meant it was a bit late and I was a bit too tired to do any packing before I went to bed. It had to happen before I left the house; meaning a few racings up and down stairs arguing with myself as to whether to take jeans or trousers, boots or shoes and all that, and finding out from Dan that a larger suitcase might not be wise as a wheelchair was going to be involved in the mix.

Yes, the wheelchair. Dan has a heart condition, and a wheelchair is a great plan when his parents are huge fans of visiting big gardens. It means he can see the garden without having to walk too much and wearing himself out.

All that said, I’ve not actually said anything about the train journey that was so good. Talk about getting sidetracked!

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It beggars belief

Sometimes I just think the world has gone utterly crazy, sometimes I know it has!

What has me shaking my head today is this news link I found on the BBC website this morning. Just what is the RMT union thinking? A two day strike at this kind of notice in the middle of the week?

Do they really not care how many people will not be able to get home from work or not get to work or – even worse – not make their flight for their holiday? I use the London Underground fairly infrequently, but when I do it’s because I have to get somewhere for a certain time. To be faced with a service that’s not operational because of strike action would make me incandescent with rage. I wish I was joking about that.

A group of my friends are meeting in London today for the first time, at least one of them has come from Europe for it, and now their meeting will now be completely marred by having to make sure they get the tube before the strike starts or trying to negotiate a crowded bus service during the evening.

*and breathe*

OK. All that said, I have Classic FM playing on the radio, and they are playing pretty tunes aimed at soothing the savage beast and I think it might just be working! I am not swearing at Oliver who has decided to pester me just as I sat down to eat, or the fact that my lunch didn’t quite turn out the way I wanted it to.

I do still need to think fast on what to eat later today, but thats not unusual for me. I’ll sort it, because I hate going hungry at work!

I hit a wall

Overtired alert.

I think I’ve done too much recently. Things that are issues but are managable ones are becoming major crises that give me stomach cramps and make me cry.

I think this is just a short note that I’m going to be resting for a bit and spending a bit less time here this week.

My lifestyle has changed since I met Dan and while it’s no bad thing, I haven’t compensated for the fact that the days I used to keep for rest are now no longer as restful as they were. I travel a lot more and I’m getting up earlier on a daily basis, but not getting to bed earlier to compensate for that.

I think this weekend is about recalibration of my bodyclock. Housework can wait until I actually have the energy (now that I want to get it done!)

Take care everyone and don’t forget the sunlotion when you go out!