Fun, Arguments and Boilers

I have just been toooooo busy to blog over the last week or so, busy working, busy having fun, busy having arguments, busy learning and busy organising.

The fun involved going to Formby last Sunday where we spent the day in the dunes sun worshipping, paddling and indulging in a spot of dune jumping. We went for a lovely walk through the red squirrels woods but they were all feeling under the weather with squirrel pox so we didn't see any of the little guys. The plan was to do a spot of geocaching while we were there but it just didn't happen as we were enjoying ourselves too much and there were too many people around.

The learning part of the week was my first college assignment and the next few lessons being completed ready for me to start on the next assignment tomorrow.

As for the arguments they have been plentiful this week with me and Peter (a rather dim gas man not my better half). Bless his cotton socks he spent the best part of a day last week digging up the pavement in front of our house looking for my gas pipe. When I got home he came and told me that I didn't have a gas supply to my house, errrmmm how does the gas hob work then Peter ???? To cut a very long story short he left after telling me he would be coming round to dig up all my drive on Friday as they had to give me a whole new supply before they could replace the mains. He left, I ran to the shed, got the spade and dug a hole about 10" square in the spot that I had told nice but dim Peter my pipe was and straight away hit the non existent gas pipe. Peter returned the next day and did finally admit I had one and it was yellow and it was plastic which meant it didn't need replacing. He even filled in the hole that I had dug before he set too digging up more of the pavement in front of my drive, meaning that for the last week our cars have been sat out on the road. Last night after the mains had been replaced I phoned to ask when the said holes would be filled so that I could get back on my drive and was promised last night - it didn't happen! When I got home from work this afternoon it still hadn't happened so I asked a nice man on the front could he let me back on my drive he agreed and then drove away never to be seen again. Another irate phone call to May Gurney (a company not a lady with an unfortunate name) and nice but dim Peter was at my door again having covered half of one hole with a board. "Look it's no good it's wobbling too much I can't leave it there" at this point I was very restrained and ladylike in my reply (if you believe that you believe anything I think it started along the lines of "I don't give a shit I just want my car on the drive") and now my cars are living back on the drive way and tomorrow Peter is coming back again to repave the footpath and all will be well in the world.

The organising bit of my busyness this week is trying to get a plumber to come and see my boiler which he did tonight. He walked in the kitchen and his first words were "My god that is old" 33 years old actually give or take a few months so we are now looking forward to our gas bills being slashed by about 50% this winter - not many people can say that now can they!! I'll just be happy if it stops the nice gas people making my direct debit payment go higher and higher.

And finally my picture for todays word "Leaf" over at HS:MS

Float my Boat

This was the joint highlight of our holiday this year it is the Whirlpool Jet ride at Niagara. This is really a must for any thrill seekers as it is FANTASTIC just don't do it if you don't want to get wet. I don't think I would fancy it in the Spring though as the water is supposed to be very very cold then and a whole load of it ends up on your lap - I didn't buy that picture as all you could see was the top of the cabin and a load of water. We are on the fifth row from the front , we don't have the yellow coats on as this was the 2nd time we had done this ride and we knew that they would be useless as you get wet regardless. So this is my picture for "Float" over on HSMS today.

After the ride we drove to the top of the cliffs to get a birdseye view of the river, rapids and the whirlpool and of course a picture of the boat we had been on.

So on to last weekend on Saturday we took the boys to Wincle in Derbyshire to go and catch us some fish. They got an impressive haul of 6 rainbow trout which are currently residing in our freezer ready to be eaten.

The boys loved it, all 3 of them they just weren't expecting to be given a "bishop" or was it a "priest" to use, I can't remember what it was called but it was something religious. Pete was the first one to give it a go and then Kyle stepped up and "did" the next 5 fish - even the one that I caught. Matt and I respectfully declined.

After a nice meal out at a Chinese restaurant we headed home for the cake and candles where I am surprised that Matt didn't spontaneously combust with all that hair next to those flames. I have tried, you wouldn't believe how hard, to get him to get his hair cut but he is having none of it. My new tactic is to tell him every day how good it looks and how much I like it - you never know it might work.

My little man...

... turns 15 today. Hopefully there will be some photo ops through out and I can share them with you later on tonight!

9/11

I don't think I could post a more fitting photograph for today even if I tried. As soon as I saw the word on HS:MS this morning I just knew I had to use a helicopter ride photograph and even though I have shown it before I just had to show this particular picture again today considering the date.

And just because I want to here are a few more shots I took while we were "OVER" New York a few weeks ago.

The following two pictures were taken from the top of the "Rock" in the early evening. In our opinion this was far better value for money than the "Empire State Building" as there was no queue to get up there, the glass elevator ride to the top was kinda cool, there was plenty of space at the top with not many people in it and there were no metal grills disturbing the fantastic views.

When we started to go up the Empire State it was light but by the time we got to the top it was dark which I was very pleased about given the views. The queues to get up there were really really bad and you have to change lifts on the way up so at this point we lost patience and went up the remaining floors on foot which was not as easy as we first thought! The top of the Empire is a very small place considering the amount of visitors it has and they pack you in like sardines so you are getting pushed and elbowed about a lot. If you only have the time to go up one of these fantastic buildings then I would say 100% it has to be the "Rock".

The crisis continues.

Not sure where or when this crisis (if that is what it is) is going to end. This week I have signed up to start an Internet course which will leave me as a qualified and registered bookkeeper. I have done bookkeeping extensively in the past but I really need a formal qualification which will allow me to go freelance (sitting still in an office doesn't float my boat). The long term plan being that I will be able to do this from home if I ever can't go out to work but in the mean time I will be able to bring in a little bit of extra money doing something that I find easy and enjoyable. What can I say I like money and I love everything having it's place and being neat in little columns. It's a pity I can't say the same about my house this week as it is a complete pig sty mainly due to the fact that I am having a HUGE clear out and move around. The playroom is now going to be the dining room and the workroom is going to be a family room so it's a bit like musical rooms at the moment. Then of course I will have to decorate and get new curtains and rugs and a sofa and cushions and ...........

Today's word over at HSMS is purple. I don't seem to be very motivated to get my camera out at the moment which could very well be due to the rain and crap lighting we have so I am afraid a shot I took a couple of months ago will just have to do today.

*Eleanor I will put the recipe up for the blackberry and apple cake in the next couple of days on my "Not a size Zero" blog. *

Bag Lady in a Crisis?

I've had a few days off from blogging as I have been too busy not being in work for the last 4 days. Saturday Pete wasn't too well so we just hung around waiting for the boys to get back from holiday and then I got some bits and pieces done around the place. On Sunday we went for a school shoe shopping / geocaching / sightseeing trip to Chester which turned out to be very successful. It even provided me with today's shot for HS:MS which is romantic. You have to promise not to laugh......

This is what Pete was looking at in the back of the tug boat that we hired so that the boys could drive us up the River Dee on a romantic cruise for our anniversary which was earlier in the week. The added bonus was the downpour and the shopping bag hat - you can see why Pete married me can't you ?!?!

We got off the boat and found a lovely little cafe bar along the water front where we scoffed down some scran before we headed for a spot of apple and blackberry picking. The proceeds of our foraging made this delicious cake this afternoon and believe it or not it is a Weight Watchers recipe which makes it taste even nicer and yes it is low fat custard too.

Tomorrow I am back in to work at 6.45am and then I am in at that time for the next 3 days which suits me just fine as it means that tomorrow afternoon I can go and share a coke (or 2) with Mima and Sue which will be lovely as we have not seen each other for ages.

And finally today I did something that I first wanted to do 20 years ago but just never got round to doing.......

Mid life crisis maybe???