Getting ready for Christmas and Gender Reveal

Hi,

So I'm writing this post because Lissa - who NEVER writes her blog finally wrote something so now I'm getting hassled to catch up on mine!!

So - I've been getting ready for Christmas after leaving it all until the last minute!  We have a spreadsheet that we use every year - one page for all the kids and their partners - main presents and stocking stuff, and a page for everybody else like our parents, Helen & Paul, other friends and family.  Its so hard trying to make sure the kids all have quite a few presents to open - all around the same amount of presents and adding up to more or less the same cost - same with the stockings - without buying crap for the sake of it!  Now it's not just the kids but their partners too - I don't think they have any idea how difficult and stressful it is!  We also have secret santa fancy dress to sort out too - and that is stressing me out because me and Andy both ordered fancy dress costumes a while ago and they haven't turned up and they should have and they are not replying to emails or anything!!

I am supposed to be buying xmas cards for all my nieces and nephews and sending them all to my mum who is going to put £10- in each one and I will send her the money - but I don't even have any cards yet!

THEN I also need to make sure the house and all beds are clean and that is not a 5 minute job! AND all the Christmas decorations so the house looks all festive.  AND I have to sort out all the Christmas dinner stuff, crackers and things, AND we always have a spread on boxing day!!  Plus - we need to make sure we have lots of alcohol in AND breakfasts and lunches....

I also have to wrap a ton of presents which takes hours and hours...

There's also Andy and his presents and his wrapping...

And - going to the tip with the millions of cardboard boxes we end up with...

So - getting ready for Christmas is very expensive and a LOT of work!

After saying all that - we always have an AWESOME Christmas!! :-) So it all ends up worth it!

In the middle of all this Lissa has been preparing to have a scan to reveal the gender - and I am the one revealing the gender (on 18th January - something else I've been doing - trying to arrange the venue!). Antony's mum was going to the scan with them and she was going to be given an envelope with the gender written inside.  Lissa was being a major stress head about us slipping up and revealing the gender before January 18th - so I had a lengthy chat with Ginette about it (I've never met her yet - but she seems really nice).  The lengthy chat was all about making it less stressful for Lissa by telling her that we were not going to open the envelope until after Lissa has visited us both over Christmas - but really finding out much sooner than that - especially so that I could start planning the reveal.  Our plan was very clear - find out - lie to Lissa - no stress!  So on the day of the scan - Ginette then says to Lissa - I wanted to wait but your mum wants to know later today lol.  Oh well....

Then - Lissa had the scan and said to me - I have a link to all the pics which should show the gender and I could send you the link - I think my reply was SEND ME THE LINK NOW!  I came running down the stairs saying to Andy OMG OMG OMG Lissa is sending me a link to the scan pics and I should be able to see the gender!!  So I logged in and saw the amazing pics - and it said on one of the pics whether it was a boy or a girl and almost immediately I thought - aaahhh I don't like this responsibility!!!  Being the only person that knows and not being able to say anything to anybody!!  Yvonne was trying to get it out of me earlier today - but I have made the decision to not tell a single person and then nobody can say anything to anybody!! I even spoke to my neighbour about it earlier and didn't say if it is a boy or a girl!!   I can't wait though to do the reveal - I imagine it will feel like a huge weight has lifted off my shoulders!  I also feel very honored to be the one revealing this amazing bit of information!

Its amazing that this little babby is only 9.5 cm long!  Baby has Antony's nose - I said this to Lissa and she said - thank god hahah

Lissa will be 17 weeks tomorrow and Erika will be 10 weeks.  Erika has a scan on Wednesday - I guess if it is all good on Wednesday we can all relax a bit.  Lissa's scans show a perfectly formed little person which was so awesome - wish I could have scans like that - and get to find out the gender - but they wouldn't let us know back then!!  I think it will be cool if Adam and Erika have a boy and a girl.  Their preference is 1) two girls, 2) a boy and a girl 3) two boys.  My exact preference when I was pregnant with twins.  Adam wants to have 2 girls and Lissa have a girl too.  Yvonne wants Lissa to have a boy so if she comes around when Lissa is here they'll all be boys together!  (Yvonne has 3 boys).

oh - cat has a mouse...

I had to run off and get the mouse off the cat - but unfortunately it was already dead - we still have to get the mouse off the cat otherwise we find bits of internal organs all over the place after they chew it up!

Anyway - that's me caught up so Lissa can stop moaning at me!  Love you Lissa!! xxx

Hungover.....

Hi

I am suffering this morning after a great impromptu night out last night!  It got to about 4pm yesterday and I'd not eaten anything - so we decided to walk down the road to the Hungry Horse, have food and come home again.  When we got there, they had a new app where you could order food and drink from your table - so that is what we did! Andy then messaged the kids and told them what table number we were - and they started sending us drinks lol!

Lissa was first - and sent a red bull with a fireball shot in it - I had just finished eating - thank god because I somehow inhaled some of it and started choking on it - and ended up coughing out a mouthful between my fingers - all over my plate! very classy!!

Then Adam sent us coffee tequila shots! these were in-between the drinks we were buying ourselves! A little later a serving of corn on the cob turned up hahaha - that was from Connor & Emily - shortly followed by another redbull and fireball!

What really made me laugh (and I was quite drunk by then too) was a girl arrived at our table and said - is everything okay with the....she looked down and saw all we had was corn on the cob in a little bowl - and we just started laughing!!

We had a really good time - and it was awesome just having random stuff just delivered to our table!  It is not like I haven't heard of this before - I just hadn't experienced it!  We walked back home and watched a boxing game (random I know) then stuff on TV then Andy put music video's on and we had a good ole sing song - until I fell asleep on the settee - and Andy basically put me to bed at about 2.30am!!

We had guests here - and they left this morning - I looked a complete state when I answered the door in my PJ's and un-brushed greasy hair - looking rough....lol

I can hear Andy getting up now I think - I am going to get a shower and make bacon butties!  We planned on putting up the xmas decorations today - hope I/we feel better and we still do it....

blurrggggggg

War of the Worlds Experience and London

Hi!!

Its Sunday evening and I'm in my PJ's after just getting quite emotional having just watched Junior bake-off final lol.

Its been a busy weekend! and in a couple of hours I'll be watching the Jacksonville Jaguars play the Titans.  The Titans are in our division and we are currently at the bottom of the division! I hope the game is not as depressing as last week...

So...this weekend was a War of the Worlds (WOTW) experience with Helen and Paul.  We all love WOTW - although I think Helen doesn't know it as well as the rest of us.  I was pretty obsessed with it when I was around 14-15 years old, and have listened to it lots since - and watched the film.  So, we read about the experience in London and decided to go for it - despite the fact that's its quite expensive to get there, to stay in London, to eat out in London - and pay for the tickets!  We bought Pauls ticket for his birthday.

So Saturday morning, Helen and Paul got on the train in Paignton, and were trying to save seats for us at the table they had got, so we could sit together and they were getting very stressed as the train filled up before we got on in Taunton.  By the time we got on the other seats were taken and there was only standing room left!  We stood up until we got to Bristol and then we were able to sit with them!  They then got out bread and hummus, olives, sausage rolls and prosecco! lol.  It was pretty awesome - and quite typical of them to be so organised and thoughtful! We had a really good laugh the rest of the way - which was another couple of hours or so! 

When we got to London we made our way to the hotel - all just following Andy as usual! We stayed at the Strand Palace, and we upgraded to a renovated room - not sure why - think they were doing it with everybody.  It was nice enough if not a little small - but it is central London! We just dumped our stuff really and then headed to the WOTW event.  We got there early (as planned) and had a little food and a drinky poos....and the pub was really good! They had moving pictures and WOTW stuff about...

We then went, with 8 other people - into the the event.  We were taken through to a room where we watched a hologram of two ppl explaining about the aliens landing etc. with a bit of the music....  Paul got told off for messing about lol...we were then taken through to another room where telescopes were set up...there was an actor saying...welcome to the observatory...it then became obvious that something had gone wrong and a voice came through asking the actors not to proceed. It was then a little awkward and I was really worried that we wouldn't be able to proceed at all and we'd come so far and spent so much...but a few minutes later things seemed to be back to normal - although there was a scene played through the telescopes but not on mine or Pauls...

We went into another room and it was the Horsell common scene where Professor Ogilvy tries to make friends with the aliens and gets set alight! The special effects for this was quite good.  A soldier then takes us through to an area where we put VR headsets on - and we walk around a room - all the other people with headsets on are represented by a character - Andy was a maid hahah - he told me afterwards that I was a black guy wearing a top hat hehe.  My VR headset wouldn't work properly, so a guy had to take it off me and sort it out - then the sound was really faint so that was a little disappointing.  With the headsets still on we were taken out on a bridge where there was a whole scene of the aliens burning up ships and artillery trying to fight them - eventually fire engulfs us and we all run away! Another soldier then takes us down a spiral staircase and we try and get into a house - they open and window and as the first few ppl start climbing through the open the door lol.  Its a big dining room and we all sat around it.  An actress/maid plays out a scene until it all goes dark and loud - and then we see her grabbed by an alien - and again we all run off!.  We all got into boats and again put headsets on - the boat was moving in time to the scene that we could see - it was really good but this time my headphones wouldn't work properly and it ruined the soundtrack - and my fave song!  We were taken up into the air by the aliens - and eventually let go again....the graphics were pretty good - Helen and Paul were sat in front of me which was really funny as Paul was represented by a woman who was constantly smiling - even though we were being attacked from all side hahah and Helen was a young boy!

After this we had a 20 minute break in a bar!  So we had a drink - and I complained about my equipment constantly letting down - Andy was questioning if I had it on properly - which I did! This was to come back and haunt me as ppl kept trying to wind me up and claim it was my error! lol.

From the bar we went into a room where another actress was in a grave yard - she was touching Andy's face saying she didn't think we were real - that we were ghosts! She said we should pray and confess our sins - we were then all put into a confession box - with the VR headsets again!  We could see a priest who was telling us we were all doomed and the aliens were actually demons! (obviously following the story of WOTW) we could then see a scene where we were in one of the alien ships and there were long arm things - that actually took off the priest - again the visuals were really good and this time my headset and headphones worked really well!  As the arms of this alien were coming close to us we were actually grabbed lol - this made me jump!

We then went into this room (4 at a time so it was us 4) and we sat on a round bench thing - looking upwards at a scene that made us all feel quite queasy!

We then followed an actor again - and he was going through his speel and heading into a room - and Helen pushed me towards him! I was trying not to go into him/the room - and I got told off!! lol.  We all thought that was quite funny!  We had to try and find blueprints for something - and the actor starting talking to Andy (and the whole room - carrying on the story line) - and Helen threw a rag at Andy that hit him in the neck - and Andy just didn't react because the guy was talking to him - again we all found it quite funny!

After this we went into hot air balloons - 2 to each one - so me and Andy were together - we put headsets on again and could see a whole scene around us as we went up in  these hot air balloons - I cant really remember what we were seeing but it was good!!

After this we had to go down a slide thing which was fun! and I think we then saw the last woman actor who kept telling ppl off and it was quite annoying because it was for minor things and she was more like a school teacher rather than somebody who was supposed to be entertaining us!  It was at this point I think that we went through the last door and back out into the bar!

So - all in all I was a little disappointed - at times it was quite amateur and I was let down quite a few times by the technology - but on the other hand we did have a good time and a good laugh!!

We left here and headed back towards our hotel and Leicester square - we had a drink in a packed pub - then left to find a comedy club - which we found straight away and bought tickets and went in - we ended up on the front row but off to the side - much to Pauls disappointment - he didn't want to be at the front at all - but me and Helen did! hahah so he lost!  Andy and Paul went to the bar and got 2 crap warm beers and 2 double vodka and coke in a small plastic glass and it was £38! So were were not impressed with that!!  We saw 3 comedians - a blind guy first - then an Asian guy, then a Nigerian guy - all were really funny - the last two were mainly talking about their heritage or being black in London - we laughed a lot which was awesome!

We were starving afterwards and Paul wanted to see if Burger king had the new vegan burger - they didn't but me and Andy got a burger - only to realise that Helen was quite upset because she thought we were going for a meal.  So I ate my chicken burger - and then went for a meal hahah.  It was Thai food and awesome - didn't have loads tbh - and I got cocktails (buy one get one free) I got Expresso Martini and it was disgusting!  It was all very expensive - wherever we went, but that's London for you!  We headed back to the hotel after this and got to bed - think it must have been about 12.30am....I was knackered and got straight to sleep - had been a busy day - and a very fun one!

The next morning I got up and got a shower and we met H&P in reception at 9.30am and headed back to the train station - we all got some food for the journey and when we got on the train we managed to get a table between us again - so it was a fun journey again! We discussed the WOTW experience and we were also trying to remember the details of when we went on a zombie experience - and discussed xmas etc.  Very chilled and fun...made our way home....

So - a great weekend - great company, all good and happy - but skint lol.

Christmas bake off!

Today I went on a "prepare for Christmas" baking class! I can't bake at all really - not something I've ever taken a huge interest in.  I tend to stick to savory recipes.

I was a little worried about finding the place as it was in the middle of nowhere so I woke up really early!!  I found it no problem but didn't really like the narrow windy lanes I had to drive down!

Fleur and Adam were the bakers - both quite young but very experienced bakers.  The "bakery" was quite small - I expected we'd all have our own full work space - but it was quite small, although to be fair - quite adequate.  The other women - yes very stereo typical - all women...we nice enough - one women really irritated me, I'm not sure why but I just wanted to tell her to shut up and that she was completely boring - and she spoke with an, erm...."I'm very interesting" tone! and yes - I did notice you fall asleep at lunch time....Bitchiness out of the way.....

We started with puff pastry -  I was unaware of complexities of making puff pasty!  She had already made the pastry for us all - but she went through how it was made and that was quite simple.  We had to roll it out to make a rectangle - and then get a whole pack of butter rolled into a square - half the size of the pastry.  The butter went on top of the pastry and the pastry was folded over the butter - you then had to roll it out to make it quite long and thin.  I was then folded it again - and it went back in the fridge for half an hour - you kept doing this until you had done it 4 times - so this took nearly all day - with us doing other things in between.  I did try to hide the fact that I had rolled in a long hair of mine into the pastry...think I got it out without drawing any attention....

We made blini's, which I've never been too impressed with before and she made a horse radish sauce (which I've always hated) and we used a piece of beetroot and a tiny spring of Dill (which I don't think I've used before).  So considering I didn't rate blini's and don't like horse radish I couldn't believe how nice it was!! I really want to make this again!

Most of the teaching was by Fleur - but Adam, using the puff pastry showed us how to do a veggie wellington - which was so awesome I have to try and make it.  We had it for lunch!

Adam showing us how to make the veggie Wellington....

He also made a veggie stuffing with pumpkin, sage, thyme - other stuff I can't remember because we didn't make it - and I forgot my recipe sheet - hopefully I'll get it on email.

(below) The lunch - with the Wellington - and the veggie stuffing....I was the only person that couldn't eat it all - I was stuffed!!  As usual I ate at twice the speed of everybody else so I am glad I couldn't finish it as it would have been very obvious with an empty plate!

We then made xmas cake.  When we first arrived we got a coffee with a piece of xmas cake - same recipe and its got to be the best xmas cake I've ever tried - so hopefully mine will be as good!

We made mincemeat for mince pies - again - probably the best I've ever tasted - so much better than the stuff you buy!! and we made pickled beetroot.

Near the end of the day we finished our puff pastry and I used half of it to make mince pies, but I didn't cook them because it's only me at home atm, so I froze them to cook another time.  I made some cheese sticks with the left overs (from that half of the pastry), and I froze the other half of the pastry to try and make the veggie wellington.  SOOOO much effort for the pastry though, if I don't get high praise from whoever tries it, I'll be most disappointed! lol.  

  

I really want to try and make everything again so I know I am able to recreate it all!!

When I left it was pitch black - back down all those scary country lanes....hated that!  Got home completely knackered...got in PJ's and got fire on as soon as humanly possible!!

Got to be up early again as I have to be in the gym at 9am to run through the program a personal trainer has done for me....

General catch up

Hi!!

So Andy got awesome news - all his hard work and dedication paid off and he got head hunted within HPE for the role of World Wide head of Pre-sales for Composable Fabrics - this is something that sits atop of all the servers, storage etc. and makes it very easy to add things in and reconfigure....that's my best attempt!! hahah

This also means that he could be working away more than he is now - or at least for longer periods, so I started to get a bit down about that.  He said to me - I won't take it if you don't want me to! Like I'm going to say - yeah turn down a job which is everything you've wanted for a long time!!  So, I had to have a think about what I could do to make it easier for myself.

So - I downloaded a free day-pass for a gym.  I went along, got a tour and used the gym and the pool and signed up! I've been again since then and tonight I went to a class.  I am so psyched up to get fit again! and VERY happy that my bad foot must be much better, as I did a step class and last time I tried that I was in a lot of pain!  Me and Andy have also been counting calories and for the first time in a long time I feel properly motivated.  It's exciting and I really hope it lasts - and I get back to like I used to be!  Actually I just stood up and realised that I'm not going to be able to walk tomorrow lol

I also have a day long course/class thing tomorrow - baking for Christmas!  If Andy is going to earn more money then I feel like I can spend more muh hahahaha....what I mean is - I can do things like these one day courses.  I was looking at spa days earlier....lol  I want to do a bread making course! There are other things like upholstery....so I plan on keeping busy!  I also plan on going around to Helen & Pauls for the occasional overnighter....

Anyway - I need to get to bed - have to get up early tomorrow and I'm not used to that!

Night!!

Family visit weekend!

Hi!!

Wow I'm just not getting around to writing this often am I?

Well - The weekend of the....erm...no idea - oh yeah 6th November - all the kids were visiting.

As usual Adam got here first! He always manages lol.  he normally turns up while I'm still cleaning or in the shower - so I preempted this (I'm sure that's a word!) and was ready when he got here!

Adam chilled with us for a while and then Lissa & Antony turned up shortly followed by Connor and Emily.  They seemed to like my newly decorated attic room which I slogged my guts out getting ready in time! Lissa claimed it - Adam could have as he was here first but he was very gracious - as he was on his own - Erika had to work which was a shame. 

We all ended up in the games room as usual and it was really really nice having them all about.  I love it! I miss my babies and I wish they'd all move to Taunton!  Especially now Lissa is having a baby! I really wanna be a part of it all - but we keep in touch a lot on messenger - not the same as face to face!

I was determined not to drink too much - but sort of did! Woke up next day feeling a bit icky - but not too bad!!  Emily wasn't drinking at all - obviously Lissa wasn't either. Andy asked me later if Emily might be pregnant too - haha - I am pretty sure that she isn't! They are not really in a position to have a baby, although ppl make it work!  They admitted that I was right when I said - if you rent in Bristol you'll be skint all the time and won't be able to save for anything.  They have decided to move to Wales. Her family live in Bridge End (not sure if thats how you spell it).  I used to have to go there for work and in my opinion...its an awful place! (sorry Welsh ppl).  Oh that reminds me!!  Lissa thought it would be really really far away compared to Bristol - and I was explaining that on a map its only like an inch away - we both ended up killing ourselves laughing when we were saying how its even closer if you zoom out! hahah

In the morning - as usual it was me and Lissa up first! I'm sure ppl just wait until they think the place has all been cleaned up - and Adam waits until he can smell bacon! 

Me & Andy fancied going into Taunton - and nobody wanted to come with us!  So we left them to it and went off shopping!  I bought a new pair of jeans with diamonte on the bottom and a top.  We got some xmas bits n bobs - an awesome caterpiller - like giant stuffed toy for Eloise - if she doesn't like it - I'll have it back!!

While we were out we went past the Pitcher & Piano and saw two for one cocktails until 8pm and were tempted to go in! lol...instead we ordered a taxi for later on and decided that's where we'd start!  We got back and discovered to our delight that they'd not burnt the house down!  Lissa and Emily were in the gym - made me feel bad about not doing enough exercise.  Emily has been dieting (as had I for about 2 weeks) and we were the same weight - so to give us incentives we are competing to lose the most weight by xmas).  No doubt she'll win as she has cut out alcohol - that's just a step too far for me!!

We all got ready and got a taxi into Taunton - and went for the cocktails!!  I was just SO HAPPY having everybody there - I hadn't felt so happy for a while!!  We all sat ourselves around a big round table - but then right next to us a bunch of very drunk middle aged women starting trying (badly) to play the piano and sing Doe a Deer....thankfully it didn't last too long.  A while later another group came along - and I said - at least they're not singing Doe a Deer - then as the words left my mouth they started again - it was the same group!!  I have a habbit of nearly getting beaten up when I'm out!!  I once (in a rough area of Manchester) said - god look of the state of that women with all the gold necklaces!!  She heard me - and said - What the F*** did you just say!!!??  I said - I said you look really nice!!  She obviously hadn't heard me properly 1st time because this seemed to satisfy her.  Once in Westfields shopping centre in Armani - I said to Andy (about an older couple wearing all sorts of weird designer clothes) You can tell they came into money later in life or they'd have better taste! They heard that too hahaha and the guy just stood with his arms folded and stared me out the whole time!!

ANYWAY I digress.....

We had a really good time having our cocktails!!

Then we realised we needed to get to the restaurant - so off we went!  We went to Guddi & Gikki, the food is AMAZING they cook it all fresh and you just choice spice level.  We've never taken anybody there that hasn't loved it!  Lissa was going to leave loads (even though she can usually eat massive amounts!) so she managed to bring some back - which she had the next day of breakfast! lol.

 There's always one....

We got a taxi back home and went on to have such an amzing night - I laughed sooooo much!!  Connor had me in stitches because we were were talking about giving birth and I was saying that I never knew about giving birth to the placenta and I was describing it as a huge disgusting piece of liver - then Connor said imagine if you thought it WAS your liver!! arrghhh my F***ing liver!!! hahahah I actually wee'd and had to go change my underwear! lol

Antony got quite drunk!  So did I to be fair although I found it easier to stand than he did hahah

All in all the best night I've had in ages!!!!

Sunday - Adam left before I got up because he wanted to get on with DIY! and we just chilled until ppl had to go home... :-(

Next get-together is 20th December for xmas!! 

and now it is November!

Hi,

So, I failed in writing more frequently!!  I've been busy!!

Firstly, Lissa is having a baby!!  I think I knew last time I wrote my blog but couldn't really say on here - but she is now 10 weeks and has had an early scan and everything looks good!!  I am so happy for her - and for me! lol.  I am so excited!!  She has said I can be there at the birth! If that happens I think it will be one of the best things in my whole life!  I think it will be hard to see Lissa go through it - but at the same time - to see her baby being born will be amazing! I expect I'd bond to that baby like a mother!!  Its weird I already feel like a bond is developing - like when it was me that was pregnant!!

The only downside of this amazing news is that Erika is still trying desperately to have a baby and is not getting pregnant.  She has known problems so hopefully she will get there eventually because those problems are treatable.  She is seeing the specialist again this month.  I'm really hoping however, that this month will be the month!! if her and Lissa can go through all this together that would be awesome.  Me and my sister (Bev) went through it together when I was pregnant with the twins - and her with Megan.  My other sisters Helen and Joanne were also pregnant at the same time!

Lissa has started writing her blog again (Lil beetroot) - so it will be awesome to have a running commentary! I think I wrote a diary when I was pregnant with Adam, I'll have to find it and re-write it on here.

so, changing the subject from that amazing exciting news - to my boring life....I have been working in one of the attic bedrooms - I have put the details in a separate post, and it can also be found under 'house renovations'.

We went out for Paul's birthday Friday night - went to the Spinning Wheel as usual in Paignton - was a really good night!!  We have also arranged to go to a War of the Worlds event in London on 23rd November - ending up very expensive but should be worth it!



Was good to see Helen and Paul - I miss them when we don't see them for a while - we can talk about anything - laugh about everything...was awesome.

Yvonne came around last weekend and it ended up very badly!!  Andy and her ended up arguing - and me - siding with Yvonne.  I don't really want to go into details but it was about - Yvonne's opinions about porn - I asked her what she didn't like about it as she is very anti-porn, and her opinions about men and also stuff about Stuart. Yvonne ended up crying and going home the next day rather than Stuart come over with the kids and stay for the football.  Its all now a horrible situation, with Yvonne wanting to sort it out and talk about it and Andy not wanting to talk to her about it!

Anyway - I've just been and got changed into my PJ's because I got up this morning thinking it was Monday - and planning my work day - I was making Andy a brew to take down into the basement where he works - and suddenly realised that it was Sunday! That is the 2nd time I have done that!!  Today is football day!! The Jags are playing the Texans in London - we really need to win this game!!  We did consider going to watch the game and one night when we had too much to drink we almost spent £1400 on special hospitality tickets!! In some ways I wish we had - but we are not that flush for money to spend that much really.  So....we are now sat in the living room, in PJ's and the fire is on - and at 2.30pm my game is being played!!  If only we had yummy food lined up - and some Desperado beers in the fridge it would be the perfect day!

work in the attic!

So...since my interview the thought of going back to work has meant I have been working hard in the house!!  I have started to decorate the attic bedrooms....I say bedrooms - I'm just on the first one atm.   Below is a pic of the room before we moved in!



I can't find any pics of after we moved in - but this is what it is looking like so far...



Changing the lights makes a huge difference!!

It has been hard work - first tons and tons of cables came out - telephone and internet stuff....then lots of holes to fill.  Then the carpet came up - then another carpet which was glued down - that wasn't easy to get up!! Then ply board was screwed down - and all the screws were filled with glue - so now it is just floor boards which I am going to try and get decent! That won't be easy as there are signs of woodworm, holes in some of the boards, big gaps between boards and some have been stained with some kind of waxy varnish paint stuff.  They are original Georgian - so are over 200 years old so I am going to try my best to bring them back to life!  I have until just next weekend to get the room livable, because all the kids are visiting and one of them needs to stay in there!! I am confident it will be done - other than the floor that I am doing last.

I have ordered a huge rug, with matching smaller one for in front of the fire, I have ordered red chairs too.  I am hoping this room has a little designer feel to it - as I've gone for colours a bit different and matching purple and red....we'll have to see how it ends up!!  When all 3 rooms are done - it will be a massive transformation - from the pic you can see at the top of the page! I'm excited - and hope that if I get the job they wont want me to start for ages!!

October already!!

Hi - well I'm going to have too much to catch up on, so I don't think I'll try too hard!

Things that have changed....not very much tbh! I read my last post and I had lost motivation to get things done in the house and that didn't change really - although this week I have finished painting the living room - and fixed the curtain rail in my bedroom and have started to paint the window frames and generally finish what I started 2 years ago in the main bedroom!  I must have done other stuff too but I can't think of anything!  We moved around a bit - put our big purple couch in (what was) the dining room - and brought our old couch down into the living room (it was on the top floor).  Oh - I got a mantle piece up over the fire in the living room - that took me a year!  I built a log store - and when we had logs delivered I realised how inadequate it is! lol.  Still have logs in the back porch!

We have a guest in the airbnb at the moment but when she leaves - we have nobody else booked in!  This is probably because we are now out of season and most ppl lower their prices - but we left them the same as it will cost us a fortune to heat it up over winter.  We have toyed with the idea of closing it altogether - but we may as well leave it if nobody is booking it anyway!

So - after 3 years of not being employed (not saying, not working because I have worked my butt off on this house) I finally saw a job I thought I'd like.  I got through the short listing and had an interview - which I didn't do well in - think I'm not used to it! Was waffling and losing my way - cringe!  Apparently I wont find out until mid November - so I can chill again.  I have mixed feelings about going back to work! Who would want to? lol.  The thought of having to get up really early, and having to ask permission for days off etc. that all kills me a little.  However, I quite like the idea of letting to know ppl again and having more of a life - and the money of course!  I can pay ppl to come and do the jobs I can't be bothered to do - like painting!

Today I got a random message from a girl called Marie - we were friends at Uni.  She dropped out in the last year which was a real shame - and I haven't seen her since.  She sounds like she has had a tough time with a shitty husband, but she has got out of that relationship (finally) and sounds happy! would be great to meet up again and hear that funny brummy accent again!

Andy is away all this week - went Monday Morning and is not back until tomorrow evening (Friday).  It's not too bad when he is not here - I don't mind my own company most of the time.  I watch stuff in the evenings I know he wouldn't like - usually crime things lol.

Should be seeing all the kids soon (6th Nov I think)...I saw Lissa a few weeks ago - we all (me & Andy, Helen & Paul and Lissa & Antony) went to an escape room with a horror theme! It was good fun! Apparently Lissa hadn't realised it was a horror themed one lol.  I didn't really know what to expect but did expect to be scared!  When we got there we had some rules explained - dont touch this etc. and then we handed over all our bags and phones - we had to stand in a line against the wall.  They then handcuffed us - put a bag over our heads - and took a picture!

We were then shuffled along to a different area and placed in different places, in prison cells! Even when I pulled my hood off it was completely dark!  So completely blind, it sounded to me like I was close to Helen and Paul, Andy was off somewhere on his own and then they started to move Lissa somewhere, and I said shouted to her - "if they try to get you to take your clothes off - refuse!!"  It went quiet for a second - then Andy piped up (from somewhere!)..."should I put mine back on again then?" There was such tension and anticipation in the air - when he said then I totally cracked up laughing - completely belly laughing - was so funny!!  After that - armed with a tiny torch we had to find clues and get ourselves out - was weird and disorientating - but fun!

Anyway - I'll try and post more frequently again, but for now I'm off to get PJ's on and settle down for the evening!

xx

Green woodpecker...fake festival...Yvonne

Hello!

So the last couple of weeks I've done nothing on the house.  Its been too hot and to be honest I don't know what to focus on.  It's the first time I've experienced not knowing what to do with myself.  Having this problem with my foot doesn't help! I miss running!!  I have just been chatting with Helen online - and saying I'm being lazy and getting myself into a rut - and Andy is working away a lot too so I don't have anybody to talk to.  I realise that I need to get myself focused and start doing something constructive - on the house, with my fitness, with my diet and cooking and making the effort.  I need a plan so I am going to work on that!

So - changing the subject - I got up the other morning - came downstairs about 8.30am - came into the kitchen - and looked down towards the cats and in my periphery vision - something from above came right at me - and I just swore quite loudly and ran out of the kitchen!! I popped my head back in - and there was a green woodpecker flying about!!  The cats must have brought it through the cat flap and let it go.  It looked uninjured.

I went and got Andy - and we got the cats out and opened the window - but it was just flying about - hitting itself on the walls and ceiling - and not seeming to see the open window!  Eventually it came to a stop on the top of the kitchen unit - and then disappeared down the back - where the fitted oven is!  Andy had to get on calls then - so there was nothing I could do!  I'd hear it every now and again trying to get out but it was stuck! At one point it start woodpecking on the back of the unit!!  Eventually - about 6pm - Andy could help - and we got the oven out - it was clinging to the back of it.





I tried to get hold of it - but it flew out - and started its erratic flight around the room again! 



Then - it went on top of the units again and disappeared down the back of the freezer! It was stressful! not fun!

We realised that it had gone all the way down the back and was in the bottom - behind the kick board



In the end - we left the room because we couldn't get it out - then after a while I popped my head in - it was on the floor and must have spotted the window and flew straight out! woo hoo - lots of high-fiving followed by a brandy! hahah

So....on Saturday we had Taunton Fake festival.  We went last year with Helen & Paul and Connor & Emily.  This year was just H&P.  We walked there - the weather was good - unlike last year where it was lovely and then torrential rain - then lovely - then rain again!  The best band was Pink - by far - and U2 were good too!  We had a good time!



We walked back - had some food and stuff and got to bed!  I woke up feeling quite blurg as we had had quite a bit to drink!!

This week Andy is away Mon-Thurday night - and I expected to be on my own all week but Yvonne called on Monday - and I said I was going swimming - she had the day off as she had been for an interview that morning to become a Magistrate! So - she came over and came swimming with me.  First time I've been swimming in ages - fancied it after going with my folks in Cirencester.  Afterwards we came back for coffee - and she ended up staying! We had food and played pool and talked LOADS! lol - we didn't go to bed until 3.30am!  She is looking great! She had a gastric bypass operation in March - she was 25 stone and is now 18 stone-something, and you can really see the difference!

So....that's it for now!

xx

Last Couple of Weeks....

Hi,

Soo....what has happened in the last 2 weeks? We are now Superhosts! We currently have 17 five* ratings!

However....the guests currently staying with us messaged me this morning to say the TV is not working - and Andy is away!! So - I went in (guests were out) and yep...TV looked knackered.  I googled it and yep...tv looked knackered! So I swapped the TV with the one we have in our kitchen - not easy getting a heavy expensive TV off the wall - above head height! But managed to get them both out and swap them! Then re-programmed all the channels - and voila! Andy calls me about 5 minutes after the TV went on the wall in the annex and tells me it would have simply been the power cable not in properly! GREAT!

Its weird today...I feel frustratingly bored.  I shouldn't complain - most ppl are working through the intense heat - and I'm at home with nothing to do!  I could go out into the sunshine and read a book.  I know I'll be bored again in 20 minutes.  I don't really want to start painting or anything cos its too hot.  I have a bit of a headache and I need to eat - but don't fancy anything.  I need to iron bedding for the annex (not needed for another few days).  I'll go and do the weedkiller.....there must be something more worthwhile that I can do!!  I'm too bored to be bothered to do anything now....

I went and spent a night in Cirencester last week - my folks were there in the caravan - was supposed to go up and stay over and come back about lunch time, before they went dancing - but whilst we were playing cards and drinking - for some reason I agreed to go swimming with them AND go dancing lol.  Glad I did in the end because it was all fun and nice to spend time with them!



Adam has now completed on the house they were buying and has moved in - and I might be going there next week to help put skirting boards on and stuff lol.

Lissa and Connor are both doing well....

Wow....what shall I do with my day? Think I need to get some chores done and then decide! Still living the dream though....

Smile!

Morning!

So - its err....Tuesday - Andy went off to London yesterday and he is not back until Thursday.  Yesterday I spent the day running around getting the annex ready for the guest who arrived at 3pm.  A really nice welsh guy who is working close-by.  Hoping he is going to book up some more dates - its nice having somebody here for work, as they are out all day and are low maintenance (hopefully).  Was hoping to be a superhost from 1st July - however, they now say it takes them 2 weeks to assess ppl...

We had a guest called Jilly last week - she was SO nice - really liked the annex, and when I'd finished showing her around - she hugged me!  I returned that hug and really appreciated it, because I was feeling a little down because the guests that had left that morning were a bit annoying! Well, he was fine but the wife was obviously a moaner - pointed out that there was a step down when you come out of the bedroom - and in the night you wouldn't see it - so I left her a light that comes on when it detects motion.  When they'd left she wrote a note on the board saying she had fallen down the step in the night.  Really? really though? I had also recommended the Skewer House for food and they hadn't liked it...I expected a bad review but lucky for me it was him that wrote it and it was really good lol.  So - yeah when Jilly turned up - she completely cheered me up and she was just a pleasure!

I'm listening to Lady Antebellum - a country and western band I believe - but I'm loving them and I've been after some new music for ages!

This weekend - we had loads of sunshine! first time really this year - we got out in the garden and had a proper fun garden day!



When its a nice day I always send out a message to the kids asking what they are doing and to send pics....

In the first one Lissa was stuck in traffic...on the way to Frensham Sands....

Then they couldnt get into the car park so they stopped at a pub....

Then they managed to get in!!

Then Connor sent this:

Her was waiting to leave apparently - probably waiting for Emily to do her make-up lol  They were going on a pub crawl for a mates birthday.....a while later we got this...

and then this:

[16:00, 29/6/2019] Emily: He’s on the water already

[16:00, 29/6/2019] Emily: 3 pints and he’s done 😂

At least he was being sensible.

Adam sent this:

He was in the garden at Erika's parents - they have sold the flat and waiting for the house they are buying - Erika was at work.....

I think I would be so depressed working in an airport when the weather is amazing and everybody else is going on holiday!!

Later we got this:

She seems to have a penis!

SO - seems like everybody was having fun!!

Then yesterday - the swing I ordered turned up...tried to get a pic - and I had to say SMILE to get my camera to take a pic - in the pics I look like a grinning idiot because I was saying SMILE! HAHAHAH

I love this swing! Not as much fun when you are on your own though....I could however imagine curling up in it with a book.  Maybe later.....

So anyway - think I'm caught up!

Laters....

Tuesday

Hi

I really should try to come up with better names for my posts rather than "Tuesday"....but I have nothing....

So yesterday - after spending the day in agony with my back - I went to the Doctor, and I got painkillers - and I should be sent an appointment with a physio - in SIX WEEKS!! If I still have this problem in 6 weeks I'll be really pissed off!  I'm guessing that by the time the appointment comes through I'll need physio on something else!  I am losing patience with all the problems I keep having - I have planter faciitis in my foot - my back is killing - this time last year I had a dodgy back (in a different place).  Anyway - the painkillers are good - so thats a plus...

Me and Andy have just got the annex ready for the next guest - was good of him to help me - invalid that I am....

We just got a review off our last guest - a really good one - it says:

Just lovely. It’s an old house with real character and the annex has been well prepared for guests. Must be the biggest one bedroom apartment I’ve staying in through Airbnb. Working kitchen for those of you who want to cook, not a galley with a micro and a fridge like you usually get. Hosts were just great, lovely people engaging and easy to deal with. Local pub to walk to that’s a great local. It’s kind of out of the way even though you are so close to Taunton. Bedroom and bathroom were great. Definitely a “find”.

I like that one!  All of the reviews have been really good, and its awesome to know that people are enjoying it!

Andy is taking a few days off in July - and we have blocked the dates off so we don't get guests.  I need to ask a neighbour to feed the cats and I need to find somewhere for us to go - hopefully a weird and wacky experience for us to do.  

The weather is really warm today but there is rain too - we are supposed to be getting thunder storms followed by amazing sunshine by the weekend.  Watch this space for BBQ pics! :-)

I dont even know why I am writing this blog today - I don't really have much to say.  Oh....I have almost finished the four poster bed - putting curtains on it....I should have a pic...

It actually cost quite a lot to sort this out - over £200.  New curtains at the windows too to match the bed.  Andy closes all the curtains on the bed - he is aiming for a complete blackout and I'm doing everything I can - but he says bits of light are still coming in from around the window - even with shutters and curtains!  Maybe I should just buy him an eye mask - certainly cheaper! lol.

I'm not sure what to do with myself now...I need a shower - and the gardeners will be here at some point.  

Its nearly 1pm so Andy is going to want food soon. I've decided that food is my enemy.  I spent weeks dieting to lose a few pounds and have put it all back on in less than a week - I haven't even had major food frenzies or anything - just had normal stuff.  Its like I'm constantly fighting a losing battle.  Anyway - I'll make some lunch for Andy then jump in the shower - hopefully out and decent b4 the gardeners turn up because she always wants to nip to the loo!  Hoping they do something good in the garden today as we have made sure all the grass is cut!  Sorry for boring you with this post....I'll leave....

Thursday again

Hi

Wow I'm knackered - I end up doing much more when Andy is around - I don't want him to witness how lazy I can be when he is not here - even though when he is here he always says - just sit down and chill!

Today I have finished getting the annex ready - for our eleventh guest.  They turned up about 3pm - and they are soooo nice!  Plus they gushed about the annex so that will always make me like people!

I've been out to B&Q and bought poles to put up around the four poster bed in the guest room - where Andy also sleeps a lot because he gets kicked out of our bed for snoring!  I then went to Dunelm and bought curtains and bedding.  Managed to get the curtains up - but could only buy one pair in store, I've had to order the others online.  This is how it looks with one of the pairs of curtains up:

So - I'm hoping when all the curtains are up - as well as matching ones at the window (which Andy said not to get because it ends up too expensive - but I ordered them anyway!) it will look awesome!

I need to stop spending money though because I've bought too many things for the house lately! I need to rein it in!

Did I mention we hit all the criteria for Super-host on Airbnb?  Probably did....it wont come into effect until July 1st - but that's only 10 days away!

Weekend with Lissa

Hi!

So...I drove to Staines on Friday, it took about 3 hours but was fine.  I spent some time shopping!  Was really nice because it has been ages since I've had a look around for new clothes - bought a few tops and trousers - mainly from Next - and had a coffee and sandwich before heading to Lissa's.  She'd left a key for me but I only arrived about 10 minutes before she did.  Her house is looking really nice and cozy!

We ended up just sat on the couch chatting and catching up loads and having a drink - it was really good because me and Lissa can chat forever.  We went to bed not too late and not too drunk!  Unfortunately because I slept in their spare room it meant that when Antony started snoring Lissa ended up downstairs on the couch.  I was just peacefully drifting off to sleep when Lissa let out a proper scream from downstairs - followed by another and then a few more - I SHOT out of bed and ran...I found her at the bottom of the stairs surrounded by black and white fur!  Black fur from her cat and white fur from a cat that had let itself in through the catflap...she was screaming because they started to properly fight and she couldnt get them apart!  Antony (who is completely deaf in one ear) slept through it all!!  This was surprising because I'm sure both their neighbours would have heard it lol.  It took a few years off my life and was a bit difficult trying to get back to sleep with such a fast heart beat! lol.

Saturday - we took our time and then made our way into London for the show (Wicked).  We picked up the tickets and time to kill so went to the pub where Lissa managed to spill her drink all over my leg! lol.  Then we bought a bottle of wine in the theatre and made our way to our seats...we thought that somebody was sat in our seats but were told that we had much better seats in the stalls - not theirs!

The show was really good - although by the interval I was pretty wasted and spent the 2nd half of the show sobering up! lol.  Afterwards we went for a Mexican meal and cocktails which was awesome!

Took us a while to get home - and we in bed pretty soon afterwards!  Both nights we were in bed just before midnight - I'd say I was getting too old but Lissa is worse than me!

It was an awesome weekend and well worth the journey!  Andy did okay with the guests whilst I was away although he missed them at the door when they arrived (at first - then he heard them) and as they left (he was on the loo!) lol.  They still left an awesome review!

I drove back from Lissa's on Sunday - got home about 2pm - it was fathers day so I stopped off and got him a card and pressie (Bourbon) off the cats :-)

Wednesday

Hi!

Thought I'd just catch up a bit while sitting here doing nothing! I'll come back to that.

So...errr where did I last sign off....the airbnb - had 9 people stay now and 8 of those have left a review - all 5*.  The one that didn't leave a review turned up smelling of weed, and then I could smell it coming from the annex part of the house!  He disappeared for ages to, and then 2 ppl left when he came alone...  This whole visit left me feeling really uneasy, but when he left - other than the smell everything was okay!  I left him a short review not mentioning the smell - and he didn't leave a review at all - lol - I'm guessing he was concerned...?

We have quite a lot of bookings now - and after our next guests - this weekend, we should have met all the requirements to be awarded 'super-host" status on airbnb!  I'd like that because I just think that it gives people (me included, in the past) confidence that the person knows what they are doing. 

I've had a few days off in the first time, in what seems like ages - but since 24th May - 20 days or something? with guests every 3-4 days.  Busy!  The last guest left Monday and our next one is Friday - so Monday I went a bit mad vacuuming and cleaning our side of the house, making beds and doing washing, as well as washing annex bedding/towels and ironing bedding and making the bed.  By the end of the day - it felt great - and knowing I had days to finish the annex.  That night - my foot was KILLING me (planter fasciitis) and it was really annoying realising that it has not improved at all.  So - I decided that the next 2-3 days I was really going to keep off my foot and be lazy!  Andy was insisting too - but really I didn't need much persuading!  I must admit I'm loving it! hahaha! getting up and getting coffee and moving to the couch! lol.  I have done bits n bobs, because my conscience doesn't allow me to contribute absolutely nothing to...something! So, got lots more washing/drying/putting away done yesterday and made bread in the bread machine - and today I have used an old staple gun I found and put a plastic material thing I bought, over the lid on a box used in the bathroom, and eaten yesterdays bread!  It is 1.17pm and I haven't even bothered to get dressed! I have a dressing gown on and PJ bottoms - and my hair is so greasy i'd be embarrassed for anybody to see me right now! If somebody comes to the door I think I will hide!  My foot, by the way is hurting much less!  I plan on being a little busier tomorrow - have sorted for shopping to be delivered at 10am - it should contain hair dye (which I WAS going to do today, but I refuse to leave the house to buy some).

Other things we have been doing....we went to a garden center at the weekend and spent some money for the first time in ages!  We bought, 2 big conifers to place between us and our neighbor - one window overlooks us - otherwise we are completely secluded!  We also bought a stone bench with squirrels as the legs, a big stone snail we have named Gail, and a stone cat that we have named Roger (as our two little cats are named after Freddie Mercury and Brain May....Roger Taylor), and we got a rose bush as roses are one of the few things that we don't have in the garden!

The bench...



Gail the Snail....cats like her!



And...just a really cute picture of Mercky and May....



So....

while I've been sat on the couch for hours - I've been looking up stuff...like log stores (so expensive!) and airbnb stuff....but mostly about the people that lived in this house - I am obsessed! I'm trying to find our who built this house, when and why - and, as I said in my last post - Peard Jillard seemed to own it early on - possibly built it - but I found that he sold it in 1806 - and he apparently died in 1800!!  I have been trying to decipher his last will and testament to see if he left it in his will....can't make out anything to do with this house...

So - its this weekend I am going to see Lissa - and we do have a booking for that weekend now - so I think Andy will be doing the meet and greet! lol.

Apparently Connor is doing well - doing well in his job and enjoying it - thats as much as I can get out of him - Adam is packing up the flat as they are about to exchange contracts...

Andy is working very hard - and away a lot! I worry about him...he seems happy and confident - but it is on his mind a lot, he needs some time for himself...

Okay - I'm going back to doing nothing

:-) :-) :-)

Airbnb feeling more established!

Good morning!

I am lazing on the couch - with a headache for some reason - I have about an hour and then our 7th guest will be leaving - and later today another guest will be turning up! We now have six 5* reviews - which is awesome.  It can take quite some time doing the turnaround - and we have had lots of occasions in the last couple of weeks where I have had just a few hours between guests and have to get it cleaned and beds changed etc.  Up to now everybody has left the place clean and tidy - but I still have to clean etc.

I'm so happy that the airbnb is working! and it gives me an income...well...it makes me feel better about not being employed!  and I feel like I am contributing to our finances as it was me that did all the work, to get it up and running - and it was a LOT of work! Considering that the living room used to be a ladies toilets! I also do all the cleaning, preparation etc.  Andy helps if the turnaround falls on a weekend...

On the main part of the house I have now fitted all the trim around the fireplace, and painted the bricks - and in the last couple of days started on painting the room - its a big job though - a big room - and everything needs painting or sanding etc.  However, there is no rush so I am happy to do it bit-by-bit.  I've been waiting for about a month now for Andy to order a bracket to put the TV on the wall....apparently he can't decide - so I think if I want it done, I shall have to order one myself!

Andy is working away a lot lately, 1-3 nights away each week.  I don't mind so much, but I do miss him and it worries me that he works so hard.

I'm going to be going into London next weekend - Lissa got us tickets to see Wicked.  To be honest its a little bit of a pain in the butt - London is a long way - and expensive - I think I will end up driving to Lissa's on the Friday - train in and out of London on the Saturday and back on the Sunday - a lot of travelling. Luckily we don't have guests that weekend but if we end up getting a booking I am going to have to depend on Andy to change beds and get it spotless etc.  I don't like to leave him to all that because its quite a bit of work - and he works all week.

I have been doing a lot of research about this house and its residents - I have now found that it was sold in 1806 by Peard Jillard - I found a mention that Farnham Haskell lived here with his son in law - they were reverends at the chapel opposite the house.  Farnham Haskell died in 1779 - so that means the house dates to before 1779 (if the info I read is correct as I have no way of checking it).  I also went to Somerset Heritage Centre to see if I could find more info.  I did find a set of ledgers from around 1870 - it was written by Mr Thomas Patton - it contained family expenditure.  I was hoping to find out how much servants were paid, or find info about work done on the house but it seemed to be more about what he was paying his children.  Saying that there was way too much to read - I could do with spending a few weeks reading it all but its not that easy when you can't bring them home! It was awesome though holding them in my hands - and seeing his hand writing after I have been studying him and his family for over 2 years now!

Anyway - I'll leave it there for now - see you soon!!!