I once knew a man who's tongue fell off in his sleep

 Hi,

Had no idea what to call this post....lol

So - since my last post what have I done? I spent a week at Helen and Pauls house dog sitting whilst they went on holiday.  They are looking after our place and cats so we can go to Italy in September! whoop!!! We are going to Milan, Venice, Rome and Naples!

So I actually really enjoyed staying at their place and taking the dog out everyday - we went on some coastal walks and the weather was great! Everybody was happy apart from Andy who was left in this big old house on his own!

All the fresh air and walking, was awesome and has made me want to do more exercise - so last weekend me and Andy took our bikes into the Quantocks Hills to do a 8km trail that I looked up.  We drove up to the carpark and set off.  It was 34 degrees, so I froze a couple of bottles of water for us, so it would be lovely and cold when we drank it.  This was the plan.  

We followed the trail, and then it went VERY steeply down a hill, so much so we were pushing our bikes rather than riding on them, and were slipping and falling...then one of the trails disappeared into the undergrowth so we climbed over the wild growth to get to another path - it continued down and down and I was very worried about getting up again - hoping the way back would be less steep.  Then we lost the path again.  By this time we were very worried - we had come such a long way down the only way back was going to be up!!  The frozen water would not defrost!! It was boiling hot - but ice would not melt - so when we were gasping for a drink - we had a few drops of water at a time.  We eventually went onto google maps and found the road way back - about 2 miles uphill!!

It was not fun anymore, I was worried about my own health - and even more worried about Andy - much bigger guy who was sweating so much more than me and losing so much water - and all we had was ice that we couldn't get to!  Eventually andy stamped on his plastic bottle to break up the ice so we wouldn't die out there!

In the end we did 11km - in over 3 hours, and it was a nightmare...all that pushing the bike uphill, in a heatwave with little or no water...we were exhausted!

So....Andy lost 9lb that day (went down to 7lb) I lost 1lb which went down to 0.4lb....story of my life.

We have had a heatwave that has lasted for ages - we have a drought, and all our grass is dead lol.  It's been great really, although often too hot - definitely too hot for me to go into the attic to sew or into the workshop to work!  Just starting to cool down a bit now - think the temp is now about 25 degrees and we are getting rain and thunderstorms.

I am starting to think about decorating the downstairs bathroom...so might have another project on the go again soon!

anyway - bye for now

sewing and woodworking are my new things!

 Hi!

So firstly - Lissa is pregnant again and it is another girl - due in December!

Adam is getting married in just over 2 weeks - and Andy has just been asked to perform the ceremony!  (they already got married in a registry office - this bit is the celebration)

Connor just moved house and moved in with mates - still in Cardiff and as always still hates his job!

I have been sewing - I only wanted to make cushions but it escalated! and I am currently wearing a dress I made.  I am not very good at it though to be honest - but I'm hoping it is a hobby that will continue!

So we have had a workshop built so I can get all the tools out of the house and have somewhere to made stuff!!!

The picture above shows it half way through being treated - I have stopped for a few days as it was giving me headaches and making me feel sick!

Yesterday was the first day I actually started moving tools in and started making a workbench - waiting on a delivery today from B&Q so I can finish it...

Since I last posted on here - we have been to Cardiff and watched Ed Sheran which was awesome! Andy got VIP tickets so we had access to a lounge with our own table - inclusive booze and food, which made the experience even better! Ed Sheran was amazing!  We enjoyed it so much we did it all again and saw the Stereophonics!!!

In other news - my Mum has a boyfriend called err....I forgot....Pete?  She is totally smitten and I am finding it very weird.  She is happier than I have ever known her to be which is obviously a good thing - but I'm still not over losing my Dad and don't think I ever really will be, so although I am happy for her I also find it distressing....

I drove to Bridgnorth a week or two ago - just so I could take Andy's Dad - John - to a hospital appointment - his parents are really struggling at the moment - they don't have a car and he has an extremely painful ulcer on his leg so he is struggling to walk and has to go to docs 3 times a week to have dressings changed.  Was really nice to be able to help out - just wish they were not so far away!

Andy has started his new job with IBM - but is just doing training course after training course atm.

Okay - think that is me done for now! 

Bye for now!

I'm Free!!!

 

Hi,

So since last time, I handed in my notice and finished work - my last day was Friday! I was told I'd have to go into the office once a week - at first I thought it was going to be everyday which is what started the conversation about me leaving...then I found out it was just one day but we had already spoken about me leaving and going back to working on the house and being more organised with keeping on top of cleaning, cooking etc.  It is not like cleaning a normal house - we could do with a house keeper really.  So - I took the plunge and...well....left!  I did feel bad leaving, because I did enjoy the job and the people, and I was invested in my cases, but he pull to leave was stronger....  Claire my boss came around on Friday - had a look around the house and then we finished up work stuff - she brought me gifts too! Flowers, chocolates, earrings and a £25 B&Q voucher lol - will definitely come in handy!

So - we have just had a bank holiday weekend - and today is the first day that I would normally have been in work :-) So....today I got up and put washing on and tidied the kitchen, then I started sanding another section of the games room floor - and went on to paint the base coat and 2 top coats.  I also made a curry for tea, changed Andy's bed and did more washing! So I feel my first day went well!  Living the dream again!

OH! Erika had the baby!!  6lb 9oz - River Roy Andrew - so touched and think that it is amazing that they names him after my Dad and Andy!! So much so, that I can forgive them for not using Sam (again!) lol, but Lissa is having another baby (due in December) so the name Sam has another chance!! lol.

Chubsy face!!

Not sure when I am going to visit - but hopefully soon!!!

So...we have ordered a workshop - to go into the bottom of the garden - 20ft x 12ft - so a substantial size - so excited about that! We can get all of the tools out of the house - they are everywhere! and I can properly set up everything like my mitre saw and circular saw - and hopefully new stuff - and then start making things - like cabinets in the back porch, a fire surround, shelves in the bathroom cupboard, panelling in the upstairs loo - and I want to upcycle stuff.  I've also signed up for an upholstery course, and I've had my sewing machine out and made a cushion with piping and a zip - and a box cushion (I want to make seat cushions to go into the window seats that we have!

In other news Andy started his new job with IBM today!

Helen & Paul have covid!!  Helen got it first and is apparently really ill....I am a little worried but she is vaccinated.  Its not like it was 2 years ago....but I really feel bad for her - she says that she is really ill - flu symptoms and dry retching! Paul has only just got it so not sure how he is going to be - poor Eloise - she is bound to catch it!!

Until next time....

2 year anniversary - losing Dad

 Hi,

It is Wednesday - my day off and I was supposed to have a haircut at 10.30, but it was cancelled as the hairdresser has hurt her back! 

So, I'm sat here procrastinating until I get myself up, have a shower and meet Yvonne and and kids at 1pm :-)  I haven't seen Yvonne for ages - since I last saw her she will have lost loads of weight as she had Gastric bypass surgery, and i have put on a ton of weight (because I'm a lazy foodie).

She lost her step-dad George on 15th April (same date as Dad died) he wasn't old, and was a lovely guy - we met him at her wedding and during that week. Apparently it was cancer and was very quick - such sad, sad news.

I got sad on 15th, when I realised it was two years since that awful time, and I decided to go back and read my blog - I read a couple of paragraphs and had to stop because it was too upsetting.  I have tried not to dwell on it - it is better to think of past times with him rather than the end...

At the weekend I went to Manchester as it was two years since my Dad died, and Joanne (sister) arranged a memorial/get-together.  Long drive to Manchester, with Connor who came over Friday night to travel with us.   It was at Brackley Conservative Club - somewhere I'd not been before.  We got there a little early which was good because Bev, Joanne and Mum were there so I got to say Hi (and have a bit of the whiskey I took for the toast).  Lissa, Ada, Adam, (a heavily pregnant and struggling) Erika and Rory and Rudy turned up, as did my Helen, Paul, Eloise and Zack, my brothers Andrew & Antony and their partners and Andrews kids, my cousin Claire and her kids, and my Aunty Elaine, my Dads remaining brother Ronny, my Dads best mate Steve Lawrence and his wife, and many others came.

Joanne did a moving toast, which made me cry - there were pictures of my Dad everywhere....it was sad and at the same time really good to see all the family.

I proceeded to get quite tipsy - and tried to chat to everybody there.  It was a really good event.

Me, Joanne, Bev and Helen ended up chatting for quite a while - I love getting together with them - we never struggle to talk constantly and laugh a lot!  It was great just to spend time with people at different times, including our kids! Not enough time though!!

I hardly saw Andy - especially as he didn't have to keep me topped u with drinks as we drank the wine/whiskey provided for the toasts!  My Mum and Hilda and another couple did a couple of ballroom dances, and then George (Nephew - Bev's son) got up and danced with Hilda as he does competition dance.

Afterwards (because we had the room from 1pm - 6pm) we had arranged to go back to my Mums with the kids - but loads of people went back there (apart from Bev, Megan and Aimee - and they are not speaking - although Bev was approached about going and said she would go - a step towards peace - but my Mum said NO WAY).

Again it was great fun at my Mums with all the family there - just love being around them all! I might have got a little too intoxicated, and i did wake up the next day hoping I'd not said anything stupid or offended anybody!

Me and Andy got a lift back to the hotel from Erika - and I felt a little guilty because I really didn't want to get a taxi and Erika had struggled all day being so heavily pregnant...

Lissa & Adam both managed to get a babysitter (their Dad) for the night, so that must have been great for them!

We woke up really early so we made an early start on the journey home...dropped Connor off at Bristol train station - and I ended up sleeping on the couch for a while!  All in all - a great family time - for a very sad reason.

Sunday morning...hoping WW3 is not on its way....

 Hi! 

Yet again -months since my last post....just read over my last post looking at what I said and what has changed etc.

Covid - never really read about it now and life with regards to covid is very different to 2020.  We have all had 2 vaccines and a booster...from 24 February 2022 all restrictions were lifted and people testing positive no longer have to isolate - they are advised to isolate but are not being forced to.  I am worried that I will be made to go back to working in the office...really don't want to do that.  I reduced my hours slightly so I finish at 4.30pm and at the moment, as soon as I finish I immediately get changed and start decorating (painting games room dark green!). If I have to have travel time in my day - this will change a lot of things.  Depending on Andy's job and our finances if I am forced to go back into the office I'd be very tempted to leave....

In other news.....

So - Russia has decided to invade Ukraine! The last few weeks it has been on the news because he was gathering his army around Ukraine's border, Putin was saying it was a training exercise and at one point said the army was leaving - but then he made an announcement that he was making two area's of the Ukraine independent states and he was moving his army in for 'peacekeeping' purposes! Nobody believed this and it was very worrying...then he made an announcement that Ukraine was committing genocide against their people (with no evidence whatsoever) and that he was going to de-nazify Ukraine.

Since then (only a few days) it has been war! Ukraine are not a member of NATO (otherwise it would be full on WW3, with NATO fighting Russia) but instead countries are sending weapons to Ukraine and imposing financial restrictions against Russia.  Ukrainian's are fighting! Citizens have either fled or have agreed to fight and are being given guns and are being advised to make Molotov cocktails - which they have been doing.  Normal looking everyday people - women and men have been seen queuing up to collect guns and have been since in large groups making the Molotov cocktails.  Lots of people went into the underground stations and basements to stay away from the bombing.  On the news/Twitter etc. we see reports of the fighting.  One tiny Island (snake Island) had just 12-13 people on it - were approached by a Russain warship who told then to lay down their arms and surrender or get attacked...they replied (all over loud speaker) F**k you Russian war ship! unfortunately they were then bombed and killed.  

Last night was the worse so far with Ukraine's 2nd largest city Kharkiv, seeing lots of bombing and fighting and a gas pipe being blown up.  We watched nothing but the news, webcams and trawled twitter last night and about 2am (their time) you could hear the fighting in the distance from one of the webcams - it sounded scary and I cannot imagine what that would be like to live through.

There are reports that the Ukrainian's are doing well defending themselves - but I can't imagine it will end well because it is Russia after all!  I don't think the Russian soldiers want to be there, there is footage of Ukrainians laughing at Russians after they ran out of fuel and were stranded on the road - Ukrainian's saying - do you want a lift back to the Russian border? lol

The Ukrainian president Zelenskyy is coming across as a hero - going out onto the streets with a gun and urging his country to fight!  Putin will want him dead and he knows it - I hope he survives - as well as his country!

If Putin makes any move against countries on the outskirts of Ukraine, which are members of NATO then it will be war! He has very dangerous nuclear weapons so its very worrying right now...

Russian's are protesting about the war against Ukraine - many of whom are being arrested (about 2000 I believe), there are demonstrations all over the world against Russia - because its a war without a cause!

Ukraine president Zelenskyy

The poor Ukrainian's - having Covid like the rest of the world and as it eases they get invaded!