Something for me.

On Friday Grubby and I went to the local town for some shopping and a bite to eat,we went to our usual Italian place where we were served by the same waitress we always have,bearing in mind this girl must serve thousands over the months she always remembers us,even to the extent that she had kept my scarf that I left behind last time we went and without even being asked brought it out to me,she tells me she finally has five days off next week,would you believe this young girl hasn't had a day off in six months,on the subject of immigrant workers did any of you here in Britland see this.........supports everything I already thought.It is the idle natives that drain the system.

Whilst in town,much to poor Grubby's embarrassment,I like to have a browse round the charity shops,I do try only to window shop rather than drag the man round them,but this time in the window of Barnardo's there was a lovely mishmash of an early sixties dinner set,Midwinter stylecraft in the Mayfield pattern,I have a gravy boat and stand,six double handled soup coupes and stands,a serving platter,umpteen plates, bowls, cups,milk/cream jug and saucers all for the princely sum of nineteen quid,there was so much there that the ladies in the shop showed Grubby where to park out the back so we didn't have to try and carry it all.So while he was off to get the motor I had a look round the shop,I found another fabulous bargain I found,an eisenegger coat still with it's £130.99 label attached for a whole £4.99 I also bought some knitting needles and learnt to knit overnight,that however is another tale worthy of a photo and giggle.
So I am pleased to say I have finally got some things to show for not spending money on ciggies anymore.

Oops ! I did it again !

So there I am minding my own business when I see a small child being really quite awful to her pet guinea pigs,her Mum said she was desperately looking for a home for them...........Grubby just laughed and suggested I apply for charitable status as an animal sanctuary.........

It's official,I am bendy,

Well I was until everything seized up !
I had my appointment today with the consultant,he tells me that my bendiness in times past is down to 'A hypermobility syndrome' nowhere near like what bendy girl has but officially bendy.
Seems I have a combination of things going on,I have psoriatic arthritis and some quite common post bendy damage,mind it seems to have been a complete waste of time as all I have to show for it are naproxen,omeprazole and a recommendation to take paracetamol too..........and go back in six months.
ps, Still not smoking, bugger I could kill a ciggy about now.

No wonder Brit business is dying.

A few weeks ago a chappy came to repair my heating timer,I wasn't in ,so he left a note saying contact the contractor to rebook the appointment,I duly rang them up and arranged for someone to visit and fix timer,I left a contact phone number and waited for said day.
Repairs day arrives,repair man arrives perfectly on time but brings a pump not a timer with him,he tells me he will come back next day with a timer.Next day I get a call from the contractor 'we can't make it today can we rebook?'
So rebook for ten days hence,which was Thursday just gone,chappie comes out and fits a new heating and hot water control except the hot water isn't connected to it...........says he will return 2pm Friday to fit some things called pipe stats,seems they will stop my pipes from boiling if I have a big hot fire.
Well 2pm comes and goes,I remember when trying to book an appointment for chappie to visit  being told they only work from 8.30 to 3.30ish   so at 3pm I ring the contractors office,polite girl on reception puts me through to 'relevant department' young lad takes my phone number and says he will call me back as the electrician is on the phone currently.........
At five thirty I give up and put my coat on to go and let a friends dog out while she is off babysitting grandchildren and who should knock on the door.........He tells me he would have rung to let me know what time but they didn't have a contact number.
The words piss up and brewery spring readily to mind.

Chicken Run.

I got home from work Friday to be told by my neighbour that one of the ex batts had escaped and they had recaptured her for me .They don't know who is who amongst the girls,so I have no idea either.The weird thing is that the chooky was found wandering around out the front of my house,but short of being able to fly to a height of about 16 feet or going against all chicken instinct and walking away from home ground and the flock,through various gardens and gates etc none of the girls could have got there.........no-one was injured or even short of a few feathers,none of them seem at all nervous,in fact I even checked to make sure I hadn't gained an extra 'orange' chooky,as my neighbours son described her.
I am picking up a couple of rolls of wire  and will give the garden some extra chookie-proofing,but to be honest this has completely baffled me,if one of the banties had flown over a fence I wouldn't be surprised,but even they can't get round to the front.

 So,having done some detective work(well asked around the neighbours) it seems either Whiskas or Sid clambered up a short bit of hedge into the neighbours garden,had a trot around ,then toddled off through another neighbours garden wandered through their gate and walked back home to my front door where she was captured by my kind neighbour and returned to the garden with a stern lecture,
So today I have put up some chicken wire and confined them properly,I have also clipped their gorgeous new wing feathers
Hopefully the little tikes will be safe now,if a tad unhappy as the greenhouse is now out of bounds.

Quick show off.

Look what I made.........

The no smoking chronicles(part two)subtitled 'get me a shrink'

In truth I don't feel quite so frantic today,probably because I have kept myself more than a little busy.Another lady cancelled work today,so it is a good job I don't need ciggie money any more. So today I treated my house as if it were one of the big houses where I work.........I am such an untidy slapper,it has taken hours, but it was well worth it,almost the entire house is gleaming,it is just a shame I can't wash the curtains until we have some better weather.
Now only Grubby will understand the huge significance of this,but today I emptied my desk and scrubbed it,no more tea and ciggie ash spills,no more piles of obsolete software,stacks of papers have been put away or filed in the recycling bin.Tonight I am sewing buttons on the cardi I have made for the impending Grandson,removing my nicotine patch(I am determined to get some proper sleep tonight) then I am going to bathe and visit the land of nod for as long as possible.
I had a shock at lunchtime,I have had calls from both pregnant daughters asking how I was and if I was coping ok with the lack of smokes,I tell you wonders will never cease.
The rescue chickens have been somewhat disgusted,I have put a little fence up so they can't wait outside the back door to terrorise the poor old cat,they are doing well and need less pampering than they once did,two of them lay each day so I have a nice protein supply.A really rewarding bunch of pets.

The no smoking chronicles(part one)

Firstly,if I am rude to anyone,please forgive me ? I am temporarily completely insane
I have had every cough and cold germ known to man in the last few weeks,my allergic asthma starts around mid march and on Tuesday last week I found myself hacking like someone with consumption whilst trying to inhale tobacco fumes.
So Wednesday I took myself off to the smoking cessation clinic.
Well the wild haired vaguely hippy counsellor told me everything I already knew about the affects tobacco has on your system and purse then prescribed patches and nicotine under the tongue tabs.I was told to pick a day and be ready for it.
So Sunday was to be my first ciggie free day in donkeys years.
On Saturday I had planned to remove all smoking accoutrements and spray room fresheners around last thing at night etc etc,it
didn't work out that way,I had kids on the phone all day,hormonal kids at that,Sarah rang in tears from the middle of Nottingham town centre saying "they don't sell nice things for baby boys,why am I having a boy? oh god what do you do with little boys?"this call was repeated sporadically throughout the day until her pregnant hormones settled and she rang to cry and apologise.
Sam rang repeatedly, also hormonal,to say she had so been looking forward to her day off and now it was here she was bored and puking,I didn't grin and say "well that's pregnancy for you".
Saturday evening I sat down to enjoy my last smoke and discovered I couldn't as I hacked my way through each inhalation.
Sunday morning I got up attached a nicotine patch and got myself busy,disposing of smoking stuff and crocheting booties and cardigans,I did however find I was inhaling some smoke,I burnt my morning toast and my chicken, tatty and carrot casserole was nicely caramelised.
I was a bit twitchy but I coped,I went to bed and discovered the patch not only makes sleeping harder but it also triggers some quite troublesome dreams,so at 3am I removed it.
I got up this morning discovered I had left last nights bathwater in and I hadn't stoked the fire up,so the house was ruddy freezing.
I finally had my shower and attached my patch,two hours later I was still craving wildly after nicotine and considered topping up with an under the tongue tab.
I needed a wee and discovered whilst there that the patch I had stuck on my thigh still had half the backing paper on, so I had only been getting half my replacement drug....
I have fixed that now and feel a little better,I went off to work at my first job to be told I wasn't needed,I already knew she had decorators in and housework was out,we were supposed to be erecting greenhouse staging and doing garden jobs,the bitter wind and snowflakes have put paid to that.
So here I am stabbing my keyboard to death whilst apologising in advance if I am an arxe.

It's a boy.

Yay,woohoo,fab,brill.
Bugger have I just had a happy snivel.........
Our Sarah got her test results back today,no genetic abnormalities whatsoever and I am going to be Nanny to a BOY come July. Expect to see lots of pics of boy clothes I have made.
I am considering some of these for a start,they are just too cute to resist.

I have also got an appointment at the smoking cessation clinic this afternoon for yet another attempt.