I forgot to mention but actually deserves a post on its own anyway...
(holly, May 7, 2008, 10:50 am)
My mom is now a online radio DJ. How cool is that.
Im hoping that as Terry Wogans fans are called Togs (Terrys old Geezers/Gals) my moms fan base can be called Jogs (J****S old Geezers/Gals) :-D
It's been a really great couple of weeks. Lots to do etc etc. We have had people here for tea, been out to the cinema. Has a BBQ (weather was good aswell). We have even been to York for a Ship meet. It was really good to catch up with people and meet new ones. Our very own Jack the Lass was there with new hubby (how long is it till couples stop officially being classed as newlyweds?) and it was a lovely afternoon of eating and a small gentle walk round York. Finishing of at Jono's parents for a cuppa.
I have even had lunch with an old friend who we worked out that we hadn't seen each other in about 6 years. The joys of Facebook. It was so good to catch up with him and now he is back in the Midlands it should be easier to meet up with him.
He has got this flashy open top two seater car (jag or bmw I can't remember). Anyway I have never really been bothered by cars but was amazed how much I enjoyed being in it with the top down. It was a lovely day and the breeze was fab. I don't think there is anything wrong with our cars but to go from that to a Skoda estate didn't seem as much fun, but alas I can get more shopping in the Skoda so it's not all bad :-)
Last Sunday, the choir im in sang at a wedding in Dronfield which was lovely. I always love it when we sing at weddings as you also get a great view of the bride and groom. They both looked stunning and the service was great .
*Warning* this point is where I start moaning :-)
Last Tuesday evening I spotted that the boiler in the kitchen had water leaking from it. It has happened before but there has always been a reason. This time there wasn't, so Jono rang up the boiler people. We ended up having to turn it off which resulted in not hot water and no heating. At the moment the weather is lovely but last week the evenings were freezing so it wasn't too pleasant.
On the Thursday the engineer rang to say that he was going to arrive in the afternoon. I told him I get home from work at 2pm but he said I need to finish work by 1pm as he would be there before 2pm. He actually arrived at 3.30 grrrrr. He was only there for about 2 minutes and diagnosed a faulty heating exchange and wouldn't no when it would be fitted as it needs to be ordered.
When he left I rang up the boiler people to moan and I managed to get through to the most uninterested/unhelpful man in the world. In the end I got so frustrated with him I told him that I will leave him to get back to his precious job as he is obviously so good at it. <blush>
It got to Saturday and we still hadn't heard anything so I rang up the boiler people and were told that an engineer would be ringing Monday. As it was bank holiday we had planned to go on a walk with some friends and then have a BBQ at ours. I ended up staying home for when he rang but alas he never did (surprise surprise).
On Tuesday (yesterday) I rang them up and they told me that I shouldn't have been told an engineer would be ringing. The part they need to order is big so they need to gain authorisation that we can have it????? and the authorisation form didn't go in until yesterday. She said that it shouldn't be a problem but will take a couple of days to sort. I told her that it was a problem to me as we have had no hot water for over a week now and it's getting expensive going swimming every morning to have a shower before work. Over the weekend friends took pity on us and we showered there which was good, but not practical on a weekday morning when they are getting ready for work themselves.
I had so better get buns of steal with the amount of times I have been swimming ;-)
*moan over*
As its already Thursday i thought i should write about last weekend as it was lovely. Now we didnt do anything exiting or extravagant but it was more just lovely, relaxing and productive. My favourite kind of weekend.
It had already been a good and busy couple of weeks as id been to the cinema twice. We watched 27 Dresses and the second time I went I saw step up 2, The streets. I can't decide if it made me feel old or cool (not that you can't be both of course).
We have also been to the pub with our cluster and also with the allotment group that Jono is a part of and we did really well in the quiz. They have a great quiz sheet that I hadn't seen before. There are 25 questions and you put them in the answer boxes which are spread on a 5 box X 5 box page. Once all the answers are put in, the quiz master gives out the answers but not in any order. It's like bingo style and then it's the first team to get a row of 5 correct answers. My dad sometimes organises quizzes and keep meaning to tell him about it. If you're reading this dad aka Pater ;-) then this is my way of telling you about it so I don't forget ha ha.
It was also really nice to briefly catch up with people from my old job as a load of us met up to commiserate the closing of the department. I could only stay a couple of hours though as me and Jono were meeting up with our cluster at the pub.
I have met up with some friends for coffee and also had a little trip to Dunhelm with a friend as she had never been before and is getting her own house soon. Lots of fun and bargains to be had. I was really good though and just brought two packs of tie backs for 25p a pack in the sale. Amazing.
Anyway to get to the point of the title, after all that busyness it was great to have a lovely, relaxing and productive weekend.
Friday evening we just stayed in and then on Saturday morning Jono went to the allotment while I had a bit of a lie in. We then spent a couple of hours in the garden. Jono was putting up some trellis and I planted some bulbs and re planted the strawberry plants. We redid the garden a couple of years back but there are still things that need a bit of finishing off or tidying which we haven't really had the time or weather to do, so we made the most of it on Saturday.
We then had some lunch and we both commented how nice it was when we realised we were eating bread that I had made and soup that Jono had made and got out the freezer the night before.
After lunch we showered and had a productive afternoon of getting a bit of shopping in for the week. We waiting till Saturday as Jono had to take some slippers back so we thought we would shop at the same time. We also got rid of all the recycling while we were there and also popped to the charity shop on the way to drop off some clothes. The evening we just spent on the computer or in front of the telly.
On Sunday we went to church and after having lunch at home decided to spend a couple of hours at Starbucks having a coffee & cake. We took our books to read aswell which was really relaxing but I could have fallen asleep on the comfy sofa I was sitting on.
That evening I had a go at making a pizza base in the breadmaker. I had enough dough to make a pizza so I decided to use the extra to roll out to make a garlic & rosemary bread. Both came out lovely and as id made that rather than a loaf we took it to work for our lunches on Monday & Tuesday.
I realised last week that i still havnt mentioned about Jono's birthday and that last week we went to visit my parents for the weekend. Over the last month we have got to see both sets of parents a couple of times so that has been really nice to catch up with them. While we were at my parents we had planned to try and see if anyone was free and to go to church etc but we were both shattered and enjoyed just relaxing. On the Friday evening Jono went with my dad to the annual Cricket meal and me and my mom had a meatballs and spagetti with was fab.
On the Saturday we popped to Ikea and amazingly only spent about £16. Its far too tempting to go when its only a 5/10 minute drive from my parents house. We did have specific things to buy and stuck to it apart from a new shower curtain. We just needed a plain see through one to put over the tiles part of the shower so it doesnt clash with the other one and such a bargain it was only 85p :-)
After that we popped to Hooties which is a local cash & carry. Its amazing and always try to pop there when we visit. We then took my parents to Makro. There was only an hour before it shut which was a shame as it would have been good to have a good look round at the bargains but will just have to go another time.
On the Sunday we were going to go to church but Jono wasnt feeling 100% with his cold so we decided to have a lazy Sunday morning. I, to my shame watched "high school musical 1 & 2". I missed the odd bits though but got to see most of it. I actually really like it <blush> and made me wish again that id done more with my singing when i was younger. I sang in school concerts but would have loved to have done some musical theatre etc.
Anyway it was soon time to head back and got home around 8.30ish?
In ref to Jono's birthday, there were 19 of us in the end and it was a lovely night. The cake seemed to go down really well. So well in fact that once everyone had got their piece and i gave a bit to the bar staff, there was only enough for Jono's parents to have a slice each the next day when they came to visit. I was really worried about the cake as last year when someone took at bite out of it they pulled a face and put their hand to their mouth as if they were going to be sick. Not what you want people to do when they taste your cooking. Everyone else ate it though and i think (hope) it was just because it was quite rich rather than it being horrible.
It did make me more nervous about making this cake but had to try to stop worrying in the end as at the end of the day it really doesnt matter what they think aslong as Jono liked it (which he did) and that everyone enjoyed the evening (which they seemed to). I will try to work out how to put pics on here to show it you all as (to blow my own trumpet) im quite proud of it.
Last night i was just about to get a drink of water to take to bed and i noticed that there was a rats bum and tail on the floor in the kitchen (so thats where the saying "give a rats ass comes from" maybe????? maybe not?????)
George was playing with another baby rat about a metre from the first one. As i got closer i noticed that it was still alive (barely) so put it at first in a little container and stuck a little bit of milk in there for it to drink. The rat looked petrified and its heart was beating really really fast. Which isnt suprising really as he was about to be eaten. I then got a small box from the recycling and put him in there.
George spotted him at this point and tried to get him but i managed to get him away. I then put a ripped up piece of kitchen towel in at one end for a bed. Then at the other end i put in a bit of cabbage and a tiny bowl of water. I had tried bread in the little container but it had gone all soggy from the milk. (I would just like to point out i have no idea what a rat likes to eat but was thinking on my feet) I had already put holes in the top of the box and then put the lid down on it.
I wouldnt say i was a fan of rats. Im calling it a rat, it might have been a mouse. Not sure how to tell the difference when they are babies. This one was only about 2inches long.
Anyway as i was saying i wouldnt say i was a fan of rats/mice but as this one was still alive i didnt want to put it straight back outside if it wasnt able to get away quick enough from the cats.
I put the box in the hall and went to bed. This morning i told Jono what i had done and he said "you know they can eat their way through cardboard dont you?"
I wasnt sure if it was going to be alive by this morning as it wasnt moving very much the night before, so as i came down stairs i wasnt sure if i was going to find a broken open box or a dead rat. I was pleased to have not found either. He had moved everything round in the box so i asumed he was now more mobile and his heart beat was no longer making his whole body move, so i took the box outside and put him in the bush in the front garden. He then scurried(spell) away. I then threw the box in the bin and washed my hands in hot water and anti bacterical wash.
I then went and had my breakfast glowing in my good deed :-)
After i finished work yesterday i went home and pottered about until it was time to pick up George from the Vets at 3.20pm. They reckon that he was dragged along by a car as that is quite common with his injuries. They also think he was dragged as his claws have been filed down to practically nothing. I asked if it could have been him trying to escape from somewhere and he said possibly but more than likely he was dragged by a car. It was awful to hear that he has suffered but im so pleased that he is stronger than he actually looks and survived it. It shows he is definitely a little fighter.
They have said that his tail and spine etc are good but he needs to go back in a couple of days incase the wound gets infected and his tail needs to come off. They had to shave his tail which i know was necessary but it looks absolutely ridiculous. They have shaved about 6 inches of it but left the last two inches with fur so he now looks like he has some weird poodle tail.
About an hour before setting off to collect George my phone only had one bar on it. I was going to charge it up for an hour but decided to do it when i got back. Oh how i wish i had.
I picked up George and on the way home i went to pop to the local shop to pick a loaf and some chicken. It was going to take 5 minutes so didnt see the problem. Just before i went to park i noticed my neighbour so slowed down to tell her i had found George. As i then carried on down the road i had to pull into a space to let some traffic go past and then went to pull back out so that i could reverse into the space to park. Just as i went to change gear to park better the gear stick decided at that point to snap. grrrrrrrr.
My neighbour noticing that i didnt seem to be moving came over to the car to see if everything was ok. She was an absolute star and got her son to wait in the car so she could drop me off home to drop George off and then come back to the car to wait for the breakdown people to arrive. (This was the car breakdown people not the mental health department, although it was a tough call on who to ring ha ha)
Everytime i had to use the phone i was panicking it would cut out as i hadnt charged it but it didnt
The breakdown man came quite quickly and was brilliant. He even told me to go and pick up the stuff i needed to make tea while he was sorting out the car. He managed to do a tempory fix on the car so i was able to drive it to the garage and he followed me there. He was then going to give me a lift home (wasnt part of his job) but i know the man at the garage as he is from church and he offered me a lift as we live close to eachother.
There were so many things i needed to get done once i got home but at this point i was so tired all i did was cook tea and slob on the sofa. I only ended up having to cook for me as Jono had to work late so his boss brought them all a takeaway.
One of the things i realised though was how everything fell into place even though the situation was an absolute pain.
The fact that i was only 4 streets from home so i could have walked if needed.
The fact that my neighbour was there to help.
The fact that the breakdown man arrived really quickly and was really helpful and lovely.
The fact that Chris the mechanic was still at work and then able to give me a lift home.
The fact my phone lasted and it only started to bleep low battery once i didnt need it anymore.
The fact that George is now home safe.
I think it was a case of count your blessings as it really could have been a lot worse.
Last night we didnt get much sleep as we cant let George out at the moment so it means that Charlie cant go out either as we cant control the cat flap for just one cat. First of all we just put one chair and a piece of wood against the locked cat flap but Charlie managed to move the heavy wooden chair (dont ask, he must have super strength). We have to block it as they are able to get out of a locked cat flap. We thought they wouldnt be too bad as we put a litter tray out and let them have the run of the house but no. In the end we had three chairs blocking the door so that they couldnt be moved.
By 6am we decided to just let Charlie out for an hour. At 7am i opened the kitchen window to call him and he looked like he had been there for ages as he was meowing like crazy to come back in. 5 minutes back in and he was meowing to get back out again. Very silly animals ha ha.
George was still lying on our bed when we left so im hoping they have both settled down when i get back from work and they havnt destroyed the house otherwise that will be tomorrows blog entry.
Well cats & tears seem to be the theme of todays entry aswell.
Although we are complete softies with our cats they do tend to bring in lots of mice etc so when we are in bed or out for longer than half hour, then we keep them in the kitchen so any unwanted creatures are contained (we go through a lot of kitchen cleaner, incase your wondering about the cleanliness of our kitchen).
Anyway as normal on Sunday night we gave the cats their supper and shut them in the kitchen for the night. When we got up on Monday morning, George wasnt about. Its usually Charlie that is sometimes outside but didnt think too much of it and assumed as always they would be in their beds when i got in from work. When i got in from work though George still wasnt in and so at this point i started to worry as its not like George at all.
Over the next few hours i was calling him, shaking his food, looked all in the garden, round the streets but couldnt find him anywhere. The neighbours who i saw were so lovely and said they would keep an eye out for him.
I think even Charlie realised he had been gone too long as he kept jumping on the fence to get a better look for him or just sat in the garden looking at the spot he normally comes in from. By this point i was getting really upset and felt really helpless. i know he is only a cat but they are my babies and it was still quite raw the upset from the other day when i found that cat in the road.
It was so difficult going to bed knowing he was still out there somewhere. I decided to keep all the doors shut but left our bedroom and the kitchen door open incase he did manage to come home in the night.
Charlie loved this and slept most of the night on our bed.
At about 6.30am Charlie jumped on the bed and kept pestering me. This is nothing usual so didnt think much of it apart from that he was soaking wet. At one point i thought i faintly heard the cat flap but it seemed too quiet so left it. By about 6.45am though i decided to have a look just incase but was trying not to build my hopes up. As i walked out onto the landing i noticed that George was asleep on the stairs. I was so relieved and picked him up to put him on our bed. He was bone dry so it couldnt have been him coming through the cat flap. He must have come in some time in the night so im really pleased that i had left the kitchen door open so he had somewhere warmer to sleep.
He seemed in pain when i picked him up so let him just sleep for a bit. He didnt really eat very much of his breakfast which is understandable and when i went to stroke him i noticed his tail was all cut and some of the fur was missing. it looked really sore and painful so we decided to ring the vet once they opened.
Jono was able to take George to the vet this morning before a meeting at 10am which was great.
Im glad Jono took him as they had to keep him in to do some tests and Xray. When he has tried to free his tail he may have damaged his spine which can lead to bladder problems so they want to observe him.
I will be able to collect him this afternoon and although he is hurt i am just so relieved that he came home.
Despite requests im not going to dwell on the wobbly head as its now cleared up a bit, that and my incredible sore throat. Im am now left with projectile snot. (oh what a ladylike image. I am currently sneezing for Brittain, but am so glad my throat is no longer sore as that is the worst pain (cold wise).
Anyway in ref to the title. I cant believe how upset i was and it made me want to give my own cats a huge hug when i finally got home.
On Thursday i dropped Jono off at his friends as it was pub night that some of the lads go to twice a month. Before i went home i decided to pop to the local Morrisons to see if they had some pre cooked wedges so go with the home made lasagne i had made. I managed amazingly to get the last tray. Picked up another couple of bits and then headed home.
I was driving down the main road just before turning into where i live and noticed something in the road with its legs in the air. As i slowed down i noticed it was a cat and there was about 8 cars coming in the opposite direction. The first car drove past the cat (wheels either side so missed him) and then the second car managed to stop just intime.
We both got out of our cars. It was two young lads and considering young lads seemed to get such a chavy reputation lately, these two were lovely and made sure i didnt need their help before driving off. Before they did though i got a couple of bags out of my car to use as gloves to move the cat to the side of the road. There still seemed to be some slight movement from the cat. We then both moved our cars so that the traffic could keep moving. There was also a couple walking past who also offered help which was so lovely and shows that on the whole we can be a caring society.
When i first took our cats to the vets i noticed an out of hours number to ring with any vet problems. I happened to have put it into my phone that day and was so pleased i did as this is the number i rang. As soon as they answered i got really weapy and had to appologise as i felt such a wuss. They said they didnt collect animals but i could take the cat to them.
I didnt think the cat would survive as there was lots of blood but i thought atleast the owners would know sooner rather than later what had happened to their cat.
In my previous blog i had mentioned the box of CDs in the back of the car. This again was perfect timing as i was then able to pour the CDs out of the box to them gently place the cat in it instead. By this point i was absolutly crying. I cant believe how upset i was but i supose seeing anything suffer causes upset. I have no idea how people can be cruel to animals and not be effected by it.
The place i had to take the cat to was the other side of the city. I wasnt sure where it was until i got close to it and then remembered i had seen it before.
By the time i had got their the cat had died but they were able to see he had a micro chip so the owners would be able to be told.
The staff at the PDSA were amazing and i will definatly praise them up to people whenever i get the chance.
I finally got home about 9.20 and spoke to my mom on the phone. She was very understanding when i started crying again. I dread to think what i will be like if anything happens to my own cats. While on the phone they both in turn jumped on my lap for a cuddle which was just what i needed.
As an aside i still have all the CDs in the boot of the car. I hope i dont get stopped by the police as it will look like i have been on the rob. It is definatly an incentive to go after work on Monday and will be taking them to the PDSA charity shop.
Other than that its been such a quiet week as i have been poorly for most of it. So sick of being poorly now.
I took a friend wardrobe shopping on Wednesday morning but have been poorly for the rest of the week so had to cancel meeting up with some friends for coffee on friday and also had to cancel my dentist appointment.
I also missed out on my eye appointment as i was late so they wouldnt see me. It wasnt a wasted journey though as i also went there to do the weekly shop. ASDA optitions are actually really good (apart from this time though obviously).
I was also gutted on Tuesday aswell as i got a parking ticket grrrrr. I decided to go swimming at 8am and parked where i normally do not realising it was restricted at that time of day. They must have watched me as they got me practically as i walked into the pool building. I did think it was strange i was the first person to park there but thought nothing more of it. I know i have been trying to go swimming to lose weight but it wasnt the kind of 30 pound i was looking to lose :-(
L xxx
We currently have a big box of CDs & books that i am meant to be taking to the charity shop. Some friends of ours are getting rid of some stuff and as it was getting cluttered at said friends and Jono's work, Jono decided to bring it home for us to take to the charity shop. That sounded so much more complicated that it actually is. Anyway, i decided to have a bit of a rumage round and ended up keeping about 12 books. I decided not to look through the CDs as i would probably want to keep most of them. I have finally put the box in the car when i spotted in the box 'The Preachers Wife' Soundtrack. I am currently listening to it while writing this and loving it. Its reminding me of the Gospel Choir im in and how much i love being part of it.
I cant sing along though as i have a horrible sore throat and wobbly head. Oh well atleast it didnt start next week as im back next week.
I was trying to work out how much i have actually worked this year and scarily its not much. The joy of working at the University. I didnt start back until the 3rd week in Jan so that is 3 weeks holiday. Then i was back a week and a half and then i was off 3.5 weeks having my Gallbladder out. I was then back 3 weeks and ive been off the last 2 weeks for Easter. Im then back for about 8 weeks and then finish for the summer. Im hoping they give me a proper contract soon so that i can get paid for the holidays. Even if the contract doesnt start till September i can just find agency work until then. I just dont want to keep working from term to term not being sure what is happening. Oh well, will have to see what they say when i go back next week.
Im currently trying to figure out how to do Jono's birthday cake. I have a great idea and just need to do a practice one to see if it will work. Its the first time in ages we have been able to celebrate his birthday near the actual date as it usually falls in the middle of Easter so a lot of people are away. Its his 30th aswell so that makes it even better. We are going to one of his favourite pubs for a pie and ale evening next friday. It should be really good and then on the Monday (his actual birthday) just the two of us are going out for a meal.
Right im going to get the ironing done so that i can spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing and watching Brothers & Sisters. Really enjoying it and glad its on everyday. Im also working my way through 'Our friends in the North' which my dad has been trying to get me to watch for ages.
L xxx
This morning i was on the bus to work and as a woman walked past me she trod on my food. I then proceeded to say 'sorry'. Why did i do that? She trod on my foot. To make it worse although she said sorry first, when i said it aswell, she said " no worries" ?????????? Such a British thing to do. Its like if we go into a shop for example and ask for something. Even if they dont have it we still say "Ok Thankyou". We are a strange bunch.
In other news. It was so good to be back at choir last night. They are such an amazing group of women and i really love singing and spending time with them all.
Last Monday i finally was able to go back to work which was a relief. I was looking forward to having my day at work finish at 1.30pm rather than at 1.30pm think "hmmm i really must think about getting dressed".
On the Sunday night i hadnt slept well so by the time i got home on the Monday i was really tired and needed a little kip on the sofa.
On the Tuesday we were having a friend round for tea. She is part of our new Cluster and she is going to Cat Sit for us next weekend while we are down at my parents. Not sure why i have put Cat Sit in capitals but it seems 'nice', if not actually 'right' to do so.
I decided to make a nice veggies stew. I was either going to make dumplins or seseme scones to go with it. We normally add grated cheese to our stew once its in our bowls so decided to make cheese scones as a change. I managed to over cook them though but i had also brought a crusty loaf so we had that instead and the grated cheese.
On Friday i had a dentist appointment. I thought it was wierd that on our calender in the kitchen it said there was another appointment on the 28th March. It wasnt for Jono so just crossed it out. I got off the bus early to walk to the dentist as it was quicker and easier than collecting the car and trying to find a parking space by the dentist. I was early so had a quick look round the shops before heading there and once i did found out that the 28th March was my actual appointment and id put it in my diary wrong. ( I bet you all saw that ending coming ha ha)
On Friday evening we were out with a our new cluster for a meal at a pub near us. It was a lovely evening apart from them forgetting to bring Jono's food out. What i think happened although Jono doesnt agree is that, they did actually bring Jono's food out the same time as mine but someone else in our group took it. Im guessing then the kitchen would have then thought that our order was finished with and then when the next order was being brought out, they would have seen the one meal there so thought he was sorted. I think it sounded possible but we decided to agree to disagree.
On Saturday Jono's parents game to visit for the afternoon. We went to buy our potato's ready to 'Chit?' and also to get some onions etc for the allotement. We then took them to Castleton for lunch and had a quick walk round. Would have done more but it was freezing. We then headed back home with them and his dad and Jono did some work in the garden and me and his mom repotted some plants and chitted the potatoes.
That evening we went out for a curry with some of the other people in our alloment association. It was the first proper curry id had in ages and although it was lovely it was a bit spicy.
Sunday morning we didnt go to church as on the first Sunday in the month our cluster go for a walk. It was a 5.5 mile walk around Loxley. I wasnt sure if i would be able to do it but i no i would have felt worse if i didnt try. Especially after going out for 3 meals over the previous 2 days ha ha. It was a bit tiring going up the hills but it was great fun and using my new walking pole really did make all the difference.
Last night though my legs started to stiffen up and so i had a bath to try to relax them. After my bath though i still had to use my pajama leg though to hold on to so i could move my leg into a different position. Its just on the inside of my right thigh which is painful. Its still hurting today but hopefully it will go in a couple of day as i dont want to be put off going next month.
Tonight im finally going back to choir. It feels like ages since i have been so it will be great to see everyone
Right id better get back to work as the post as just arrived and there is loads of it.
holly\'s diary 
0
Permalink