Run up to Christmas
And so the pressure builds - cards to write, newsletter to finish off and print out, presents to buy and wrap! At the end of November I felt quietly confident I had it all under control, but ever since the beginning of December I have just felt a rising sense of panic!
When I got back from Butlins the place was in upheaval - after 28 years we have had to say goodbye to our wonderful, reliable Potterton boiler and have a new one. We are also being obliged to have a thermostat and new heating controls! The plumber had already removed the old boiler and installed the new one - which had entailed destroying the cupboard and surround that the people building the extension had put in. They hadn't really envisaged a time when the boiler would be changed so had made the cupboard an integral part of the wall! So now we will need a plasterer and possibly a carpenter to make good the damage. Sounds like a Flanders and Swann song!
The whole process took 3 days - but at least it is all working now, and the new controls are much more modern and we can have the heating on without the hot water if we want.
On Tuesday I did Forever Fit followed by Zumba - and of course this week we did the whole 45 minutes as aerobic exercise so the Zumba was a bit hard straight after. Very enjoyable though. I dashed to the post office at 5 pm to see if I could get Jayne's card posted - and although it was closed Jack very kindly opened a position for me to get the stamp and customs certificate. In the evening Mike went to the Choir Christmas Party in the brewery and I chauffeured him there and picked him up at the end so that he could make good use of the free beer. He was conducting and playing the keyboard but still seemed to manage to consume a fair number of pints.
I went to Kettering on the Wednesday for Christmas lunch with the ladies I used to work with at the tax office. I worked out this is the 30th year I have been going back for lunch with them after having left the tax office for London. Mike walked Suki so I was able to leave nice and early - I had treated myself to First Class Tickets on the train (courtesy of a £1000 premium bond prize) and was able to go straight to the lounge for complimentary coffee etc while waiting for the platform to be announced. I had a very comfortable journey up to Kettering - there was only one other person in the carriage although he had an annoying habit of using his mobile phone. Pearl and Beryl picked me up - Beryl's car had to go in to the garage so Pearl did the driving. Pearl also took us both to the restaurant - this year we went to The Angel in Market Harborough which is a few doors up from the Three Swans. The food was very good, but they didn't ask us if we wanted any drinks and I had to virtually accost the waiter as he collected the starter plates to get some wine. The prawn cocktail was amazing - spanning a whole plate with a slice of smoked salmon on top. I had a beautiful salmon main course and then a delicious mango roulade. Pearl then ran me to Market Harborough station and I caught the 4.15 back to London, getting back to my house at 6.15 which was good going. The carriage was very full on the way back, but there was still space to spread (and fall asleep!). Mike meanwhile, having looked after Suki all day, went off to Petersfield in the evening for a curry to celebrate Mike How's 19th birthday. He had a good evening but it was somewhat spoiled by the nightmare journey home which took over 2 hours because both the A3 and the M3 were closed.
On Thursday I saw Mike off to work and then, after walking with Suki, went off to Court with Lorraine for her adjourned case re the car collision she was involved in (in Otober 2013!). We were there all day. We had to wait for a judge to accept the case, and then when he did there was only time to start it before adjourning for lunch. She won the case, thank goodness - her barrister did a brilliant job and her evidence was much more detailed and clear than the other guy. I finally got home at 4 pm - poor Suki had been on her own for 7 hours! She was fine though.
Somehow, despite all this time consuming activity I managed to make progress with the newsletter and card writing and on Saturday finally finished writing all the cards which were to be posted. I also did all the washing, changed the bedding on both beds, and spent time putting the house back to rights, including stacking 12 crates of beer which Mike had bought from Majestic Warehouse while it was on offer. Then I did the ironing and had a shower, by which time Mike had come in from his day out ringing in Kent with Hugo and he too had a shower. It was a very productive and satisfying day.
Sunday I walked Suki before going to 8 am with Mike and doing the ringing rounds. In the afternoon I posted all the cards (81 of them) whilst walking Suki. Then in the evening it was the first of the two Messiah performances. We got there on time but found that most people were already there and queuing in the corridor! Judy and Trish greeted me as if I had got lost. The usual confusion and people milling about ensued, but somehow we all got to our seats - I was in the third row just behind the stage so still felt quite in touch with it all. It was a very enjoyable sing.
On Monday I set about sorting out the web site with the Christmas newsletter and also some links to this blog and the Flickr photos. However most of the day was taken up with going over to Clapham to ring in one of Tom's QP attempts. We were both in it so we went over by car. I ended up getting 4 baguettes from Munchies so that we could have one each for lunch and then one for supper in the G&D. We got the QP (Norwich 11) at the third attempt - and it was dark by the time we got home. I went out for a walk with Suki and then girded my loins and braved Westfield. It was a bit of a nightmare but I was back home within and hour and a half with the last of the presents, and the special cards so it was worth it. Mike had already left for the Chiswick QP so I carried on with stuff until 7.30 and then walked up to St Nick's so that we could drive home together later.
On Tuesday Mike went in to work - and forgot his computer so I had to log on for him and email him some stuff. I took Suki out and carried on with the web site stuff. Did Forever Fit and Zumba again this week. Again quite hard - but that's good.
When I got back from Butlins the place was in upheaval - after 28 years we have had to say goodbye to our wonderful, reliable Potterton boiler and have a new one. We are also being obliged to have a thermostat and new heating controls! The plumber had already removed the old boiler and installed the new one - which had entailed destroying the cupboard and surround that the people building the extension had put in. They hadn't really envisaged a time when the boiler would be changed so had made the cupboard an integral part of the wall! So now we will need a plasterer and possibly a carpenter to make good the damage. Sounds like a Flanders and Swann song!
The whole process took 3 days - but at least it is all working now, and the new controls are much more modern and we can have the heating on without the hot water if we want.
On Tuesday I did Forever Fit followed by Zumba - and of course this week we did the whole 45 minutes as aerobic exercise so the Zumba was a bit hard straight after. Very enjoyable though. I dashed to the post office at 5 pm to see if I could get Jayne's card posted - and although it was closed Jack very kindly opened a position for me to get the stamp and customs certificate. In the evening Mike went to the Choir Christmas Party in the brewery and I chauffeured him there and picked him up at the end so that he could make good use of the free beer. He was conducting and playing the keyboard but still seemed to manage to consume a fair number of pints.
I went to Kettering on the Wednesday for Christmas lunch with the ladies I used to work with at the tax office. I worked out this is the 30th year I have been going back for lunch with them after having left the tax office for London. Mike walked Suki so I was able to leave nice and early - I had treated myself to First Class Tickets on the train (courtesy of a £1000 premium bond prize) and was able to go straight to the lounge for complimentary coffee etc while waiting for the platform to be announced. I had a very comfortable journey up to Kettering - there was only one other person in the carriage although he had an annoying habit of using his mobile phone. Pearl and Beryl picked me up - Beryl's car had to go in to the garage so Pearl did the driving. Pearl also took us both to the restaurant - this year we went to The Angel in Market Harborough which is a few doors up from the Three Swans. The food was very good, but they didn't ask us if we wanted any drinks and I had to virtually accost the waiter as he collected the starter plates to get some wine. The prawn cocktail was amazing - spanning a whole plate with a slice of smoked salmon on top. I had a beautiful salmon main course and then a delicious mango roulade. Pearl then ran me to Market Harborough station and I caught the 4.15 back to London, getting back to my house at 6.15 which was good going. The carriage was very full on the way back, but there was still space to spread (and fall asleep!). Mike meanwhile, having looked after Suki all day, went off to Petersfield in the evening for a curry to celebrate Mike How's 19th birthday. He had a good evening but it was somewhat spoiled by the nightmare journey home which took over 2 hours because both the A3 and the M3 were closed.
On Thursday I saw Mike off to work and then, after walking with Suki, went off to Court with Lorraine for her adjourned case re the car collision she was involved in (in Otober 2013!). We were there all day. We had to wait for a judge to accept the case, and then when he did there was only time to start it before adjourning for lunch. She won the case, thank goodness - her barrister did a brilliant job and her evidence was much more detailed and clear than the other guy. I finally got home at 4 pm - poor Suki had been on her own for 7 hours! She was fine though.
Somehow, despite all this time consuming activity I managed to make progress with the newsletter and card writing and on Saturday finally finished writing all the cards which were to be posted. I also did all the washing, changed the bedding on both beds, and spent time putting the house back to rights, including stacking 12 crates of beer which Mike had bought from Majestic Warehouse while it was on offer. Then I did the ironing and had a shower, by which time Mike had come in from his day out ringing in Kent with Hugo and he too had a shower. It was a very productive and satisfying day.
Sunday I walked Suki before going to 8 am with Mike and doing the ringing rounds. In the afternoon I posted all the cards (81 of them) whilst walking Suki. Then in the evening it was the first of the two Messiah performances. We got there on time but found that most people were already there and queuing in the corridor! Judy and Trish greeted me as if I had got lost. The usual confusion and people milling about ensued, but somehow we all got to our seats - I was in the third row just behind the stage so still felt quite in touch with it all. It was a very enjoyable sing.
On Monday I set about sorting out the web site with the Christmas newsletter and also some links to this blog and the Flickr photos. However most of the day was taken up with going over to Clapham to ring in one of Tom's QP attempts. We were both in it so we went over by car. I ended up getting 4 baguettes from Munchies so that we could have one each for lunch and then one for supper in the G&D. We got the QP (Norwich 11) at the third attempt - and it was dark by the time we got home. I went out for a walk with Suki and then girded my loins and braved Westfield. It was a bit of a nightmare but I was back home within and hour and a half with the last of the presents, and the special cards so it was worth it. Mike had already left for the Chiswick QP so I carried on with stuff until 7.30 and then walked up to St Nick's so that we could drive home together later.
On Tuesday Mike went in to work - and forgot his computer so I had to log on for him and email him some stuff. I took Suki out and carried on with the web site stuff. Did Forever Fit and Zumba again this week. Again quite hard - but that's good.
