Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine is perhaps a wee exaggeration. I’m still full of snot, although the flow has eased off but the sun has indeed been shining, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel (just a slight shimmer through the window) and tomorrow we are going on holiday. Things are looking up.

Steve Pem kindly offered to give up his bank holiday Monday to help Phil build up the kitchen units at the TMA flat. With the lovely weather I’m sure he’d much have preferred to be tending to his back garden at the cottage but we are never ones to turn down any offer of help. And what a help it was. I stayed in the bathroom grouting the shower and wall tiles, not one of my favourite jobs I have to say while the boys sweated over B&Q instructions. We did have a respite and went for a lunch at The Beams in Shenley and I have to say, it was rather good.

As the sun was shining we were able to enjoy our lunch outside under an umbrella without any trouble from wasps. Afterwards we made a trip to B&Q for some bits and pieces before making our way back to the flat. We all worked solidly for another couple of hours but I was knackered and cried off around quarter past 4. Steve and Phil soldiered on for another hour before coming back to our house for a well deserved beer on the patio.

Phil was back to work yesterday and for me it was a morning of washing, ironing, housework and catch up jobs before making lunch. In the afternoon I made my way to the Bletchley campus of Milton Keynes College where I was booked in with Emma for a deluxe manicure. Unfortunately I forgot to clean the appliance white spray which I had used on the yellow stained fan heaters at the TMA flat and Emma struggled to get this off with nail polish remover. How embarrassing! I think she was wondering what sort of client she had in and she must have wondered why on earth, with my labourer hands, I was even bothering with a manicure in the first place!

Still, she persevered with the paraffin mask and for the rest of the afternoon my hands were as smooth as a baby’s bottom and for only a mere 7 quid. However, scrubbing off the grout from the bathroom tiles this morning and an afternoons’ gardening toil have soon spoilt the work and my hands are back to their normal scruffy chaffed state. Hey ho.

Today I have been in pre-holiday mode. This morning I got in supplies for Harriet, cleaned my car and filled it with oil and petrol. I have washed and ironed, cleaned the house from top to bottom and packed the rucksacks. I made a nice lasagne for me and Phil with baked spuds and a slightly wilted green salad which we had for lunch. At 1pm I made my may to see Denise at her salon at Willen for some pre holiday waxing. Not really relaxing but a necessary holiday pre-requisite. Phil had said I should sunbathe in the garden when I got back but the garden was so messy I couldn’t possibly sit on a recliner and relax, so instead I mowed the lawn and got out the jet washer. This made me feel tonnes better and I sat on the patio painting my toenails for a full half an hour before Phil got home from work.

Tomorrow I have Jamie the hairdresser with the sweeky voice coming to highlight and cut my hair and then I will be ready for the off. I am looking forward to the break even though there is a little trepidation in my heart. A few days back we had a letter from Thomson’s to say there was building works going at our hotel and when Phil came home at lunch he told me that trip advisor says that recent customers have been kept awake by the nightclub on the other side of our hotel. Hey ho, what will be; if nothing more than low expectation, the sunshine and sea is guaranteed and, at best, we’ll have had another adventure to recall around the dinner table!