Goodbye Naked Bloggers

Sad to say that this will be my last entry into The Naked Blogger’s. But all is not lost, we will be starting our new travel blog shortly afterwards.

Trying to think what the main theme to this one was. Our first one was a travel blog where we travelled around India, Shri Lanka and Thailand and upon our return Jim had it made into a book. Our second one was about the renovation of this house which culminated in us tying the knot whilst on holiday on the Queen Mary 2 around the Caribbean. Claire has just had that one made into a book that I am just reading at the moment. We had a second copy made which we have put into my mum and dad’s Christmas stocking. Thanks mum and dad for the money that we bought our Hong Kong Dollars, Australian Dollars and US Dollars with and still have some left to take in UK cash. I suppose that the theme of this blog was renovation and moving house. The first two blogs consisted of about 100 entries each, whereas this is the 286th entry for the Naked Bloggers. I suspect that when Claire has this made into a book it will cost a little more than the other two.

It all started with the renovation of our Two Mile Ash flat that we renovated with the intention of selling on but unfortunately this coincided with the UK (and world) property crash and we were unable to sell it for a fraction of its value before renovation. This stopped us in our tracks; we had originally intended to try and go it alone, rather than working for other people, to renovate and sell on a few times a year. We couldn’t have picked a worse time to start. Some say we should have seen it coming but it’s impossible to predict events like these. When I started buying the flats in the first place, on the other hand, it couldn’t have been a better time, just before they started rising fast. I didn’t start buying because I could see the future it was just good luck on that occasion. Once I had bought the first two and could see that you couldn’t go wrong it was only a matter of finding deposits and buying as many as possible. Why wasn’t everybody doing it? I soon found out that they were, it just hadn’t reached the press at that time.

The only thing for it was to rent the Two Mile Ash flat out for a year and see if things had changed by the next year. In the mean time the company that I had been contracting for about 7 years hit the recession and started making redundancies. You can’t keep a contractor on and make permanent staff redundant so I was the first to leave. Not very much chance of another contract in the current climate so Claire had the idea of renting our house out for a year. Our lovely new house that we had just renovated. The more I thought about it the better the idea became; it would give us an extra income at the same time as moving into the second flat on our sell list and thereby reducing our capital gains tax dramatically. The tenants had just moved out because water was coming through the ceiling from the flat above every time they used the bathroom which fused the electric. It was all a bit of a nightmare.

While we were there we renovated it to live in and sell, then we renovated our two Oldbrook flats completely with new kitchens and bathrooms etc while we put the city centre flat on the market which sold after a few months. Our original plan seemed to be back on but we somehow got there through the back door. I even managed to get a contract for a couple of months. Only trouble was it coincided with our first Oldbrook renovation. I was driving 200 miles at 4am Monday down to the South coast, starting work at 7am until 6pm for 4 days then driving the 200 miles home after work on Thursday so I could work 12 hours a day for 3 days on the renovation. It’s not possible to work like this for more than a few months or you will become ill. Luckily the contract came to an end and so did the renovation and we were able to sneak a couple of weeks in Goa before starting the second Oldbrook renovation next door. Around this time we sold the city centre flat but our house was still let out and we needed somewhere to live or rent. Good old Jimmy came to the rescue and said we could stay at Shirley’s house as she had moved back in with Jim again. Are you keeping up?

We had a couple of weeks before our house was due to complete so decided to get renovating immediately so we could have a couple of rooms done before we needed to move in. The bathroom was fine and we first only intended to make the kitchen good but as we found a cheap kitchen in the sales decided to replace it and tile the floor. It was the right choice and we had almost finished before we moved in. I guess it took us about 3 weeks in total; we are getting quite quick at this by now. It makes so much difference when you are doing it full time rather than in your spare time. Just finished that and moved in there and our Cranfield flat came back to us and we were able to renovate that with a new kitchen, bathroom and windows. We also managed to squeeze a few holidays in, to Turkey, Majorca, France, Germany and Cape Verde along with a few weekend breaks and canal boat trip. Just about finished now and I have almost told the entire Naked bloggers story in one entry; why did we need 285 other entries?

Thanks for following us and I hope that our next blog will be a little more interesting to follow; it will certainly be more interesting from a writer’s position.

Signing Off & Packing Up

I am conscious that I have been a bit of a misery guts lately so I shall try, on this cold Monday morning, to keep it light. I’d like to say that I’ve fully recovered from my cold but I haven’t. One day I wake up and I think I’m better and start doing things and then in the afternoon I get worse. What’s that all about? The only good thing about being ill is that I have lost my appetite, liquids instead of solids, does wonders for the diet. Mind you, I realised as I was lying in bed this morning that a diet of Lemsips & white wine, probably wasn’t the best for my bunged up sinuses which are terrible first thing. I think, maybe a detox and a massage are the order for this week. There is much to do and I need a clear head.

It was a shame that I wasn’t well because we had to cancel dinner with Jan & Steve on Saturday evening. Phil was miffed about this, but I know the trouble and the amount of effort that Steve puts into his cooking and it wouldn’t have been fair. Also I didn’t want to share my nasty germs. On Sunday, Phil was meant to pick up Georgina and take her to Melton Mowbray to see his mum and dad but in an email she said she thought she had swine flu, so of course she couldn’t go. Knowing that his mum would have brought all the vegetables and got the meat out of the freezer, Phil decided he would take me to Melton instead.

I was looking forward to a duvet day by myself on Sunday especially as I woken up with a banging headache and blocked sinuses and I didn’t’ want to infect Phil’s mum and dad, as being elderly, they are more vulnerable. But at the same time, I knew it would be the last time I would see them before our trip so I decided to take a chance. Phil’s mum cooked my favourite Sunday lunch, roast lamb with all the trimmings and very nice it was too. Not having eaten much all week, I couldn’t finish my plate which was a real shame. I’d taken down their birthday presents which fall in December and a couple of Christmas presents. I’d also taken down a copy of our flight schedule and Phil pointed out to his mum, all the places on the globe that we would be visiting. Bless her, we haven’t even gone and already she is worrying. Phil’s mum and dad gave us both an envelope full of money for our Christmas box as they always do each year. And Phil’s mum had written a couple of envelopes with paper inside so I could write them a letter. Bless ‘em.

We were both knackered after the drive home and both fell asleep on the sofa. Phil woke me up at 4 o’clock this morning as he couldn’t sleep because he was thinking about Australia. For some reason he made me get out of bed and swap sides, god knows why. I asked him whether it was because he wanted my anti-wrinkle silk pillow case which he is rather fond of. But he said no it stunk of Karvol and he wanted to see, whether a change of side would stop him thinking! Amazingly after this conversation we both did manage to go back to sleep so his strategy worked!

This is going to be my last posting on The Naked Bloggers. I’m only sorry that I have to end talking about coughs, colds and bunged up noses. Which is why, I am pleased that Phil will be doing one last final blog on Wednesday. He is so hyper about the trip that he’s bound to be upbeat and he is determined to have the last word! It’s all yours Phil. As some of you may know, we have had much deliberation as to whether to make the new blog private or public. The reason I made this blog private was because evidence popped into Phil’s email box when we were in Blackpool to suggest that Phil’s ex-wife had discovered our blog. Not just this blog but also the previous two. This totally F R E A K E D me out for ten million reasons, but not least because I felt so exposed. I do reveal some of my very inner most thoughts so you can understand the panic and the reasons for going private. I have calmed down a little now, but at the same time I have learnt some very invaluable lessons. What’s done is done and it can’t be changed.

That said, after much discussion, the next blog will be public. Phil does most of the posting when we are on holiday and I don’t think this trip will be any different. I still have a few issues but we have really enjoyed reading other people’s travel blogs that we’d like to share this trip, with no restrictions. It is a trip in a lifetime and we both know that we are lucky to have, not just the cash but also our health to enable us to embark on such an extended journey.

Now I must sign off for one last time and get started on the packing!

Anyone for Lemsip?

Shaun came out first thing on Wednesday morning and fitted the new pump. It didn’t take him long but he still charged us 180 quid. As soon as he’d gone Phil whacked up the thermostat, he hasn’t enjoyed being cold, it’s bad enough with him working out in the chilly conservatory. I shouldn’t moan too much though, Phil tells me that Jim cut through a pipe which has knocked out his central heating and hot water at home. Phil has given him Shaun’s number from Red Hot Heating so fingers crossed he can sort them out and get them heat for the weekend. Luckily, after the torrential down pours the weather has at least gone mild again.

I was glad in a way that the central heating pump stopped working beause it gave me a chance to put my airing cupboard in order and sort everything out. Phil put the wall cabinet back on the wall, and again, it gave me a chance to clean it and put all the glasses through the dishwasher before putting them back in the cupboard. A job well done, even if I do say so myself. In the afternoon I finished wrapping the Christmas presents, I didn’t have many to get, but even so, it is another job that can be ticked off the list before we fly away. I was beginning to feel much worse so we decided to go to the health club for a steam because I thought it would help me clear my head. We got there only to find that the steam room was closed for repairs. Just my worst luck.

Well, it really has been the most miserable week. My cold really decided to show its ugly head and I had a really bad night on Wednesday. Unfortunately so did Phil. I woke up in the small hours with a pounding head, a bunged up nose and was struggling to breath. Phil had to go out to the chemist first thing to get me more drugs. I virtually stayed in bed the whole day yesterday. Anyone that knows me well knows that this is very unusual for me, as I struggle to sit still, even for a minute. But I really did feel rough and Phil bless’im, fetched me drinks, tissues and was up and down the stairs all day long. He even made me pumpkin soup which I ate even though I had no appetite, it was delicious.

Phil went to Kiln Farm yesterday and picked up a shed load of post. The sat nav that Phil ordered for Oz turned up and so did my 2 blog-2-print books. I was pleased with them both although the second book has a better front cover and is perfectly bound. Perfect present for Phil’s mum for Christmas. I am feeling a little better today despite having got up at 2.30am. I came downstairs for a few hours and then back up for a doze but was forced to get back out of bed by a coughing fit. I’ve left Phil asleep and I’m hoping he can get some catch up with me out of the way. I am slightly worried because he was also drinking mugs of lemsip by the end of yesterday. What a pair we are but shouldn’t moan too much, this time in 2 weeks we will be landing in Hong Kong.

Moans & Groans

The week so far has been fairly bleak and I’ve not been having the best of times. After I’d penned and published my blog early on Monday morning, I suddenly realised that it felt chilly in the house and on checking, saw that the central heating hadn’t kicked in. When Phil came down the stairs he checked the boiler and although it was trying to boot itself up, it kept dying out. It was obvious we had a problem so Phil quickly put in a call to Shaun at Red Hot Heating, as he is the best corgi registered plumber for boilers. I was surprised at the boiler not working, it’s not all that old and we only had it serviced at the beginning of September and all was well then. It wasn’t freezing cold but nonetheless we got the fan heaters out and plugged these in round the house.

I woke up not feeling well on Monday and things got worse as the day wore on. Phil and I went round the NH before lunch to have a quick hoover up and clear some leaves from the front garden. The little house on the corner looks so sad, it’s such a shame it still hasn’t sold. After lunch, Phil got stuck into paperwork and I went to fetch Harriet. I’d promised to take her to Primark in Northampton because she had the day off. I nearly picked up the phone to cancel because all I felt like doing was curling up with the duvet in front the TV and the fan heater. But I kept to my word and we got to Northampton without too much trouble. We found Primark and I got some things for Georgina’s Christmas box and Harriet picked out a few things. It’s as cheap as chips in this shop and after we’d shopped till we dropped, we went back to the car and headed for home. Unfortunately it was a nightmare getting out of the town centre and we got horribly lost. At last I found a sign for Newport Pagnell and we got home on the back roads. Not the quickest of routes but I was feeling pretty awful by this point and just wanted to get home.

Yesterday I woke up really early and came downstairs so Phil could sleep. I’m not sure what kind of bug I’ve picked up but I just wish it would go away. I’m fed up of it. There is nothing worse then being up in the early hours especially with no central heating. Still I got washed and dressed when Phil got up and we were just about to go shopping when there was a knock at the front door. It was Kevin from across the road; Phil had quite forgotten that he promised Sandy that he would give him some tuition on his day off. Well that’s not strictly true, Phil had remembered the day before and he’d even been out to Staples to buy some materials in readiness for his lesson. Never mind, I went shopping and left Phil to pass some of his worldly knowledge on to Kevin. What a miserable day it was yesterday, the heavens opened and the rain was relentless.

Phil made us a shepherds’ pie for lunch and very nice it was too. Just a shame, that I had a mega coughing fit much later and threw most of my lunch back up. Very attractive. Shaun, the plumber, arrived just as we were about to go to the health club for a shower. To get to the boiler, and more importantly, to get the boiler housing off, we had to empty all the stuff from the wall cabinet and get this off the wall. My poor kitchen looked like a bomb had hit it. If that wasn’t bad enough, Shaun then made me empty the airing cupboard so he could get to the pump, so all of my linen was strewn all over the spare bedroom. Turns out, the pump is knackered and we need a new one. Shaun banged around a bit with a long screw driver and managed to get the pump going, so at least last night we had heating. He is coming back this morning to fit the new pump. I’m just glad the pump decided to stop working now, and not next month, when we would have been away. At least we are still in the country and can at least get it sorted.

Comfort Food

Nothing much happened over the weekend and I’m not sure I’ve got anything to blog about, but addict that I am, I’ll give it my best shot. Phil was reluctant to work on Saturday morning, but after a bit of nagging, he put up the new blind up in the bathroom, replaced the existing toilet seat for a self closing seat and then grouted the new tiles in the kitchen and bathroom. I cleaned up the tiles after Phil had grouted them but I was too eager and really I should have left them longer to dry and they needed to be wiped several times. My obsession with my ceramic tiles is not healthy.

Phil cooked us smoked mackerel with parsley sauce and a big saucepan of mash and cabbage. It was delicious! After waking up to the rhythm of the falling rain on both Saturday & Sunday comfort was very much in order for the weekend. On Saturday afternoon Phil watched the GP qualifying and I went to Kingston to do some shopping. Boy was it busy, not sure if it was because it was the end of the month and people had been paid or whether folks had simply started their Christmas shopping. Tesco’s was choc-a-block; thank goodness I’m only here for another couple of weeks. Saturday was X-Factor and catching up with Flash Forward. We resisted the temptation to order in a Chinese, mainly because neither of us had any cash.

We woke up feeling peckish on Sunday morning; it was pouring with rain so Phil went in the car to the shop to pick up the papers and get us some fish fingers for breakfast. Fried fish fingers with beans and a slice of bread and butter was on the menu for breakfast. More comfort food. We did odd jobs, emails and domestics and in the afternoon I went to Christine’s leaving Phil to watch the Grand Prix. I watched the start of the race but wasn’t bothered about the finish, all felt a bit of an anti climax to me.

The dogs went a bit crazy when Christine opened the door to let me in. They are very excitable. Luckily the rain had died away by the time we took them out for a walk. It was nice to be out in the fresh air. Having not felt great last week I thought I was on the road to recovery but yesterday I woke up with another sore throat and swollen glands. I have been taking pain killers for the last week but I think maybe I should stop and simply let this bug come out once and for all. Christine made me hot crumpets and tea and then it was home before it got dark. And that as they say, was the weekend. Only 2 more to go before we fly away. Scary !

Happy Halloween

Yesterday was not a good day. A late start to the day and a hangover and I already knew straight away that I would be struggling. No one to blame apart from myself, it was self inflicted after all. Phil made a good job of the tiling in the cloakroom. He jacked up the kitchen sink unit and replaced a broken tile right by the foot of the unit. It was a tricky operation and I was worried he would mess it up and make it even worse but actually he got the new tile in as easy as pie. I’ve been wanted this done for ages so I was pleased Phil did this at last. One broken tile ruins the whole effect of the floor and now it is as good as new.

Harriet had the day off from work and came round on her way back from the hairdressers for steak and home made chips. Phil cooked these on the BBQ and also did the chips in the fryer outside. Luckily the sun was shining and it was unseasonably warm outside.

Even though the CF is let I am still being pestered with phone calls from mad Betty. THANK GOD she hasn’t managed to get hold of our landline number. I woke up on Thursday morning to 4 missed calls and 3 voice messages. Even Phil had a missed call from her on his mobile and a voice message. Apparently the new tenant had dropped his key and knocked on Betty’s door to ask for help. It was late and dark so Betty & Adrian got dressed and went outside with torches to help John the new tenant look for his key. The frantic phone calls to us were of no use because I was already tucked up in bed and Phil had fallen asleep and was vertically reclined on the sofa. Luckily they found the key under the car and the problem was resolved. I called Betty back and she told me that the new tenant had given her a key and they had swapped numbers. It seems the new tenant is her new best friend, which is great. Perhaps now she will leave me peace?

I thought that would be the last conversation that I would have with Betty for a long time but Phil got a phone call from the agent yesterday lunchtime to say that the shower in the CF kept tripping out every time the tenant had a shower. Phil thought he could fix this himself so yesterday afternoon we jumped in the car and went to investigate. The new shower that Snake installed was more powerful than the old one so Phil thought he could stop the shower tripping by changing the circuit board. But luckily when he opened up the fuse box, the shower wire was really loose so all Phil had to do was tighten it up and the problem was solved. Of course, no sooner had we pulled up outside the CF, you know was out there like a shot and we had to hear the tale about the lost key all over again.

After we’d solved the shower problem we drove back to MK and went to the health club for a Jacuzzi. While Phil was waiting in the café for me to get ready he got chatting to Ludvic who has been a member for years. He told Phil that a lot of members were leaving to join a new gym at the MK Dons stadium. The joining fee is only £35 a month which is way cheaper that David Lloyd so I think this needs investigating. www.dwsportsfitness.com.

This weekend was meant to be a free one especially as it is a Grand Prix weekend. Not just any old grand prix weekend but the last Grand Prix of the year. But whilst we may get a free day tomorrow, today we must catch up with jobs that didn’t get done in the week. I was awake very early this morning and Phil has just come down the stairs so at least we are ahead of the game. It is a struggle to get Phil away from this laptop at the moment. Not only is he keen to get on with his OU, he has also, over the last couple of days rediscovered EBay. He went through a big faze of EBay a few years back and went a bit crazy ordering all kinds of crap and now it seems he’s hooked once again. Last night he told me has brought me a new data holder, a sat nav for Australia, New Zealand and the USA, a whole shed of black & white marbles, 2 Lonely Planet Books and he is also currently bidding for some cropped denim shorts for me. God only knows what will turn up in the post next week! I’m okay with all of the above, but I’m not so sure about the shorts. Not having seen the pictures of the items, I am worried what he’s brought. Phil and not fashion don’t really go together!

A week that hasn't gone to plan

And so we come to the end of another week. I’m afraid it hasn’t been a terribly exciting one for me. I felt pretty rough at the beginning of the week and Phil still wasn’t 100% I am really

starting to panic about going away but Phil is more laid back than ever. His OU material for h

is new course arrived on Monday and I keep catching him reading it. We had an agreement that he would action the things on my ‘to do’ list and when he could tick all the jobs off, only then, would he be allowed to get stuck into his course.

The clocks going back last Saturday night has

really messed up my system.

On Tuesday morning I was in the land of the living at 3am. I got up for a wee then went back to bed to TRY and get back to sleep. I tossed and turned, and then the mind started thinking and before long I’d managed to wake up Phil.

In the end I got up and went downstairs to make a cup of tea. Before long Phil was up and abo

ut and downstairs reading his emails in the conservatory. What a pair.

This week was meant to be all been about jobs in the house but we’ve come to Friday

and it hasn’t quite gone to plan. I wasn’t happy with the tiles in the cloakroom which had lifted slightly from the leaking sink not reported by our tenant. Phil levied the tiles out and got a heater directly on the floor to dry it all out. This morning he will lay the new tiles and tomorrow he can grout it.

We had lots of paperwork jobs on Tuesday but in the afternoon the sun was shining and I managed to cut the grass one last time before the winter. I’m quite fond of the autumn season; the reds and the oranges on the falling leaves, glittering in the sunshine is so pretty. We’ve been lucky to get such mild weather for this time of year. But the forecast says it will not last. Phil suggested late into the afternoon on Tuesday that we go to the pub for a team meeting. At first I said no, but I was just about done in so, I grabbed my bag and we walked along the canal to The Giffard. I got out my filo-fax in the pub and we agreed a schedule of works that needs to be done before we fly away and I came away with my mind feeling much lighter. Unfortunately Phil seemed to have forgotten our plans and on Wednesday morning, rather than get stuck into the jobs on the list Phil had his head stuck in his OU study book. MEN!!!!!!!!! So much for team work!

Yesterday we went to the NH house and unplumbed the washing machine and dismantled the dining room table. When we got back home we turned off the water and got out the old washing machine. To turn off the water, Phil had to get out the cooker to get to the pipe; it was filthy behind the oven so I had to give that a good scrub. It was so good behind the washing machine when that came out, so again I had to get down on my hands and knees and scrub. I don’t mind cleaning, and at least now I know everything is clean, even in places that I can’t see behind. Phil met Jon (man with van) at the NH and they loaded on the washing machine, dining room chairs and tables and brought them back to the cul-de-sac.

As Jon and Phil were unloading, Sandy pulled up in her silver car. She came over to see what we were up to and I invited her in for a glass of wine. Several glasses of wine and 5 hours later she left. We got absolutely lashed in the kitchen and talked about all kinds of stuff. I haven’t really caught up with Sandy for about a year so there was much to talk about. Ever since we moved to the cul-de-sac, I have always had a connection with Sandy. She is a gall, a rough diamond with a big heart that doesn’t take life too seriously. God knows how she got up for work this morning. I’ve got the mother devil of all hangovers and didn’t get out of bed until 10 o’clock!! I haven’t done this since I was a teenager. How naughty am I??? Got to get going now though, Harriet is due round for lunch at midday and she will not be impressed.

Back from Blackpool

The mini break to Blackpool was good but it wasn’t without some stress. At 40 bucks a night I wasn’t expecting much of the hotel but actually The County was okay. A bit tired and battered in places and in need of some TLC (bit like me really) but the bed was comfy and we got a good Wi-Fi connection in our room. The best thing about the hotel was the fact that it was smack bang in the middle of Lytham and so right amongst the shops and pubs and a stone’s throw from the sea. It was good to see Steve again and he hasn’t changed a bit. Just as we were walking out of our hotel room on Thursday evening I got a call from mad Betty. She’d been watching the blinds in the CF flat all afternoon and was convinced we had squatters. I told her “thanks for the neighbourhood watch but there was nothing I could do until we returned home”. Phil said “ignore her” but it weighed on my mind all evening. For some reason I wasn’t feeling too great and after a morning on Friday seeing the sights of Blackpool we returned back to the hotel.

We weren’t long back when I received a frantic phone call from Harriet to say that Shane had been mugged not far from the flat. The 3 hoddies that punched him off his bike got away with £140 cash, an old mobile and the keys to the flat. Again, I told Harriet there wasn’t anything we could do until we got back to MK. Nonetheless, this weighed heavily on my mind, and all sorts of things were going through my head. Too much imagination, that’s my trouble.

The drive back on the M6 was horrendous, heavy traffic, rain and gales all the way home. Poor Phil wasn’t feeling very well and he literally collapsed on the sofa as soon as we walked through the door. The house was cold so we whacked up the central heating and I fed Phil orange juice and Aspirin. We had intended to go and change the lock at the OB flat but the locksmiths was closed so this job had to wait until after the weekend. Phil was feeling a little better on Sunday but still not 100% so we had an easy day. Not quite a full-on duvet day but still, a stay at home day - lunch, telly and a whole load of domestics for me.

Yesterday we drove over to Whaddon to pick up the Ford KA. It went in last Wednesday for a replacement sump and a service ready for the winter. Unfortunately it wasn’t ready before we left for Blackpool so we had to leave it in the garage over the weekend. It’s running much better now so I’m glad I had it done. After we picked it up, we went straight to the OB flat to change the lock. Phil got the barrel and went to the locksmiths while I waited with Coke the dog, who was as always, pleased to see me. The rest of the day was paperwork, phone calls, computer stuff and tiddly jobs around the house. I went next door for a cup of tea with Emma and finished the day off with a swim and a steam to clear my head.

I still haven’t quite recovered from my blog issues on Friday which forced me to make the blog private. As you know, blogging for all the world to see, public profiles and all the privacy issues that go with it, have been on my mind lately. I was tempted to delete the naked bloggers altogether but I just couldn’t bring myself to hit the delete key. No, instead I’ll carry on until the 9th November finishing with some kind of summing up last posting. Whilst travelling, Phil tends to do the lion’s share of posting so it makes sense that he is chief author. Phil will then go live with his travel blog on the 10th November which will follow our adventures in Hong Kong, Bali, Australia & the USA. Not sure yet whether he will go public or blog by invitation, that’s down to him. No doubt I shall chip in here and there, going cold turkey and disappearing into thin air, would be, I fear, all too much.

Blackpool illuminations by day

It was only about 8 or 9 miles to Blackpool from our hotel and the rain that was promised held off. We had a walk through the town area with the shops to start with where Claire bought a few cheap clothes from Primemark. Next stop Blackpool pier but there wasn’t much open but still quite a nice walk around; we don’t have much chance to visit piers. Blackpool is so tacky with amusements, ice cream and chip shops everywhere and all the gypsies are competing to tell your fortune for a fiver. It’s a total contrast to Lytham just down the road.

We didn’t find a Claire’s shop but we did find her sister’s “Louise Tussaud’s Waxworks” and a Trotters independent traders 3 wheeler.

We found that we had enough within an hour and headed back along the coast to have lunch at Lytham. The little Thai across the road from our hotel called “Thai by night” fitted the bill where we had Thai green chicken curry all around. It is a very popular place and there was only one table available when we got there. There were people coming in and out the whole time; the restaurant could have fed twice as many people if it was bigger.

Steve was back from work early on Friday so we were able to get in the bar for about 5pm and have a little tour around town. Once we had visited most bars we headed back for our hotel for something to eat. Steve said that they wouldn’t be open for food as they shut at 9pm but when we checked our watches it was only 8.15pm and Steve couldn’t believe it as it felt like midnight with such an early start. Welcome to our world.

We met Steve again for breakfast and then it was time to pack up and face the long drive home.

Harriet rang Friday evening to say that Shane had been mugged on his way home from the cash machine where they stole his wallet, phone and keys leaving him in a heap in the alley where he was cycling home. We will drop around and see them on the way back to see if the muggers know where he lives as we will probably need to change the lock. This is the first person I have known personally that has been mugged ever; it always seems to happen to someone else in the paper.

Admin stuff

I have decided to change viewing persmissions to invited readers only. To do this I have had to select my contacts and send out an invitation to view the blog. You will need to open the email and follow the link. The only downside to this, is that you have to actually sign into Google to view. Sorry!

If you don't receive an invitation and want to follow the blog please email me directly (clairabella65@hotmail.co.uk)

Lytham living between the pools

Hi, here we are writing from sunny Lytham St Anne’s which is in-between Blackpool and Liverpool, hence the title. My old friend Steve is working here and has not had time to come and stay with us since he finished his contract in Japan. Unfortunately we never did get chance to stay with him while he was in Japan, the timing just didn’t work out. Either we were renovating, working or didn’t have the money because we couldn’t sell any houses for two years and had only recently bought the one at Giffard Park. Steve was hoping for a few months break between contracts but was seduced by the money again and came almost immediately here upon his return. We have just been talking about how long it was since we last met and think it’s over a year. Take the money while you can Steve.

We spent quite a long time trying to get a nice hotel with a pool nearby at a sensible price without success and ended up in the same hotel as Steve which is very convenient and also not so bad. The County Arms is right in the heart of Lytham which is a very upmarket British seaside resort; a mile away from our last venture to Margate. It’s all coffee bars, bistros, banks and little restaurants rather than Witherspoons and charity shops. We are very pleasantly surprised. There is a large green area between the coast and the first houses which leaves you with a wonderful sense of space.

We had a long walk along the beach to St Anne’s and came back inland a little by the roads while Steve was working. There doesn’t seem to be any bad areas so far, all huge houses well spread apart. I always thought that Lytham St Anne’s was one place but it’s not, its two, Lytham and St Anne’s. We managed to get on the wifi in our room and get stuck into a couple of bottles of wine while settling in. Earlier I had to sample a local lamb and mint pie from Phil’s Bakery as he sounds like a nice chap. We even have Harriet’s cloths shop and Harriet always wanted to start a shop called, “Harriet’s Hairy Hats” when she was little. We are still looking for Claire’s shop but I suppose that it’s not quite such an upmarket name as Phil and Harriet; maybe we will find one tomorrow in Blackpool?

Steve turned up from work and it was straight to the bar where we had a couple and ordered food while Steve caught a quick shower. Once Claire had finished about half her huge pie she was off to bed to watch Coro’ while Steve and I tried the well talked about pub called “Taps” where Tom and Steve were already having a drink and we joined them. We spent the rest of the evening talking about the good old days. This pub won best pub in Lancashire last year and is being entered for best pub in Britain this year. They have an unusual range of local brews. I was just getting this photo of the pumps when the flash went off and made the barman jump. I said that I was just getting a picture of the village idiot which the barmaids thought was hilarious. We know what his nickname will be from now on.

Early morning thoughts

It's another one of those early mornings where I can’t sleep so I thought I may as well log on and make the most of my insomnia. My mind is on overdrive at the moment and lying in bed in the dark, all sorts of things are twirling around in my mind. Also I had that funny heart beating fast thing which always feels worse lying down, must go to the doctors to get it checked out. Don’t’ want to peg out before I get to Aussie!

Phil had a disturbed night’s sleep the night before and as such, was a really grumpy monkey yesterday; he was really hard work. He read my blog and complained that I am being very negative about him and also moaned that every photo I publish is of him eating food. I apologise but that is the way it is. After promising at the beginning of the week to dedicate himself to me and my ‘to do’ list, it is now Wednesday and he is not delivering. This is the email that I’ve just sent him, just to get him in focus.

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Hello husband

I write this email as I can hear you snoring softly upstairs. I got up so you could go back to sleep, obviously my strategy worked!

Anyway, thought I'd email stuff for you to do today, a) whilst I remember and b) so you can structure yours/our day.

• Pls can you email me the big trip itinerary so I can send to Jane with covering email
• This is the hotel I fancy at Lytham http://www.modehotel.co.uk/default.php
• When we drop off my car can you mention that the water for the front screen doesn't work and also I had a couple of new front tyres and ever since there has been a noise on the right front side. Thanks.
• On the way back from the garage can we pick up PO Box post
• Can you check out Emma's address and telephone the OU to advise address
• Can you drop me off at David Lloyd after the PO Box or come with for a workout?
• We also need to go to CF and glue the blind and top up the electric, sort out newspapers, post etc.
• Obviously you need to book a hotel so we can see Steve before we fly away.
• You may also want to phone Georgina because I've checked and it is half term next week and if your mum is correct, she will be going to holiday cottage on Saturday. You need to arrange with her to go down to Melton the following Sunday when she gets back. BTW, this will be Sunday the 1st November.
• Can you please not eat the sweets in the tub on top of the fridge in the kitchen; these are for the kids that will be trick or treating on Halloween night.
• Pls can you put up the new blind in the bathroom?
• Whilst I am doing the woodwork upstairs, would you mind making the chilli for tonight? Thought we could finish off the liver & bacon casserole for lunch.

Thanks all I can think of for now. One more cup of tea and I may go back to bed. Or maybe I shall stay up and watch the TV.

See you in a few hours.

L

C x

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After my trip to IKEA on Monday I am not sure my new lime green rugs for the lounge really work. I was trying to link the lovely cut glass green decanter that Janet brought us as a wedding present but the lime is just a little too lime. Really, I was after a nutty caramel colour and in the shop I thought the rug had a little nutmeg in the pile but on getting them home they are just plain lime. Never mind, too late now to take them back and at least they will brighten up the lounge for the winter.

I didn’t make it to the gym yesterday. I decided to make a liver, bacon and onion casserole and by the time I was done it was nearly 10am. I decided to touch up the paintwork in the downstairs gloss and go the gym in the afternoon. Bad mistake!! Once I got started, I decided that all the downstairs paintwork needed redoing. By the end of play yesterday I’d finished all of the downstairs but the only trouble is, now that I’ve got to go upstairs and finish the whole house. I’m not sure whether I’m doing my house for me or for our Australian guests, either way, I won’t be happy until it’s all done.

Early mornings and I can’t but help switch on the TV. Even with digital Free View channels, the choice is dismal. Night screens or teleshopping and right now I’m half watching a programme called ‘Guilty’. It’s about a husband that has brought his wife on a reality show to complain about her lousy housekeeping. They are having a kind of fake jury with friends and family acting as witness for each side. What a load of old boll**ks but still, I feel compelled to watch. Surely they must be paid actors, no normal person would ever agree to appear in this show, surely??

Phil had a phone call from James the owner of Morgans late yesterday to say that the student from Cranfield had pulled out of the tenancy but that he done a viewing yesterday afternoon and a quantity surveyor that lived in London who was working in Beds and was fed up of the commute wants to move in next week. James also complimented Phil on the standard of our properties and said he was surprised by the high standard of finish at the CF. This was good to hear, its reassuring that all our hard work has paid off. When we first started in buy to let over 10 years ago, we were broke and had to bodge and make good. Now there is money in the pot, it is nice to be able to rip out and replace and basically do things properly.

Oh what rubbish I talk; 3 cups of tea, a spoon of Honeygar and a small glass of orange juice with a slurp of omega 3 oil and actually I’m beginning to feel a little tired. Maybe I should try going back to bed or perhaps I should make the chilli con carne??? I can’t decide.

Shopping, Domestics & Things to Do

After some domestics early on Friday morning, I made Phil get dressed and come with me to Costco. As trade members we’re allowed to go in the store before midday when the general public are allowed in, so it’s good to go early when it’s quiet. Once inside the store we made our way to the free coffee and cake counter which Phil loves. I didn’t want very much but somehow we came out with 3 cases of wine, a huge tirramasu and other silly bits and pieces. Oh and £145 lighter. We had rather an indulgent weekend which wasn’t what was planned. It was nice to have Julia & Jack to stay on Friday night. It wasn’t so great waking up with a hangover on Saturday morning after a late night so I decided on waking, that it was going to be an easy day.

Harriet had got stopped by the police the day beforehand for driving whilst using her mobile and was feeling very sorry for herself, so we decided to take her to the cinema. I choose the film, Couples Retreat. It was okay, corny, predictable in most parts but it made you feel good when you came out; Phil enjoyed it more than me and Harriet!! After the cinema we went to the food exhibition in Middleton Hall so Phil got pick up 2 bottles of the Nitro sauces that Julies had given him to try. Of course Phil being Phil, swallowed 2 big spoonfulls from the stand and then had to quickly buy an ice-cream because he mouth was on fire!

On Sunday morning we got showered and changed and drove to Melton Mowbray to see Phil’s mum and dad. They just returned the day before from a week in a chalet. It was a chalet that Phil had found on the internet and by the sounds of it, it didn’t sound a good choice. Phil’s mum said it was cramped and full of junk and apparently they didn’t have any electric for the first 2 days. They were lucky with the weather though, it didn’t rain all week but still, they decided to come home a day early. After a quick hello to Phil’s mum and dad, we jumped in the car, went to pick up Gladys and then made our way to the Bowls Club for lunch. They do a nice Sunday lunch at the Bowls Club, we all went for the roast beef and it was tasty and very tender. Aterwards, it was back Phil’s mum for a cup of tea and a slice of Tiramisu that Phil had brought from Costco. I was glad that Phil finally plucked up the courage to tell his mum and dad that we’d booked the flight and would be away for nearly 4 months. They took the news well but I did feel a little guilty for leaving them all alone for the winter. They would never say it out loud but I know they think we are being extravagant with such a long trip and they also worry that something may happen to one of them whilst we’re gone. The crazy thing is that after John’s sudden passing last year, both Phil and I are very aware of our mortality and want to do travel whilst we are still able to. Live fast and live each day as if it’s your last.

The drive back to Milton Keynes was tedious and Phil was more than grumpy because he’d missed the first hour of the Grand Prix. He’d recorded it but it hadn’t worked, but never mind he’d only missed the introductions and we were still home in time to see the start of the race. And what a race it was, me and Phil were on the edge of the sofa for the whole race. Mark Webber did well to win but good old Jenson Button, what a boy! It was also nice to see Hamilton on the podium. Both me and Phil shed some tears when Jenson crossed the line and it was good to see Ross Braun show some emotion for a change.

After Phil finished his exam he promised that he’d devote the whole of this week to do jobs on the house. But yesterday he only managed to put up a few pictures and spent the rest of the day, researching the internet for places to stay in Los Angeles. He was excited because he’d read in one of the Sunday newspapers that hotels in Los Vegas had reduced their rates significantly. Phil tells me that he wants to spend a week in Vegas and then go up into the mountains to do some skiing. I am not sure and to be honest until I get the house to the way I want it, only then can I focus on the trip.

Yesterday was a shopping day for me; Lidl’s for toilet rolls, bin bags & washing capsules, then onto Sainsbury’s for food. We had baked potato for lunch with tuna and sweet corn, not very exciting. In the afternoon I decided to leave Phil surfing and went to IKEA. They have some new stuff in for the autumn range and I got a couple of rugs, a new lamp and a couple of winter blankets. When I got home Phil had already changed into his pjyjamas with his jumper on top because he was cold. I told him to put the heating on but he grabbed one of my lime green blankets and put that over him. He looked like a proper old man sprawled out on the reclining sofa! Just as well he relaxed yesterday because I've got a full list of jobs for him to do today. I am going to the gym in a minute but I've emailed Phil the list of jobs that need doing, so there is no need to wait for me, he can get started as soon as he wakes up!