Random Stuff

Well I wish I could say that I enjoyed our weekend off but another Monday morning and I am feeling even more knackered than usual. Some parts of the weekend were very enjoyable but it’s so long since we’ve had overnight guests that I’d forgotten just how much hard work it involves. Our weekend guests (step dad John and Marie) arrived pretty much as planned on Friday around half four and in good time to watch Murray loose the tennis. We all watched him and dinner was delayed until it was all finished. Phil did prawns with avocado and for the main course he cooked rump steak with baked potatoes and a greens salad. I’d got in desserts but nobody wanted them. Bedtime was late for me and Phil at around 11pm and we went up before our guests.

The weather forecast was storms and showers for Saturday so we were pleased to wake up to blue sunny skies. The morning started with a bang when Mark the plumber phoned to say that the bath didn’t’ have any legs and he couldn’t fit the bath in without them. Phil rushed to B&Q to buy some more and then took them round to the OB flat. In the meantime, I got showered and dressed and after Phil came home and did the same, we left the guests cooking the fried breakfast and went back to the OB flat to meet Derek and Maureen, owners of the flat below. They live in Derby but were on their way to a wedding in Oxford. They’d agreed to meet up to discuss a boundary issue that we have. Basically, we want them to remove their gate which is on our land so that we can put up a new fence and gate. It looked like it was going to get out of hand at one point but luckily Phil pulled the situation back and Derek agreed to let us move his gate and re-site the access to his back garden. Another battle fought and won but boy it’s never straightforward.

After our meeting with Derek we rushed back home just in time to be served up with Weight Watchers sausages, back bacon, beans, fried eggs and a slab of nice seeded brown bread and butter. We haven’t had a fry up in I don’t know how long. When we were all cleared up and put away we bunged the guests in the car and took them to see both the OB flats. Marie is interested in getting a new kitchen and wanted to have a look at what we’d done in both of the flats. Harriet was up and about and Coke was going crazy in the driveway. After the flat inspections it was back home for a cup of coffee and then it was back in the car. Phil drove us to Neath Hill Local Centre and then we left the car and walked along the canal to the Lion Hearts Cruising Club. Marie didn’t think she could manage the walk from home but it isn’t a great distance from the shops and she just about managed.

The Open Day at the club was in full swing by the time we arrived. We had a walk up and down browsing the various stalls (a load of crap) and then headed for the beer tent. Well what else do you do at these sorts of dos? We grabbed some beers and sat down to do the quiz and listened to the musician who was very good. After a few beers and a few songs we headed to the BBQ queue. Everyone bar Marie had burgers with onions which although not gourmet, still filled a deep hole. You can tell the diet has gone straight out the window this weekend. After another wonder we queued up for a whole hour for the free boat trip. This wasn’t as tedious as it sounds because the sun was shining and Phil went and got us all another beer to sup while we waited for our turn.

Finally it was our go and we all got aboard the ‘BeesNeez’ barge boat. The lady owner was very nice and Phil told her that we were once members of the club and had recently resigned. Turns out she knew all about our disastrous boat trip on the Trent canal. I think we have become famous at the club for being the only members to the pay the full fees and resign!! Anyway, she told us she hated it the first time she went out and had a similar boat experience to us. But she’d already brought a boat so she and her husband had no alternative but to try and get used to it. Everyone enjoyed the boat trip and as a result Phil wants us to rejoin the club and have another go. The guests thought this was a great idea and spent the next few hours trying to persuade me, I got cross in the end. I will retry it one day but only when I am good and ready. I can still remember (vividly) my last adventure on the canal.

Sunday morning was toast and tea and coffee with Sunday papers. We had a lunch arranged with Jill and Tony in Rugby so we had to said goodbye to the guests and send them on their way at 10.25am. We had enough time for a quick tidy up and hoover all round before setting off. Jill and Tony wanted to meet up to handover keys and give us some information about their place in Turkey. We were excited to meet up again because it’s a good 6 years since we’d seen them in Cyprus which is where their other house is. We arrived way too early so went shopping in a retail park nearby The Harvester which is where we were eating for lunch. I got a new mobile phone, only a cheap one, and Phil brought himself a couple of pairs of swimming trunks.

We went to the pub and ordered a couple of drinks and waited for Jill and Tony. They arrived dead on the dot as arranged and we had a good chat before going into the restaurant. We’ve only been to a ‘Harvester’ a couple of times and I have to say the food was very good. We ate our food and had good catch up. Jill & Tony gave us their keys and also handed over some blinds and curtains that they would like us to take if we can fit them in the case. I think we should be able to but will do a dummy run to check when I get the cases out later today. Jill and Tony gave us some really good tips and now we are really excited about going on holiday.

Mind you, it’s going to be a really busy week and there is much to do before we fly away. Phil has to get his TMA into his tutor by Friday; on Tuesday Ampthill Glass start on replacing all of the windows in both the OB flats. They are also doing a couple of windows and a door for us at the 1 bed GP flat (the one with the cracks). Also the fence panels are being delivered and Shaun and Lil should get these up by the end of the week. Not sure if I’ll get them painted before we fly out on Saturday but I’ll have a damn good try.

For now must get this blog published and get going. There is much to be done.