Thursday and Friday

I had a lot to do today so I was up early and was ready and left the house by 9.30.

I had bought a board game from a FB page, boxed and sealed, for Jon for Christmas and needed to drive over to Ely to collect it and then I was coming back and meeting Jane at the garden centre for coffee.

I got to the last stretch of road before going into Ely and the traffic was backed up due to a very low bridge as you go into Ely. The lorries have to go over the railway line and if the barriers are down, and they can be down a long time as Ely is busy, the lorries are all backed up on the road and so the cars cannot get through to go under the bridge. It is and always has been a nightmare but with more and more lorries it is getting worse. So, I had to be patient and eventually the traffic started to move and I got to the bridge just as another train was about to come through but there were no lorries backed up on my side. It is very easy to miss a train from Ely due to the traffic. A bypass is planned but it has been planned for years.

I then realised I only had a twenty pound note and the game was ten and I thought the seller might not have change so I popped into Aldi and bought some of their recommended Irish Cream which the critics say is better than Baileys, we will see.

I then drove out to the estate where I was to collect the game and what a maze but I did and I am not sure how I did but I managed to get to the house without too much bother. I would not like to live out there, all houses and nothing else.

I then headed back to Soham to meet Jane and no hold ups at the bridge/crossing.

I arrived at the garden centre at the same time as Jane and Riley and we went in. Jon had called Jane and she told him we were meeting so he came over, too. He had told me he had a lot of work to do and was staying in!!!

We had a nice coffee and Riley was, once again, a good little boy and enjoyed watching all the people and the Christmas tree lights. He has lots of scratches on his forehead and head as his skin is dry and he rubs his hands over his head when he is going to sleep. Jane puts cream on and has cut his nails but he looks like he has been in a fight.

Jon left to go back home and Jane and I had a wander around the garden centre and looked at the pets, Riley seems to like the birds best.

I left then and Jane went home and I went to Tesco for a few things and then home as the lady was coming to put the covers on Rene's chair.

When I got in Jon told me he had seen the lady at Rene's when he got back from coffee. That woman is a nightmare last time she was hours late and this time she was due 'early afternoon' and came hours early!

I went over to see Rene once I had put my shopping away. I had bought a mackerel for Rene and took that over and I needed to ask her for the money for the keys once I had tested them.

Rene is very happy with her chair and says she likes it which is good and a relief. She was also happy with the fish but there was very little in her fridge when I put the fish in but she had eaten the chicken pie I took her the other day. I tried the keys and they work and she paid me the money and we had a chat.

I went back home to make Jon's lunch and he was just finishing the Christmas lights outside.

Gareth had called to say Ben and his dad would be coming to sort out the scratched panel on the oven housing unit so I could not make my mince pies. They arrived just after two and it was a much more difficult job than they thought and it took them a long time but they were very patient and finally got it out and put the new one in and it is now fine.

I had to take Totty to the vet while they were here so left them to it. The vet was very interested in our life in NZ as her partner is out there with his brother at the moment and they intend to move down there when they retire so she wanted to know all about it so my appointment went on for longer than it should. She told me Totty was very healthy, strong heart and no murmurs and really good teeth so hopefully we will have her for a few more years yet.

Ben was still doing the kitchen when I got back so it was cup of tea time again. I use so much tea and sugar when they are here, one of them has three sugars!!!! We don't even have a sugar bowl as we don't use it!

Well it is all done now and they break for Christmas and are not working again till 5January. Really good guys they are though and so pleased we went with them.

It was just as well I had made a lasagne yesterday as Kirsty and James came over for dinner and I just had to heat it but I would have been in a muddle and rushing around if it was not ready.

We had a nice dinner and then Jon and James walked down to the pub, Heather went upstairs to sort out her clothes to take to work for her office party tomorrow and Kirsty and I decorated her cake.

We had a lot of fun, helped by the Prosecco, and she did a really good job with her cake and it looks lovely and she was very happy with it.

Once they had left we went to bed and I didn't get my blog done as the Prosecco stopped my fingers working!!!!

Friday
Another early start today, I am so looking forward to a lie in tomorrow, Jason came to get my car at 7.20. The engine light is on and he was going to take it to the body shop repair garage where Jane worked to get another quote but as it happened he didn't have time to do that today but will do it when he takes my car back again to fit the part it needs.

So, I had no car today and I had a hair appointment at 10.00 so Jon dropped me off in town.

I had my hair done and then I walked down to Savers and bought some cream for Riley which I will give to Jason when he brings my car back. I then went for a coffee to Café Nero and met Rene's old neighbours in there and I sat and had a chat with them. They are a lovely couple in their mid seventies but still travel a lot. She, too, gets very frustrated with Rene but we both agreed there is nothing to be done with her.

I then went down to the post office to send a parcel and then to a few other shops. I was meeting Sonia, one of the secretaries I worked with, for lunch but had lots of time to kill.

I was in the shopping centre and met a lady who I knew from when the girls went to first school and her daughter was there. She is a nurse and so I also know her from the hospital but haven't seen her for years. We stopped and had a long chat and she wanted to know about NZ as she did not know we had been over there. By the time we had finished it was time to meet Sonia but I was outside the café anyway.

I waited for her to arrive and she was late so I rang her mobile and she told me she was 'inside' the café! Not sure how we missed each other!

We had a nice lunch and we talked about Linda, one of the admin ladies at the medical centre, who died on Wednesday. She had stomach cancer and was only diagnosed three and a half months ago. It is very sad as she was only 60. She had really wanted to retire but couldn't afford to and she was going to do so much when she finally could retire. Sadly, her husband is having treatment for prostate cancer. Just really sad for them both and they had no children. You never know what is round the corner.

Sonia only gets an hour so we talk non stop and still manage to eat our lunch. So once finished she went back to work and I did a bit more shopping before setting off to walk home.

I don't mind walking but when you have shopping it kills your arms and I think mine are now six inches longer.

I didn't do much this afternoon and this evening I cooked some sea bass for our dinner and then we watched TV. I am finding it more and more difficult to watch TV with Jon as he has to have it very loud. Well, he probably doesn't realise just how loud it is but it gives me such a cracking head. I turn it down a few notches when he goes to the loo so he probably doesn't need it as loud as he has it. Sometime he has it up to 44 and that is loud!!! We still haven't heard anything about his appointment. I think I will have to chase it up next week. We joke about it but it is very wearing for me, Heather goes up to her room to escape the noise. I don't have that luxury. I wish hew would get the plug changed on his headphones as they were really good when he used them in NZ.

Off to bed now but it is gone midnight so no early night as I had planned :-( I am sure Kirsty and Heather's Christmas parties will be in full swing by now!

WEATHER
Thursday Sunny with some sunny spells 13 degrees
Friday Sunny 8 degrees