Back from hols

Well here I am on a wet Saturday morning.  Everyone in the house is asleep, apart from myself and Billy the dog.  We have just returned from his morning constitutional.

Paul was not impressed at all with his helicopter lesson as a birthday present, in fact he told me it was about the worst thing I could have got him for the fear factor.  Despite all this, he agreed to do it but I must say I felt really deflated after all the excitement of booking it and thinking he would love it.  He did enjoy it but it will be the last time I try to surprise him.  Hmmmm

The kids on the other hand were thrilled to hear that we were off to the seaside and would be staying in a caravan.  We had a great time down in Walton on the Naze and also visited Clacton a couple of times so they could ride on the fairground there and go to the beach too.  I really liked Clacton town as it had loads of charity shops, so I took an hour or so looking round and getting lots of new books.  I am also lucky that I go brown very quickly without sunbathing and everyone at work thought I had been abroad when I got back in on Wednesday this week.

Work has been hectic especially because I am taking so much leave at the moment and trying to catch my tail every time I go in.  Next week I only work three days and then am off until the 6th of September when the children go back to school.

My sister, Chris, leaves my firm this coming Friday.  In the end her redundancy package is not bad but not as good as we had hoped.  She is thinking of perhaps doing some home typing if she can get it as she thinks she'll get terribly bored at home after working all this time.  She is also trying to negotiate some more health cover with our firm which will at least last until next year when she should have retired because she is still under the care of her cancer specialist and needs at least one more mamogram with him.  I think she will probably be able to see him on the NHS but will not have the luxury of appointments as and when it suits her. 

She is coming to Hemsby with us next week but will be joining us on the Sunday after spending a few days in a hotel in a nearby seaside resort with her husband.  They could come and stay at Pontins with us as I have enough room but I don't think her husband likes Pontins that much and it will be nice for her to have a few days with him before she is away for the week.  I have barely finished doing the washing from our last trip and unpacking the bags ... I think that is the worst thing about holidays the blimming washing and ironing before you go and then having to do such a big pile when you get back again.

I am looking at the biggest pile of washing at the moment despite doing loads before I went back to work this week.  I seriously need an industrial washing plant here.  The kids being at home on their school holidays seem to create more washing than ever.

Martin seems to be doing ok with his new job but has to do very early starts to get up to London.  I had to take him up the station in my pjs yesterday so he could manage to get a train in time.

So, I am now off for my morning coffee as my dear Paul has just risen from our bed and is moving towards the kitchen (which has still not been painted - I thought he might have done it whilst we were away, still he has next week when we are away again to do it before I start raging about it).

Hugs to all

Tells x

 

Long time no see

Its been a little while since I was on here to make an entry.  Things have calmed down on the dog front and both Paul and Billy have recovered from all the trauma but we have had a lot going on and that is why I have not been on a lot and so very behind in commenting in your journals.

Its been really sad but Spotty our cat is not with us any more.  He was 16 years old and in the last week or so became very thin.  Paul took him to the vet last week expecting to have to put him to sleep but they said they thought the problem may have been one of his teeth, so we decided to go with that and have it taken out.  They kept him in the vets for 3 days and when he came home he was still poorly.  We made the decision on Thursday that he could no go on especially as since he had been home he had hardly eaten or drunk anything and spent most of the time behind a chair in the living room.  So the end of an era and very sad.  Paul is broken hearted but we both know we could not let it go on.

But we have got cheerful things coming up.  Paul's birthday is on Monday and I have resisted telling him about his surprise helicopter lesson.  Yesterday evening the children and I went to Tescos and bought him a toy helicopter which makes a lot of different noises.  He is going to be a bit shocked to get that wrapped up!  Then we will hand him the voucher for his lesson .... so I can't wait for that.  He has the lesson on Thursday and after that whilst we have lunch I will tell the children that we are going on holiday the next day!!  I was looking at the brochure this morning and I hope the weather keeps fine for it all.

Matthew has just come back from Scout camp and has had a wonderful time.  I am now washing all the smelly clothes.  They went to the world jamboree get together at Chelmsford to celebrate the 100 year centenary on Monday and on Tuesday they took them to Alton Towers. 

Rosie and I went to Thorpe Park, another theme park, on Monday with my friend and her young son.  We had a wonderful time and I even rode the log flume .... it was so funny because my friend's little boy had an ear infection, so she insisted he wore a plastic cape.  As we came down for the photo the plastic cape flew over his head, mine and Rosie's heads too.  The photo was great.  The chap at the front of the ride was all smiles and behind him and blue flash of plastic!  We did giggle when we saw the photo when we came off.  Remind me not to do anymore fairground or theme park rides, I must have been so tense that I hurt my leg and limped for 2 days afterwards.

I am enjoying all this part time working apart from having to try to keep up with all the filing at work, which is manic at the best of times.   I have gone into work the last 2 Sundays but have now found a way that I can manage my work emails from home, so that should make it a bit easier.

Something awful too has happened at work.  They are making my sister's department redundant.  In one way though it is good that it has happened now because she will be 64 in December and that is when no redundancy package is available, apparently you get nothing then.  She will be leaving on the 24th August just a couple of days before we go away together to Hemsby.  Aw, I am going to miss seeing her every day.

By the way, I was at my firm 30 years last week.  Hmmm, I did get a bonus in my pay packet but no note from the Managing Partner to say thank you, kiss my ass or nothing.  I could understand it more if I wasn't a good worker or reliable but I am and have been!  I felt very disappointed that there was no official acknowledgment, all day I was waiting for it or my flowers to arrive at my desk.  I went to lunch with my friends and took cakes in, I thought of it as a milestone even if my company didn't.  My department though are celebrating it and they are arranging a lunch for me when one of our chaps gets back from being away on sabattical as he wants to be there too.  We are doing it in September.

I am determined to take the children to see Harry Potter this weekend - tomorrow is the plan.  I can't believe we haven't got there yet but with working some weekends I have not had the time.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend.

Hugs, Terry x