Plans, Projects & Parents

I didn’t feel very good on Friday morning which I put down to a late night with the lovely but sad Sue filling up my glass so generously, but after lunchtime I felt was feeling really weird.  My nose was bunged up and my throat was sore so I decided against going back to the OB flat and instead took myself to DW for a steam and a Jacuzzi.   By the time I was showered and dressed I felt almost too dizzy to drive but somehow I got myself safely home, got changed into my PJ’s and dossed in front of the telly with the remote control.  Which is where Phil found me when he got home from work.  By this time, my nose was streaming and it was obvious that I had a cold.   Great, just in time for the bank holiday weekend with a heavy schedule ahead of me.

Thankfully, wined and drugged up, I felt a little better on Saturday morning and we started work at the OB flat at half past seen.  Phil was raring to go but yours truly was a little reluctant and somewhat slow.  My boy got stuck in to the blinds in the kitchen, they took him 3 hours and are still not right, they need to come down and  he almost needs to start from scratch.  We will never, ever buy vertical blinds from Paul Simon ever again.  I got on with  glossing the internal doors of which there are 8 in total, a lot for such a tiny flat.  Glossing is not my favourite jobbie and I was tempted to cheat with white matt emulsion but they look so much better for gloss so it wasn’t really an option. 

We stopped and went for a pub lunch at The Cricketers pub, average pub grub and nowhere near as nice as last week.  Still, it filled a hole and we were in and out in around 40 minutes.  After lunch we went to HomeBase to buy light fittings, they don’t have such a cheap range as B&Q but the ones we found were quite straight forward and very easy to fit.  We will certainly buy these again.  The plan was to go to DW for a steam and a Jacuzzi but we were just too knackered so we changed into civilian clothes and headed for home.  Quick shower, Jim jammies, ironing for me and the replay of the Grand Prix qualifying, for Phil.  We both had the munchies a bit later on and seriously debated a Chinese takeaway but Phil deliberated far too long so I squashed the idea.   It’s so not good for you to eat late at night and by the time he would have decided it would have been way past 8pm before it arrived.  We watched some crappy crime detective series which Phil had recorded and then went to bed for an early night.

Which was just as well, because Harriet woke us both up when she rolled in at 4.40am after a heavy night of clubbing.   This is very close to our natural wake up time so it was a quick pee, then lights on and a spot of reading.  We didn’t manage to get back to sleep and found ourselves once again at the OB flat before half seven.  I didn’t stay long as Phil’s mum and dad were coming down for lunch so I needed to get home to cook.  I wanted Phil to hang the feature wall paper up in the lounge and also fill in the airing cupboard.  I helped him with the first piece of wallpaper which is always the most difficult and then headed back to GP to start on the lunch. 

The reason for Phil’s mum and and dad’s visit was two-fold, one to save Bet cooking lunch and also for them to see the OB flat with a view to moving in.  I wanted the flat to look at its best so hence the pressure this last week to work my fingers to the bone.  Phil, bless him, did 3 and  a half hours work in the flat on Sunday morning and was just home in time to get showered and changed before his parents arrived.  They were a little late arriving and I was worried but it turned out that the M1 barrier was down and they had to get off at Junction 14 and then got lost finding their way to ours.  Bless em, it’s a long way to visit for a few hours and they do very well considering their ages.

I did roast lamb with an orange and pork stuffing, accompanied by roast spuds, carrots, broccoli, peas & sweet corn and cheesy leeks.  It came out very well even if I do say so myself.  Dessert was cherry pie and fresh custard, shop bought I confess but even I had some and I don’t do sweets.  After lunch, we took mum and dad to see our new flat at Caldecotte, or Harriet’s flat, I should say.  The agent kindly let us view so Phil could measure up and I wanted to get some inspiration for redecoration.  Surprisingly, it was much better then I remembered.  It was a good opportunity for Bet & George to see the flat and for Phil to draw it up in advance, but I’m not sure about me.  My head is buzzing, I have wallpapers and colour schemes buzzing through my head which had me awake at 4am this morning.  It’s good to pre-plan, to be prepared, but I need to spend at least an hour in this flat so I can feel it.  Otherwise I will make mistakes; I need to feel the vibe before I purchase any materials.  Also, I need to concentrate fully on one project before moving on to the next; Phil says his work will be over today in the OB flat, but my work is far from over.  However, an afternoon of rest on Friday and a full day off work on Sunday, after 10 consequtive days of painting, has done me much good and I am almost snot free.

Sunday afternoon was a dis-jointed viewing of the Monaco Grand Prix and we waved cheerio to Bet & George at quarter to four.   Bet phoned at 5.30pm to say they’d eventually got home after getting lost at Rugby. I suppose the good news is, that they didn’t crash, they didn’t hurt themselves or anybody else for that matter but me thinks their driving days are nearly over.   I need to move them to MK and the sooner the better.

Not much else to report and I’m sorry for the lack of photographs.  I had the opportunity on lots of occasions but with a heavy head cold and hands smothered with white gloss, it just didn’t happen.  This morning we are once again back in OB; more jobs, Phil says his work will be finished and then we will head to some or other gin-joint for lunch.  And perhaps we will take the afternoon off, and maybe, if the rain stays away, we may even get the chance to walk to the cinema to catch a movie.  Happy days and thanks goodness for holidays.  I already feel like we need another one!

I

A long list of things to do........

The OB flat has been a real challenge and I have certainly had my work cut out this week.  It didn’t help buying cheap paint at B&Q with the 2-4-3 offer a few weeks back.  Normally I use Dulux but this isn’t cheap and Phil thought we could save some money.  And yes we did save some money but OMG, I’ve had to do 4 and sometimes 5 coats on every wall, the coverage was crap. It was like painting with gone off milk, thin and lumpy. This is ridiculous, one coat is necessary; I don’t mind 2 coats, 3 at a push but come on, 4 is just pushing a girl to madness.  Anyway, when I got to my last 2 rooms, the 2^nd bedroom and the hall, I caved in and took the 5 litre pot of B&Q cheap silk crap back and brought a pot of Dulux one coat.  And you know what, even then I had to do 2 coats, even though it guaranteed one coat coverage or get-your-money back; I’ve never known walls to be so porous.

Anyway, it’s taken me 11 days nonstop work but I think I have finally turned a corner.  I don’t know why but I just don’t get a good feeling about the OB flat.  I’ve tried but every time I turn the key and enter inside it makes me feel depressed.  I have scrubbed all the mould away; I think we’ve got rid of the spores, god knows we’ve had the windows and doors opened even with 10 force gales.  My face has just about returned to normal, the scabs have fallen off and I exfoliated yesterday to get of the last of the dry skin.  I won’t be using mould spray any time soon or at least I won’t be spraying without wearing a face mask, I’ve learnt my lesson.

More-or-less I’ve just about finished decorating the OB flat; both bedrooms are done as well as the hall and the kitchen.  My ‘Raspberry Diva’ pink worked well in the kitchen and I am glad I’ve got some colour in there.  I’ve bought wallpaper ready to hang at the weekend for a feature wall in the lounge;  I’ve chosen the same wallpaper that we’ve got in the lounge because I know it works.  I would have liked to have chosen something a little more daring but there is a slim possibility that Phil’s mum and dad may move into the flat so I’ve had to tone it down.  I’m not afraid to use colour, far from it;  I think you need to have at least 3 colours in a room, I’m not sure if I read that somewhere if I simply made it up, but it’s a rule that I always follow and it seems to work. 

On Tuesday, Ian, our good friend from Ampthill Glass came round and measured up for new doors.  We need a new front door, French windows in the lounge and a new back door.   The existing ones are all rotten and even with the most severe sanding and gloss; they are so bad we knew at once that they couldn’t be saved.  The quote when it came in at £1,600 plus VAT wasn’t cheap but I know Ian would have given us his best ‘family and friends’ rate.  Doors don’t come cheap and at the end of the day they need replacing.   I really would like the windows to be done as well; they are PVC but have been wrecked with mould.  I’ve done my best to clean them up but they are far from perfect.  Before replacing them it’s probably best to wait to see, if indeed, we have managed to get rid of the mould problem one year on from now, or at least one winter from now and then we can readdress.

Will Tricks, my landscape gardener and tree surgeon came round last week and has quoted me for removing a tree and weed and tree stump removal.  He was scheduled to come and do this today but I told him I need at least 24 hrs. notice so I can give warning to the residents to remove their cars so I guess it won’t be happening today.  Will is a good guy, he’s a local from Wolverton and we’ve been using him for years. 

I had thought that we would get away with replacing the bathroom but alas it’s not to be.  We can save the bath but without a doubt the toilet and sink needs to be replaced.  I have given it a lot of thought and we also need to replace the floor, take out the radiator and replace with a heated towel rail and I would like to add a colour splash back Perspex panel to the window wall.  This won’t be cheap and Phil will most probably fight against this but this bathroom needs a bit of ‘fizz’ and this can be easily achieved for just a few hundred quid.   We have learnt many things over the years in this property game, and one of the most valuable lessons is that you need to put it right at the start.  If you bodge over, then in the end you end up just paying more.

There is still much to do but until Phil gets in and does his bit at the weekend my work internally is just about finished.  Phil & I will be back at the OB flat tomorrow, I need him to bash out the airing cupboard.  We need to see if the wall has dried out and if it hasn’t we need to bash that out and rebuild.   If it has then we just need to put proper airing cupboard shelves in and then it’s just a repaint job.  We will need to get a plumber to fix the waste pipe, rip out the toilet and then come back in after we have tiled and re-box the piping and back to wall toilet.  Other than that, I just need to paint the 16 fence panels in the garden and lobby the council to chop down the so oversized conifers at the back and then we’re done.  Just in the nick of time to start on the Caldecotte flat (CF in future) when we complete on Friday.

It hasn’t all been work and no play though.  On Wednesday night I went over to Willen to share a bottle of red with Vanessa.  She was good, although a little tired because Chris is away and she doesn’t sleep so well when he’s not home.  And last night Phil dropped me off at Sue’s flat in Caldecotte.  Another red (& white wine) and lots of girlie chat.  Sue is naturally feeling sad, now that Alan is no longer with us, she has a huge hole that she is struggling to fill.  My heart goes out to her but even so she was good company and the time flew.  I rather fear I outstayed my welcome and it was midnight before I got to bed last night.  Hence I am hung over and running late so hence no edits, no spell check.  I need to publish this rushed post and get my tired butt over to Asda.

Prostate Cancer Radio Therapy

D day was here, I had tried in vein to delay the inevitable. I had written to the surgeon twice and he had responded both times by calling me back on my mobile. The results of these conversations were that I was taking the best possible course of action for someone in my position. It just seems a shame that I have to endure this primitive treatment probably nearing the end of its useful life. Radiotherapy is used to kill cancer by zapping your cells with high energy gamma rays, which are high frequency photons or light. The light that we are aware of is visible light. The photons that make this light up have different frequencies associated with them; the higher the frequency the more energy the photon has. Red has a lower frequency than blue light and so has slightly less energy. Lower frequencies than red, like infra-red have even lower frequencies and energy. Higher frequencies than blue have greater energies the higher the frequency. The next one up is ultra-violet and then microwaves which we all can see have greater energy. Normal visible light can pass through air quite easily and some liquids but it’s not so good at passing through most solids. The higher the frequency the easier the photons can penetrate solids. Gamma rays having such high frequencies give the photons very high energy which can interact with water in your body knocking out electrons from these molecules causing them to be charged positive cations. These cations, when in the body are called "free radicals", notably hydroxyl radicals. Ironically, these are known to be dangerous when inside the body for causing cancer.

These free radicals are electrically attracted to your DNA inside your cells and sometimes cause the DNA to break. Because broken DNA would most likely inhibit protein production and cause cell death, we have evolved mechanisms to repair this DNA when only one of the two strands of the DNA helix is broken. If both strands were broken the cell would die. However, the repair mechanism is not 100% because we don't normally experience free radicals in huge quantities, so by introducing lots of them in the area where the cancer is growing over a long period of time causes the cancerous cells to gradually die. They will continue to divide, but more slowly as more and more cells are either deformed or die.

Cancers are made from undifferentiated cells, a little like stem cells so they are not specialised cells doing any particular function other than dividing. For this reason they usually divide and grow more quickly than normal differentiated cells just like they do in embryos or early life. However, undifferentiated cells are not as good as normal differentiated cells when it comes to the DNA repair mechanism, that's why this method has so much success and children are so susceptible to radiation.


Unfortunately, when you have prostate cancer like me, this organ is right in the middle of your body close to all your favourite bits. As there are no air gaps in your body, other than within your lungs, organs are tightly packed together. To be able to zap your bad cancerous cells in the middle of your body, the radiation must first pass through all your good cells and organs to get there. Also most the high frequency, high energy photons will pass straight through your body and could create free radicals on the way out as well as on the way in. For this reason, they split the beam of gamma rays into three and focus these beams where your prostate is. Another complication is that the organs in your body are not always in exactly the same place, they move around a little according to how much you have eaten and drank and if you have any trapped wind. For this reason they have to concentrate the gamma ray beams on your prostate with a 10 to 15mm focus greater than the actual size of the prostate so as to be sure to always hit it wherever it moves to at the time. This obviously means that you always have around 15mm of good tissue directly in the focused beam that will also be affected.

They locate where your prostate is initially with a CT scan prior to treatment, placing marks on your skin where the entry points of the photon beams will go. As treatment is over a couple of months they have to make these marks permanent by giving you small tattoos. CT scans work by penetrating your body with other high energy photons, but not quite as high power as gamma rays. These rays are called X-rays. These are also damaging to the body for the same reasons as the more powerful higher frequency gamma rays and so the nurses make a hasty retreat while the scan is in progress.

Claire came with me for my scan yesterday morning at 8.40am in Northampton. We were not that early because we heard, just before getting on the M1, that there was a hold-up so we diverted to the Northampton road. We followed the instructions regarding parking but found that car park 5 was inaccessible from the main entrance because of road works within the hospital grounds. We took the exit and drove around the outskirts of the hospital until we found another entrance but car park 5 was full. To avoid being late we parked on a bit of waste ground that said it was for the nurses. Once in the hospital, they took my details and gave us a parking permit allowing us to park in most of the car parks around the hospital grounds. Unfortunately this was too late for us as we had already been given a parking ticket.  

When having the treatment they try to minimise the movement of the prostate by ensuring that the prostate is as close to the same position as when you had your scan. They like empty bowels but a full bladder which keeps your good bits which are likely to be affected as far out the way as possible. I hopped onto the scanning bed and they pulled my trousers and pants down and my shirt up. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't hear any sniggering before they put the single sheet of blue paper over my embarrassment. They had a fiddle around and stuck 3 stickers where they guessed were the best areas to start the beams and disappeared from the room while I had my scan. Once they had returned a few minutes later they asked me to stay down while they took a "few measurements". Once finished I was let up only to be told that I had to come back for the whole process to be repeated again next week. The reason being that, although my bladder was full, my bowels were far from empty. I have been having a little trouble in that department ever since I started taking the drugs for high blood pressure. The joys of getting older.


Anyway, I need to come off these drugs until the treatment is complete; but on the up side, these drugs might help after my treatment as one of the worst side effects of the treatment is that you become much looser than you used to be before it. Maybe I will be lucky and the two will sort themselves out once I start taking the drugs again?


From the research that Claire and I have been doing, I believe that they are close to finding a modern treatment for both breast cancer and the very similar prostate cancer. Men develop prostates and women develop breasts; I suppose it’s fair that we both have similar problems with our unique bits. It just seems a shame that I couldn't delay this treatment for a couple of years to give them a chance to get these alternative, not so radical, treatments up and running.

I put a few photos of Claire and Ian around our new venture to pad it out.

Painting & Prostate

We had a very productive weekend mostly spent at the OB flat.  It was better having Phil with me; I prefer it to working alone; we work well together once we get going.  I started painting the kitchen with the mould paint while Phil got on with the preparation of the rest of the flat.  He filled holes and sanded down the skirting boards and the radiators.  I was pleased about this because I am not so keen on the prep and Phil makes a much better job of it than me.  It was hard going in the kitchen; the walls needed 4 coats to cover, and lots of cutting in by the windows and the units. 

As lunchtime approached Phil suddenly remembered that he hadn’t recorded the Grand Prix qualifying so he nipped home to record it.  When he got back I got changed out of my work clothes and we stopped for lunch.  We had planned to go the carvery at Peartree Bridge but we’d both seen the sign at the Cricketers advertising steak and chips for £4.99 so we went there as the pub is literally behind the flat.  The pub was empty and it was only after we had ordered our steaks that I remembered the last time we’d been in The Cricketers was last year, with Sue & Alan when we went with them to a pub quiz.  I had quite forgotten yet it was only a few months back. We think the pub must be under new management as things have changed since we last visited but even so the place was empty.   We didn’t mind and our steak and chips tasted great.

It was hard going back to work after lunch and a beer and sitting down but we did it.  There is so much work to do in this gloomy flat.   We downed tools at 3’ish and then Phil filled up with petrol and we then went to DW for a Jacuzzi and a steam.  A Jacuzzi is great for getting paint off your fingers and limbs; there was no chance of a work out though I was cream crackered, especially since I’d been up since 4am.  On the way home we stopped off at Paul Simon to buy blinds, venetians for the bathroom and bedrooms and vertical blinds for the kitchen.  The OB flat seems exposed and we need to make it more secure and less vulnerable to burglars.  Our last trip of the day was a visit to Homebase to buy a colour for a feature wall in the kitchen.  I knew I wanted pink and picked up a tin of ‘Bubblegum Pink’ but it wasn’t quite right.  Phil found the right paint in the end, ‘Raspberry Diva’ which was just perfect.  Well done that boy especially since he is colour blind!

We got home at 4.45m, changed into jim jammies then it was telly and not much else.  I forgot to mention that I woke up on Saturday morning with a face just like sandpaper.  I was perplexed as to the cause because I don’t suffer from dry skin on my face, quite the reverse in fact, I am a greasy girl.   I didn’t have any moisturiser because I don’t usually have the need for it, so I nicked some of Harriet’s E45 and slathered that on.  It only occurred to me yesterday that the dry skin which felt like I’d put on a face pack on and left it on overnight was most probably due to an overdose of chemicals from the mould spray.  I’d also developed a smoker’s cough, which again was probably due to the chemicals.  What a stupid girlie, I’d remembered the plastic gloves but I’d quite forgotten to wear the mask.  

Sunday was much the same as Saturday; a quick breakfast and then straight to the flat to carry on.  I painted and Phil finished off the Sanding.  We think that there may be a chance we will not need to replace the bathroom or have to rebuild the damp wall.  Even though it was blowing a gale, Phil opened all the doors and windows to see if the wall will dry out.  From taking off the bath panel, he noticed that the waste pipe is leaking so I’ll need to call out a plumber.  Lunch was a rather frozen roast dinner, again at The Cricketers.  Phil thought it was okay as he had a double portion of Yorkshire pudding plus it was only £3.99 but I won’t be trying it again anytime soon.  I guess it filled a hole though, I was starving.

In the afternoon Phil put up vertical blinds in the kitchen which was not an easy job.  There was lots of swearing and banging in the kitchen but eventually he got there.  We cleaned up and put away and went home just before 4pm.  I cooked a roast chicken for Harriet and we watched the Grand Prix which Phil had recorded.  The rest of the day we took it easy. 

Tomorrow, Phil goes for his radiotherapy planning appointment. Over the last couple of weeks Phil has been thinking about not having radiotherapy treatment.  I think by doing research for his book, it has made him even more aware of the very damaging effects of external beam therapy.  There has been a few letters exchanged between Phil & the consultant and a telephone conversation on Friday afternoon, and a result Phil has decided to go ahead.  He is not happy and obviously not looking forward to having the treatment.  I just want to get it over and done with, easy for me to say as I’m not the one being zapped.  I can’t lie and say that Phil’s cancer has dominated our lives these last few months because it hasn’t, but nonetheless it has been like a dark shadow and  its always on the mind.

This appointment tomorrow is to locate the exact positition of Phil’s prostate so that the radiologist can be accurate when aiming his zapper.  Phil will then get a permanent tattoo so they will always know where to aim.  I don’t think he will actually get zapped tomorrow as the letter is unclear, although it does say that he needs to attend with a full bladder.  I guess we’ll find out more when we get to Northampton General tomorrow.

A L A N

Alan lost his battle with kidney cancer and passed away yesterday at Willen Hospice.   Alan was diagnosed last September; he had 8 months of pain and suffering with many weeks in and out of hospital.  This bl***y disease has a lot to answer for. In one way, I am glad Alan’s pain is finally over but for god’s sake, he was only 53 and had the best part of his life ahead of him.  I know Alan didn’t believe in god and neither do I for that matter but wherever he is now, I just hope that he is pain-free and can rest in peace.

Whilst it may be all over for Alan, the same can’t be said for poor Sue.  Not only has she lost her husband of 20 years, she has also lost her best friend. She has cared for Alan and been by his side 24/7 and I mean literally; I’ve lost count of the many nights she has slept in hospitals in chairs or makeshift beds.  Alan couldn’t have wanted for a better wife, I don’t how she’s stayed so strong for all this time but somehow she has.  I’m not sure I could have done it or been so selfless.  There will be pain and tears and time to grieve but Sue is still so young and will have to forge herself a future.  It will be a future without Alan and certainly not the life they had planned together, but Sue’s a strong cookie, she’ll find a way forward I’m sure.  I will support her in any way I can.

R.I.P. Alan my friend, you will be missed…………………..

We finally got the keys.........

I eventually got the keys from the agent yesterday morning at half eleven, having to go into their offices in stony Stratford to get them.  I was aware that the checkout (if indeed it was happening) was taking place at 9.30am so I took myself to the gym first thing because knowing how impatient I am, I knew I would be at home tapping my fingers.   The agent looked nervous when I went in and mentioned that the flat was riddled in damp. Now we knew there was a problem in the bathroom but not anywhere else.  I wasn’t unduly concerned, I was glad after all this time waiting, to finally have the keys in my grubby hands.

After coming out of the office I drove straight to Oldbrook to inspect for myself.  It’s been a couple of years since we viewed Derek’s flat shortly after he had refurbished so I was disappointed after it being tenanted for that time, to see its condition. It obviously hadn’t been loved or cherished and the nightmare tenant certainly hadn’t ventilated.  How she could live in it with a small baby plus another child I do not know, the mould was disgusting.  I’m always a little overwhelmed when I start a  project especially when it’s so bad that you don’t know where to start, but usually my mood improves once I get stuck in and I get some inspiration.

Yesterday afternoon after a fish and chips lunch with Phil I went straight back around to the flat and got stuck in.  I started in the kitchen with the mould cleaner, spraying and scrubbing the ceilings, certainly not an easy walking on top of the kitchen units.  Also I sprayed quite liberally and inhaled quite a lot of the stuff.  Before going to the flat, I had the forethought to go to B&Q to buy mould remover and whilst I was there, I got a tin of special mould paint.  Not cheap at 32 quid a tin but very necessary.  I certainly have got my work cut out in this flat.

Phil came to the flat straight after work, the first thing he did was measure up so he can draw up the flat.  He always does this when we get a flat, you won’t believe how handy this is and we use it the plans for all kinds of things.  Phil took down all the mould infested blinds for me so I can get my toothbrush and the mould inhibitor and scrub the PVC windows.  I wanted to miss the rush hour traffic so I took off my rubber gloves and left him to assess what needs doing.  There is quite a bit of work; we need to take down the wall between the bathroom and storage cupboard because it is very damp from the shower leaking.   We will need to rebuild it to a least a metre high and maybe we will need to replace the bathroom.  The French doors in the lounge and the kitchen door are rotten so they will need replacing.  The whole place needs redecorating, we need to fit all new blinds and replace all the light fittings.  All of the fences need painting and the outside landscaping needs addressing.  I suppose it could be worse.

It’s going to be a while before I can start painting.  My plan is to remove the mould in every room, then air and ventilate followed by a thorough clean with bleach.   This will probably take me all of today; the trouble with mould is that you not only have to get rid of it, but you also need to get rid of all the spores in the air and clean every surface area, and by this I mean everything.  If all goes well, I should be able to start with the mould paint.  It’s too expensive to use on all the walls and ceilings so I shall cover the worst affected mould areas then fill the rest of the walls with my usual emulsion.  Forgive me for such a short post, but lady of leisure no more; there is much to be done and I must get to work.

Frustrations of Life

I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before, but there has been a very bad smell in my kitchen and I haven’t been able to find out what’s causing it.  I first noticed it when we got back from Gran Canarias.  Of course, I blamed it on Harriet, thinking she hadn’t emptied the bin whilst we were away, but she had, so I couldn’t blame her.  Over the last few weeks, I have scrubbed worktops, bleached floors, disinfected the bins several times, cleaned out the fridge and squeezed myself underneath my freestanding units.  I’ve even pulled out my cooker and the fridge thinking some old food stuffs may have been lurking behind them but I found nothing.  I’m not a keen fan of air freshener but I’ve invested in several scents but none of them have worked. 

My kitchen smell smells of cat pee.  And before you ask, I do know what cat pee smells like because when we moved into the kebab flat we had a cat that used to pee every day on our doormat as it was marking his territory.  Anyway I diverse, yesterday I finally discovered that the smell was coming from the fridge.  We inherited the fridge when we brought the house, there was nothing wrong with it and initially it was fine.  But last year it started leaking at the bottom.  Phil put a baking tray underneath the feet to catch the water and then a bit later I played about with the drain and the leak stopped. I don’t know what is causing the fridge to smell, but it’s got to go.  Today I’m going out to price up a replacement, stainless steel I fancy.

My week didn’t start well.  Monday is rubbish day in our cul-de-sac and whilst I was placing my sacks alongside Emma’s I noticed that my car door wasn’t shut properly.   On further inspection, I saw that my glove box was open and my Adele 21 CD box was open on my driving seat.  I was still half asleep but then the penny clicked, someone had been in my car.  I have central locking so I’d pressed the button to lock the car but the problem was, I hadn’t shut the driver’s door properly.  Normally this wouldn’t have been obvious to any passers-by because my car is sandwiched between Phil’s & Harriet’s but Harriet had gone out late so anyone lurking would have easily noticed that my car was an easy target.   I was not happy when I saw that the bloody b*****ds had nicked our sat nav.  Just shows what a lovely neighbourhood we live in, NOT.  Maybe it really is time to move.

Speaking of moving, we had 3 viewings on the house whilst we were in Tenerife. We received feedback from the agent yesterday to say none of these viewings was positive, 2 perspective buyers thought our house was overpriced and the third couple thought our house was to, and I quote “futuristic”.  I agree that our house, in the current market, is overpriced but futuristic, I just don’t get. It’s not modern enough for my liking and if I had the money there are lots of things that I would change.  We’ve been on the market for nearly a year now and I’m thinking perhaps it’s time to take it off the market. With all the projects we’ve got coming up, a house move would not be practical, and if I am honest, I don’t really want to move, I like it here.  If the worst comes to the worst and Phil is unable to work, we could always bung it on the market again and be prepared to take a hit.  I know that if we market at a realistic price and sort out the shower, it would sell straight away.

Learning about my car burglars rather upset me on Monday morning if I am honest and put me in rather a bad mood for the remainder of the day.  It was back to the gym after holiday and surprisingly, it wasn’t too painful after our break.  Afterwards, I went to HSBC in Newport to try and sort out one of our accounts.   We need to add Harriet to one account and I thought it was be easy enough just to add another person, just get a form, sign it and Bob’s your Uncle.  But so wrong was I; the cashier told me that both Phil & Harriet would need to make an appointment and come into the branch and also provide a stream of documents as proof of identification.  This seemed ridiculous to me, when Phil has 6 accounts which he has held with HSBC for nearly 30 years.  We also have a joint account with them, plus a business account, a company credit card account and also Harriet has banked with them all her banking life.  I said all this to the cashier but she was adamant there was no other way.  But there is; Phil was outraged so he phoned the customer care line and I went in yesterday to pick up 2 forms which they both have signed.  I still need to provide proof of identification and need to take this in with the signed forms today.   We really should have sorted this out before going away and if time wasn’t of the essence, I would be tempted to take our banking elsewhere.  Brave words Clairabella65, but in reality, I’ve already got enough hassle in my life without getting on my high horse and adding to it.  I bumped into Vanessa outside Boots in Newport who was taking Shannon in to see an orthopaedic surgeon which was great and we arranged a wine rendezvous.  I went with them to the doctor’s surgery because I was picking up Phil’s prescription which I’d ordered on line on Saturday.  Another frustration, it wasn’t ready, so I had to go back again at teatime to collect it. 

Sue, as in Sue & Alan, phoned me on Monday evening; I’d emailed her on Sunday and had no reply, which is so very unlike her.  I think I already knew before we talked, that something was seriously wrong and sure enough, Alan went back into Willen Hospice on Monday morning.  His health is really deteriorating fast and he now needs a hoist because of his poor mobility.  As usual, Sue wasn’t feeling sorry for herself, even though, from what she said, it hadn’t been a good week.  Alan’s body maybe failing him but he is lucid and coherent and although I don’t know him that well, I do know that his loss of dignity and helplessness will be unbearable to him.  I am hoping to meet up with Sue today but it all depends on how Alan is.  It’s all so very tragically sad.

After the gym yesterday, I went to Asda for a big shop.  I need to make sure that we are fully stocked up before starting on the flat.  I was in there for a whole hour.  I just about had enough time to put away my shopping, wolf down my lunch and get to Kingston to meet Jan at the M&S café at Kingston.  It was good to see her and catch up because I hadn’t seen her for ages.  She is back at work, albeit part time and has come on leaps and bounds since her operation.  Jan hasn’t had it easy and it’s been a slow journey to recovery; I know that she is frustrated that its taking so long but I thought she looked really well, if a little tired. It is funny, Jan always asks after Alan & Sue, and vice versa, Sue always asks about Jan.  It is like they are friends by proxy and I am the common denominator.  But they will meet up one day I am sure. I wish I could have stayed and chatted to Jan for longer but unfortunately I had to nip into Tesco and then get my forms to the bank. 

And guess who I happened to bump into in the electric section upstairs?  None other than mad Betty from Cranfield who was out shopping with husband Adrian who BTW is just as mad; they were looking for a sandwich toaster which just about says it all really.  I have been avoiding Betty’s texts for ages so I had no choice but to linger and listen to 20 minutes of total crap.  Shame really, because I was feeling so happy after seeing Jan.  Needless to say, after our encounter, I came away from Tesco minus the stuff that I went in for. My second to last job of the day was to go back to HSBC to pick up the forms for the joint account then when I got home I cooked a big batch of vegetarian chilli for the freezer.  This dish, by default, is a big part of our staple cancer diets and we have it at least twice a week. Fortunately Phil really loves my tweaked recipe but try as I may, I’m not so keen.

I have been putting my house in order (literally) this week because I know that when I get the keys, the renovation of the OB flat, it will literally take over my life.  I have cooked, cleaned, washed, ironed; all the paperwork is up-to-date, accounts are near to completion, menus are planned and Phil has got enough pills to last him for a couple of months. I think I’ve thought of everything to enable me to focus on the flat solidly for the next 10 days.  But I don’t suppose it will matter much if there is something that I’ve forgotten, it won’t be the end of the world.   Sometimes I hate myself for being so anal and right up my own arse.   Its frustrating and I wish I could change but somehow I think it’s far too late for at. I am as I am.

Home Sweet Home

We had a quiet last day at Royal Park Albatross, only stepping out of the complex to get some lunch.  It was whilst we were eating outside that we heard over the radio that a lady had been beheaded in a local supermarket in Los Christianos.   I thought how terrible and it couldn’t be true but sadly, it turns out that it was.  That poor lady; It should goes to show, none of us knows just what shit is waiting just round the corner. 

On Saturday morning we got up at 3.30am, washed and dressed and just had time for a cup of tea before catching a taxi to the airport at 4am.   Unsurprisingly, the airport was quiet but check-in was quick because there were 4 desks open.  There wasn’t much retail open but we did manage to get an overpriced pastry and a coffee before boarding the plane at 6am.  Again, priority boarding worked well for us and we got the seats we wanted.  The 4 hour flight back was boring and eventually we landed at Luton.  Customs was a breeze and most amazingly our luggage was waiting for us when we cleared.  We were also lucky to get straight on the Airparks courtesy bus and after collecting my car, we were soon on the M1 and back home before midday. 

Holidays are great but it is always good to get home and sleep in your own bed.  The trouble with me is that I want everything done and sorted straight away. Phil got us a Chinese for lunch and afterwards I unpacked and got the washing machine going.   Harriet wasn’t home as she flew to Jersey on Friday to spend the weekend with her cousin.  Before leaving, it was obvious that she had done the housework, but even so, I did have a quick flick round.  Old habits die hard.  As the sun was shining I managed to get the lawn cut because the grass was very long. Later in the afternoon, we went to the health club for a Jacuzzi and a shower.   Phil did suggest a workout but I was just too tired.  After we came out, we went to Asda to do a food shop, it was packed out.

Saturday night was a quiet one spent in front of the telly just chilling out.  After such an early start we were worn out.  Yesterday Phil picked up G and drove to Melton to spend the day with his mum and dad.  I just potted and caught up with emails and researched everything and nothing on the internet.  With all the washing and ironing done, the fridge stocked and paperwork sorted, it’s almost like we’ve never been away.

Even in spite of the timeshare ordeal, we had a good holiday.  I’m afraid we weren’t very adventurous but Phil got in some good writing and has achieved much more than he set out to do.  On average I’m guessing he got 5 or 6 hours of writing done each day, sometimes more.  Of course, he is really not looking forward to going back to work today.  I, on the other hand, was looking forward to starting work on my OB (Oldbrook) project which was due to start today.  But alas, bloody tenant still hasn’t moved out.  The agent phoned me on Friday to ask me if I would let her stay until Thursday.  I wasn’t very happy because I’ve been waiting for 2 and a half months for these keys but if I had of refused, the alternative would have been a long drawn out court case.  I can’t really afford to hang around but I guess I will have to be patient for a few more days.  It will give me a chance to get my life in order because cum Thursday, I am going to be flat out for the next 2 months.

Timeshare Torture!

Well, sure enough the timeshare sales meeting was torture, not the most torturous that we have experienced in the past but certainly time consuming and it took all my patience to sit quietly and come out at the finish with dignity.  We were picked up at 10.15am by Stuart the mains salesman for Silverpoint and Julie who was on the tour as she was in training.  I thought great, double sales tactics and from the onset, I didn’t have a great impression.  Stuart was in his 60’s; he was a big bloke with grey, thinning long hair.  Julie was around the same age as me and seemed nice enough.  They explained that they first would be taking us to a café for coffee but on the way there we had to stop off at the dry cleaners to pick up Stuart’s wine drenched suit.   We sat in the café for a whole hour whilst Stuart & Julie did their best at finding out all about us.  Phil & I both sat there with our arms crossed, determined not to give anything away but it’s not in our characters to withhold, so in the end we answered all of their questions.  I had to laugh, because by the end of the hour Stuart said that we were nothing like their usual timeshare owners!  We could have told him that in the beginning but at least he worked out for himself.

After the café they drove us to Palm Beach to look at at a studio apartment, having ascertained that we if we were going to buy a timeshare it would be at the cheap end.  The studio was okay, nice enough with a good position, right by the beach and in the middle of town.  Julie then showed us a penthouse apartment on the top floor whilst Stuart went down to the lobby to chain smoke.  The penthouse was fabulous, I cannot lie.  It had a superb private terrace with great views of the island.  It also had views of the sea from all of the rooms.  Oh, if I had a big pot of money going spare then I would be tempted.   After the viewings we had more small talk and then we were driven to the Silverpoint headquarters for the hard sell.

The sales room was packed with couples just like ourselves, sat in front of a big flat screen Apple laptop and a salesman.  We were given coffee and then sat while Stuart went in for the sell, which I have to say, he mostly directed at Phil.  I won’t bore you with all the details but suffice to say there was lots of pressure.  In the end Stuart said we could go for option a) sign up there and then or b) go away without a hard contract but a 12 month offer to buy in the future.  Phil said we’d go with option b because he wanted to get his cancer treatment out of the way and get the all clear before signing up for anything.  Stuart said he believed him about the cancer, why on earth would he think we would lie? He said that normally he had to keep us there for half a day but he got permission from the top man to release us.  I can’t tell you how relieved I was to be free to leave!  Three and a half hours was about as much as I could take, plus it was way past our lunch time.  These time share promotion holidays have worked for us this year, but be warned, they are not for the faint hearted.

I had the laptop in my bag so as soon as we came out of headquarters; we headed straight to Manhattan’s for lunch and internet access. Actually Phil did think the points based timeshare scheme was attractive but I had to talk him down over lunch; it’s not the right thing for us at the moment and after hearing Dave & Eva’s timeshare hell story I am not convinced.  Dave & Eva can’t give their 2 week timeshare away for love nor money.   As they can’t sell they are stuck with the £800 yearly maintenance charge forever.  If they cancel the direct debit they will be taken to court and when they die their children then become responsible for the maintenance payments.  So beware, timeshare is for life!

The timeshare sales pitch pretty much took up most of our Wednesday and after lunch we just went back to our apartment and chilled out until bedtime.  On Thursday we met up with Dave & Eva and walked down to the beach for lunch.  We had planned to take them to La Taverna but as it was shut down for some kind of holiday, we found a lovely little Spanish restaurant inland.  And actually, it turned out to be the right decision; we went for the cheap menu and not the al a carte but it was still very nice.  The boys had the kebabs and Eva and I choose the fish.  Eva and I shared a bottle of house white and I have to say this was the nicest white wine that I have tasted in Tenerife.  Dave & Eva are great company, of course we have quite a few travel stories to tell, but they in turn, have quite a few of their own.  After lunch we walked up the hill back to our apartments and somehow, we ended up having drinks at the Beverley Hills Club.  It wasn’t happy hour but what the heck, it was our last day and Phil was rocking and rolling, it’s nice for him to let his hair down now and then.  It was gone six by the time we got back to ours, so it turned to be a very long lunch indeed but what a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

This morning we packed our cases and checked out of Beverley Hills Heights and got a taxi to Albatros in Golf del Sol which is where we stayed in January.  I tried to book an extra night so we didn’t have to move but they said they were fully booked.  I find this hard to believe because the complex has been virtually deserted this week.  But I don’t suppose it matters much.  Luckily we were able to get into our room straight away which was a nice surprise because check-in isn’t until 4pm.  The good thing about Albatros is that it’s close to the airport and they have an internet connection on site.  We don’t get it in our room which is a shame but I guess you can’t have everything.  So home James for us tomorrow which is a little sad, but hey we’ve still got the rest of the day, so I shall sign off now, grab some lunch and then relax and bare my body to the sun for one last time.