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Oh Patootie that HAS been rough. I'm ashamed to say I didn't ever really think about it, but of course maintaining two houses at once is a killer. But hopefully this time it really IS over---thank dog for internet banking!! If the cheque went in yesterday it should have cleared by the end of the week, shouldn't it? Or is it 5 business days? Anyway, you keep watching and let us know the second it's cleared!
And THEN you will have every right to have a nice party and indulge yourself!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~PATOOTIE AND THE CHEQUE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Feeling MUCH better ... deposit cheque CLEARED overnight ... whoop whoop whoop ..
What a relief !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ohhh ... and along with the case of cheap beer to celebrate with .. I bought myself 2 new walking sticks .. my old one had been getting a bit 'dodgy' . the folding joints were working 'loose' and the bungee cord inside that holds it all together was getting rather frayed .. so I 'treated' myself 2 two pretty floral sticks .. yellow flowers on a blue background .. and red flowers on a black background .. nice and bright and cheerful .. only £6.95 each on Ebay .. (plain ones £4.95!) .. last of the big spenders
I was so excited I forgot to say ... giving myself a treat in my next lot of shopping .. case of ASDA cheap beer 12 tins for £2.90 .. and along with the case of cheap beer to celebrate with .. I've bought myself 2 new walking sticks .. my old one had been getting more than a bit 'dodgy' . the folding joints were working 'loose' and the bungee cord inside that holds it all together was getting rather frayed .. so I've 'treated' myself to two pretty floral sticks .. yellow flowers on a blue background .. and red flowers on a black background .. nice and bright and cheerful .. only £6.95 each on Ebay .. (plain ones £4.95!) .. last of the big spenders hahahah !!
WOOOOHOOOO!!!! That's GREAT news, Patootie!!!! Having that cheque through the system and the money in the bank is just FAB!
And it's VERY good to hear that you're celebrating
)))))))))))))
Your new sticks sound like a grand combination of the useful and the pretty. And don't laugh at yourself---it's so silly for people to bother getting nice things that they only use occasionally, it's much better to do what you did and get nice things that you use often, and if you can get them without having to spend loads of money then all the better!
Will the sticks help at all with the thumb problems you've been having?
PaTOOtie, where ARE you??? I have terrible visions of you snoring happily amidst a sort of nest of empty beer cans, still recovering from your little party....
)
When is the sale due to complete? After that you really will have all the loose ends pretty well under control, won't you?
And isn't it somewhere in here that you have your next course for how to be a residents' representative, too??
Still got a few weeks before sale must be completed .. but hopefully he will give me a nice Easter present .. the 'big' cheque ...
Yes .. need to check my Filofax ... see what I need to set myself up to do the rest of this month ... car has gone to the dealers for some minor faults to be put right .. but should have it back for the weekend .. but now i am off back to bed again ... seems to be 3 hours awake .. 3 asleep this last 2 days .. should be better again tomorrow though
Oh Patootie, needing so much sleep must be annoying in one way (there are so many other things you want to do, I know) but on the other hand, how splendid that you can release the nervous energy and just BE tired. I mean, after the last year, it's hardly suprising, is it, when you think of the mega-changes you've made! And now that the last really big one is behind you, with the house sale pretty well tied up, it's pretty natural to heave a HUGE sigh of relief!
But hopefully over the next few months as you get more settled in your new life you will also have more time and energy available to enjoy it!
Are you going to do anything nice over Easter? And is Cambridge looking as lovely as it always does in the spring, with the blossoming trees and the daffodils and so on?
We took the day off and went to Roermond today, near the German border. C2's girlfriend is staying with us at the moment; she was born in Germany on an RAF base and used to go to Roermond every week for the market, and she wanted to see it again. Turned out to be a lovely small city, with a big cathedral and a smaller church that had two magnificant life-sized effigies from the 13th century---a count and his wife, said to be the oldest 'portrait' effigies in Europe. Lovely day!
Today we are having an Easter tea ... our little club is putting the tea on .. not really my kind of thing but a chance to get 'dressed up' .. have a laugh .. have some sandwiches and trifle .. we have got lots of goodies for a raffle .. and the 'older' residents are really looking forward to it ..
I can't help with the preparations as I am too slow and have to either lean on something or have my stick in one hand .. but I have tried to do as much as I can in other ways .. the 'running around' type jobs .. 'this needs putting away' .. 'can you put this there' .. anything that doesn't involve 'rushing around' .. I am 'good' at those kinds of jobs .. hahahah ..
I am going to go over and see my 'lovely old gent' on Saturday .. he's in his mid 80's .. he (and his late wife, sadly passed on 3 years ago after being married for 64 years) were my good neighbours for a while .. when they both got very ill I got them moved into sheltered housing and have stayed friends with them for years .. he did have a lady who was like a 'housekeeper' .. but she suddenly stopped going to see him .. so I have been trying to get him 'sorted out' with bill payments, fresh food shopping (I already do all his heavy or bulky shopping online) ... and just boosting his confidence back up .. I went over last weekend and gave him a 'shoulder' to pour his trouble out on .. gave him some 'cleaning tips' to make light of the jobs that had got out of hand .. (he wouldn't let me do it for him!) .. took him one of my walking sticks so he could get out the house for himself etc
He's been ringing me most evenings and telling me how he is geting on .. bless him .. yesterday (for the first time in 5 years) he took a slow walk the quarter of a mile to the butchers ... got some lovely meats (he really enjoys cooking) .. asked if they deliver as of course he'd bought more than he could carry .. and they kindly delivered both his meat and him back home hehehe
He said now his freezer is stocked up he will either order his meat over the phone or just get a few things at a time .. he has also asked for one of those 'wheeled walkers' .. the kind that you push along and can sit on when you need a rest .. so we've got that set up for him .. he said he thoroughly enjoyed going out (1st time on his own since his wife died) .. he's also been to the opticians himself .. said it feels like a new lease of life ...
So I will pop over on Saturday and take him an Easter Egg .. give him a hug for doing all he has done .. make sure he isn't doing too much .. and see if there is anything else I can help him with
I hid behind the curtains .. nothing to do with me mate ...
That's the second time this chap has 'boobed' with the fire panel .. and he's NOT supposed to be doing it .. think he'll get a telling off come Tuesday .. it costs the housing people about £400 everytime a false alarm goes out ..
Sounds like things are busy for you at the moment, Patootie. I'm sure people thoroughly enjoyed having you helping with the Easter tea! (And if I know you, 'helping' will mean 'taking charge in such a tactful way that everyone loves it'!)
And you've mentioned your 'old gent' before. What a godsend you are to him! Not only in the practical sense---although that must make the most immense difference to his life---but even more in being there, being interested in him, caring about him. It sounds as if he's got rather a lot of people in his life who aren't very kind or considerate: this housekeeper person, and didn't you tell us that you wound up arranging his holiday because his daughter couldn't be bothered? Anyway, I hope you got there today---your visit will have been the high point of the whole Easter season for him.
As to the faux pas with the fire panel, this sounds like a place where maybe you need to exert some influence? They aren't going to want to pay 400 quid for a false alarm very often! Is it possible to isolate this fire panel so it can only be accessed by people who know what to do with it? Or is this chap one of the authorised and he just made a mistake? Or is he someone who perhaps shouldn't have access rights any more? It all sounds a bit fraught, because a fire alarm is something you can't do without, and you can't afford to have abused. I hope they sort out an answer to this one quickly.
Things are very busy here at the moment. C2's girlfriend is with us, so it's a full house. We took the day off on Wednesday and went to Roermond, over in the east of the Netherlands, which is a lovely small old city. In one of the churches is the most remarkable effigy of a count and his wife. It was done in about 1230 and was carefully cleaned about 150 years ago---the detail in it is just stunning. Look here.
We have to be here for church tomorrow morning but we have the house mostly tidied up now and we'll pack our things into the car in the morning and then as soon as the service is over, we'll set off for France for a week. After struggling for years with a pre-War landline (impossible for any kind of internet access), then trying a dongle (OK in the right weather conditions, but very vulnerable to disruption) we hope that putting in a satellite dish will give us reliable broadband. Since the two younger Chuglets are both studying (one doing A2's, one at uni) they really need the internet if we are to spend much of our holidays down there., so keep your fingers crossed! If it works, I should be back in here after Tuesday afternoon
)
In the meantime, have a very happy Easter, Patootie. I hope it brings you a lovely sense of spring and a great new year that you will be able to enjoy, having done so many things to put yourself into a position where you can do that now! xxxx
Lovely pictures of a lovely place .. and it made me feel I am ready to go on a little holiday ... or at least to start the process of finding a suitable place to stay for a few days with interesting places to visit near by .. not sure I feel ready to cope with the complexities of going abroad .. so it will have to be somewhere fairly close to home that I can drive to .. then I will have my scooter for 'getting about' ... sigh ... sometimes i wish I had a nice man to whisk me away to pretty places and do all the 'hard stuff' for me .. but realistically what kind of life whould the poor chap have ..
Been sleeping badly this weekend .. but feeling brighter this morning .. the 'usual' stuff .. haven't achieved anything 'significant' yet this month .. so need to pull my finger out and go and DO something ... now what can I go and do I wonder ......................................
Needless to say 'old instincts*' kicked in .. quick as a flash I had pen and paper .. car number plate, make, model, partial description of male written down .. and was on to the local police in a jiffy
How bizarre is that .. and before any of you get 'antsy' .. if it's an entirely innocent event no harm was done in telling the police .. if it's not so innocent .. it may well have caught an 'out of town burglar' or 'ne'er do well' who's riding around taking photo's of entrance ways of bigger houses ..
* was once the Voluntary Neighbourhood Watch Administrator for 'doodah' Police Sector ...
We are 'congregating in the communal lounge at 7pm' to toast "Happy Birthday" to a 79 year old .. free wine and nibbles .. sounds like it will be a 'riotous' affair ..
Guess I had better dash out and find him a little gift .. can't go and eat and drink the freebie goodies without having something to offer .. I have some nice gift boxes and some shredded tissue ... so I'll perhaps get one of those little mens travel toiletries packs .. he is going on holiday next month for a short break .. so at least it will be useful ..
Oh Patootie, it's good to hear you sounding so energetic again. All that faffing about with the kitchen was really disrupting, but you're clearly back on form now. And GOOD FOR YOU for taking the details of that car making strange photos. There are, sadly, a lot of not very nice folks out there, and as you said, if it's innocent no harm has been done.
We've been thinking a lot about this lately because C1 had to give evidence this week in an attempted murder trial. Last November she was walking home from the tube to her flat in London when she was four blokes beating a chap with heavy wooden sticks. She ran toward them yelling (it was in a main street, so she felt pretty safe) and they ran away. She called the ambulance and went to hospital with the victim, and now there are 5 of them up for attempted murder, GBH and some other things. Very daunting experience. She couldn't identify any of them, so her evidence was relatively short, but it was very frightening (even though the witness support people were brill). Mr C flew to London to be with her, and it's good he did: he was allowed to stay with her while she had to wait to be called (which was 2 days as they had to reschedule some of it) and then he sat in the public gallery right opposite her and she said she just looked at him the whole time. So people like you, who keep a sharp eye out to prevent bad things happening, are really doing good stuff for us all.
Sorry not to have been about much but we are actually in France at the moment. We now have a satellite-based internet connection (the Chuglets really need it for their studies---nobody carries books these days, it's all on line!) but it's having predictable teething troubles so I'm not in cyberspace much.
But I haven't forgotten you, and will be back in my normal routine in a few days. In the meantime I'm enjoying the thought ofy our party---hope it was a good one
)) xxx
Beautiful sunny day here .. went out in my car .. helped my elderly gentleman friend to buy a walker (rollator, call it what you will) .. there'll be no stopping him now .. he was haring up the street like a 20 year old .. was given a bottle of Smirnoff .. opened the packaging when I got back ... and with my usual clumsy butterfingers promptly let it slip through my fingers ... with stunning speed I darted my bare foot out to break the bottles fall ... bottle was saved .. but dratted foot has a lump the size of a football (well golfball, mustn't exagerate) ... slathered 100% pure arnica gel on ... throbbing madly but somewhat soothed by the arnica ..
Trust me .. typical clutz !!
Clutz? Not at all! Juggler, maybe
) But you saved the vodka!!! And that's what counts, right??
And good on you for helping your friend, Patootie. That's the kind of thing that makes the difference for older people between cloistered and limited dependence, on the one hand, and on the other independence and a continuing involvement in life. I think rollators are a fantastic discovery: they keep people as mobile as possible for as long as possible. They really made a BIG difference to my father in his last year. But someone has to help older folk get hold of these things and learn to use them---so you have done (yet another!) good deed!
(((((((((((((((((Patootie)))))))))))))))
As my gran used to say: you're starting on your bracelet, your crown in heaven is full of jewels already!
3 hours after stopping the Smirnoff from breaking .. 6 x 30 minute applications of 100% pure arnica gel .. and I am happy to report my foot is in perfect condition again .. no soreness .. no bruising .. lumps gone down ... thank goodness for arnica gel
What a lovely saying that is from your Gran .. bet she had the pendant and earrings to match too
Well, Patootie, to be honest I think she did! A great lady she was.
And so are you----so it's nice to see that your good deed was rewarded by a perfect cure! (The arnica might have helped too
) But you could do without a sore foot at this stage, when you're just about ready to be able to start taking advantage of your lovely new home and seeing some of the things in the area.
By the way, whatever did you decide to do about your thumb? That sounded like rather a tough judgment call.
We got home about 3 this afternoon, which gave us time to unload the car and pick up the animals from the farm where they stay when we go on hols. They are all very glad to be home (the cats of course scolded us mercilessly all evening!) but as usual they are in great shape. And we all feel refreshed even though poor Mr C didn't get much rest, with his having to be in London for so much of the time. But the garden has come on tremendously in the last 10 days so he's happy out there!
Had a busy few days .. not slept too well so continually tired .. but I am used to that .. went to a meeting Wednesday night ... and looks like I've managed to get financial backing for a little summer party for all the residents here ..
I knew being on a committee would be worthwhile ..
Woooohoooo, go for it, Patootie! What a brilliant idea to have a summer party. That's the kind of personal touch that you're so good at, and everyone will love.
I'm guessing that a lot of the residents are older than you are, and your youth and energy are going to bring a lot of very welcome life into that community!
And aren't you due for your next training session sometime in the next couple of weeks?
Training end of May .. and party all agreed in principal .. we are getting caterers in
Youth maybe .. energy no ... flippin' norah .. these 'oldies' run rings round me .. never come across so many older folks with so much energy .. they wear me out
Money for old home due shortly .. be great to get that finished with ... no hitches so far ..
Pheweee .. I am feeling really lethargic this afternoon ... just sat and looked out the window at my tree for the last 20 minutes or so .. birds flitting to and fro catching small insects ... squirrels leaping around carrying stashes of nuts from the bird feeders .. always something new to be looking at .. the pigeon still comes and says 'hello' now and then ..
Need a reviving cup of coffee now ... so much going on in my head I can't keep up with myself hahahaha !!!!
Phew .. time passes so quickly ... off to a new meeting today .. a finance and benefits type meeting .. let's see how I get on ... should be interesting ... and definitely useful to me .. at the same time I can check out if there are any new benefits that I haven't yet found out about ...
Weather is a bit up and down .. so my fibro has been a bit up and down lately too ... but coping better than I expect to ... so it's all good really ....
More when I get back from the meeting in a few hours .. heheh and there is such a thing as a 'free lunch' ... sandwiches and freshly brewed coffee will be on the go ... so that's a benefit too ...
That was an interesting meeting .. learnt quite a lot .. and enjoyed it ...
Bought a fab new water filter .. it holds 5 litres of water ... 4 litres of water at ambient temp .. and will chill 1 litre of water down to 10C .. wooohoooo ... no more laborious several times a day filling up of the little filter jug anymore .. and I won't have to buy any bottled water either .. tastes nice too ...
I am really pleased with it .. and it was a brand new bargain from an Ebay 'shop' too 
Just ordered a supply of face masks suitable for trying to combat the dreaded Mexico 'flu ... they are talking about it being such an 'odd' strain that it's almost certainly a 'man made' flu ... terrorism in it's most sinister form perhaps .. I'd rather spend a few pounds now ... than wish I had later on ...
It's a 'miracle' ... no more grey hair ... well .. at least for the next 20 washes
I bought that hair colourant before I moved .. decided I'd do it before I got here so I could have a really 'fresh' start .... then everything moved so fast I didn't get round to doing it .. nearly every week I have looked at it on the bathroom shelf and told myself .. "I must use that up, too much money to throw away" ,,, so .. with fingers and toes firmly crossed .. I got it all ready ... pooh ... it stank ... not of ammonia thank goodness but smelt like something had 'died' a few weeks ago ... did I really want to put that on my hair I wondered ... ohh go on woman ... just get on with it ....
25 minutes later ... and I wondered back into the bathroom to wash it all off again ...
... ohhhh myyyy ... flippin' splashed it everywhere .. and I had been sooooooo careful too .. after what seemed a lifetime of rinsing the water finally came clear ... on with the conditioner ... while that was doing it's job I set about washing down the basin, bath, toilet top, cistern and walls ... how on earth did it all spread so far ... 
Rinsed off the conditioner .. checked for grey ....
looking good ... now I just have to wait and see what colour it dries .. so if it's all the same colour ... and hope it won't all fall out over night 
Watch this space !!!!
It will be interesting to see how many people .. if any ... notice a difference at tomorrows coffee morning ..
And none has fell out yet ....
I'd like to think I look younger too ... at least 2-3 months anyway ...
Oh Patootie, you are brave! I've never had the nerve to mess with the colour of my hair, tho C1 has had every shade from black to red. Yours sounds lovely, tho, especially the little golden flecks. IO'm sure you don't look a day over sixteen
)
And you HAVE been busy---the day on benefits etc (was that just for you, or was it related to your new role in the building?), the party, and all the rest of it. No wonder you need to just sit now and then, especially with the fibro changing with the weather.
Sorry not to have been around but it's a comedy of errors with the internet right now. We inherited an old alarm system with the house, which we never used; but a couple of weeks ago it suddenly burst out into loud shrieks quite unexpectedly, so we hyad the people out to see about it and they said it needed replacing. We have to have a system for the insurance, and we do plan to let this house out for a few years after we retire, to give us time to decide what to do, and we think renters would want an alarm, so we had a new alarm system put in. Which promptly crashed our home internet system. The alarm people say it's not them, but I looked on the internet at work, and this is a known problem. Our computer man is away til next Thursday, so for now we have internet at home only with C3's laptop (which I'm borrowing briefly now). So don't worry if I don't get in much for the next few days---I'm thinking of you, anyhow!
Today is Queen's Day, the big national festival, so everyone is out in the streets in bright orange. We went to the village this morning, great atmosphere as always, though the fact that therer was a serious accident in Appeldoorn, where the royal family were visiting, has changed the mood of the country. It may have been deliberate, they say: the man must be insane.
As to the swine flu, I don't think anyone knows its origin, but I haven't heard any suggestion that it was deliberate. As its mortality rate is very low (at least outside Mexico) I would think terrorism unlikely. The best thing you can do is stay away from crowds and wash your hands a lot!!
Now that you've glammed up your hair, I wait with great interest for your next step!
) xx
Went to coffee morning earlier .. I don't think anyone noticed the lack of grey in my hair ... so at least I don't look like a freak .. hahahah
And ... most common idea about the Mexico flu is that it is an act of terrorism .. it's such an unlikely strain of flu ... with several different flu strains in it that simply couldn't all come together by chance to make a new flu strain ... Mexico is known for it's poor hygiene and sanitary conditions ... and with many people crossing the border all the time it's the perfect way to 'attack' the USA by stealth ...
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=96299
Hey Patootie, you out there?? Chuglet 3 managed to fix the internet connection so I'm back in cyberspace, woohooo!
Just come back from the Silent Procession that is held in our village (like many others) every year on 4 May, which is like our 11 November, the commemoration of the war dead. It's very moving because several hundred people process in silence about a quarter of a mile through leafy lanes to the war memorial. There is a band playing sober music, we have three minutes silence and sing the national anthem, then the band plays while people lay flowers, everything from big floral arrangements to handfuls of flowers gathered from their gardens or even from the hedgerows. The mayor says a few words about the improtant of freedom, and then we all go home. There are always a predominance of older people, but there are also lots of kids. It's very impressive, most of all I think because nobody tries to talk very much.
I was going to write a nice long chatty message, but I'm half asleep, and think I'll toddle off to bed, if you'll excuse me.
But I do want to know how you are! Is the fibro a bit more settled?