BNG

Yesterday I started clearing out the cupboards in the kitchen above the cooker, so when Andrew needs to take them down, they will be ready. I've thrown half the stuff away & found new homes for everything else ~ nearly! I was really surprised at the amount of muck *cringe*, I'm not joking, the only thing I can put it down to is my new glasses lol. Can I blame it on them? BNG (before new glasses) everything looked clean, granted not spotless because there aren't enough hours in a day (and shhhh ~ Andrew's a really messy chef lol) but it looked OK. Now I have new glasses I can't believe how grubby everything is, so it was lovely to have a good clear out & clean up :O) I suspect one of the main reasons really is that I spend far too much time attached to my laptop instead of investigating all the nooks & crannies around the house. Oh well, life's too short isn't it.

Andrew did a bit more filling etc. We have a delivery date for the new monster size fridge/freezer. It's arriving next Friday 23rd Jan. It's going to be so nice to be able to fit everything in there and not have to take a dozen things out to find the grated cheese that you know is somewhere amongst the stacks of food lol. One of the things I threw away yesterday was the ice cube trays because *drum roll please* we won't be needing them. The new appliance makes it's own ice cubes!! How cool is that, well yes I know ice cubes are cool, but you know what I mean :O)

Andrew finished filling etc last night. Usually the alarm clock wakes us up in the morning. It's not a horrible buzzer or anything like that because that would be just cruel. Instead we are woken up by music being broadcast from the best radio station in the world ~ Wave 105. Well this morning, while it was still dark and we were still in the land of nod, the telephone rang. Talk about stick you to the ceiling! Andrew's sister Claire was on the other end telling Andrew that his Mum is in hospital. Now this might sound horrible but what can Andrew do at that time in the morning? Could she not have phoned an hour later? Andrew's Mum's always ill so you never know if it's serious or not. Maybe I'm being a little harsh.

This is the fourth photo of my 365 project, only another 361 to go lol ...

No 4 The cupboards have been emptied ready for Andrew to work his magic in the kitchen & utility room :O)

This morning, while I'm sat here typing, I'm listening to the Beach Boys singing 'Wouldn't It Be Nice'. It always reminds me of the film 50 First Dates. If you haven't seen it, watch it, it's hilarious. Right I'm off to work now, toodle pip.

**********************************************************************************

OMG what a day at work. The one thing I've been dreading for weeks has happened. The Sun £9.50 bookings have started to arrive and to cut a very long story short, I have no computer programme that works beyond 23rd September. The big boss has now got involved and is 'kicking his son's bottom' as I type. Those weren't his exact words ;O) His son has been installing a new booking system since Whit week last year. The panic button has been pressed a few times today I can tell you!

Gemma followed me in as I got home from work. Bless her heart, she had picked up some minced beef from Lidl's for me on her way. She's taken Elena to see the film 'Bedtime Stories' isn't she the best :O) Look how gorgeous these two are.

We're Back

Last Saturday we drove up to the High Peak of Derbyshire (where we come from) to visit Andrew's sister Claire. Gemma drove her car with me in the passenger seat & Andrew drove the bus (Nissan Serena) with Elena. Gem was determined to drive all the way and what a cracking job she made of it too. We got a bit lost trying to get out of Southampton but she kept her cool and after about half an hour we caught up with Andrew who was waiting at a service station for us. I was so relaxed with her driving that even fell asleep on the M1. She's only been driving 12 months or so and that's on the Island roads so I think she did a brilliant job and both Andrew & I are soooo proud of her :O)

It was lovely to see Claire & the children. She's doing really well since her husband left her (the b***ard). She's lost a lot of weight and she's still very emotional but she's coping really well with a house, 2 children & a full time job. We went to see Andrew's Mum for half an hour and when we got back Claire had cooked us a steak & ale pie with potatoes & veggies. We played Buzz all evening and a really good laugh. Buzz is a playstaion game. It's a quiz show with 4 contestants so we paired up, Gemma & Matthew, Me & Andrew, Elena & Zoe and Claire. Claire didn't need anyone on her team as she still beat everyone lol, we didn't stand a chance :O)

On Sunday we went to see Edith who lives in the next village. Edith is Andrew's Dad's sister. Christina (another sister) was over from Australia and it was so lovely to see her. Andrew worked out that he was 18 the last time they met so it was great. In the afternoon we walked up the Pike. It's a hill at the back of Claires house and the view from there was amazing. We found this topograph and we thought it looked either like a sundial or the Stargate :O)

BBQ

I've been at work all day today, usual Sunday ~ C'est le Vive! Andrew's been out in the garden putting in the bedding plants.Got home just after 5pm to find the BBQ fired up, our first one this year :O) Andrew had made loads of different kebabs, honey glazed chicken, jerk chicken, minty lamb all with peppers, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes ~ yum!! Plus burgers, sausages and corn on the cob. We had a green salad to nibble on with the BBQ and a scrumdiddlyumptious fruit salad for afters with raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, grapes and water melon. Flip me, my mouths watering just thinking about it. Then, if that wasn't enough we had 2 bags of marshmallows to roast :O) The kids loved it and so did I. Andrew spoils us so much!! The usual jokes were made and a lot of fun was being had and to top it all the weather was gorgeous. Lisa took this photo to show the temerature :O)Andrew doing what he does best. My gorgeous daughter Gemma Lisa playing with Elena Tamagochi This is Elena's excited face ~ France tomorrow :O)The phone went and it was Nana Jean (Andrew's Mum) and he disappeared back inside the house with it. He was gone ages so I went to find him. To cut a long story short, Chris (Andrew's BinL who visited us at May Bank Holiday with Claire and the children) had been away all weekend, something to do with work. Claire had got a text from him saying, great hotel, great food, great sex!! It had been sent to her by mistake {gasp} and the bottom of her world just fell out from under her, poor thing. She confronted him when he arrived home and he admitted everything and told her he didn't love her the b*st*ard!!! Her children are 12 & 9 and no, she didn't have a clue and neither did we a couple of weeks ago either. They've even paid for a fortnight in Tenerife starting 21st June and Chris had told Claire to go and get herself some new clothes and sunglasses. Gees, we all know why now!! Aren't some men total ars*h*les. Poor Claire and there is nothing we can do, nothing anyone can do.
I suggested we went for a walk and Andrew agreed, he looked really wound up. We walked down into Sandown and across the sea front. I made him talk to me about his feelings, which he won't do voluntarily, and we had a long chat then we heard someone shout Andrew from the beach and spotted little Kim with her family. We went down on the sand and I met Samuel for the first time. He's 10 weeks old and absolutely gorgeous. I even had a cuddle and I tell you, I didn't want to give him back. He has a brother Luke, who's nearly 3 and what a little darling he is too. Here he is playing with his cousin KyrilDo you know, if someone had told me this morning, by the end of the day that Andrew's sister had split up from her husband because he'd been cheating on her and I would be cuddling a little baby on the beach, I'd have never believed them. Isn't life strange?

Sunday should be a day of rest

Sunday should be a day of rest, well if you rest on a Sunday think yourself lucky, some of us have to work {lol}. Usual day, got up, showered, work, work even more work, home by 5:15pm. I love coming home, especially when I know Andrew's there, God I love that man :O) Do you know what he's been doing whilst I've been at work ~ made a birthday cake for Liam, (he's 19 tomorrow) and a fine job he's done too!! He's baked a chocolate cake, put raspberry jam in the middle, covered it in melted Galaxy chocolate and stuck pick & mix sweets all over it. Isn't he an absolute darling. Sometimes I pull his leg and tell him he's very in touch with his feminine side {lol} but then I tell him the best chefs are men & the best men are chefs!!
Elena's been to one of her best friends house's for the day, Emma. She's going to France too & Elena is so pleased that the pair of them will be room mates. Today they've been playing Blind Mans Buff, they took Milo the dog for a walk and then put make up on each other!!
Lisa & Liam have gone to Liam's house tonight to sleep and will be back tomorrow dinnertime. Then, when I come home from work at 8pm we are going to have a Chinese meal as a treat.

NEWSFLASH!!
Claire & Chris, Matthew & Zoe & Holly the dog are coming to visit on Friday 25th May (11pm boat) & leaving on Tuesday 29th May (11:30am boat).