First the boots, then the bags …

Well, I’ve bought my rucksacks. I’m very pleased, though it was a tough old decision which required external input – the casting vote delivered by my Mum. After all as Dad said when I phoned and said I didn’t mind who I spoke to (he always assumes I’ve rung to speak to Mum ... well – best speak to Mum, she’s good at making people’s minds up for them.

What to do? I wanted 2 bags. One was my “day sack”, this is the one I’ll be carrying myself on the trip so I want something comfy, hardwearing, unobtrusive, with an integrated rain cover and preferably something that wasn’t going to make my back saturated in the way that my £10 from Halford’s effort has been doing all summer …

The other one is the big rucksack which needs to have all my gear in that I need for the trail. This one I won’t be carrying in Peru, but will be carried by the Porters (I hadn’t realised this to begin with and have been busy doing stuff at the gym to try and make myself better equipped to carry a big rucksack. Doh!) This also needed to be comfy, unobtrusive, have a rain cover and be none sweat inducing in the back department!

So, I had an interesting session in a hiking shop where I tried on lots of rucksacks – had a wee lesson in how to get it on and off without falling over etc and ended up trying to decide whether to go for the “girlie option” or the “real hiker” option. This was according to the very helpful man in the shop … Girlie option = good bag, very comfortable now, but won’t last well. Real Hiker option = good bag, comfortable now but will get more comfortable with more wearing and very very durable …

Obviously there’s a cost implication, so Mum being the final arbiter advised to just spend the flippin’ money on the good quality durable option and just to make sure I get out there travelling! So, that’s what I did.

5 days

I just had 5 consecutive days off work. Trouble is, it took me so long to wind down, that by the time I had it was a real struggle to wind myself back up … Note to self – 7 days would have been better!

What better way to wind down that go and be looked after by Mum – only I’m not very good at being looked after! We had a nice time looking after each other though.

Mum and I went out of a scoping mission to Millets to look at rucksacks – shopping with Mum is shopping with Mum! We also stopped off at the new “gallery” in Mum and Dad’s town. It was quite good actually. Nice little “Designs for life” exhibition downstairs, showcasing local furniture designers and a Photographic exhibition upstairs with a great picture which was curious to begin with and which I loved once I read the title – "Dave, Party, Lincolnshire". We laughed! Mum ended up joining the mailing list and has resolved to go back – even dragging Dad in if possible, but knowing that its fine for her to go in on her own.

I cooked on Saturday night – lots of food, lots of wine …

Sunday we headed out for another walk. A lovely walk along the Norfolk coast with a picnic on the beach with just a hint of the sea miles away! BBW will get to walk next to the sea yet …

I also ordered my new phone … I was actually going to terminate my contract, having discovered that I could get a better deal elsewhere, plus get my new phone for only £49.99. Now I didn’t really have £49.99 but my current phone is really starting to sag – it goes slow at the drop of a hat, has been dropped and scratched etc and I figured that even though I couldn’t really afford £50 at the moment, better to get it now at that price than miss it and then not be able to get something I wanted when my current phone went belly up. Well, having explained why I wanted to terminate I managed to change my tarrif so that I get 220 minutes and 200 text per month more that I do currently for £10 less, PLUS, PLUS!!! MY NEW PHONE as a free upgrade. Was I excited or what? Still haven’t received it yet. Its on back order. But it’ll be great when it gets here! New toy – hurray!!

Its all a matter of stile ...

Why are all stiles not the same? Why are some perfect (in my humble opinion!) Example A below:

And some chunky and sturdy looking but frankly ill designed. Example B below:

Now if it comes to it I'm happy to scramble over a fence or a gate; though the absence of a stile or kissing gate (isn't kissing gate a lovely description?) would indicate that I wasn't necessarily walking a public footpath and was possibly temporarily in the wrong place (lost) and probably trespassing ... However, I think if you're going to provide a stile, then at least provide one that works logically. ie. you get over it using one foot after another - like walking in fact! Example A allows you to do just that, whereas example B makes you either change feet half way over, or do a one footed turn (complete with potentially heavy rucksack) at the top and then come down backwards.

Hey ho, no pleasing some people is there?

PS - this is my favourite stile ...

I don't want to be 'the slowest person" ...

Whilst I'm doing quite a bit of walking in preparation for this trip (13 miles this weekend - 5 miles Saturday & 8 miles Sunday), I'm still really scared that I'm going to holding people back. I know that the group can only go as fast as the slowest person, but I would be mortified if that person was me ...

There are no easily accessible proper hills near me - well there's Box Hill but that's only 172 m above sea level and I'm going to be going up to 4,200 m (1,400m in one day in fact …) So I'm just hoping that my gym work will mean that I'm not the weezy runt who struggles with the climbing ...

In the mean time to at least get the mileage up and get me walking on lots of days my training is now up to walking both Saturday and Sunday, plus walking a couple of times during the week too.

The only way I've managed to schedule the mid week walking in without either setting out to walk after work (the time at which I'm more in mind of a glass of wine, food and doing home type chores) or getting up at 5.30 and walking before I leave for work, is actually to simply walk to work. Well, not the whole 12 miles, but 3.7 of them.

I did it for the first time today and it worked quite well. Up at 6.30, train to Cheam at 0710. Arrive Cheam 0730 and set off to walk to Epsom. The first person I bumped into was JC, someone I used to work with in a previous life (seems a lifetime ago now) – what are the chances of that happening? It was certainly weird to see someone in a completely unexpected place and chances are we’ll bump into each other again bearing in mind I’m going to be doing this twice a week. Anyway, 60 minutes later I arrived in Epsom, had a shower at the gym and was at my desk by 0900. Not a bad morning all told!

Lessons Learned #2

1. Waterproof leggings protect you from the external elements; they do, however simply make you wet from the inside out ...
   
   
2. Map and compass walking is good and Sunday was the first proper go at it. I re-walked a previous route but only using the written instructions as back up for map reading cockups! I had my home made waterproof map holder (a bit 'Blue Peter', but did the job!), my new bargain of a Berghaus waterproof courtesy of my credit card … and my waterproof leggins …. I'm not saying I knew precisely where I was all the time (I need to do more practice on the compass reading stuff to be able to do it exactly), but I always knew which direction I was heading in and approximately where on the map I was ...
   

Lessons Learned #1

1. Sitting around in the sun all day (Fruitstock 2006) is exceptionally tiring ... Why is that?
   
   
2. I really should try & find myself a job where the Jimmy Choo people phone me up and ask for my shoe and dress size .... Just check out the "Classic Boots" and "Classic Shoes pages ... Sigh. (Note to Catster here) The best I manage is a free bottle of ropey red wine when I do the work Friday lunch order at the local Indian restaurant...
   
   
3. I'm never going out walking without a proper map and my compass again. The internet is great, but you can't trust the walk instructions some people post on some sites. For example
   
   

   "At the path junction go straight ahead and then take the left fork through a gate and along a wooded path"

   This should really have read
   
   

   "at the junction between the National trust Trail and the Greensand Way, take the National Trust path going right and then immediately left downhill along the sandy path of the Greensand Way. Keep heading straight ahead (first going downhill and then up and back down again) over four more path junctions until (after approx 1.5km) you come to a fork in the path. Take the left fork through a large gate and continue uphill along a wooded path ..."

   Little hints like "uphill" "downhill", "left" & "right" (left and right are no good of course if people don’t know which is which…) seem alien to some walk contributors ... Some seem more intent on describing a configuration of trees, plants/public signage as landmarks, whose noted configuration could quite possibly change, in the way that a slope upwards, or whole forest off to the right is unlikely to ... Why can’t they keep it simple rather than doing instructions that sound like they have more place in a dungeons and dragons game?
   
   Suffice it to say that that walk was not the most successful because I realised too late that it fell off the edge of my OS map ... Never go out without a map and compass! Consequently getting frustrated with bad instructions and having to keep retracing steps was my own fault for not having had the relevant map to refer to...
   
   As I say, lessons learned...

Without Prejudice ...

Dear Bloominjools

Without Prejudice

Feminax

Thank you for  your enquiry regarding the above.  I am sorry to hear about your disappointment  with your purchase of our new Feminax Period Pain Capsules.

At the direction of the UK medicines licence authority (the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)), the active ingredient, Hyoscine Hydrobromide has been removed from Feminax.

The MHRA reviewed all Hyoscine Hydrobromide-containing products and decided that it was unclear whether the quantity present in Feminax performed a relevant function. [well they should have asked me – I could have told them!] Bayer therefore took this opportunity to review the current formulation and decided that an optimal formulation was 500mg Paracetamol and 8mg Codeine Phosphate. [Pah!] Bayer also took this opportunity to change the pharmaceutical form from hard tablets to a more favourable soft capsule.

I hope this information is helpful to you and apologise for any inconvenience you have been caused.

Yours sincerely

Feminax Lady
Medical Affairs Administrator

Grumpy old woman

Straight down the middle
Why is it that people feel it necessary to drive down the middle lane of a 3 lane motorway regardless of the fact that the inside lane is free? It really pisses me off. There I am in the inside lane – doing the limit. There is Mr(s) limpet, clinging tenaciously to the middle lane and I’m catching them up on the inside. Therefore, in order to avoid overtaking on the inside I have to cross right over the motorway in order to get past. If less people drove down the middle unnecessarily, ie. not for the purposes of overtaking, then there would be less people trying to insert themselves in the outside lane, ie. putting themselves in the way of people tanking it. Surely that would be safer all round?

Only a fool …
... breaks the 2 second rule. Well there are lots of them about. Why do people (a female Honda driver for the sake of argument) feel it is acceptable to tailgate me – I’m doing the limit in the outside lane of a 2 lane carriage way so I can get past a queue of lorries doing 55mph and I also have a queue of traffic in front of me meaning that even if I did want to go over 70, I can’t. Add into the mix a sudden gap on the inside lane and said Honda driver continues her mobile phone conversation, interspersed with shouting and gesticulating at me (she was obviously an octopus, as I reckon that waving hands, holding a phone and holding on to the steering wheel surely lead to a hand over allocation), overtakes on the inside, still shouting and gesticulating, and plonks herself into the safe distance previously left between me and the car in front. But hey, she managed to get a good 400 feet further down the road – made all the difference I’m sure …

When I’m awake …
I wish I could do it, but I can’t. Once I’m awake, I’m awake and my body doesn’t give a monkeys whether its 5am or not. I’ve tried (for years) to be the sort of person who can luxuriate in lying in bed, drifting in and out of sleep and generally chilling. But I can’t do it. I tried again this morning. I woke at 4.50am and lay in bed for an hour before I finally got up, but it wasn’t enjoyable. The longer I lay there the more my back started to ache and I knew that if I stayed there much longer I would get a headache – and I can’t be doing with that. So, I’ve done some well needed house keeping on the old laptop, a bit of filing and a bit of a blog. No backache or headache forthcoming, so I think it was a good move.

There’s something missing …

Feminax Capsules …

They used to work like a dream but they don’t anymore!

That was weird ... (revised)

Well the first viewing has happened - they didn't want it, too small upstairs apparently ... But hey, its feedback. It was however a really weird and upsetting experience; for TEH too I think. Sitting waiting to show a bunch of strangers around your home is weird enough, but once they'd been and gone it really brought home the fact that everything has changed and is soon to change even more. That's not to say that the change isn't going to be good and isn't right, its what I crave after all, but Saturday's experience just reasserted the fact to us both together at the same time in the same room, and that was weird. Suffice it to say that about 6 months worth of bottled up tears (I'm good at bottling up!) were shed that evening to the accompaniment of gin and tonic … [NB This is where the revised version ends - there was an original which was withrawn owing to oversharing and inappropriate material for posting here - it was however extremely cathartic to compose].

Anyway, the next day dawned somewhat gloomily, though it was a blessed relief to the stifling temperatures and humidity we've had of late. I ignored the forecast of morning rain and focused on the clear skies that were promised later. So Iheaded off with rucksack and waterproofs to Eynsford for what proved to be a lovely walk through corn fields (complete with my favourite poppies and cornflowers), a magnificent Victorian viaduct, pleasantly cool woods and pretty sections of river. It was wet to begin with, but still warm and there was loads of wildlife in evidence (the absence of lots of other noisy walkers because of the Wimbledon tennis final and the world cup final probably had something to do with that!) plus 2 enormous and surprising fields of lavender, not really the colour I was expecting in the Kent countryside.

I did my 8 miles and there were plenty of inclines to keep us on our toes along with herd of cows right between where we were and where we needed to be. Cows, calves and a bull to be precise, a potentially unpredictable combination. They kept a beedy eye on the calves, but all passed without the need to pick up pace and vault the stile (or indeed demolish and rebuild a drysone wall which is another story, dating back to my D of E in the Peak district many moons ago).

So all in all a mixed weekend really which definitely ended better that it began.

Is there anybody there?

I know – it’s been such a long time … there’s probably no-one out there reading this any more! It’s been a funny old month. I’ve been kind of busy

• Complaining to the council about their non-refuse-collection service. Oh yes, it has gone on and on … I’ve now got a lovely glossy complaints pack to fill in when I’ve got a spare moment.


• Arguing a parking fine – sigh. This was as a result of parking too close to a line in a bay which I pay an annual fee to park in on the Saturday of the first England game in the world cup. There were only 3 cars parked in the street and there are quotas to be met … I’m awaiting photographic evidence, though research has shown that the PCN isn’t legal anyway – there are supposed to be 2 reference numbers on them and there is only one, so we’ll see what happens.


• Working and


• Walking.

In the absence of funds and in the face of many bills everything has had to be cheap so gigs, pubs and cinema have been out …

I’ve been on lots more walks - I enjoyed the last one in particular, lots of scrambling up and down in a wood (which was the perfect place to be when out in the open it was 32 degrees!) and what is more I now have my boots! Sadara take note, I’ve been wearing them in around the flat and last Sunday was the first day I got them dirty! They were pretty comfortable, didn’t rub much, but I still have a bit of adjustment to play with in terms of adding another insole and doing creative lacing – I had a little lesson in tying my laces in the shop when I was buying them would you believe. But anyway, I’m very pleased with them so far.

I'm finding some excellent walking partners and so hopefully I’ll have enough who are up for 10 mile hikes every weekend to see me through.

But the rest of the time I’ve kind of been feeling strangely static. I think it’s all to do with not having managed to get any interest in the house; and until the house is sold, or at least shows signs of being sold, I’m not really able to make any plans, so I kind of feel as I said ‘static’, even trapped?

I’ve been working away as ever (I just had my 1 year anniversary) and, dare I say it, have been feeling somewhat positive about the job in recent weeks. I now know what works and I’m really pleased with that. I’m at last feeling that actually I’m good at what I do. There I said it … It doesn’t come naturally to me! I know how it needs to be done, I’ve got processes in place and I’m confident about dealing with customers because of that; no more feeling around trying to work out the best way of implementing stuff while trying to mop up previous failed implementations at the same time (i.e. ones that were a mess when I arrived in the job!). I know what works and its worked several times now which is gratifying. I’ve also stopped being intimidated by the Prince2 local government / enterprise customer ‘project managers’.

I think I’m a decent project manager, which as far as I’m concerned involves simply being organised, having good communication skills and being able to break stuff down i.e. seeing where to start, what will consitute the end and what stages are required to get there. I like to call it the common sense approach and it seems terribly logical to me. Lets face it I have a work breakdown structure in place for getting up and going to work in the morning: risks identified, critical path analysed and everything – no point eating my breakfast or putting my lippy on before I’ve brushed my teeth example – there is an order to everything. I’ve never done any formal training, and I’m certainly not Prince2 certified (certifiable maybe …) but that doesn’t bother me any more really. I know I can’t ‘talk the talk’, but I know I can ‘walk the walk’ and that is what gets things done at the end of the day.

So I’m getting lots done, but I still feel like I’m not moving forward. Because of the house ...

I’ve been thinking about my Peru trip and all the plans I had / have for after that, but without the sale of the house I can’t afford to do any of the post Peru stuff and won’t be able to do it because I’ll still be here in a job which doesn’t allow me to have a mid life crisis sabbatical for 3 months! Also, what is additionally irritating is that I’ve got precious little annual leave in this job (how I miss the annual leave at the RFH – for goodness sake, I had so much there I never managed to take it all!), and I’ve been trying to work out how much I’ve got so I can take some holiday this summer – I haven’t had a break since Easter and that was only 4 days out of the office (ie. including the bank holiday weekend!). I’d just like to get out of London for a bit, do some proper walking and camping maybe. If I’m going to jack it all and in head off on travels after Peru, then I won’t need to take the 12 days leave for Peru out of my annual leave allocation which means I’ve got 13 days to play with between now and the end of November. However, if I’m not jacking it all in (which I can’t unless I sell the house) then that only leaves me 8 days leave up until April next year – not much to play with at all really …

The other thing is that if I don’t sell the house, it means I need to stay living where I am, which in turn means I’m going to have to get a flippin’ loan out to pay for the Peru trip. That was going to be funded by the money that my gran left me when she died last year, however, that had to be pressed into temporary service as the deposit on the flat I’m living in … If I’m still in the flat that means no deposit coming my way!

Result. I’m stuck, stationary, static … As you know, I like to be organised and I feel like I should be (want to be) doing a lot of research, making plans, working out costs, checking in with people I would like to be visiting etc now in order to be prepared to head off in December. But I’ve decided that I shouldn’t let myself even look at what I could do post Peru because I don’t want to be disappointed. And I hate it; that feeling that I’m not moving forward.

Well, maybe things are looking up. TEH and I have ditched the previous rubbish estate agent, who managed not to bring a single person through the door (no-one to see my CNL style re-representation of the back bedroom) and who when we asked why that might be, i.e. what was putting people off, look of the place, the area, the price etc etc said that he would do a ‘bit of research into how much similar properties were going for in the area’ … I ask you! You can imagine my response to that. Anyway, more research was done further valuations sought etc, and we now have a new agent who immediately seemed to have a handle on what sort of buyer he would be targeting and having signed off the description and done the proof of ID thing on Tuesday evening, the house went onto the website on Wednesday morning and we have one viewing tonight and another on Saturday.

Now, don’t worry, I’m not getting my hopes up, but I am very happy that we’re getting someone through the door who can give us some feedback at last! And who knows, they might end up being as smitten with my view as I am … Fingers crossed that I’m moving forward again.

It's a bit like making pancakes ...

Maybe because it was my first fake tan of the summer and I haven't quite rediscovered the application technique - a bit like the first pancake you make is always a bit dodgy until you get the combination of oil, heat and the swirl of the pan as you add the pancake mix sussed - either way, it seems to have gone a bit blotchy on my lower legs. Not quite sure what I did wrong. It looked OK on Sunday, but now seems to have gone a bit patchy.

Hey ho, I've got all summer to remaster the tecnique and I was feeling decidedly chilly this morning anyway so I've resorted to jeans (and pink suede boots) so no-one can see the blotching. Happily my tummy is un-blotchy, but unhappily I'm into the 7 day 'circle' countdown, so the little bloater is being sucked and in decorously hidden under a long T shirt ...

It's good to be back ...

I really wish I'd carried on walking after I left home. You can't beat a good old yomp through fields and over stiles and now I'm doing it again I realise how much I've missed it. I've not managed anything serious yet of course, just a couple of rambles really.

The first was the Mole Gap Trail 6 / 7 miles with only slight undulation and the second was the Norbury Park Circular Walk 5 miles with a couple of short steepish sections. The weather was perfect on both occasions, dry and sunny (though lots of clarts underfoot in places on the first one) but not too hot. Lots of dragon flies, butterflies, fish, ancient looking trees and lovely views to be enjoyed while eating a picnic.



I really must get a proper digital camera (definitely before I go to Peru etc, but ideally before then so I can practice - I'm not a natural photographer or photographic subject for that matter!) However easy as the walks might have been, they've been a good foray back into walking through fields of cows, stepping in clarts and the inevitable peeing in the woods ...

However, before I can 'step up' the difficulty of the walks I've got to get some proper boots - trouble is I'm even more strapped for cash this month than normal - why do bills car tax, insurance and phone bills always end up coming at the same time?, so that’ll have to wait until next month; but, as important, I need to find a walking group, or at least a couple of other people who'd like to get out and walk at the weekend.

I've been looking on the ramblers website and am aiming to go along on a couple of their 'group walks' to see what they're like. I was going to for try the 20 - 40 group which I felt sure they would have, but it’s a 20 – 30 group … How to make you feel old in one deft movement eh … Anyway, I’ll just join a local group for a couple of walks and if they seem like they're going to be the sort of walks I want to do, then I guess I'll join up. I also need to remind Mr West that we were going to embark on an expedition of some sort over the summer. Admittedly we did have the conversation on the long coach journey to and from Birmingham way back in January so he may well have forgotten, but once I've got a more walking fit, carrying kit fit and my boots worn in I will be definitely be up for it!

It was all going to be so 'romantic' …

I was going to turn 'a big birthday' on the 11th October, have a bit of a 'do' and then head off on my travels on the 14th.

Unfortunately the company I'm doing my Inca Trail trip with have had a 'bit of bother' with flights and have moved the trip dates to November, which means the romance of turning 'a big birthday' (who am I kidding, you know how old I am!) and buggering off for a couple of months has kind of been changed.  I suppose it doesn't really matter, but it does mean that I'm now going to be in Oz and NZ in December rather than November which isn't ideal.

Good news: I've discovered that Cragghoppers make ladies travelling clothing in size 8s. They also make stuff in short lengths (for short arses like me).

Bad news: they don't make short length clothing in size 8 ... Seems a bit daft to me as it would seem reasonable that you would have a fair number of the population who are just 'petite' - ie short and size 8(ish) ....

Good news: I have a contingency plan - buy the grown up length convertible trousers in size 8, but always wear them in the converted to 'Capri length', mode - which is about full length on me!  

Bad news - they're out of stock in all the colours I like...

Ah well I've got a few months left to get kitted out! Though the sooner I get my boots the better ...

Is it strange that I'm getting quite misty eyed about finding my perfect pair of boots? Back in my hiking days - yes I have done it before! However, somehow marriage, work and a different set of personal priorities meant that I didn't pursue something that I now recognise to be something that I wish I hadn't sidelined ... You live and learn!  Well … back in my hiking days, I had a lovely pair of boots which I had walked extensively in, which had a bit cut out to cater for my peculiarly connected Achilles tendon, and which NEVER gave me blisters.

They wore out, in spite of the Bloominjools attentive dubbins'ing ... However, I'm hoping that 20 years on (my God, did I say 20 years??) that technology has moved on and that I will find enlightenment with a new pair of boots. What's the betting they're hideously expensive....? Much more expensive than my usual style of boot I would guess.

I will let you know!

Its just not me. Is it?

So, you know I'm doing this Inca Trail thing? Why is it I'm more worried about what to wear than anything else?

So far all the horror stories about altitude sickness haven't really bothered me - I'll follow all the acclimatisation guidelines, make sure I've trained properly and if it happens it happens.

I'm not worried about blisters - I'll make sure I really walk my boots in and have proper socks and all that.

I'm not worried about not being fit enough - I have a good diet and a PPT. I've already programmed my walking schedule into the diary and am really looking forward to all the lovely walking I'm going to be doing over the next 4 months.

I'm not really worried about the eating situation - I'll manage one way or another.

I'm slightly concerned about the circle with no end, as I'm not sure at which point in the circle the trips kicks off ... But hey, there's nowt I can do about that, I'll just have to hope my new regime of Soya isoflavones are helping by then ...

No, what I'm worrying about is the clothes. I'm looking on websites for trekking kit and I can't find any decent trouser type bits (ie. that are quick drying, breathable, repel bugs and all that malarkey) that are under a size 10! Maybe I haven't looked hard enough ... The last thing I need to be worrying about is whether my trousers are going to fall down half way along the Warmiwanusca Pass or that they are so voluminous that they act as some kind of sail mechanism and I get blown off the ridge at Phuyupatamarca.


Warmiwanusca Pass and Phuyupatamarca

Also, I just don't look like a trekker. I don't have ruddy healthy cheeks, I don't have a sturdy looking frame (though I'm stronger than I look!) and I realise today that I don't have trekking type jewellery which seems to be required. I was admiring a girl's rucksack on the train earlier on and realised as I noted her ethnic bracelets that I've just never had that travelling look. I'm the girl in boot cut pink cords, high heeled boots and a full length leather (Trinity) coat. Am I just going to look really stupid on this trip? Probably ... And especially likely if my trousers fall down.

Styling help has never been needed as much as it is now, and if at the very least someone could point me in the direction of some decent walking trousers in a size 6/8 then that would be a start!

The circle without an end

You'd think I'd have cottoned on by now ...

Yes, I did drink too much before eating, but it was actually my Thursday headache, masquerading as a hangover headache. I didn't spot it because it started on a Wednesday - doh! Anyway, two happy days later it was all gone - slurring of words, blurry vision and general screaming head banished until next month. Phew!

Now I just have to look forward to the next round; 7 days of excessive irritability mixed with tears and basic lack of brain function, followed by 2 days looking like a question mark (?), 2 days just feeling wiped out, followed by the 2 day Thursday headache ...

Hey ho, 14 days of 'freedom' left ...

I just can't hack it any more ...

I really must remember that when I'm going out on a school night I should introduce food into the proceedings much sooner than happened last night. To be fair, the lovely Jane and I did actually manage to eat this time - in a restaurant chosen by virtue of it having two items on the menu that I could eat and that we were both busting for a pee so needed to get in somewhere and use the facilities! The last time we met for food we never actually made it out of the pub...

However, for me, in my aging state, (Catster's worries about finding a single grey hair are nothing compared to the plethora of pesky white crinkly buggers I find on a daily basis indeed I fear that a Mallen streak is not far off), the food came in round about 2 glasses too late!  Consequence of that is that in spite of drinking what is with food normally a perfectly acceptable quantity for me, I felt pretty damn hammered and am a wee bit fragile this morning.  Not good on a work day…

So next time, I either have to insist that we meet at the restaurant, or make sure I drink mainly soft drinks until such time as we get there.  Yeah right...

Hmmmmm update …

So, I’ve had confirmation from a chap at the company who are contracted by the Council to do the recycling collection; and I am definitely not entitled to a recycling collection. This is because (me living in a flat and all) it involves leaving a box on the street, and someone might fall over it. If I were to leave the box in the street and someone fell over it, apparently I would be responsible for any damages claimed by anyone that might be injured. I am however required (for the time being) to put my bin out in the street.

BloominJools: “Is that because it is big enough for someone to see and wouldn’t be considered by the council to be a trip hazard?”
Council contractor: “I guess so.”
BloominJools: “Would I however be responsible for someone being mown down by a passing motorist because a person with a double buggy has had to go onto the road to get past the bin?”
Council contractor: “………” he didn’t know the answer to that.

Council Contractor: “However, they’re going to be changing things so that you don’t have to put your bin on the street, because not all flats have a bin. They‘re going to have bag collections instead.”
BloominJools: “Hmmm … but wouldn’t a pile of rubbish bags on the street be a trip hazard?
Council contractor: “I don’t’ think so”
BloominJools: “Well then why is a green box a trip hazard and a bag of rubbish not?”
Council contractor: “…………” he didn’t know the answer to that.

I haven’t done my letter yet, but it will be done.

Hmmmmmmm

Because I live in a flat in my particular road it appears that I am not 'entitled' to a recycling collection. I'm also not entitled to a council bin. In fact if it wasn't for the fact that I already have one, I would now have to go out and source my own.

It has also taken me three different phone conversations over the last month with my local council to finally establish what day my ordinary refuse collection is. In fact at one point I thought they were going to say that I wasn't even entitled to one of those.

I have now established after said phone conversations (no point looking at the comprehensive and informative website because that is correct for everyone in the Borough except people who live in flats in my road ...) that my collection is on a Monday and furthermore, the reason that I haven't had a collection since 10th April is because I'm now required to put my privately sourced bin out on the main street.

1. Let’s hope no-one steals said bin and


2. It would have been nice to have told that that was what I was supposed to do, and


3. I pity the next person who tries to negotiate that part of the pavement in a large wheelchair or with a double buggy ...

This is all in spite of the fact that I'm paying the same council tax as everyone else in my council tax band and, you'll be as pleased as me to hear, that the main reason for the increase this year was in order to fund the new recycling collection initiative - to which I am not entitled …

I can feel a strongly worded letter coming on.

A Synopsis

Because a full update would be tedious in the extreme ...

Work has really taken over since I moved into my new place and unfortunately just at the same time that we needed to get those big decorating jobs done on the house so we could get it on the market. Add to that my need to feather my new nest and to do nice stuff for me, its all been a bit manic really.

The "stuff I'd rather not have been doing" side of the coin saw me working long hours - well not as long as in a previous event managing life but still more than I should be. Its the age old thing of too much work and not enough people to do it plus my fundamental inability to let things slip ... I always end up with a really irritating sense of commitment / loyalty to my work colleagues and the people to whom we are providing the service. I would say that I wished I wasn't like it, but I don't, it’s what makes me, me. What I should be better at doing is not allowing myself to be used in this way time and time again.
Add to this the situation that when I wasn't working late I was up at the house in the evening (and Saturdays) scraping ceilings, rubbing down walls, painting, tidying garden etc. It didn't really leave much time for doing chores, nest feathering, doing nice stuff, sleeping or blogging.

Those who know me will know that I'm incapable of ignoring chores and with so many visits to the old house (nest), the need to feather my new flat (nest) (not to mention unpack!) was very strong. Basically that left me to choose between doing nice stuff, sleeping and blogging - I'm afraid doing nice stuff and sleep won in the end!

The "things I wanted to do" side of the coin lead to going to see Sinatra and then Salsa Celtica (both very spur of the moment and both very enjoyable); having lovely walks ; having various house guests - I love having people over and am currently busy considering flat warming options ... I also enjoyed a couple screenings of favourite Hollywood musicals at a work mate’s place who has a fantastic home cinema and the joy of seeing Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in cinemascope on a big screen was something else! An almost life-size Howard Keel in the room! Lovely.

I also indulged in a lot of nest feathering and I know this is potentially boring, but there are some pics on the way …

I finally got a break for Easter and went to stay with the parentals and did absolutely nothing for 3 days. It was quite easily done actually, not like the normal me at all (there are those that reckon there should be a verb 'to Jools’ pretty much along the lines of the traditional verb 'to do') but I was shattered, so didn't Jools anything at all.

I then blew all that rest on a trip ‘Up North’ to revisit a few places from our youth. I had a lovely coastal walk from Cullercoats (lovely) to Whitley Bay (hideous! - especially on Easter Monday when it was rammed with scantily clad teens/early 20s girls and lads getting rapidly & loudly hammered). Ialso went to Beamish a fantastic museum which I haven't been to since it was very new in the 70's and which I've been meaning to re-visit for years. Thoroughly relaxing stuff.

And then back to work … Good news is that the house is on the market (still no buyer, but there’s no more work to be done on it for the time being) and now I’m fully feathered on the flat front I’m feeling decidedly less hectic; so hey, maybe I’ll manage to promote the blog back up the list!