New shoes

I've been needing some new shoes for work and as I got vouchers for my birthday I thought I'd get them from Next. I had £20 and the ones I was looking at were £35. Not a problem because it meant that I only needed to put £15 towards them. Anyway, I went to the counter, handed over my voucher and a £20 note. The woman rang it all through, then announced cheerily, "You've got £5 left on your voucher."

I stared in disbelief and then said "I don't want it on my voucher, I would like the cash."

"Oh," she replied looking at me as though I was an alien. "I'll have to get my supervisor" she says before scurrying off.

The supervisor arrived and said "right, so you gave us a £20 voucher, and a £20 note, so that means...." she starts adding it up. "we owe you..." erm.. £5"

Now, I don't mean to be rude, but even I can add that up and I'm terrible at maths. But also, I think it's pretty cheeky to try and get you to come back into the shop by putting your change on your voucher that's already been paid for. I suspect it's company policy but if it isn't then the sales assistant was clearly an idiot.

Christmas already?!

I've come out of hibernation because it appears to be Christmas already. Or at least it does according to all the shops and all the adverts on the TV. Is it me or is it getting earlier and earlier every year?! I can't help but think that it's all taking the sheen off just a little. We're no sooner out of summer when the decorations and selection boxes appear. I would much rather start all that at the beginning of December. I wondered if the recession had anything to do with it. I know the shops are vying for a small customer base and Debenhams have said that there will be some good deals again this year.

Anyway, there's not been much happening hence the lack of updates, plus I get bored of blogging, not of reading them though, I enjoy that bit!

Happy Easter!

We went for a walk along the canal today because the weather has been so lovely. I also want to live by the canal so we can have a boat! Anyway, this is what we saw....

Keeping busy

I've also been trying out a new hobby today. I have a fondness for beaded bracelets and figure I could probably make them cheaper myself (yes, I am turning into my father).

So, here's what I've made so far...



and this...

Memories

As Aunty Sonia said it was nine years since Momma died yesterday and I must admit I did spend some time thinking of all three of my Grandparents and remembering all the things we used to do. These are a few that spring to mind immediately.

I used to make my Grandad put me in the cupboard in their dining table and then knock on the door for him to let me out. One Christmas he had to rescue me when the camp bed I was sleeping on folded up with me inside! And he alway used to wave us off with a special wave whenever you said goodbye to him, oh and always had Murrymints.

My Grandma and I spent some time sharing a room and I used to love it when she told me stories about how naughty my dad was as a child. Good until he was two apparently! She also bought me my Orville which I slept with for years as a child and took everywhere. I still have him and he sits by my bed! I also remember when she and Momma went on holiday together and she put a bit of half eaten toast on another woman's plate because she didn't want it to go to waste (Momma's face must have been a picture).

We went to Florida one summer with Momma and she was cold at night and we were sharing a bed and she insisted we have a sheet and a duvet type thing on and the heating! She also stuck up for me when I said I wanted to learn to play the drums when my mum was trying to get her to say it was a bad idea!

I could go on, but I'd be here forever! I just hope that I've made all three of them proud.

Home Alone

Even though I am on earlies and dog tired it took me forever to get to sleep last night. This is for several reasons, not least because I had worked myself up into a paranoid frenzy about being burgled whilst I was home alone and so stayed up to watch a programme about Holloway prison. Very interesting as it happens. Some of those women whilst may committed heinous crimes have never known a life other than that. There was one who was quite clearly doing bad things whilst banged up because she didn't have anything or anyone on the outside and staying in prison would mean a better life for her. What a waste of a life.

I digress. I finally got to sleep only to be woken by a loud crash. This made me start out of bed and then think oh my god we are actually being burgled! (See earlier point about me working myself up). I stayed really still to see if we were and then when I heard nothing else I just presumed the cat had done something.

I went back to sleep then the horse racing started up and down the stairs. I got up to see what on earth Poppy was playing at and she followed me into the bathroom. The look on her face read, "oh look she's up! let's play" and she started purring and circling my legs. I was less than impressed at this and told her to be quiet. Went back to bed and then after what felt like minutes the alarm went off and I had to get up. She better behave tonight or else!

Oh and the loud crash was the ironing board falling into the bookcase....Madam Paws at work.

Summer

So, the clocks have gone forward and like an idiot I decided that I would be on earlies just in time for that happening. I feel robbed of an hours vital sleep!

Not a lot is happening here, His Lordship is going to Scotland for a training course and I'm not at all looking forward to staying here alone. I realise this is ridiculous but the slightest sound gets me all nervous and then I don't sleep. This is not the state I wish to be in when having to get up at 4:30am.

The boiler broke and then fixed itself this weekend but not before I had to have a victorian style bath with hot water from the kettle! The reason for this was because we went to a fancy dress party on Saturday. I went as Minnie Mouse and he went as Doc Emmet Brown from Back to the Future. Pictures to follow!

I'm currently waiting for a book to be delivered that I ordered from Amazon. It's by Emma Kennedy and is called The Tent, The Bucket and Me. It's about her holidays when she was younger and featured on Radio 4's Book of the Week. Very funny and I can't wait to read it!