Vile hackers

Not a happy person at the moment. A few months ago, a website that I use had been hacked, and card details were taken. Ok – not an issue, as the company concerned notified everyone, and I thought I was safe. Just how wrong can you damned well be.

I got a call from the bank, and as I was on a call at the time, I hit “reject” on my phone, meaning that it would go through to my voicemail. It did, and I got the message that everyone dreads…

“This is a message for Karen – you’ll hear an automated message after a few seconds of music. {Music} Please call ABC bank on {tel. number} reference code xxx”

Smeg. So I tore out of the office like the back of my trousers were on fire to call the bank. And yep. My card had been hit. The vermin had tried to use it to credit an Xbox live account, and as luck would have it, I’d already told the bank that I don’t have an Xbox, and if they saw anything like that, then it was certainly suspect.

So the bank has now cancelled my card, and I now have to wait until this time next week for a replacement to be sent. Needless to say, I am not a happy person, but in all honesty I am glad that the bank picked the issue up.

Ah well, guess I should call this quits – I’ve got a home to go to.

Back when I get the chance…


Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

An enjoyable day off

Well, I finally managed to get a day to myself, and go shopping with Carol. We opted to go to Milton Keynes, because the weather was grotty (we had originally planned to go to Leicester, but neither of us fancied getting cold & wet!)

We got parked in the multi-story car park (the location of the damned thing seems to be a state secret, as there are NO signs to tell you where the damned thing is), and I refused to pay the extortionate rate the city council want to charge for the privilege of parking close to the centre, or walk miles to get into the main shopping area.

The first stop was Boots, as I wanted to get a new hairdryer that I could take away with me when I travel in the UK. Ok – not a problem there, in theory, as I was after a travel dryer and had seen one on the website that would have done the job perfectly, without costing silly money.

However, in practise, it was a non-starter. Simply because the dratted thing had sold out. Mind you, it was on offer, so I couldn’t really complain. But I did manage to get a dryer. It’s a BaByliss 2000w dryer, and is nice and lightweight, and didn’t cost silly money. The only drawback as such, is that it’s not a travel dryer, so it’s a little on the large side, but as it’s going to be travelling in the UK with me, that’s not really an issue.

Then, it was on to the clothes shopping. Both Carol and I were looking for a new top, and I was the one that struck gold. I got a top that I had been eyeing up far ages in the sale. It was marked down from its full price of £35.00 to £17.50!

To say I was pleased was an understatement, and Carol also managed to get the top that she had been looking for – a denim shirt:

  

It was then time to head for our normal coffee stop – Costa Coffee, which just happens to be in my favourite bookshop – Waterstones. That book shop is one of the few places where I can usually find at least one book that I am interested in, and true to form, I managed to get three for two. They were:

• The White Queen by Phillipa Gregory
• 1000 Years of Annoying the French by Stephen Clarke
• The Secret Crown by Chris Kuzneski

 
Then it was off for a coffee, and a chat, whilst we planned our next move –which turned out to be a trip to Lush, as the pair of us were after their new limited edition shower gel, called It’s Raining Men.

Now this little treat is part of the limited edition Valentine range, and in my opinion, smells better on the skin than in the bottle. It’s supposed to have the same scent as Honey I Washed The Kids soap, and I have to admit that I am not really bothered about the soap scent, yet this shower gel is one that has hooked me.

I also got a pot of my favourite shampoo – Big. This sounds revolting, as it contains quite a lot of sea salt, but it does wonders for my hair, as it gives it more volume than any other volumising shampoo that I have come across. And it smells really good as well – it reminds me of a citrus margarita.

Carol also got a couple of bits, and we then started to wander back towards the car. As we walked, Carol asked me it I had ever fancied going for a pedicure. Now I am the first to admit that my feet in the winter don’t get very much attention, and I have tremendous amounts of hard skin on my heels and the balls of my feet. She said that she’d been reading about this company, called Feet Therapy.

Now I had sort of heard of this company, as I’d seen one of their “stores” when I was in York, and hadn’t really paid much attention to it, other than noticing that the windows were running with condensation.

So we walked to the store, and were met by a really pleasant fella, and he explained what the process would be.

The first step, was to rinse our feet off, and get rid of any fluff and nasty chemicals that we had used on our feet. No chance of that, as I don’t tend to use anything on my feet in winter. I work on the principal that my feet are hidden in boots / shoes, so no-one gets to see them!

Then, it was into the tank with the fish. No – I'm not joking – you put your feet into a tank with fish in them. Not just any fish, but Garra Rufa fish, that really seem to enjoy munching on dead / dry / scaly skin.

It tickled at first, but as far as I was concerned, the water was warm, and that was good enough for me. I have to admit, it was an odd sensation, but at the end of the session, my feet felt really good – like I’d had a really good scrape at my feet with a pumice stone.

Then it was my turn to treat Carol. I wanted to get my eyebrows tidied up, and knew of a good store en-route to the car park that would do the job perfectly. Now I know that this can be a tad on the painful side (but the results are well worth it).

I admit that I was flinching, but poor Carol was almost being scraped off the ceiling! She did admit that it was worth the pain (albeit it somewhat grudgingly) and we then headed back to the car with the shopping, as I had no intention of carrying it with me anymore, as my hands were starting to complain at that point.

Then, it was off to go and get lunch. Now Milton Keynes has a variety of eating places, and most of them are a little too fancy for what we were after – what we wanted was something that wasn’t over the top (which ruled out places like Wagamama) and not somewhere that was particularly child friendly (which ruled out Burger King and McDonalds).

I then remembered that there was a JD Wetherspoons near by, and I know from past experience that the food in the group as a whole was pretty good, and this one was no exception.

We both opted for the Beer & Burger offer (only in my case it was a glass of Pepsi as I was driving – Carol also opted for a Pepsi, as she didn’t fancy a beer).

Then it was back into the centre, and heading to the car, as the pair of us were knackered, and heading home, the driving standard was not good – including the bloody fool in the 59 plate Saab that decided that he/she/it was not required to obey the 40mph speed limit, and then promptly started tail gaiting the poor sod in front of them I was only too glad to get rid of the idiot if I'm honest.

Ah well, time to call this quits – I’ve got mo be back in the playpen tomorrow…

Back tomorrow if I get the chance…


Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

It’s “Snow” Joke

The British seem incapable of coping with winter weather. Now I am not saying that I enjoy this sort of weather - far from it, it’s just the mere fact that the South East of the country gets hit, and it appears to the media that the world is ending.

Parts of the UK are badly hit – I won’t dispute that, but what bugs the living daylights out of me, is the fact that the media has gone into a flat panic demanding to know why the highways agency, the airports and the railways cannot cope with the snow, and are demanding to know why Scandinavian countries cope.

Simple answer to that – they know almost to the week when they will be getting snow and it’s an annual occurrence, so they have all the equipment that they require to deal with this type of weather.

The UK however, has only really had this type of weather the past couple of years, as the weather in the winter tends to run to mild and snow free. So, if the local authorities and the highways agency would be pilloried by the media for wasting money on equipment that is hardly used. So they’re damned by the media which ever way they decide to jump.

Aside from that, I am also getting fed up with the attitude of fellow shoppers – including the stroppy old bat in Waterstones the other day. She was quite rude to the poor lad who was serving her, and I really couldn’t see any reason for her being grumpy – other than the fact that she was an old trout.

Add into that, the mere fact that it’s getting to the stage where you need full riot protection gear to go anywhere near a shopping centre and you get one unhappy person.

And yes – I am the sort that says “Bah Humbug!” as I am getting fed up with Christmas being rammed down my throat – starting in bloody September. I am not against Christmas – far from it. It’s just that the push towards Christmas seems to start earlier and earlier every damned year.

Ah well, time to call this quits – I’m starting to fall asleep in front of my pc, and I have to be in the playpen tomorrow.

Back when I get the chance,

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Returning from an escape - Part II…

Well, I’ve done my unpacking – it was more a case of getting the washing out of the case so that Mum doesn’t spend ages wondering what is clean and what needs washing from the trip.

After we’d been to York on Wednesday, we headed south (ok – I got it wrong with the Satnav, and took a slight detour), but eventually ended up on the right route – the A1M south, with the intention of linking up with the main M1.

That was something that really surprised me. Compared with the idiots on the motorways in this area, the driving standard was incredible – as there were very few people doing over the 70mph limit… Normally, if you’re doing 70mph on the M1 in this area, you’re in the inside lane (lane 1) with the HGVs chasing you. I suspect that this is due to rigorous enforcement of the speed limits by the motorway police patrols.

Once off the motorway (and Mum had finished cursing me for the fact that I had chosen Darth Vader as the Satnav voice, which comes out with such gems as “I sense an exit approaching” and “You have reached your destination – but you are not a Jedi yet”), the Satnav took me the most obscure route possible to the Premier Inn, but we managed get there…

And once I had done so, I did wonder if I’d gotten the right place, as it looked totally different to the image on the website. It was the right one, and I will admit to having second thoughts about the accommodation, but pushed them to the back of my mind.

We got checked in, and headed to the room, where I promptly flopped onto the bed with my book (Hannibal by Robert Harris – the book that the film is based on and is infinitely more scary), and started to chill out…

Or at least I did until the noise of a train shattered the peace that I was trying to establish. Cursing as I clambered off the bed, I went to the window, and spotted that the main East Coast railway line was about 1/3rd of a mile away from us, and appeared to be on the same level as our room (which was on the first floor.)

Not a good sign, and I should have realised that things weren’t going to improve. We’d booked dinner in the restaurant / bar of the hotel, and when we got seated, it was freezing cold. As Mum remarked “what bright spark puts the A/C on in the middle of November?” and we weren’t the only ones to object…

Dinner itself wasn’t much to write about (it was tasty, and filled a gap to a point) and I was only too glad to crawl into my pit… Until the noise from the bar (which kicked out at midnight) woke me up. I don’t know if it was the smokers having their final nicotine fix before they went to bed, but they didn’t endear themselves to either me or Mum.

But the best was yet to come. As per normal, my alarm went off at 07:00 (I’m beginning to really dislike the James Blunt Song “You’re Beautiful” but that’s only because it’s my alarm clock tone!) and I staggered out of bed to grab a shower.

Or so the plan was. Mum had already tried the hot water in the basin, and it was non-existent. So, I called the reception, and they sent someone up to sort it. Fine. Not. We were told that if we left it about 30 mins, then there should be hot water, as everyone was using the showers at the same time, meaning that there was no spare hot water.

To say I was unimpressed was an understatement, and Mum and I both went down for breakfast, hoping that there would be hot water when we got back. There was – just about, and the pair of us were muttering very darkly about it, and both agreed that this was probably the worst Premier Inn that we had ever stayed in.

However, it was very convent for Meadowhall (see http://www.meadowhall.co.uk/)and we managed to get parked very easily. Almost too easily if I’m honest, and we soon found the reason why. The place didn’t open until 10:00, and we were about an hour too early. Thank god for Costa Coffee which was open, and allowed the pair of us to plot our movements around the centre.

It’s a bit of a weird set up, and although it’s on two levels, very few shops had both levels taken, meaning that if you wanted to go to the upper level, you had to either find an escalator or fight your way into a lift (or risk being toppled on the stairs.)

On the whole, I would say that it’s reminiscent of Merry Hill, and yes, there were some interesting individual shops, but if I’m brutally honest, I wouldn’t make a special trip to go up there.

The Thursday night was just as bad as the previous night, and again, it was a case of no hot water, despite the fact that I decided to treat myself to an extra half hour in bed. But not that I was able to sleep, again due to the damned noise. And yet again, there was no hot water, and this was about 08:30!

Mum and I did something that we’ve never had cause to do in the whole time that we’ve used Premier Inn – we invoked the “Goodnight Guarantee” for both nights, as the pair of us were exhausted. Mum was worried about me driving but I knew as soon as I was out of that grotty place, and heading for home I would feel 100% better.

As I type this, yes, I am tired, but I know that I’ll feel better once I have crawled into my own bed, and had the joyful sound that is Wrennie Hendrix (that’s what I call our resident wren – I swear the little sod has a Stratocaster and power amp that it uses to serenade the garden) waking me up tomorrow morning.

Ah well, time to call this quits – I’ve got to be up early tomorrow morning – there appears to be no rest for the horrible..

Back when I get the chance.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Bank holiday blues

This is the first May bank holiday for about four years that I have spent at home. Normally, I’m with my beloved, visiting Brooklands for Auto Italia, but this year… Well circumstances have conspired to keep me in Warwickshire for once.

Not that I’m objecting – too much anyway, as it means that I avoid the birch pollen that always seems to make me so dratted ill every time I go down there. Ok – this year I would have known what the problem was (my asthma) and how to control it – in theory.

So, to make up for this, I decided to take Mum out. Or should that be we decided that we would go up to the Peak Shopping Village. Yes – this was for my own selfish motives (I’m looking for a new pair of black leather clogs, as I’ve kicked the living daylights out of my black nubuck ones!) Plus, it was a chance to get out of the area, and try to chill out.

We arrived ok (even though one part of the route was closed – thank god for Mum being able to read a map) and got parked with relative ease.

The first stop was a small bag store, which stocked a few pieces of Kipling. And that was where I found the bag that I had been considering. It was exactly what I had been looking for – the only problem was that the store didn’t have the colour I wanted (Wild Blue). Sod's law that – and I guess I should have realised that would set part of the tone for the day.

Ok – that’s a tad unfair. I struck out on the search for the perfect clog (plenty of nubuck, but no leather ones that I liked) but I was successful in Cotton Traders.

I’d been searching for a particular type of rugby shirt – it’s got a granddad style collar, and I’d not been able to find any. Well, this time I struck gold, and got two, as they are perfect for casual wear, without looking too casual – almost a smart casual I guess…

After that, we decided to head for a coffee in the little coffee shop. It’s quite depressing at times (not to mention expensive) and it wasn’t helped by some woman who’s laugh (Ok – cackle) would have put most witches to shame. But, it was a chance to sit down and talk about the next part of our travels, as Mum was (and still is) looking for a pair of shoes.

We decided to head to Masson Mill – just outside Matlock Bath. That’s a place that I really enjoy driving though, simply because the traffic is normally hell, meaning that I get the chance to have a good look at the bikes that had congregated. Normally, you get everything from little Vespa scooters to Harley Davidson motorbikes that cost more than the 207 – and have more bling on them than a US rapper.

This time, it was a real disappointment. Plenty of Vauxhall Corsas that had been modified in a vain attempt to make them look better (as you can tell, I’m not a fan of the Corsa) and a few run of the mill Japanese sports bikes, but nothing that had me wishing for heavier traffic so I could have a lingering look.

We got to Masson Mill, and pulled into the car park, only to be greeted with a sign that said that parking fees now applied. Ok – I can understand why, as it is within easy walking distance of Matlock Bath.

Mum and I paid, and I was directed to the best parking space for me (it was on the second floor). Not a problem and I parked ok, but I will admit to muttering about the placement of the steel support girders that made it a very cautious swing into the space.

We then headed into the mill, and had a wander around – which lasted all of about 15 minutes, with both Mum and myself saying that it wasn’t worth the parking fee and that we would strike this one off the list of places that we stopped at.

Getting out of the parking space was great fun. Not. Simply because of the way that I had taken the car into the space, it meant that I had very little room to swing the nose / front end of the car out, as I had a blasted great Lexus 4x4 parked beside me.

So, Mum was a real trooper, and helped me back out of the space by guiding me at the back and then carefully walking around the front end to make sure that I could start the turn without damaging my car.

Getting out was not a problem (thank god for a good throttle response in the 207) and it was time to head towards home, and think about stopping somewhere for lunch. Our usual stop, where we’re in the area, is a pub at Ambergate, called the Hurt Arms.

The food there isn’t bad at all, and it was one of the few times that I was cursing the fact that I was driving. Why? Because they had a speciality beer that was flavoured with passion fruit of all things.

Ok – I know I could have let Mum drive, but I prefer her to do the map reading for me, as that is not one of my strong points (I suspect that this may be an inherited trait from Dad, as he couldn’t read a map either – and he was a Queen’s Scout!)

So we stopped again at Belper, and yet again, that was a failure for the pair of us. But in all honesty, I wasn’t too worried, as it had given my car a good run, which is what it needed, as it tends to get short runs during the week, with me going to work.

Yesterday (Sunday), it was a case of heading to Bicester Shopping village. This place has delusions of grandeur, and to be honest, I would have thought it would have been better placed near Chester. But I digress.

The reason that we had decided to go (ok – the only reason) we decided to go was because there is a Kipling outlet shop down there. Ok – I know the stock is about a year out of date (if you’re bothered by such things) but it means that you can get some really good deals on bags down there.

I managed to get myself a new wash bag (it’s about time I had a decent one to travel with) and Mum managed to get a little handbag as well. After that, we decided to have a look around.

If you want designer labels - and I’m talking things like Ralph Lauren, Jimmy Choo (more on that in a minute) and Versace, then this is the place for you. However, I am not really a fan of designer labels - ok – I admit that my perfume is usually Dior, but that’s because I’ve worn their fragrances for more years that I am going to admit to.

Mum spotted the Jimmy Choo shop (yes – he of the super expensive shoes that everyone raves about) and dragged me in. Dragged being the operative word here. Simply because I loathe high heels (I can’t walk in the dratted things – give me a nice comfortable pair of loafers any day) and I honestly can’t see what all the fuss is about. From what I could see, they were extremely narrow, and overpriced. But, as I said, not my choice of shoe.

But there was further torture to come. Ugg have a shop down at Bicester as well, and again, I don’t see the appeal of the things. They look, well, ugly. As for the practicality – that was non-existent as far as I could see.

Simply because they are designed for Australian winters, which are cold and dry, not like the UK winters that are cold and bloody wet. Meaning that if you wear these bug ugly things out without waterproofing them, you have just ruined a pair of £200 plus boots.

So after we left (and thanked our lucky stars that we had gotten down there for opening time, as the queues for the car park were back to the A41) we stopped at the Bicester garden centre.

Now I’ve passed this numerous times on my travels, and have never thought to stop there. Ok, it’s a Wyevale garden centre, but there are quite a few shops there as well – including Lakeland and Cotton Traders.

This was far more to my liking than the blasted designer outlet (even if there was a Laura Ashley shop – not somewhat I had any intention of going near), and Mum and I were quite impressed. However, the garden centre wasn’t brilliant, and we both agreed that the only time that it would be worth going to would be if we had gone to the shopping village just up the road. So read for that, we won’t be back for about another six months at least.

Now onto today. Mum and I were at a loss to think of somewhere to go, and as we were linking up with Carole and her daughters, we decided that we would meet them down at Milton Keynes. The original idea had been to go to Worcester, but as the weather wasn’t good, we opted for Milton Keynes (at least that’s under cover!)

Mum and I got down there for about 10:30, only to see all the spaces at the front (nearest the shopping centre) all parked up. We were wondering if we would get a space to park, when I spotted Amber waving her arms, standing in a space that was just perfect for us.

So, Mum parked, and we got out, and were promptly cuddled by both girls, who seemed delighted to see both Mum and myself. I asked Carole what time the centre opening times were (they’re stuck on the entrance doors) and she told us that it was 11:00. All I could think was that I would be really miffed if I’d been paying £1.20 per hour only to discover that most of the shops didn’t open until 11am.

We headed to Burger King as our usual breakfast stop is in BHS – which wasn’t open and Amber and Elian were almost chewing Mum’s walking stick, as they’d not had breakfast according to Carole, as they wanted to have a bacon roll.

That wasn’t too bad, and we had a wander around various shops with Amber and Elian running interference for Mum (by making sure that people had to walk around them and Mum) instead of the other way around.

As per normal, we stopped in Waterstones (ok – Costa coffee) for a while, and I left Mum and Carole talking whilst I headed to my favourite shop – Lush. Simply because I’d run out of a couple of bits (and wanted a lump of conditioner to take on holiday) and the girls weren’t going to miss out on a trip to Lush without their Mum. Little monsters, the pair of them.

I got my Vanishing Cream (it’s a really good moisturiser that suits my weird skin) as well as my lump of conditioner. The girls got a few bits (think it was bath stuff – bath bombs and bubble bars) – mostly for Carole as a present, and I think it was a thank you gift for bringing them to Milton Keynes for once.

So it was back to Waterstones. I’d spotted a couple of books that I wanted – they were on a three for two offer, and as I knew that Mum had picked one up on the same offer, I thought it would be perfect. Only for Amber and Elian to disappear into the children’s’ section.

This was somewhat daunting for me, as I never venture into that area under normal circumstances. But I needn’t have worried. They’d spotted three books that they wanted – on the same offer as mine, and had gone to get them.

So we rejoined the rest of our party, and we finished off our drinks. Mine was a large vanilla latte, which Amber had designs on. I had to threaten to make her walk home before she would leave my coffee alone, and that only worked until she pointed out that Carole wouldn’t be so unkind to her. But, she did leave my coffee alone – I think it was the threat from her mother that she wouldn’t buy the books that the two of them had picked out.

It was then time to move and we headed to Debenhams. Now normally I avoid this store like the plague, as the cosmetic department stinks with the mixture of perfumes that seem to be squirted into the air.

This time, I was actually looking for a price of a perfume – Dior’s Dolce Vita. That was fine, until some pushy sales assistant started recommending the latest perfume from Dior – think it was Miss Dior Cherie (or something like that). She finally got the message that I wasn’t interested, when Amber asked if that was the one that smelt like toilet cleaner on me. Nice child, but it had the desired effect!

We then headed back to the car, where both Mum and I were treated to another cuddle from the girls, and we headed for home.

As I type this I am quietly mulling over this bank holiday. Ok – I haven’t seen my beloved, so I am a bit flat (ok – very flat) but spending time with Mum has been really nice – as we don’t really spend that much time together during the week, simply because I am not very sociable when I come home from work. All I want to do is chill out and ignore the world.

Ah well, I guess I should call this quits – I need to do some ironing so that I’ve got something to wear for the playpen tomorrow.

Back when I get chance…

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Stratford, Shakespeare, Silverstone and a shattered dream

This weekend has been such a rollercoaster of emotion, I'm not sure quite where to start, so I guess I’ll start with Saturday – that seems the logical place to start.

Saturday, I’d agreed to meet my beloved after he’d finished work, which suited me fine, as it meant that I could go shopping without Mum being with me – I wanted to go shopping without her being with me. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy shopping with Mum, it’s just that it makes life rather difficult for me if I want to get her something that she doesn’t know about.

In this case, it was trying to get the last little bits of Mum’s birthday present (I wanted to get the new Meat Loaf album – Hang Cool Teddy Bear) as well as getting a birthday card for her.

So, I decided to head into Stratford-upon-Avon. Not a problem, as I was using the park and ride that drops you off in the centre of town (just at the top end of Wood Street.) Or at least is does normally. However, because Friday was Shakespeare’s birthday, the town council decided to close the centre of the town off to traffic and have a parade, and cause mayhem.

Because of this, the revised drop off point was the back of Marks and Spencer – the bottom of Bridge Street (and well away from where I wanted to be!) Thankfully, it wasn’t too much of a hardship to cut through M & S, and out onto the main shopping street.

Where I was confronted with barriers blocking my exit across the road, and more police (or more accurately community support officers) than I had seen since the Bulldog Bash swung into the area last year.

Thankfully, the light controlled pedestrian crossings were accessible, meaning that I could go into Clinton Cards to get the first of my requirements – Mum’s birthday card.

That was relatively simple, and I found one that wasn’t sickly sweet or too offensive (and didn’t cost a fortune either!) As I got to the pay desk, I noticed a sign saying that it was cash only (again, not a problem – I’d got the cash to pay). It turned out that there was a problem with the card machine, and the sales assistant was really apologetic about it. I wasn’t worried, and thought no more of it until I went into my favourite shop – Lush.

I will admit, I only went in to get two items Running to the Embassy

and the solid serum bar that I use as a night time skin treatment Saving Face

At least that was the plan. I ended up buying a shower gel as well – Butterball. It’s a really nice scent (one that I’ve become quite keen on, since I first tried it in Chester and thought that it was too sweet for my liking – amazing what a second sniff can do!)

So, I decided to pay with plastic. Or at least I did until the machine refused my card. I was mortified, as I knew that I had been paid, and had plenty of money in my account. But, it was only a short walk to the bank, so I was quite happy to pay in cash, and go to the cashpoint to replace what I had spent.

Just as I was about to leave, another customer tried her card (think it was a different bank to mine) and had the same result. It then dawned on me that it may be linked to the same issue that Clinton cards were having with their card reader. So, that put my mind at rest, and allowed me to continue my wanderings.

I was somewhat surprised when I realised that one shop that had been in Stratford for years (I bought a Beswick Thelwell there many years ago) had closed, leaving a rather forlorn looking empty shop.

There were plenty of people in fancy dress, and I was trying to work out what was going on… It turned out that there was a parade to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday the first Saturday after the 23rd of April – which was Friday. Hence the reason for the town centre being closed off and people walking about in fancy dress.

The first part of the parade wasn’t too bad – it was the Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers. Now normally I wouldn’t object, but it sounded like they were playing Colonel Bogey!

The parade itself I didn’t stick around for – I was getting fed up with people bumping into me with their huge backpacks and cameras (and generally getting in my way!)

So, it was time to fight my way back though the hoards (most of whom seemed to have no manners at all) and get back to the bus stop. As I approached, I saw the bus departing, meaning that I had to wait for the next one (which was practically empty, apart from one other passenger who was intent on grumping about practically everything that the town council had or hadn’t done.)

As I’d got time to kill, I decided to take the scenic route to Banbury, and took the car down some very nice country roads (which have stupid 50mph speed limits on them!)

I got to the Green Man (where I’d arranged to meet my beloved) and he arrived shortly after I did (ok – about 2 min after me!) I decided to treat him to a pint, as it had been a bit of a rough week for him and I was determined to help him relax.

We sat in the sunshine talking about the things that mattered to the pair of us, and as he wanted to go to Silverstone Harley Davidson, I said that I would drive to give him a break, as he was suffering from eye strain (staring at a computer screen too long!)

The trip was quite good, and I managed to get a teddy bear (Ok – it’s a polar bear with a black and white Santa hat on saying Harley Holidays, and it’s holding a candy cane)

I also got a bright (and I mean bright) yellow T-shirt with the words See Me Now (Ok - the one in the picture is orange...)

We headed back to the Green Man, and sat talking about the various bits and pieces, and tried to decide where to go for dinner. We ended up going to the diner just off the A43 – Buddies.

As it was my treat, my beloved decided to have the foot long hot dog. Me? I opted for the Tennessee Chicken, which suited me down to the ground. When the food arrived, I was amazed at the size of the hot dog, and began to wonder if my beloved had bitten off more than he could chew…

I needn’t have worried. He managed to finish it off, and looked like a contented man, albeit a rather stuffed one.

We parted on really good terms as per normal, as he was falling asleep (I'm not surprised after that hot dog!) and made me promise that I would let him know that I was home ok. I got a really good run home, and was back just before 21:30…

Sunday was a different kettle of fish altogether. Gianni (my vet) had managed to find a couple of horses that he thought I might be interested in. I will admit that I wasn’t too keen on the idea, bit was of the opinion “what the hell” and decided to go along with him and Mum.

It was a disaster. I didn’t click with either of the horses (in fact the one little b’stard tried to take a lump out of me) and the breeder? Well, he left an awful lot to be desired, and it resulted in me telling him where he could go and shove himself for all I cared.

On the way back (after we’d stopped for a really nice lunch at a pub en-route – can’t recall the name for the life of me) I managed to get the agreement from both Gianni and Mum that they would leave the search for a while, as all it was doing was upsetting me and causing more hassle than it was really worth.

If I get my way, I’ll start looking sometime in the New Year – that way, well meaning people will take the hint and leave me the hell alone. I know that they mean well, and I do appreciate the time and effort that has been put into the search, but it really isn’t doing me any favours.

Trying to explain to people that I will know when the horse is right for me isn’t easy, but as my beloved said, I would know when I had found the perfect horse. And I get the feeling that it may involve me going back to Norfolk…

Ah well, I guess that I should call this quits – I'm supposed to be working, not blogging.

Back tomorrow, if I get the chance….

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Trying to get back in the saddle, and other issues...

Well this weekend has been somewhat of a surprise. I went down to Milton Keynes with Mum on Saturday, and as per normal, started the trip in Marks & Spencer. Mum had seen a pair of trousers that she was quite taken with, and was looking for them. Now normally, this is a recipe for disaster, as very often the store hasn’t got the size that she is looking for, or if the size is available, it’s a revolting colour that Mum won’t wear.

But the shopping gods must have been smiling on us, as Mum not only got the trousers that she’d been looking at, but a pair of jeans as well. This is almost unheard of for Mum – it’s normally me that manages things like that.

So, it was then on to another store, and another success for Mum – she manage to get a really pretty t-shirt, and it didn’t cost a fortune! After that, it was just a case of wandering around, as there were only a couple of places that I wanted to go to – one was John Lewis (I’m still trying to find the perfume by Balmain – Ambergris).

Now I would have thought that John Lewis would have been the sort of store to stock the more “unusual” fragrances, as it prides itself on being slightly more above the herd that places like Debenhams.

I was less than impressed when I got a glazed look in response to my enquiry about Ambergris (the one guy didn’t even know who Balmain was), and was told that “we have lots of other nice perfumes available.” That’s fine if you don’t know what you’re looking for, but if you’re looking for a specific perfume, don’t tell someone about something totally different!

So, muttering darkly about the lack of common sense that was displayed, it was then off to our usual coffee stop – Costa Coffee in Waterstones. Again, Waterstones was something of a let down for Mum – she was looking for the Nick Ferrari book - The World and London According to Nick Ferrari. Me? I was looking for holiday reading (Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel being one of the titles I was looking for.)

Unfortunately, Waterstones let the pair of down, simply because Wolf Hall was on three for two (not a problem there), but there were no other books that I wanted to get as well as Wolf Hall.

Then, we decided to call it quits, as Mum was starting to get tired (and her back was pulling) and headed to the supermarket. Now this was more successful than Waterstones, as I managed to get Wolf Hall and a two in one by Kathy Reichs – both of which will be going on holiday with me.

Now onto today. Since I lost my beloved horse, Heart of Flame, my friends have been doing their bit to make me smile, and more to the point, encourage me to go and look for another horse. This has been something I have been reluctant to do, as I am still tying to come to terms with Flame’s untimely death. However, this was a deal that was done between Rachel and Mum, the idea being that if they sprung it on me, I couldn’t wriggle out.

Needless to say, the first I knew of this was when Rachel called me on Friday night, asking me if I’d still got my body armour and hat. I said that I had, and she left it at that, sot saying anymore until the end of the call when she dropped her little bomb on me. She’d arranged for me to go and see a two year-old thoroughbred, who was the sister of her horse, Tequila Sunrise.

I will admit to being speechless (and missed the chance to try and escape from this commitment).

So, this morning, I found myself in the back of Rachel’s car, heading to the wilds of Worcestershire, with my riding hat, body armour & riding boots in the boot of the car, as I didn’t know what to expect.

We arrived at this ordinary looking house (I honestly don’t know what I was expecting – a mansion I think!) and were greeted warmly by the breeder. He was a typical country gent, complete with the battered green Barbour coat, corduroy trousers, green wellington boots and this was capped off by a battered flat cap of indeterminate colour.

I looked over the paddocks, and there were quite a few young horses grazing, but one that really caught my eye. She was a black filly, and just seemed to have something about her that just seemed to speak to me...

She came bounding over (a bit like an over enthusiastic kid) and stood patiently whilst I made a fuss of her. I turned my back, and she wandered off to graze. Whilst we were talking, I felt this warm breath on my neck, and the little filly had come over to see me, and was resting her head on my shoulder!

I gave her a gentle (if absent minded) scratch, and was rewarded with horse dribble on my shoulder. I haven’t bought her (yet) because I am waiting for my vet to go and check her over – he may well pick up on something that I miss, meaning that I will have needless vets’ bills and heartache in the future.

Ah well, I guess I should call this quits – I need to get some bits and pieces sorted out before I return to the playpen.

Back tomorrow if I get the chance…

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Back from Chester

Well, I’m back home, and as I type this, I am struggling to keep my eyes open. Why? Because I drove back from Chester this afternoon, (ok, it’s only 105 miles, but it seems a heck of a lot further!) and I didn’t sleep very well last night. Ok – Friday night I crashed out – but that was because I’d been on the go since 06:00 Friday morning, and I’d spent about four hours walking around Cheshire Oaks Shopping Outlet.

Friday wasn’t too bad – I expected to get drenched (at least that was the weather forecast) and so Mum and I spent the time dodging into various stores. Our first proper stop was the Marks &Spencer outlet where I managed to get some bits and pieces, and discovered the reason why I’d not seen the stock in the “regular” M&S stores. It turns out that they (M&S) have some stock specially made for the outlet stores, meaning that if you want a particular item in a certain pattern / colour, then you have to travel to one of these dratted outlet stores, which is a bit of a pain, as the nearest shop that I know of is in Mansfield.

Aside from that, Cheshire Oaks was quite good for me (yes – I visited the Cadbury’s Shop again) and also managed to get a couple of bits from La Senza, for less than the price of one item. But the real achievement for me was being able to get some Revlon eye shadow for £3.00. Now I know people will be thinking that this must have been an old colour, hence the reason for it being so cheap. Well, as this shop was a Revlon group outlet, it meant that it was current stock. So I was more than happy to get that, especially as it is £7.99 on the high street.

Then it was to our overnight stopping point – the Premier Inn attached to the Twirl of Hay (think it’s listed as Chester south-east). I know I was not impressed with this restaurant/ bar the last time I visited Chester, but this time, things seemed to be a lot better. The menu seemed slightly better and I don’t know if it was my imagination, but the seating seemed more spacious. But this could have been due to the change of table shape – round instead of square, meaning that there was more space for diners.

After dinner, it was a case of heading back to the room (which was comfortable and clean – what I’ve come to expect from the Premier Inns whenever I’ve stayed at them) and sorting out the plans for the following day.

As per normal, Mum and I went to breakfast at 08:00, with the idea being that we would get the bits from the room that we wanted (things like my camera and my car keys) after breakfast. Breakfast itself was good – the staff couldn’t do enough to help Mum and myself. However, the family from Hell shattered our peace. Ok – let me be more specific. The mother from Hell.

They weren’t sitting on the table next to us originally, but the selfish cow decided to move them to the table next to us, and then proceeded to spend the next 30 + minutes berating her youngest child. I felt sorry for the poor little mite – she (the mother) was nagging her to eat the apple from the fruit salad. I could fully sympathise with the child – the apple was tasteless, and sour – and if I thought that, then God alone knows what that poor kid thought. Then she started berating the child for not drinking her milk – the child wanted to drink water. Ok – I can understand if the kid had been demanding Coca-Cola, but I couldn’t see what the problem was, as the kid had a bowl of cereal with milk already.

Needless to say, Mum and I didn’t linger over breakfast – more because we had plans to get into Chester than the family on the table next to us (but they didn’t really help). Once we’d got the bits from our room (ok – make that once I’d got the bits from our room – I wanted my camera and other bits that went with it) we then headed for the Park & Ride (think it’s the Broughton one).

We got into Chester, and I started taking photographs. The first one was the clock on the city wall (think it’s East gate) as I’ve always been fascinated by this imposing clock (and it’s one of the things that really sticks in my mind about Chester)

It was just a case of wandering around, and seeing what was what. I will say one thing about Chester – it’s not somewhere that I would make a specific shopping trip, as there are very few chain stores – but that’s not something that I am too unhappy about, as it makes for a more interesting trip. Again, I went to the Royal Perfumery, and admittedly I didn’t find the perfume that I was looking for this time (it’s the “new” Balmain perfume – Ambergris (according to the very helpful young lady in the store, it was launched in 2008.)

We then had a walk around and as it was getting towards lunch time, we decided to find somewhere for lunch. Again, we found a really good pub – the Victoria, which is located on Watergate Row North.

Apparently, this is the oldest pub in Chester (I only know this because I bought a postcard showing the historic pubs in Chester – it’s listed as the Chester heritage pub crawl – but apparently most of the pubs on this postcard are now closed). Despite this, the food was really good, as was the service and Mum and I really enjoyed the peace and quiet – not to mention the sit down.

After lunch, we started exploring again, and we came across a fascinating shop – the Cartoon Gallery, which is located on Watergate Row South (see The Cartoon Gallery Ltd) There were several prints that had me giggling, and both Mum and I agreed that we wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face if we worked there.

After that, we headed towards the Cathedral (I’d been promising myself that I would go this time, hence the reason for the camera being with me). Mum didn’t fancy walking around with me, and we agreed that I would meet her at a coffee shop nearby, and off I went.

The Cathedral charges an admission of £5.00, this is to help maintain the building, as well as provide funds for the heating and lighting of the building. As I walked in, I heard people complaining about this charge, and to be honest, I couldn’t see the issue with it, as Coventry Cathedral does the same thing.

The first thing that I noticed as I entered the Cathedral, was the stained glass panels on the left hand side.

Then, going through the doors into the main body of the Cathedral, there were the most amazing mosaic panels, depicting figures from the Old Testament.

The rest of the Cathederal was something special, and I think that the best thing I can do is let the photographs do the talking (I’ll try to put some details where I can)

This picture was painted on caterpiller silk!

After I’d been around the Cathederal, I went to join Mum, and head back to the park and ride bus stop. Or at least that was the plan… I’d been after a couple of bits in my favourite store (Lush) and as it was en-route, I said that I would stop in there to get the bits that I wanted.

The staff were real stars, and I managed to get everything that I’d wanted, (including the new serum bar, Saving Face) and met several people that I’d been chatting to on the Lush Forum, and even found out some information on why one of my favourite products was being discontinued.

It was then time to get the park and ride bus back. This was like a rugby scrum (without the discipline) but me being a very cheeky brat managed to get a seat for Mum, as she was really suffering with her back (think she managed to sleep awkwardly on Friday night), so that meant that she was able to sit down for the short trip back to the park and ride.

We got back to the car, and as today is Easter Sunday, I thought it was advisable to refuel the car, as I wasn’t sure if the petrol station at Sainsbury’s was going to be open today (as it turned out, it was, but it would have been just my luck for it to have been closed).

I have to admit, I was really pleased, as the car took just under 15 litres of petrol, meaning that I’d got a range on the fuel tank of over 440miles! Not bad for a 1.6 120bph automatic…

Saturday night wasn’t too bad, apart from the inconsiderate idiots in the Premier Inn (but that was nothing that the staff could assist with – short of banging on doors at 08:00 this morning.)

There was one plus side though this morning – the family from hell were no-where near us, and the lad who served us was horrified as apparently, kids are not allowed in the area where Mum and I had chosen to sit.

After breakfast, we headed back to the room, and as the Malaysian Grand Prix started at 09:00, I was able to watch the race from start to finish, and then get the little bit of packing done and we were able to get on the road back home.

As it is Easter Sunday, we weren’t sure if there would be anything open en-route, due to the Sunday trading laws. However, we were lucky as the antiques centre near Bridgemere Garden World was open (we think that they got around the rules because it was individuals trading under one roof, so it wasn’t one large shop (or barn) that was being used).

It was really busy, and both Mum and I were of the opinion that people were so used to being able to go shopping on a Sunday, that they were desperate for something to do, hence the reason why there were so many people there.

Ah well, I guess I should call this quits – I’ve got stuff to do, including sorting the car out (I’m out of screen wash!)

Back when I get the chance…


Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

The weekend, and other rants

I apologise now – this post will be full of ranting, as quite a few things riled me over this weekend (and on the way into work if I’m honest!)

The weekend started ok – Mum and I headed for Milton Keynes (we had been planning to go to the Peak Shopping village, but as the weather was rotten, we decided against that option) we got parked, again, no problems and started shopping.

Mum was looking for a lightweight jacket, something slightly heavier than her rain coat and lighter than her fleece. Now you would have thought that it would have been an easy job. Not a chance. The coats that were available were either revolting colours (bright orange, anyone?) or had a hood on them (I think Mum’s comment was along the lines of “I’m not looking like a bloody pixy!”)

Aside from that, it wasn’t too bad until we got to Waterstones. Now I’m a great bookworm (I read most things within reason – just not Mills & Boon or anything by Barbara Cartland – I draw the line there!) and was starting the hunt for holiday reading. I know I’ve got three months, but the sooner I start, the better.

So, I was able to find the one book I was really interested in – Wolf Hall – on the Waterstones 3 for 2 offer… Could I find any others? Could I hell. So it wasn’t worth me getting the one book (think it’s about £7.99) without getting something else to go with it.

Then it was into Lush. As per normal, the staff in there were superstars, and were only too happy to reassure me about the “disappearance” of one my favourite products – Heavenly Bodies (it’s a divine chocolate smelling soft soap, that works miracles on my skin in the shower).

So, it was then into Debenhams. Which was like a rugby scrum (ok – a scrum without the discipline) and sales people (whom I am guessing are on commission) squirting revolting perfumes into the air. And people wonder why I dislike going in there?

Needless to say, it wasn’t very good, and I wasn’t too impressed with the stock that I saw. It was either very expensive (things that were priced £59 and above, when they looked worth about £9) or it was totally impractical.

So, we headed back to the car, and went food shopping. Not bad, but the Tesco was a bit of a mess layout wise (in my opinion anyway) but the cider was on offer (as the prices have risen 10% above inflation as of midnight last night) it was worth me buying some!

Sunday wasn’t too bad (apart from the fact that we moved onto BST – meaning I lost an hour in bed!) – I watched the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, before heading out to Evesham.

As Mum had somehow managed to pull a muscle in her back, I drove. Now normally, this isn’t a problem. The problem arose when I got onto the single carriageway. Simply because there was a cycle race in progress. I mean, what idiot allows a cycle race on a major road? Ok – I admit it was a Sunday, but the A46 is not a pleasant road, simply because of the amount of heavy goods vehicles that use it.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the damned race then went down the duel carriageway (which has a speed limit of 70mph) towards Evesham, and they (the cyclists) were so intent on their damned racing, that they were taking no notice of any other traffic around them – including cars that wanted to turn at an island that they were using as their personal bend, to sling them back up the other side of the carriageway towards Stratford-Upon-Avon.

I muttered several things about the parentage of the idiot that allowed the road to be used for this race, and said that I would be amazed if someone wasn’t seriously hurt. Well, one of these days, I’ll listen to my instincts… Whilst I was in the garden centre, I heard a helicopter, very fast and very low. When I came out of the garden centre, I looked across towards the A46… And saw the Midlands Air Ambulance hovering, looking for a place to land.

So, as I went to exit onto the island that the cyclists had been merrily whizzing around (totally oblivious to the traffic around them) I saw that the police had blocked the northbound (the one heading towards Stratford) and were just moving the cones to allow a fast response paramedic access to the road.

I guess that one (or possibly more) had encountered some traffic, with nasty results. Don’t get me wrong, I know that in a collision, a cyclist will inevitably come off worst, but these cyclists were the type that I call Lycra Louts – the ones that are totally single minded about their race, and be damned to anything (or anyone) that uses the same piece of road.

So that meant that I had to use an alternative route home. Not a problem as I find the A46 boring (not to mention bad for the fuel economy on the car and equally bad for my driving licence!) The road wasn’t too bad, and I guessed that the police were sending people back to the motorway, if they wanted to get to Stratford. However, those of us with local knowledge used to old road and avoided the massive detour the accident had forced onto the traffic.

Now onto today’s rant. As I was heading into work, it started to rain. Ok – this is the UK in spring, and you accept things like this. I was always told that you used dipped headlights, to allow other road users to see you. I ended up losing count of the number of people that had either no light on at all, or pea bulbs that masquerade as sidelights.

Add into that, you had the “I’ve got 5 mins to get to work” brigade, and driving is not fun, especially when you seem to spend more time watching your rear-view mirror, trying to make sure that the prat behind you doesn’t rear-end you because it’s too damned close to stop!

Ah well, enough ranting for now – I guess I should think about doing some w*rk, but I’ve got severe TNFI, and it’s only Monday… But I guess this could be something to do with the fact that I’m only w*rking (or should that be attending) 3 ½ days this week, due to Easter and me having Thursday afternoon off…

Back later, if I get the chance.


Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Merry Hill? More like Merry HELL.

I think the title sums this up perfectly. Mum and I decided to go to the Merry Hill shopping centre, to see what was there, as we’d not been for about three years. And on reflection, I can see why it was so long since we’d been. Parking there is hell, and to be honest, the place needs another department store (one other than Debenhams)

We got there at 08:30 (it was the only way that we could get a decent parking space!) As most stores didn’t open until 09:00, we opted for a McBreakfast (it was the only place that was open!)

So, once 9am hit, Mum and I started our shopping… And the pair of us were rather disappointed. Maybe it’s because I’m comparing it with Milton Keynes (which is a similar size – just all on one level as opposed to two levels like Merry Hill) but I was left distinctly un-impressed.

All the stores seemed…. I think the term is “pokey” and badly organised, and as for Debenhams... The less said the better. It smacked of desperation across the entire shopping centre, and has done very little to encourage me to venture back there.

Ah well, guess I should call this quits – I’m supposed to be working… And the department bitch is back in – worst luck.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Trying to get back to normal…

And I failed. Miserably. I’d promised my God-Daughter (Amber) and her sister (Elian) that I would take them down to Milton Keynes to do some shopping – Ok – to allow them to get their Mum (Carole) a Mother’s Day present. The reason that they asked me, was because it was easier if I was with them, as every time they went shopping, Carole was with them.

Ok – I can sympathise with that – I used to have the same trouble as a kid (but Dad used to be a real help to me – he would keep Mum out of the way whilst I got the card!)

So, despite the fact that I was still in shock after the death of my beloved horse, I went to pick the pair of them up at the ungodly hour of 07:15 yesterday morning. Mum was with me, and we got the child seats into the back of my car, and the four of us headed to Milton Keynes.

We arrived ok, and the first stop was Marks and Spencer. Mum had given up trying to find a wrap, but Amber (bless the little monster) had spotted one, and pointed it out to Mum for me. Result? Mum bought it and a couple of lightweight jerseys that Elian had found for her.

So, that meant that I had to head back to the car with the shopping, as I didn’t want to be loaded down with shopping, as well as trying to keep an eye on the girls and making sure that Mum was ok.

I didn’t object, as that gave me a few minutes peace and quiet to call my beloved, and let him know that I was reasonably ok, and that I would see him later. I put the bits and pieces in the boot of the car, and re-joined Mum and the little monsters.

We stopped in a couple of shops, and by this time, Amber and Elian were starting to get hungry, and kept asking if we were stopping for breakfast. That was the idea, as Mum was getting tired and could do with a break.

After breakfast, I went into Boots to try and get my prescriptions sorted out (one for my asthma inhaler, and the other for my epi-pen). That caused fun and games, as there had been a flood (or so I was told) meaning that I couldn’t get the epi-pen sorted out.

Amber was disgusted, and walked back to Mum, loudly announcing that “Boots are useless – they can’t even sort out Auntie Karen’s prescription.” That made me grin, and I told Mum the reason that I had been given, and that I would try my luck at Superdrug, which also had a dispensing pharmacy.

However, none of us realised that there was a problem with part of the precinct in Milton Keynes (I think there was a fire that did some damage to part of the roadway / market area). This meant that we had to back track though TK Maxx and BHS. Fortunately, there were seats where Mum and Amber could perch – Elian decided that it was her turn to make sure that I got my prescription sorted out.

Again – misfortune seemed to strike. The pharmacist was a real gentleman, but was unable to assist as they only had one epi-pen in stock – the reason being the dratted things have such a short shelf life (and only dratted pests like me need them) they tended not to keep more than one in stock.

Ok – I can accept that – I admit I am a dammed nuisance when it comes to my nut allergy – but it’s one of those things that I can’t change. So, it was back on route, and Amber and Elian were determined to go to two places – Waterstones and Lush.

First stop was Waterstones – or more precisely Costa Coffee. Amber was her normal self, and bagged a really good table. Some silly female had the nerve to tell Amber to move, as she wanted the table. Not a wise move, as Amber stood her ground, politely pointed out that she had already taken the table and that she wasn’t going to move, as her Auntie wasn’t going to get knocked sitting at this table.

At this point, Mum arrived with both Elian and me, and Amber proudly called us to the table. Once Mum was seated comfortable, Amber joined her sister and myself in the queue, and made her decision about a drink – which turned out to be a huge hot chocolate. Elian opted for a Sprite, and I got myself an iced vanilla latte, and got Mum a Coke Zero.

Once we’d had a break (and Amber had demolished her hot chocolate) we had a look around Waterstones, and then headed to Lush. Mum elected to wait outside on the seats near by (she finds the smell in the shop over powering, and enjoys watching to see if anyone buys any shoes in the shop next to Lush – to her knowledge, no-one ever has!) So, the three of us went in.

Now Lush has launched a new product – a skin tint that you mix with your favourite moisturiser to make a tinted moisturiser. So, whilst I was getting that sorted out (I had no idea which one I needed – other than I knew it would be a light one – whether it was the light pink or the light yellow I didn’t know) the little monsters were up to something.

The first I knew of it, was when Amber demanded that I opened up the bag that I was carrying, as they had got something that they needed to put in to it. So, I bent down, and was told that they had bought me two bath bombs (Blackberry Bomb) and a bubble bar slice (the Comforter) as they said I needed cheering up.

That was it. I lost it. I couldn’t help it, and the two kids cuddled me and wiped away the tears that had escaped. Amber asked if I was wearing waterproof mascara, as there were no black trails, and smiled when I said I hadn’t bothered with mascara that morning.

I made my purchases (the skin tint was light pink in the end) and I bought a couple of other bits as well as helping Amber and Elian sort out Carole’s Mother’s Day present.

We then headed for home and I dropped off the little monsters (and help them hide Carole’s present with Rachel’s help) and then I headed for home, and spoke to Gianni (my vet) about the results of the post mortem on Flame.

It turned out that Flame had a heart defect that could have killed her at any time. This caused more than a few tears, and I was glad that I had a few hours before I hit the road again to head to the Green Man where I was meeting my beloved.

I got to the Green Man about 17:30, and as I had beaten my beloved there, I sat in the car listening to the England vs. Ireland rugby match from Twickenham. And lost it, as Gianni’s words finally started to sink in. I didn’t even see my beloved pull up along side me in the car park, and the first time I realised that he was there was when I heard him call me.

I left my car (and the rugby match – it was level pegging at that point) and joined him in his car. Which is where I promptly dissolved into tears, again. I didn’t realise just how badly Flame’s death had hit me until then, and how much my beloved’s support really meant to me.

He said that if I ever needed him again, then I was to call, and no matter how often I told him that I was ok, he said he would ignore me and head straight up to see me at home. That just made me cry even more, and I realised that I had found probably the one person in my life that I could truly rely on.

Don't ya think that you need somebody
Don't ya think that you need someone
Everybody needs somebody
You're not the only one
You're not the only one

Don’t get me wrong – my friends and my family have been wonderful to me since my loss, but it’s only really been my beloved who has allowed me to fall apart and not make it seem like he’s standing in judgement on me.

We parted just after 20:00, as I was falling asleep. This is no reflection on my beloved – it’s just that I’ve not been able to sleep the past couple of nights. He made me promise that I would let him know that I was home ok, and that I would drive carefully.

Ok – no problem with that. I decided to head straight for the M40, as this would force me to concentrate on my driving as there were other road users to be aware of (and I stood less chance of encountering a deer and doing some serious damage to my car).

The problem arose when my natural competitive streak appeared whilst I was driving down the A43 to the motorway. I had some little fool in an underpowered Vauxhall Corsa try and out run me (after he’d nearly blinded me with his damned headlights as he overtook me, and then seemed to try to take the nose of the car off when he cut back into the lane in front of me.) Needless to say, I engaged sports mode on the car, and the Peugeot took off like I’d shoved a rocket up the tail pipe.

It took a couple of miles before he realised that he didn’t stand a chance against me, and dropped back rather rapidly. Mind you – I’m not really surprised – the car hit about 80mph, and I still had plenty more left to go…

That’s what you get when you try and play with a deceptively powerful car – which mine is. All it says on the back end is 207. That means it could be anything from the 1.4 to the little horror that mine is…

I got home about 21:20, and sent a message to my beloved to let him know that I was home ok, as I had promised him that I would do so. I knew that he’d been worried about me driving, so I did my best to put his mind at rest.

As for today? Well, it’s been a quiet day – I went into Leamington to pick up my new contact lenses, and just have a quiet wander around. It was quite good in its way – I managed to get two films on DVD that I’d been looking for – one was Snakes on a Plane (yes, I’ve finally bought it!) and the other was Snake Eyes, with Nicholas Cage and Gary Sinese.

I’ve tried to watch it (Snake Eyes) several times, but it’s always been on at some daft time at night, and I’ve usually fallen asleep with the TV on. So, this time, I’m hoping that I’m going to be able to watch it without falling asleep.

Ah well, guess I should call this quits – I want to grab a bath before diner.

Back tomorrow, if I get the chance.

Karen

Now some things you hold on to - some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most

Getting over Christmas and going to the Sales…

As Christmas day was on a Friday, and Boxing day was on a Saturday, I’ve had today off as my “Boxing Day”.

That suits me down to the ground, as it meant that I could go shopping in Solihull with Mum, so that she can get the last minute stupid bits and pieces before she goes into hospital on Wednesday.

But that wasn’t the only reason that I was happy… It meant that I could visit my favourite shop (Lush) and stock up on the Christmas stuff (it’s limited edition and I adore most of it, and miss certain products really badly when I’ve used them up!).

But, I have to admit that I was really lucky when I went into the Solihull store. Lush are having their post Christmas sale, and it was a case of “Spend £20 and get either a grab bag worth £20 with a selection of things in it or choose from a selected range of gifts”. The grab bag wasn’t really an option for me – it would be just my luck to get things like the Strawberry Santa shower jelly that I really hate (but that’s only because I hate strawberry!)

So, I indulged my passion, and got more than I’d expected – as in I managed to get two gifts! (Yes – I spent just over £40, but that was a real stock up, as I’d run out of most of the stuff that I use!)

But Christmas itself was a really good time – Mum was overjoyed with the waist bag that I got her from Kipling

I didn’t realise that she could use it either as a waist bag or a shoulder bag – bonus as far as I am concerned!

Me? Well I did ok – including a fabulous washable suede coat. Yes – you read that correctly – a washable suede coat.

Plus, I also got a pair of beautiful cobalt blue washable suede gloves. They’ll go brilliantly with my back coat, so I am one happy little tigger at the moment.

My Secret Santa was also something that I really appreciated – two packs of Taylors Hot Lava Java coffee. Yes – I do like my coffee, and I will make a point of drinking it, as whoever bought that for me has taken the time to get me something that I would appreciate.

The only gloomy point over my Christmas break, was the fact that I didn’t see my beloved, but the weather was so bad, I really didn’t want him risking travelling up. But, that will be rectified soon enough, as I'm seeing him on January 2nd, so that’s something for me to look forward to.

Ah well, guess I should call this quits – I'm due back to the playpen tomorrow.

Back when I get the chance.


Karen

Now some things you hold on to - and some you just let go
Seems like the ones that you can't have
Are the ones that you want most