What's that hissing sound?

I think I've got a slow puncture.

Feeling a bit deflated and under the weather at the moment.  Sore throat, banging head, - no doubt another cold. The joys of working in a school.

Just seem to be chasing my tail all the time.  Everything is an effort. The house is a mess, I have lots of washing and ironing to do and all I want to do is go to bed.

Maybe it's just the change in season coming.

Hoping to be back to normal soon.

Sue x x x

No, no seeds 'ere .....

We finally have hot water. It's true what they say, you really miss something when it's gone!  I keep running the hot tap to make sure it's still working!  We even had to get up at 'stupid-o-clock' on Sunday morning to go swimming just so we could have a shower!

I grew up in a house that didn't have any heating apart from a coal fire in the living room.  We only had a bath on a Friday evening.  My Dad used to heat up the water in a large steel bucket on top of the stove and then carried it upstairs and emptied it in the bath!  Then we took it in turn to have a bath....I was the youngest so I got a bath full of scum!  I can remember lying in bed in the winter and as I exhaled it looked like I was smoking, it was that cold.  Well, I'd like to say that all of this did me no harm at all but I was very poorly as a child and teen with constant bouts of bronchitis and chest infections which lead to me being diagnosed with asthma at around 11 years old.  The trouble is - 20 years of central heating has spoilt me know.

Mind you it was touch and go as to if the engineer could fix it last night, he arrived at just after 4pm and didn't leave till 7.45pm!  The poor sod had to travel back home to Harlow after which is about 90 miles away so I made him lots of cups of tea and even feed him too. To be honest I'd locked the front door and he wasn't going anywhere until it was fixed.  I was already with the spare bed made up just in case.

Hubby is waiting for final confirmation that 'The Snip' has worked, the first sample came back negative and the seconds results are due any day.  He's given himself a new nickname now - Jaffa...'cos he's seedless.....get it!

Hope your week is going well.

Sue x x x

Baby it's cold inside....

Why is it that as soon as the weather starts to change that something goes wrong with the central heating!
On Tuesday, three of our radiators decided that they didn't want to heat up anymore.  Luckily we have cover through Homeserve on the boiler and heating so we gave them a call.  A nice man came round on Thursday, identified the problem and tried to fix it with parts that he had on his van.  It didn't work, instead it blew the fuses in the house and the heating and hot water totally gave up the ghost. Not funny at all.  He's ordered the required part and we wait for the call to say it's in and then they can come and fit it.  I have a feeling in my water it's going to a long weekend.

On Tuesday we received the long awaited news from the local authority that my son is finally being given a statement for his special needs.  It has only taken us 4 years. He has specific learning difficulties and is dyslexic too. We now need to decide if main steam schooling is best for him or if he would be better suited at a special needs school.  We had a look at a special needs school earlier in the week.  Before we went I had already decided in my mind that that would be the best way forward for him.  But now after the visit, I'm not so sure. The classes were very small, with a ration of 3 teachers/ta's to 8 children, which would be great for him.  I'm sure he would get all the support he needs but it didn't feel right for him.  To be honest, I was quite upset when we left.  I suppose, you live in your own little world and are not always aware of the conditions and problems that some children have.

I never realised just how being dyslexic affects a child/person.  It's not a case of just not being able read very well or having trouble writing, it affects a person in so many ways.  My son can't retain information in his brain.  He will ask the same question over and over again.  He is very forgetful, he will even forget that he's just eaten his dinner and will ask when it's tea time as he's hungry.   Sometimes, he'll forget to put his underpants or socks or - and he won't even realise that they are missing.  He's 10 at Christmas and we have only just got him to remember the days of the week, although he couldn't spell them. He talks incessantly too. 

You need lots of patience with him.  He can learn but needs to learn in a different way to other children.  For instance associating words to objects to help him remember.
So we have lots to think about and consider over the next few weeks.

I've just ordered a new kitchen gadget - an Easiyo yogurt maker.  Has anyone got one?  Are they any good?  I hope they are.  They were advertised on QVC the other week and I was very tempted but I resisted. But last night I decided that I must have one and ordered a starter pack.  In the long run it will save me £'s...so the lady presenter told me. I told hubby the good news when he got home from work...he muttered under his breath " Oh no, no doubt it will end up with the juicer and bread maker under the stairs in a couple of weeks ".

Oh, ye of little faith.

Have a good weekend.

Sue x x x

It pays to read the small print....

I have a good routine for junk mail - as soon as it hits the door mat, it's in the shredder.  Done and dusted.  Sometimes, I don't even bother to open them.

Luckily, I decided to take a closer look at the one from Domestic & General with regards to the extended warranty on our fridge/freezer that apparently runs out at the end of this month.  Now, this fridge/freezer has given us nothing but trouble since we have had it.  The first one packed up a month after we brought it, the replacement lasted a bit longer....in fact until that Christmas eve, when it decided to pack up again - just after Waitrose had delivered the turkey and all the usual Christmas trimmings.....not the best Christmas I can tell you.  This time the manufacturer came out and fitted a part to rectify the problem.  They realised that there was a fault with this model BUT they still continued to produce it it even though....thanks Bosch!  Then we had to beg them for compensation for all the food we lost that Xmas!  You see, you pay good money and look what you get.

So, to cut a long story short, we decided that as it didn't have a good track record it was probably best to get the extended warranty for the next couple of years.  To this day the fridge still thinks it's a freezer and every now and then will part freeze the food in the fridge...including the beer once!!

We had decided not to continue with the warranty as to be honest we will be pleased to see the back of it.  So as I was saying, I was just about to shred the said renewal paperwork when I read the small print.  It says that unless I contact them they will automatically extend the warranty for another year and take the money from my bank account.  Bloody cheek or what?.  So, we know have to call them to cancel the policy and I'm sure they will try and push for us to keep it on (they always do) and as I don't trust them at all, I will cancel the direct debit with the bank....just in case.

**********

A friend of mine has just started on the dating scene after she split up with her hubby earlier on in the year.  She had met a chap at her exercise class recently with a nice personality and a very well toned body too. They had been on a couple of dates and they really clicked.  After the last date she was happy to go back to his for a kiss and cuddle and to see how things progressed.  Now, as she's recently hurt her toe and didn't want to risk sandals she had to wear a pair of full black leather stiletto boots...can you see where this is going.....I bet you can't. 

Well, as I was saying, there they were snogging on the sofa when he suddenly stopped and decided he fancied her boots more then her and started licking them...not a little lick either, we are talking full on licking......yuk. 

He licked then from the bottom to the top - several times.  Now, she stared to feel very uncomfortable - he apparently was really enjoying himself...if you get my drift.  He couldn't see what the problem was when she declared that actually she wanted to go home now.  I think she had a lucky escape as god knows what he might have had in his wardrobe!  Apparently, he only manged to lick one of the boots as he was stopped before he started on the other, so I hope he has not left any water marks on them.  I told her to use scotch guard as well!

I did ask if he had a black tongue afterwards, she said she didn't stay long enough to find out.

Apparently, neither she nor the boots are going to see him again!

At the weekend a neighbour popped over for a chat on the doorstep as I was putting the rubbish out.  Now, we were having a serious conversation but he kept smirking at me and giggling, which I thought was a bit rude of him.  Anyhow, after a while we said our goodbyes and I came back into the house.  As I passed the hall mirror I caught sight of myself wearing a pair of large white fluffy bunny ears.  I had put them on earlier as I was tidying up after the kids...and forgot.  No wonder he was laughing at me!

Have a good week.

Sue x x x

Here comes the bride.......

What an absolutely manic first day back at work.  Because we also sell school uniform from the school office....I have hardly stopped today.  I must have taken a small fortune too.

We had a few hick-ups with the computer system too which meant not all of the new intake was showing on the registers - along with their lunch options (school din/packed lunch)....I cursed quite a bit under my breath I tell you, as it's not like you can say any bad swearing words is it when you work in a school!  But I made it home just about in one piece.

Today is our wedding anniversary....16 happy years married.... 16 LONG happy years.....only joking, I love DH to bits ( I do honest).  This means we have been together 26 years, infact all of our adult life.  Think I deserve a medal for that in this day and age, don't I?.  DH is very well trained and I had a lovely bouquet of fresh flowers waiting for me at home.....well trained or what.

The cat has just about forgiven us for leaving him for 2 weeks (Don't panic we have a lovely neighbour who comes into feed him when we are away).  He's so funny, he really wants to tell us off and ignore us but he can't cos he loves us too much.  So he walks about making a really low and strange meowing noise whenever he can't find me until I call his name so he knows where I am.  Then I have to fuss him until it all gets too much for him and he falls to sleep and dribbles eveywhere.

DH is making noises about going to Alton Towers for the day on Sunday - wouldn't mind but it's not like it's around the corner - it will take over two and a half hours to get there and after a tiring day we then have the journey back.  Now bearing in mind we have only just got back from our hols and I've returned to work, Alex is back to school and Becky is back on Monday - I'm not too keen on going this weekend.  But, once he's set his heart on something, that's it.  His excuse is the weather is going to be nice - he's going to have to try harder then that to persuade me I'm afraid.

Sue x x x

Doesn't time fly when you're having fun......

Well, where did that time go I wonder.  Nearly 6 weeks off school/work will come to an end on Thursday but boy has it been fun.

On the whole we were very lucky with the weather - not bad for the UK!

Unfortunately I was laid up with a virus last week, which triggered a migraine and ended in blocked sinuses - oh yes, I really push the boat out when I am ill.  Thankfully all better now and fighting fit for the return to work.  I must admit I quite like the beginning of a new school year - with it's new challenges and new goals.

Trying to muddle through 2 weeks worth of washing is no fun at all I tell you.  Then I have all the ironing to look forward too....yuk.  We had considered getting a washing machine for our caravan next year but at the moment the site are being a bit of a pain and are demanding the removal of all outside storage boxes by your van by December.  This is a pain as we would have installed ours in our box.  So, we will wait and see if they follow this through.

It's sunny in London today so I'm hoping to get the grass cut and maybe cut the garden back as it's become really over run.  Already the nights are drawing in earlier and there is a nip in the air too.  When I was out shopping the other day Debenhams was getting it's Christmas department ready - a bit keen or what!

We are fast approaching the birthday of this blog too...it will be 1 year old on 11th September!

I look forward to catching up on all your posts over the next few days.

Sue x x x

Fun in the sun....................

I hope everyone is keeping well.  Sorry for the lack of posts but I've not had many opportunities to go on the lappy whilst we've been away as I seem to be last in the pecking order to use it out of hubby and 2 kids! And to be honest at the end of each day I've been to pissed tired to even try.

We came back to the van on Sunday and will stay till the Bank holiday. We've been really lucky with the weather though, in London they have had down pours most days but we've had mostly sun with a few clouds thrown in for good measure - any rain has been light and during the night, so we are more then happy.

DD turned 14 on Wednesday, so we ventured to Southend on Sea for the day and evening.  Didn't get back to the van till gone 11.  Bumped into a couple of  colleagues from work too - small world!

Well, hubby has just returned from his game of golf and dinner is just about cooked so I must dash.

Have a good weekend.

Sue x x x