Bank Holiday Shenanigans

Day 439...

Today was bank holiday Monday here in the UK but for Simon and I it was like any other Monday as neither of us work a Monday ordinarily.

So the day started as usual with the collection of our weekly grocery shop. Once everything was put away Simon had a helmet order to finish off and I decided to venture out into the garden to tidy up a few of our plants that were getting a little 'wild'!

With a refuse bin full of branches and Simon's helmet build all completed it was time for a spot of lunch before taking Molly out for another drive around. She is doing so well; getting more used to the car, understanding how to approach junctions and obstacles and hopefully she is gaining in her own confidence. Our little drive about ended up with a quick visit to my dad which meant that Molly had to reverse the car for the first time when we came to go home; which she did brilliantly.

Back home we had some more re-organising to do. There were some items in the loft that needed to be brought down and then other items that needed storing in our garage. So we keep moving things about in the hope that eventually we will reach a point where everything is tidy and organised.

Simon also gave me a quick tutorial of using an app called Photomyne. Simon used this a few months ago to scan all the photographs that we had inherited from his parents so that we now have digital photographs rather than the physical ones that take up so much space in albums. We have now decided to do the same with ours and I'm hoping to have the time this week to make a big dent in the albums that we have collated over the 35 years that we have been together!

See you tomorrow.
xx

A Slow Sunday

Day 438...

This morning we had a very lazy and slow start to the day as we were rather late getting up.

But once up and about I jumped online to sort out my online grocery order as well as research some questions for our Disney Dream Girls podcast Disney zoom quiz. While I did that Simon took Molly out for another drive; they did the same route as yesterday but we figure the more miles Molly can drive the easier it will get for her and we want to do whatever we can to help her pass her test as quickly as possible

The rest of the day saw Simon continuing to sort more of his 'stuff'; re-organising it all and streamlining where he can. We still have a lot more 'stuff' to go through and need to come up with solutions as to how best store it all. Whilst everything is now organised and in boxes we now need to figure out where these boxes can live. We have a few ideas brewing that include using the garage and having a complete overhaul of the space there, as well as looking into replacing our garden shed with a 'garden room' which would work as an art/craft space for Simon. So lots to think about, lots to plan and in the meantime lots of boxes to live with!

Late afternoon we headed out for a walk across the fields where we live. This was the first time we'd been out for a walk in a few weeks simply because the weather, until this weekend, had been so wet and miserable. But today it was blue skies, sunshine and warm, enough for the shorts to be pulled out from the wardrobe!

And our walk took us past our local alpacas which have all had their winter coats removed and looked very cute. We even discovered that one of them is called Obi-Wan!!

We managed 3.4 miles in and hour and ten minutes and were home in time to make a coffee and settle down for our Disney quiz via Zoom!

It was great to see everyone as it has been a few weeks since we all hooked up online. As I was setting the questions the pressure was off for me. My questions had a bit of a musical theme as we had caught a YouTube film this morning all about a rock band called Halyx that performed in Tomorrowland at Disneyland in the Summer of 1981. A fascinating story and well worth a watch; I just love these sort of stories about Disney, the unusual and often short lived events!

And that was our Sunday.

Take care.
xx

Saturday Driving

Day 437...

And we have a Saturday and the first day of my week off from work.

Well it started with a trip to our local recycling centre, before we'd even had breakfast! We had a car load of wood as a result of disassembling an Ikea sideboard that we no longer needed and decided that getting over there early would be the best approach before it got too busy. It turned out that was the right approach as within five minutes of us arriving it had gone from a couple of cars to a full site with a queue!

It was then back home for breakfast before heading out again to take Molly to her guitar lesson and a drive thru' coffee for us. I am still amazed at the number of people who wear a mask when out in the fresh air and even more so at the number wearing masks to drive, never mind those who are driving on their own! Who are they protecting and from what?!

Home once more and it was time to sort out some car insurance so that Molly can drive my car while she is learning to drive. Having passed her theory driving test earlier last week, and having a date for her practical test later this year, we thought it would be a good idea for her to be able to drive my car and get some extra experience. The great thing is we have found an insurance where we can pay for the just the time we need so we were able to set it up for just a couple of weeks while Molly is at home before she heads off to her fella's house again for a short while.

This did mean that this afternoon the 'L plates' went on my car...

...and Molly took us out for a short drive. We found a route that was around 15 miles and gave Molly about 40 minutes worth of driving. She did really well especially as this was her first time driving this car and she was not used to all the controls. Hopefully, we can find her time to get out driving each day to build up her confidence. It's not until you have to explain how you drive that you realise just how much of what you do is instinctual!

After a coffee in the sunshine we decided to do a little measuring up of available space in our garage for possible storage solutions. Having emptied the living room and Simon's workspace for the laying of our new wood floor a few weeks back we had decided to re-look at some of the 'stuff' we have and undertake some re-organisation. I think over the course of the next couple of days we will be having a sort through of the garage, de-cluttering and figuring out just what space we need and how best to store everything. We have a lot of 'stuff' we need to get sorted and it's just figuring out where best to start!

Suffice to say this all ended with a trip to Ikea to buy more storage boxes...although we also came away with a table lamp, a drawer tidy tray and a new saucepan!! But we also have plenty of boxes now to better store all our 'stuff', so that it will be organised, contained and will be kept clean and tidy.

My task for the week ahead will be to go through all of our photo albums and digitise all the photos, remove said photos from the album and then dispose of the actual albums. They take up so much space at the moment and we very rarely go through them so to have them all as a digital copy will be much better and I think (hope) we will be more inclined to look at them.

By the time we returned from Ikea (we had purposefully visited early evening to avoid the heavy crowds) it was time to cook dinner which meant a quick chicken curry with low carb naan bread. And now it is time for red wine, feet up and maybe some very dark chocolate.

Take care.
xx

Time for a Break

Day 436...

We have reached Friday and the last day of this half term at pre-school, we now have a week off to look forward to.

But first we had to get through the day! It was the first warm day we have had for a long while which meant that we were able to spend the majority of our time outdoors. So while the children played outdoors I was able to have some quiet time indoors to chase emails, update banking, prepare registers and add observations onto our online learning journal system. All in all a pretty good work day.

Once home it was time for a coffee before jumping online with my good friend Michelle to record our Disney Dream Girls podcast. We managed to record two shows; one to be released on Sunday and the other was a bonus episode for our Patreon supporters. We chatted Disney history, cruises as well as current happenings including the easing of more restrictions; specifically in Orlando where social distancing markers are now being removed in addition to masks no longer being required outdoors which came into force a couple of weeks ago. Universal Studios is going one step further and making masks optional indoors as from this weekend. 

And while the US seems to be opening up more and more we seem to be still in 'limbo land' with lots of  murmurs that the deadline for lifting all restrictions of the 21st June may not happen...or it may...or it's likely to happen but we can't guarantee it. Bloody politicians can they never give a straight answer? Heaven forbid they actually do their job with a measure of competency! We have cases at a plateau, hospital admissions and deaths are at their lowest levels, and have been for weeks now, and still we are unable to get back to normal. 

I think we have to accept that covid is not going anywhere. It is endemic, variants will appear because that's what a virus does but variants do not mean a worse outcome. A virus wants to survive so it will mutate into new variants that can maybe move about easier but as it does so it will become less problematic. After all, if it kills off it's host bodies then it will have nowhere to go and will kill itself, so it is better for it to get less awful so that it can continue to survive. I am no scientist but even I know this, yet those in charge seem dead set on scaring us all into submission and quite frankly I am fed up of it all now.

Oh well, best stop now...take care and see you tomorrow.
xx

Day 435

Day 435...

Another day of two halves.

The morning was spent in work with more admin prep work for the new term in just over a week's time. We break for our 'half term' tomorrow and so we will start a 'new term' and hence there is the production of invoices as well as getting things in order for some new starters plus all the usual day to day stuff.

I was late finishing work as I had a new parent to meet at lunchtime who is wanting to send her children to us after the half term break. Then on my way home I stopped by a local supermarket to pick up a few items that we'd run low on.

Once home and after the shopping had been packed away and a coffee drunk, my first job of the afternoon was to unpack the butchers order which had been delivered today. This always takes me longer than I think but I do have to split the order into meal sized portions. Today's order was sausages, bacon, burgers, steak and liver!

With everything packed away into the freezer it was time for another coffee before I set about a little more pre-school work. It was pay day today so I needed to organise all the necessary bits and pieces as well as email all the staff their payslips. 

The afternoon seemed to fly by and before I knew it Simon had finished work for the day and was off down 'the gym' while I played taxi service for Molly as she had a hair appointment very late on this afternoon. This was her first haircut since sometime last year...in fact it's probably about eight months since it was last cut! It's a good job she likes having long hair!!

And in between all of that I have also managed to get a little research done ahead of recording the Disney Dream Girls podcast which we are hoping to do tomorrow afternoon.

Phew! Feels like a non-stop day today so I think I need to stop typing, drink some more wine and stop!

Take care.
xx

Day 434

Day 434...

I think this will be a short post today as it has been a full on work day.

The day was spent in work and was split into two halves. This morning my focus was on getting registers sorted for next term, updating the banking, responding to emails and taking photographs for our sponsored bounce happening this week.

The afternoon was spent with my deputy manager as we started working our way through the updated statutory guidance for the early years foundation stage curriculum that we have to follow. We managed to work our way through about a third of it but we have until September before it comes into force so we will be well prepared and ahead of the game well before then.

At home I decided to carry on with a little more pre-school work as I had a couple of emails that I wanted to get sent off as well as update our online learning journal. I had some time chatting with Molly about getting her some driving practice as she had had a driving lesson this morning and by all accounts is getting on pretty well. We just need to get some insurance sorted so that she can drive my car, under my instruction, as I think she will benefit from just having more time behind the wheel.

Michelle and I were planning on recording a Disney Dream Girls podcast this evening but 'life' got in the way so we have re-scheduled for Friday evening instead. This will give us more time to get some more research done ahead of recording. 

And then it was time to play taxi service for Molly as she had her second kickboxing class of the week, followed by a strength and conditioning class. 

See you tomorrow, take care.
xx

Day 433

Day 433...

So my day started with a detour...a literal detour as I'd forgotten that the road I take to work was closed just for this morning! Thankfully I didn't have to go too far out of my way to actually get to work, I was just annoyed that I'd forgotten all about it.

But once in work it was more of the usual admin bits and bobs. We are also having a sponsored bounce this week so for some of our children, who had returned sponsor forms, had two minutes to see how many bounces they could manage on the trampoline. It is surprising how many bounces little legs can manage in two minutes!!

This afternoon I played taxi service for my dad as he had an appointment at the barbers and then the rest of the afternoon was spent at home. I bumped into one of my neighbours and had a good old natter with her; she is in her late 80's and is still independent and driving and as sharp as anything.

I did do a little more pre-school work this afternoon as I have quite a few bits to get done this week. It is the last week of the term and I have funding data to submit, invoices to issue, new starters to co-ordinate, registers to compile, wages to pay and much more!

And at the end of the day we had a quick workout session, which was the first time for me in a couple of weeks.

Well this is a short post for today as it has been a bit of a whirlwind and spent just keeping on top of everything!

Time for wine, food and TV.

Take care.
xx

Waiting Around

Day 432...

Monday started with the usual grocery shop collection from our local Asda. While there I was also able to pick up some donations for pre-school, and there was so much stuff that we drove straight to pre-school to drop it all off.

After we had got home and put all the shopping away I had my dad to take to the doctors and Simon had a helmet to cast as he had received an order over the last few days.

So I picked up my dad and took him to his doctors. I parked up outside to wait for him as I was not allowed to go in with him because of the covid restrictions still in place. Unfortunately, I had left my phone at home and so I had absolutely nothing to occupy my time and unfortunately I had rather a long wait. But to be fair it would appear that my dad was seen on time, or thereabouts, but spent the majority of the time waiting for his prescription to be made up.

My dad has developed a rather bad case of eczema and has been given pills and potions galore and an appointment for a couple of weeks time to see how he is getting on. My dad did mention to his doctor that he wondered if it could be a reaction to his second covid vaccine...apparently the doctor neither denied or confirmed whether that could be the case...makes you wonder though!

But by the time I got my dad dropped off at his house and me back home two hours had gone by, of which an hour and a half was spent just sat waiting in my car. With nothing to do all I could do was watch the world around me. It was really quite sad to watch people queuing for the pharmacy; only one person is allowed in at a time which meant a lot of people (quite elderly people) were stood outside in the cold and the rain waiting their turn. What a state of affairs we find ourselves in!

With a quick lunch eaten we were back out the door to take Molly into Derby for her driving theory test. So we dropped her off and went in search of a coffee while we waited for the call to pick her up. About an hour after dropping her off we got the message 'Done'...to which I responded 'and?' and the response came back 'Passed!'. Woohoo! She did really well with 49 out of 50 for the questions and 60 out of 75 for the hazard perception section so she was very pleased with those scores. She messaged her driving instructor who told her to get online and get a practical test date booked.

So once home we powered up the laptop and attempted to get a practical test booked. The system feels a little backward as it asks for the date you would like before letting you choose the test centre, so suffice to say there was lots of time spent going backwards and forwards trying to find a date at the right place. Her instructor had told her that the next available test dates weren't until November but when we logged on the only date we could find free was tomorrow with nothing for the rest of the year! But as we went back and forth we could see dates randomly becoming available, which we could only assume was due to dates getting cancelled. A date in August popped up but no sooner than I had clicked on it it was gone. But scrolling through we saw a date in October so we jumped on it and thankfully this time we were able to secure the date and time...four months and counting.

This then resulted in a large chunk of time web searching looking for the best, and cheapest, car insurance out there for Molly, so that we can take her out in my car while she's learning to drive. We may have a solution but there is still some more researching to do!

Molly then had her kickboxing lesson followed by a strength and conditioning class which meant relying on Mum & Dad's taxi service...roll on her passing her driving test!! 

Take care.
xx

Sunday Travels

Day 431...

We woke up this morning to a grey, slightly damp and rather windy day in Bournemouth.

With a good breakfast inside us we got all our stuff together and headed out of the hotel. After my success yesterday buying some new jeans we headed back to Primark to pick up another couple of pairs and another Disney sweatshirt just happened to fall into my hands and so I had to buy a re-usable Disney shopping bag just to get my purchases home!

We enjoyed a coffee at our favourite coffee shop before nipping into a small shop which sells all Anime merchandise and found a couple of t-shirts that we knew Ethan would like (Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventure & My Hero Academia...whatever that means!).

We then had another wander around the town centre and headed towards the pier and beach area. It was very windy which meant we didn't spend too long down at the seafront. But we did manage to find a bit of British Disney down by the beach in the way of a few fairground attractions.

These were not the best represented Disney characters, and I'm not sure whether they would garner official approval, but it's the closest I've been to a Disney attraction in a long while!! They were even playing Disney songs but think they were all 'alternate' versions to the originals. It did bring a smile to my face though and I just had to share these on social media for my Disney loving friends.

We then headed off to pick up Molly from her fella's house so that we could make our way back home. It takes around three to four hours, traffic dependent, to get home and thankfully today it was plain sailing with just a couple of stops; one for a 'loo' break and the other to top up with petrol.

Once back home it was time to unpack, put the dinner on, pour myself a drink and watch drag queens on the telly with some chocolate on the side!

Take care.
xx

Saturday Shenanigans

Day 430...

So our Saturday morning in Bournemouth started quite early as we had arranged to meet up with one of Simon's work colleagues.

But it did mean we were early having our breakfast before the restaurant got too busy, although we still had to go through the pantomime of mask wearing. Wear your mask to walk into the restaurant, wear your mask while accessing the breakfast buffet but once at your table the mask can come off...where we were sat near other diners...again where is the common sense in all that? And that assumes that masks make a difference...which they don't! And all the tables were still as close to each other as they were last time we visited this hotel...so no masks at tables and effectively no social distancing...I don't get it at all, as I said it is all pure pantomime.

Oh and the breakfast buffet is now an assisted breakfast buffet because we can no longer help ourselves and touch the same implements yet there were some items that we could help ourselves to but with signs saying only touch what you want!! Argh!!

And I think we confused the server when we only wanted bacon, eggs and sausage and not the hash browns and baked beans! Low carb all the way!

All fuelled up we headed down to Bournemouth Pier to meet Simon's work colleague. So Simon works from home, and has done, for about 7 or so years but the company he works for is based not far from the South Coast. Prior to the pandemic Simon would visit the office once every few weeks or as needed but since the pandemic hit he hasn't seen any of his colleagues in person! But it just so happened that one of his colleagues was visiting family close by and had a new piece of equipment for Simon; a fancy graphics thingy!

We then found one of our favourite coffee shops, which we were so pleased to find open as there was the fear that the effects of the past 14 months may have caused it to close along with so many other small businesses. So we enjoyed an hour or so chatting and drinking really nice coffee.

After dropping the new tech back at tbe hotel we walked along the sea front from Bournemouth to Boscombe and then a little further before we headed back. Despite the grey sky and occasional rain we really enjoyed the walk and enjoyed being around other people as by the time we arrived back at Bournemouth Pier everywhere was pretty busy. We headed into the town centre with a view to have a wander which resulted in walking by Primark. There was a queue to get in and so we started to walk by and as we did so the queue started to move so we quickly diverted back and walked straight in. 

To be fair the shop seemed as busy as it would have done on any other day. But this was our first time in a non-essential retailer since March 2020, how ridiculous is that?! I made a beeline for the Disney section, of course, and came away with 2 tshirts, a sweat shirt and a pair of jeans (non-Disney) as well as a couple of bits for Molly!!

We then headed back to the hotel to put our feet up and try on my new purchases. We timed it well as not long after it decided to rain!

Next we paid Molly a visit at her boyfriend's house and had a guided tour of his 'gym'. Like we've done he has converted his garage into a gym over lockdown and has done a really good job.

We rounded the day out spending time with Molly's fella's family and enjoying an indian take away and lots of chatter.

Take care.

xx

 

Start of the Weekend

Day 429...

And we have a Friday and the start of the weekend...in fact a weekend away!

But I did have to work this morning and had a few hours to catch up on the usual admin and banking. We also had a pyjama day today and the children paid £1 to come to preschool in their PJ's and bring in a teddy! We have also been getting ready for next weeks sponsored bounce; we have had lots of sponsor forms returned and we look set to raise a good amount of money for the preschool. We are a regsitered charity and have to fundraise throughout the year to help keep us afloat and buy those 'nice to have' items. This time we are hoping to get some new tech as our current set of tablets are a few years old and getting slower by the day!

But with the morning done I headed home to get changed and pack our bags ready for a little trip away. Simon finished his work a little later than planned but that was fine, we were still able to grab some lunch before setting off mid-afternoon.

We then made the 190 mile journey south to Bournemouth. It took us a little longer than expected as there was a few spots along the way with lots of slow traffic.

So we checked into the hotel and on entering the lobby area we had to wear our masks. Now the lobby area also contains a seating area for the bar which was full of people enjoying a drink and not wearing masks...but we had to wear them as did the staff...that just seems ridiculous and quite frankly pointless. But we did as asked and as soon as we were in the lift to our room the masks came off.

We then ventured out into the town centre to find something to eat. Now we know Bournemouth quite well as Molly's boyfriend lives close by and we have in the past played taxi for Molly and then used it as a good excuse to enjoy time away from home. So we knew where we wanted to go for a quick bite and where we knew we could get a low carb option...our choice was Five Guys. We were able to order burgers without the bun and with as many toppings as we liked; great burgers cooked to order and without the carbs!

But when we arrived at the restaurant we had to wear our masks to enter and order but as soon as we sat down we could take the masks off and sit relatively close to other diners! So again...what is the point? Plus there was a sign up saying that although they recommend their staff wore masks it wasn't mandatory and while most of the staff on duty were wearing a mask there were at least two members who weren't. So again,  how does this work if masks actually make a difference...oh that's right they don't!

We were also asked to check-in to Track & Trace but as neither of us has the app loaded on our phone we were given a handwritten list to leave our details instead. I was pleasantly surprised that a hand written list was being maintained as I really don't want to load the app if I can help it, as last time I used it I was getting random notifications even when I hadn't been anywhere!

So now it's time for red wine, chocolate and feet up!

Take care.

xx

 

Day 428...Thursday

Day 428...

I think today's blog post is going to be a short one...

So it has been a pretty standard Thursday with the morning in work and the afternoon at home. This morning was a mix of the usual admin tasks; responding to emails, setting up text notifications and getting the invoices prepped ready for sending out in the next day or so.

On my way home at lunchtime I called in at the pharmacy to pick up my dad's prescriptions and then dropped them in at his house. He now has a doctors appointment, an actual face-to-face doctors appointment, scheduled for Monday so hopefully we can start to get him sorted.

The afternoon was spent at home in the warmth and dry of the house as I am convinced that despite it saying May on the calendar it is more like March; torrential downpours and howling winds! Where is the Summer? I am so ready for sunshine and warmth. So I used the time to get a few online bits and pieces sorted as we are away at the weekend and so wanted to get on top of things. And while Simon went down 'the gym' I stayed inside in the warm and did the ironing instead - whoop!

And that was pretty much my day. Looking forward to finishing work early tomorrow and having a weekend away in an actual hotel, even though the weather looks horrid...at least we'll have a different four walls to look at!

Take care.
xx

Midweek Mayhem

Day 427...

OK so maybe not 'mayham' as such but there was definitely plenty going on today.

The morning started with the fitter arriving to install our new boiler. At the same time I was on the phone to my doctors surgery trying to get an appointment for my dad. It took me almost 25 minutes to get through to the surgery but thankfully they agreed that he needed to be seen and would send someone out this morning.

I could then make my way to work; I'd told my deputy that I would be late in but I still don't like arriving late especially when our mornings are quite busy getting the room all set for the day. But my morning, once in work, was pretty standard with the usual emails, banking and admin tasks. This afternoon myself and my deputy got together as we are taking time each week to go over the expectations of Ofsted should we be inspected, as well as looking at the curriculum and the statutory guidance. This week we completed the overview of the Ofsted inspection descriptors and next week we will be able to start going through the 53 pages of the statutory guidance! The guidance has been updated and will come into effect from September so we need to go through it all and make sure that we are meeting all the legal requirements.

By the time I arrived home the new boiler was in and working although the fitter did discover a leak connected with our bathroom radiator as he brought the new boiler online. This might be the cause of a leak we have been battling with for a long while now that we thought was connected to the shower so who knows we might be able to get the issue resolved now.

My dad called to say that the doctors have been back in touch following this morning's house call and he now has an appointment for Monday morning with an actual doctor at the surgery!! Which is great news but it really shouldn't be this hard to see a GP.

I managed to do a little online Disney research ahead of podcast recording later this week before I set to cleaning around and putting everything back where it belonged after the disruption of the day. And then it was time for dinner, blog writing and next it will be feet up in front of the telly!

Take care.
xx

Day 426

Day 426...

Well it's been a busy day than I'd expected and hence it is rather late in the day that I find myself writing today's post.

It started off pretty normal with a morning in work and the usual bits of admin, time sheets and emails. I had an online, video, meeting at midday which not only lasted longer than I had anticipated but was one that apparently I was to chair. This took me a little by surprise as I had not called the meeting, I was using an online system for the first time ever and wasn't totally sure what the meeting was about. It then transpired that the person who had arranged the meeting couldn't make it because they were off sick but had sent a colleague along to 'observe'. Everyone else present then just presumed that I would take over the role of chair...err....I don't think so!! But we got through it and I think I did pretty well all things considered!

So I headed home later than normal, making a stop at a local supermarket to pick up a few supplies; we are away at the weekend which means that Ethan will be home alone for a few days so I picked up some bits and pieces to keep him going. Yes I am a big softie as he is more than capable, and old enough, to sort himself out.

Once home I had a couple of online bits to sort before heading out the door again for a beauty appointment. I'd not long returned home when I got a call from my dad who was struggling to get a doctors appointment. As a result of the current situation most doctors are no longer doing face to face appointments but instead using telephone and video calls. My dad had phoned his doctors yesterday and was told someone would call him back...which they did...but...he didn't get to the phone in time when they called and his answer phone kicked in. The person calling did not leave a message because they are not allowed to because of confidentiality. My dad did the sensible thing of picking up the phone and used the callback option but this took him through to a different doctors surgery from his own. He spoke to them but they, of course, couldn't help because they couldn't find his record...I am presuming that whoever had been tasked with calling my dad was working remotely out of a different surgery and hence the different phone number. And I would presume this is another effect of 'covid restrictions' and working 'covid securely'. But suffice to say I had one pretty confused dad.

I phoned the surgery myself and discovered that if I made an appointment today I would not get a date until mid-June but if I wanted to see or speak to someone quickly I would need to call at 8am in the morning and hope that I manage to snag one of the few appointment slots that they have. 

It can be difficult enough in 'normal times' to get an appointment with your doctor but this current set of circumstances just seem to be making it more awkward and difficult than it needs to be. My dad is an elderly gentleman who is suffering with a number of conditions and who needs to be seen in person, who needs a comprehensive review of his current medical care, who needs the care and attention that a GP is supposed to offer but who at the moment is not even getting a second rate service. It is appalling what we are having to put up with at the moment. My dad has paid his way all his working life, surely he should now be able to benefit from the care that he so rightly deserves and has earned, as should tens of thousands of others out there. 

But this is the situation we find ourselves in. How many people are suffering at the moment because they can't get to see their GP? How many have been terrified into staying at home and are not seeking the medical help they need? How many missed appointments have there been because people have been afraid to leave their home? How many delayed treatments have there been resulting in outcomes far worse than would have otherwise been expected? How many missed diagnosis? The list could go on and I fear the true effect of lockdown will not be know for a while yet and when we do find out I fear it will be far worse than the impact of covid.

Take care out there.
xx

Manic Monday

Day 425...

Well the day started off with no hot water. Our boiler had decided to stop working and was displaying an error code. It is a code that we have had numerous times before and last time we had it we said that the next time we would look at getting a replacement.

Thankfully we have a great heating engineer that we use and a few messages and phone calls later resulted in a new boiler to be installed on Wednesday, and by mid-afternoon all the parts had been delivered - wow, just amazing service.

With that sorted we headed out the door to collect this weeks grocery shop, we had a small detour via the local pharmacy to drop in a prescription for my dad but we were quickly home to unload and organise the groceries. Not only had we got our shopping but also a few bits for pre-school as well as some for my dad. He is still waiting for his car to be fixed and is relying on us at the moment to do the essentials for him.

So back out the door we stopped by my dad's to deliver the aforementioned groceries and then we headed off to Ikea. By the time we arrived at Ikea the heavens had opened and we were in torrential rain; suffice to say we parked up and sat in the car until it had passed over. But we had a successful trip bringing home two book shelf units, a new shelf for Ethan and numerous clear plastic storage boxes of different sizes.

Thankfully by the time we got home the weather had cleared up but we did notice piles of hailstones gathered around our front door! Suffice to say our afternoon was then spent assembling the two bookcases, locating them in Simon's workspace and then filling them with books and helmets...we have a Star Wars and art themed collection of books interspersed with a Stormtrooper helmet and a Mandalorian helmet.

Next it was time for Simon to go through the cupboard that used to live in his workspace but, because of its size, it will no longer fit. One bin bag later and lots of clear plastic boxes filled, progress has been made. There is still some sorting to do and then we will need to disassemble and get rid of the cupboard but that will be for another day. 

And in among all of that we have been given a date for our new windows to be installed, Simon helped Ethan install his new shelf and I got caught up on all the ironing! It's been all go!

So today marked another stage in the easing of restrictions; we can now dine indoors, stay in a hotel, hug others and indoor entertainments can open. But as we see these things open up the carrot of the 21st June when all legal limits on social contact will be removed is becoming more and more unlikely. The reporting today suggests that this date may not now happen because of the Indian variant of the disease...despite millions of us being vaccinated, despite the vaccine working against this variant, despite cases being low, deaths being low...do the government ever want us to go back to our old normal? 

The fear has gripped hold of the nation and the powers that be seem to like holding us all in this state of fear. They seem to enjoy the control and the power that they have developed over us. But is this how we really want to live? I don't! I want to see who I want, when I want, hug who I want, when I want, to go where I want, to travel, to go to concerts, to shop without restriction, to live rather than cower away afraid of my own reflection. But when, or if, this will happen who knows?!

Take care.
xx

Another Birthday...in lockdown

Day 424...

So we have another 'lockdown birthday' and today it was Simon's turn and for him this is lockdown birthday number two!

So while we are easing out of lockdown there are still enough restrictions in place to mean that life is not back to normal by a long way yet. We are only allowed to dine outside and as the weather this May has chosen to be rather wet and chilly that isn't an enjoyable option at the moment. But, from tomorrow, indoor hospitality is able to open up...providing masks are worn when not seated and that you 'check-in' for track and trace. And I would guess because of the 'guidelines' in place that most venues will be unable to operate at full capacity; such a worrying time for anyone working in the hospitality sector.

Interestingly over in the US face coverings and social distancing are slowly being eased with anyone who has been fully vaccinated no longer having to wear a mask, anywhere. Even in Walt Disney World they have removed the need to wear masks outdoors which is great news and will make wandering around in the Florida heat a much more pleasant experience.

But back here we have had a very chilled and slow day while we watched the blue skies turn dark and rain fall and then back to blue and then repeat all over again. There was the customary giving of presents followed by coffee and looking through one of Simon's gifts; The Art of Galaxy's Edge which is a fascinating book with some amazing concept art.

Before Molly headed off to spend the next week at her boyfriend's house she made Simon a birthday cake...a low carb, rich, dark chocolate cake; basically eggs, butter and chocolate. This is one of our favourite low carb treats and goes great with a few berries and some cream.

So Molly headed off and then we realised that she'd left her birthday cake here rather than take it with her. So a quick message and we managed to catch them before they joined the motorway so they did a quick about turn to head back to collect it!

We have had a sort through of some of our books today as part of our reorganisation following the new flooring going down last week. I managed to throw out some old cookery books that I haven't used in years which meant I could reorganise my book case and make space for some of my many Disney books. This means that they are now closer to hand and hopefully this will encourage me to read more of them, more often.

Next we had a couple of errands to run; a parcel to drop at the post office and then a quick stop by the house we lease out to complete the repair we had started yesterday. Thanks to the power of Amazon we had been able to order the part we needed yesterday and it arrived today.

The rest of the day has been quiet with Simon spending a little time doing some more digital artwork, a very chilled out birthday. And now with a drink in hand it's time to watch this week's episode of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under along with a piece of Simon's birthday cake.

Take care.
xx

Day 423

Day 423...

Saturday is here and this post is being written rather late in the day.

This morning we had a small DIY job to sort at the house we lease out and although we couldn't sort the problem straight away we have the necessary parts on order. 

Back home we started on trying to figure out some new storage for the living room and Simon's work space. Lots of measuring ensued with the Ikea website at hand! A shopping list has now been made and we will be heading to Ikea next week...there is no way I'm braving Ikea on a weekend!

Molly had a few of her girlfriends over this afternoon to celebrate her birthday and I helped with the cooking element of the festivities.

Later we made keto pizza and settled down to watch a movie...Rocketman! Wow what a fabulous film and performances, can't recommend it enough. Then it was time for birthday cake and to revisit a film that we hadn't seen in a very long time..To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.

Take care.

xx

Finally Friday

Day 422...

And finally we have got to Friday. It has felt like a long week I think because we had a short working week the week before.

But it was a full day in work for me and I had plenty to keep me occupied. We decided to have a change around of the room and it seemed to work really well. At first my desk was out of the way and I was missing being part of the room so a little adjustment and I was back in the thick of it.

But I had the usual emails, banking and admin to do. Each Friday we go over the plans for the coming week and I then draft an email out to parents to let them know what's happening, I then make sure this gets posted to our website, our Facebook page and our online learning journal. I had some prep work to complete for a new starter in a few weeks time and then some data input for a 'virtual school' system that we use for a few of our children. It was the first time using this system for me and so it was a matter of learning how to navigate the system and make sure everything was updated as I have a meeting scheduled for next week.

At one point today I even got involved 'on the floor' and found myself hosting a story time with all the children...much to the staff's amusement...I thought I did pretty well as it's not something I get chance to do that often, if at all, anymore!

After getting home I did a little prep work ahead of recording this weeks Disney Dream Girls podcast with my co-host Michelle, and then it was time to do the recording. We managed to not only record this weeks show but also an extra piece for our Patreon supporters.

And that was my Friday and I am now ready to put my feet up and embrace the weekend.

Take care.
xx

Say Goodbye to Lockdown Hair

Day 421...

Today was the day that I got my hair back and said goodbye to my lockdown look!

But that was later in the day. The morning was spent in work and a big chunk of it was spent in a video call with a local speech and language therapist as she helped us with one of our children. I will admit to being a little sceptical with the video call approach but it actually worked really well, and the good thing was the call backed up everything we had been doing so far and pointed us where we need to go next.

I had a quick catch up with banking, admin and emails before heading home at lunchtime via a local supermarket. As Molly is having her 'girls' around on Saturday there were a few 'party nibbles' that needed picking up for the belated birthday celebrations.

Once home and shopping packed away I had time to get changed, grab a quick bite to eat, a couple of coffees and a few more emails responded to before heading off to the hairdressers to get rid of my lockdown locks! So I went from...

to this...

Yay the old me is back and I feel sooo much better for it!

And well after three hours at the hairdressers it was home to cook dinner, write this blog and drink wine!

Take care.
xx

Birthday Celebrations

Day 420...

We have reached the middle of the week and today it has been Molly's birthday and she is no longer a teenager - eek! Yet again Molly has another birthday in 'lockdown' and while this year the lockdown is easing it is still not a proper birthday for her. She is having some friends around at the weekend but they will be outside in the garden as unfortunately the next installment of easing restrictions does not happen until Monday!! So frustrating!!

We had the customary opening of presents and cards this morning before the working day began. I have had a full day in actual work and have been kept busy once again.

Lots of admin, banking, phone calls, emails and a newsletter to issue. Then myself and my deputy got together as we are working our way through a couple of pieces of legislation to make sure that as a pre-school we are doing everything we need to be doing in the best way possible. As an educational establishment we have a curriculum to follow, which will be changing in September, and we are also inspected by our governing body, Ofsted. So as the management team it is our responsibility to review all of our practices on a regular basis to ensure that all that we do is meeting all of the requirements. We also review to ensure that we are as efficient as we can be and that the level of education that we offer is second to none; we are very passionate about ensuring that children attending our pre-school start their education journey in the best way possible.

Not long after I'd arrived home me and Molly had to nip out in search of a parcel that had supposedly been delivered today. On inspecting the tracking information it looks like the parcel has been delivered to the same street name as ours but in the wrong village...this is something that has happened before so we decided to investigate. Unfortunately no-one was home when we called but with a little investigation work I have worked out that the person who lives there is actually related to a friend of mines husband (small world or what!). So I am now in the process of enlisting my friends help to ascertain if the parcel has in fact been delivered there in error!

Home again and I had a couple of work emails to deal with, a little research for pre-school and some time looking for some specific photos ahead of another birthday tomorrow!! And then as it's Molly's birthday we decided to celebrate with an Indian take-away for dinner, so no cooking for me tonight! Oh and of course birthday cake that Molly made herself!

And today means it is now just one more sleep until I get my hair cut and coloured...it's been a long wait since the 21st December and I am so looking forward to a complete refresh.

Take care,
xx

Day 419 - Busy Tuesday

Day 419...

Well it's been another busy day.

My morning was spent in work and there was plenty to do. The usual banking, admin and emails to deal with. Invoices to chase. Uniform to organise. There was a long email sent to Jon at Asda to see if he could help us with a few bits. Now the email was prompted after I'd bumped into Jon yesterday but I think he may regret it when he sees the long list of things he could help us with!! I also had some prep work to complete for Father's Day at the request of my staff. Now it isn't until next month so I presumed we were being super organised but it then transpired that the we'd added Father's Day to this months planning by mistake - oops! Oh well no harm done we will just be ahead of ourselves next month.

I then dashed home at lunchtime so that I could be ready for an online leaders and managers meeting via 'Teams'.An hour and a half later and I think I had come away with just two pieces of information that were of any use. But while I was 'attending' the meeting I could at least click on all the links we were provided with to ensure that I'd already got them bookmarked, which I had! I was also able to deal with a couple of emails as they came in.

Once the meeting was over me and Molls popped to see my dad, to check-in with him and make sure he was doing okay and he also had a birthday card for Molls as it's her birthday tomorrow. When we arrived back home Molls set about assembling and decorating the cake that she had baked this morning, a three tier cake that she has made for her birthday - bless her!

While she sorted the cake I jumped back online to deal with a few more emails for work as well as add to a newsletter I am currently drafting. I wanted to add an extra piece and needed to link in to an existing document. But when I found the document I wanted I realised it was actually out of date, this then meant having to source the newer version and amend it to reflect our pre-school. A worthwhile exercise just not one I was expecting to do.

And then with a clear kitchen and Molls & Simon down our 'gym' I decided to attack the ironing pile; I've got a lot of things happening over the week and knew that today was the best, and probably only, day to get it done. 

So we have reached the end of the day; lots of work stuff done, meeting attended, dad visited, Molls has sorted her birthday cake, documents updated, ironing done and dinner cooked...now where's that glass of wine! Phew!

Take care whatever you are doing.
xx

Day 418

Day 418...

Well we have had another productive day. 

Monday is our non-working day of the working week and it started with the usual collection of our grocery shop. While we were collecting the shopping we bumped into one of the store colleagues, Jon, who we know through pre-school.  It was lovely to catch-up with him and he offered his help to pre-school once again.

Once home, and with all the shopping packed away, we then had a parcel to drop off at the post office and a car full of rubbish to take to our local recycling centre. This was all the rubbish left over from the fitting of the floors last week...enough to fill the car!

And then the rest of the day was spent with a little more organising of Simon's workspace as well as going through our DVD and Blu-ray collection. There were a number of films that we had on both DVD and Blu-ray, we even had two copies of the same format of one film and quite a few that we just haven't watched in forever and have no intention of watching any time soon. So we were quite ruthless and went through everything throwing some straight out and keeping others to sell on Ebay.

We even discovered some old VHS tapes, there were a few Disney ones, quite a number of Prince videos as well as some tapes of stuff that we had recorded from the television decades ago! Suffice to say it was a combination of bin for some of them and Ebay pile for the others.

Although at one point we did get rather confused when we couldn't find the Disney Blu-rays we thought we had and then Molly remembered that they were still in the garage in a storage basket - oops!

But by the end of the day we had them all sorted, and put back into the cupboards from which they came. And just in time to play taxi service for Molly as she had her kickboxing class tonight.

Oh and yes our government have given us the go ahead to hug people as from next Monday but we must do it carefully...for goodness sake we had four deaths in the whole of the UK today from Covid I think the time for hugging people is now! We had more deaths in the UK from cancer, heart and stroke conditions and more deaths from suicide alone than Covid today...really don't get it anymore!

But take care and I'll see you tomorrow.
xx

Day 417

Day 417...

After a very busy day yesterday we took things a little slower this morning and enjoyed a lazy start to the day.

The main focus of today was to get Simon's workspace back up and operational ready for work on Tuesday. So although we had managed to get his desk and chair into his workspace he now needed to get everything else back up there and more importantly connected, plugged in and working.

The space he has is up in the rafters and so he has to contend with slopped ceilings and only a couple of double electrical sockets. He has an awful lot of kit that needs to be connected and it is a mammoth, and complicated, job. But he is using this opportunity to make sure he only has what he actually needs and streamlining where he can. This is the ethos that we are taking as we 'put back' our rooms, to take a moment to reflect and ask; Do we need it? Why are we holding on to it? Is it useful anymore? Does it serve a purpose? Do we even like it still?

While Simon battled with technology I spent an hour or so online with my podcast co-host Michelle as we recorded this weeks Disney Dream Girls show. Ordinarily we would have recorded a show by now but what with all the work happening here this week, and Michelle just having moved house, today was the first opportunity we had had. 

We did take a little time out late this afternoon for a short walk; a quick 1.9 miles in about 38 minutes. And we were back in time for our weekly Disney quiz via Zoom...I say weekly but it has been a couple of weeks since we last hooked up so it was nice to see what are now very familiar faces, and this week I won! This does mean that I now get the honour of setting the questions for the next quiz which will have to be in a few weeks time as next week it is Simon's birthday and the week after we are away for the weekend...staying in an actual hotel...for the first time since March last year, which is just ridiculous.

So as we start to see restrictions being eased I spot a cousin on Instagram post her wedding photos...a scaled down affair because of the restrictions still in place, with a comment that they will celebrate with family later in the year...so sad! And then we have the promise from our government that we will be allowed to hug people from different households in a weeks time but that we have to do so 'carefully'...unbelievable we are now being told by our government how to hug each other...I am a grown woman I will hug who I want, when I want and how I want, I don't need politicians telling me how!

And with that I have a martini, a husband to hug and time to chill.

Take care.
xx
 

Soggy Saturday

Day 416...

Well today has been rather busy and rather wet!

We started the day with rebuilding our bed...we had assembled it last night but had realised that one side was lower than the other. Well, it was good enough to sleep on last night but it did mean that this morning we had to take it all apart again and re-assemble it!

It was then a wet car drive to take Molly to her Saturday morning guitar lesson. While she strummed out we hit the coffee drive thru', the very slow coffee drive thru'...it must have taken half an hour just to get a couple of coffees. Although to be fair we had nowhere else to go and it wasn't like we could have sat inside the coffee shop as we are still not allowed to 'dine' inside!!

And then the rest of the day has been taken up with trying to get our living room and Simon's work space back to normal, and as I type we still have work to do. The biggest challenge was getting Simon's work desk back into his work space which is actually on a mezzanine type floor with a very narrow staircase. The desk was a self-assembly piece of furniture that was assembled in place many years ago. We had managed to get it down in one piece by lowering it down but we were not sure that we would be able to manage the same in reverse. But with the combined strength of me, Simon and Molly and a little ingenuity from Simon we managed what I had thought was a lost cause. I'd even suggested to Simon earlier in the week that we might have to buy a new self-assembly desk because I thought there was no way we would manage to get it back into the space. But I am so glad I was proven wrong.

Once Simon's desk was were it was needed we then focused on getting everything else back into the house from the garage where it had been stored these last few days and then deciding whether we actually wanted them back in the living room and if so where. We have also had the job of placing soft pads under all the furniture so that it doesn't mark the new wood flooring.

We are taking the opportunity of having an empty room to refill it with a fresh pair of eyes. When we revamped our bedroom last year we took the chance to 'Kondo' the room and our clothes and so we are taking the same approach with our living room; do we need it? Do we still like it? Is it serving a purpose? It is quite fulfilling to re-examine what you have always had and make those decisions that perhaps ordinarily you would not make or would put off making.

So it is almost nine o'clock on a Saturday night as I write this and Simon is busy sorting the speakers for the audio system so I better go and help!

Take care out there, see you tomorrow.
xx

Day 415...Finally Friday

Day 415...

So we have a Friday and day three of our floor installation.

My day was spent at work while I left Simon home to supervise the floor fitters. 

Work was another standard sort of day. We started the day be going through the activities planned for the coming week which meant that I could set up email, social media, website and learning journal posts for all our parents. It was then a day of emails, filing and banking and a little indoor football with the children at the end of the day!

On my way home I stopped by one of my best friends to wish her a happy birthday for yesterday. I'd not been able to see her yesterday for various reasons so made a point of stopping by today to drop off a present and card. The great thing was that I timed it just right to see two of my other close friends who were also dropping off gifts...it was the first time that we had all been together in over sixteen months! We have now put a date in our diaries for a girls night out when the pubs should be open indoors...assuming our government sticks to its plan to let indoor dining happen from 17th May!

I arrived home to a very busy house; lots of sawing and banging noises from two very busy fitters. They worked so hard and by early evening the work was completed. We now have three rooms all fitted out with lovely wood flooring. And although we will have a lot of work to do this weekend to get the living room and Simon's work space operational again we have managed to get our bedroom back to how it should be. So tonight we get to sleep in our bed, rather than just the mattress on the floor!

Well, talking of bed that's where I'm heading, see you tomorrow.
xx

Day 414...Thursday...

Day 414...

Another day with the morning in work and the afternoon at home, as well as day two of our new flooring being fitted.

So it was up early to be all sorted before our fitter arrived. Just as I was leaving for work I received a text to say that my butchers order had been delivered...now we had not had a knock at the door but I know the last couple of times the delivery company have just left the order on the doorstep and then send through a photo to say it's delivered. I opened the door expecting to see a very big box and there was nothing! Simon and I investigated and found two boxes that had been left by the gates to where we live...no where near our front door. I appreciate that the boxes were on the heavy side, and there was a little bit of a walk from the van to our door but isn't it a delivery company's job to 'deliver' to the door?!

Simon, thankfully, was able to carry the boxes into the house while I dashed off to work. The morning was the usual mix of banking, admin, emails and chatting with staff about the remainder of the academic year. We have leavers celebrations to plan as well as a Summer fundraiser. Ordinarily we would hold a Summer Fair but with some restrictions still being in place and having to wait for the next steps in the 'roadmap' to actually happen it doesn't give us much time to organise anything. So we have decided to opt for another 'virtual' raffle and a special fun week for the children with lots of games and special treats.

I came home via a local supermarket; I went in for about five items and must have come out with about fifteen. One of the benefits of lockdown had been relying on just one grocery shop per week but I have slipped back into the habit of just 'popping' in to my local when really we could have survived till the next shop. Oh well, best get back into my new habits rather than pick-up the old ones that caused me to spend more money than I should!

Once home the floor fitting was in full swing and although we have a couple of issues it is going remarkably well. Simon's work area is a little awkward and has lots of nooks and crannies to work around so that has taken a little more time than anticipated but now we are onto the two main rooms so things should be a lot easier. Although there was a moment when we suddenly remembered about laying the wire for our speaker system under the floor...thankfully we remembered just in time!

My main job this afternoon was to sort the butchers order out into meal sized portions. We had delivered; 5kg chicken, 6kg steak mince, 20 burgers, 100 sausages, 4.5 kg bacon and 4 packs of steak. It must have took me well over an hour to bag it all up, sort out the freezer and get rid of all the packaging, but we are now good to go for the next few weeks. Adopting a keto/low carb, almost carnivore, lifestyle means that all our meals are focused on protein and fat. Cooked breakfast every morning with lunch and dinner being focused around a meat based protein, lots of black coffee, small glass of red wine and some lovely extra dark chocolate to enjoy. No bland carbs, no beige fillers just great tasty, and filling, food. It will be seven years in a few weeks time that I adopted a low carb lifestyle; I lost the weight, dropped the dress sizes and most importantly have maintained those losses. See my page 'Eating Well, Staying Healthy' to find out more about the changes I made.

And talking of good food dinner was a late one tonight as our floor fitter worked as late as he possibly could; bless him he has worked so hard and although we have a couple of issues that need sorting he is on the case. So we are having a quick dinner this evening of steak, burger and bacon with maybe a few fried veggies on the side and cheese on top!

Take care out there.
xx

Working Wednesday

Day 413...

First day at work this week, and it was a full day.

But this morning started off bright and early, to not only get out for work at the right time, but to also get ready for the wood floors getting fitted today. I needed to ensure that we had everything we would need for the next couple of days out of our bedroom just in case the floor needed screed to be applied as this would mean we could not use the room for around 24 hours.

My day at work was a mix of the usual admin and banking tasks and fielding emails. I have a new system to get my head around called 'virtual school' ahead of a meeting in just over a week and so I was back and forth on emails and phone calls to sort it all out. This afternoon me and my deputy got together to work out our plan for the remainder of the academic year which involves staff appraisals, leavers celebrations, fundraising and reviewing Ofsted requirements. Suffice to say whilst we were very busy we still have a big chunk of work to get through.

Throughout the day I was getting updates from Simon on the progress of our new flooring. Our fitter had a job to finish off first thing and got to us around lunchtime. Thankfully we only needed screed to be laid on a couple of smallish areas which means that we can still access both our bedroom and living room. Simon's office area has been boarded out and metal edging strips laid ready for the actual wood floor going down tomorrow. We now have lots of boxes of flooring and rolls of underlay all ready for an early 8am start tomorrow!

The day was rounded out with the usual Wednesday taxi service to get Molly back and forth from her kickboxing class and that was our day.

Take care, wherever you are.
xx

 

Happy Star Wars Day!

Day 412...

And it was another day off from work for me today. We had a scheduled Inset Day at pre-school, which ordinarily means the staff would be in work training or catching up with various tasks, but because we have already worked the hours it meant a day at home.

We did allow ourselves a slow getting up this morning as we had been so busy the last few days but we still had a pretty productive day. Molly had a driving lesson this morning and Simon and I took a short walk out while it was still dry. We only walked 1.6 miles in 32 minutes but we achieved the objective of getting some items in the post and then battled our way against the wind home again.

Then it was time to move the last remaining pieces of furniture out of the living room and into our garage for the next few days. This meant moving some rather heavy pieces so we were very grateful for Molly's help. But it also meant disconnecting all the TV and audio kit and the mass of wires that go with it all as well as dismantling our sofa to get that moved out the way as well. Thankfully our sofa was a 'build it yourself' type so taking it apart was pretty straight forward and it is now in about nine pieces! Although we did take plenty if photos as we went along to aid with the reassembling in a few days time! 

Once the room was clear of furniture we had yet more carpet to roll up and put in the back of the car. We then moved onto clearing our bedroom. We were able to disassemble our bed, while leaving us the mattress to sleep on for the next few nights. We then had to empty the drawers of the dressing table so that we could move that out of the room...it is a very heavy piece of furniture so we made sure we had the shortest distance possible to move it! We then removed the underlay from the remaining carpet so that all we are left with in the bedroom is our mattress and some carpet! I think we will be 'camping out' for the next few nights. If the floors need to have screed applied before we can lay the new wood floor we will have two rooms out of action for possibly 24 hours so we will need to make sure that we have everything we need for the next few days out of each room, otherwise we'll be in a pickle!

So with more underlay in the car we took our third trip to the local recycling centre. It was unusual to be out and about driving around in the middle of a work day and it was kind of reassuring to see how busy the roads were. Although it was also sad to see pubs that had been open in the last week or so now shut because of the typically temperamental British weather; to be only allowed to open outdoors at the moment is ridiculous. Pubs cannot survive on outdoors only dining when the weather is so unpredictable, after all who wants to sit out in the wind and the rain to 'enjoy' a glass of wine! And just today the government very quietly released a paper by SAGE (their scientific advisory group) that basically said there was no detrimental affect of opening up indoors hospitality yet all these businesses have got to wait until the 17th May...unbelievable.

Arriving home we refuelled with a coffee before getting the hoover out and cleaning around the best we could ahead of tomorrow. There is going to be more dust, and more cleaning, over the next few days but figured I'd try and keep on top of it as best I could.

So as today is 'Star Wars Day' (May the 4th be with you!) Simon treated himself to a new VR game called Star Wars; Tales from Galaxy's Edge. Galaxy's Edge is the new area in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World that takes you to the planet of Batuu and this game is centered around that planet. In the theme parks the area includes various shops, restaurants and rides including Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run. 

Now I am not a big fan of VR, kinda makes me feel a little seasick and disorientated, but Simon was insistent that I gave it a try this afternoon as I would be able to experience Batuu from a position that I would be unable to do so in actual reality. So I popped on the goggles and found myself in Sleesak's Bar with a window in front of me which looked out over the Millenium Falcon...

Inside Sleesak's Bar

...Wow! Everything looked so good and I really could imagine myself being in the actual Galaxy's Edge, somewhere which we have yet to visit. I said to Simon that if the real life version is as good as the VR then I am going to struggle to get Simon away from it all the next time we get to visit in person!

And there we have another Tuesday. Back to work for me tomorrow and the start of our new flooring being installed!

Take care.

xx