1st September 2022...A change in proceedings

So today should have been Day 896 for those of you who have been watching, but I've decided to make a change.

This blog originally started back in 2012 as a way to chat about my passion and love for all things Disney, but especially the parks. Over the years it evolved to include my approach to a healthy lifestyle, the changes I made and the impacts they had, my love for tattoos and sometimes it covered just life in general.

Fast forward to March of 2020 when the whole world went crazy and we found ourselves in a situation that was unique, scary and to use the buzzword of the time, unprecedented; I am of course talking about lockdown. With time on my hands and an urge to write I decided to start a blog entry per day, a diary if you will, to record what was happening not just in my life but in the world around us; it was to be a 'lockdown diary'. After all none of us had ever experienced anything like this and I thought it would be interesting to record what happened, how long it lasted (remember at this point we were told two weeks to flatten the curve!) and how it impacted all of our lives.

My decision to write was purely a selfish one; to record what was happening in my life, how the world events were affecting me and those close to me as well as from time to time chance for me to vent and express my own opinions as to what was happening, and perhaps even share information along the way. Like I said this wasn't started for any specific reason, it wasn't started to find fame or fortune or to find recognition. It was for me, by me and if anyone else wanted to read along then that was fine and if they liked what they were reading then that was a bonus. I had no idea back then that over two years later I would still find myself compelled to 'keep a diary' and that it would have reached in excess of 890 days worth of events.

Back in October of 2020 I found myself struggling to keep the writing going and interestingly I have found those same feelings resurfacing of late. I even began a blog post back then that I never published but that I now find myself referring back to. I think the simple act of writing out my feelings was cathartic and meant I was able to re-focus on what I was doing and how I presented it to the world. I am going to use those words from October 2020 to help me with todays post as I think that what I put down in words then is still as valid today.

October 2020

'My writing has been questioned and no doubt my writing about it being questioned will also get questioned but I am not going to let any other opinions out there stop me from doing what I want and writing about what I want, that is personal to me in a forum that I have chosen to write in.

I have been told that the manor in which I write reveals more about me than I reveal in person...does it? I don't know, I can't possibly know because I am not aware that the person I appear to be in person is any different to the person that is writing this. I will admit to not being the most talkative person and that sharing some things can be a challenge for me and so perhaps writing it down, without judgement or interruption, is easier for me.

I have been told that the manor in which I write is opinionated and aggressive; two words that I would never have associated with myself. Yes, I have opinions on a variety of subjects but that is not the same as being opinionated, the definition of which is 'characterised by conceited assertiveness and dogmatism'. I like to think that I can recognise that everyone has their own views of the world and while I will always try to impart whatever knowledge I may have I know that there will always be disagreements and thought processes and that is fine. I have always said that I will not force my views on others providing they do the same with me. We have to accept that we will not all think the same and that is fine, it's what makes us all individuals, after all it would be no fun if we were all the same. I strive to accept that I will not always be right, that I am open to information that may change my understanding and therefore my opinion. We have to accept that change will happen, it may not always be what we want but it will happen and we need to find a way to embrace and accept it to be able to move on and change and adapt ourselves.

Aggressive; now I don't wish to sound conceited but I have never thought myself to be an aggressive person, in fact I have been accused in the past of being too laid back. I may be passionate about things that I hold dear and if my passion has been interpreted as being aggressive then I can only apologise. There may have been times over the last 220 plus days that I have attempted to express my frustrations or anger at situations, often situations that are too big for me to have any impact on or any control over and again being aggressive was never my intention.'

So that's where we were almost two years ago and again I have gotten to a point where I am letting the opinions of others, whether known individuals or strangers, temper what I write and how I want to write it. I find myself censoring my dialogue rather than allowing myself to write openly, freely and with passion.

Like I said above I have my own set of opinions and beliefs and these will not always sit well with some of those who happen to take the time to read. But they are just my opinions and I recognise that some may agree and some may not, but I think I have the right to be able to express those opinions without dealing with abuse from those who have their own differing opinions. I would never presume to aggressively attack someone just for not agreeing one hundred percent with my way of thinking, but it would appear others out there are happy to attack and deride without any constructive purpose at heart.

In this world we will not always agree with each other and that can be frustrating but we have to sometimes agree to disagree. We have to respect each others right to have those opinions, we should listen and be respectful, we should hear what people have to say and be open to those alternate view points but if we don't hold the same viewpoint then so be it. Respect each other, learn from each other and move along. 

Sometimes we will discover new information that will change our thoughts and minds and that's fine; that's how it should be. We should be open to learning, to expanding our knowledge, to understanding and appreciating positions that could be totally alien to us. But if we can do that then so should others with equally strong opinions.

Let me have my voice and I will let you have yours. Neither of us should stop the other from expressing their true feelings, their true worth nor made to feel belittled or an outsider because they may differ from the perceived 'norm'. No-one should be made to feel any less of a person simply because opinions don't always align.

At the end of the day there is always another channel to watch, another blog to read or simply the 'off switch' to be found. No-one is being forced to read or watch anything, if you don't like it then simply move along and find something that you do like and enjoy. Stop wasting your time and energy on fighting battles that you will never have any resolve for, find your tribe and enjoy them.

And so where does all that leave this blog? Well the blog will keep on going but it will be back to its original intent as a space for me to share my thoughts, my feelings, my tattoos, my love of Disney and my approach to life. I'm sure that there will be posts where I will use the medium to vent against issues that I have no control over, or issues that I feel passionate about but I will strive to write what I want, about what I want, when I want and in my own way because it is right for me and no-one else.

The past 890 plus days have been interesting to say the least...that two weeks to flatten the curve turned out to be much, much longer and contorted than any of us could have possibly imagined. We have had lockdowns, tiers, social distancing, masks, vaccines, mandates, eat out to help out and more. And although the world is more 'normal' than it has ever been since Day 1 it still has some way to go to get us completely back to how we used to be. Will we ever get there I wonder? I hope so, but who can tell? I know that at the moment the world does not feel completely like it did in 2019 and I guess somethings may never go back to how they were but all we can do is hang on in there and watch it all unfurl.

Things will change, some we will like and some we won't but we will persevere and do our best to move forward with positivity and make the most of whatever comes our way.

See you next time.
xx

Day 772

Day 772...

We have reached the end of the working week and we have an extended bank holiday weekend ahead of us.

The day was spent in work and consisted of more handing over of my job role. Next week I will be working from home to see whether the information that I have passed on over these past few weeks has been successful or not. I will be 'on call' should I be needed for anything or should anyone have any questions of me but otherwise we are working steadily towards my leaving date of 27th May.

Once home it was time to grab a coffee and sit outside in the sunshine to top up my vitamin D! After a grey and chilly week today turned into quite a good weather day and it was lovely to sit outside and enjoy it.

I had a little paperwork to complete relating to my dad's ashes. My brother is able to collect the ashes next week and we are then arranging for them to be scattered at the same crematorium, and in the same area, as my mum. But as with everything in life paperwork was needed!

I rounded out the day with a little jigsaw time before making keto pizza for dinner and then settling down to watch some rubbish on TV!

See you tomorrow.
xx

Day 771

Day 771...

Another post being written late in the day and another day without much to tell.

I was in work this morning with yet more transitioning of my job role over to others. The afternoon was spent at home with a short journey out to my local Lidl for some essential fresh supplies.

Back home and I found myself catching up with some work bits as well as sending a few emails in relation to my dad's estate. I then managed to find a short amount of time to move some jigsaw pieces around!

After Simon had finished for the day we headed down the gym, aka our garage, for a weights workout. I will admit to not really being in the mood but I got on and did my workout although it was the coldest I've been in a while; in fact the gloves were back out!

Short and sweet and I'll see you tomorrow.
xx
 

Day 770

Day 770...

The middle of the week and another full day in work and I think another relatively short blog post.

My day in work was spent, yet again, helping to transition my job role over to others. We were able to submit data, balance accounts and start to predict cash flows.

Once home it was chance to grab a coffee before jumping online with my podcast co-host, Michelle. We were able to record a couple of shows for our Disney Dream Girls podcast; one was our regular weekly show and the other was a special Patreon recording. We chatted about some news items along with a hotel review from Michelle's recent visit to Disneyland Paris where she was lucky enough to stay in Disney's Hotel New York - The Art of Marvel.

And that was pretty much it for the day and all that is left to do is to watch this weeks episode of Moon Knight...let's see if it's making any more sense!

See you tomorrow.
xx

Day 768 - Saying Goodbye to Dad

Day 768...

So today we said goodbye to my dad.

We had decided against a formal funeral and instead opted for a gathering of friends and family in his favourite pub to bid him farewell. 

We had a couple of digital photo frames set up with photos of him, and my late mum, going back to the 1960's and it was lovely to share those memories.

We spent all afternoon and into the early evening in the pub. Everyone was so lovely and had nothing but good things to say about my dad. And it was great to talk and reminisce and reconnect with people that I'd not seen for a fair few years. It was also great to spend time with my brother and hopefully moving forward we will get to rekindle our relationship.

Till tomorrow.

xx

Day 767

Day 767...

Another short post today I think as we have had a fairly quiet Sunday.

The usual start to the day with the collection of the weekly grocery shop from Asda. And while we were collecting our shopping Molls and Dan drove by to fill their car up with diesel and were happy to take advantage of the fact that fuel prices were around 8p cheaper per litre than at home on the south coast!

With the shopping all put away and a coffee poured Simon had the task of ensuring that all the photos of my dad that we'd collated yesterday were of the correct dimensions to display on a digital photo frame. We have a couple of frames that we'd like to use tomorrow to share his life with those that come to remember him.

Other techy jobs this morning saw me update some details on previously scanned in old photos of ours, going back to 1995! And then Simon had some music files to convert into mp3 format to then load onto my usb stick for the car. As a member of the White Lies fan club I'd just been given access to a special link of a concert recording from 2019 and it just so happened to be a concert that we had attended at Brixton Academy in December of that year.

Molls and Dan spent most of the afternoon at my dad's house as Molly wanted to go through and see if there were any bits and pieces that meant something to her that used to be belong to either my dad or my mum. After a bit of rummaging around she has come away with a few bits and bobs and uncovered lots of old photos, birthday cards, telegrams, airgrams and more! We have items going back to 1917 and 1918 as well as postcards and messages sent during the second world war - all absolutely fascinating stuff!

Simon and I took a walk out this afternoon and managed just a couple of miles but it was good to be out in the fresh air and blow away some cobwebs. It had felt a little peculiar today as we approach tomorrow and I have been very aware that emotions have been close to the surface.

See you tomorrow.
xx

Day 762

Day 762...

Well today has been a day of various appointments.

It started out with my least favourite of the day...the dentist! I've never liked the dentist and despite numerous treatments over the years my love of going has wained even more.

So on arrival we are told we have to wear a mask...really?! When the majority of my time within the building will be spent with my mouth open! One positive to be taken from the pandemic is that all the forms that would have been completed in person on arrival are now sent via text and email a few days before to be completed online. They even have an electronic check-in to save speaking to a receptionist which would have been great if it had worked.

I had to have a couple of x-rays and while they showed up a couple of cavities I opted not to have any treatment as they have not been causing me any pain. Although I do think it odd when the dentist asks me what I want to do about them...isn't that their job to advise the patient?

I was hoping to get a clean and polish today as two years of not being able to have this done meant my teeth were in need. But apparently all I could have done was the scraping part and not the polishing part because of covid!!! Really? So I have been left with cleaner but rather rougher feeling teeth!

After a quick stop at home for a coffee I popped out to our local Lidl to stock up on a few fresh supplies and decaf coffee; the essentials.

After lunch I headed into Derby for the first of my two afternoon appointments, a quick beauty treatment. My next appointment meant jumping back in the car to head to the outskirts of Derby and to the Breast Unit at the main city hospital. I arrived in plenty of time and was thankful I'd had the foresight to bring some coffee with me as due to restrictions still being in place I wasn't allowed to enter until 5 minutes before my appointment time. 

Having being diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in March of 2019 this marks my third annual mammogram appointment and was the first time back at the main breast unit since my operation. During the pandemic the mammograms had been completed at a smaller site away from the main hospital, but today I was back where it all began. I was in and out in next to no time and now have to wait for my results which will be with me in a couple of weeks! I have two more annual mammograms to go before I am classified as 'all clear' and then I'll revert to the standard screening of every three years.

Back home and the coffee was just brewing thanks to Simon. I spent a few minutes online catching up with the antics of my podcast co-host Michelle as she arrived in Disneyland Paris today and has been posting video online throughout the day.

I had a few minutes to start sorting jigsaw pieces before Simon and I headed down 'the gym' for our usual Tuesday night workout.

And I think that is Tuesday all done so I will see you tomorrow.
xx

Day 754

Day 754...

After a lovely weekend away it was time to return home today.

But first we enjoyed breakfast in the hotel before stopping by to see Molly before we headed home. We took her out for 'coffee and cake' and then hit the road.

Unfortunately, we hit a little bit of traffic not long into the journey which set us back a little but we arrived at our first planned charging point and plugged in the car while we made use of the Starbucks on site. Just as we were about to head back to the car I checked the app on my phone and it said that the charge had been interrupted. We weren't too concerned as the app isn't the most accurate or reliable, but on reaching the car we could see that there had been no charge added to the car!! So we moved the car into a new spot and plugged in again...twenty minutes later and we were back on the road.

It was then a straight forward drive to our next charging station and this time we made absolutely sure the car was charging before we went in search of coffee. Another twenty minutes later and we had a car almost at full charge and ready for the last leg of our journey home.

Our approach to long car journeys has definitely changed and is now a much more relaxed affair. We now know that it will take some time and that we will need to be patient and accept that there maybe some waiting around. But also splitting a long journey into chunks makes the drive feel so much easier and way less stressful.

It was lovely to be back home and catch-up with Ethan and now it's time to catch up with this weeks RuPauls Drag Race and get ready for another busy day tomorrow.

See you then.
xx

Day 753

Day 753...

Wow, what a fabulous day we have had today and I am absolutely knackered!

The day started nice and steady as we enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the hotel, so nice to not have to be cooking for a change. Next we headed out for a little mooch about Bournemouth which included the obligatory stop into Primark along with a coffee in our preferred cafe, Esquires.

We then drove over to Molls and Dans house to figure out what to do for the day. As it was a lovely bright and dry day we headed to Southbourne with the intention of going for a walk...and walk we did.

We headed along the sea-front towards Boscombe and then onto Bournemouth which meant we had walked four miles. In need of refreshment we found a Starbucks in order to recharge our batteries before embarking on the return journey. By late afternoon we had walked, in total, just over 8 miles to say my feet and legs were feeling a tad tired would be a bit of an understatement.

On the way back to Moll's and Dan's place we stopped by Dan's aunt and uncles house and met more of his family. We found his mum there as she was using the back garden to test putting up the new tent she had bought. A fabulous affair that was erected just using air pressure...a new discovery for me as I didn't know tents could be assembled that way.

After a quick stop by Moll's and Dan's place we all jumped in the car and headed back once more into Bournemouth for something to eat. And good old Five Guys delivered once more for a tasty low carb meal.

We spent a little time back with Molls and Dan before finally putting our sore and tired feet up at the hotel. And discovered that with all fresh air today I have actually caught the sun and have a slightly pink face!!

See you all tomorrow.

xx

Day 752

Day 752...

Today was road trip day as we were off to see Molly and Dan for the weekend.

So we had a relatively early start...not mega early just a purposeful getting up, packed and out on the road. And we had the exciting adventure of electric car charging ahead of us!!

Our first stop proved to be a bit of a challenge. Despite multiple chargers being on site most were in use and the one that wasn't being used was not working! We went in search of coffee in the hope that by the time we got back to the car a free space would have appeared. Although I did have to contend with the age old problem of motorway services...the stupidly long queue for the ladies toilet!! Why does that happen?

While waiting for our coffee Simon popped back to the car to see whether we could plug in yet. I found him chatting to another electric car owner who it turned out lived just a couple of miles away from us! But unfortunately there was still no free spaces. We then had a little charging station etiquette to contend with. A space came free but we let our fellow driver take the spot as it had the correct charging cable for his car as we knew the spot next to us was almost at full charge.

The couple next to us disconnected their car and motioned to us that we could have their spot...or at least that's what we thought. So we waited and nothing, no movement, no attempt to move, nothing. Thankfully Simon was able to reposition our car such that the cable would stretch (just) to our car...phew! We now decided it was time for food while the car charged.

And our quest to find a good low carb option was made possible, surprisingly, by M&S food. Picking up small packs of cooked bacon, cocktail sausages, flavoured chicken and a couple of hard boiled eggs - win! With our keto picnic consumed we headed back to the car to find that the couple who had been parked next to us had only just moved. This meant they'd sat there with a fully charged car and not moved...meaning no one could use their space which appeared to be rather rude! Anyway with an almost full charge we were able to get back on the road.

Our next charging stop was a lot smoother; four free spots and a Starbucks! Boom! In twenty minutes we were back on the road and heading towards Bournemouth.

Once checked in at our hotel we met up with Molly and Dan in the town centre and headed to a greek restaurant; The Real Greek. Another chance to have a suitably low carb meal by picking all the most appropriate, and mainly meaty, dishes! 

Afterwards we took a stroll down towards the pier and had a short walk along the seafront. We then headed over to Molls and Dans house to spend the evening over there and some time catching up.

Time for bed now and I'll see you tomorrow.

xx

Day 751

Day 751...

The end of the working week has been reached and for me it was the last day of this school term and the start, at 3.30pm, of two weeks holiday.

But first to the day in work and it was, yet again, more transitioning of my job role. Another day of helping our new administration assistant get to grips with some specific tasks of my job relating to issuing invoices and updating banking. It was a busy day, but a day in which we got done all that we set out to do.

I arrived home to freshly brewed coffee and a quick catch-up with Simon before I set about a few tasks to round out the day.

First up it was podcast recording time. Michelle and I were joined by a good friend of the show, and the force behind 'Touring Plans', Len Testa. Touring Plans is a fabulous resource for all us Disney nerds and in fact anyone planning a visit to the the Disney parks, Universal parks or the Disney Cruise Line. And Len is such fun to chat with and so knowledgeable.

After that, and while Simon was completing his zone two training on the exercise bike, I set about getting some bits and bobs together ready for our road trip tomorrow. We are off down south to spend the weekend with Molly and Dan; it will be the first time seeing then since early February. In fact as I type this I am 'chatting' with Molls as to what the plans are for the weekend.

Because we will be away for the next few days I then wanted to get all the paperwork relating to my dad's estate up straight. We have a meeting with the solicitors next week and I won't have much time to get things ready so just wanted to be ahead of the game so that way I can have a few relaxed days without worrying about other things.

And that was Friday. Happy half term to all my fellow educators and time for red wine and feet up!

See you tomorrow.
xx

Day 750

Day 750...

Another Thursday and today was a full day in work for me.

The work day was another day of working through various parts of my job with my deputy who will be taking over from me at the end of May. I think we are starting to get to the point where I will be needed less and less as the confidence of my staff taking on new tasks begins to grow.

On my way home I had a quick trip to our local Lidl as it was that time of the week when I needed a few top-up items. And as we are away this weekend I needed to get some bits to keep Ethan fed and watered while we are away!!

I arrived home in a hail storm and decided to run for it and actually yelled out 'Ow' as I was hit by hail! Not fun! Thankfully the coffee was ready and waiting for me to warm me up...I wonder if the weather knows it is now April and we'd much prefer some warm sunny weather rather than wet, windy and rather chilly!

But with coffee in hand it was time to get on with things. I messaged the people I been able to contact about my dad's passing to let them know how we are going to celebrate his life in a couple of weeks time.  I was also able to compose something for Facebook to get the word out and hopefully reach as many people as possible that knew dad and may want to come along and pay their respects. I also did a little more research into how best to advise various companies that still need advising about my dads death. Getting a little more done each day.

The day was finished off with a quick workout down our 'gym'.

See you tomorrow.
xx

Day 749

Day 749...

We have reached the middle of the week and it has been another day of two halves.

My morning was spent in work and although my deputy was off work ill we still managed to get quite a bit of work done between us. The power of a Google drive and WhatsApp!!

This afternoon was spent back at home and it was pretty non-stop. I have a lot of companies to contact regarding my dad's passing and so this afternoon I picked a few to see how far I could get. I managed to contact four companies through a mixture of online chats and actual telephone calls and all seem to have gone relatively smoothly, although I was juggling multiple screens at one point! Still more to do but I'll aim to just get a few done each day I think.

I then had some laundry to get caught up on as we are away at the weekend and so wanted to make sure everything was up straight. Next it was time to bake; not something I do very often at all these days as being a low carb family cakes are a bit of a rarity. But as part of our fundraising week at pre-school we have decided to sell cakes and as stock was running low I got out the baking tins and made three dozen cakes all suitably Easter themed!

Just hope they taste okay!!

The afternoon has been a very multi-tasking few hours and I am now looking forward to a cup of tea, feet up and this weeks episode of Moon Knight!

See you tomorrow.
xx

Day 748

Day 748...

Well, today turned out to be a day of two halves. The plan had been to spend a full day in work but as we went through the days tasks we realised that I would be able to finish a little earlier.

The morning was spent with my deputy manager to catch up with all the happenings at pre-school and go over a few more in depth aspects of the managerial role. But we are beginning to get to the point where all those various aspects of my job are being transitioned across and the need for me is slowly becoming less and less.

Therefore just after lunch we decided that I'd done as much as I could for the day and was able to head home and leave my deputy to get on alone with the multiple tasks that she had to complete. We are at a point where it is better to leave my staff to get on with the jobs at hand and to then ascertain just where they need input, if any, from me going forward.

Back home and I discovered that Simon had used his lunchtime to swap over a door on one of our assembled cabinets in our new study room. Because we need to swap the room design over it meant that the corner cabinet needed to be reversed and Simon had been able to do it with ease.

With a freshly brewed coffee in hand I decided to tackle some paperwork of my own. I needed to use the governments 'Tell Us Once' service about my dad's passing as by doing this government departments like the passport office along with local government departments all get informed 'at once' rather than having to contact them all individually. It's a straight forward process and didn't take me too long at all.

I was then able to contact some of our relatives to let them know about our arrangements to celebrate dad's life at his 'local' pub in a couple of weeks time, along with a few of his old neighbours. I still have more to contact but that will be a job for tomorrow. I was also able to start to collate some of the paperwork that we will need when we go to see the solicitors next week along with starting to inform other third parties but there is still more to do.

Then the day was rounded out with a trip to our gym...I think we were both quite pleasantly surprised at how well we did as I think the last two days of building cabinets was starting to catch up with the both of us!

See you tomorrow.
xx

Day 747

Day 747...

Today has been a busy and productive Monday.

It started out with a phone call from our local register office who I'd left a message with on Friday afternoon. Very impressed that not only were they getting in touch on the next working day but it was actually before their official opening time of 9am! 

But they were lovely and were able to help me obtain a special reference number for my dads death that will enable me to register with the 'Tell Us Once' service. Because my dads death is under the coroner and is likely to go to an inquest we are unable to register his death in the normal way and instead have an 'interim death certificate', issued by the coroner. This meant trying to track down someone who was able to generate the correct reference number for us. We are now able to advise a number of government departments about my dad in just one go by using an online service.

Our next job of the day was to visit our funeral directors of choice to sort out the necessary arrangements. My brother and his wife were also there and we have decided that we will be having what is called a 'direct cremation'. This means that there will be no formal service and that simply my dad will be cremated and we will then collect the ashes and arrange for a scattering. Once we have dad's ashes we will then need to make arrangements for the ashes to be scattered within the same area that my mum's remains were laid at our local crematorium.

We then stopped by my dad's house to check for any mail as well as to carry out a little DIY. We had found that the door to the bathroom was not on its hinges so armed with screwdrivers and screws we took a few minutes to re-hang the door. 

Next we headed towards Derby in search of a home improvement store and on the way we had an Amazon return to drop off. At the said home improvement store Simon was able to pick up a new, extra fine saw ahead of the next stage of assembling our workspace in our new study/craft room (aka Molly's old bedroom!). And then it was time to stop for a coffee and a car wash; taking advantage of the jet wash next door to a Starbucks. 

While at Starbucks I received a text from a couple that my dad used to see at his pub of choice who were asking if they could attend his funeral. I explained that there would be no funeral as such but that we were hoping to arrange a get together at the aforementioned pub to celebrate my dads life and I would be in touch.

On the way home we stopped by my dad's favourite pub to see about making some arrangements. The landlady immediately knew who we were and expressed her condolences and was only too happy to be able to sort something out for us. We were also able to meet the couple dad had always spoke about as they were actually in the pub having a meal; perfect timing. It was lovely to chat with people who knew my dad and had memories to share with us. So on the 25th April we will all come together and be able to celebrate and remember my dad.

After a quick spot of late lunch Simon and I then started the next phase of assembling our craft space. We had end panels to cut to size, hence the new saw, along with tackling the two 2.4 metre lengths of worktop and figuring out how they would sit together. 

According to the instructions from Ikea the two worktops are designed to sit next to each other at a ninety degree angle. But Simon had already done a little online research into how to join the two pieces together which involved some clever cutting; as it was there was a little damage to one corner of one of the worktops which forced us to go with the fancy cutting option. We very diligently measured and remeasured and worked out how to cut 45 degree angles. Simon was able to make all the necessary cuts and the two worktops married up perfectly. He was then able to turn them over and make the necessary cuts to allow fixing bolts to be set in place; all very professional looking.

We then had the awkward job of getting both, very long and very heavy, worktops upstairs into our soon to be study/craft room. I was pleasantly surprised that I had the strength to help Simon move them and get them into place. We laid them in place and then realised that we had a slight problem! 

I think we had been so fixated on the damage to one of the corners of the worktops that we had inadvertently made the cuts to join the tops together opposite to what we'd intended. Initially we couldn't believe the error that we'd made and were resigned to 'make do' which would have meant cutting about sixty centimetres off the end of one of the worktops. Thankfully Simon had the common sense to realise that as the room is pretty much square and the layout we have planned involves an 'L-shaped' worktop we simply need to reverse our original plan and everything will still fit and we won't have to loose any of the worktop after all - phew!

And with that our day was done; a busy day with more achieved than I think either of us thought was going to be possible today.

See you tomorrow.
xx

Day 746

Day 746...

We had the usual start to our Sunday with the collection of our grocery shopping; not very exciting but a necessity.

But the next task of the day was a little more exciting as I joined my podcasting co-host Michelle to record this weeks Disney Dream Girls as well as a show just for our Patreon supporters. With everything that has happened this week this was the first chance we'd been able to get together and had the head space to be able to chat all things Disney. Michelle then did an amazing job to go away and edit our audio so that it could be released later today as we always try and release a show each Sunday.

Whilst I recorded Simon made a few final adjustments to the art commission that he'd been working on yesterday. The piece is now complete and he is now waiting to hear from the commissioner to ensure that the art is everything that they wanted it to be. He does a brilliant job of working with his clients to ensure they get exactly what they want and will keep them updated throughout the creation process so that tweaks and amendments can be made if needed.

After a spot of lunch we decided to start the construction of the Ikea flat pack that we'd bought at the beginning of the week. We have bought a number of kitchen cabinets that will form the base of our workspace area and will store all of our crafting bits and pieces. We than have two wooden worktops that will form the desk area. Our task today was to see if we could get at least one of the cabinets built.

Well, by the end of the day we had all four cabinets built. We've substituted the usual plinths with small feet so that the cabinets are almost to the floor with just enough room to open the doors. We have attached all the doors and even worked out how to join two cabinets together by way of a corner unit to create an 'L' shape. We are very pleased with our afternoon efforts and hats off to Ikea for creating units that were super easy to assemble.

I think the next task of moving the two 2.4 metre lengths of very heavy wooden worktops into the upstairs room will be quite interesting!! And then Simon has the challenge of working out how to install them at a ninety degree angle to each other. There is going to be a lot of measuring, and measuring again, before any cutting takes place I think!

So we have had a productive day and I think it is now time to put our feet up.

See you tomorrow.
xx

Day 745

Day 745...

It's a little late in the day as I write this so this may be a quick post!

My day was spent in work and it was another day of taking my staff through various aspects of my job as I get ready to completely stand down from my role as manager. We are still on track for my last day at pre-school to be at the end of May and we are gradually making our way through all the different tasks that my job entails.

I arrived home to a freshly brewed pot of coffee thanks to Simon and a small pile of post which included some lovely flowers sent by Simon's boss (and good friend) and his wife. Although I did have to search for something suitable to put the flowers in as the only proper vase that I'd owned had been thrown out when we'd had a clear out a few months back. It's not very often I have flowers in the house as they will normally set Simon's hayfever off! But thankfully I found a suitably large glass that was a souvenir from a vacation many, many years ago but works wonderfully as a vase!

I attempted to phone the local register office to discuss how to get a reference number for my dad's death so that we can make use of a government service called 'Tell Us Once'. This is a great service as by simply registering online a number of various government departments are advised of a person's death in one go rather than each department having to be contacted separately. Because my dad's passing has been referred to the coroner we have been issued with an 'interim death certificate' as opposed to a full death certificate and therefore getting this reference number is a little different to 'normal'. But unfortunately I discovered that the register office only opens between 9am and 4pm as I was phoning at a few minutes after 4pm and couldn't get through! Finally I was able to leave my details and hope that someone will get back to me on Monday so we can start getting things sorted.

Then this evening we popped out for an hour or so to support my sister-in-law as she has expanded her business into more of an art venture and has a small exhibit happening within the complex where she has her studio. Her business, China Petals, makes mosaics from broken china and pieces of glass and she has now taken this skill into a more bespoke form making unique pieces of art.

And that was Friday and I am looking forward to the weekend and stopping for a few hours, see you tomorrow.
xx

Day 744

Day 744...

We have had a mixed bag of weather today from a light flurry of snow first thing to heavy snow to blue skies and sunshine and then back to heavy snow and then repeat.

Typically the snow decided to show itself just as I decided to pop out for a quick Lidl shop. I was due to meet my brother and his wife later this morning so wanted to nip out and get the little bit of shopping we needed out of the way.

By the time I'd got everything I needed (all of 10 minutes) the weather had changed from grey and very snowy to bright blue skies and sunshine! And that pattern continued for the rest of the day.

I met my brother and his wife at my dads house mid-morning and we set about getting some more cleaning done. They had brought a carpet cleaner with them and made headway with that while I concentrated on the kitchen. Unfortunately my dad had not been as diligent with the cleaning as he perhaps should have and so consequently there is a lot to do but we are getting there slowly. Unfortunately we weren't able to get all the stains out of the carpets but they all look, and smell, fresher now.

This afternoon we had an update from the coroner who has confirmed that because of the circumstances around my dads passing, and following the post mortem today, certain tests are now needed. It is going to take 8 weeks for the results of these tests to be known and then it is highly likely that an inquest will be needed. But we do now have an interim death certificate and his body has been released to the funeral home so that we can start to make arrangements.

Before we knew it the whole day had passed us by, and as I arrived home Simon was heading down our gym. I decided to leave him to it as I still had a few things that I needed to do as the coroner had emailed over some forms that needed signing, scanning and returning. I am in work all day tomorrow so wanted to make sure I actioned stuff tonight so as not to hold anything up.

So Thursday is done and dusted and I will see you tomorrow.
xx

Day 743

Day 743...

Well the main focus of today has been paperwork; my dad's paperwork to be precise.

I was due to be off work today anyway and so it seemed to lend itself quite nicely to begin sorting through the boxes of paperwork that we had found at my dads. I had thought that my dad was an organised sort of fellow but it would be apparent that over the last few years that has not been the case.

I brought home numerous files, boxes and even a drawer full of 'stuff'. I quickly discovered that not all the paperwork related to my dad as a good portion of it related to his parents who have long since departed this world. But there was also a lot of historical paperwork relating to my dad as well and whilst it captures moments in time I think myself and my brother will need to go through it all in more detail and decide what should or should not be kept.

I did manage to find more up to date and relevant pieces but the 'filing' system left a little to be desired as often things would appear in multiple places. But I've started to pull out some key information so hopefully we can start gathering it all together to see what we are dealing with.

I was also able to go through my dad's address book and make contact with as many people as I could to let them know of his passing. It was a little difficult to figure out who was who and which details were still current so I ended up sending a text out to whatever numbers I could find as it was the simplest and quickest thing to do. There were a few numbers that I did try to call but the numbers were no longer valid. 

My brother has also been using the power of social media to track down relatives that we have lost touch with over the years but that we felt would like to know. We've had to rely on our own memories of names and places and just hope we can find the right people. But so far we have done pretty well and we have had some lovely comments back from people all expressing their sadness at losing such a lovely man.

Later this afternoon I decided to pay another visit to my dad's house to see if we'd missed anything and sure enough I found yet another box file hidden at the back of a drawer! And it turned out this missing box had some of the more relevant stuff that I'd been looking for!

I then had a lovely chat with my good friend and podcast co-host Michelle as we debated whether to record a new show or not this evening. I've been busier today than I'd expected and as we both have lots on for the rest of the week we have agreed to wait until the weekend to see if we both have enough spare time free then.

And I think that has been today and I think we have a new Marvel TV series to watch in Moon Knight!

See you tomorrow.
xx

Day 740 - Dad

Day 740...

Today's post is going to be different to my usual daily chronicling of events and will explain the lack of a post from yesterday.

Saturday did not turn out as expected at all. And without going into too much detail we lost my dad. It was unexpected and the circumstances around his passing compounded the loss.

He was a fiercely independent person who did not like asking for help or even admitting that he needed help and ultimately that spirit did not do him any favours. As we get older we want to retain our dignity, our independence and our own self-responsibility but we have to acknowledge that it is okay to ask for help and support along the way. But now is not the time for 'should haves' and 'could haves'; he is no longer with us and we have to learn to accept that, remember him and celebrate his life.

Losing my mum seven years ago broke my dad and every day since her passing he has struggled. He had some days better than others but in the main he was lost without her. And as my brother said in a social media post earlier today that was testament to the love that they shared and the bond that they had. My dad was lost without her, he had lost the driving force in his life and he never recovered from it.

Over the years he had tried to carry on by going to the gym a few times each week, by visiting his favourite pub each day for lunch and the occasional meal out with his 'gym buddies'. Unfortunately for my dad the two years of the pandemic did not help his situation, being cut off from the world affected his mobility and the activities that were keeping him going. 

He has simply existed since my mum passed but at least they can now be together. We have gained another star to look down upon us.

But we have lots of amazing memories to remember him, and my mum, with. Numerous holidays together, visiting Vegas, his love of Elvis, birthdays, Christmas's, teaching Simon DIY tricks (or bodges!), helping me with the kids when Simon worked away, Dad's (and Grandad's) taxi service, his speech at our wedding and 'Magnum P.I' dance moves, welcoming Simon into our family even if he did chase him with a pair of scissors threatening to cut his long hair and always calling me Poll or Polly (I know not why).

He was a warm, kind and generous soul, and will be missed by all who knew him.

Portrait painted by Simon in 2005

Miss you dad, but I know you and mum can be together once more.

xx