The Cupboard Under the Stairs...

I am tackling it slowly.

This cupboard was basically just piled with stuff when we moved in here. Stuff that didn't have a home but needed putting out of the way. This included three bin bags of non-essential washing (no washing machine at the old house), lots of boxes and assorted other junk.

Last week I filled a black sack full of assorted things from under there.

Today I filled another one.

I can only do one black bag a week because with all the other stuff I am throwing from the garage etc that is all that will fit.

Despite the fact that I have only thrown out two bagfuls and taken another bagful of clothes out to sort and wash (as they're mine and nice), the cupboard is looking much less scary.

I daydream of the day that its empty and I can store the hoover in there.

Bookselling to the Stars

On Thursday Campbelli and I went to a book event at the Jenny Lee Centre in Wolverhampton. Malorie Blackman and Jeremy Strong did talks and signings, and we also met Paul Dowswell, a local author who was there to host a workshop and ended up helping us and doing a mini-signing at our bookstall.

Now I'm not as lucky as Mark, I don't get to meet many authors (let alone have them comment on my blog), but meeting Paul was a highlight as he's a really lovely guy.

Campbelli and I had been trying to work out why he looked familiar...then he mentioned that he came in every couple of weeks and we both went "Ahhh...". We might not have known who he was, but we recognise our regular customers.

In other book news, a customer asked for Sink Reflections, the FlyLady book, and I told her that although we can't get it (not available in the UK), the website has good shipping and as long as you watch the total of your order you shouldn't have to pay tax.

Phone calls

Someone or someones phoned me at 00.03, 01.28, 03.53, and 5.48 this morning.

I was unimpressed with being woken up by the phone, especially since even when I'm up and dressed there is no hope of me getting to it from upstairs before the answerphone cuts in.

I reassured myself the first time by thinking that if it was important (like a family emergency) they would phone my mobile (on, and next to the bed as always). The second and third times I went and did 1471 and discovered they were "caller withheld numbers". The fourth time didn't wake me but when I did 1471 just now I discovered there had a been another call.

So today I am sleepy, after going to bed early too!

Nice view

While pootling about on Emilys Flickr account I followed a link to Mattys pictures.

The I found this one...



Wish I had a pub garden like that to go and sit in.

Blood

I've just been to have the blood taken for the tests that the consultant recommended. I was sensible enough to mention to the lovely nurse/doctor/technician (not sure which she was, just that she's lovely every time I see her) that I get panicky and dizzy so she decided I'd better lie down.

This meant that when I did go very dizzy, I didn't fall over, I just talked complete nonsense in an attempt to take my mind off it.

When she'd done she asked if I was ok and I replied that I'd been unable to get the line from Hancock out of my head..."A pint, why that's very nearly an armful!" and then she reassured me by saying "Yes, that's about right actually" EEK!

So I'm now under orders to take things easy(ish) for the rest of the day. I shall get my laundry done, and move my tv to make way for the bigger one that's arriving this afternoon with Anthony (friend of a friend of his was getting a new one) but other than that I think I shall play some WoW and possibly list some books on my spreadsheet if I feel energetic later.

Life

I feel like I haven't been on here for ages and ages when in fact it was only Saturday night. I just haven't had a whole lot to write about really. Well, I have, but I'm actually doing things on my weekends now instead of just surfing all day and then going out and getting bladdered with Campbelli at night.

Campbelli and I are doing an event at a local learning centre on Thursday. These are always fun. We set up a bookstall and then kinda half listen in to the talks going on (only kinda cos they happen in a different room and we can't always hear them). Then we sell books like mad for a couple of hours and then have another rest during the other talks. It's a good time for quiet nattering and book reading and general feeling like we're having a good time while we're working.

This morning we took a first batch of books to the place and went in round the front (the events are held at the back) through this fabulous automatic door. It wasn't like the ones in the Mander Centre where you have to push them to start them opening, this one started opening while we were still about two metres away. I did my usual trick of saying thankyou to it for opening (Think Hitchhiker) and gave Campbelli a giggling fit.

This was nothing compared to my reaction when she said "You know, those kind of doors intimidate me a bit. I feel like they're more intelligent than me. If I was an automatic door I'd be all Oops, sorry, didn't see you there and not opening for people." I was crying after she said that, and had a stitch from laughing for at least 10 minutes.

Campbelli would like to point out that "I'm not as stupid as you all think I am you know. I'm actually a certified Mensa genius, I just don't want all the pressure. Thinking's just bad for you"

After I actually grabbed some paper to write that down so I could post it on here she announced "I'm gonna start a t-shirt company. Pink t-shirts with slogans on. I'm gonna quit bookselling and make a fortune. Funky Campbelli t-shirts."

Finland!

I was supposed to be painting the town red with Campbelli last night but the poor little mite wasn't very well so she stayed home to watch bad Vin Diesel films instead.

I headed off to Tesco with Anthony to buy cat and people food and got home just in time to catch Finland's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Now after all the fuss that there was about them, I wanted to see exactly what had caused all the kerfuffle. The song was ok, the costumes were fairly cool, Sir Terry Wogan's comments were as good as ever.

Much to Anthony's displeasure I left the show on (although I turned the volume down) to listen to the God that is Terry Wogan dissing everyone and generally being the sarky bugger he always is at Eurovision time.

Then we watched the voting together and waited for the winners to be announced..... FINLAND Woo Hoo! They didn't quite break 300 points though but they certainly spanked everyone else.

As for our entry....no comment.

I wonder how many countries will be entering rock acts next year?

Nine times out of seven

I dreamt about work last night. It was an interesting dream that included my assistant manager (Chris) walking about in a nice blue gingham shirt and shorts combination. This is due to the lovely new posters and shelf strips that I was putting out yesterday that are all in various colours of gingham. Front of store is blue, kids is lilac and travel is an interesting shade of green that looks just about ok as the gingham, but horrible as a block of colour on a shelf strip.

Yesterday and today have been spent doing changeover stuff, yesterday with RichieFingers entertaining me, and today Campbelli was back from her few days holiday with lots of entertaining stories and gossip. She is also responsible for the title of this entry after telling me that nine times out of seven she does something. I think that's a good successful rate there!

My house is oddly cold and hot at the moment. If I turn the heating up by one more degree I'm boiling, but at it's current setting I'm too cold even in my big jumper. Just me being odd I guess.

I finished rereading "Fire and Hemlock" today for like the 15 millionth time and I still love that book. I grabbed myself two proofs to read at some point and I do honestly mean to start "A Short History of Nearly Everything" again. I keep getting halfway through and then finding something else I really really want to read. I shall start it tonight and hopefully not get too distracted when I buy my three Miss Read books (being reissued by Orion) tomorrow.

Ahhh...tomorrow. PAYDAY! Although I'm aware I can't actually buy anything that isn't essential (those three books count) and have all my bills to sort out I still feel a lightness in my heart knowing that tomorrow my bank account will have a positive balance for a little while. In fact it had better have it for at least two weeks as that's when the rent comes out!

Gonna go and turn the heating up by that one degree as sitting here freezing while wearing a giant chenille jumper is just daft!

Sleepiness

I dunno. I take my iron supplement and my vitamins and I get to bed early, but I'm still knackered! Funny how when I try to eat healthy I get tired and lethargic but as soon as I quit and have some chocolate I'm bouncing around like a mad thing. Yeah, I know that it's probably a "detox" period from all the sugar in my system - but I stuck with it for two months at uni and felt terrible the whole time. All things in moderation I guess.

I was at work this weekend (one of the reasons for no posts) which wasn't as bad as usual. Yep we were all running about pulling returns and trying to tidy the shop when the fire alarm went off and we ended up outside for TWO hours... but even that was fun as it wasn't raining much and counting the increasing frequency of Chris's swearing (1 in 7 words at the beginning, 1 in 3 by the end) was entertaining.

Anthony picked me up from work on Saturday night and then we went in search of a drill and to price up curtain poles. Somehow this took us into Asda where we bought yet more food and I got a present of a proper Stella Artois glass (and 4 bottles of the stuff itself). I finally got to watch 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' and got teased for crying when Cedric died and for getting all soppy over Hermione looking so grown-up.

Sunday was work again for me (and BTCC for him) and I spent the day trying to make room for shelf offers and teasing Phil. I got taken to Spice Avenue for dinner and had a very nice Balti (the "Bal" being pronounced like "balloon" rather than "bald" - which makes RichieFingers giggle) although I didn't realise the place wasn't licensed so couldn't have a nice beer with it.

Yesterday involved a trip to B&Q in search of that drill again, and since Ikea is only over the road we had to go there too..... I do now have a cable tidy (to stop Foley chewing things), a lightshade (for the bedroom cos I didn't have one) and a nice lamp (to help with my cross stitch). We also got the curtain pole from B&Q and then drove home via Argos to buy the drill!

Life should now be quiet until next weekend. I'm planning on spending the week catching up on the films I have out from Screenselect and possibly watching some CSI too as I have all of Series 1 sitting neatly on my desk.

Haven't got anywhere with reading "A Short History of Nearly Everything" as I've been working my way through some Raymond E. Feist books instead and I also bought the new Jaclyn Moriarty book today ("Being Bindy MacKenzie") which I'm half-way though and about to go and finish while drinking some of that Stella.

Life is good, although the letter I got from Ashley made me teary this morning. It's hard to get a letter from your sister-in-law when you're in the middle of working out how to get divorced...

The Smell After Rain

It poured with rain while I was walking home today. Rain and lighting and thunder - lovely! Extra lovely because I'd "borrowed" an umbrella that had been left at work so I got to stay mostly dry. Ok, so it was a pink see-through plastic umbrella, but I like it!

Foley nearly got himself in serious trouble last night. At 2.15am I was woken by him tearing up the stairs and into the bedroom. He jumped on a bedside table, ran along the top of my clothes rails, bounded onto the top of the wardrobe (which is my old kids one, hence the rails) and then onto the curtain rail where he started yodelling. Luckily the curtain rail didn't come down (which is cos Anthony had a go at fixing it on Sunday) and when I shouted at him he jumped straight onto the bed and snuggled up under my chin purring like a mad thing and promptly fell asleep. If he hadn't been so cute I'd have kicked him out but in the end his purring lulled me back to sleep nice and quickly.

It's my weekend in this weekend so I miss the Spanish GP *boo*, but since Anthony is out at the BTCC at Oulton Park he'll miss it too. This means I still get to spend some of Sunday watching F1 with him, just that it'll be Sun night rather than the afternoon. We have a "visit" next week so Sunday will be spent getting the shop into tip-top condition ready for the customers to trash on Monday.

Cynical? Moi? Not really, just realistic! I did get to see one of my favourite customers today. He came upstairs while I was covering M's lunch and said "Ahh, the best place to spend some time, with the attractive Pagan lady". He's a lovely guy and we always end up having a chat about something. This time it was the fact that even though he's a Catholic (and does something for the cathedral, can't remember the word he used though) he's "on your side because you at least believe there is something". As I said before, he's a dude. More customers like him please!!!

New Hair and Man

Ok, here you go. Three pictures of my new hair and one picture of Anthony....





Ok, here he is....



Sorry, he's shy.

We're now going to eat pie and chips and watch the footie (as prompted by Mark).

Cleaning Demon

I've been zooming around my house this morning and I'm so impressed with myself. I thought everything was going to take ages and ages but all apart from the hoovering and mopping is done. Those I shall leave for when I get back from the hairdressers as my appointment is at 1pm.

So later I shall have lovely short locks again, no more trying to tuck it behind my ears all the time! Then it's just 10 days until they do the first bit of blonding! Woo Hoo!!!!!!

I'll get Anthony to take some pictures of my new do later and then they'll get posted pronto.

The cats are pissed off at me right now. Not only did I keep them waiting for their breakfast while I washed up their bowls, I also dared to scrub out the litter trays with Dettol (I use liner bags so they only need doing every now and again) which made Foley start sneezing and Esme walk off in a huff. They're both sulking upstairs now, but I'm sure I'll be forgiven by the time I get home.

Nothing to worry about

In the end I took a couple of cabs (using my emergency £10) since they're digging up that end of town and I'd never have made it on the bus.

The consultant was a nice guy, we went through the whole history thing and what happened when yadda yadda yadda.

I have to get some blood tests done next week sometime (on days 2/3/4 of my "cycle") and then he'll let me know what the results are.

As I said to him (and he agreed) although he can do chromosome tests and all sorts, there's no point at the moment since I'm not now looking to have kids for quite a while, and definately not with the Yeti.

So blood tests and results to come and that's it!

The nice thing was that when I phoned the cab company to get back into town and told the woman I'd be standing at the roundabout by the entrance (so they don't have to go all the way through the hospital) she said "Is that Kate again by any chance?" I was so amazed she remembered me from February when I was up there two/three days in a row.

I'm gonna go play with Anthony in WoW now (he's happy to be named on here, he said A. made him sound like a master criminal) since he bought it the other day after getting hooked the other weekend.

Day off tomorrow, and hair-cut too!!!

Butterflies

If I was any more nervous about this gynae appointment I think I'd probably faint.

A lot of it is to do with the fact I hate being late and yet I have no idea what time the buses run or how long they take.

Ah well, I'll let you know if I get there on time.

Funky girls

Katie W sent me some pics of her and me and Jess (her mad sister) so here you are.







This is my 402nd post by the way, doesn't feel like that many!

OOORRRIIIEEENNNTTT!!!

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!

The boys done good!

Leyton Orient will be playing Division One football next season!

This also means that the chairman, Barry Hearn, has to fulfill his pledge to take the players to Las Vegas....all expenses paid!

Although I think he did revise his statement to mean flights/accomodation/meals rather than their gambling money too...

OOORRRIIIEEENNNTTT!!!

I'm being laughed at by A. for having spent the time since 4.50pm yesterday in a very bouncy hyper state. But he supports Man U so probably can't remember the last time they got promoted.

OOORRRIIIEEENNNTTT!!!

Long Distance Nagging

I've just changed my April Things to May Things as prodded by my sister. Amazing how she manages to nag me all the way from Wales! (love you trouble)

I managed to take my iron supplement for all but 5 days of April, and those five were all weekend days when I either forgot or was hungover. I'm going to try and keep it up this month too. The cat litter trays is something I tend to do every three days and they really do need doing more, I just forget.

The cross-stitch is going very slowly as I'm on the computer so much more. I'll have to take a newer picture and put it up so you can see how it's going.

I'm annoyed at myself tonight. Last night I'd decided to be sensible and change my yahoo password, but then forgot it and now I'm in the middle of waiting for emails so I might be able to get my account back. It's a bit serious if I can't cos that's my website and everything. Never change your password when you're tired folks!

Ok, I need to go and tidy and clean and have a bath. There will be a man on my doorstep at 1am and I want the house to be tidier than it was last Sunday!

There's probably time for a little bit of World of Warcraft first though....

Grumpy again

I think I've hit some kind of odd burn out point, obviously bouncing around like a crazy person all of last week has taken its toll. The fact that I'm working upstairs can't be helping, I see roughly 1 person every 15 minutes, sometimes a customer, sometimes a colleague and at the end of the day I tend to see no-one from 4.30 until 5.25 when some annoying bastard will come in and try to spend 15 minutes ordering a book.

So I've been doing lots of thinking about lots of different things. The fact that I'm happy to spend time with A. and it feels really nice to be cared about even though lots of people keep telling me its too early to start seeing someone else. The fact that I have a gynae consult next week to try to find out why I had those two miscarriages. The fact I'm trying not to think about the future regarding A. but have to think about the future regarding work and having a lodger.

Plus the cats just broke my favourite favourite vase that was a wedding present from Mo, the lady who drove my mother to the hospital while she was having me. So I am grumpy at the cats, and grumpy at the fact the Yeti is popping round to get his post, and grumpy at the fact I'm going through phone credit so fast, and grumpy at the fact that A. is working tonight and I just really want a hug.

Meh as my sister would say.

I think I shall eat some nice lasagna, some more Gu pudding and snuggle up on the sofa to watch some tv. After I've done the washing-up and hoovered though, somehow I didn't do any housework at the weekend.

(I don't know why I'm always so grumpy on Thursdays either).

Sleepy Kate

I did try going to bed early yesterday, and kind of managed it too. Bed before 11 is unusual for me and yet I'm going to try to get to bed by 11 every work night. That's not my usual bed at 11 where I start getting ready for bed at 11, that's in bed with the lights out and snuggled down. I'm not very good at getting to bed, I'm definately an evening person. Mind you Monday and Tuesday I was awake at 5am so I guess a few early nights are needed to make up for that!

Work was better today, mainly cos there was a little more stock for me to put out. I did finish all the stock today though so tomorrow morning I may well be tearing my hair out. Ahh well, only two more days of it.

I've also been trying to catch up on the TV I've taped for the last week. That does make it sound like I watch lots, but it's actually just 1 programme on each night except Friday. I've caught up on Grand Designs (and this weeks one is on now) and Charmed (ready for tomorrow) but last night I taped three episodes of Lost and so put myself right back where I started from. Those will probably get watched at the weekend - and as for my new DVD's.....I really need a holiday!

Mmmmm, gonna eat a Gu Pud and then womble off to bed.

63 hours

That's all it was. 63 hours from 6pm on Saturday til 9am today, but it feels like a weeks gone by at least.

Saturday night I did get drunk. I also apparently danced with three guys (I only remember two), insulted Campbelli's man (she's forgiven me now) and asked lots of strangers for money so I could have more beer.

This of course resulted in me not getting any of the things done on Sunday morning that I meant to do. When the doorbell went and I let A. in he took one look at me and said "Sit down, where do you keep your painkillers?" So I obviously looked totally ravishing.

After a few hours lying on the sofa and talking crap I'd recovered enough to go to Sainsbury's and buy spag bol ingredients, then we came back here and I chopped up lots of stuff and then he took over the cooking as I was still in no fit state. Then we talked more and more and more about totally random things.

At one point this blog got mentioned and he had a little look at some of the recent posts (he loved the baby photo). He then went through the list of questions and scored himself an impressive 32 yeses, 5 half marks (8,16,19,24,35) and 2 nos (9,11). To be fair to him he is trying to quit smoking and only smokes when he gets nervous (so quite a few on Sunday). He also started washing-up when I nipped on to check my email "Well it's on that list..."

Monday we went into Wolverhampton and visited Campbelli at work so I could apologise to her. A trip into HMV for a copy of Warcraft almost ended in failure (as it's £10 more in the store than online) but then he bought me Amelie on DVD so that he didn't have to leave empty handed. I also acquired the box set of the deluxe editions of LOTR on DVD nice and cheap from Music Zone - woo hoo!

So that was my weekend really, lots of talking and hugs "You know, I think you need hugs more than anything else right now" and then I got a lift to work this morning before he had to head back to Brum. Now I have a week to catch up on my housework before my doorbell rings on Friday night and I get to have another good weekend.

BTW, upstairs today - I was so bored I thought my eyeballs would start bleeding. Only three days to go....

Good genes

If you haven't been there already, go check out my baby sister's photos. Can I just say "Oh. My. God.", and damn the fact that she got to play in that end of the gene pool. I knew her legs looked good...but whoah!!

In other news...he's still here....