Douze Points

Yes I know I know I know.

7. I've finished reading The Margarets which was very good if slightly confusing at times. So of course I have started rereading, starting with The Fresco.

8. My mother's present has hit a brick wall at the moment...



...it's just too big and I have burn-out.

9. So I have started doing one of these Art Deco ones. They are small and therefore quick, and I've decided to do them on card which is a nice change.

The set. (with the cover of The Margarets visible on the right)



Daffodils in progress.



It's very satisfying doing the black outlines and then filling them in.

10. I've read two more S&A's books, We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea and Secret Water

11. I've been really enjoying the Worlds of Fantasy series on BBC4. This weeks one had both Pratchett and WoW in it, and last weeks was talking about LOTR and Gormenghast. I realised I'd never actually read Gormenghast so sent Emily a text...

Kate to Emily - Have you got Gormenghast? Can I borrow it?
E to K - The BBC series or my play?
K to E - The book...
E to K - LOL, yes, will bring next week.

This is because we'd sold our copy at work (which I'd been going to buy) to a guy who was buying it cos he'd seen the Worlds of Fantasy programme and decided to read it...

12. Other nice work coincidences include the fact that a bloke wanted a copy of The Children of Green Knowe on the same day that I'd had a conversation with Anthony about kids names. Apparently Toseland can't be used as a first name...(we were trying to find a first name that will go with Ayrton as a middle name...)

13. The above conversation also included the fact that we have to name one of the boys (in our undecided number of future children) Jack Daniel, "because if we don't do it you know your bloody sister will!".

14. Work has been quiet as Gavin had a few days holiday, also RichieFingers and Chris have both been suffering from evil zombie plague (named by Gavin) which turns its sufferers into the walking dead. The fact it's just been affecting the men is obviously just a Midlands thing as mum has been dealing with the Southern version. I just hope I don't get it for next week - I'm on holiday!

15. I've finally bought the brilliant Michael Rosen's Sad Book. On days when I need a little help this works wonders. It makes me cry my eyes out at the same time as consoling me that feeling like this is allowed.

16. I'm feeling very sorry for poor Kimi, as this (16) is his starting slot for tomorrow mornings GP. I will be getting up to watch it, hopefully with more success than my attempt at watching the qualifying this morning when I slept straight through my (very noisy) alarm. Thanks to the video, I am watching it now though.

17. Every now and again I buy myself the Cross Country Stitching magazine. I have discovered that I love that kind of stuff (although I draw the line at the religious/USA is the best ones). My Welcome Birdhouse cross-stitch is very much in that style.

18. Phew! (I was struggling). I'm on holiday for a week or so now and will be away from the internet for a good chunk of that. It's making me sad as I don't want to miss any news from Michelle <--- the baby's due any day now!!!

There's your 18 things Jen, even though I cheated a little sorry.

If I'm awake enough I shall do some liveblogging during the GP tomorrow morning, nice race start time of 4.30am...

Saturdayness

I love working Saturdays, no really, I do. After all, where else apart from in retail can someone repeatedly call you a liar and you can't do a thing about it.

Not to mention...

the scene - harassed bookshop employee talking to a customer
Customer 1 - I need a copy of The Quest by Wilbur Smith.
HBE - Certainly, I'll just grab one for you.
HBE steps around the customer and manages a grand total of three steps before...
Customer 2 - I'm after a book.
HBE - Ok, I'm just getting a book for this lady but...
C2 - *heavily sarcastic* Sure you are.
HBE - *speechless*
C2 - Why don't you just get me the book I want. It's Foreign Fields by Dan Collins. It's a war book.
HBE - *puts on big bright smile to cover up the fact that she would like to tear C2's throat out with her teeth* That's just upstairs in Military History. When I've finished with the customer that I'm serving I'll be happy to help you find the book.
HBE finds book for C1 and hands it over, then goes upstairs, finds the other book and hands it to C2 who is standing in front of the Computing section and looking puzzled.
HBE then goes back downstairs and into the storeroom behind the counter where she bangs her head on the wall until she feels better.

Then there was the girl who paid by cheque - "Forteen pounds and 73p only".

------------------------------------

Luckily I have an Anthony. I get a lift home, wine and cider bought for me, and pizza delivered.

I am also permitted to watch two soppy films tonight as we watched Mad Max yesterday.

Another busy day

Very quick post in the 5 minutes I have before going out again.

Went to the Flair Festive Fair at the Lighthouse today which was rather good. Had intended on going and then found out that Paul (my ex-neighbour Angela's man) would be having a stall there for his glassware. So Anthony and me went up with Angie and Joe (Paul's son) and bought some nice shiny goodies. I will post pictures when I have time.

Now we're going back round to Angie's for dinner - a "French Moroccan Lamb Tomato kind of a thing"

I intend to drink wine and relax.

Variousness

My sister has only just noticed that I'm blogging every day.

Apparently my writing is more intelligent than I thought.




Today I ordered in some copies of 84 Charing Cross Road to go on our reviews dumpbin - 15 minutes later someone came in and asked for it.

If you say (in a snarky fashion) to my manager (while he is having a bad day) that you want him to bring our stock of cloth baby books to the counter so that you do not have to walk 20 yards, do not then be surprised when he brings you the whole stand. (and then goes outside for a fag).

When Anthony tells me that I'm not allowed to buy any more Wispas, he should not be shocked at the fact that I come home with a giant tub of Maltesers, ok, a giant tub and another box of Maltesers, and three Chocolate Oranges, although one of those is his. (TMI: it's THAT time of the month).

And I bought him an apple pie!

I also bought a huge snuggly soft red fleece throw from Woollies, this is because the two blanket throws I have already are very thin and this house is very cold. So cold that Anthony is looking at electric blankets!

I have a day off tomorrow, so may attempt a sensible and coherent post. Although probably not.

A very short post...

After a day of rushing around getting haircuts and seeing Anthonys folks, and before an evening spent at a friends party, the 15 minute gap in the middle is best filled with food.

Battered sausage and chips for me, the same plus a chicken balti pie for Anthony.

Yum.

Now, off to the party!

Gosh I was a bit miserable last night wasn't I?

That was a bad day, today is going to be a good one.

On good days I am grateful that I got to spend so much time with my dad when I was younger and that I haven't (that WE haven't) then had to watch him change so much through illness that the old dad vanished.

After writing last nights post I spoke to mum and Emily. Mum told me to "stop wallowing. Imagine how bad it is for me!" - In vain did I protest that I wasn't, just having a bad day and that I was was worrying about her. I got told off for buying a book on grief "it'll tell you what to feel" and told off for associating James Taylor with dad "He didn't like his music, I do!". Ah well, my mother is coping in her own way as Emily kept telling me.

Emily has told me off for worrying about her so I shall try to stop (I said TRY) and instead follow her advice: "Worry about yourself, ignore mum she's never really understood you, do what you need to do to get through this."

I love my sister.

So today I am up early (ugh) for the early shift at work which means I get to finish early and spend more time with my man. We will watch the last episode of Scrubs Season Three (Turk and Carla's Wedding) and eat something that might be slightly nutritious.

Life is ok, not great, not terrible, just carrying on with a bit of a gap in it but not one that stops the whole damn thing forever.

Grand Prix

Gosh I rather dislike that boy (listen to me being good and not swearing like I want to).

For your viewing pleasure I bring you Hamilton and Alonso before today's incident...




...and Kimi, being his fabulous self. This one's for Emily:

The End of Harry Potter...

Well, that's it. The end of Harry Potter. Three hours of overexcited customers including two of frantic bookselling, and then 2 and a half hours of reading and it's all over.

It was bloody good though.

The two major characters that she said died...it was more like 5 to me. One death I knew was going to happen from the minute I finished the Half-Blood Prince, one was totally totally unexpected and had me shaking and in tears. Another was a surprise but not such a shock, and the other two were so linked that if one was killed the other had to be.

There were actually quite a few characters who didn't make it to the end but couldn't really be described as major really. They were kind of accumlative deaths if you know what I mean. Big huge fights have to claim more than one victim and they need to be named characters.

I can't quite believe it's all over. But it very much is. That last chapter that she's had written for years is sort of a "happily ever after" one, it leaves the way open for a little more, but also means that you leave characters happy and getting on with life rather than just after the fighting has stopped and the dust is clearing.

Ah well.

Right then, I'm due back at work in 5 hours so I'd better go and get some kip. I wonder how many plot hints I can drop at Campbelli tomorrow before she thumps me?

Curry and Lyrics

Curry:
I am going to be eating a fantastically nice curry in a minute.
We bought it from Asda the other day, Limited Edition Buttered Chicken Marsala. I had it on Thursday night along with three naan breads and a large glass of shandy. It was bloody lovely. So lovely in fact that we went back to Asda tonight after I finished work so I could get another one. Anthony is just dishing it up now... YUMMY!

Lyrics:
It's not just Green Day that suffer from me mishearing the lyrics. Everyone knows that ABBA sing the line "When I saw you last night in Tesco", but have you ever heard of the Yappy, Yam and Yead songs?

John Denver sang the first one "Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy". Yes if you get all proper and sound your haitches then it's fine, but when you're singing it mutates into "Sunshine on my shoulders makes me yappy". This is what I used to sing when I was little and later led to the second song...
Take That and Million Love Songs - "A million love songs later, here I am". This one was pointed out by my dad when they came on TOTP and he said "Not that bloody yam song again!"
The Yed song is a relatively recent addition. Sung by Blink 182 it talks about the fact that "you're just a voice inside my head", again with the haitches!

(Pause to eat some curry)

I really do mishear lyrics all the time. The most famous example is a song my parents have that apparently talks about Alan being an Elfchild. Not to me. To me Alan will be forever an Eldron, whatever one of those might be.

Classic.

I just googled for the song, and got the lyrics below. No Alan mentioned! So the line I have always sang as "Alan was an Eldron, Eldron, Eldron. Alan was an Eldron down beneath the sea".... was not even close!

Ok, I think I need to stop now!


Steeleye Span - Elf Call Lyrics


i heard a bonny cow low, cow low, cow low,
i heard a bonny cow low over the lea.
and it was an elf-call, elf-call, elf-call,
and it was an elf-call calling unto me.
and the little elf-call, elf-call, elf-call,
and the little elf-call said unto me:

“come and nurse an elf child, elf child, elf child,
come and nurse an elf child down beneath the sea.
come and nurse an elf child, elf child, elf child,
come and nurse an elf child down beneath the sea.”

“what do you moan for, moan for, moan for,
what do you moan for?” the elf king said to me.
“i'm moaning for my own child, own child, own child,
i'm moaning for my own child far across the sea.”
then the little elf king, elf king, elf king,
then the little elf king said unto me:

“come and nurse an elf child, elf child, elf child,
come and nurse an elf child down beneath the sea.
come and nurse an elf child, elf child, elf child,
come and nurse an elf child down beneath the sea.”

i heard a bonny cow low, cow low, cow low,
i heard a bonny cow low over the lea.
and it was an elf-call, elf-call, elf-call,
and it was an elf-call calling unto me.
and the little elf-call, elf-call, elf-call,
and the little elf-call said unto me:

“come and nurse an elf child, elf child, elf child,
come and nurse an elf child down beneath the sea.
come and nurse an elf child, elf child, elf child,
come and nurse an elf child down beneath the sea.”

“come and nurse an elf child, elf child, elf child,
come and nurse an elf child down beneath the sea.
come and nurse an elf child, elf child, elf child,
come and nurse an elf child down beneath the sea.”

Our House?

I fully intended to blog all about Bath and what a lovely time we had there, but events have overtaken me. (I shall try to do it next week instead).

When we got back on Wednesday I had a phone call from my landlady to tell me that she would be selling this house. She offered me first refusal on buying it and then said she'd pop round Friday night so we could sort everything out. Well she didn't pop round, but that's not really a problem, just means I have to sort out with my useless letting agents (of which more later) exactly when I can give notice.

We had a scoot through the local paper and found a couple of houses in this same area that are up for rent, one of them is even cheaper than this one (cos the road is dodgier I think) which is saying something as the rents have changed in the three years I've been here. Also, the house opposite is up for rent again, and that would be a nice easy move! I like this area, yes it's a bit dodgy in places, but other areas at the same kind of prices are all out of town and would be a 40 min walk or a bus ride. This area I know (cos the house I lived in before was only down the road) and it's a nice easy walk to work.

The only bugger was waiting for the landlady to come round meant I didn't do anything about finding out how much the one over the road is. There have been several groups move in and out of that house in the time I've been here, mainly Polish folk, so the landlord there might not want someone "long-term" like me.

The main thing that's making us both really ratty, is that when the landlady offered it to me, the first thing I did was refuse. Now thinking about it, we could afford this but... I've known Anthony less than a year do I want to buy a house with him? Buying somewhere now hadn't entered our thoughts before her call (although we looked in lots of estate agents windows in Bath - doesn't everybody?) so why should one phone call change that.
I think it was that when he mentioned it to his mum, she said why don't you buy it. It's made us both get all paranoid and think, well why not. But we know all the sensible reasons for why not, not least the fact that technically I'm still married to someone else and if anything happened to me the Yeti probably wouldn't miss a trick if there was a house involved. (My nice little self-written will should be fine for all other things, but I bet he'd go to court if there was any prospect of real money).

I just hate the not quite knowing. I didn't want to stay here forever, I want to own a house, and live there with Anthony, and get married again and have babies and cats and dogs and happiness - but that's all an ahead dream, not a buying a place right now dream. The fact that we've both admitted to this should make it easier, but as it is the not-knowing about when I have to move is making us ratty and snappy and worried. Gah!

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The other, ongoing, problem is with my letting agents over my rent...

- 5th March, rent goes out of my bank account.

- 9th March, rent came back...confusing me.

- 9th March, phoned letting agents to discover cause of rent coming back. Informed that accounts have changed and should have had a letter, girl on phone informs me it would have been sent a couple of weeks before and addressed to a Mr Polly. I say that a) it's Polley, b) he hasn't been a tenant here for a year so it should have been addressed to me, and c) that I had no letter anyway. She then gives me a bank account no and sort code over the phone and tells me to use the reference HILLM. I ask why this reference, she says "it's your name". I point out that it isn't and tell her my normal ref is 37BURLEIGH. She says to use the new one. I say I'd like it all confirmed in writing.

- 12/13/14th March - no letter yet.

- 14th March, go in to see agents and ask for letter with details to be posted. Explain yet again that Mr Polly is no longer a tenant.

- 21st March, as no letter yet received go in and see agents. Get great satisfaction from walking in and announcing that I have a complaint. Everyone in office stops to help! Get official bit of paper with bank details on. (Acc number different from one given during phone call). Asked to sign this. Query why I am on there as Mr, and why ref is POLLYA. Told ref is POLLYA as he was original tenant and the one references were taken for. Explain we were joint tenants and refs were taken for me as well, also that Polly is spelt Polley. Man says is a Head Office thing, correct Mr to Ms and sign paperwork.

- 21st March, set up new standing order and do bank transfer of rent from March 5th.

- 22nd March, money comes out of account. Sorted!?

- 29th March, morning, receive letter from agents informing me that I have not paid my rent, their ref 37BURLEIGH. Phone agents. Get original girl on the phone and explain, she says I'll have to speak to the manager, Michelle, who is out but will ring me as soon as she gets back.

- 29th March, as no call received, phone agents again. Get same girl who is now rude as I have phoned back without waiting for Michelle to phone me. Say I phoned at 10 and it's now 4. Rude girl says Michelle is with someone, but has had my message and will ring me straight back.

- 29th March, no phonecalls.

- 30th March, ring agents twice, busy both times. No calls from Michelle.

- 2nd April, go down to letting agents with pieces of paperwork showing three different references and two different account numbers. Get very very very angry.

*breathe out*

Needless to say I won't be renting my new house though Martin & Co as they are a waste of DNA...

Grumpy Cats

Esme and Foley are not very happy with us at the moment.

This is because we took them to get spayed yesterday... Foley was unimpressed with car riding and yodelled all the way there, then went very very quiet.

Everything went ok at the vets, then yesterday afternoon it was a question of keeping an eye on them while the drugs wore off.

Foley made a break for freedom as soon as the carrycase was opened when we got back. She made it a whole three steps before realising that her back legs were still numb and falling over. That was how the afternoon was spent, watching them stagger from one sleeping spot to the next and then conking out.

Today they are better, Esme is almost back to normal, but Foley squeaks if you touch her back anywhere. They're curled up on the spare bed in the sunshine and look very cute apart from the bald bits.

Poor pussy cats, they'll appreciate it when they realise that this means I can let them outside a lot more.