Breathe out

I have hot water and heating again!

Anthony came round today after his night shift and waiting in for the gasman while I went off to work. The gasman came round, changed the valve, and now my house it starting to get warm again.

I have got all my supplies (2 books, bottle of vin rouge, box of 12 Creme Eggs) and now I'm off to spend the evening in the bath.

Furious

So I STILL have no heating or hot water.

When he drained the boiler to fit the new parts one of the valves failed. This means that while my boiler now works, no water will stay in it. Apparently this is quite a common problem with old boilers when they get drained, but my boiler is not that old that he thought it would be a problem. He was surprised at the condition of my boiler to begin with.

So Anthony is coming here tomorrow morning when he finishes work, since there is no way in hell I can take another day off.

I'm so angry.

Angry as hell with my useless letting agents for starters. They phoned me back at last yesterday after my phoning them on Friday, and then had the cheek to ask if it was fixed! Plus, I've never had the electricity and gas safety certs that I've been after for months.

So.

Once again today I will be washing my hair with a couple of kettles of water. I shall be doing some washing up, but not all of it, just enough so that I can cook another casserole which has the nice side effect of warming up the kitchen slightly. I shall again be confining myself to my living room and kitchen with all other doors shut and again be sleeping on the sofa in three layers of clothes.

If I had hot water, if I had the cash to buy some electric heaters like I had at the old house (where we had no central heating, but did have a very good gas fire)...the hot water is the main thing. No heating, ok I can cope with little heaters and layers of clothes, but no hot baths to ease my aching knees is hell.

VERY VERY VERY PISSED OFF.

Today's Horoscope

You tend to house clean like someone with attention deficit disorder, KATE. You never linger long on any one task. As a result, your bathroom mirrors and counters will get cleaned, but not the floor. Today, make an effort to do a thorough cleaning, one room at a time. Even if you don't get the entire house clean, you will at least receive some satisfaction from knowing that your bedroom and bathroom are both spotless. Now, if you could only figure out how to keep them that way!

*giggle*

That is indeed so true, although I don't think it's as bad a thing as it sounds. I try to do a little every day to keep on top of things. This doesn't always work so I do have cleaning blitzes, like before Christmas.

I 'm actually really antsy to get the washing up done and my kitchen tidy again. I didn't do it yesterday because I couldn't face boiling kettle after kettle of hot water to wash up and wash the floor. But the gasman is back again with a pile of bits and hopefully I shall have hot water aplenty later on.

Although I will be having a long hot bath as my hot water priority!

Sucker for romance

I've just watched The Lake House and gone all soppy.

I'm a sucker for romantic films, and this one has shot into my list of favourites. Yes, I know that the whole letters-through-time plot is implausible, and that people will say Keanu's acting is "wooden". But I love it. Despite the bit at the end when I nearly had a heart attack and was in floods of tears.

It's led me to put on Serendipity (another favourite) due to the fact that Nick Drake has songs on both, and in a way they're similar films - the two lovers spend most of the movie apart.

Strangely, I'm not a big fan of Sleepless In Seattle, I think cos it had sooo much hype at the time. Instead I love You've Got Mail.

I shall have to try and compile a list of my favourite romantic films...

Still cold pt 3

Well the gasman originally came on New Years Day afternoon, muttered over the boiler for a couple of hours and then had to order a microswitch for today.

Today he came back, with his manager too no less, and fitted the new microswitch.

This then caused something else to overheat.

He's had to order some more parts (at £150 and £180 each) and will be back tomorrow morning.

Now I just have to see if Bod will let me swap my Friday off for a Thursday off and if not I shall have to get Anthony to come here after his nightshift.

Time to start boiling the kettle for the washing up.

(Oh, I'm feeling slightly more human than the other day as when he couldn't fix it on Mon I went and had a long hot bath at Anthony's folks house instead.)

Edit: I don't have to pay for the parts btw. He was saying that the parts bascially equal the cost of the next two years worth of British Gas Homecare that the landlady has. So that's a good thing.

There's a gasman in my bathroom...

Still cold pt 2

Still got no heating or hot water...for now.

But we got randomly lucky yesterday when I got home from work to find a message from my landlady on my answerphone.

When I phoned her back she'd actually called to ask me to forward a letter to her, but (obviously) I took the chance to mention to her that I was a little cold.

Five minutes later she called me back having contacted British Gas on the emergency call-out system. They should be with us tonight between 6 and 8 so fingers are crossed (as crossed as they can be when I'm trying to type anyway) that I might be able to see in the New Year in my traditional fashion - in a hot Lush-filled bath.

Alf has just come round to entertain us for the evening so I had better go and be sociable for a few minutes.

Mean people

So we're all teasing RichieFingers. Not about anything specific (apart from his pink shirt), just because he's RichieFingers.

Richie - "You're all so mean to me."

Katie W - "We're not being THAT mean."

Richie - "Yes you are, I'm feeling really vindicated."

Kate - "Do you mean victimised?"

Richie - "Yeah, that too."

Still cold

No one phoned or came round last night so in the end I slept on the sofa having made the living room as warm as I could.

I was actually too hot in the very middle of the night so I was daring and took one of my three pairs of socks off!

Esme and Foley enjoyed me sleeping on the sofa. Esme shared the duvet with me and kept my knees warm, while Foley either slept on my pillow or entertained himself by fishing for my feet.

Now it's time for work...at least it's warm there!

Is it Thursday?

I always have bad Thursdays...

...yesterday was quite a good one though. Should have known it couldn't last.

I went up to bed last night all snuggly and warm having had a nice long hot Lush-filled bath...

...and then woke up this morning feeling rather chilly.

My heating is not.

My hot water is also not.

My letting agents finally turned their answer phone off at 11am and told me that someone would be round this evening, after 6 when I get home from work.

As you can see, it's now nearly 7 and I haven't seen anyone or had the phone ring. I am wearing several layers of clothes and have lit numerous candles in order to try and keep the living room at a manageable temperature. I don't have any other method of heating except putting the oven on, and it's a bit far from the computer. I may resort to that later. I'm dreading going up to bed and the cats are huddled round my feet under the blankets.

Brrrr...

So that was Christmas...

...I had a very nice time. I shan't blog about it all now as a hot bath with some of my new Lush stuff is calling and I have a new book to read courtesy of Miss Campbelli.

Emily had a new shiny camera for Christmas (joint with her 21st birthday) and spent lots of time taking photos.

Some of the best are here...

...and my hair definately looks more blonde in person...

Finish the sentences:

1. I've come to realize that my ex...'s voice has vanished from my head.

2. I am listening to...BBC2.

3. I talk...too much about random things.

4. I love...reading.

5. My best friends...are people who believe in themselves.

7. I lost...a contact lens at a party and thought my vision was blurry cos I was drunk.

8. I hate it when people...ask me for a book and then tell me I'm wrong.

9. Love is...love is love.

10. Marriage is...something I will do again.

11. Somewhere, someone is thinking...about eating chocolate.

12. I'll always be...my father's daughter.

13. I have a crush on...Robbie Williams.

14. The last time I cried was because...I was stressed and frustrated with not being able to explain the way I was feeling.

15. My cell phone...is my second alarm clock.

16. When I wake up in the morning...I am always very sleepy.

17. Before I go to sleep at night...I turn on my CD of the sea.

18. Right now I am thinking about...going to bed early.

19. Babies are...cute and horrible in turns, just like adults.

20. I get on myspace...about once a week.

21. Today I...got to see Anthony before he went to work.

22. Tonight I will...watch Oz and James and then go to bed.

23. Tomorrow I will...be up at 6 for another early shift.

24. I really want...another bottle of beer.

25. The person who most likely to repost this is...no-one, cos Emily has already done it.

Christmas Tree

Tree put up - 20.00 Friday 1st December.

Tree put up again - 10.00 Saturday 2nd December.

Tree put up yet again - 23.00 Saturday 2nd December.

Tree tied to radiator and window handle with lots of string - 23.10 Saturday 2nd December.

Remains of ball of string collected from around ground floor of house - 10.00 Sunday 3rd December.

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

My cats LOVE Christmas.

You know it's nearly Christmas when...

...the number of people after totally obscure books increases exponentially.

...you get a bigger list every week of titles that need stickers changing.

...everywhere you go is playing either tacky tunes or whiney carols. (Except us, who still currently have James Brown on, although I'm sure that'll change this weekend).

Speaking of Christmas "music" - I woke up this morning singing the worst festive song of all time. Not Slade, Cliff or Elton...

"Because Pookie-Doodle-Puppy's Christmas party is always so much fun, when he goes Woof Woof Tiddley-Poof you know the party's just begun"

Oh yes indeed music fans...Emily's favourite song from the age of 5 resurfaced in my subconscious this morning...OH DEAR.

In other news, Miss Campbelli is now a CRSM (Children's Regional Support Manager) so well done to the little blonde bombshell for that one.

And I'm about to be late for work...

Woah!

It's working!

I gave Blogger a try this morning cos I've been up since 5 because I'm not organised enough to have painkillers upstairs by my bed. So instead I get up and get them, and then can't go back to sleep. Naturally it has to happen on a Wednesday when WoW is down for maintenence...

But it means I've been and read all the blogs I used to read (which is many more than those linked to on the side BTW) and had a phone call from a grumpy man just leaving Ruislip (he's on nights this week) and actually feel like I've been quite productive so far this morning.

The yawning every few seconds thing is a bit boring though, but it will pass soon before re-emerging at 16.30 and leading my colleagues to be sarcastic.

Naturally now that I've been able to pop on here and type whatever is in my head...it has gone empty.

But Emily is getting me The Moomins for my Christmas/Birthday present!

Frustration

(written on 19/11/06)

I still can't get Blogger to work when I want it to!

I think of something to write (usually while I walk home) and then get in all eager to write it, then Blogger tells me there is an "error". I've then been too grumpy to write whatever it was in Word and so my musings either blow away on the wind or Anthony talks me through whatever it was. Not that I wouldn't talk about it with him anyway, but I wanted to write about it too.

So this one I have put into Word, after a week of trying to post nightly (well, barring Wednesday when we were in the pub) and a weekend trying to post every 3-4 hours (barring Saturday afternoon/evening when I was in Nottingham).

Things haven't been out-of-this-world exciting, but then life rarely is. Things have been important-to-me exciting, which is far more likely.

I went to see the Bonzo's with my dad way back on the 9th (I wrote a whole post for this but will add it later), and Miss Campbelli came back to work on Monday! (the 13th)

It has been very, very nice having her back. In the five days that we've had her, she's helped us rearrange the shop (seriously - the whole ground floor layout has changed), filled a whole notebook with her plans for the children's section, and entertained us all at the Xmas meeting on Wed - by NOT getting drunk! I don't think I'd realised just how much I'd missed working with her. Hearing that dirty laugh from the back of the shop, hearing her tell me or RichieFingers to focus, and even just seeing her bombing around with an armful of stock that you know will be in exactly the right place when you go to look for it later.

This weekend I went to Nottingham to meet Anthony's sister's family for the second time. We're going to theirs for lunch on Xmas Day and I'd only met them once so Anthony decided that a visit was a good idea. I had a very nice time too. Yes, there was the moment when I got there and I suddenly didn't want to get out of the car, but that's normal for me. We chatted about random things, discussed food choices for the Xmas lunch, and even played a little Guitar Hero with the boys (Jon and Matt, very much his nephews). So now I'm much more relaxed about spending the day there, which is one bit of Xmas less to worry about.

That does make it sound like I'm stressed out, but I'm not. I'm a lot less stressed than I was this time last year, when I was trying to organise buying presents for 10 people (including myself) so the fact I have three to buy for my family, all of whom have actually told me exactly what they want this year, and a few to buy for Anthony, who doesn't know what he wants at all. I have fairy lights up already (but only in my bedroom) and I'm gradually getting the high at work that enables you to serve on the till while helping two other people with enquiries!

Blogger, bowling and a slightly mad cat

Blogger is on the blink for me at the moment, but since I really felt I should be posting I am writing this in word and will publish when I can.

I had a very nice weekend last week, Anthony came round about 3ish and took me out to Merry Hill for a spot of shopping (a nice treat since I spent the morning doing my weekly house spruce-up). We went into lots of shops, but managed to stay controlled enough to not go into Lush and to only buy some of the chocolate buttons from the new Hotel Chocolat shop. We did spend a little bit of dosh in Ann Summers though…but those purchases are not for public consumption.

In the evening we went bowling with Alf and Mick (who’s just split with his fiancé Sarah, so needed cheering up). The bowling alley we went to is the one where one of Anthony’s ex’s works, which worried Alf slightly, but since Sam is an ex from about 1998 I didn’t have a problem, and she’s a lovely girl.

Now I haven’t been bowling for about 5 years, I think the last time I went was with Emily and I had very long blonde hair…I think it was Easter 2001! So I wasn’t expecting to do very well so requested cider to drink. This was I would either get tipsy and my game would improve, or I’d get tipsy and not care.

The first game I got 5 pins with my first ball…and then didn’t score for five more balls. Ah well. But as you will see from the scores below, the cider did indeed affect my game.

Mick 85 107 90
Alf 93 105 95
Anthony 74 127 111
Kate 48 51 97 - I came second in the last one!!!

Anthony would have got even higher than 127 if he hadn’t saved his three strikes in a row until the last three balls of that game. We only paid for two games but got three because Alf kept breaking the machinery and we had to keep swapping between lanes 1 and 2.

After that I lost 4-7 to Anthony at air hockey as by that time I’d had too much cider and kept missing the puck. The cider consumption also meant that I sang along to Queen all the way home, although Anthony was kind enough not to cover his ears all the time.

When I felt better on Sunday morning, we went to Asda in search of Sunday lunch and bought some very nice sausages to have with mash. Once again I peeled far too many potatoes but this meant that on Monday night I could have lovely fried up left-over mash and sausages…mmmmm.

Then the rest of this week has been work and sleep really. Regional manager visit on Tuesday, phone calls from Campbelli at Sutton Coldfield to ask my advice on Crime books, Bod gave me a very nice box of Thornton’s chocs for working at the uni (I’m back there again tomorrow as Sat is an Open Day there) and RichieFingers has been generally amusing and occasionally Scottish as he tidies front of store.

Addendum: The mad cat is Foley (as usual). While I was typing this, she came hurtling in from outside and climbed up my back onto my shoulder. Then she was purring like a mad thing and rubbing her face round and round in my hair (just washed with Lush stuff, including the last of my Veganese conditioner). Then she started kneading my head with her paws and chewing my hair while still purring like a flipping train. This lasted five minutes and then off she went again. Cheaper than an Indian Head Massage I guess, although I don’t think it’ll catch on with the general public.

Feeling old

My baby sister turned 21 today.

Since I can remember pretty much everything I did the day she was born, it's made me feel rather old.

Spending my fourth day in a row trying to make the Children's department make some kind of sense didn't help me feel any younger. Especially when I recommended the brilliant Each Peach Pear Plum to a customer and then realised that the book was published in 1978 so it's the same age as me. (It does mean I've requested the 30th anniversary edition as my 30th birthday present from Emily).

Chris was being grumpy today so I asked him which episode of Grumpy Old Men he would be appearing in so I could tape it. Much to my surprise he didn't throw anything at me and just replied that it was the episode after the one of Young, Gifted and Broke that I would be in.

I think that was quite a nice compliment really. Everyone knows I'm broke, but it was very nice to be called young and gifted too!