First meant to be delivered on the 18th but they couldn't get it through the kitchen door in its packaging and didn't want to unwrap it with all the building work going on. They said they would deliver it on the Friday instead, by which time the skip would have been emptied and moved. The poor guys had been driving around for ages because their printed delivery note was pointing them to number 5 and not number 57.
Friday came and went, as did the skip - but no cooker. When I rang the redelivery had never been scheduled, so they rescheduled for today. Being a helpful sort of person I rang the delivery centre to tell them about the address but they said they couldn't change it and I needed to ring another number; I rang the number and they told me I needed to contact the delivery centre - at which point (having been kept waiting for so long) I semi exploded, so they offered to inform the delivery centre for me. It all looked quite hopeful when we had a call yesterday, promising said delivery for between 10 and 2 today. I hold out little hope for the superfridge actually turning up as promised on Thursday!
The builder rang at 4 to say the cooker hadn't arrived and he was going home. I rang the Company I had bought the cooker from to relay my sorry tale - but it's ok, they say it has been delivered!!! Mmmm I will just have to tell the builder that he is mistaken and they slipped it into the house without him noticing!!
A quiet weekend this last one - which is good but I am suffering today having walked too far yesterday. I am starting physiotherapy tomorrow which should be interesting. The house is still horribly quiet with no H, but I had his foot damage repaired today - what a beautiful new clean windscreen! I am really missing the olympics now it has finished - no gushing of patriotic pride to wake up to anymore. it seems hard to believe that it is really three years since we were awarded the 2010 gig.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Kiss of Death on the Weather
Please will everyone accept my heartfelt apology for putting the kiss of death on the weather this summer, due to being off work! I can't believe it is so grotty! Saying that I can still hear kids playing on the beach and there is one windsurfer out, so I suppose the weather can't be that bad today. At least it is dry.
The house is still going through a destructive as opposed to constructive stage; the kitchen fitter has been delayed yet again but is meant to be starting this Friday now. I must admit I am a bit bored with being asked to choose things like tiles and paint colours - it is just so boring, and because we have so many rooms to do I constantly have to be budget conscious. We currently have decorators in and they are beavering away stripping wallpaper at the moment. It's quite sweet in the kitchen because there is some graffiti on the walls dating back to the 1950s, so I have told the builders that they should add their own 2008 additions - I am going to. The builders have also uncovered a screwed up sheet of newspaper dated April 14th 1914, reporting all kinds of interesting news, including a court case regarding the theft of 20 chickens valued at £5 - this seems an awful lot of money!
H has been in the kitchen making scones this morning, making lots of strange noises and lots of mess too - but at least it tears him away from the TV! I am trying not to look at the scones because they look bloody gorgeous, and I am trying not to go back down the slippery slope of eating that kind of thing! I may have to break out the cream and jam and encourage the kids to eat the whole lot! Oh as a beside, how funny is this - I was out with H once and he doesn't like dried fruit so he selected a cheese scone on M & S and then tried to pick up cream and jam to go with it!!!! LOL! I had to explain that they don't really go!! - a bit like my purple Crocs that the poor child has taken to wearing - they don't look very masculine so I did tell the poor colour blind child that they are bright purple but he didn't care - says he just wears them to save having to put on socks!!
We haven't been doing an awful lot as I am still meant to be taking it easy, so the kids have been glued to the Olympics. S the Slug is full of baloney about her sporting ability; one minute she is going to start cycling to school (about 8 miles each way) the next minute she is going to start swimming before school every day!! I am very good at taking it as seriously as she says it but privately find it pretty hilarious, coming from a child who doesn't get up until gone midday if she gets the chance!!
I have now got a physiotherapy appointment for next week which I am pleased about; it is at the Harbour Hospital in Poole, which is not as nice plush as the Nuffield in Poole, but nicer than some other places!!
It was lovely to see Lynda on Monday, but yet again the weather was terrible, and we got soaked whilst out for a walk, but at least she had brought her coat, as I knew she would as she likes walking in that kind of weather.
Not much planned for the rest of the week; the time is flying by and I do tend to forget what day of the week it is. I made an appointment this morning to see the doctor as I need some new painkillers - the first appointment available with any doctor was the 28th of August!!
The house is still going through a destructive as opposed to constructive stage; the kitchen fitter has been delayed yet again but is meant to be starting this Friday now. I must admit I am a bit bored with being asked to choose things like tiles and paint colours - it is just so boring, and because we have so many rooms to do I constantly have to be budget conscious. We currently have decorators in and they are beavering away stripping wallpaper at the moment. It's quite sweet in the kitchen because there is some graffiti on the walls dating back to the 1950s, so I have told the builders that they should add their own 2008 additions - I am going to. The builders have also uncovered a screwed up sheet of newspaper dated April 14th 1914, reporting all kinds of interesting news, including a court case regarding the theft of 20 chickens valued at £5 - this seems an awful lot of money!
H has been in the kitchen making scones this morning, making lots of strange noises and lots of mess too - but at least it tears him away from the TV! I am trying not to look at the scones because they look bloody gorgeous, and I am trying not to go back down the slippery slope of eating that kind of thing! I may have to break out the cream and jam and encourage the kids to eat the whole lot! Oh as a beside, how funny is this - I was out with H once and he doesn't like dried fruit so he selected a cheese scone on M & S and then tried to pick up cream and jam to go with it!!!! LOL! I had to explain that they don't really go!! - a bit like my purple Crocs that the poor child has taken to wearing - they don't look very masculine so I did tell the poor colour blind child that they are bright purple but he didn't care - says he just wears them to save having to put on socks!!
We haven't been doing an awful lot as I am still meant to be taking it easy, so the kids have been glued to the Olympics. S the Slug is full of baloney about her sporting ability; one minute she is going to start cycling to school (about 8 miles each way) the next minute she is going to start swimming before school every day!! I am very good at taking it as seriously as she says it but privately find it pretty hilarious, coming from a child who doesn't get up until gone midday if she gets the chance!!
I have now got a physiotherapy appointment for next week which I am pleased about; it is at the Harbour Hospital in Poole, which is not as nice plush as the Nuffield in Poole, but nicer than some other places!!
It was lovely to see Lynda on Monday, but yet again the weather was terrible, and we got soaked whilst out for a walk, but at least she had brought her coat, as I knew she would as she likes walking in that kind of weather.
Not much planned for the rest of the week; the time is flying by and I do tend to forget what day of the week it is. I made an appointment this morning to see the doctor as I need some new painkillers - the first appointment available with any doctor was the 28th of August!!
OOH I WANT A SCONE!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Cake Travesty
I went to the local fete today for (for the new house) for a short while but tired very easily. They appeared to take it all very seriously with a standard recipe and cake tin size and shape, so I made a real effort to get a cake tin the right size. I was a little bit pissed off when I got to the fete and there were cakes of all shapes and sizes on display so I asked (tongue in cheek) if all the round ones were going to be disqualified, only to be told that no one could find an 8 inch cake tin so they were allowing all shapes and sizes, and by the way, the metric ingredients list was wrong!! My cake tasted fine (as did the two practice ones :-) but it didn't look as big as some of the others.
We have been living in Mudeford for nearly a year now and for the first time this week I saw the lifeboat returning to base (I have since seen it for a second time this week). The first time I had my camera so took some photos. I didn't realise that the little tractor went so far into the water.
Tonight is the end of Christchurch Carnival week so we should get a good view of the fireworks tonight. I am not sure whether or not we will see anything of the Bournemouth air show over the bank holiday weekend. i have to admit to being slightly paranoid about the coastguard helicopter; it goes so close to the house it feels as though they can see into my bedroom although I'm sure they can't!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Mysterious Case of the Dead Fish
Well the fish head anyway. A fish head has appeared on my drive - where did it come from? Did it fall out of Emma's pocket when she visited, or was it dropped by a careless seagull? I guess I will never know. What I do know is that K keeps forgetting to dispose of it and I can't bend down far enough to do it myself!
I have had kitchen dramas this week as I have discovered that the kitchen door is too narrow for my lovely new fridge. It could come in the back door, but a skip is currently blocking access to the back of the property. The Aga lady assured me when I rang that the delivery men will take the doors off (the fridge doors) and put them back on afterwards - we shall see.
I drove for the first time last night - just up to the house to measure the doors, but it felt nice to be out and about, and now I know that if I want to go into Christchurch I don't have to go on the bus.
I have been looking at kittens online again; I am convinced that this is a must have after the builder found a dead mouse on the drive - yuk. I am going to make another practice Dorset Apple cake this afternoon, with apples picked by me from my own garden. I don't know who will eat it - I may leave it for the builders.
The children drove me batty yesterday - constantly bickering. It goes something like this - girl goads boy, boy wallops girl. Girl demands that I do something about him walloping her. The trouble is she just doesn't leave him alone and she probably deserves it - but he has to learn that it isn't acceptable to go around clobbering people. They reckon that they are going to walk up to McDonalds together for lunch - I'll believe it when I see it!!
I have had kitchen dramas this week as I have discovered that the kitchen door is too narrow for my lovely new fridge. It could come in the back door, but a skip is currently blocking access to the back of the property. The Aga lady assured me when I rang that the delivery men will take the doors off (the fridge doors) and put them back on afterwards - we shall see.
I drove for the first time last night - just up to the house to measure the doors, but it felt nice to be out and about, and now I know that if I want to go into Christchurch I don't have to go on the bus.
I have been looking at kittens online again; I am convinced that this is a must have after the builder found a dead mouse on the drive - yuk. I am going to make another practice Dorset Apple cake this afternoon, with apples picked by me from my own garden. I don't know who will eat it - I may leave it for the builders.
The children drove me batty yesterday - constantly bickering. It goes something like this - girl goads boy, boy wallops girl. Girl demands that I do something about him walloping her. The trouble is she just doesn't leave him alone and she probably deserves it - but he has to learn that it isn't acceptable to go around clobbering people. They reckon that they are going to walk up to McDonalds together for lunch - I'll believe it when I see it!!
Monday, August 11, 2008
The One Where I Show off My Lifesaving Skills
Well I was sat on the balcony yesterday, taking in some rays and getting some fresh air, when a dirty great big kestrel landed on the lawn below, with a pigeon in its mouth. Now, I really was planning to let nature take its course - after all it's just nature, and the kestrel has got to eat - and pigeons aren't exactly my favourite bird! Anyway I got up what I thought was quietly to get Kev out to come and watch, and the bloody kestrel flew off, leaving the pigeon (I think it was quite young) shaking on the lawn. it then went and hid behind the rosemary.
I checked half an hour later and it was still there; this was when I started to feel really guilty - not only had I caused a kestrel to go without its lunch, but I had an injured pigeon on my hands :-( I rang the RSPCA (I know I'm mad) and they said to catch it, wearing gloves, to confine it in a box, and they would come and collect it the following day. The following tableau of Kev doing his Dick Dastardly impression was quite amusing - and then the bloody thing flew off, looking decidedly lopsided!! Even though it was a pigeon, I hope it was alright and didn't just fly off to die somewhere, and I'm sure the kestrel didn't go hungry for long.
I had another lovely visitor on Saturday - thanks - it's so nice to see people; unfortunately the weather wasn't very good though.
My lovely Sister popped around on Sunday with her brood; she is excited because my Niece has got a screen test for a TV program on Wednesday.
I went to the house towards the end of the week for the first time since before my op; things are definitely happening, and hopefully the kitchen is being fitted (or started this week). We also have scaffolding around the whole house now, ready for the drain pipes and painting.
I also encountered a bit of a budget problem; I found some beautiful Fired Earth tiles for the kitchen; I looked up the price and thought they seemed a bit excessive - £340 per s q m. I showed Kev, just for the devilment, and he informed me that he has budgeted £10 per sq m :-)
I checked half an hour later and it was still there; this was when I started to feel really guilty - not only had I caused a kestrel to go without its lunch, but I had an injured pigeon on my hands :-( I rang the RSPCA (I know I'm mad) and they said to catch it, wearing gloves, to confine it in a box, and they would come and collect it the following day. The following tableau of Kev doing his Dick Dastardly impression was quite amusing - and then the bloody thing flew off, looking decidedly lopsided!! Even though it was a pigeon, I hope it was alright and didn't just fly off to die somewhere, and I'm sure the kestrel didn't go hungry for long.
I had another lovely visitor on Saturday - thanks - it's so nice to see people; unfortunately the weather wasn't very good though.
My lovely Sister popped around on Sunday with her brood; she is excited because my Niece has got a screen test for a TV program on Wednesday.
I went to the house towards the end of the week for the first time since before my op; things are definitely happening, and hopefully the kitchen is being fitted (or started this week). We also have scaffolding around the whole house now, ready for the drain pipes and painting.
I also encountered a bit of a budget problem; I found some beautiful Fired Earth tiles for the kitchen; I looked up the price and thought they seemed a bit excessive - £340 per s q m. I showed Kev, just for the devilment, and he informed me that he has budgeted £10 per sq m :-)
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Mandy Eatwell's Big Day Out
Hey I like. The other the ring of that title - they should make a movie - or am I showing my age?
Well I had my first proper trip out yesterday to Poole to see Super Surgeon at The Spire. My verdict? Not as plush as the Bournemouth Nuffield but nicer than the General :-) He is pleased with how things have gone and said that my nerve was wedged underneath my disc and if it had been left much longer I would have suffered permanent nerve damage. He said it was a tricky operation because of this wedged nerve and he lost weight during the operation - wasn't sure how to take that :-) The other good news is that I am no longer confined to my bed - hooray! I feel a lot more comfortable pottering around as opposed to lying down so that is good. I also went to Sainsbury's with K & H last night which was nice (how sad am I?) but I wasn't allowed to lift anything.
My new chair for the bedroom arrived on Tuesday which is a bit of a pain as it would have been nice to have it delivered to Yeovilton Cottage. It is in a very dark red leather and smells gorgeous.
http://www.marksandspencer.com/gp/product/B000N40DS2/sr=1-2/qid=1218117677/ref=sr_1_2/202-6471914-8015043?ie=UTF8&node=42966030&m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&keywords=love%20seat&mnSBrand=core&size=9&rh=n%3A42966030%2Ck%3Alove%20seat&page=1
I have ordered my new fridge for the new kitchen (which is being fitted next week) http://www.rangecookers.co.uk/Rangemaster-SxS-(661)-Refrigeration-product,916.aspx It is lovely and it matches the cooker. Only trouble is that mastercard have been on the phone wanting authorisation from the main cardholder for the purchase :-( I forewarned them that I will be ordering the cooker hood, cooker and dishwasher today too :-)
it is a gorgeous day here today after last night's fantastic lightening. It was quite spectacular going around the bay; I was going to take some pictures but we were just watching the end of Die Hard 4 and I thought that I would take the pictures afterwards but of course it was over by then. I have taken my laptop outside and I am sat on the patio, but I may have to go in again as it is very hot and I can't see the screen that well :-0 Phew that's better - inside again!
I made my first practice Dorset Apple Cake in preparation for the Everton Village Fete Dorset Apple Cake Competition; it came out well considering I just bunged everything into the food processor because I didn't want to stand up for too long!! It's a good job I am not competitive or anything :-)
My runt tomato plants have fruit on them at last, and hopefully they will thrive a bit better now that I do not have to reply on anyone else to water them for me.
My walking is improving and I think that I may be able to make it to my favourite beach front cafe for coffee soon http://www.beachhutcafe.co.uk/ although I'm not sure I fancy crab sandwiches.
The children are making cakes together so I am just steering as clear as possible so they don't stress me out, but they have been threatened if they don't clean up properly afterwards!! Why do they always want to make cakes when an evening meal would be much handier.
Well I had my first proper trip out yesterday to Poole to see Super Surgeon at The Spire. My verdict? Not as plush as the Bournemouth Nuffield but nicer than the General :-) He is pleased with how things have gone and said that my nerve was wedged underneath my disc and if it had been left much longer I would have suffered permanent nerve damage. He said it was a tricky operation because of this wedged nerve and he lost weight during the operation - wasn't sure how to take that :-) The other good news is that I am no longer confined to my bed - hooray! I feel a lot more comfortable pottering around as opposed to lying down so that is good. I also went to Sainsbury's with K & H last night which was nice (how sad am I?) but I wasn't allowed to lift anything.
My new chair for the bedroom arrived on Tuesday which is a bit of a pain as it would have been nice to have it delivered to Yeovilton Cottage. It is in a very dark red leather and smells gorgeous.
http://www.marksandspencer.com/gp/product/B000N40DS2/sr=1-2/qid=1218117677/ref=sr_1_2/202-6471914-8015043?ie=UTF8&node=42966030&m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&keywords=love%20seat&mnSBrand=core&size=9&rh=n%3A42966030%2Ck%3Alove%20seat&page=1
I have ordered my new fridge for the new kitchen (which is being fitted next week) http://www.rangecookers.co.uk/Rangemaster-SxS-(661)-Refrigeration-product,916.aspx It is lovely and it matches the cooker. Only trouble is that mastercard have been on the phone wanting authorisation from the main cardholder for the purchase :-( I forewarned them that I will be ordering the cooker hood, cooker and dishwasher today too :-)
it is a gorgeous day here today after last night's fantastic lightening. It was quite spectacular going around the bay; I was going to take some pictures but we were just watching the end of Die Hard 4 and I thought that I would take the pictures afterwards but of course it was over by then. I have taken my laptop outside and I am sat on the patio, but I may have to go in again as it is very hot and I can't see the screen that well :-0 Phew that's better - inside again!
I made my first practice Dorset Apple Cake in preparation for the Everton Village Fete Dorset Apple Cake Competition; it came out well considering I just bunged everything into the food processor because I didn't want to stand up for too long!! It's a good job I am not competitive or anything :-)
My runt tomato plants have fruit on them at last, and hopefully they will thrive a bit better now that I do not have to reply on anyone else to water them for me.
My walking is improving and I think that I may be able to make it to my favourite beach front cafe for coffee soon http://www.beachhutcafe.co.uk/ although I'm not sure I fancy crab sandwiches.
The children are making cakes together so I am just steering as clear as possible so they don't stress me out, but they have been threatened if they don't clean up properly afterwards!! Why do they always want to make cakes when an evening meal would be much handier.
Monday, August 4, 2008
A Smashing Time was had by All....
.........or by the builder and his Son at any rate. I haven't seen the result of the removal of the old kitchen in the house but K took a photo for me.They have also removed the suspended ceiling in the entrance hall to expose the vaulted ceiling, 
which revealed lots of wires and pipes and two mouse nests - empty ones.
which revealed lots of wires and pipes and two mouse nests - empty ones. After having seen the photos I dreamed that the builder had a sausage dog called Heather that we were looking after..........analyse that one any amateur dream doctors out there!!
H and I walked up to Mudeford Quay this morning; we went as far as the lifeboat station because on Saturday night we saw the lifeboat coming back on from a shout and after a shout there is usually a poster displayed giving details of the last call out - and find them quite interesting. Anyway we made it to the lifeboat station and back, but I had to stop and rest for about ten minutes on 3 occasions!!! - and the callout summary was very boring - a speed boat rescue - that'll teach me not to be so nosey!! It is quite scary that a walk that normally takes me about 10 minutes could take to long, and we nearly got overtaken by a 300 year old man with a walking stick!! However my physiotherapy sheet says that I should be doing two 30 minute walks by the end of week 3 so I need to keep up the pace!!
I had a visit from a lovely friend this evening which brightened up my day no end; she brought me a beautiful orchid and a nice house magazine which I hope to get some ideas from.
Talking of ideas I found these beautiful tiles today http://www.wallsandfloors.co.uk/product-details.php?tid=1118&cid=114 but seeing the price of them I think I might get away with one row as a splashback in the downstairs loo :-(
I have chosen my kitchen http://www.howdens.com/kitchens/ranges/classic-collection/haworth-white/ and I have chosen my cooker http://www.rangemaster.co.uk/index_243.htm I think I am going to have it in cream and hope that it goes ok with the white units. I do like the latte colour but it is new and costs about £600 more, which seems a lot especially to a stingy devil like me - the flipping thing costs enough as it is - but it is my compromise on having an Aga.
I have been trying to find tiles for the downstairs loo floor today - I quite fancied some rustic looking quarry tiles but I think I am going to go for plain white to make it a bit lighter in there because it is quite dark in there with only one tiddly (snigger) window.
I heard H getting up this morning and thought I would join him for breakfast; got upstairs and found him frying bacon to make himself a bacon sandwich :-) rest assured I will have my answer ready next time he asks if he can get me anything :-)
H and I walked up to Mudeford Quay this morning; we went as far as the lifeboat station because on Saturday night we saw the lifeboat coming back on from a shout and after a shout there is usually a poster displayed giving details of the last call out - and find them quite interesting. Anyway we made it to the lifeboat station and back, but I had to stop and rest for about ten minutes on 3 occasions!!! - and the callout summary was very boring - a speed boat rescue - that'll teach me not to be so nosey!! It is quite scary that a walk that normally takes me about 10 minutes could take to long, and we nearly got overtaken by a 300 year old man with a walking stick!! However my physiotherapy sheet says that I should be doing two 30 minute walks by the end of week 3 so I need to keep up the pace!!
I had a visit from a lovely friend this evening which brightened up my day no end; she brought me a beautiful orchid and a nice house magazine which I hope to get some ideas from.
Talking of ideas I found these beautiful tiles today http://www.wallsandfloors.co.uk/product-details.php?tid=1118&cid=114 but seeing the price of them I think I might get away with one row as a splashback in the downstairs loo :-(
I have chosen my kitchen http://www.howdens.com/kitchens/ranges/classic-collection/haworth-white/ and I have chosen my cooker http://www.rangemaster.co.uk/index_243.htm I think I am going to have it in cream and hope that it goes ok with the white units. I do like the latte colour but it is new and costs about £600 more, which seems a lot especially to a stingy devil like me - the flipping thing costs enough as it is - but it is my compromise on having an Aga.
I have been trying to find tiles for the downstairs loo floor today - I quite fancied some rustic looking quarry tiles but I think I am going to go for plain white to make it a bit lighter in there because it is quite dark in there with only one tiddly (snigger) window.
I heard H getting up this morning and thought I would join him for breakfast; got upstairs and found him frying bacon to make himself a bacon sandwich :-) rest assured I will have my answer ready next time he asks if he can get me anything :-)
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