I am me, take it or leave it

Well, its been a slightly eventful week if I’m honest. Last Sunday, I was walking Tintin and I noticed a scab thing on his nose (he had a leaf stuck to his tongue and was having issues removing it, so that’s when I noticed it) I ask at home if anyone remembered him cutting his nose and no one did. On Monday I left work early and took him to the vet where he ended up with eye drops (over productive tear ducts lead to eye infection) antibiotics for the nose and tear cleaner stuff.

Wednesday was SnB, and a teaching exercise – Rebecca was learning to pick up stitches for her cardigan border, lol. I was splashing out with a Belgian chocolate cheesecake with my tea (those things are expensive but soooo nice) and I was knitting my dad’s socks (I think, too much on the go at the minute) Jolene arrived and gave me a bunch of lovely red tulips because of the whole Donegal thing – they are currently on my windowsill and are all lovely! Tulips are one of my favourite flowers (sunflowers and big daisies are the others) so it was a big surprise to get them. She also gave me my Christmas present – a kit to learn to knit gloves! Gloves are scary cuz of the fingers, lol.

Thursday was an interesting day. I took Siobhan to my old school’s open day. She’s going to be doing this new test thing in November and spends all her time watching tv (which is ok) but when you’re having issues reading, you really should practice. So in order to kinda drive the hint home, I took her to the open night to let her see where she could go if she practices her reading – she loved it! We went to look at the Duke of Ed display and found photos of me from 1996 when we were on our practice day… those photos were so funny but the funniest bit was the student who brought us over to them called his friend over to see that “this girl’s in these pictures and they’re so old!” which was just hilarious, lol.  She was particularly impressed with the CSI experiments in the chemistry labs and the burning paper in physics, the canoes in the swimming pool and the fact that there was a swimming pool on school grounds!

Friday was, all in all, a very scary day indeed! Nicky was undoing my dad’s jumper, but after 3 hours only one row was done (cuz it was not ripping out at all) so we took the scissors to it and cut the ribbed bit off!! I then sat the rest of the weekend and did 3 inches of 1x1 rib, had him try it on last night and he wants it longer still. It’s going to take a while until the thing is finished again and it’ll use an extra 2 balls too.

Saturday was a knit ‘n’ Dvd day – Superhero Edition, lol. Guess what I watched then, lol? It was also the car’s MOT day and I had my dad bring it (cuz I was afraid it would fail, lol) but my fear was unnecessary – it passed! It does however need a few new tyres (front driver has a nail in it and therefore slow puncture, and front passenger has low treads) But they can wait til I get paid.

Sunday was Knit ‘n’ Harry Potter day with Siobhan. I had a scout planning meeting to go to in the evening, but it was cancelled (again) at the last minute. George is hopeless. So Martin and I are having a planning meeting tomorrow night in his house instead.  I’ve managed to get the leather for the leather crafting badge so at least that’s something with a week or two sorted.

Right now, I’m really tired. I starting rereading Twilight last Monday night and had it finished by Wednesday at about 10.30. Instead of going to sleep like a normal person, I started New Moon and finished it at 2am on Sunday morning. I’m really not used to these late nights and have been like a zombie in work all week… and it’s most likely going to continue since the Eclipse and Breaking Dawn are on their way to me now, lol. I’m going to try and be good with these two, and not stay up to all silly hours of the morning reading them, lol.

I watched “Enemy at the Gates” last night, the last SGA episode. I think it would have been MUCH better if it had been spread over 2 episodes and had things explained more thoroughly i.e wormhole hyperdrive thingy. Too much happened too quickly for my liking. But its all over now, what can I watch now on a Friday?!?

Also watched “Family Remain”, the new Supernatural episode. Loads of people were saying how creepy it was, I didn’t feel that at all, I was a bit bored. Maybe I need to watch it on the big tv and not be seaming the baby cardigan at the same time, lol. But it was nice to see Dean, Sam and the Impala again

Well after the madness of the beginning of last week, things turned out rather well.

After the filling of the mother’s car (and the last minute packing) I put everything in her car… then my brother looked at my car and said it was ok, nothing to worry about. So her car was unpacked, mine was packed and off I went. I was hoping to go to the local garage to put air in the tyres for free, but since it was New Year’s Day they had the bollards up so it was off to a garage in Antrim. I sorted out the tyres and even got the car washed!!! (Start as you mean to carry on etc, lol)

I met Rebecca and Ryan in their car and off we went. It was a bit strange driving there on my own but I had the radio to listen to, and the drive took less than 3 hours as there was no traffic!

We made dinner, watched Poirot and knitted (I started a non urgent, non necessary shawl, but I like it despite the pinkness of it, lol) Rebecca and I swapped Birthday presents after dinner and I got Prince Caspian DVD. Not having seen the first one, I now have an excuse to buy more dvds, lol.

Friday morning I woke up with not one, not two, not three BUT four cold sore… that’s the stress of Monday – Wednesday coming through. (They’re still there now but have reached the end stage – just waiting for them all to disappear)

We watched more movies (the thief lord was interesting, lol) and knitted a bit more only this time on a baby cardigan and managed to mess up a very simple sleeve.

Nicky was getting the bus up on Friday and there was a few doubts over the time she’s be able to get the bus at… luckily the year started well and she got the early bus, so was in the house and ready for the slightly disastrous Christmas/New Year’s day dinner. After dessert we had Christmas presents where it was made apparent that I got Nicky a DVD I got her for her birthday in April. There were lots of new DVD’s for me though – Iron Man and Bourne Ultimatum from Nicky (with some Christian Bale/Batman related items one of which was a calendar and was proudly displayed on the fireplace) and Gilmore Girls season 5 and The Princess Bride book from Beckie and Ryan. The Superhero’s were watched, followed by Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull which was very much like a season 3 Stargate SG1 episode.

More knitting was done. This time I attempted to fix the sleeve and seam the cardigan to get it finished once and for all. Alas this didn’t happen and I ended up back on the shawl.

Basically the entire 3 days were spent knitting, eating and watching dvd’s or Poirot which isn’t such a bad way to spend a few days, lol. Sunday doesn’t count cuz it’s the day we have to come home and there’s cleaning to be done before we can do that. We’re hoping to get back up again in February and then in the summer for a fortnight’s holiday.

Yesterday I was productive too. My brother got me a bookcase for Christmas so I filled it (and then some) on Sunday and put the old bookcase in the cubby and filled that too! I obviously have too many books and dvd's, lol. I also sat up til afer midnight knitting the shawl and watching Atlantis - I enjoyed myself but am shattered today since I usually get an extra 2.5 hours sleep, lol.

Today I booked the car in for its MOT next weekend and started a Clive Cussler book - Treasure. Only a few pages in at the minute though so shall have to wait to tomorrow to read some more. Right now I'm off to knit more of the shawl since I'm so close to the end that I can taste it, and watch more Atlantis (we're halfway through season 3 and Rodney has yet to call Shepard John... how long must it take! John was calling Rodney by his name halfway into season 1!!!)

I’ve made a few decisions over the past few days, nothing earth shattering or such like. I’ve decided to no longer organise anything. From now on, it’s going to be “I’m going here. If you want to come too then be at X, Y or Z at a certain time” I’m not stressing myself out sorting other people etc out.

A perfect example of this is “Grimes and McKee’s Christmas Jumpers”. I sent numerous texts about it and some people didn’t even reply. There’s a play called “A history of the Troubles according to my Da” which is on in March. I want to go and was going to try and arrange it with everyone, not a chance. Instead there will be… nothing.

I’m not doing it anymore. I’d rather go to things on my own that have to hassle people for an answer.

In more annoying news, I’m going to Donegal tomorrow. I went and filled the tank last night and when I got back in the car again all the interior lights dimmed away down. This leads me to one conclusion, and once conclusion only. The alternator. Now I’ve had this problem before when I first passed my test, but this is particularly annoying for three reasons:

1.      I’m going to Donegal tomorrow!!!!

2.      Davey serviced the car at the start of December and said it was ready for its MOT

3.      Davey is currently shut.

Why do these things always seem to happen to me??? I don’t know what else it could be to be honest. I’ve described the symptoms to Rob, Clare and Ann and they all think its the alternator too. SO… the only mechanic I could think of (other than taking it back to Davey) is Niall. Now Niall is a person I’ve spoken to once and is Martin’s (scout leaders) brother in law. So I’ve texted Martin who rang Niall who is waiting on him getting back to him. This is all such a disaster really.

So in the meantime, I rang another mechanic who said it might not even be the alternator, it’s most likely the battery! He doesn’t have one, the scrap yard is closed and it’d be a few days before he could get one. So I rang Kwik Fit who agreed with the battery diagnosis and “we’re closing early. If you can get here within the next 10 minutes we can replace but if not…” Brilliant!

So I’ve ended up ringing home, asking my mum if I can take her car and having a little cry.  So now I’m having to go to tesco for the food, go home and get the other car, go back to tesco’s and fill that tank. This whole trip is seriously going to cost me a fortune.

On top of that, Nicky has to work on Friday and hand in PhD stuff and hopes to get the 1.30 bus. If she doesn’t get that one then it’s the 5.30 one which then gets her to Donegal after 9pm which is going to be a serious waste of time and money for one full Donegal day.

Maybe its just better to throw in the towel and call it quits… which I would except that Ryan has taken the day off work and had to talk someone into swapping shifts with him. It’s just been a nightmare… from start to finish, a nightmare.

1. I was driving into work today and one minute it was raining, the next it was snowing. It snowed again, and again. A good few times after that too. Now usually at Halloween it’s raining, not snowing! And since when did it snow in N.I in October?? Usually it’s March when it snows, lol. This means that I need to repair my left mitten thumb, knit a hat, knit a pair of nice Hug bed socks and get Tintin a hi-viz vest for out walking.

2. I’m on the sleeve of the jumper. Admittedly, I’m only on row 2 of the sleeve so I need to make A LOT of progress on it today since I want it done before the end of October (which is Friday incidentally. Delusional? Why yes I am!) I’m hoping (insert laughter here) to get it sewn up next week, washed, blocked and wrapped ALL by next weekend. As for his actual birthday present, Thomas and I need to discuss that but we’re going to Dublin and staying in the Regency Hotel for the weekend… might be able to get to the new This is Knit shop!

3. I made two apple crumbles on Sunday, one for the house and one for the scouts. I even got squirty cream!  Not enough sugar though L We have cookie mix and choc chip for chocolate chunk shortbread, so lots of baking this week in our house.

4. On Sunday in Tesco’s I got meatballs, Swedish style! And the sauce to go with them, so I made them last night (think Ikea here) and they were scrummy! We them polished off the rest of the crumble and I lifted the scouts crumble to take with me and I was blocked at the front door by the sister, lol. Upon asking what she thought she was doing, she replied that the crumble wasn’t allowed to go to the scouts and the father, from his seated position in the living room, agreed with her. So it stayed. Just as well really as…

5. The scouts had to bring their own home made items for their party last night and there were tonnes of stuff! Toblerone cheesecake, pavalova, sponge cakes, toffee apples, and buns galore all made by the kids!! The crumble wasn’t missed.

6. It was discussed at the end of the night that the scout summer camp would be in France , just outside Paris in August. It’ll be for about 10 days or so, and so far it sounds like a lot of walking, lol. It should also be fun but can you see me sleeping in a tent for over a week??? Neither can I, so an airbed and pillow it is!

7. When I was younger, my best friend was called Laoiseach and she lived at the bottom of my street. She moved a 10 minute walk away and I moved to my house now, and for years we would write to each other. As we got older, my letters started to go unanswered and when we were 16 she had her daughter. We met up one night around Christmas when we were 21 and she told me that she was moving into her own house. Each year I would send a Christmas card to her via her mum’s house (cuz she never gave me her new address) and again these went unanswered. So a few years ago, I stopped sending them. Why bother when it’s clear that she doesn’t want to keep in touch. (I did go to her dad’s wake though, and she said she’d be in touch and didn’t. No shock there!)

Anyway, there’s a point to this. I’m on the post all this week and was opening away, and I recognised the writing on the letter from the Northern Bank as being Laoiseach’s. I fully opened the letter, flattened it out, and there it was, at the bottom… her full name. So I now know where she works, lol. Its strange how the past comes back at you now and again. I think I might even try again with the Christmas card this year. But, I really should just get the hint that she doesn’t want to know, lol.

8. Rob in the office put us forward for Reward & Recognition cuz we’ve been doing our own work AND the work of where we were previously. It was decided yesterday that we each (Rob, Ann and me) get £100 which is nice. What’s not nice however is that its taxed  but I suppose its better than nothing.

9. Hole in the wall is near the end thankfully. The joiner came last night to finish it off, and now I’m just waiting on the electrician to put the lights in it. Then, I shall get lovely little clear drawers and put the yarns in them and out of the wardrobe, under the bed (just the crap) and from under the desk. The remaining decorations can wait until the parents en suite is done, the bathroom decorated and my sink and wardrobe ripped out, lol.

10.  I’m slowly working my through my Christmas shopping and I’m getting there. I’ve the majority of the family and friends got, just a few odds and sods to get them although the parents are proving to be a bit of a nightmare (she doesn’t want anything and he wants a new pair of pj’s, lol)

Although it seems I’ve started this all very early (September) I think its better this way. You get bits and pieces as you go along and therefore the cost doesn’t seem so horrendous which it would be if done in a lump sum! I went after work to get another wee bit done – just need to get some paper and put up with it all in my room for another 2 months, lol.

11. I’ve decided to quit the psychology course. I wasn’t enjoying it and its better to stop now than have to do the coursework (and fail it miserably) and the exam (and not know what you’re talking about!) So hopefully my little gray hair will go all brown again!

12. I want to go to Donegal again soonish. I’m thinking the start of December as a kind of pre-Christmas relaxation time AND then  if anyone wants to go after Christmas as a bit of a New Year thing, then that can be arranged!

Yes, this post was a bit of an all over the place one, but it’s done now and out there for ALL to see. Wow, this should have been a “Write 1000 words about yourself” essay, lol