Hi everyone,
So sorry I haven't been around - had a completely manic week in work, barely chance to breath and I am so shattered - Fuerteventuara seems a long, long time ago!
Canary, There is absolutely no doubt that if Mil could get into the other bedrooms, or if other residents could get into hers, the issue over clothes would be completely understandable. But, in the CH, rooms are locked - once inside the residents can of course get out - but to get in from the outside, a key is needed. So its definitely not a case of residents wandering and helping themselves or moving things round. Of course, if cardigans, for example, or glasses or other similar things are left around in the lounge, that would account for some items turning up in Mils room (3 pairs of glasses, none of them hers, at the last count) - but not things like trousers, I wouldn't think. I do make regular trips to Mil's room and remove things that are not hers - though I have to say that often its the same items of clothing that turn back up there on my next visit.
JM, I'm so sorry that the tooth is not sorted for you yet - I could say that you MUST make time to see the dentist, but it would be pot calling kettle black, because I know that fitting in stuff like that when you lead a busy life is not always as easy as you might think. So I'll settle for saying that I hope you are able to find the time to get it seen to very soon, instead xxx
Spamar - sorry to read about the aching back - I can sympathize! Youngest (with her first months wages) bought OH and I gifts (bless her!) and mine was a 'long' hot water bottle - its possibly one of the best things I have to help ease my back when its aching! Its about 2 feet long and thin, and it wraps ever so comfortably around me when I'm sitting - can highly recommend it for sore backs! We had our first taste of snow on Friday night, though it was replaced by rain quite quickly so very little of it left when I got up yesterday morning - but sooooo cold yesterday, about 4 degree's - and on my way back to the car as I left the supermarket, I got pelted with first snow, then sleet, then hailstones, all in the space of 3 or 4 minutes and it was horrible!
Amy, so glad you had a lovely holiday and a safe journey home. The escape room sounds like a lot of fun - never heard of them before! And I like it when this thread goes off on a tangent
I don't remember a 'dry Wales', but I do remember very restricted drinking hours on a Sunday, going back to my early 20's. I think pubs/bars opened for 2 hours on a Sunday lunchtime, and from 7 till 10.30 in the evening - now of course, its all day opening!
Slugsta, sorry you had a bad night, hun - hope you managed to make up for it with an easy day and a good nights sleep last night. And I hope you are coping OK with all the arrangements - the emotions at a time like this are exhausting enough to deal with, let alone throwing in poor sleep xxxx Thinking of you, hun x
2jays - very near your holiday now - hope you have a wonderful time
And Red - hope all is OK with your daughter and baby xxxxx
My week started with a pain of a day on Monday. I'm required to change passwords and so on every 90 days, and my laptop password was due for renewal on Monday - so, I logged on, tried to change, only to find that once again the new(ish) security systen had decided I was some sort of a threat and not 'authorised' to carry out that task! Not having time to spend an hour or two waiting for IT to phone me back to sort it, I fired off an email, then headed out to a new project - and got stuck behind not one, not two, but 3 tractors in total on the way, meaning I arrived a couple of minutes late - then couldn't find the class I was working with. So that session started nearly 20 minutes later then it should have done. Heading home just after 12, I had to stop at a cash machine to get some money for my work trip to Cardiff Bay the next day - put card in machine, entered my pin, asked to see balance - machine started flashng up an error message - and ate my card. Contacted machine engineers, told that they couldn't just get my card out, that I would have to cancel it - then go into the branch to order new and draw cash. So that took up a good bit of Monday afternoon, and the rest was taken up packing and sorting the stuff I needed for the Cardiff Bay overnight trip. Tuesday morning, another project then a quick dash home to grab a sandwich, my case and jump in a taxi to the train station. The journey (which took just over 3 and a half hours) was enlivened by the chap manning the refreshment trolley on the train - a little rotund chap who, with a poker face and in a droll monotone, went up and down the carriages offering "
Ants in aspic, Vipers tongues, newts gizzards and albatross', amongst other equally strange food items, and kept me highly amused for the whole journey to Cardiff central, where I had the first of two train changes to get me to my final location.
Arriving there, I discovered that the '5 minute walk' to the hotel was in reality more like 20 minutes and arrived at the hotel frozen and shattered, at about 6.30. VERY nice hotel - the workmate who was also staying there had discovered a special offer which just (only just) put it in the budget we are allowed for overnights, so both of us had jumped at it. My room had a balcony that overlooked Cardiff Bay - absolutely stunning, spent a lot of time with camera, taking pics, waiting for workmate to arrive.
We were both starving, but one glance at the hotel menu told us that eating there definitely was not in the budget (just having a starter would pretty much take every penny we are allowed!) so out into the cold again, to find a more resonably priced dinner. Back to the hotel for 9.30, we both headed to bed - though I admit to another 30 minutes spent photographing the wonderful nightime view from my balcony before I had a bath, then fell into bed.
5a.m - wide awake! Showered, dressed and packed, and downstairs and out to wander round the hotel grounds as day broke - more photo's (of course!)
By 8.30 we had both checked out (forget breakfast - that was outside of the budget too), grabbed a coffee and pastry from a local shop on our way and by 8.45 we were at the Senedd (the seat of Welsh Government) where we were spending the day hosting the opening of a photographic exhibition, called 'The Spirit of Wales', which featured images taken by young disabled people across the country. We spent the first couple of hours hanging the images, then guests started arriving, including Welsh ministers and one of our funders, then speeches, I was asked to take photographs, we spent time chatting with the photographers who were featured in the exhibition and overseeing a buffet lunch. Left the Senedd at about 4.15pm, shared a taxi to Cardiff Central - where I discovered I'd just missed a train, waited about an hour for the next one (that included the train being 15 minutes late! ) and finally got home at about 8.30 that night.
Thursday, spent the day editing the photo's for work and basically catching up on housework, washing, ironing and shopping.
Friday, another project to start the day - my environmental group, so outside, freezing but good fun. From there, home then to station and off to Chester to meet my boss for our monthly catch up. She - bless her - told me that once again, the Welsh team was smashing every target, streets ahead of all the other UK teams - and as a thank you, she treated me to a very posh afternoon tea - which was lovely. She also fired off a rather stern email regarding the IT issues - I am wasting so much time with being logged out, being told I am 'unauthorised' to carry out tasks I need to do - hopefully, that will help get it all sorted.
Aside from going to daughters end of term show at the theatre group, I spent most of yesterday collapsed on the sofa!
Next week, I have 4 projects (including another new one), one meeting and so much admin that the thought of it is enough to reduce me to tears - especially if the IT gremlins keep playing me up. The week after, Monday sees me off for a 4 night residential trip - all of the Welsh team (including my boss) have been booked onto a 'Welsh crash course' - apparently, we are not allowed to speak anything
but Welsh for the whole time we are there - now
"Gallaf siarad ychydig o'r Gymraeg" (I can speak a little bit of Welsh)
but not enough to abandon English completely, and I believe that my 3 workmates have even less Welsh than me - I can't say I am looking forward to it all!
In addition, OH started his new job 'properly' and has had a frantic week too, now on his 5th of 7 consecutive shifts, and finding out that as intensive as the training was, being 'live' in his job is a whole other ball game. He is enjoying it, he is doing well - but he is exhausted, with shifts lasting from 6 hours to 12 hours every day.
All the above explains why I haven't had time to even peep at TP all week - one of the busiest weeks I've had, about 14 hours 'overtime', which I have no chance of claiming back next week, and heaven knows how many extra hours to be clocked up the week after! So myself and the rest of the team are taking a week off at Christmas, in lieu of all the extra hours - and I think we have earned them!
OH currently in work, due to finish about 2.10, so he will either visit Mil on his way home, or (more likely) we will both visit later this afternoon.
Hopefully, I'll have more chance to pop in during the upcomming week - and you never know - I might also actually grab some time to do some prep for Christmas (not one thing have I bought yet!), edit my holiday pictures, catch up on the family tree research and spend some time with my family!
Take care, much love to all xxxx
