Last week I meet up with a couple of friends who I hadn't seen for a long time - one was just over two years the other was almost 5 years ago. They are best of friends and have been since they were at school - we are now all in our early to mid forties!
The one who I haven't seen for almost 5 years now lives in Belgium and I have recently contacted her through Facebook - that wonderful communicator :)
The other I have exchanged Christmas cards with and seen on the odd occasion for a meal.
How did I meet them?
I started school in January 1974 just before my 4th birthday. I made my best friend for the whole of my schooling on that day - Philippa. We went to each others houses for tea each week, had sleepovers at each others houses - you get the picture. We stayed best friends until we left school at 16 and went to the local sixth form college. There we made new friends and started to drift apart.
The summer we were 15, we went camping at a campsite on the edge of Dartmoor - the River Dart Country Park. Philippa had been camping there from the age of about 10 with her parents in their caravan. She had met lots of people who lived and worked at the campsite and enjoyed going there every year. That year 6 of us from our school class went there and camped in a big tent with Philippa's parents opposite us in their caravan.
We went for two weeks - none of us had ever camped before :)
At the beginning of our second week 2 boys and 2 girls arrived with their families - one brother and sister had travelled from Scotland to Corby, met up with the other brother and sister and then they had all travelled down to the campsite for their annual family get togethers. The boys were big fans of U2- the Joshua Tree was the album at the time.They were dressed very much as the band U2 did at the time. Of course, 6 Convent girls in a tent - a lot of swooning took place I can tell you!
Anyway, as the week went on, we all got talking and ended up getting on very well, which ended up in us all swapping addresses - letters had to be written as it was a long time before the Internet was this popular - and we all agreed to meet there again the following year!
Fast forward onto the next summer - O levels taken, lots of spare time. We all meet up - parents happy to cart us to the campsite and we had two weeks of great fun.
Agreed to do it all again the following year, by this time, we are all driving and managed to get ourselves to the campsite.
I stayed in contact with these friends the most out of all of us, so in the October of 1987 - the day after the hurricane had hit the UK, I travelled up to Corby by coach for Franny's 18th birthday. This was a fantastic weekend and I made the decision that weekend that when I applied to nursing college, one in the area of Corby would be top of my list.
I applied for nursing college in the January of 1989, interviews were finally held in April that year - I had interviews in my top three choices - Leicester, Redhill and Roehampton. All offered me a space and I chose Leicester - the one with the longest wait. I finally moved there in March 1990.
Throughout my nurse training I frequently spent my spare time in Corby. I had some very good friends there.
I made some very good friends during my training.
I met my husband, made the decision to stay in the Midlands, bought houses, got married, had a child, made some bad career choices - not for the friends I made but for the direction my career took me in and how it made me feel!
And now arrive at my current life :)
If my parents had not decided to send me to that primary school, I would not have met Philippa or been anywhere else in my life. I would not be in the fortunate position of having a wonderful husband and son. Happy - well most days - in my work, with some great friends who I may not see for over 5 years but still be able to pick up that friendship easily even after all that time.
So, I suppose I want to say a big thank you to my parents for sending me to my school so that I could meet my friends and my family :)
Wednesday 22 December 2010
Sunday 28 November 2010
Just a small thank you
My son has been involved in Scouting since he finally got a place in our local Beaver troop when he was almost 7 - their starting age is 6, but due to the popularity of the troop, it's often much later when they start!
Today he off at a shooting tournament which is for the local district - apparently there are representatives from each of the Scout troops in the district and they are expecting 52 to take part - although due to the weather they may not have as many.
These leaders have taken time out from their families at a weekend to give a whole day so that the Scouts in our area can have a go at something they may not have the opportunity to do elsewhere in their lives.
Now, I have always stopped friends and relatives from buying my son guns at every opportunity, however now that he is older and he understands the dangers of guns, I am slowly coming around to the idea of letting him have the experience under very controlled circumstances - he has recently been on an activity holiday with my parents and shot air rifles as well as tried some laser clay pigeon shooting.
He left today with a great deal of excitement.
Since he has been in Scouting he has been away to PGL, attended day trips to local camps as a Beaver and a Cub when they were not allowed to stay overnight. He has been on multiple hikes and camps, including a walk across the Derbyshire Dales in January this year - 12 miles - a night hike in March - this time 14 miles as they got lost due to their poor night navigation skills! - a camp in May - given the option to build a bivouac (!) and sleep in it and most recently a 2 night camp at the beginning of October where they realised that as a patrol they need to pull their socks up and start to work as a team! That doesn't include the multiple chip and welly walks he has been on as well - the most recent being this last week.
Every time he returns from just a weekly meeting or a more adventurous weekend or event, he comes back usually in the same clothes I sent him in! he talks excitedly about what he has done and how much fun it was and that he can't wait until the next week/event.
As a brownie guider I know how much effort goes into arranging these things - I am currently arranging a sleepover at the national space centre which involves having to take my large scale licence and anyone who has read my blog at all will know how I felt after the last one I went to!
I also know that it isn't often we get a thank you let alone a card or anything else!
So I just want to say, a small thank you to all of the leaders in Scouting - and the other volunteer organisations out there - for all the work and effort you put into arranging a term of activities, be it in a weekly meeting or like today, giving up a weekend so that someone like my son can experience something he may not get to do again.
You're worth it :)
Today he off at a shooting tournament which is for the local district - apparently there are representatives from each of the Scout troops in the district and they are expecting 52 to take part - although due to the weather they may not have as many.
These leaders have taken time out from their families at a weekend to give a whole day so that the Scouts in our area can have a go at something they may not have the opportunity to do elsewhere in their lives.
Now, I have always stopped friends and relatives from buying my son guns at every opportunity, however now that he is older and he understands the dangers of guns, I am slowly coming around to the idea of letting him have the experience under very controlled circumstances - he has recently been on an activity holiday with my parents and shot air rifles as well as tried some laser clay pigeon shooting.
He left today with a great deal of excitement.
Since he has been in Scouting he has been away to PGL, attended day trips to local camps as a Beaver and a Cub when they were not allowed to stay overnight. He has been on multiple hikes and camps, including a walk across the Derbyshire Dales in January this year - 12 miles - a night hike in March - this time 14 miles as they got lost due to their poor night navigation skills! - a camp in May - given the option to build a bivouac (!) and sleep in it and most recently a 2 night camp at the beginning of October where they realised that as a patrol they need to pull their socks up and start to work as a team! That doesn't include the multiple chip and welly walks he has been on as well - the most recent being this last week.
Every time he returns from just a weekly meeting or a more adventurous weekend or event, he comes back usually in the same clothes I sent him in! he talks excitedly about what he has done and how much fun it was and that he can't wait until the next week/event.
As a brownie guider I know how much effort goes into arranging these things - I am currently arranging a sleepover at the national space centre which involves having to take my large scale licence and anyone who has read my blog at all will know how I felt after the last one I went to!
I also know that it isn't often we get a thank you let alone a card or anything else!
So I just want to say, a small thank you to all of the leaders in Scouting - and the other volunteer organisations out there - for all the work and effort you put into arranging a term of activities, be it in a weekly meeting or like today, giving up a weekend so that someone like my son can experience something he may not get to do again.
You're worth it :)
Wednesday 17 November 2010
12 years
Well today is my 12th wedding anniversary and I just wanted to tell all - well the one of you who actually reads this blog (!) that despite the ups and downs, it's been a great 12 years - 19 together though!
Our wedding day was at Gretna Green with just my mum and step father, my husband's brother, my husband's best mate and my best mate with her then husband.
We stayed for 2 nights in bonny Scotland and when we returned we arranged to meet up with our friends on the Saturday night - we married on the Tuesday.
On the Saturday, I introduced my husband to everyone - they were all very shocked! We had kept it very quiet!
Looking at the weddings we have been to since - and before I might add - there are only one or two of them who are still together - they were all big weddings in churches etc - I think we did the best thing. It doesn't have to be big, showy or have the wow! factor for things to work - we are happy, and hope that we will be for a good few years to come.
Our wedding day was at Gretna Green with just my mum and step father, my husband's brother, my husband's best mate and my best mate with her then husband.
We stayed for 2 nights in bonny Scotland and when we returned we arranged to meet up with our friends on the Saturday night - we married on the Tuesday.
On the Saturday, I introduced my husband to everyone - they were all very shocked! We had kept it very quiet!
Looking at the weddings we have been to since - and before I might add - there are only one or two of them who are still together - they were all big weddings in churches etc - I think we did the best thing. It doesn't have to be big, showy or have the wow! factor for things to work - we are happy, and hope that we will be for a good few years to come.
Monday 25 October 2010
Alcoholics Annoymous
I met my husband 19 years ago, in a nightclub where we were both very much the worse for wear!
Maybe this should have rung a couple of alarm bells then.
At the time we met, we were both just into our twenties, I was a student nurse and my husband was a camping salesman who went out with his mates every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.
Thursday night - meet in the "Wellie", get drunk, end up in a night club, Friday night - meet up with best mate in the whole world in his local village, get drunk, sleep on the sofa at mate's mum's house, Saturday night - meet mates get drunk, somehow manage to find a way home!
I think you may be getting the picture.
When we started going out, I would see him every night of the week except for a Friday - not allowed to meet the best mate yet!
If we stayed in, we would inevitably get some wine and cider and drink it all and feel just a little hungover the next day.
I shared a four bedroomed flat in our nurses residence and two of the bedrooms were taken by student dietitians. One of their projects was to study the lifestyles of their flatmates and keep a record of what we ate and drank for a week.
They chose to study my husband - diet wasn't too bad for a lad who was 21, alcohol intake - 121 units per week - his main tipples were Pils and Diamond White - we now know that each of those are worth at least 1.5 units each and not the 1 unit we allocated them!
The Government recommended intake at that time was 21 units per week for a male - so 5 times the limit was pretty good going I thought!
We all thought it was a laugh but did nothing about it.
Fast forward to about 6 years ago. Hubby feeling a bit rough and unfit, so decided to cut out the cider he drinks - still on the strong stuff most nights of the week, with wine at the weekend. As an aside, I don't really drink all that much anymore, maybe a couple of glasses of wine at the weekend, hubby will finish the bottle off both nights.
Cider stops, and 2 years later, states that he feels much better!
Then comes a very difficult time in his life - made redundant, and unable to find a job for 6 months. Things were very fraught and money was tight - he was able to claim jobs seekers allowance but was in the process of setting up a business and so all of his money went to that - apart from the money he started spending on the cider again.
I raised my concerns but he just brushed it aside as I'm stressed, I'm allowed at least one thing aren't I? At this point he would wait until I disappeared upstairs for a bath before drinking so that I wouldn't know that he had had a drink! This just shows how bad things were at the time.
Managed to find a job about 12 months ago now and although it is nothing like what he wants to do, it covers the majority of his share of the bills and we just about get by.
Hubby has a few friends that he has kept in contact from school with, they meet up every now and then, usually on birthdays, stag do's etc and all get very drunk. Even went to Magaluf about 3 years ago - I was worried as he tends to get lost quite easily and starts looking for the London Road - wherever he is - city or country! - and then walks up it to get back tour village!
Came back from there pretty much unscathed - wearing the same clothes he went out in 3 days before, sunburnt soles of the feet - fell asleep on the poolside! -wearing another chaps boxers - slept in the chaps room on the last night as he couldn't get into his room and woke with only 30 mins to spare before they left to come home - few drunken stories you know the rest!
This time last year, the eldest of the group celebrated his 40th birthday. House party about 40 minutes drive away - I'm never invited allegedly - so drove over, would catch a taxi home and then I would take him back over the following day. Went to bed, and woke around 5.30am as he stumbles in through the door. Leave him to it.
When he finally wakes up and I ask if he had a good time because of the time he comes home, I find out that he actually caught a taxi to someone else's house so that his taxi wouldn't cost too much! The local taxi firm at the new location wanted to charge him £25 to come out our way. Hubby being a bit of a spendthrift, thought I'll walk into town and find a taxi there.
Got to town, started walking up the London Road (!) looking for a taxi, none would pick him up because of the way he was swaying up the road! He passed the last village he would likely find a taxi to find that the taxi office was shut -it was about 3 am by this time, so he thought I'll just walk on to home. A new bypass has been put in which does cut the distance home by about 30 minutes when you are walking, however there is no pavement! He even slipped down an embankment at one point and because he had his "best" shoes on - they are smooth on the sole - he really struggled to get up the embankment! You get my drift?
He then spends the rest of the day feeling very rough!
In September this year, I had a long discussion with him about how much alcohol he was drinking again -he decided not to drink for a month - it was a very long month, headaches all the time, very grumpy, just not a happy atmosphere in our house - detoxing is never fun, I have seen it lots of time through work. Felt much better for it, and has stopped drinking in the week again with just one bottle at the weekend. So much better.
Friday night was this friend's 41st birthday! Repeat?
House party, this time I drop him off, we're not going out and about so the money I would spend in the pub I will get a taxi home. As I dropped him off, ring if you are not coming home just so I know you're not stuck down the embankment!
OK he replies.
6 am - I wake -bed empty, sofa empty, no husband!
Managed to wait until 8.30 before I sent the text that I would pick him up if he wanted me too.
OK comes the reply at 10 am.
Return to collect him -and get dragged into the house by the host - I have never met these people - hubby's choice - come in, have a coffee - I don't drink hot drinks but thanks anyway - I'm introduced to all of the friends I should have met over the past 19 years, and get asked why I didn't come along last night! I look at hubby and just say, no babysitter - the truth? I was never invited!
You must come next year and stop over. OK
Get hubby home around 11.30 am - provide water and red bull in the car along with the comment just a phone call at anytime would have been good so that I don't worry what has happened to you! Didn't decide to stay until 5.30 am comes the reply!
He collapses on the sofa and basically doesn't get up until 5.30 pm!
The state he was in was just undescribable. I don't know what to do now?
He doesn't agree that he has a problem - am I being too judgemental?
Should I just take the bull by the horns and tackle him about it?
I'm struggling to cope with him when he is like this and I know he verges on the edge of depression but won't accept that either!
I'll just wait until we get to the next time and then go through all of this angst again I suppose!
Maybe this should have rung a couple of alarm bells then.
At the time we met, we were both just into our twenties, I was a student nurse and my husband was a camping salesman who went out with his mates every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.
Thursday night - meet in the "Wellie", get drunk, end up in a night club, Friday night - meet up with best mate in the whole world in his local village, get drunk, sleep on the sofa at mate's mum's house, Saturday night - meet mates get drunk, somehow manage to find a way home!
I think you may be getting the picture.
When we started going out, I would see him every night of the week except for a Friday - not allowed to meet the best mate yet!
If we stayed in, we would inevitably get some wine and cider and drink it all and feel just a little hungover the next day.
I shared a four bedroomed flat in our nurses residence and two of the bedrooms were taken by student dietitians. One of their projects was to study the lifestyles of their flatmates and keep a record of what we ate and drank for a week.
They chose to study my husband - diet wasn't too bad for a lad who was 21, alcohol intake - 121 units per week - his main tipples were Pils and Diamond White - we now know that each of those are worth at least 1.5 units each and not the 1 unit we allocated them!
The Government recommended intake at that time was 21 units per week for a male - so 5 times the limit was pretty good going I thought!
We all thought it was a laugh but did nothing about it.
Fast forward to about 6 years ago. Hubby feeling a bit rough and unfit, so decided to cut out the cider he drinks - still on the strong stuff most nights of the week, with wine at the weekend. As an aside, I don't really drink all that much anymore, maybe a couple of glasses of wine at the weekend, hubby will finish the bottle off both nights.
Cider stops, and 2 years later, states that he feels much better!
Then comes a very difficult time in his life - made redundant, and unable to find a job for 6 months. Things were very fraught and money was tight - he was able to claim jobs seekers allowance but was in the process of setting up a business and so all of his money went to that - apart from the money he started spending on the cider again.
I raised my concerns but he just brushed it aside as I'm stressed, I'm allowed at least one thing aren't I? At this point he would wait until I disappeared upstairs for a bath before drinking so that I wouldn't know that he had had a drink! This just shows how bad things were at the time.
Managed to find a job about 12 months ago now and although it is nothing like what he wants to do, it covers the majority of his share of the bills and we just about get by.
Hubby has a few friends that he has kept in contact from school with, they meet up every now and then, usually on birthdays, stag do's etc and all get very drunk. Even went to Magaluf about 3 years ago - I was worried as he tends to get lost quite easily and starts looking for the London Road - wherever he is - city or country! - and then walks up it to get back tour village!
Came back from there pretty much unscathed - wearing the same clothes he went out in 3 days before, sunburnt soles of the feet - fell asleep on the poolside! -wearing another chaps boxers - slept in the chaps room on the last night as he couldn't get into his room and woke with only 30 mins to spare before they left to come home - few drunken stories you know the rest!
This time last year, the eldest of the group celebrated his 40th birthday. House party about 40 minutes drive away - I'm never invited allegedly - so drove over, would catch a taxi home and then I would take him back over the following day. Went to bed, and woke around 5.30am as he stumbles in through the door. Leave him to it.
When he finally wakes up and I ask if he had a good time because of the time he comes home, I find out that he actually caught a taxi to someone else's house so that his taxi wouldn't cost too much! The local taxi firm at the new location wanted to charge him £25 to come out our way. Hubby being a bit of a spendthrift, thought I'll walk into town and find a taxi there.
Got to town, started walking up the London Road (!) looking for a taxi, none would pick him up because of the way he was swaying up the road! He passed the last village he would likely find a taxi to find that the taxi office was shut -it was about 3 am by this time, so he thought I'll just walk on to home. A new bypass has been put in which does cut the distance home by about 30 minutes when you are walking, however there is no pavement! He even slipped down an embankment at one point and because he had his "best" shoes on - they are smooth on the sole - he really struggled to get up the embankment! You get my drift?
He then spends the rest of the day feeling very rough!
In September this year, I had a long discussion with him about how much alcohol he was drinking again -he decided not to drink for a month - it was a very long month, headaches all the time, very grumpy, just not a happy atmosphere in our house - detoxing is never fun, I have seen it lots of time through work. Felt much better for it, and has stopped drinking in the week again with just one bottle at the weekend. So much better.
Friday night was this friend's 41st birthday! Repeat?
House party, this time I drop him off, we're not going out and about so the money I would spend in the pub I will get a taxi home. As I dropped him off, ring if you are not coming home just so I know you're not stuck down the embankment!
OK he replies.
6 am - I wake -bed empty, sofa empty, no husband!
Managed to wait until 8.30 before I sent the text that I would pick him up if he wanted me too.
OK comes the reply at 10 am.
Return to collect him -and get dragged into the house by the host - I have never met these people - hubby's choice - come in, have a coffee - I don't drink hot drinks but thanks anyway - I'm introduced to all of the friends I should have met over the past 19 years, and get asked why I didn't come along last night! I look at hubby and just say, no babysitter - the truth? I was never invited!
You must come next year and stop over. OK
Get hubby home around 11.30 am - provide water and red bull in the car along with the comment just a phone call at anytime would have been good so that I don't worry what has happened to you! Didn't decide to stay until 5.30 am comes the reply!
He collapses on the sofa and basically doesn't get up until 5.30 pm!
The state he was in was just undescribable. I don't know what to do now?
He doesn't agree that he has a problem - am I being too judgemental?
Should I just take the bull by the horns and tackle him about it?
I'm struggling to cope with him when he is like this and I know he verges on the edge of depression but won't accept that either!
I'll just wait until we get to the next time and then go through all of this angst again I suppose!
Tuesday 12 October 2010
Home alone
Our son turned 11 about 4 weeks ago and is now in his last year of primary school. When he moves up to High School next September he will have to catch a bus to school as the High School is in the next village about 3 miles away. He will have to leave the house about 7.40 am and then come home sometime after 4 pm.
Since October half term last year, he has been walking to school on his own if I am on a late start at work. Since half term of the summer term this year, he has been allowed to walk home on his own when my husband was on his day off. New key cut for him and attached to his rucksack so that he can't leave it in the door when he got home!
This term, we have made a decision to try and get him more confident with coming home alone and have allowed him to walk home to our house each day and be home alone for approximately 45 minutes if I am on an early start if he has no after school clubs, in which case he would not arrive home until after I have got home.
Tuesdays are football after school club. I got home at 4.15, he should arrive home by 4.30 at the latest.
4.50 pm - no son. It is parents evenings this week along with a book fair at school. He volunteered to help yesterday, which was no problem, so I thought maybe he had popped in there again tonight after football. Walked down to school - no sign of him, book fair packed up, no football coach around, saw the after school club supervisor - who knows him - but she hadn't seen him either.
Looked in and around the school - still no sign.
Came home and started to phone people - started with one of the football coaches - his mum runs the local Guide unit so had his phone number! This coach hadn't been at football this evening so couldn't tell me - but did offer to ring around if I hadn't found him later on.
Rang 3 other mums who all said the same - he had been at football, but they hadn't seen who he left with! Panic starting to set in.
Rang a few other friends houses with no luck.
At 5.20 pm decided to bite the bullet and ring my husband just to check if he had told him to go somewhere else after football.
Husband hadn't - definitely not a happy bunny. He was working late tonight about 50 minutes drive away and would not be home until later. Told him I would ring him and let him know when I found him.
Decided to go and drive around our village - as I pull out of the drive, one grass covered child cool as a cucumber walks into our cul-de-sac!
Parked the car and asked him where he had been. Ben's house he replied! Where does Ben live I ask -on the green round the corner from school!
Once inside the house, I explained to him - calmly for me - about how worried I had been and that I had been ringing lots of parents trying to find him!I also told him how sick I had felt not knowing where he was. He should have come home straight from football, or at least rang me from Ben's house to let me know where he was and what time he would be home.
I also said that if he couldn't be trusted to come straight home, then he will have to start going back to the childminders after school - this is not something he wants to do.
Rang my husband but he was unable to come to the phone - his boss took the message and said he would let him know. 5 minutes later, hubby rings back. I explained to him where he had been and that we had discussed that it had been wrong to do it. Hubby's reply - keep him up until I get home !!!
That is not a good thing. Told son that daddy is not happy with him and that the mood he will be in tonight when he gets home, will be a mood he will never want to see again, so tonight will be very fraught I think.
Of course I am now wondering if this is a good thing allowing him home after school on his own to build up his confidence and for him to get used to being home alone?
I am hoping that after this episode this evening that it is something that will never happen again but do I trust him not to do it, or do we revert back to him going to the childminders?
Will have to wait and see the outcome of the discussion between him and dad tonight!
Since October half term last year, he has been walking to school on his own if I am on a late start at work. Since half term of the summer term this year, he has been allowed to walk home on his own when my husband was on his day off. New key cut for him and attached to his rucksack so that he can't leave it in the door when he got home!
This term, we have made a decision to try and get him more confident with coming home alone and have allowed him to walk home to our house each day and be home alone for approximately 45 minutes if I am on an early start if he has no after school clubs, in which case he would not arrive home until after I have got home.
Tuesdays are football after school club. I got home at 4.15, he should arrive home by 4.30 at the latest.
4.50 pm - no son. It is parents evenings this week along with a book fair at school. He volunteered to help yesterday, which was no problem, so I thought maybe he had popped in there again tonight after football. Walked down to school - no sign of him, book fair packed up, no football coach around, saw the after school club supervisor - who knows him - but she hadn't seen him either.
Looked in and around the school - still no sign.
Came home and started to phone people - started with one of the football coaches - his mum runs the local Guide unit so had his phone number! This coach hadn't been at football this evening so couldn't tell me - but did offer to ring around if I hadn't found him later on.
Rang 3 other mums who all said the same - he had been at football, but they hadn't seen who he left with! Panic starting to set in.
Rang a few other friends houses with no luck.
At 5.20 pm decided to bite the bullet and ring my husband just to check if he had told him to go somewhere else after football.
Husband hadn't - definitely not a happy bunny. He was working late tonight about 50 minutes drive away and would not be home until later. Told him I would ring him and let him know when I found him.
Decided to go and drive around our village - as I pull out of the drive, one grass covered child cool as a cucumber walks into our cul-de-sac!
Parked the car and asked him where he had been. Ben's house he replied! Where does Ben live I ask -on the green round the corner from school!
Once inside the house, I explained to him - calmly for me - about how worried I had been and that I had been ringing lots of parents trying to find him!I also told him how sick I had felt not knowing where he was. He should have come home straight from football, or at least rang me from Ben's house to let me know where he was and what time he would be home.
I also said that if he couldn't be trusted to come straight home, then he will have to start going back to the childminders after school - this is not something he wants to do.
Rang my husband but he was unable to come to the phone - his boss took the message and said he would let him know. 5 minutes later, hubby rings back. I explained to him where he had been and that we had discussed that it had been wrong to do it. Hubby's reply - keep him up until I get home !!!
That is not a good thing. Told son that daddy is not happy with him and that the mood he will be in tonight when he gets home, will be a mood he will never want to see again, so tonight will be very fraught I think.
Of course I am now wondering if this is a good thing allowing him home after school on his own to build up his confidence and for him to get used to being home alone?
I am hoping that after this episode this evening that it is something that will never happen again but do I trust him not to do it, or do we revert back to him going to the childminders?
Will have to wait and see the outcome of the discussion between him and dad tonight!
Sunday 10 October 2010
Sleepover at the National Space Centre
Well, I'm back and very tired but it was an experience! There were 100 Brownies and Guides along with plenty of Young Leaders and Guiders. This is what I slept under last night along with 24 Brownies from a Pack who I had never met and to be honest, there's a few I would prefer not to meet again!I managed to arrive about 10 minutes before the stated arrival time for all the leaders - despite our city centre being closed off because of some protests that were happening and having to do a 10 mile detour - to find that because some of the girls were arriving by coach with their leaders then they were already there!! Therefore I was quickly introduced to the brownies and then left with then all while their Brown Owl went off for the leader talk - would have been good to have gone I think?
The National Space Centre had everything well planned out and thumbs up to them for a great time. Unfortunately it would have been better without the non-behaving brownies!
We had quizzes and word searches to do on arrival while we waited for the last of the Brownies and Guides to arrive. Then we had a quick welcome from the organiser, a safety talk from the Space Centre Staff, and then we were split up into 4 groups to go and visit all of the galleries. Two areas were out of bounds for the visit and I believe that they are always out of bounds - not sure why?
Spent about 60 minutes doing the galleries and then we went into the theatre dome for the first of two shows. Very informative but because it was a 180 degrees show, very queasy!
Then we went for our packed suppers, then spent just over an hour doing some craft, split into two groups and one did hand puppets, astronauts, Hubble telescopes and satellites while the others made rockets and then took them outside to fire them up the walkway by the front door. Then swapped over and did the other crafts. Went back in for the sky at night show - I declined to go in which was just as well because we were waiting for one set of parents to pick up a child who wanted to go home and another one wanted to speak to mum and dad as she was homesick - good for her though as she decided to stay after that phone call.
After that it was 10.30pm - time for bed!
Lights went out around 11 pm and they all finally fell asleep around 2 am :(
Woken up at 7 am, time to pack, clean teeth, have breakfast and visit the shop if you were a guide - it had been decided that the brownies would not be allowed din the shop much to their disgust!
Home time 9 am - I got home just before 10 am
The National Space Centre is not as good as Conkers for visiting - I wouldn't go back time and time again which I have with Conkers, but as a sleepover destination, it is very good. The staff from the Centre sleep on site as well, so only do aim do a few each year - they have done 3 this year, mine will be the first next year.
The children were on the go from the minute they arrived and everything was well organised from both the Centre's point of view and the Brownie organiser.
My only gripe is about the behaviour by the girls who were given a very unique opportunity to sleep somewhere extremely special :)
The Division they are from is a privileged area, and so usually money is not an obstacle for them - although there will always be an exception to the rule. However, the behaviour demonstrated by these children, leaves me in absolute disgust at both the parents and the school about how they discipline their children and teach them manners.
While I can accept that there will always be problem children, the number who appear to be in this Division is unbelievable especially as this is a small Division because of its locality in a very rural setting!
Maybe, our village is very fortunate to have a school which ensures that manners and politeness will always be a high priority and that we have very good Brownies?
Anyway, this sleepover has given me a good idea on what to expect and I now have a lot of work to do between now and February - the first of which is to chase the other District Brownie Units to see if they want to come as no-one has replied to an email about coming along - can't be bothered? Probably not!!
Saturday 9 October 2010
Time flies
Well it's been a long time since I last blogged!
Much has happened - I resigned as both DC and holiday advisor in June and have left things to them all. I was professional about it and made sure that I handed over everything which needed to be done, even made a disc with all the paperwork on as a back up!
Despite handing over two jobs I still seem to be lacking a lot of personal time - why haven't I found some more time?
I was fortunate enough to go to the Guiding Centenary Camp at Harewood House as part of the CAST team - the adults who supported every activity going on - and met some fantastic people and have made some great new friends.
After that experience I have now volunteered to go and help at Charnwood 2011 international camp as part of the first aid team - that will be fun too!!
Work remains a challenge especially as the other sister has been told to improve her performance or risk being performanced managed in another 4 months time and then being downgraded, so she is now trying to be very proactive but failing miserably and making everyone's life a misery at the same time - oh well.
I hope to start blogging a bit more regularly now but time will only tell - I will make more time for me!
I am off to the National Space Centre this evening to help another Brownie Holiday Advisor with her large scale holiday licence but also as a bit of background research as I'm going to be taking 100 girls there in February so this will hopefully give me a bit of a head's up of what to expect.
Will tell all tomorrow
Much has happened - I resigned as both DC and holiday advisor in June and have left things to them all. I was professional about it and made sure that I handed over everything which needed to be done, even made a disc with all the paperwork on as a back up!
Despite handing over two jobs I still seem to be lacking a lot of personal time - why haven't I found some more time?
I was fortunate enough to go to the Guiding Centenary Camp at Harewood House as part of the CAST team - the adults who supported every activity going on - and met some fantastic people and have made some great new friends.
After that experience I have now volunteered to go and help at Charnwood 2011 international camp as part of the first aid team - that will be fun too!!
Work remains a challenge especially as the other sister has been told to improve her performance or risk being performanced managed in another 4 months time and then being downgraded, so she is now trying to be very proactive but failing miserably and making everyone's life a misery at the same time - oh well.
I hope to start blogging a bit more regularly now but time will only tell - I will make more time for me!
I am off to the National Space Centre this evening to help another Brownie Holiday Advisor with her large scale holiday licence but also as a bit of background research as I'm going to be taking 100 girls there in February so this will hopefully give me a bit of a head's up of what to expect.
Will tell all tomorrow
Tuesday 11 May 2010
Too Many Hats??
My original title for this blog site was too many hats as I felt that I was running from once place to another!! However, whenever I tried to google search it, everyone's blog but mine came to the search engine! So I changed the name to blue wellies!
However, I still have too many hats and I have now decided to start to sell them off - to the highest bidder but I fear that no one will pay for them!!
Guiding is a big part of my life - too big according to my husband! I currently have 3 roles - Brownie guider in charge, brownie outdoor activities advisor - pack holiday advisor really but with a fancy name now! - and a job share as a district commissioner.
I will never give up my brownie pack - there are too many of them and not enough leaders to go round!
The pack holiday advisor role was given to me by the previous advisor who had offered to take on the district commissioner role, then an argument broke out between her and another leader of a unit in the next village and she resigned all of her posts bar the unit she was leading!
This left no one as district commissioner for a few more months then another person stepped in only to be hounded out of the village a few months later with a hate campaign about her and that she should not be trusted. It turned out that it was a big spat about rent not being paid on houses that she had lived in but as she was also an assistant leader with the rainbow unit it all turned a bit nasty and she left the village very suddenly and moved back up north!
Again we were left without a DC for a few more months - at this point I decided to offer as I was already doing it informally for our 4 units in the village, but someone from the other village had just pipped me to the post! However, she was an unwell lady and asked the County Commissioner to appoint me as an assistant DC. They don't have those anymore she was told it will need to be a job share. Both of us were happy with this - that was then this is now!!!
So the fun began!! Two months after I was appointed the other DC was taken in to hospital for a planned operation - a fairly major one which took a fairly long recovery. Since then she has been besieged by illness and multiple deaths in her household - both family members and animals!!! Each death whether human or animal has been dealt with in the same way!!
I am sure that in the background, she is doing lots of things I am unaware of - the purpose of a job share is to communicate with each other regularly and to keep each other up to date - I regularly send her emails with what has been happening with things I have dealt with, but it doesn't seem to be a two-way street with her!
We have had to computerise the way records are kept in Girlguiding UK recently - she still can't work out how to use the database and trust me it is simple. It just takes a morning to sit on it and play around! She doesn't work and is at home all day - she must be able to find some time to do it!!
We DC across two villages - both have thriving Guiding and Scouting movements, both have huts associated with the movements. Ours has only recently been used - it was shut down about 18 years ago but due to financial issues of the Scout groups in the village it was seen to be a better option to do up and use. The Guiding side in our village have chosen not to return - you can work that one out for yourself if you know Scouts!!!
The other village - which is where she lives - has a fantastic hut which is used every evening by the multiple groups in the village and currently just needs some TLC - a new boiler, a bit of paint, you can also work that one out for yourself!!
This better hut called a hut meeting back at the beginning of April, all leaders who used the hut were asked to go to air and share. I went out of interest but thought as I job share and the other DC is bound to be ill at some point in the future when meetings would be due, it would be good to know some of the other leaders from Scouting. She didn't even bother to turn up!!!! In fact there was only me and the Division Commissioner - her unit uses the hut - there to represent Guiding! I was embarrassed to say the least. Things were sorted and a letter written to give to the parents - guess who had to sort that one out for her?
The week after the parent hut meeting I was talking to her about something else when she asked about the next hut meeting and to make sure I would be there! Now the Division Commissioner had already told me not to get involved in this as she said I already had too much to do!! So I stated quite clearly that as the hut was in her village and that I also had a hut in our village which would soon be calling on me to help run, I would not be involved in this one! She seemed quite taken aback! Surely she can see why??
Anyway, I am rambling on!!!
This weekend I have been on a county training weekend at Waddow - what a lovely place!! -and have shared a room with the Division Commissioner and one of my unit assistant leaders. The assistant leader informs me that the previous brownie holiday advisor is interested in taking it back on - this is the one role which takes the least time I might add - but you know? my appointment finishes in February - what the heck, I will email her and see if she wants to pick it back up in February - I am currently planning a large scale sleepover at the national space centre and would like to finish with a bang! You only go to 3 - 4 meetings a year and assess holiday homes once in a blue moon!
I also took the bull by the horns and spoke to the Division Commissioner over breakfast on the Sunday to say that I wasn't happy with the job share as I felt I was doing the majority of the work and I never knew what she was doing! I said that I felt I should step down for now as when our appointments end in 18 months time she will have 2 trained Commissioners in the District who will not be able to be used and this way when the other's appointment ends, I could pick up the rains again!
The Division Commissioners comment - everything will fail if you stop!!
So what do I do now???
I have told her how I feel, maybe I should make more of an effort to contact the other DC on a regular basis - but shouldn't she be doing this as well??
I feel really frustrated!!
Maybe things will work out over the next few months - a miracle may happen and the other DC may finally work to her full potential or it all may just carry on in the way it has done.
I will just have to wait and see!
However, I still have too many hats and I have now decided to start to sell them off - to the highest bidder but I fear that no one will pay for them!!
Guiding is a big part of my life - too big according to my husband! I currently have 3 roles - Brownie guider in charge, brownie outdoor activities advisor - pack holiday advisor really but with a fancy name now! - and a job share as a district commissioner.
I will never give up my brownie pack - there are too many of them and not enough leaders to go round!
The pack holiday advisor role was given to me by the previous advisor who had offered to take on the district commissioner role, then an argument broke out between her and another leader of a unit in the next village and she resigned all of her posts bar the unit she was leading!
This left no one as district commissioner for a few more months then another person stepped in only to be hounded out of the village a few months later with a hate campaign about her and that she should not be trusted. It turned out that it was a big spat about rent not being paid on houses that she had lived in but as she was also an assistant leader with the rainbow unit it all turned a bit nasty and she left the village very suddenly and moved back up north!
Again we were left without a DC for a few more months - at this point I decided to offer as I was already doing it informally for our 4 units in the village, but someone from the other village had just pipped me to the post! However, she was an unwell lady and asked the County Commissioner to appoint me as an assistant DC. They don't have those anymore she was told it will need to be a job share. Both of us were happy with this - that was then this is now!!!
So the fun began!! Two months after I was appointed the other DC was taken in to hospital for a planned operation - a fairly major one which took a fairly long recovery. Since then she has been besieged by illness and multiple deaths in her household - both family members and animals!!! Each death whether human or animal has been dealt with in the same way!!
I am sure that in the background, she is doing lots of things I am unaware of - the purpose of a job share is to communicate with each other regularly and to keep each other up to date - I regularly send her emails with what has been happening with things I have dealt with, but it doesn't seem to be a two-way street with her!
We have had to computerise the way records are kept in Girlguiding UK recently - she still can't work out how to use the database and trust me it is simple. It just takes a morning to sit on it and play around! She doesn't work and is at home all day - she must be able to find some time to do it!!
We DC across two villages - both have thriving Guiding and Scouting movements, both have huts associated with the movements. Ours has only recently been used - it was shut down about 18 years ago but due to financial issues of the Scout groups in the village it was seen to be a better option to do up and use. The Guiding side in our village have chosen not to return - you can work that one out for yourself if you know Scouts!!!
The other village - which is where she lives - has a fantastic hut which is used every evening by the multiple groups in the village and currently just needs some TLC - a new boiler, a bit of paint, you can also work that one out for yourself!!
This better hut called a hut meeting back at the beginning of April, all leaders who used the hut were asked to go to air and share. I went out of interest but thought as I job share and the other DC is bound to be ill at some point in the future when meetings would be due, it would be good to know some of the other leaders from Scouting. She didn't even bother to turn up!!!! In fact there was only me and the Division Commissioner - her unit uses the hut - there to represent Guiding! I was embarrassed to say the least. Things were sorted and a letter written to give to the parents - guess who had to sort that one out for her?
The week after the parent hut meeting I was talking to her about something else when she asked about the next hut meeting and to make sure I would be there! Now the Division Commissioner had already told me not to get involved in this as she said I already had too much to do!! So I stated quite clearly that as the hut was in her village and that I also had a hut in our village which would soon be calling on me to help run, I would not be involved in this one! She seemed quite taken aback! Surely she can see why??
Anyway, I am rambling on!!!
This weekend I have been on a county training weekend at Waddow - what a lovely place!! -and have shared a room with the Division Commissioner and one of my unit assistant leaders. The assistant leader informs me that the previous brownie holiday advisor is interested in taking it back on - this is the one role which takes the least time I might add - but you know? my appointment finishes in February - what the heck, I will email her and see if she wants to pick it back up in February - I am currently planning a large scale sleepover at the national space centre and would like to finish with a bang! You only go to 3 - 4 meetings a year and assess holiday homes once in a blue moon!
I also took the bull by the horns and spoke to the Division Commissioner over breakfast on the Sunday to say that I wasn't happy with the job share as I felt I was doing the majority of the work and I never knew what she was doing! I said that I felt I should step down for now as when our appointments end in 18 months time she will have 2 trained Commissioners in the District who will not be able to be used and this way when the other's appointment ends, I could pick up the rains again!
The Division Commissioners comment - everything will fail if you stop!!
So what do I do now???
I have told her how I feel, maybe I should make more of an effort to contact the other DC on a regular basis - but shouldn't she be doing this as well??
I feel really frustrated!!
Maybe things will work out over the next few months - a miracle may happen and the other DC may finally work to her full potential or it all may just carry on in the way it has done.
I will just have to wait and see!
Tuesday 16 March 2010
Being thankful for the simple things
I have been with my husband for almost 19 years now - married for nearly 12. In that time we have had great times, sad times, a couple of rocky periods and lots of just normal times!
To me this is what a normal marriage is all about.
I have met one of my oldest known friends today for lunch. I haven't seen her since my birthday meal at the end of January. We met when we started working together just a week apart in 1994. She then bought a house in the same village as me the following year, I was bridesmaid at her wedding and am godmother to her youngest daughter. She married her husband a year before I married but then left him in 2006 as she could no longer deal with his mood swings and was concerned for the safety of herself and her 3 children. She moved about 20 miles from where I live now and started a whole new life. I have every admiration for her - I don't think I would have found the strength to do this. She has now divorced him, and met a fabulous bloke - albeit 15 years older than her - and he makes her happy. The children think that he is ok too - bonus!
I had had a weird text from her at the weekend saying that she was moving again - back to the marital home! I replied saying we needed to meet for lunch ASAP!
So lunchtime arrived today, we meet in a pub we used to have lunch in all the time and started to chat.
Ex husband has split from new long-term girlfriend and has now rented a 1 bed roomed flat in the city close to us - about 30 minutes drive from their village. He has also started a relationship with the mother of his first-born child again - this child is now 16, has been in trouble with the police, has been to court twice, charged with ABH and is now tagged!
Friend has moved back into marital home - it is a pigsty - it looks as though no cleaning has been done since she moved out! She is having to clean every surface, bleach everywhere and has a garage full of old boilers - ex-husband is a plumber and has used the garage to store the stuff he takes out of his customers houses!! The master bedroom alone filled the dyson!
My friend also works full time plus extra hours due to the demands of her job.
Her youngest daughter - my goddaughter - has had lots of problems since birth and at present has been kept back in the Reception class when she should be in Year 1. She has many developmental problems, along with social and motor skill problems. She is also lacking in communication skills, is 6 and half years old and still not toilet trained. Her school is not helpful and this has left my friend having to struggle with the "do I or don't I" problem of having her statemented. Will this leave her stigmatised? Will it label her? Will it affect her development further if she is moved to a "special school"?
We talked through lots of options and what to do next about the house, her partner, her ex-husband and the 3 children and how everything is affecting them!
At the end of lunch, she says "what about you and your husband and son - how are things?" I replied just plodding along really, nothing as dramatic as you!
We said our goodbyes and she went back to work - she had taken a two hour lunch break the joys of being the boss! - and I came home to my husband who was on a day off.
Once I had told him the dramas that my friend had been going through since I had last seen her, he came out with the usual reply - "you don't know how lucky you are having me"! For once, I didn't give him my usual reply about him being lucky to have me. I stopped and thought about it and then said - "I do know how lucky I am and I am so glad our life is simple with only the odd drama to deal with!"
Sometimes, things do seem mundane, but then again, I am just thankful that I am where I am, with what I have and that I am thankful for the simple things.
To me this is what a normal marriage is all about.
I have met one of my oldest known friends today for lunch. I haven't seen her since my birthday meal at the end of January. We met when we started working together just a week apart in 1994. She then bought a house in the same village as me the following year, I was bridesmaid at her wedding and am godmother to her youngest daughter. She married her husband a year before I married but then left him in 2006 as she could no longer deal with his mood swings and was concerned for the safety of herself and her 3 children. She moved about 20 miles from where I live now and started a whole new life. I have every admiration for her - I don't think I would have found the strength to do this. She has now divorced him, and met a fabulous bloke - albeit 15 years older than her - and he makes her happy. The children think that he is ok too - bonus!
I had had a weird text from her at the weekend saying that she was moving again - back to the marital home! I replied saying we needed to meet for lunch ASAP!
So lunchtime arrived today, we meet in a pub we used to have lunch in all the time and started to chat.
Ex husband has split from new long-term girlfriend and has now rented a 1 bed roomed flat in the city close to us - about 30 minutes drive from their village. He has also started a relationship with the mother of his first-born child again - this child is now 16, has been in trouble with the police, has been to court twice, charged with ABH and is now tagged!
Friend has moved back into marital home - it is a pigsty - it looks as though no cleaning has been done since she moved out! She is having to clean every surface, bleach everywhere and has a garage full of old boilers - ex-husband is a plumber and has used the garage to store the stuff he takes out of his customers houses!! The master bedroom alone filled the dyson!
My friend also works full time plus extra hours due to the demands of her job.
Her youngest daughter - my goddaughter - has had lots of problems since birth and at present has been kept back in the Reception class when she should be in Year 1. She has many developmental problems, along with social and motor skill problems. She is also lacking in communication skills, is 6 and half years old and still not toilet trained. Her school is not helpful and this has left my friend having to struggle with the "do I or don't I" problem of having her statemented. Will this leave her stigmatised? Will it label her? Will it affect her development further if she is moved to a "special school"?
We talked through lots of options and what to do next about the house, her partner, her ex-husband and the 3 children and how everything is affecting them!
At the end of lunch, she says "what about you and your husband and son - how are things?" I replied just plodding along really, nothing as dramatic as you!
We said our goodbyes and she went back to work - she had taken a two hour lunch break the joys of being the boss! - and I came home to my husband who was on a day off.
Once I had told him the dramas that my friend had been going through since I had last seen her, he came out with the usual reply - "you don't know how lucky you are having me"! For once, I didn't give him my usual reply about him being lucky to have me. I stopped and thought about it and then said - "I do know how lucky I am and I am so glad our life is simple with only the odd drama to deal with!"
Sometimes, things do seem mundane, but then again, I am just thankful that I am where I am, with what I have and that I am thankful for the simple things.
Sunday 24 January 2010
Day to myself
Well 7am saw me in a layby in the next village on, waiting for the coach which was to take my 10 year old son on his first Scout hike somewhere in the Peak District along with about 49 other Scouts and their Leaders. Now, I am slightly worried as he is probably the youngest person going and to me had the heaviest rucksack on his back!! He moved up to Scouts when he was still only 9 as he was bored with Cubs and all his friends were moving up. However, as the saying goes - the grass is never greener on the other side and 3 months later he's telling me that he's bored at Scouts and wants to leave as they never do anything good or fun anymore - the Scout group had not long reopened but only had 1 female leader who isn't very good at discipline and the Scouts were all year 6 and 7 with no older ones to lead by example. Used my connections as a District Commissioner and got him into a Scout Troop in the next village - result - one very happy child who has been on a night hike within his first 3 weeks, today accross the Peak District and in March a night hike with camping when they reach the destination! This is fun Mum!!
However, because he is so young, I am worried - I am a Mum who never worries about her son as he is a mature young lad who is quite thoughtful about those around him, but can become excitable at times - today I feel will be one of those days! I'm hoping that he will listen to "Big Chris" - the leader who has gone with them - and follow his instructions. 7pm tonight I suppose I will find out when they return - school tomorrow will be another thing to worry about.
So, my husband has gone to work, and this leaves me with a day to myself. What shall I do? Sit in my pyjamas and watch One Tree Hill all day? No such luck.
It was my 40th birthday last week and we're all off out with the girls from work next Saturday - 21 of us in total. I need to pop along to the resturant and pay our deposit and give them our menu choice.
I have already done the sauage casserole and that is now in the slow cooker awaiting time to eat tonight. Veg just to peel and cook.
I have washed the last of the washing in the basket - that is now hanging to dry in the spare bedroom.
I do have 3 lots of uniforms to iron for work/school for tomorrow morning - that will be one of my afternoon jobs.
I have already checked over the GO! system for Guiding and made a list of all the things that need sorting out by HQ tomorrow - need to send the email.
Have made a list of all the people I need to get References for to validate them for the GO! system.
I have made a list of all the people who need CRB's - there are lots. May need to speak to the Division Commissioner to ask her to have an open morning again for the CRB's to be done - this worked well on New Year's Eve - there about 15 though that need to be done!
I am expecting at least one person to pop round this afternoon to do her CRB - Mum will bring her.
I need to check my Brownie accounts to then take them to a mum who will audit them for us.
I need to write my Brownie Pack annual report.
I need to chase the other Units in the District to find out where their accounts and annual reports are so that I can then write a District annual report and complete a chart with info re accounts on which then needs to go to HQ.
I have been asked to create a District Brownie waiting list - I have a bit of paper with all the info on, it just needs inputting on GO!
I need a new pair of work shoes - mine have falled apart at the heel.
I need to get some new socks for work.
I need to go to Boots for bits and peices - mainly make-up - I threw all of mine away in my big clearout prior to being 40!
I need to arrange new car insurance.
So, my day to myself will not be quite that I fear.
Oh well, maybe I will be able to use one of my last remaining annual leave days and spend the day in pyjamas and watch One Tree Hill all day sometime next month!
Here's hoping.
However, because he is so young, I am worried - I am a Mum who never worries about her son as he is a mature young lad who is quite thoughtful about those around him, but can become excitable at times - today I feel will be one of those days! I'm hoping that he will listen to "Big Chris" - the leader who has gone with them - and follow his instructions. 7pm tonight I suppose I will find out when they return - school tomorrow will be another thing to worry about.
So, my husband has gone to work, and this leaves me with a day to myself. What shall I do? Sit in my pyjamas and watch One Tree Hill all day? No such luck.
It was my 40th birthday last week and we're all off out with the girls from work next Saturday - 21 of us in total. I need to pop along to the resturant and pay our deposit and give them our menu choice.
I have already done the sauage casserole and that is now in the slow cooker awaiting time to eat tonight. Veg just to peel and cook.
I have washed the last of the washing in the basket - that is now hanging to dry in the spare bedroom.
I do have 3 lots of uniforms to iron for work/school for tomorrow morning - that will be one of my afternoon jobs.
I have already checked over the GO! system for Guiding and made a list of all the things that need sorting out by HQ tomorrow - need to send the email.
Have made a list of all the people I need to get References for to validate them for the GO! system.
I have made a list of all the people who need CRB's - there are lots. May need to speak to the Division Commissioner to ask her to have an open morning again for the CRB's to be done - this worked well on New Year's Eve - there about 15 though that need to be done!
I am expecting at least one person to pop round this afternoon to do her CRB - Mum will bring her.
I need to check my Brownie accounts to then take them to a mum who will audit them for us.
I need to write my Brownie Pack annual report.
I need to chase the other Units in the District to find out where their accounts and annual reports are so that I can then write a District annual report and complete a chart with info re accounts on which then needs to go to HQ.
I have been asked to create a District Brownie waiting list - I have a bit of paper with all the info on, it just needs inputting on GO!
I need a new pair of work shoes - mine have falled apart at the heel.
I need to get some new socks for work.
I need to go to Boots for bits and peices - mainly make-up - I threw all of mine away in my big clearout prior to being 40!
I need to arrange new car insurance.
So, my day to myself will not be quite that I fear.
Oh well, maybe I will be able to use one of my last remaining annual leave days and spend the day in pyjamas and watch One Tree Hill all day sometime next month!
Here's hoping.
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