ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE.

Tsk, how bleedin annoying! After spending yesterday evening ironing clothes for three nights and four days, I travel for nearly three hours only to find my schedule has changed........urghhhhh. Oh well, at least I get to spend more evenings with the man as he has three days off..... yesssssss!

Today is the hottest day of the year so far and I'm working, sigh... Oh well. Tonight I decided to go for a walk after I checked into my hotel room.
Bliss, the sun was shining, birds singing and I watched narrowboats go along the river. Let's not also forget the crumpet that was out with their girl friends, boy friends or whatever :-p
The sun does tend to bring out the Gods don't you think???

After my walk, I decided to go to my favourite deli and get a lovely take out salad of poached salmon and a green salad with roasted red peppers. Ok, a couple of beers to wash it down with too ;-)

There was a new girl in the deli, not my ususal jolly server. Let me tell ya people, she had teeth like Ned the talking horse and could have eaten a toffee apple through a tennis racket, OMFG I couldn't take my eyes off those tomb stones!

All I could think of was the damage she'd do if she went down an ya.... Thank the Lord I'm a gay man.

Oh well, off to eat my insalata and drink my cerveza!

Good evening to you all....... PP xxxx

A LUVERLY SATURDAY EVENING

Hello People,
What a luverly Saturday evening it is...... I know our country's going down the pan at the moment along with most of the rest of the 'civilised' world, but one thing I do look forward too is the long lazy British summer evenings. You across the pond, may scorn and say what summers? But yep, we do get em and when we finally do, they are wonderfull!
Imagine sitting out untill 10.30 at night and the sun is still going down. If you live in Scotland, it's even later.
So this evening, it's 19.25 here now, I'm sitting in my garden with a chilled glass of wine, writing this load of old cods wallop, hoping someone, some where, will read and comment lolololol.

The planet suite by Gustav Holst in on the old docking station and it's bliss! Oh and did I tell you the man's working this evening? Well, he is.
As much as I love him, it's getting a trifle tedious talking about the skies 24/7 and for those of you that know him, know he can tend to repeat his stories, but then I put that down to age. I, this morning stood in the kitchen with a pint of milk in my hand looking for it everywhere not knowing I was clutching it in my fingers....... FKN SCARY, let me tell yas!!

Tomorrow its supposed to be 24 degrees and we are off to the inland waterways show at Crick. I think this is the first year it aint pissed down with rain for a change, but seeing as we're having a bank holiday this weekend, it's par for the course.

Oh well, off to top up my glass and read a few blogs.

Love yas, PP xxxxxxx

HAIR DOO'S FROM HELL

Well, it's me again......... I've been away since Sunday morning, so have been away for Phil's check flight and his maiden voyage to Istanbul in Turkey. I go home tomorrow and we have 3 days off together, cant wait!!!

I've been doing 12 hour days all week and tonight as it's my last night away I'm celebrating with a cheeky glass of vino ;-)

Some thing made me remember Phil's uniform guide lines. The first line in the mens section is 'no visible signs of make up must be seen' LOLOL He told me that he's never seen so many plucked eye brows and spikey hair do's in his life.

I've given him a stern warning. If he goes camp on me, I'm off!

Have a good night everyone.

PP xxxxx

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

Well hello groovers, yup, it's me, back from the dead so to speak. First I want to say thank you all for the mails asking where I was, also for my birthday cards too. Love ya Erin!

Flo is fine, she's enjoying her bingo and what else social services can throw at her. Just someone tell me how to get the old biddy to wash please? Phewwwwww. I'm going to pick her up for a weekend again soon, so watch out for a blog ok?

From now on you'll see me again and I'll start reading yours too..... That's a promise! I've missed you all so much you wouldn't believe it (wipes eyes lol)

No honest, I have but there's a reason I've not been around, so read on ok?

Well, me and the man will have been together for 29 years this year, wow a long time by anyones standards. We met when we were young uns and used to shag like rabbits, 247 365! How times have changed........sigh. 

When I first knew Phil he worked for British Gas as a fitter and I still remember the day he caught my eye as I sashayed past on my way back from being a junior window dresser.  He was getting something out of his van and he winked at me as I walked by. BOING! Instant stiffy.... I walked past like I wasn't interested but looked back when I was at a safe distance incase he was taking the piss.

Who would know after all these years we're still together hey? He hated that job with a vengeance. Lunch always consisted of playing footie in the yard while Friday was stripper day down the pub. To be one of the boys he used to be the first on the stage having the girls dip their tits in his drink...... Good fun huh? Don't think so!

Well, it all got to much for him and he did the knowledge to become a London cabbie. For two years he was up at 4 am every morning and went around London on his moped noting roads, streets and monuments.

In the evening,EVERY evening, I did the call overs with him and frequently fell asleep only to be woken up by a slipper thrown across the room at me. To this day I still remember the first call over. MANOR HOUSE TO GIBSON SQUARE!

Society changed over the years and what was a good job which paid extremely well when the going was good, turned into a nightmare. His nights started to change and he was picking up drunk or drugged up bankers and city boys who were abusive. They must have known something we didn't, well, we all know now don't we????

The credit crunch, recession, call it what you want has taken it's toll on his earnings and he's been bringing home less than what he was all those 26 years ago.

We sat and talked and to be honest, the long hours and low earnings were taking it's toll on him and our relationship, so he decided enough was enough and looked for another job.  

Today after six weeks training, he passed his last exam, a check flight. Yup, he's become cabin crew for one of our most popular airlines. I can't say as he can't even e mail his photo to his family around the world as it's instant dismissal!  Let's just say, it's not the world's favourite airline, but does Stelios ring a bell with any of you Brits?

It's only a 6 month contract which could be renewed, but it may tie him over till things get better.

So every night when I've been home I've helped him revise and get his 'wings'. He got his certificates last week and then as a 'newbie' has been helping out and has done 8 flights. Today he passed his check flight with flying colours if you'll excuse the pun!

He's gone from being a loner with a small select group of friends to an out going person, the transformation is amazing.

I'm so proud of him for doing this at 51 and so proud that I can be part of his life changing experience.

I'm sure you will all help me congratulate the get up and go in him that got him where he is now. I AM SO PROUD!

I love ya Phil, not just today, but for ever.

Gaz......Podgy poof. xxxxxx 

FLO PART TWO

Well, the sad saga of Flo goes on this week. After an adventurous two days with us last weekend and yes, I'm pleased to say Phil DID take his Mum home, he knows never to cross me! ;-)

Twice this week she has fallen in her bungalow the second time really badly. Flo refuses to wear her alarm round her neck to press in an emergency, this then alerts a central system that send someone around to see if she's ok. Instead she crawled to the phone, rung her brother who's in his late 80's and got him to come round at 3 am, he then has to press the alarm, but in Flo's eyes thats fine. 

The second time she fell, she smashed her face, she is now black and blue down one side of her body. Because of her Grand children and brother being at the hospital to see if she was ok, social services thought  she had a network of relatives to take care of her. This unfortunately isn't so. All have demanding jobs with young children. Social support yes, care no.

Because of this I made Phil go and get her on Friday afternoon. She's so frail and has had the stuffing knocked out of her. She thought by coming to us again she was on a jolly, but after her calling for me twice in the night to help her go to the loo, she knew this wasn't the case.

It took me forty minutes to get her down stairs today, so tonight she is sleeping restfully on our couch. Don't worry it's deep and at least she can wash in the cloakroom down stairs tomorrow and it will be easier for me.

Tonight she had to face the indignity of me having to pull down her knickers when I got her to the loo for a wee. She can't even do that now.

I thank my lucky stars I live in a country where health care is free. I phoned social services this morning and they phoned back twice today, the last time being 8.30 this evening, to arrange for her to be reassessed (sp?) on Monday. They are talking of getting her into a rehab home to build up her strength, all which is free. They'll then see what to do afterwards. 

We go on holiday this coming Friday and as Phil's brother is on a cruise for a month we talked about canceling. His sons have rallied round and said we must go, they'll look after her if Social services needs more time to find her a place in rehab. I have faith though. The woman on the phone tonight was calm and reassuring. Our social services has taken a bashing in the press recently with the death of a young baby, battered by its drugged up parents, but I have every faith that they will deliver.

I was comforted by Flo's last words before she lay her head on the pillow tonight, she asked for a kiss and as I went to move my head away she whispered in my ear. 'I love you ya know, and if you put me in a home I'll come back and haunt the bloody lot of yas. Remember that wont ya?, And you better tell all the rest of em too' 

Yes Flo, I love you too............ Seriously though, I do, Now its time for my bed as well.

PP xxxxxx

MORNING ALL!

Hello Groovers,

Thank you all for your mails wondering where I'd gone to. Well, nowhere really. We've been busy socially and away for the past two weekends, but to be to be honest, my creative juices had dried up. In turn it put me off reading my fellow bloggers journal's............. Sorry guys.

This weekend was going to be a weekend of catching up with journals, washing, cleaning, bill paying etc but the Friday before last I got a call from Phil's 90 year Mum Florrie

'Is that you boy?' 

'Um yeah Flo, wassup?' 

'Well, instead of you coming to see me next time, can I come and stay with you?' 

'Ummmm, yeah ok, what's the problem?' 

'Oh nuffin, no it doesn't matter'

'Well it does Flo, cos if you don't tell me I can't come over and pick you up ok?'

'Well....... pauses, I'm lonely'

Oh my God, it was like someone shoving a knife in me, I felt so bad.

Last October, she fell over putting her milk bottles out, yeah, we still have milk delivered here. 

She shattered her hip, smashed all her face in and broke her arm in four places. We were on holiday at the time but fortunately, Phil's brother was at hand so she wasn't alone for long.

Since that time, we go and see her regularly and also took her to my folks at Christmas.  She does get visitors everyday, but who say's you can't still be lonely huh? That's a bad state of mind to be in.

I promised to go pick her up to stay this weekend just to get her out and see something different.

When I told Phil, he went mad and said he couldn't afford to take time off work. No problem, I'll pick her up and take care of her, we'll have a good old fashioned Mum and son in law bonding sesh, a girly weekend!

I was up at 5 am on Saturday morning to drive over to hers and then bought her all the way back home. We went shopping and I let her choose what she wanted to have for lunch today, then we walked the mall singing doing the Lambeth walk. I swear people thought we'd been let out of the nut house. By the time we got back, I was just as exhausted as she was.

To see that old girl smile and laugh the way she has warmed the cockles of my heart, I realized it's gonna come to us all eventually. 

Yesterday afternoon she had a little kip and last night I cooked dinner for her and we sat and watched the film she'd picked. I am Legend with the hunky Will Smith (unghhh) 

Why she picked that I don't know but I suspect he does the same for her as he does for me ;-)

She talked all the way through the bloody film and then screamed out everytime a mutant came on the scene, by the time the film had finished, we'd both filled our knickers three times with fright lolol.

I put her to bed at 10.30, weary and tired myself I fell asleep on the couch then dragged my sorry arse up stairs about midnight. 

Phil came in at 6 a.m. and I was up to make him a cuppa to take to bed with him.

That's when he dropped the bomb shell. 

'What time are you running my Mum home tonight?' he asked.

'Ummm, I was hoping that you could take her back so I can have a bit of me time and catch up with a few things?'

His parting words were 'you invited her up for the weekend, I didn't. So you can take her back home too'

With that, he picked up his tea and went to bed.

I can't repeat what what I said under my breath, but he's right, I did ask her up, so tonight I'll take her home and then drive all the way back. 

Then when I finish hacking my husbands miserable moaning body to bits with a rusty chainsaw, I'll clean up and watch the Desperate House wives episode I've taped with a nice glass of wine.

Love ya. PP xxxxxx

SNOW, SNOW, QUICK QUICK SNOW

Morning all, 

My Brain is fried, I HATE WINTER!!!! For years I've struggled with this time of the year and this year more than ever as winter just goes on and on. I find it hard to go out of the front door and face the wind and the cold and just, well, everything. 

So, what has nature given us now? Snow! I've  seen the news and watched how other countries have been looking on in amusement at the foot of snow we've had. 

Ok, so this country does have its bad points and yeah, we do come across as being unorganized. But you have to understand that we don't get any form of extreme weather. 

I posted a year or so ago some pics of my back garden in the snow. We had about two inches, nothing, just a few flurries which went in a day. That was it, just that. 

In the summer it gets nice an warm and yeah humid, VERY humid (we're surrounded by water remember?), but that's it, it's warm, around 85 ish max, maybe 90 in extreme conditions and that's for around two weeks LOLOLOL

Us Brits have a complete mistrust of weather forecasts, as our weather changes so quickly. I'll never forget Michael Fish, our most famous weather forecaster saying that a woman had phoned from France to say a hurricane was on it's way. He said on live TV, 'Madam, we don't get hurricanes in the UK' don't panic its a few strong winds' 

Well.......F*** me, I never slept a wink that night as half of the country suffered a hurricane with 200 year old oak trees coming crashing down, fronts of stores blown in etc. We lost our fence, BBQ, garden furniture and half the roof not to mention my ruby slippers. Thank God our houses are brick built and not timber.

So, as you can see, if they say we have a cold snap with severe snow coming in from Siberia. Out come our sunnies, shorts and flip flops as we think Fhack orf, i'ts gonna be lovely ;-)

HOW WRONG WE WERE! I've worked from home for the last two day as the foot of snow is now solid ice. As we live on a new development, no one owns the roads, so we can't get up the hill to get out into the world.

Am I bovvered? NO! As my Dad would say, 'it's colder than a witches tits out there'. Just how he knows how cold witches tits are I shall never know, but it used to makeme and my brother giggle when we were little.

So witches tits being cold means I can stay inside, and not have to go out in this rancid weather.

Mock us all you want world, this is one Brit that's staying inside. Roll on Spain, only a month to go.........

(While I type, my dear heart is on a mission, he thinks our house is 'filthy' as he put it. I beg to differ, but he's furiously pushing the dyson round and sucking up anything in his path. Oops, there's goes me Calvins!)

Have a good weekend everyone, and if any of you can explain what this Twitter thing is I have been begged to join, please enlighten me as it just seems like glorified email to me?

Love yas, PP xx