annettesblog

2012-01-20T21:21:00.002Z

Well, that was a good start wasn't it?
Went to work wednesday and I started to get toothache, thought nothing of it just took a couple of painkillers and left it.
Wednesday afternoon it got worse and yes, you can imagine what I'm going to say, by wednesday evening I was in agony.
It got that bad geoff took me to the local hospital thinking there would be an emergency dentist on call.
We got there about 9.30 pm and registered in to be told they wasn't an emergency dentist at all.
The nurses seeing the pain I was in gave me two tablets and thankfully after about an hour the pain eased.I saw a doctor who told me he could not do anything as he was not a qualified dentist, but he did take time to talk to me about it and said he would have a look at it. He turned round a brought one of those great big lights to shine into my mouth but it didn't work.
Anyway, he looked and said what I thought had happened, the tooth had just split and was nearly gone.
So, he sent me home and I went to the dentist the next day when they opened at 9am.I explained that I had been to the hospital the night before and saw a doctor.
They took an x-ray and said the same thing.The tooth had just broke and was crumbling away.
I could either get it re-made, so to speak or have it out.
Well, it would cost £500.00 to have it done so you can imagine my reply.
"Let's take it out, shall we?"
I was quite happy about that cause no more pain.
What I didn't realise was just how bad it was going to be.
You see,the tooth was the great big one at the back on the top.
She removed it and when the freezing had worn off I was just in so much pain as I was before.
OH dear.
She did worn me about this because of where the tooth was it is near your sinuses and it can turn nasty.By that she meant an infection. So she gave me a course of anti-biotics as well, these I have took and luckily nothings happened, in other words, no infection.
I had 2 days off work with this.
However, today is better I'll just keep taking painkillers.
It will take time to heal, me thinks,.
So, that was a brilliant way to start the new year, wasn't it???
anyway, get over this and I'll be fine.
I HOPE!!!!!!

2012-01-14T17:55:00.001Z

Well,after the horrible year last year I thought we will start this new year with a better outlook on life.
It's not that anything bad happened last year, I was just restless. I suppose that is what you would call it.
The amount of times I sat here wanting to blog about things but just could not think of how to say it. Which is unusual for me, as you probably know, I don't normally struggle do I?
LOL

So, try again,the best days would be tuesdays and fridays when geoff is out.....LOL
I'll have peace and quiet and will blog again.
Very depressed last year, got to change that haven't I???

I

2011-12-23T18:34:00.003Z

I would like to wish all my friends a very merry christmas and a happy new year.

I

2011-12-23T18:34:00.001Z

I would like to wish all my friends a very merry christmas and a happy new year.

2011-11-30T07:43:00.000Z

Just a little light-heartedness I saw:
Medical reports from Glasgow:
1. The patient has no previous history of suicide.
2. Patient has left her white blood cells at another hospital.
3. She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.
4. Patient has chest pain if she lays on her left side for over a year.
5. On the second day the knee was better and on the third day it had disappeared.
6. The patient has been depressed since seeing me in 1993.
7. Discharge status: Alive, but without my permission.
8. Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
9. She is numb from her toes down.
10.The skin was moist and dry.

2011-09-30T21:07:00.002+01:00

Yet another long time before blogging again, I don't know.
I don't seem to have the time now and yet I miss it so much, because I am getting so angry.
When I used to blog before which was quite a few times each week, it was my outlet, and I don't seem to have one now.
Years ago, when I started blogging geoff used to go out 5-6 times a week,that was because he was a councillor and went to many meetings. Now he goes out twice a week only. LOL
He has started to play snooker again, and every friday night he was out with his snooker pals in the club practising, of course it is a lot of fun as well. It's a good night out.
Now on saturdays hes always in pain with his knee because hes been standing on it on fridays!
He has got to another new hip, so that will be fun. Not yet though, could be another year yet.
You see, I cannot blog when geoff is here, because, quite frankley, he keeps interupting me, which he does on bloody purpose.
I am delighted to see that TUPC is back with us, although the blog he did on the 4th September wasn't his normal style of blogging, but I'm hoping he will come back, I miss him so.
Which reminds me of the others that seem to have left the blogging world.
Miss them too.
Anyway, I keep saying this but I will try to keep blogging.

2011-09-13T20:12:00.004+01:00

I have received some beautiful pictures from my friend, David Farley, and I feel I must share them with you.
These are just some of them amd they are spectacular, and the last one has to be tops.
As David said: "A smile from god."

And yes, he's right.
It is.
Please enjoy.

2011-09-09T17:07:00.001+01:00

2011-08-29T09:18:00.000+01:00

Our father, who art in prison,
even my mum knows not his name,
they chavdom come,
you'll read it in the sun.
In Birminham as it is in London,
give us this day our welfare bread
and forgive us our ASBO's,
As we happy slap those who got us our ASBO's against us,
lead us not to employment,
but deliver us free housing,
for thine is the chavdom, the burberry
and the bacardi,
forever and ever......
Inn it.

2011-07-29T18:55:00.004+01:00

2011-07-29T18:55:00.001+01:00

2011-07-24T14:01:00.001+01:00

Have got a new email, at last!!!
My other one has been blocked along with my contacts, all 74 of them!!!However, I am getting in touch with most of them and giving them my new email.
I hope this is the last I hear of this it has driven me mad!
I am so angry about this, you cannot believe what troubble it has caused!
Anyway, if you would like my email just say yes on here and I will get it to you.
Thanks
xxx

2011-07-09T18:16:00.000+01:00

I am so sorry about this, but could you all email me please?
Thats with the email you already have.
The reason is because Ive tried to sort out that problem about those emails and Ive got into a bit of a mess.
Please just say hi, thats all I need.
Have you still been receiving those?
Sorry to be a nuicence but if you could just do this for me I would appreciate it.
Thanks

2011-06-28T10:33:00.001+01:00

I could swear!
I,m having great difficulty in leaving comments on your blogs,I don't know why but everytime it asks me to put the word thing in I do it and then it says its not excepted.
Dickiebo, yours seem alright!!! LOL
Bernard, I can't leave a comment on yours.
Sage, the same.
I haven't a clue what to do, as they say. but will try to sort it out.

2011-06-17T21:49:00.001+01:00

I have just had a week off work and it has been lovely.The only dissapointing thing about it was the weather,a lot of rain. Still, it didn't really stop us from doing the things we planned.
The one thing I wanted to get my hands on was the garden.
On tuesday it was lovely, sunny and bright so out we go, or should I say out I go! We have a very small front garden which is easy to maintain, its the back one thats bigger and it can look a little over-run.
I mowed both the lawns and then weeded them. I love doing that, getting rid of all the weeds in the garden it looks so much better.Then went round and tidied up the flowers, beheading the old ones that had died.Then I got geoff off his chair (LOL) and he painted the fences with a spray painter, it didn't take that long really,and it looks so much better. He started to do the patio and ran out of paint, isn't that always the way?
So, off we went to buy some more at Focus. While there we say how empty the shop was, they are closing down. Many shop assistants had been working there for years, and now they will be unemployed as no-one could find another job. It was devastating. I really felt for them.
Anyway, we saw that they had halved the price of everything in the store to get rid of it, so we got paint for about £5.oo or so, and then we saw they were selling picket fencing. We thought they look great so we brought some.
They just needed painting so we brought some white paint but because of the weather we haven't had a chance to paint them yet but we will soon.
Apparently its thunder storms tomorrow!
Anyway, back to work monday, so I'll look forward to that (LOL!!!)

2011-06-10T20:27:00.001+01:00

Re those emails, I have spoken to a friend, Frank,who is good on these things and sage is right.
When you receive these emails, and they are the ones without a heading, do not open them, right hand click on them and "block" them.
If I email you myself, I will always put a heading on it so you know it's from me.
I have been receiving those "postmaster........" meaning they could not send the emails notices in my email account and I said to geoff that I had not sent any.

Again, I apologise to all of you for this inconvenience, it is annoying tho, love to know who did this!

Anyone got a gun????!!!!!
LOL

2011-06-07T14:54:00.000+01:00

I have received some emails from my friends saying they have received emails from me, but they are not from me.
I do not know whats going on, someone has got hold of my email and my list of contacts and sending these emails.They are rubbish ones anyway.
Please just delete them. I do not want them to get hold of yours, if they can, I do not know whats going on. Will try to sort this out.
My apologies to you all.

2011-05-29T09:06:00.001+01:00

I wish I didn't think.
I get angry when I do, so many things going on and I want so badly to change it.
I have always said I didn't want this to be an "have a go at Asda" blog but I have told you a couple of things that have gone on, but what is going on now takes the biscuit.
Don't be surprise if I and many more leave that bloody store.
I,m not talking about jane, the one who phoned me at home and was so rude, because she's alright now, (well sometimes!!!) but nothing like she was. No, she is not the problem, the problem is Asda itself.
This has been going on now for some months, it's not new, and it's driving us all mad.
We have been told about the new "Happy to help" programme they have set up.
We must be over the top happy to help all customers.
This is how it is set out:
1. We must say Good morning/afternoon to every customer.
2. We must ask every customer if they have bags and do they need a help with their packing?
3. We must then ask them if they want any bags and if they do, do they want free ones or the "bag for life" meaning they 5p once and when the bag is damaged we will replace it free.
4. We must make conversation with them, whilst we serve them, and take an interest in what they say.
5. When we serve the next customer we must say "Thankyou for waiting."
You notice I say we must, because, you see, we are monitored. One of the girls from the office comes down with a pad and marks you.
I have failed twice.
They failed me because I didn't make any conversation with the customer so they say, I don't remember not talking to them.
Tuff!!!!!!!!! I don't bloody care.

I do 5 hrs a day 4 days a week, plus any over time,and you could serve between 10-15 customers an hour,depending how much shopping they've got, so can you imagine just how many times I say these things? So many times and always of course with a smile.
It is driving us all mad. Those words go round and round your head until you could scream.
I used to love that job but now it more like a torture chamber, and I'm not the only one to say this, we all are. It is totally unreasonable to expect us to say this over and over and over again.
Also, if we are asked a question by a customer,for instance if they cannot find a particular product, if we are not on a till, we then take the customer to the product they require and then ask them if we could help them with anything else.
Thats ok but it could be the "mystery shopper"
This person, will again monitor us and mark us, the store will then be told how many we have scored.
The scoring goes like this,
1. We must be wearing our name badge
2. We must always be polite and take the customer to the product they want or if we are not sure take the to the customer service desk so they can enquire about it.
3. Ask if we could help with anything else.
4. Just our manner and how helpful we are.
None of us know who they are and when they will come into the shop.They come once a month.
Whoever passes this is rewarded quite well by Asda.
You get your photo taken with the manager,Nigel,and you are invited to an free breakfast and that is the works by the way, egg, bacon etc. and an Asda card worth £20.00
Not fantastic but we appreciate it.
They mark us out of a hundred and we have passed it.
In fact I have passed it, believe it or not.
You must remember when geoff had his knee op, well, it took a few months before he could drive, and on this particular day I was taking geoff to hospital. I received a phone call from one of the office girls and she asked me if I was going to the breakfast, I asked what breakfast, and she told me I got a hundred per cent from the mystery shopper.
I didn't know, nobody told me.
I explained I was taking geoff to hospital so I couldn't go to it, which was a shame.
I went to work the next day expecting a least a word from my managers, but no, nothing.
Time went on.
The next week, one of the girls told me there was an envelope on the desk for me. We wondered what it was and made the usual joke about it being my P45. Everybody laughed.
I opened the envelope to find an Asda card.
It was the card worth £20.00 that you get when you pass the mystery shoppers 100%
I put it away and said no more.

It isn't that I wanted a great big cheer, or even my photo taken for that matter (I hate photos of me lol) but most people get a congratulations or a hand shake from the managers because it looks good for them and the shop so they are pleased.
All shops are monitored and there is a competition between us all and it is put up on the notice board which shop has the highest points.

Anyway, thats what I mean about not wanting to think.
I wish I didn't.
I just get angry.

2011-05-06T20:17:00.004+01:00

Well, it was funny this time because of having two votes we had to have the local election votes today.(friday)
So, we arrived at the council house at 9.30am and luckily South Wythall was the first one to be counted.
Result as follows:

Annette Hulett....Labour..................83.

WOW, that meant I doubled the votes from last time.
Labour had 49 votes.

LOL!!!!

So, I won't be prime minister just yet then................

2011-05-02T06:09:00.001+01:00

Osama Bin Laden is dead!!!!!
Not often I wish for this but in his case......................

2011-04-29T17:14:00.002+01:00

I,ve just been canvassing around Wythall and yes..................it is def a Tory area!!!
I'll be lucky if I get 49 votes!!!

2011-04-12T20:13:00.004+01:00

Well, it's official now,I have received my letter informing me I am now a labour councillor for Wythall.
Geoff and I went to Wythall and I couldn't believe how big the place was,and it was all farms.
I looked on the computer for the results of the last election and this was the result:
James Duddy (conservative): 516
Nigel Huggins (Independent) 165
Christopher Bloor (Labour) 49

So, as you can see, I have a lot to do.
If I could just get 50 or more that will help.LOL

Will let you know how it goes.

2011-04-02T12:17:00.002+01:00

Things are begining to look interesting again, you see both geoff and I have been asked to stand as a labour candidate.
Geoff for Alvechurch where he was a councillor there once a few years ago now, and me for Wythall.
We are paper candidates really cause they are both conservative seats really.
I did stand for Hagley once as a paper candidate and I loved it. I loved meeting people and talking politics with them.
After the election I was told I did very well getting a few more labour supporters, they were pleased with me.
So, we will see how it goes.
It will be interesting.
I'll let you know how it goes.

2011-03-15T20:31:00.002Z

Do you remember when I told you about the terrible telephone call I received from Jane (not her real name) our peoples manager when I couldn't get into work that one wednesday because of the snow?
How she accused me of letting Asda down and I should go back to work right then at 3 pm and when I refused, because of the snow, she said I had let everyone down and a few more terrible things as well.
Well, I made an official report to nigel, our GSM (general store man anger)and then we sat back and waited..... and waited to see what would happen if anything.
Time went on and nothing seemed to change she was still the same, thought she was better than you and almost looked down her nose at you and spoke to you like it as well.
But now, suddenly in February, she started to change, her attitude changed towards us and she actually became friendly. We weren't sure at first how to take this as it takes a long time to trust someone again, but now in March, she is so different.
She's happier, friendlier and you can talk to her about anything.
What a change, thank god.
So much better than before.
It's like having a new person around.
Nigel promised me he would look into this as he didn't like it at all.
I don't know what he had said to her but.................. it's worked.
Well done nigel.

2011-03-04T21:02:00.004Z

Isn't it awful when you have one of those weeks when you find yourself in a foul mood every morning when you wake up, and even worse when you don't even know why.
Maybe it's a reaction to snowdrop being ill, but now she's home she's so much better.
I just feel so stressed out and yet, there isn't really one reason for me too.
This computer is going so slow, work is rather slow although you do get mad moments and I am getting a little tired of one woman at work who does nothing but swear, swear and swear again.
I will cheer up, I'm watching Hot Fuzz right now and that usually makes me laugh although I haven't laughed yet really.
I hate these weeks, but it will pass.
Next week should be better.

2011-02-25T20:56:00.003Z

Snowdrop is home.
Thank goodness for that, we were so worried, we thought we Had lost her.
Murray the vet had to give her oxygen monday and tuesday night to see her through the night.
When the vet had the blood test results and showed she had been poisoned he started the anti-biotic straight away, and after 2 days she was well enough to come home.
She has lost a lot of weight and is feeling groggy at the moment.
But her appetite has come back a bit and she is eating a little more now, however, we have to give her a 6Th of an tablet 3 times a day. I know this sounds funny and I must admit I have never heard of this before but it is because they are so strong if you give her a whole one it would do more harm than good.
Little and often as they say.
So, now we can relax and enjoy having her home.
Thank god for that.

2011-02-23T19:09:00.002Z

We know now what was wrong with snowdrop, she has been poisoned!
Rat poison to be percise.
She must have eaten a rat (yuk!) that had been poisoned.
Now that they know exactly what is wrong they can treat her for it. But the vet did warn us that it is a 50/50 chance if she survives.
So, it wasn't asthma or pnuemonia as the vet thought at one time,it's poison!
Let us hope she survives.

2011-02-22T21:30:00.002Z

I had a weeks holiday last week and we decided to go away for a few days.
So, we booked to got to the Commodor hotel in Sandbay,which is about 5 miles from Western-super-mare.
We went for 3 days and it was a lovely break.
We love western and often go there for a day out, so we were looking forward to it.
The hotel was lovely and the food was delicious, although to be truthful we did eat out a couple of nights.
We arrived on saturday and went for a carvery in the hotel that night, and it was delicious I must admit.
Sunday we went for a chinese meal and we did so enjoy that!
Monday we went for an Indian meal and we do so enjoy that!
Tuesday, after a lovely breakfast we came home.
When we go away, we have a lovely neighbour who feeds snowdrop for us.
Everything was fine and we even popped down to Oxford on sunday to see the family.
When we came back snowdrop was fine and we gave her 2 chews that she loves, but she only ate one.
We thought it was strange, as she loves her food, but thought no more of it.
I got up monday morning and gave her her breakfast, but she only ate half of it. I went to work and she seemed fine.
When i got home about 2pm monday afternoon, geoff says he didn't think snowdrop was very well. I must admit I hadn't realised as I hadn't been home very long and was feeling tired.
However, we both noticed that her breathing wasn't quite right,by that I mean she was breathing very fast and although she wasn't actually panting there was something wrong.
I rang the vet and made an appointment for that afternoon.
Off we went and as soon as we walked in the vet, Murray, took her off us and listened to her heart,he said he wasn't happy with it and he was examining her everywhere but she didn't flinch which proved she wasn't in pain. He then took her temperature and that was normal.
We could not work out what was wrong with her and he kept asking us questions. When was the last time she had eaten,has she been sick.
No, was the answer to that.
He even asked us if it was possible she had been run over.
We know she hadn't been.
Anyway, he checked her teeth and gums and said they were pale and quite blue.
He said he wanted to keep her in hospital overnight to x-ray her and take blood tests this we agreed to willingly.
It was most peculiar to go home without her but we knew she was in good hands.
I rang the vets this morning and he said he was quite please with her and the x-ray was fine but still waiting for the blood tests results and he thinks she had had an asthma attack, although she is only about 4 years old and quite young to have this as it usually happens to older cats.
We felt better hearing that and said we would ring later to see how she is then.
We did ring about 6pm but unfortunately, she had deteriorated. Her breathing was fast and irregular and she was fighting for breath.
He was very kind but also honest with us and said he will keep her in hospital tonight as she is too ill to come home and hopes that she will be better tomorrow.
But he did warn us it could be tragic.
We can only wait now and see what happens.
I pray she gets through this.

2011-02-04T20:48:00.006Z

I heard some sad news yesterday and I am so bloody angry.
Going back some years ago,when I lived at home in Oxford and when geoff and I first met in 1976,we used to go to the Cowley Workers club.
We loved it, it was a great club and everyone got on so well. We used to play snooker and bingo and we just had a great laugh.
Well, there was one man everyone avoided, he name was Joe.
Joe who then was in his early sixties, was a nasty little man who upset everyone (and he was little as well, he was just 5'ft tall and weighed about 8 stone) and he used to call everyone all the names under the sun, He didn't even say it in a quiet voice, he used to make sure they heard him.
Nobody took much notice of him and we used to laugh and just say, here he goes again.
However after a year or so,it did then start to get on your nerves and everyone got to hate him.
No matter what you said to him he was always ready with an insult.
"You fucking bastard....." was his usual remark.
Nobody understood why he was allowed back in the club, he should have been banned.
We know he lost his wife some years before and his daughter, sue, was looking after him.
But he did not appreciate it one little bit.
Sue worked full time and looked after joe, cooking, cleaning,and the usual housework things, and seven nights a week she drove him up to the club and then went back at eleven to pick him up.
She was shattered.
Sometimes at the weekend she used to stay with him, and what a grand night she had.
He was still the same, cursing, shouting.

Once we asked her why she stayed with him and got the obvious answer that he was her dad and he wouldn't know how to boil a kettle for a cup of tea let alone cook any food.She also said he was as bad as this when he was at home, swearing, cursing, about nothing in particular, just life.
Sue was a heavy smoker and we all knew why,having to put up with him.
About a year ago, Joe died quite suddenly, and nobody was sorry.
We all felt relief for sue because now she could relax and have a life of her own.
She had a boyfriend and ,of course, Joe did not like him, although he was fine really.
So, instead of getting married they just stayed as boyfriend/girlfriend.
Her boyfriend could not live with sue and her dad. Nobody could.
My mum told me that she had found out that sue had not been well but did not know exactly what was wrong with her.
A friend of ours then told us that sue had got lung cancer.
We couldn't believe it.
After all she had gone through with joe, the absolute hell he put her through.
She was told she only had a few months to live.
My mum phoned me yesterday and yes, you're right.
Sue had died.
Luckily, her sister and her boyfriend was with her when she passed away.
But what is making my blood boil is that joe was not just a nasty little man and upset many, many people, he also killed sue.
That nasty little bastard put sue through so much stress and strain she had a very unhappy life.
If she wasn't under so much stress with him for so long she may have not smoked, or, if she did, she probably would not have smoked so much.
She would not have got lung cancer and ended her life so early.
She was 56 years old.
R.I.P Sue.
At last she can rest.

2011-01-23T17:37:00.001Z

Astronomers have discovered one of the most fantastic disclosures of all time, in fact ever since life on this earth came into existence.
They are not sure yet when it will happen but sometime this year we will have two suns.
The reason is because a dying red super-giant star called Betelguese, will finally blow itself into oblivion.
When it does the explosion will be so bright that even the star in the Orion constellation, which is 640 light-years away, will shine so bright it will turn night into day and it will appear that there are two suns in the sky.
This will happen for a couple of weeks.
This has never happened before and it will be fantastic to see.
I can't wait for it to happen.

2011-01-11T20:42:00.007Z

I am fuming.
You must all remember the snow we've had,I say had because it's gone here now, and apparently we are not going to have anymore, or so they say.LOL
Well, the week before christmas, on the wednesday, I could not go into work because of the amount of snow that had fallen.
Asda opened an hour earlier christmas week, 7.00am instead of 8.00a.m. and I agreed, along with many others, to start work an hour earlier.
So, on monday, I got up at 4.30 a.m. and at 5.00a.m. I was out getting all the snow of my car and just preparing myself for the days work.
I left at 6.am. and arrived at Asda at 6,45a.m. it is only two miles away, so you can imagine what a dreadful drive that was.
Tuesday is my day off and it did nothing but snow all day. So I new what to expect on wednesday.
Wednesday morning, I got up at 4.30a.am. and at 5.30a.m. I was getting the snow off my car, it took me a good half an hour.
At 6.00a.m. I drove off to go to work, or at least I tried.
I had to reverse out and the car was going everywhere, slipping and sliding and no matter how hard I tried I could not get the car out.
Eventually , I managed it and drove off, straight into the curb, because my car just slid into it. I persevered and got it, very gently I may add, to the end of the road. It was then I turned back and drove home.The snow was so deep.
My car just would not go straight, slipping and sliding everywhere. This was on fresh snow and it was dreadful.
I told geoff and even tried to go in his car but no, it was as bad.
At 7.ooa.m. I phoned into work and explained what had happened and told them I could not make it that day. They were very understanding and said not to worry about it as others had got the same problem, they were many of us that could not go to work that day.
The day went on and about 3.oop.m. I received a phone call from Jane (thats not her real name) Jane is the Peoples mananger or personnel manager if you like.
She started saying about not turning up for work and I started to say how terrible it is, however, I never got a word in.
She continued to TELL me to come back to work NOW. I told her I couldn't because of the snow.I explained that it was actually snowing while she was talking to me.She asked me in a very demanding way whether I was REFUSING to come to work, I was so irate by this time I said YES!!!!! I wasn't refusing to go back to work for any other reason other than the snow problem.

She also said that my husband could drive me to work(very kind of her) I tried to explain that geoff had tried too but he couldn't do it. However I could not get a word in.
She started to raise her voice and told me I had let Asda down and that it was sunshine and blue skies.
There was more to this but I have cut it down because it was so dreadful, all she kept telling me was that I had let Asda down.
Eventually, her last words to me were, in a very sarcastic manner:
"DO HAVE A LOVELY AFTERNOON ANNETTE, DO HAVE A LOVELY AFTERNOON ANNETTE, DO HAVE A LOVELY AFTERNOON ANNETTE"
To which my reply was:"I will."
And I put the phone down.
She does keep repeating her sentences, I don't know why, she just does.
What concerned me was the fact there was no concern from her, she didn't care how anyone was going to get to work as long as we did.
Thursday morning came and the it was a little better. I managed to get the snow off the car and I did drive to work but it took me nearly and hour.
When I arrived at work everyone was in bits because they too had had a phone call from her and it was just as bad, in fact she had had some in tears.
We all went down and clocked in and I went straight to the GSM General store manager, told him I wanted to make an official complaint about the phone call I had received the day before. The first thing he asked me was , "did she ask you to come back to work?"
I said "yes, and more!"
He could see I was mad and we went upstairs to an office.
I told him excatly what I have told you, how long it took me get the snow off the car and how I had tried to come to work. I also reminded him that I had worked here for 20 years and NEVER have missed a day for this reason.
Then I told him about the call, what she had said to me, letting asda down, geoff could drive me into work, and that it was bright sunshine and blue skies although it was snowing at the time.
I couldn't understand why she had said "blue skies and sunshine" actually,and I said I wasn't sure what planet she was on because it wasn't this Earth!
It was that night we were on Midlands Today about the amount of snow we have had!
He was very good actually, he listened patiently, rarely spoke,(probably because he couldn't get a word in!!!) and was very professional.
He wrote a few things down as well.
At the end he said that I deserved an apology and that they do not expect any manager to speak or behave in that way.
He promised he would look into this but asked me to be a patient as it was christmas and new year,because the shop will be closed for a few days,I willingly agreed to this.
However, that is not all, Jane has come down onto the shop floor and yelled at some of us,even in front of the customers,not me I must add, and she has been very, very abusive.
Two others have now made official complaints about her behaviour,and everyone has told the manager about their phone calls they recieved and even what she has said to them on the shop floor.
So he knows the full picture now.
Jane is a young lady (??) about 30ish and very attractive actually,so why she has to behave like this god knows. No-one has ever had a cross word with her first. Nededless to say she is not liked, which is a shame.
Anyway, we will see what happens, but everyone asks me if the manager has done anything yet and I have to remind them that it has only been a couple of weeks and you have to give him time.
I really think she's in the wrong job as I have never known a peoples manager who doesn't like people.
I will let you know how it goes.

2010-12-28T09:11:00.001Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2010-12-24T16:50:00.001Z

MERRY CHRISTAMS TO ALL MY FRIENDS

2010-12-18T14:37:00.001Z

And just how much snow have you had...........................

2010-12-18T14:35:00.000Z

2010-12-18T14:31:00.000Z

2010-12-07T20:16:00.002Z

It will be 4 years on the 17/12/10 that I started blogging, and I have loved every minute of it. Not just blogging but reading all yours and getting to know you all. We probably would never have met otherwise, would we?
That is what I love, meeting everyone, getting to know you all.
I was always thinking about things to blog about and sometimes it took me a few days to get it right, by that I mean how to set it all out and I was always afraid of leaving things out by mistake.
But I also thought how I used to blog as well, you see geoff used to be a councillor then, and he was out 5 nights out of 7 for meetings and things, and I loved it!
He used to go about 6.30 pm and then I used to get ready for my blogging. I always washed up and then sat down with a coffee and a ciggie, as you do, and then I would be ready to blog.
Off went the telly, on went the music and the computer.
Opera, maria Callas actually, every night it was the same. I used to listen to the first 2 songs and then I was relaxed.
I sat down and went straight to blogger dashboard, I could really concentrate on my blog and think about how to start the blog and then............off I went. It could take a couple of hours depending on what my blog was about.
With the beautiful soft, music in the background I would sit here for hours just blogging, sometimes funny things other times serious blogs.
At the moment I have the tv on and its not quite the same as before.
I really will have to get back into a routine.
What do you do before blogging,or as you blog?

The Beast of Dartmoor? (as seen on Fact or Faked)

2010-12-05T17:28:00.000Z

2010-11-30T21:15:00.003Z

I don't really know how to start this blog as it's been such a long time.
Geoff has actually gone out........on his own!
At last. LOL
He is getting on well now but still has a little trouble with his knee, he can bend it 80% which is good compared to how it was, and he is now driving.
I think he got fed up with my driving, not that I'm that bad but when you are driving his car, your way, and not his, things got a little heated up sometimes.
Anyway, he is now going to snooker, hes not actually playing but the guys told him to go to the local matches and he may even get a game, I think they were feeling a little sorry for me actually. LOL.
So, I now have the evening to myself and it's just like the old days.I can realax and enjoy myself.......in peace!
Thats all to say really for now, I am so rusty, I've forgotton how to do this!
So, hopefully, I'll be back in my true form, I just need some practise now!

2010-10-20T21:21:00.000+01:00

It will soon be:

20.10 on the 20/10/2010

have I got it right this time?
LOL

2010-08-27T21:10:00.010+01:00

Just an update about geoff.
As I said before he had that manipulation on his leg and the doctor got it to 95% which is brill.However, I've got to be honest and say that geoff is not doing enough exercises to keep it that way. It is now only 70%
The physio, Julie, who is great had a word with me this morning and asked what geoff is doing and I told her the truth. Not enough, I said.
The problem is geoff is in such pain, but however, so is everybody else, it is well known it is one of the most painful ops you can have and you have got to persevere with the pain. It will eventually go. But you have to exercise it a lot.
After the physio geoff came out a bit unhappy and when we got home he told me that julie really put him through it, making him work that knee, and even sounded irritable with geoff.
The problem is you have go to push geoff to do this, he is in pain, you can see it in his face. But you see, everybody else in that physio session has had the same op and they all said about the pain, It is horrendous for a couple of months and you have to work so hard at the exercises.
This is my fortnight hols and I've spent more time at the hospital than I have at home, because geoff can't drive so I have to drive him everywhere.
I admit that my patience is getting a little short now.
I don't want to see him like this but it is in his hands, nobody elses.
I wish I could fast forward the time for a year and see him walk properly and this could be all over.
Anyway, as I've said before, will try to get back to blogging, but will have to wait and see.
Thankyou for your kind comments on my last blog.

2010-08-17T21:17:00.006+01:00

This is the first time I have been able to blog since 23rd June, and I,ve just had to sign in!
I had even forgot that we have to do sometimes. LOL
Anyway, just to let you know that geoff is back in hospital just for today though, as he has had to have manipulation on his knee.
You see, it wouldn't bend properly.
So, they will knock him out, and wiggle the knee about and get it going.
It sounds quite rough actually as the doctor Mr. Bell did explain that he could break geoff leg doing it!!!Although he did explain that in 20 years that has only happened once.
That frightened us both.
I will have to ring tomorrow morning and find out what time to pick geoff up.
It's geoffs last chance to get his knee right, they can do nothing else, it is up to geoff now. He has to do his excercises 4 times a day and then after a couple of weeks it will be like new, we hope.
So, lets hope.
It is so funny to do this now, it has taken me a long time to do this, I'm all rusty.
I miss blogging so much but don't have time.
I'll have to give up work!!!!
I've been at Asda for 20 years now, and the manager, Nigel, came and shook my hand.
I told him you get less for murder.

Anyway, lets hope it's not long before I can start again.
Although I've said that before, haven't I?
LOL

2010-06-23T21:17:00.001+01:00

Geoffs home now, but what about the budget?
Worse than the Thatcher days.
God help us.

2010-06-17T20:39:00.003+01:00

I wonder if any of you could help me with a query about a £2.00 coin.
I have a friend,martin, that comes into asda, and he showed me this £2.oo coin he was given in his change in another shop.
The coin had a dove on it and there was no writing on the front of the coin, turning it over there was the queens head so we took it it was legal tender.
However, around the coin there were these words:
Peace and harmony.
The date on it was 1959.
Neither of us could think of anything that those words could relate too.
but it did look as if it was made for something special.
For instance the war had been over some years before so it could not have meant that.

Do any of you know what it could have been made for?

2010-06-16T06:04:00.003+01:00

Geoff has had his operation and hes doing fine. He's in a little pain as can be expected but he is quite comfortable now.
Geoff was first on the list for tuesday and he went down to the theatre at 8.30 a.m. and he was back in the ward by 11.a.m.
I saw him yesterday afternoon and he was wide awake and talking.
The nurses are great, making sure he was comfortable and they gave him some pain killers, and we found out that they gave him some morphine while they were doing the op. Apparently this is a normal thing now. They always do this.
Geoff will be seeing the physio today and will be getting out of bed to do the excersies.
It's so quick, isn't it?

Anyway, what a relief thats all over, although theres a lot of hard work to do now, he has to learn how to walk again!

Will let you know how it goes.
Will try to start blogging again now, I hope!

2010-06-13T10:44:00.002+01:00

Geoffs birthday tomorrow, he will be 75, and he's having a lovely present, one he's waited for for ages,
A new knee!!!!!!!!!!
The hospital appointment came through 2 weeks ago and we laughed when we realised what day it was.......... his birthday.
I can rest for a few days.
YAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-05-16T14:43:00.003+01:00

This beautiful creature is in fact a species of the Iceland Catshark.
This is the first time it has been found in Greenland waters.
This small shark has been found in other oceans at depths between 2,645 to 4,625 feet, where it feeds on fish, marine worms and crustaceans such as lobster and crabs.
The recent discovery of this catshark is probably due to an increase in deep-sea fishing around Greenland.

There are other strange sea species being found as well.

2010-05-11T21:22:00.000+01:00

David Cameron as Prime Minister.............oh no.

2010-04-13T21:25:00.003+01:00

Well, it's been a while again, hasn't it?
The reason is because I have had to have some time off work with geoff. It's not his heart, but his knee.
On monday I got up for work and geoff called me back, he explained that he couldn't get out of bed, in fact he can't move at all.
The reason was because of his knee, he was in agony with it.
Now geoff has Had arthritis in his knee for 20 years or more but he can usually cope with it, but for some reason that morning he couldn't.
To cut a long story short I took him to hospital, how the hell we managed to get him in the car, god knows, but we did.
He saw the consultant and they x-rayed it.
It showed that the two bones in his knee (don't know the medical name for them I'm afraid) were actually rubbing together. Hence the pain.
It means a new knee.
Now then, geoff cannot leave the house and he certainly can't drive,only me round the bend,so once again we are stuck.
It could be three months before the operation and even then it will mean 2-3 months of physio as he has to train his new knee to work. He will be in a lot of pain first and then it will ease off.
So, everythings a bit ,well, funny, at the moment.
But I will let you know how it goes.
Have read your blogs but don't always leave a comment, don't seem to have time as I have to do everything now!!!
Will be in touch soon
Thanks

2010-03-02T20:17:00.003Z

Ever since I can remember I have always thought of March 1st, as the first day of spring.
I know it's not by the calender dates but I hate january and february and glad to get those months over and done with.
Well, it has been like spring the last two days hasn't it?
Last week Geoff and I finally had our holiday, a week in Eastbourne. It was lovely, including the weather.
We had to cancel our holiday twice last year as geoff was not fit enough to go so it was third time lucky, and it worked.
Last monday we arrived in Eastbourne and it was bitterly cold, no snow, but the wind cut right through you, we thought it was going to be like that all week, but no, the sun came out on tuesday and it staid out all week.
Couldn't believe it. It was great.
We did go out every day visiting the local towns and villages and how wonderful it was to forget time.
When you work all you do is think of the time, time to get to work, time to start work and time to finish work.
It was so nice not to have to bother about that.
Geoff and I have been going to the same hotel for 30 years or more.In fact we had our honeymoon there in 1985. Sounds daft now when people are going abroad to get married and have their honeymoon in Hawaii or something but it suited us at the time. It's the T&G.W.U. hotel and it's right on the front of the beach.The union, now Unite, owns it. Great views but the beach isn't sand it's pebbles so that a little disappointing but you can still walk around it.
They have a band stand a few yards from the hotel and in the summer they have singers and concerts there every night and it's lovely to walk down and listen to them.People travel from afar to listen to it. It really is great and everyone is so enjoying the concerts.
On the last night which is in August they have a fantastic firework display to celebrate the end of the season, you,ve never seen so many fireworks!
It's really brill.
Anyway, we did have a great time, did nothing,which was great,(LOL) but that's my kind of holiday these days!
Of course, all I've done since coming back is washing and ironing!!!
but it has been so good, I don't mind really.

2010-02-19T21:10:00.004Z

Last february we took snowdrop, our cat, to the vets so she could have her injections against cat flu and all the other diseases they can get. That was fine, until she got home.
When we let her out of the basket she ran out of the house and we didn't see her for about 3 hours. We thought it was because she hates being in the basket and was just running away in case we put her in it again.
Finally, she came home, and she looked awful.
We realised that there was something else wrong but couldn't quite work out what it was.
That night we went to bed as usual and thought that snowdrop would be better in the morning.
We were wrong.
I got up normal time and usually shes all around me purring and rubbing herself against me begging for her breakfast, but not that morning. She just laid on the sofa,she hasn't got a bed as such, but she didn't move.
I was worried about her, and called her to the kitchen to see whether she would come and start begging me for food, but she didn't, she just laid there.
I went over to her and looked at her and saw that her eyes were very droopy and she never moved.
I left her alone to see if she would perk up. The day went on but she did not improve.
We didn't know what to do.
Eventually we decided to ring the vets and ask them. This we did to be told that sometimes cats can have a reaction tot he injections and just to leave her till shes better. She should get better as the day went on. Well, by the end of the day she still was no better, she hadn't eaten or drunk anything at all.
In fact, she hadn't moved from the sofa.
We went to bed that night and we were worried sick about her.
However, when I got up the next morning she was brighter, not quite her normal self but she was nudging me for food so then I knew she was better. She got brighter and brighter as the day went on and returned to her normal self.
last tuesday we took her to the vets for the same injections again.
We explained what had happened to her and the vet said she could have a reaction for 24 hrs, but not to worrying about it. As long as she isn't physically sick or anything like that.
We took snowdrop home and she was fine, until we got her in.
As soon as we let her out of the basket she ran upstairs and laid on the bed. Now that is somewhere she never normally goes but we weren't to bothered about it as we thought it was just a reaction about going to the vets.
Later, I went up to bed and I couldn't believe my eyes, she was curled up in a ball and her face looked a little swollen. I walked over to her nad stroked her, lifting up her face so I could see it better, her eyes looked swollen and she looked like she was in a different world.
She was very sleepy.
We remembered what the vet had said so we just left her alone to sleep it off.
The next day, (Wednesday) I went to work and asked geoff to watch over her.
This he did and when I came home from work he told me she hadn't moved and had not eaten or drunk anything that day.
Time went on and we tried to coax her down but to no avail. She was not going to move.
We kept going over to her and stroking her so she knew we were there, but there was no real reaction from her.
The next day. (Thursday)
Same thing, I left for work and she still hadn't moved from the bed.
She was not interested in anything, from water to food, and believe you me, for her not to be interested in food means she does not feel well as she loves her food.
The next day. (Friday)
I arrived home from work to find snowdrop laying by the fire.
(they're not daft are they, eh?)
Geoff said that this was the first time she had moved from the bed and had slowly made her way down about half an hour before I came home.
Still no food or water though.
Slowly but surely, snowdrop finally went to the kitchen and even jumped up and was nudging my hand as if to ask for food.
I gave her a little bit and she ate that o.k.
It is now 10.p.m. and she has been out for about ten minutes and got some fresh air.
She is now laying on the sofa but she is now more alert than she has been.
Thats been three days shes been ill.
I'm not sure if we will let her have those injections again because of the reaction she gets.

We just don't know what to do, but we have got a year to decide.

Dreadful as it is I really think she should have those injections, rather than catch cat flu because that can kill.
Thank god it's only once a year.

I

2010-01-27T21:14:00.003Z

This is a picture I took of our christmas tree in the back garden. Please excuse the mess there, I forgot to move it!

We brought this tree for christmas about 10 years or more and it was a lot smaller then. After christmas we didn't really know what to do with it so I suggested we planted in the back garden, I must admit we were laughing when we did this as we didn't expect anything to happen. Well, it didn't for about 5 years and we kept saying we should dig it up but of course never got round to it, and then, suddenly, it sprouted. Up it came and it has just rocketed, it must be 6ft or more.

But the reason I took this photograph was because it looked so pretty with the snow on it and we had put christmas tree lights on it. However, the photo hasn't come out as nice as I thought it would, but what I love is if you look to the left of the tree you can see the moon and even better the bright stars.

It's the best photo I have ever taken of the moon!

So, although my intention was to show off the christmas tree, I'll leave you with the moon!!!

(LOL)

2010-01-19T21:12:00.002Z

Last sunday geoff and I decided to pop down to Oxford to see the family.
My mum, Ruth and my step father, Bruce, my sister Yvonne who is 55, her daughter Dawn and Dawns husband Simon and their beautiful daughter Keira.
Yvonne has a son Darren but he has moved away from Oxford now.
Dawn and Simon live in Merton, a small village on the outskirts of Oxford and we always pop in to see them on the way down to see my mum.
Geoffs daughter Laura and her husband Martin also live in the same village, and they only live about 5 doors away from each other so thats really nice.
However Laura and Martin were out so we popped down the road went to see dawn and simon.
Yvonne was there, because unfortunately, she had slipped in the snow a couple of weeks earlier and broke her arm.
Not once, but in two places, poor girl she was in agony.
She had been to hospital and they had put a sling on it,they don't plaster it now apparently, and she was staying with dawn and simon because she couldn't do anything with only one arm working.
She couldn't dress herself, wash her hair, nothing.
At first she was reasonably happy and laughing and joking with us, but then she started to get a bit depressed (not surprisingly really) and kept mentioning Jeff.
Jeff , who was 59,was her husband for about 25 years, I can't remember exactly how long they were married, but it was a long time, when suddenly, two years ago, he had a brain haemorrhage and died. Totally,unexpectedly, out of the blue.
One day he was fine, the next day he had gone.
It was such a shock, no-one could believe it.
We were devastated.
And that is the problem, it was two years ago now, and although there is no time limit for grieving, yvonne cannot let go at all.
You will always remember the person who died and the things you used to do together,you would remember the good times and the bad.
Yvonne, I'm afraid, cannot except the fact that Jeff has gone.
She says the same thing everytime we see her:
"Huh, what about his mum and Trevor, (Jeffs stepfather) they are still alive.
It's not fair."
Please don't get her wrong, she does not mean any harm to them, not at all, but she just feels it is unfair that they are still alive and Jeff is not.
We looked at each other and I told her that no-one can answer that because (thankfully) no-one knows when they are going to die and who decides where,when and how.
I told her we were all devastated when it happened and although it has been two years now, we still can't really believe ourselves that it has happened.
She should now look ahead and respectfully put that behind her and think about tomorrow.
That was greeted with:
"What have I got to look forward too?"
Geoff then turned to her and explained that she had a lot to look forward to. She is young and attractive, she could easily find someone else and settle down with them.
That did not go down well, she looked at geoff and almost choked on her drink.
She couldn't imagine being with anyone else.
And thats the problem.
Thats what worrying me and geoff.
We are both concerned that she will never let him go, and never get on with her life.
I know that Jeff would want her too.
But we cannot convince her of that.

I do not mean to sound hard or uncaring to Yvonne, but I am so worried that she will end up a bitter, angry woman, with no life of her own.
Her children have their own lives now, so whats going to happen to her?
It is a worry.

2010-01-12T21:19:00.000Z

Saw this and thought it funny!!!

2010-01-10T13:31:00.002Z

Well, how nice it is to finally have time to sit here and speak to you all.
I must admit that as much as I enjoy Christmas it is a busy time, not just seeing all the family, but at work as well. The overtime is neverending.
I have never been so tired, the week before Christmas Asda was open from 6 a.m. till 12.00 p.m.
they asked quite a few of us to start at 6 a.m. and so I did, finished at 1.p.m. so it wasn't that bad actually, but by the end of the week we were all shattered.
New year's eve we opened at 6.a.m. as well.
The silliest thing happened New years eve, we were so busy!!!!!!
It was worst than Christmas week and to this day we don't know why.
We were only closed for one day,New Years day, but you would have thought we were going to close for a week.
Anyway, we are now, finally, back to normal.
In fact on Wednesday they were sending people home(me!!!) because there was no customers.
We do not have to go, and we don't get paid either, but it is better than stting there doing nothing.

Anyway, will look forward to doing some more blogging from now on.
Trying to read yours of course but haven't been able to read all of them, so a lot of catching up to do, wishing you all the best for the new year and I hope you are all well.

2009-12-30T19:39:00.002Z

I WOULD LIKE TO WISH MY DEAREST FRIENDS, A HAPPY NEW YEAR AND ALL THE BEST FOR 2010.

XXX

2009-12-28T14:07:00.000Z

In memory of a dear friend....Elaine.

2009-12-23T17:41:00.001Z

May I wish you all a very merry christmas

and a happy new year.

2009-12-19T12:45:00.002Z

Please listen to this most beautiful music I have ever heard.

SUSAN BOYLE

HOW GREAT THOU ART

2009-12-11T21:22:00.002Z

Isn't it funny that this year it has taken me longer to get into christmas than last year.
I don't mean the meaning of christmas, I mean the buying presents the wrapping of them and delivering them.
Most years I like to get all the present buying and the wrapping done by the end of November so I can just relax and enjoy December, although there is a lot of overtime then, I don't mind doing it, it adds to the atmosphere as most people are in really good moods, all looking forward to christmas day.
But this year, I'm still buying presents now,and there's only 2 weeks to go.
I'm all behind. As they say.
I haven't even got to do a lot of food shopping because this year Geoff and I are going to our favourite Indian restaurant for christmas dinner.
We've done this before and it's great, a hot curry and no washing up.
Brilliant.
On boxing day, we're going to Oxford to see the family and we will be having lunch at my mums.
That will be a traditional christmas dinner.
I won't be cooking until sunday, so that's great.
We never have guests on christmas day because all of my step children (now adults in their 40's!) are married or have partners and they go to their mums or their mum-in-laws, for christmas day.
We don't mind, as long as they enjoy themselves, that's great.
It's been a funny year what with geoff being ill with his heart and then with his gout.
I think I will be happy to get this year over with really and start a new year.
There's always one year isn't there?
Talking about geoffs heart problem we went to the hospital last tuesday for his check-up and they told him they did not want to see again. We were very pleased with that.
No more going there, which is a relief really because the car parking is awful and we do wait quite a while to see a doctor
So, we should enjoy christmas now, and I've still got one more present to get!

2009-11-29T09:38:00.002Z

For thoughts:

My Boots!!!!!

lovely, aren't they?

This is the only reason I love the winter!

2009-11-22T10:15:00.003Z

Geoff and I were going on holiday tomorrow.
Thats right, I said were.
I came home from work on wednesday to find geoff in his chair (thats not unusual actually!) with his foot up on a chair.
I looked at it and nearly screamed.
It was huge.
His foot had swollen so much you could hardly see his toes.
We knew exactly what it was.
GOUT!
He had this a few years ago in his right foot, now he's got it in his left foot.It is so painful.
I got a cold compress on it which helped with the pain but when we took the compress of it hadn't done a lot of help with the swelling.
We knew it was going to take more than one compress to relieve that.
So, for 48 hours geoff stayed in his chair and even slept in it,but we knew he wanted tablets for this,so went to doctors and got a prescription, tablets,and they have helped a lot.
Geoff went up to bed yesterday (saturday) and he's stayed there all day and today.
He is more comfortable in bed.
I am keeping very fit, running up and down stairs.

We were going to Eastbourne, I love that place and was so looking forward to going there. We haven't had the best of years, have we?
Never mind, these things happen.

Look forward to the new year and we'll go next year.
We both need a holiday then!

2009-11-17T20:16:00.002Z

Having read one of Dickiebos post I did say I would do a blog about that particular one he had done.
In fact, I had written it under another one which was nothing to do with his blog.
So, I apologise for that, my mistake.
The one I was referring to was called:
Britain edging closer to a banana republic.
What he was saying was that britain has become worse since labour got in, but I tend to disagree with that as britain has been like this for years.

I felt I had to say something about it, but I couldn't say it on the comments page because my reply would be too long to write it in there.

Lets take the first paragraph about drunken/drug crazed yobs.For which he is blaming 24 hour drinking. We did not have 24 hour drinking but there was still the drunks.
There are drunken/drug crazed yobs around, but it isn't a recent happening. It's been going on for years. And I mean years.
I remember when I was a teenager, many years ago now, when I used to go out with my friends at the weekends there were always drunks around.Every friday and saturday night, mostly men, they would just get blotto, because it was the weekend and they did it every weekend. Some just got drunk and somehow managed to get home and others were arrested, although you weren't actually arrested for being drunk in those days, but if they became violent, and many did, then they were arrested.
We used to keep away from them as they weren't our friends and not in 'our group'
Not so sure if there was so many druggies then, but there were probably a fair few.
But can't really comment on them as I'm not sure if they become violent like the drunks.
But there were druggies in those days.

Dickiebo then went on to say about the Eastern European immigrants.
Well, this is where I actually agree with him.
There are far too many immigrants here, if fact, I have never agreed with anyone so much.
I am sick of them, and I am not the only one.
Enough said about that I think.

Another comment he made was about the courts and their lenient sentencing, in some cases he's right, but there aren't that many but when it does happen it's headlines in the papers and, of course, we think all cases are like this.
They aren't.

Smoking.
Now, this is close to my heart!
I am a smoker and I loathe having to go out in the bitter cold to have a ciggie.
At work we all have a fifteen minute break and that turns into 25.
The reason is because we have to go to our lockers and get our coates, have a wee, wash our hands, and then walk down a rather long corridor to go out into the cold.This all takes time from our breaks.
The non smokers have caught onto this now and they now have at least 20 mins break, and who can blame them?
They don't blame us because they know it's the law but it is still infuriating.

The whole point of this is to say that it isn't since labour came into power that these problems have started, the problems have been here for years.
Who do we blame?
I don't know.
Sometimes I think it's the parents fault, for not discipling their kids and letting them do what they want or is it society????
Whatever that is.
No-one has ever explained to me what 'society' means.

I'm old school and believe you should discipling children, even smack them.
My god, I sound like one of those strict school marms, but that is what I believe.
Dicipling starts from when you are a child.

2009-11-07T13:51:00.006Z

Geoffs cakes.

Geoff makes these cakes for friends, it could be for birthdays or anniversaries.

He does it all, makes the cake itself and then spends hours decorating it.

beautiful, aren't they?

I thought that this year I would make the christmas log.............

(pictured below)

2009-11-07T13:48:00.005Z

I think I'll let geoff do it next year.

2009-11-06T20:54:00.002Z

Poor, poor snowdrop, she looks so relaxed and cute in this photo but right now, she isn't! shes petrified.

Everybody has decided to do their bonfire night tonight!

All you can hear is bangers, and sizzling noises coming from all directions.

Snowdrop is hiding, cuddled up behind the sofa, shaking.

I remember our first dog, Lady,she was a cross collie alsation so she was a big dog but we had to give her valium!

She wouldn't go out in the back garden for a week after bonfire night, because she thought she was going to come across some more fireworks.

Bless her.

Our second dog, Becky, who was a butterfly dog and not very big at all,was the exact opposite. She wasn't afraid of anything or anyone.

She looked out the window in awe of the fireworks.

She loved it.

So, I'll go and give snowdrop a big cuddle.(thats my excuse!)

and just be thankful it's only once a year!!!

2009-10-30T21:24:00.004Z

Aren't coincidences funny?

Last week I was working on my checkout when suddenly I saw Rosaleen and my brother Bob in Asda.

It was a shock as they actually live in Brighton.
They laughed when they saw my face as I just looked in total shock!

Well, they came to the shop because they were going to Birmingham to see some friends. They had lost their son, in Afghanistan a year ago in a road side bomb. As you probably remember bob and rosaleen lost their son, sean, in a road side bomb attack, also in Afghanistan.

I was finishing at I p.m. and as it was about 12.45 they waited for me to finish and we went for a coffee in the town.
We were laughing and chatting away, and they were openly talking about sean and what he had done whilst there in Afghanistan,and how he helped a lot of the children as there was no schooling, and how the soldiers all gave them books to read and just generally helped them in any way they could.

Suddenly rosaleen said about how sometimes she stands in the living room and cries for her son and wonders why it had to be him.
Well, yes, we can all sympathise with that.

She said that on one occasions she was feeling particularly sorrowful and was just sitting on her own in the living room thinking of sean when she had noticed a robin in the garden.She stared at it thinking how beautiful it was when suddenly it seemed to turn and look at her and then, quick as a flash, it flew off.
She didn't see it for a few days and really had forgotten all about it.

One sunday they were both doing the gardening when suddenly a robin flew down and landed on a tree they have in their garden.
It took her breath away, and she stood their staring at it as she remembered when she had seen it before.
She didn't say anything to bob and carried on doing the gardening and every now and then she would turn and look at the robin, watching its every movement, suddenly after about half an hour, it chirped, flapped it's wings, and flew off.

That night bob knew something was bothering Rosaleen and he asked her what was wrong. At first she was a little hesitant about telling him about this robin as she was worried bob would say that it was just a robin and that was that.

After a couple of hours they were sat in their living room having a well earned cup of tea when rosaleen just came out with the story about the robin.Bob, being bob, asked why she thought it was important that a robin had come into the garden, and she said she wasn't sure exactly but it wasn't the first time, and she had seen it before.
Days went on and no more was said.

On the friday of that week rosaleen had just finished work and was walking towards her front door when a robin flew over her head.
It made her jump because it came so close.
Thats when it hit her, she had seen this robin so many times, and on occasions it got quite close to them.
She looked at me and said:
"I swear thats sean."

Well, I sat there and I felt quite strange to be honest. I wasn't quite sure what to say. I asked her if she thought it possible to which she replied:
"Oh, I don't know, it's just strange that everytime I think of sean, this robin appears."

Where's the coincidence I hear you ask?

Well, there is a lovely lady called sheila who I have known for years. She comes to Asda first thing in the morning to collect her bit of shopping before going to work.
Sheila, who is in her fifties, came in one day looking particularly unwell, I asked her what was wrong and she said she had lost her husband suddenly a week before.

There was tears all around.

Now, I have never met her husband, but she told me he had cancer but he doing so well with the treatment, that the consultant had praised him only 2 weeks prior, saying just how well he had done and they were thinking of realising him from the hospital.

Although he would be an out-patient there was no need to keep him in anymore.

They were both delighted with this news.

Unfortunately, just after being released he died unexpectedly.

She was devastated.

A few weeks went by and she came in to Asda, always putting on a brave face but you could see that she just couldn't really come to terms with his death.

One day, she turned to me and asked me if she could tell me something that had happened, I ,of course, said yes.

I thought perhaps I could help her in some way.

She then went on to explain that since her husbands death they've had a robin in their garden every day. At first she took no notice of it but after a while she realised she was looking out of the window waiting for this robin to appear.

And it always did.

I saw her last week and I asked her about the robin, I think I was expecting her to say it had gone, but, no, it was still there.

In her back garden.

She swears that it is her husband come to see if shes o.k.

So you see, thats two people telling me about robins in their gardens, who they believe to be their loved ones.

I know a lot of people will say it is a coincidence and you see a lot of robins everyday and because of whats happened you put too much of an emphasis on it.

But, it just makes you wonder, doesn't it?

2009-10-23T20:45:00.003+01:00

Last week geoff had his usual annual anti-flu jab.
He's now got a stinking cold.
So have I and the cat, Snowdrop.
Last friday geoff said how ill he felt, he was dizzy and hot and cold and kept sneezing. I reminded him that every year when he has his jab, he always feels ill for a few days afterwards.
On saturday he woke up and nearly blew the house down with his sneezing, and thats when we realised he had a cold. He was rough for the weekend but felt better by monday.
Or so we thought.
Monday night he went to bed and he didn't get up until wednesday.
Luckily tuesdays is my day off, so I could see to him. Geoff asked me to ring the doctors and check that it wasn't going to effect his heart problem,and also to ask if he could have some anti-biotics for his chest. I spoke to the doctor and he told me he wasn't happy giving geoff tablets without seeing him, well, geoff could not gte to the surgery that day as he was too ill.
The doctor did not offer to come out and see him.
Although geoff wasn't very happy with that, but as I said, it was just a cold, nothing too serious.
So, all day I made cups of tea and only cooked a little dinner for him tuesday night, as he wasn't very hungry, and believe you me, that must mean geoff is ill for he never gives up his food.
Tuesday night I went to bed and woke up wednesday morning, and felt dreadful!
I had picked it up, thanks geoff!!!
I rang in sick for that day and went back to work on thursday,as you can't have a lot of time of sick at Asda,but I was still feeling rough.
Everybody was asking me how I was, in particular Matt, who is new to Asda but we are really good friends and we have a good laugh.
When I got home, geoff sad he was worried about Snowdrop as she wasn't eating.She was also dribbling like mad from her mouth. I told him that she hadn't eaten a lot on wednesday but I admit I was too ill to worry too much about her.
We tried to feed her again, just to see what she did, and she sniffed it and walked away.
Well, you can't leave that alone, so a trip to the vet was in hand.
Getting her basket out of the cupboard I picked her up and of course, she struggled. She scratched me which made me jump, then she struggled and manage to jump out of my arms and she ran away.
She was gone for over an hour!!!
We ran the vets and explained and they told us to wait and see if she comes back, if she does, then just bring her down.
She did come back, very slowly, and a little on edge.
However, we did get her in her basket and took her down to the vet.
They were laughing when we got there, because, once you get Snowdrop in the basket, she is so docile!!! they couldn't believe she would react the way she did.
The vet examined her but couldn't really work out what was wrong, her temperature was a little higher than normal, but nothing to worry about.
The vet examined every inch of her to see whether she was in pain, but she didn't flinch, which meant she wasn't in any pain at all.
While we were there I sneezed a couple of times and apologised for doing so. So did geoff.
The vet then announced that she thought Snowdrop may have a bit of a cold herself!
This surprised us as she has her yearly injections for the cat flu etc.
The vet explained that she could still get a cold,and thankfully we brought her in straight away so they could deal with it quickly. She gave Snowdrop an antibiotic injection and gave us 10 tablets to give her twice daily for a week. She is making good progress now, and beginning to eat again.
That will clear everything up, she explained.
We laughed actually because as I said to geoff, that is exactly whats happened to him. He had his antiflu jab and still got a cold. He gave it to me and then gave it to Snowdrop.
So, what a week it's been.
All three of us bad and what about matt, you may ask.
You've guessed it:
I gave him my cold now!!!!
Well, theres nothing like share and share alike between friends, is there?

2009-10-17T14:29:00.004+01:00

If you have a few minutes then please listen to this, it is so relaxing and peaceful, and the music is beautiful.

2009-10-16T21:10:00.004+01:00

Here's a few jokes for us to enjoy:

A married couple in their early 60's were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in a quiet, romantic restaurant.........
Suddenly a tiny, beautiful fairy appeared on their table.
She said:"For being such a wonderful married couple and for being loving to each other for all this time, I will grant you each a wish."
The wife answered:"Oh, I want to travel around the world with my darling husband."
The fairy waved her magic wand and-POOF!- two tickets for the Queen Mary 11 appeared in her hands.
The husband thought for a moment:
"Well, this is very romantic, but an opportunity like this will never come again. I'm sorry, my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than I."
The wife, and the fairy were deeply disappointed, but a wish is a wish.
So, the fairy waved her magic wand and- POOF!- the husband became 93 years old.

The moral of this story:
Men who are ungrateful bastards should remember fairies are female!!!

A Frenchman, an Englishman and a New Yorker are exploring the jungle and are captured by a fierce tribe.
The chief tells them:
"The bad news is that we've caught you, we're going to kill you, and then use your skins to build a canoe. The good news is that you get to choose how you die."
The Frenchman says:
"I take ze poison."
The chief gives him some poison,and the Frenchman says, "Viva la France!" He then drinks the poison.
The Englishman says:
"A pistol for me please."
The chief gives him a pistol, the brit points it at his head and says:
"God save the queen!" He then blows his brains out.
The New Yorker says:
"Give me a fork."
The chief is puzzled, but he shrugs and gives him a fork. The New Yorker then stabs himself all over-the stomach, the sides,the chest, everywhere. Blood gushes out from every hole.
The chief screams:"What are you doing?"
The new Yorker turns and looks at the chief and he says:
"So much for your canoe!"

A lady calls the police to report her husband is missing.
The police arrive and asks for a description.
"He's 6ft 2ins tall, blonde wavy hair and has a smile that makes everybody love him."
She says.

The police then go next door to verify this report and the lady next door tells the police:
"You can't believe her. He's 5ft 4ins tall, has no hair and he wears a perpetual frown on his face."
The lady then goes next door and asks the lady why she had given the police such a false description.
She replies:
"Just because I reported him missing, does not mean I want him back!"

2009-10-06T20:09:00.005+01:00

Well, I returned to work after my hols to uproar.
There had been a noticed put up on the notice board that all persons who normally work on mondays would be expected to work on monday 28th December 2009 and we would be on normal pay, not time and a half and no day in lieu.
Now,this is a bank holiday because christmas day is friday and boxing day is saturday. sunday is a normal working day and monday is the bank holiday.
We all agreed that if they did this we would not turn up for that monday.
We have not been told this officially by the management by the way, it was just a notice and it has now been taken down.

Everyone, and I mean everyone is in uproar about this.

I am in the union (GMB) and I rang them and spoke to Andy, I asked him if it was possible they could do this and he said: YES.
It was possible.
I explained that we had all said we would not turn up for that day and he was silent for a few seconds and then he advised me not to do that as we would be 'awol' and it will lead to serious disciplinary action.
He explained that of course they knew what Asda was doing and they were in negotiations with them to stop them from doing this.

Asda has tried this once before, with the bank holidays.
I have worked there for 19 years and they tried to get us to work at least 2 bank holidays a year. When before it was purely voluntary. But if you did work a bank holiday, you got time and a half and a day in lieu. They have stopped that now and only pay you normal hours and no day in lieu.
The union was in negotiations with them and they stopped us from having to do any bank holidays. It is voluntary, like it was before.

It's only been a couple of weeks now and nothing has been said by Asda about the monday, and we are waiting to hear from the union.

We work hard enough as it is and I'm sure you can imagine what it's like at christmas time, and they want to take away our holiday.
How dare they!!!!

So, I will let you know what happens when we hear from them.

2009-09-18T21:06:00.003+01:00

Nine stages of humans.

Not old enough to know better,
Old enough to know better,
Not old enough to know,
Old enough to know,
Not old enough,
Old enough,
Not old
Old
Not.

My younger days

When I was in my younger days, I weighed a few pounds less,
I needn't hold my tummy in, to wear a belted dress.
But now that I am older, I've set my body free:
There's comfort of elastic, where once my waist would be.
Inventor of those high-heeled shoes, my feet have not forgiven,
I have to wear a nine now, but used to wear a seven.
And how about those pantyhose, they're sized by weight, you see,
so how come when I put them on, the crotch is at my knees?
I need to wear these glasses, as the prints were getting smaller:
and it wasn't very long ago, I know that I was taller.
Though my hair has turned to silver and my skin no longer fits,
on the inside I'm the same old me, just the outside's changed a bit.

2009-09-08T21:26:00.003+01:00

Well, that was a good start to my blogging, wasn't it?
Got the wrong day. I don't know, Lets blame geoff.

I was sat on the sofa having a cuppa when I read up about a programme that was going to be on T.V. on the 16th Sept (yes, that is the right day!) and I was trying to work out when the 16th was, I turned to geoff and asked what todays date was and he said it was the 9th.
I jumped up, all excited and ran to the computer exclaiming that I must tell everyone the date.
I smiled as I put it on my blog site thinking I was so clever, and I did wonder why nobody else had mentioned it.
Anyway, I left it and after a while went back to my blog site to see whether anyone else had realised the date.
Well, you can just see my face when I read your replies.
Wrong day!
Tomorrow!

OMG, I took a big swallow and you know when you just want the floor to open up and swallow you.

LOL or what!!!

I told geoff he had the wrong date, and he swore he hadn't. We had to look on the calender to check it.
He had......got the wrong date.

So, you see, we'll blame geoff (hehe)

Never mind, 09-09-09 tomorrow,
Have a nice day, everyone.

(and a wednesday, at that!!!)

2009-09-08T13:29:00.004+01:00

Well, don't I feel a bloody idiot. Serves me right to take geoffs word on what date it was!

Do you realise what date it is tomorrow (!!!!)

It is 09-09-09

Just thought I'd let you know.

2009-09-04T06:11:00.002+01:00

Goodnight, Michael,

God bless you.

The angels will look after you now.

xxx

2009-09-01T20:11:00.004+01:00

It's been a while since I blogged and I did say that everything was fine with geoff and to be truthful it is,
But what I forgot to tell you was that I was on hols for 2 weeks from August 17th - 1st september (today). My hols actually finished on friday the 28th August but because of the bank holiday I've had a couple of extra days.
We haven't been away but we have had trips out. We went to Western-super-mare and worcester which was lovely, but the best was thursday 27th August when we went to wales.
When i asked what part of wales geoff said it was a surprised. I was abit taken aback by this,but didn't ask anymore. Any part of wales will do.
We were going to go on wednesday but when I got up and saw the terrible weather I suggested to geoff we leave it till thursday and see what the weather was like. So glad we did. it was lovely. So, off we went.
We left home at about 8.15 a.m. (it nearly killed geoff getting up that early!!!) and we headed for the M5. Followed that for a while and then we went on the M50 heading towards Ross-on-Wye. We then went on the A40 for miles and miles until we reached Monmouth and turned onto the A449. Ater all that we turned onto the M4 and drove to Swansea. What a lovely place.
Reaching our destination after about 2 and a half hours we decided we were hungry so we stopped at the first place we came too and had some breakfast.
It was a lovely little place, and a full breakfast was only £2.99 each. Not a bad price at all.
After breakfast we drove into swansea and we were very pleasantly surprised. It was very nice,clean, and a larger town than what we thought it would be. We walked around for about an hour and we were both tired so we went back to the car and decided to go another place. Now geoff had already worked out where we were going actually, it was a surprise for me.He knew I always wanted to go to the Mumbles.
I am so useless with maps. I didn't even realize we were anywhere near mumbles! I think we just get in the car and go, I never work out the map or anything. Geoff does that and I don't even think of it!!!
In fact the laugh was when we got in the car to go geoff gave me the map and asked me to check the route he was going. I was doing fine until I turned the page and saw swansea.
"Oh, geoff, I was hoping we would go to the mumbles" I said.
"Annette, we have to go to swansea to get to the mumbles." Geoff said.
OH!

We arrived at mumbles and we parked the car at the pier and went for a coffee.
Enjoyed that and then we went for a walk around the pier. That took about 5 minutes because it was a lot smaller than what I thought it was. But we enjoyed it.
Walking around mumbles was lovely. It really was nice, clean and quiet. That may sound a little strange, to say quiet, but it was. You never heard a sound, Both geoff and I said about that.
We loved looking around the shops and believe it or not we didn't actually buy anything. You know what it's like, you usually buy something don't you? It wasn't because there wasn't anything to buy, there was, that was the problem we could have brought loads. So we didn't!

After about an hour we went back to the car and decided to make our way back. So looking at the map geoff asked if I would like to go over the black mountains I immediately said yes. I love doing that. However, because it had rained all day the day before the roads would have been dreadful and geoff was worried we would get stuck somewhere and not be able to get help.
So, after a while we decided to go back on the A4067 up to Brecon.
Off we went through all the little villages, Pontardawe,Climaengwyn, Abercral and Defynnog, which we loved to see, and we even passed Oyster castle (where dickiebo works) I don't think that is the proper name but I did recognize it.
I would have loved to have stopped to have a look but we just didn't have the time. Which was a shame.
Reaching brecon we stopped to have coffee and we had a walk round there, again it was a lovely place.
After stretching our legs we went back to the car and headed for Hay-on-wye.
It's a long drive but we thoroughly enjoyed it. Going through all the villages and small towns.
We then headed towards Hereford and back to worcester.
We got home at about 7.00p.m. and of course, we had a take-away.
I must say it was a very enjoyable day and finishing it off with a take-away and a glass of wine was perfect.

We were shattered but really enjoyed the day and so glad I finally got to go to the mumbles.
Must do that again.

2009-08-09T11:27:00.000+01:00

Just for you, Dickiebo.

xxx

2009-08-07T20:36:00.003+01:00

Hi everyone,
Thankyou so much for asking how we are, it's funny really because I was going to tell you tonight anyway.

Geoff is doing really well now, last tuesday he had had his heart stopped and restarted (can';t remember the medical name for it).
We had to be at the hospital for 8.00a.m. as they check that you are fit enough to have this done(!!) sounds funny, doesn't it? but you know what they mean by that.
Anyway, we get there at 8.00a.m. and when we walked in there was about 5-6 people there and they were all having the same treatment as geoff.
We sat down and expected to be kept waiting for ages but in actual fact we weren't, a nurse called geoffs name and off he went into a small ward.
They checked his blood pressure and asked him a thousand questions about the tablets he was taking, which is Warfarin and beta Blockers, they asked him when he actually staid in hospital and for how long and what was said to him. Geoff gave them all the details and they seemed happy. They had everything on record and what geoff told them agreed with what they had written down.
So, they were happy with that.
He was asked to sit in the waiting room again. Time went on and some of them kept dissappearing and the never came back (!!) we then found out that it was because they had had the treatment and they had been taken down to a ward to recover (phew!)
At about 11.45 geoffs name was called and they took him to the ward ,(geoff was last on the list, of course) they took his blood pressure and said he was going to the theatre to be 'done'. That was the nurses saying that, they were so friendly and cheerful and was saying that to relax you as much as you could under those situation.LOL
At 11.50 he went down to the theatre and they put a needle into the back of his hand and he breathed through a gas mask for about 3 seconds and then that was it,he was asleep and knew nothing until he woke up in the ward and was told by the nurses he had had it done and it was successful. He was utterly amazed at how quick it was and how well he felt. It only takes 30 seconds to actually do that because they can't stop the heart for any longer, amazing, isn't it?
I was with him then and even I was surprised because he was wide awake and talking. (as bloody always!)
He tried to stand up but was a little wobbly on his legs so they insisted he must have a cup of tea and a piece of toast and then sees how he feels. This he did and after about half an hour he tried to stand again and this time he was fine. They explained to geoff he must still continue to take the Warfarin and Beta Blockers because the heart can go straight back to beating to fast again and he has to 'train' his heart to stay at the normal beat.
At 12.30 we went home.
Geoff was very tired and he slept for a while and we had a take-away which was lovely.(any excuse!) He went to bed and was fine, for the first time in 4 months we both slept all the night through.
Wednesday night, off to bed we go and then I noticed that geoff was very restless. I asked him what was wrong and he said he heart was going to slow. He even counted his heart beats.(48)
To cut a long story short, neither of us slept that night and at 3.30a.m. I was making us a cup of tea and trying to get geoff to understand that his heart is fine otherwise the doctors would not have let him out of hospital. But nothing I said relaxed geoff.
I rang in sick at work and explained what had happened with geoff the night before and that I was too tired to come to work. They know about geoffs problem and they were very understanding.
I rang our doctors and made an appointment and I actually went in with geoff to see her, and explained what had happened. The doctor listened to geoffs heart and put his mind at rest when she said there was nothing to worry about, his heart was beating perfectly normally.
She told geoff she would give him a small amount of sleeping tablets and she explained that they did NOT give these out normally because they are addictive. He was only to take one, and only when he really needed too. I think she realised that in fact he had like a panic attack on wenesday night.
After listening to his heart going so fast and irregular for months he now thought his heart was going too slow!
He's got to regain his confidence and not think something bad is going to happen to him.
He will in time.

Anyway, things are getting back to normal, slowly but surely, and I will be back blogging again,
That sounds more like a threat, doesn't it!

Anyway, thanks again for asking, it's such a comfort you know.
xxxxx

2009-07-12T12:27:00.002+01:00

Police say that Michael Jacksons death could be suspicious, their currently looking for a smooth criminal who could be black or white and he's bad and dangerous.
They have got fingerprints off the wall and the say, say, say, there was a man in the mirror, so he has to be there.
They would like Ben and Billie jean to come forward but they don't wanna be starting something.
Police say they won't stop till they get enough as they found blood on the dancefloor.
It's going to be a tough case but they would beat it.
Police say it's a real thriller.

2009-07-08T17:16:00.000+01:00

Goodnight, Michael.

God bless you.

2009-06-28T06:43:00.001+01:00

R.I.P.

The whole world is crying.

2009-06-27T18:13:00.006+01:00

2009-06-27T18:12:00.001+01:00

2009-06-27T18:11:00.004+01:00

2009-06-27T18:09:00.002+01:00

2009-06-27T18:07:00.005+01:00

2009-06-27T18:05:00.002+01:00

2009-06-27T17:58:00.003+01:00

2009-06-27T13:27:00.004+01:00

2009-06-26T06:36:00.004+01:00

Oh MY GOD,
Michael Jackson has died, he was only 50 years old.

Last night we heard that Michael Jackson had been rushed to hospital with a suspected cardiac arrest. They had called the paramedics to his home and they tried to resusitate him but there was no rsponse.

We have lost the greatest man that ever lived.

Not just through his music, but his love for the people, his fans, and this earth he lived on.
He was a very kind, gentle, generous man who, through his music, gave us hope, peace, and a lot of happiness.

I saw him a few years ago at Sheffield when he was doing his 'history world tour'
It was the greatest time of my life to see him live and watch his fantastic dancing.

One of my favourite songs, and there are many, is 'The earth song'
He asked, where are we going? What are we doing to each other?
Peace was he main abjective in life.

We have lost one of the finest men that ever lived.

I just cannot believe that Michael has died.

You are in heaven with the angels now, give them your messages of peace and love.

Let us thank god for the time you were here.

No-one can replace you.

There will never be another you.

The whole world is broken hearted.

We love you Michael.

God bless you for always.

2009-06-19T09:01:00.003+01:00

I would like to thank Dickiebo for this lovely award.
The rules for this award are:
1. Put this award on your blog.
2. Invite 10 people to take this award.
3. Don't forget to link back to the person who gave you this award.
4. Let them know that they have received this award.
5. Share the love to those who get this award.

I am delighted to except this award from Dickiebo and I have made a list of those who I feel deserve this award.

1. deb
2. Sage
3. Kippers dickie
4. david Farley
5. constableconfused
6. noddy
7. vet nurse
8. grumpyoldken
9.Pawpads

Thanks again.

2009-06-07T09:06:00.004+01:00

Well, it's been a while again hasn't it? Since I blogged I mean.
I am reading yours but just don't seem to have time to blog myself. Never mind, I will get back into it once geoff is better.
Talking about geoff, he is doing very well but the worrying thing is he has to go back to hospital because his rate is still going to fast and it is now irregular. They have told us that what they do now is stop his heart and re-start it (!!!)
However this is a day job, he won't stay in, he will need someone to drive him home.
OMG, they do that in a day???
We don;t know when it will be we are waiting for the appointment. So, they have told us he is not an 'urgent' case.
In fact talking to different people about this we have found out that they have had this done and they are fine now. So, thats a very good sign.
Will let you know what happens when it does.
I have had a bit of trouble getting geoff out of the house actually, he was just sitting in his chair and not doing nuffink.
Well, the doctors have told us that there is fact nothing wrong with his heart at all, this is just a bleep, so geoff should behave as normal, but he didn't. We can all guess why, but as I told him, he's doing more damage by sitting around and not getting any exercise. So, after a few words, and yes, it did get a bit heated (well, I did!) I must admit, I finally got him out of the house.
I took geoff into town and we had a lovely walk around for about an hour, we met some friends and they were talking to him and that made him feel better, the second day we just went for a walk round the block and so it went on. The next week he went into his normal routine and even done the shopping! So, thats the road to recovery, isn't it?

So, what do think about the election results then, eh??
Not surprising that labour lost a lot of seats. I think we knew that was going to happen.
LOL

Anyway, I was going to say enjoy the summer sun but.......it is now raining.
Typical.

Speak to you soon.
xxx

2009-05-22T21:58:00.003+01:00

As you probably know I have been looking after geoff since he came out of hospital and I haven't had much time to either blog or read them as well.
However, I managed to read one of favourite blogs the other night and I must admit I found it fascinating.
The blog I'm referring to is David Farleys.
He did a blog about a man called Chris Cole who is the founder of Cross Rhythms of Plymouth community radio stations. and he recently wrote an article in a newspaper about the
"Anti American feeling"
His first words were:
"An American is English or French or Italian Irish, German, Spanish,Polish, or Greek."

When I read what he had to say about this I kept wondering what this reminds me of and I must admit it took me a while to realise that it was the lyrics of that great song by Donovan.
"Universal Soldier"
"He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an Atheist, a Jain,
A Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew."

Now, I know he was not referring to anybody who may have been in a war, past or present, but his words just echoed the words to this song.
Anybody is American and anybody can be English or French or Italian or German, Spanish, Polish or Greek.

Please read Davids blog (April 16th) and see if you agree, do you think it reminds you of Donovans Universal Soldier?

Below is the words to Donovan song 'Universal Soldier' so you can see the similarity of Chris Coles words and the song.

I cannot get this out of my mind and been singing this song ever since!

2009-05-22T21:38:00.002+01:00

Universal Soldier.

He's five feet two and he's six foot tall,
He fights with missiles and with spears,
He's all of thirty-one and he's only seventeen
Been a soldier for a thousand years.

He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an Atheist, a Jain
A Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew
And he knows he shouldn't kill and he knows he always will,
Kill you for me my friend and me for you.

And he's fighting for Canada
He's fighting for France, he's fighting for the U.S.A.
And he's fighting for the Russians
And he's fighting for Japan
And he thinks we'll put an end to war this way.

And he's fighting for Democracy, he's fighting for the Reds
He says "It's for the peace of all"
He's the one who must decide, who's to live and who's to die
And he never sees the writing on the wall.

But without him
How would Hitler have condemned him at Labau?
Without him Caeser would have stood alone
He's the one who gives his body as a weapon of the war
And without him all this killing can't go on.

He's the universal soldier and he really is to blame
His orders come from far away no more
They come from here and there and you and me
And brothers can't you see
This is not the way we put an end to war.

2009-05-17T09:19:00.011+01:00

I have been given this award by deb. Thankyou for that. I also would like to apologise for taking so long to respond.

Here are the rules for this meaningful award:

The aims of this award:
As a dedication for those who love blogging activity and love to encourage friendship through blogging.

To seek the reasons why we love blogging!

Put the award in your post as soon as you receive it.

Don't forget to mention the person who gave you this award.
Answer the awards question by writing the reason why you love blogging.

I love blogging because I love the contact with other bloggers, always interested in what they have to say, be it personal, political or just in general if they have had a bad day at home or work. There are so many varied and interesting blog sites.
I love blogging because it allows me to have my say on different things going on in the world.
I have done some serious political blogs but I have also done some not so serious blogs and hopefully made you smile.
I just love it!

Here are two people I have chosen to receive this award:
David Farley. and Kippers Dickie.

2009-05-12T21:22:00.002+01:00

This bl***y computer. Honestly, I was just about to do the tagging blog I had received from deb (thankyou for that )when I suddenly realised I cannot print pictures like I used to and whenever I try to blog it just well, blows up.
Not literacy I must admit but really, these things!
On saturday a friend came round and stayed for about 3 hours trying to sort it out, and he did, but now we don't know where we are with it.
He's changed everything.
I know he meant well and he explained everything to us but now he's gone............GGGGRRRRR............
You know what it's like.
So, please bear with me. Hopefully I will be with you soon.
I can read yours, I just can't do mine.
Someone trying to tell me something, don't you think??!!

LOL

2009-05-12T21:18:00.000+01:00

I have just been tagged by deb.

2009-05-09T07:01:00.005+01:00

I'm glad to say that geoff is home.
He is doing very well although rather tired at the moment. He had to go back to the hospital yesterday morning for a blood test. When you are taking warfarin you have to have blood test everyday as they have to check for blood clots as these tablets can cause those. He is also on beta blockers.
Again he is doing fine.
His next blood test will be monday again at the hospital but what they have suggested is that geoff goes to our doctors surgery to have them. So, he will be going to the doctors and talking to them about this.

The doctors explained that they don't really know what caused his heartbeat to react the way it did, they have suggested that it may have been that because geoff was so ill with those viruses back in the winter, he had two viruses then, and his bad stomach problem (acid and wind!) that it has stressed his heart, and it was just a 'bleep' but told us not to worry about it. Well, as you can imagine, you can't not worry about it. But you try not to get too stressed about it.
However, he is being monitored so that makes us feel better.

He will just have to take things slowly, and rest for now.
I must admit that the doctors and nurses have been wonderful.

Anyway, will be blogging again soon, once we get back into routine.
Thankyou for your support.

2009-05-04T11:31:00.003+01:00

I said I would give you an update on geoff, well, he's still in hospital.
The reason is because his heartbeat will not settle down, one minute it's normal (80 is normal) and then the next hour it races back up to 145-150. He is still wearing the heart monitor he was given on thursday.
He's keeping cheerful but you can see he is rather worried and like he said to me he's afraid of having a heart attack.
On saturday geoff had a bad night, he couldn't sleep and was feeling anxious. The nurse on duty asked geoff what was wrong and he told her he was feeling anxious. She listened and then went off, she came back with a cup of tea and she sat there at geoff's bedside and even held his hand while he told her of his fears.
She explained that they could not bring his heart rate down quickly it has to be done slowly and he is now taking warfin (???) which is in fact rat poison. That will slowly bring his heart rate down. He has to have 2-3 blood tests everyday because warfrin could cause blood clots.
She also explained to geoff that if there was just a bleep on his monitor they would be there like a shot, he is being watched 24 hours a day.
Geoff felt a lot better after they talked, it put his mind to rest, he settled down and slept for 2-3 hours, which is good for geoff he usually only manages a couple.
We are not sure when he is coming out, they want his heart rate to be regular for 24 hours before they will let him leave the hospital. So, we will have to wait and see.
Anyway, geoff will have a nice (?) surprise when he comes home because I've painted the banisters and the front door. I've never painted before so ..............
(It's a little messy actually, but that doesn't matter, does it? LOL)
Anyway, once again, will let you know what happens and will keep you informed on his progress.

2009-04-30T20:22:00.003+01:00

I haven't had a lot to talk about recently,nothings happened for me to blog about.
Until I got home today.
Geoff met me as I pulled up in the car and told me to get straight into his because our doctor has told him he must go to hospital.
I was rather shaken about this and asked him why.
After having yet another bad night with his stomach problems (too much wind!) and feeling breathless he went to the doctor this morning.
His heart was beating too fast, his pulse was three times faster than it should be as well.
The doctor had done a G.C.E. on him although she did say that the machine was not 100% perfect but it does give them an indication of what his heart is doing. She told him to go to the hospital and had given him a letter to hand in.
So, we arrived at the hospital about 2.p.m. he handed in the letter and he was taken to a ward with another 3 patients in it. They were all waiting to see the doctor as well. One lady had a mask over her face breathing oxygen, she was about 65 years old and she had a bad chest infection and you could hear her gurgling as she breathed. However, she was alright really, she kept taking the mask off and having a laugh with us. After about an hour a nurse came and drew the curtain around geoff and she was asking him allsorts of questions. Was he in pain? Had this happened before? Geoff was not in any pain and it happened once before, about 20 years ago when he had gone out one night with some shop stewards he had just won an tribunal and they all got drunk-sober-drunk-sober, and he smoked about 40 fags. The next day it happened, his heart beating so fast he was taken to hospital and they kept him in overnight to keep and eye on his heart beat. It was an excess of too much booze and fags the night before. Geoff gave up smoking that day and he has never drunk so much again. His heart returned to normal the next day.
Anyway, we were all talking and one man had told us he had come in the night before 'on his deathbed' he thought the was going to die his heart was beating that fast. The doctors saw to him immediately and his heart beat returned to normal. They told him he could go home but had to wait for a prescription. And wait he did. 5 hours all told.
Finally, they brought this prescription and he went home.
So we waited, and waited for the doctor.
At 6.15p.m. she came.
She was very thorough with geoff and asked a thousand questions, Finally, she said that they will keep him in overnight and put an heart monitor on him so they could watch how his heart works.
She told us it was not that serious and it was not an heart attack.
They will also put a camera down his stomach to why he has got such bad wind, as that is not normal.
So, we will just have to wait and see what they say after the tests.
I left the hospital then and I got home baout 7.15p.m.

I am now sitting here with a nice hot cup of coffee and snowdrop on my lap. She did not know why we had dissappeared for so long. How do you explain that to a cat?
I will go to work tomorrow morning and visit geoff later I will let you know how he is.