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.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

MERRY CHRISTAMS TO ALL MY FRIENDS

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

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)

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!

It will soon be:

20.10 on the 20/10/2010


have I got it right this time?
LOL

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.

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

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

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?

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!

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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.

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

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

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.