My baby is 10 and other breaking news

Scooby celebrates his 10th birthday today. Regular readers may remember back in May (I think) that our vet suggested he might not make it this far and most likely wouldn't make Christmas. Well, he's intent on proving her wrong. Today is a sunny day so he's full of life, energy and bounce. On wet days it's an effort to do anything.

Also today saw the first frost of the coming winter. It's all gone now but at 7.30 this morning the roofs were white and the car windscreens were iced over.

Speaking of cars, I now have a Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 with a tiptronic gearbox sitting on my drive. It's my courtesy car till my Merc is returned all shiny and new. This Corsa is a 58 plate with a mere 400 miles on the clock!

K & D are off sailing with Explorers this week. Had the leader on the phone at 8.30 this morning saying K wanted to come home. I told him, and her, that I couldn't come and fetch her as I was waiting for the garage to fetch my car and bring me a courtesy car. The leader has transferred her to the smaller boat for today to see if her stomach will settle. Otherwise we face a long trip to Lymington or Poole to fetch her this evening. I did state that I would prefer her to finish the week out but we'll see.

Who ordered the rain on Sunday?

Whilst I don't mind running in the odd shower, I draw the line at constant drizzle. However I was in the Great South Run for a good cause, so I got on with it. I managed to run almost all of the first mile without stopping - a long way for me. Think that was about the time Paula Radcliffe was crossing the finish line.

My feet behaved themselves for the most part until blisters started forming at about 7.5 miles. By 8 miles my hips were protesting, but I was at walking speed only (and slow at that) by then. The last two miles were along the seafront from Eastney to Southsea Common by the Pyramid Centre. There was a cold breeze blowing constantly, which made you very cold very quickly. Foolishly I'd handed my fleece over to A at 6,5 miles because I was so hot and sweaty I was sure I wouldn't need it. Note to self for next year - keep the fleece!

Yes, that's right. D & I are already planning to enter next year's event.

By the time I crossed the finish line my arms were red and almost completely numb. My fingers were like lumps of flesh with a mind of their own - not good. I managed to collect my goody bag and quickly found A & D. Then I burst into tears - I had had enough and wanted to go home. A got me back into my fleece and waterproof coat then stood hugging me to try to get me warm. We walked slowly back to some friends flat where a hot shower and a mug of tea soon perked me up a bit. Then we came home. I think it took me till yesterday (Monday) to be properly warm again.

Here are the finishing positions and times (will fill in the blanks when I can):

I (friend K's sister) 4455

C (friend with flat) 4461

Friend K 10201

D (my son) 10985 2:09.04

Me 11486 2:39.35

Friend A 11530

Taken before the start with our other halves.

They're letting blind people drive!

That's the only conclusion I can come to for how someone can totally miss a silver Mercedes E-Class estate and drive into it. We were coming round Segensworth roundabout, a large but well-marked and signed effort near to our house. A was driving, I was in the front passenger seat and K was sat behind her Dad (and nearest to the impact point).

The muppet decided that, instead of following the wonderful markings, he would stick like glue to the inside lane of the roundabout before launching across 3 lanes to the exit he wanted, which was one before ours. We were in the correct lane for the exit we wanted, and it would have been the correct lane for muppet too if he'd been in it.

He hit us on the rear driver's-side wing and bumper, giving us a bit of a dent and some scraping in dark red/maroon. Part of me is quite smug about the fact that the entire front bumper of his car has fallen off and goodness know what that has done to the rest of the chassis. I'm also quite glad we have a Merc and not a small car because things might not have gone so well for us then.

K was ok at the scene but is developing whiplash. I've given her the icepack and painkillers/anti-inflammatories. She's going away tomorrow, sailing with sea scouts, till Friday. A & I are fine although our tempers are a little frazzled. The car will be repaired within two weeks by the insurance company appointed repair shop. I will get a courtesy car, which I expect to be some poxy 2 door Ford Ka or equivalent and of little use to me whatsoever.

Lots to tell you

It's been a while - again. Sorry, life keeps getting in the way.

D is a happy soul. College is definitely suiting him. He has now decided that he may like to do a degree in Geology and/or Chemistry rather than Maths and Computing as he his having so much fun in the science lessons. He's nursing a strained joint where his right-hand pinky finger joins the hand - basketball injury. Hopefully it'll be better by next weekend.

K has been in need of attitude re-alignment this week. All that typical teenage angst has been flying around, and I'm the one on the receiving end. Well she got her re-alignment on Thursday and it seemed to work, but today she decided that my 'no food in your bedroom till it is tidy to my standard' rule could be forgotten. So I removed all PC/PS2/Wii/TV privileges. Guess who is now making in-roads into that tip she calls her personal space (trade descriptions act could be used there)? Voluntarily too! Edited to add, she's just taken the hoover upstairs!!!!!

A is fighting off yet another cold. This must be the third in 2 months. He's been working longer hours so we are wondering whether it is down to the air-con system at work. Lots of people there are sniffly and coughy. His car is now working again, touch wood, fingers crossed, etc. But we are still looking to change it in for something smaller. Then he will have my car for work and I will have a tiny runabout.

I am crocked - again! My running was doing really well and I found a new burst of stamina. Then the achilles and plantar fascia in my left ankle/foot decided they weren't happy and I'm back to walking. The physio I saw last week has suggested that the Great South Run might be too much for me but I'm doing it. Sponsorship is inching ever-closer to the £1000 mark.

I didn't get the part-time admin job at a local Sure Start centre. Part of me is disappointed but part of me is ok with it. After a lot of thinking I've decided that basic office work would be boring. I enjoy a bit of variety and would prefer to be really interested in what the place I work at does. Anyway, yesterday I found a job in a Traffic Management Office. The blurb on the job website suggests it is like I used to do many years ago as a despatch clerk/typist but with more general admin as well. I'd really like to apply for it but the downside is it's full-time. A is pretty sure that jumping straight back into full-time work after 17 years off might be too much. K isn't ecstatic about being left to fend for herself each weekday but says she'll get used to it and be fine. So what do I do?

Have an interview!

A few weeks ago I applied for the post of Admin Assistant at a Sure Start centre attached to a local-ish secondary school. It's 25 hours a week flexible between1 - 8pm. I got a letter a couple of days ago asking me to attend an interview on Friday 10th at 11am and to bring my ORIGINAL exam certificates. Does anyone know where their certificates are after 25 years?! My house is going to be the tidiest in the country. Or, of course, they're still lurking in a box at one of the parents houses. Serves us right for moving so many times.