More crazy days

The last couple of weeks have seen us running about the country - to Nottingham, place of us grownups birth - on family business.  Father in Law has been offered a sheltered flat in Park Gate, after being on the local council waiting list since March.  So, two weeks ago, we had to go up to Nottingham to fetch him to have a look at it.

Fortunately he approved, so the council and the Housing Association whose property it is have also been busy getting the paperwork filled in.  Last weekend (a bank holiday) I took him back to Nottingham to start packing and generally closing his life down up there.  K came with me to help, and came back with some new bruises due to failing to use the door way as an entrance to a building.  Dyspraxia rules!

We then spent all week packing up what he wants to bring with him, and taking piles of rubbish and old magazines/newspapers up to the tip.  There's still plenty of tip work for us and a few more things to bring down but that will happen over the next few weeks.  On Thursday I realised that K was due on scout camp at Thorpe Park this weekend (as in the following day).  Needless to say, it didn't happen.  I sent many apologies to the leader and explained what had happened.  K wasn't overly distressed, especially after I promised her a day out at half-term to make up for being a sieve-head.

Father in Law seems to live 'in the now', with very little sense of urgency to plan ahead or remember chronology, so it has been very interesting.  I left him a pile of paperwork to sort through and file - even bought a file and plastic baggies for him - but I ended up chucking it all in a box yesterday.  Then, yesterday, he starts deciding what he'd like packing from upstairs.  He's had all flippin' week to tell me that but waits till the van's outside (driven up from here by A, accompanied by D) and nearly all full.  Minor grrrrr.

Once the van was loaded, and an early lunch was had, we all set off back down here.  I tell you, my car could do the journey without any input from me; it's certainly done it an awful lot this year as we tried to sort him out.  Father in Law slept most of the way down, and most of the time since he's been here.

Today we are moving into his new place.  K & I have a hot date at Curves first thing - they're starting their weight management classes today so we can't put it off - then we'll head back; by which time most of the heavy lifting will be done and A will be done in.

We have to go and order/buy a new fridge/freezer for Father in Law.  He assures me he bought it in the 60's, except that a) I know that style didn't exist then, and b) A can remember it being bought when he was about ready for secondary school (late 70's).  Either way it was in no fit state to be taken anywhere but the tip.  There was rancid milk accumulating on the bottom and going a lovely shade of blue, the drain pipe at the back was black with gunk, and it really needed a good scrub.  It also stank.  And don't get me started about the bag of cabbage that had turned to a vile, green liquid.  Father in Law says he has no sense of smell and I believe him.

Before anyone berates us for letting things get that bad for him, it wasn't through lack of effort on our part.  Up until the past 6 months or so we have been told politely but firmly to 'butt out'.  There's not a lot you can do about that without alienating him completely.  Six months ago he decided that he couldn't cope any more and that he thought he was becoming a bit forgetful (we'd been noticing it for a few years).  Since then we have been making enquiries, plans, and generally scheming to sort him out.  The local council here were happy to put him on their waiting list for somewhere suitable.  I am organising an Occupational Therapist assessment to see what else 'adaptive' he'll need to make life easier - I'm hoping to get a Dementia Screening person in at the same time so he doesn't twig on.  There will be plenty of home-made food in his freezer, and he WILL eat it - another issue caused by poor memory and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (too tired and breathless to eat) - as he hasn't got to walk far or use stairs to get to the kitchen any more.  I will also be taking care of the laundry, making sure the pots are washed properly and the place is clean

Life is about to get a whole lot more busy for us.  I'm hoping we'll see an improvement in his general health or, at least, a slowing in the decline of it.

When I got home yesterday there was a letter from the local college, where I'm going to do the Level 3 AAT qualification.  Basically it was a 'you can get your course books from us on these dates, oh and by the way there was a mistake in the brochure.  Your course day is a Thursday, not a Tuesday'.  The brochure came out in June and it takes them till the beginning of September to tell us that we're coming on a different day.  It's a good job I don't have other, unavoidable, plans for Thursdays, or have childcare to sort out.  I've had issues before with this college's admin 'skills' but this is just pathetic.

Some real money for Christmas

You remember my blog from the other day, about a day's work from my temp agency?  Needless to say it didn't run quite as smoothly as I was expecting.

I arrived for my hour's training on Thursday afternoon only to find that they were expecting somebody who had been there before and had an idea of who was who there.  It would probably be too stressful for someone to work that out whilst getting used to the brand new switchboard that was 'going live' on Friday.  I wholeheartedly agreed, so it was decided that I would sit there for the hour and man the reception whilst the lady who was doing that, from the same agency, got the training AND the work for Friday.  Ah well, you win some and you lose some.  At least I got some money for my effort.

Anyway the following morning I staggered out of bed about 9am - I am such a lazy mare.  I was munching on some toast and knocking back my first pint of tea of the day when my mobile rang.  It was the agency.  There was a day's envelope stuffing on offer as the original temp just hadn't turned up and hadn't called in.  I was there and at my large table by 10am and, apart from making myself some tea and taking time out for lunch and potty breaks, I was there till 5.30pm.  Still, £7 an hour to collate 4 bundles of paper, put them in an envelope, seal it and add the address label is not to be sneezed at.  Rumour has it there may be another day there this coming week, doing something similar.  Needless to say I'm interested, despite my shoulders having only just stopped aching.

Did you know they let blind people drive these days?

K & I were on our way to Asda this morning - the larder was empty and, as the weekend is upon us, it needed filling. We were travelling along Longfield Avenue, a wide road between Titchfield and Fareham, chatting about nothing in particular. There are a couple of gentle bends along Longfield, near Bishopsfield Road. Coming towards us was a car (on its own side of the road) which looked to be doing the speed limit of 30mph. Behind it was another car half on its side of the road and half on mine. This car's driver decided that all he had to do was get his offside wheels nearer to the white line but still on MY side of the road and all would be well - and Longfield Avenue is wide enough. I moved over towards the gutter just to be sure. The driver looked like he was totally fed up being stuck behind someone ONLY doing 30 and was trying to overtake.

OK, so starting your manoeuvre before you can see what's coming isn't very clever; neither is still having some of your car on the wrong side of the road when there is oncoming traffic. Wanting to overtake a driver doing the speed limit is not really very clever BUT doing all of this with not one but TWO police cars directly behind you certainly sets this guy up as a possible Darwin Awards winner (search for it - you'll be surprised at just how stupid people can be). Needless to say that both police cars put their blue lights on as they passed me. Coincidence? I don't think so, especially seeing as they didn't go tearing past the cars in front to get anywhere quick. I wish I could have found somewhere to park up and watch as they pulled him.

Bye bye, Merc. Hello Focus

After 3 years of faithful service, and right before it started to get expensive to keep going, the Merc has gone. Now I have my Ford Focus and it is much more comfortable to drive. I picked it up this afternoon and drove round the corner to Asda to fill it up. No problems there, a mere £41. Coming back through Asda's car park on the main through way and some dozy bitch decided to pull out of a side road right in front of me - she was busy seeing to her lipstick. I would like to report that the brakes, horn and seatbelt tensioners work just fine, and the silly woman doesn't have a bright blue streak on her minibus. She didn't even apologise or look sheepish, just peered at me and carried on her way. That would be close to a record wouldn't it; you pick it up, fill it up and write it off, all in 5 minutes!

The interview yesterday went well, or so I think. I had made it to a shortlist of 6 out of the many applicants. Now I have to wait to see if I'm in the last two. I really want this job - the money is fine, the perks are perky, and the prospects are eye-opening once I've got all the necessary qualifications (which they are paying for). Fingers crossed.

Oh and two of my wines are about ready for bottling. It's gonna be a great weekend ;-)

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.

Forgot to add, yesterday

Two weeks ago I went for an eye test at Tesco. I am long-sighted apparently, hence why things get more blurred as the day progresses. Yesterday they phoned up to say my specs were in so on the way to the hospital we called in to collect them.

I tried them on and boy was it weird! Everything close up seemed clearer, things slightly further away seemed magnified. The chap who was making sure all was well started rattling on about general wear, to which I replied that these glasses were only for close work - reading and computer screen. A was disturbed to realise that I could still see him quite clearly 10 feet away, slightly magnified but clear nontheless. Apparently he should have been very blurred (he has glasses for the same thing). Then this chap checked the notes on my card with the strength on the ticket that came with the glasses and discovered that some muppet had made the lenses too weak! So now I have to wait even longer.

Grrr!!!!!!!!!!!