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Oh dear!! What can I say without appearing to be a moaning "brit abroad".
Have to admit this holiday was not what we expected at all. Are you ready?
First thing, the hotel (if you can call it a hotel) was dubbed "fawlty towers" by all the locals and apparantly is one of the worst on the island. We could see the coach driver look at his mate at the airport, probably thinking here is another lot of poor unsuspecting brits, he was right. Not a very good start. But we were optimistic until we walked into our room. There were three single beds, a wardrobe obviously purchased in MFI about 20 years ago and a dressing table of sorts with a very nasty lean to it. Husband muttered something along the lines of "oh my god it`s a shit hole" and proceeded to dump the suit-case and head off in search of the bar!

Several beers later we both felt a little better and went in search of food. The restaurant was ok really and the food was your basic eat all you can buffet style thing, not very calorie conscious but you can`t have everything.

Next day we decided to stay round the pool, for our daughters` sake really. We had purchased in the uk a plastic sleeve that fitted over her plaster cast so she could swim. As I had mentioned before she is a real water baby and the prospect of not swimming at all goes against the grain for her.
All was fine until the place started filling up. The families there seemed to be a sub normal species from a different planet. Excuse me for having fairly high standards but certain people there had none at all. Mothers screeching at the top of their lungs to their kids who were at the opposite end of the pool, with names like Tyler and Shakira! More tattoos and piercings than I have ever seen in my life, not that I am against them at all but not great big ones that cover 50% of exsposed skin, and that was just the females!! One woman we nick-named "Dorian" out of Birds of a Feather because she was just the spitting image. Full make-up, high heels with the bikini and more gold jewellery than you could shake a stick at. We did actually say if we didn`t laugh we would cry. it was just awful.
We escaped the hotel in the evenings after our meal because the "entertainment" was either bingo, quiz night or karaoke! No thanks, I would rather stick pins in my eyes!

We did the touristy bit and caught a local bus into Valletta. That was a good day out. We went to the museum to see all the WW2 exhibits, went to see the Malta Experience, an audio, visual show in an air conditioned theatre, bliss!!
We walked round the old fort, St.Elmo. I have never walked up and down so many steep inclines before, totally unfit I am.

On another day trip (we just HAD to get out of that hotel) we went to the marine centre and I got to fulfill one of my life long ambitions. I swam with the bottle-nosed dolphins. For any one that knows me well they will tell you I am obsessed with these beautiful creatures, just the way they seem to smile at you when you look at them. It was absolutly awesome, and if I could figure out how to post photographs I would show you. (yes Random I am still trying to figure it out) That day will stay with me forever it was brilliant. Only it has made me greedy and now I want to do it again!! Out in their natural environment would be even better.

The end of the week saw us packing our suitcases really quickly and itching to get home. We have never been like this before we always want to stay on, but not this time. We feel like we have just had a week in the noisiest, grottiest part of Blackpool with the bucket and spade brigade.
It does seem a shame that now if any-one mentions Malta we will only think of our Fawlty Towers nightmare and not of any other part of this lovely Island.

Well, I started my new job and the first day went really well. Fingers crossed it will stay that way!!!
I have not cut so many heads of hair in one day for ages, but I came home in a jubilant mood, ready to go back and have another go!!!

Looked into the teacher training at the local college. They are having an open day next Wednesday, unfortunatly I will be working but the lady on the phone was really helpful and has agreed to send me a prospectus and various other paperwork that will be of interest. It is not too late to enrol for the September intake so I had better get reading and signing up before it is too late!!

Off to Malta in another week and really cannot wait, we are all looking forward to it, or we were until our darling daughter broke her arm last Sunday evening. The perils of house-work. She was pulling a duvet out of the tumble dryer, obviously at an awkward angle and crack!! A visit to the fracture clinic and an x-ray confirmed the diagnosis. As she is a real water baby this is rather a large blow as normally on holiday it takes us all our time to extract her from the pool or the sea, but this trip will be very different. Still, lots to see and lots to do other than swimming as highlighted on a very helpful website by Random. Thanks it is great. My darling husband is itching to move me off pc to have another look!! I will concede.

No, I am NOT DEAD. Just a rather pissed off mood had overtaken me, rather prolonged I know but there you have it.

Any way, back now with news of yet another job change.
If you recall I changed my job four months back, and at first it was working out ok but as with life in general you start seeing the cracks and flaws. Some things I cannot comment on for legal reasons(!) but the ones I can comment on are: the boredom when the job of the day is done, this involved stock taking once a week.(yawn)
The heavy lifting us women are expected to do. I simply hate beeing a "feeble female" but sometimes (and seldom I assure you) you just need a bit more muscle on the job ie: a man.
It also turns out the salary was not quite so attractive after all.
So, after much soul searching I decided to look for another job and have decided to go back to what I know, hairdressing. I will be working in a Ladies studio and barber`s shop, in fact the same place I go to get my hair cut.
I have also been pondering going to college and doing a teaching certificate (in hairdressing) I will be looking into that this week as I have a week before I start my new position.
A friend of my husbands is a teacher at a local high school and they are thinking of building a new unit onto their school for work experience for year 11 pupils, it got me thinking that I could actually broaden my horizons within my capabilities. Watch this space!!!

Bloody hell!!! a month since I last wrote any thing down.
So much has been happening. ie: work. a bit more work, oh did I mention going to work?
I really thought when I started this new job I would have more "me" time, oh how wrong can you be? I am still enjoying it though, the girls I work with are great fun, it is nice to be in the company of people your own age, with very different home lives and outlooks we have plenty to talk about.
With the extension work all finished we now only have to tackle the decorating, some of which is done. My darling husband has now decided to spend a lot of his time buying on e-bay. N gauge railway paraphanalia is his latest fad. He is not happy unless he has a project to sink his teeth into and the house is rapidly filling up with track, wagons and engines. Most of it on the shelf in our bedroom originally put there for my books! He is waiting for me to snap and demand they be moved to a new home, but I am holding out for now. (watch this space)
The plan is to build a small country scene in his newly built study and house them all on various shelves in there, all fully working of course. But like us all money and time are sadly lacking and getting round to it is moving down the priority list rather rapidly.

On a lighter note, we have booked our holiday in Malta for the week before our daughter starts her new school. We can`t wait. Sunshine (hopefully) and rest is just what we all need from time to time, and I think we are overdue!! Selfish attitude I know but who cares!!!!

Just to say a quick word about the Election - PANTS!!!

Well, Easter Sunday went really well, plenty of wine with good company and loads of laughs.
I just love it when all the family gets together, especially when they are all on good form!!!!

It has been two weeks of madness. I thought once I started my new job I would have loads of time to do "me things" but I seem to get home, cook tea and by the time I have cleared up the kitchen (a job I never did before, because I was off to work) and had my 2nd or 3rd cup of coffee and several cigarettes, the evening has progressed into nearly bedtime!! Still, I get to spend time with my darling husband and daughter.

We had to have our male rabbit castrated this week. Not a pleasant experience for him I am sure. But, it was neccessary. The poor thing has been recuperating in the house for the past two days. He is fine now (I think) poor little sod.

Have finished work early today as we do on Friday`s (3pm)and ended up doing a ladies hair!! I thought I had left all that behind, but you are never totally free. My mother has just phoned asking for a tint, and I felt guilted into it because she collects Emily from school 3 nights a week, and does all our ironing. I suppose it is the least I can do. But it is just finding the time!!!

I have been in my new job for two weeks now, and I feel as though I have been there forever. Have settled in really well, the two girls I work with are great fun and really easy to get along with. The work is fairly easy, only one or two cock-ups on their system but nothing that cannot be rectified!! (good job really) I am enjoying my work for the first time in a long while. Funny, you don`t seem to notice how miserable you are in your work until you make the change, then you realise you should have done something about it ages ago!

We are having relatives round tomorrow for Easter Sunday lunch, so today was a mad cleaning session. Me doing inside and my husband conquering the garden. He finally relaid the hall carpet which has been rolled up in the lounge for the past 6months. Slowly but surely we are returning to normal after all the upheaval, and it looks and feels great to be "normal" again. Just sorry Random and Astrofiamante couldn`t make it, but duty calls. If you are reading this you two - see you soon!!!! Happy Easter.

Watched "Catch Me If You Can" this afternoon while the football was on the other channel, (I cannot bear football) What a great film. A bit far fetched I thought in places, but then kept having to remind myself that it is based on fact. Leonardo De Caprio is just brilliant in it, just goes to show if you have the know how it has endless possibilities (only joking) he cost the good old US of A millions!!!!!!

Started new job on Monday, and I love it! I have now no responsibilities as such, just go to work, do my job, come home to my family and get paid!! It is so simple I should have done it years ago. I don`t miss going hairdressing in the evenings, it is great to be in and do nothing if that`s what I want. I have started watching The Bill again, that is one of the things I really missed, something as "normal" as that is very satisfying.

Last night (weds) we all went along to our local amateur dramatics production of Oliver! It was excellent. The young boy that played Oliver was only about 8yrs old, he will go far I am sure, he was brilliant. Such talent in a young child is quite amazing, not to be frightened of the crowd is something else, because I am damm sure I couldn`t do it.

Having friends round on Saturday night for a meal. Gives me chance to work in our new kitchen properley, not just rushed,quick cook stuff at the end of the day. We are really looking forward to it as he is the architect who did our original drawings for the extension, and the last time he was here was when I was in floods of tears over an argument between the building inspector and the builder/joiner.(long story) It was a horrible time, but thankfully all over with. He will certainly see a big difference and hopefully it will all meet his imagined plan. Fingers crossed!!

Well, I got my new job, start on Monday 8.45am!!!
Just enough time to drop Emily at school and hot foot it across the road for 8.45. I am really looking forward to it, a new challenge, more money is the biggest bonus, although we get paid monthly which will take some getting used to, as I am so used to "collecting" my wages daily. Have been out and bought smart black trousers and new shoes. (Well, you have to make an impression) Nearly finished facing all my existing customers who had the bombshell dropped on them that I was giving up earlier this week in a carefully drafted letter, posted first class to reach them quickly. Have had a suprising amount of phone calls from them wishing me well etc One or two have said if I don`t like my new job to ring them and they will have me back!! how nice to feel wanted.


The bigger news is the kitchen is finally finished!!!
Still got work to do on the rest of downstairs but it is looking great. The three of us finally had a meal round the table tonight for the first time in about 6 months. It felt really wierd. We kept sitting there looking around hardly daring to beleive that it looked finished, when only a short while ago it was bricks and rubble. I think my husband is finally convinced I am mad because I sat there with a stupid grin on my face throughout, it was commented upon more than once!!!!
Still need the finishing touches like plants and pictures on the walls, but other than that it is bliss!!! I can safely say I am in my element.

Hooray!! the floor is finished, looks absolutely fab. Wall tiles bought and half fitted, the other lot going on as we speak!! I am so excited now it is coming to an end. But what will we do with our selves then? A holiday is very high on the list.
Have just come back from a job interview, it felt really strange getting ready this morning, I havn`t been for a formal interview for years. I have been self-employed for about 17yrs, most of my working life really. It went well though and I am feeling quietly confident. If I don`t get the job so be it, it obviously wasn`t meant to be, but I remain optimistic with fingers crossed.
It does mean however, more funds so we can make the trip to Malta we have been going on about for a while now. Just have to wait and see. For now, I have to carry on doing my hairdressing, so until later......

I have told my husband that having house alterations is like giving birth, only more painful!!! Once is more than enough.
The joiner has been back today and finally finished fitting the cornices and plinths and the kitchen is now fully fitted! never, ever did I think I would say this, but it looks fantastic. A few tweaks here and there is all that is needed and we can say we are done. At least with that part of the extension. Wall tiles are the last part, which hopefully will be bought tommorow. Going shopping with Mum and Dad for this.
The conservatory joins onto the kitchen and tommorrow (all being well) the floor tiles are going to be laid. They match the kitchen and we should then have a full run all matching!!! (my fingers are crossed) we have been let down so many times by various people I only beleive it is happening when I see it with my own eyes. Then the dining table and chairs can go in and I can finally invite our family round to eat.
Wish us luck!!!!

Hooray, back to school this morning!! Not to worry only 4 weeks until another break for Easter.

The rest of last week passed in a whirl of cleaning this filthy house and yes!! another trip to Ikea. It was heaving. Even on a Thursday around midday, the place was filled with mad shoppers, their trolleys have a mind of their own. It took us four and a half hours from our house, do the neccessary and home again. I wish I had waited for my husband to come home we would have got it done so much quicker!! One more trip is still needed. He can definatly do that one, that will be a quick trip!!

Some news that pleased me over the week end was the banning of fox hunting with hounds. HOORAY!!!I have been waiting for that for years, I never thought it would happen though. But how many foxes will now be shot? all in the name of "sport" what a joke. Still, it is one step in the right direction. My husband and I have had many a heated conversation about this subject. He is in favour of the hunt (the sadist) he argues about the loss of jobs, revenue etc. What a shame, I personally have not an ounce of sympathy for them. He says I am a townie and should stay out of it, but it one of my "soap box subjects" and I cannot help but go on and on and on.................



I have just thought of another joke - Charles and Camilla`s wedding. Apologies in advance to all in favour but I cannot stand the woman (not too keen on him either) People that know me well will know adultery is my no.1 pet hate, and those two have just blatantly flaunted the fact they have been an item for years. I felt so sorry for Diana, to have to find out on your wedding night that your husband has been in love with another woman for years must be a real body blow. Not to mention all the future humiliations she had to endure. I can`t say I blame her for her affairs, although her choice of partner(s) were a bit off! The children surely must be no.1 priority, and hopefully they have been consulted on how they feel about the coming nuptuals. After all, would you like her for a step-mother!!!?

Oh the joys of half term. The kids are off school for a week, and day one consisted of taking our daughter shopping, a past time she is so good at!
We had some fun actually. We caught the tram into Manchester and raided the shops. She came home with three pairs of trousers, three skirts, a matching nightie and dressing gown, the obligatory socks, and YES a cuddly toy! We have two rabbits at home and she just adores them, so she just HAD to have this cuddly rabbit. I only managed to come home with one pair of jeans and a black, zip up top. My husband fared better than me, he ended up with three pairs of jeans, different styles as chosen by daughter. She keeps trying to get Dad trendy, but he likes what he likes and will not be swayed.
A trip to Burger King was then then requested (sorry to all you veggies out there) I said yes because we don`t often. My Mum goes mad when we eat what she calls cheap meat. Plus, she says you never know where it is from!! (she is quite right, but you have to succumb once in a while)
Then, home for a fashion show. Emily had to try all the outfits on and parade around like Naomi Campbell. Must admit she looked good.
Wonder what she has in store for the rest of the week?!!

Another week gone, where does the time go? I really must get a grip and start updating more often.
I have been busy this evening writing out my cv/job application. I have decided to change my job, for something with regular hours, paid holidays and better financial rewards. So have applied to a firm called Alan Howard. It is where I buy all my hairdressing supplies. They are looking for a replacement for one of the girls who is leaving, so my duties include: invoicing the salons for goods received, making up and delivering said orders (so I still get to drive around during the day) also, serving customers within the wholesalers building, OMG got to learn their computer system next!!!! That is if I get the job of course. Quite excited really, have just been out to post my application in the pouring rain, and yes, I did hesitate slightly before pushing the envelope through the gap. But, done it now. My only concern is telling all my customers I am giving up, some of them have become quite good friends. I know you arn`t supposed mix buisness with pleasure but it is inevitable in this line of work, it is after all very personal and some people tell you all their secrets!!!!!!

Anyway, an update on the building work. All going well, nearly there, although I keep saying that don`t I? Just the worktops to fit now. All the kitchen units are in and it looks fab. This weekend will, hopefully see those fitted. That is the plan.

Have had an email from India, the folks were NOT eaten by a tiger, thank goodness, they are alive and well if not cold and dirty. They reported in saying they needed to come home to get warm and clean! Can`t wait to see them and catch up. Friday they will be home so will get all the tales then.

I cannot beleive it was last Friday I updated my journal, where has the time gone?
I have been inundated with work, not that I am complaining you understand but this past week has been like Christmas week all over again. Our lives seem to be taken up with work, sleep, work, sleep. Much the same as 99% of the population I would guess.

Have been trying for the past few days to breathe some life into my house plants. They have suffered terribly in the aftermath of our building work. The leaves have been choked with dust and I have been wiping them all down to see if they have survived. Amazing really how hardy they are, they seem fine, even some new shoots on a few. Alan Titchmarsh eat your heart out!

A memorable trip to Ikea on Monday evening. My husband absolutely detests any form of shopping, so it was with great reluctance he drove all the way in rush hour traffic to change one of the kitchen units. I don`t know if you are familiar with the layout at this store, but you more or less have to walk around the whole place before you get to the kitchen section. He is 6"4 my husband with great long legs and he strode through the entire place in 5mins flat! We got to the kitchen dept and he had swapped the unit, paid the difference and we were on our way back to the car before I had chance to look at anything else. (and sneak one or two bits into the trolley)
I think I will go by myself next time. Our daughter has decided she can build one up herself with no help, so she is busy doing just that as I sit here.

Wondering now how the travellers are getting on. As you may remember, my Mum, Dad and sister-in-law are out in India, travelling round the country in a different part each day. Not heard for a couple of days or so, maybe they have been eaten by the Tigers they were planning to see!!
Watch this space.....................................

At last, we are are back on-line and all firewalls and anti-virus software working again. Don`t really know what happened but we were told we had a worm!!! Little bugger had infected the whole system, so we crashed!! But back on now with fingers crossed.

Last night as a treat from my darling husband we went to the Palace Theatre in Manchester to see The Meat Loaf Story. It was absolutely brilliant. The guy posing as Meat himself was so convincing you kept having to remind yourself it wasn`t actually him. His voice was amazing and they ran through the whole of his life. I didn`t know he started his career in the 60`s in Jesus Christ Superstar. Onto the late 70`s is when he met Jim Steinman the guy who wrote Bat out of Hell (the album) they made a great team and this album remains firmly in one of my list of favourites.
The female accompanying him on a lot of the tracks was excellent. She was very raunchy, in her black leather cat suit one minute and very short leather skirt the next, she got more wolf whistles than I`ve ever heard before. A very polished act and I loved it.

Update on the ongoing saga which is our extension...... The kitchen units are half fitted, the other half going in tomorrow hopefully, if the joiner keeps his word and actually turns up this week!! Last saturday he forgot! (prat) we were NOT pleased as you can imagine, slowly but surely we are getting there. When you are married to some one who would work 24/7 it is very frustrating to have to wait around for people to come and do jobs when promised. Hopefully we will be finished for when my Mum, Dad and sister in law get back from their travels. They have gone to India for 3 weeks. Travelling round the country and staying in a different place each night. their itinary is busy to say the least. Today they have gone on rickshaws to a bird sanctuary, can`t wait for their next email, the last 2 have been "imformative" shall we say.

No news on the trip to Malta, it is looking like we may have to wait a while. Our daughter is going on a school holiday around the same time as we wanted to go so the funds are being channeled elsewhere for now, but we shall see.

We feel in need of a holiday both of us, so therefore are seriously considering going to Malta when it warms up a little! One of my husbands` hobbies is World War 2. Mostly the aircraft and other forms of WW2 transport. Malta, for him is fascinating, steeped in history and full of things for him to discover. Our daughter too is very interested, she did a full term at school on WW2 and she loved it. The school organised a trip to the air raid shelters in Stockport and the kids had to dress up as refugees. So that was us out scouring the charity shops for authentic articles from this era. I must admit we didn`t find much, but a carboard box wrapped in brown paper with a piece of string tied round served well as a gas mask. The teachers, somehow managed to get hold of some powdered egg, she said it was gross!!
So, we are scouring the internet for likely breaks that will include all the places we would like to visit. Thank you to Random and Astrofiammante for lending us a fascinating book on Malta, that really started us thinking about this trip.

Sometimes such a lot can happen in less than a week.
The electricians were here for a full day on Saturday not a job I would like to attempt I can assure you. Changing a light bulb is my limit. They have got to come back once more for "the final fix" (yes the jargon is coming along nicely). The small study we now have is full of plug sockets along one wall as it is going to be where our pc will live. Do we really need so many? Probably.

My last update had me telling you I needed to order alsorts of kitchen equipment, well it was ordered and delivered. The downstairs loo is now fully functional, the tiles are laid in the kitchen, and I must say they look great. My husband started building kitchen units yesterday something he is really good at is "logical puzzles". It wasn`t too much of a chore until he got to the stage of fixing in six drawers in a tall, pull out larder unit. The drawers themselves come flat-packed and had to be built before they could then fit in this unit. But, they have reinforced edges and rollers and other fiddly parts I just don`t understand. There was plenty of cursing and swearing for around an hour so I just stayed out of the way, only going in when he shouted for a cup of coffee. He said he could do with something stronger as he was really fed up by this time, so I served it him black!!! He did laugh though as we both knew what he meant.

Some funnies from the newspaper this weekend were the latest contenders for the Darwin Awards. I still cannot beleive how stupid some people are. I will leave you with a few.

Determined not to have his car repossessed, a man from Houston, Texas, tied a length of fishing line to the bumper, then to his big toe, so he`d know if a bailiff was trying to take the vehicle away.
When the repossession truck arrived, the man was pulled violently out of bed and halfway through his open bedroom wimdow before the line finally severed his big toe.


Canadian student, Ameer Jinah, was killed celebrating his 20th birthday with his friends in a spitting contest.
As he took a running start to spit over the edge of his balcony, the momentum carried him over the railing and straight to the ground.



A hospitalised drunk criminal tried to burn off the wrist restraints on his bed, but set fire to himself instead.
The Texan - who`d already stabbed himself that night after a fight with a pal, tried to escape using a cigarette lighter. He suffered serious burns.

Most of you will have had one of those days when you wished you`d never got out of bed. Today was one of them. Started off with our daughter not feeling 100% and bagging the day off school. She had to come to work with me though which she wasn`t too keen on, but the choices were limited: come with me or go to school, any 11yr old would choose staying with Mum even if I am "sad and boring". Yes this is the latest, 80`s music is "bobbins" and the other day I was dancing around the house singing to one thing or another and she asked me if I needed the loo!! (I have to say I really didn`t think my dancing was that bad, maybe I was wrong)
So on with the day, it was ok until about 12.20 when my phone rang and I got asked "are you not coming to do my hair today?" I suddenly had this terrible sinking feeling and knew for sure I had double booked. How was I going to get out of this? Instead of thinking up a wonderful excuse (which I am so bad at) I told the truth, said all I could do was apologise and offer the not to pleased lady another appointment tommorrow. She was marginally appeased, but wait till I get there she will probably give me hell! The next three times my phone rang I was driving and therefore could not answer it. Turns out it was the same woman every time trying to get me, but three times in the space of ten minutes!! she too, was not very pleased, I did explain I was driving but she needed her hair doing and really what is more important, her hair or me being stopped by the police? Or worse still, any number of unthinkable incidents.
So, I sought sanctuary with Mum and Dad. Half an hour to have something to eat and a cup of coffee was enough to restore me back to "normal"(!) mode.
Need to go out again though after tea to do three more, fortunately for me they are all in the same house and only round the corner from us. So early to sleep is the plan and forget today ever happened.

I think I have finally lost the plot.
Ikea phoned yesterday to confirm delivery of new kitchen today between 7am and 12.30pm, why oh why did my internal clock have to wake me at 6.30? Some one knocking on the door would have been sufficient. Any bets now they will arrive aroung 11am?!!

Went out last night with a childhood friend, just to catch up on the gossip etc. We went to a lovely french restaurant, ate goats cheese wrapped in breadcrumbs with a delicious salad, roast lamb with all the trimming and chocolate ice cream for dessert.(the diet is going really well!!) It was so nice just to sit and talk with no interuptions, she has twin boys the same age as our daughter (11) and they are lively to say the least, football mad the pair of them
everything is said at full volume and they bound about the house as if today is their last day to do anything. Still, I digress. Funny what kids do to you.
We talked about every subject under the sun and put the world to rights in one evening, it`s great what can be achieved by two women having a meal that Tony Blair hasn`t managed in all his time in office!

So, onto getting myself showered and ready to face the day. Two guys coming at 8am to lay the ceramic tiles in the kitchen, so best have the kettle on.

Well, another year with resolutions made and all good intentions. How long will they last? Knowing myself as I do, probably not long! Every year I say I will stop smoking and mostly I do, the periods of abstinence vary madly. My daughter though is piling on the pressure and the TV ads are on her side, depicting Mother`s having to tell their children they have lung cancer just fuels her argument and what a good argument. Why can`t I just say "thats it, no more?" because I am weak! I have tried the patches, they are ok for about a fortnight then the mad dreams start, to wierd to go into, and I give up giving up!
Tried the "Zyban". One tablet a day for a month, they worked really well but the side effects were horrendous. Insomnia being the biggest problem. Getting to sleep was ok but staying asleep was impossible. Therefore trying to function normally throughout the day was, again impossible. What next then? Any ideas any one? Cold turkey sounds daunting but maybe neccessary. will power is not my strongest point!!

Anyway more resolutions that are easier to keep include: losing weight, I always seem to manage this. Keeping in touch with family members more, even if it is a quick phone call or the occassional e mail, this too should be easy enough, just need to make the effort.

Now the festivities are over we are back to thinking about the ongoing extension. The place will be buzzing with builders, plumber, and electrician again on Tuesday morning. Have been out and bought floor tiles, new loo and hand basin(how exciting) and paint, which my darling husband is now applying to freshly plastered walls as I sit here writing this update. On the final leg now (I think ) My future brother in law will lay the floor, hopefully within the next week. The kitchen units are being delivered on Friday, when they will be ready for fitting not so sure. One job I still need to do is go and order hob, oven, fridge freezer and dish washer. Fortunately all from same place who will deliver so it is finally all coming together. That little tiny speck of light at the end of the tunnel gets slightly bigger each day.
I promise I will figure out how to post photos, then I can show you before, during and after! Mind you, if I hear once more "it will be lovely when it is finished" I just might throttle the culprit!!!!