If there is a wrong way to do a walk - Stu and I will find it.
Several years ago, when walking in Grizedale Forest with the kids, Stu decided the route was dull and we should take a more interesting 'shortcut'. Twenty minutes of clambering, climbing, slipping and sliding...we ended up about two feet further along from where we went 'off-piste'. Yesterday I decided we should pack a lunch and go for a walk in Clocaenog Forest - a short drive from our house. We both needed a break from the house - Stu more than me. What we didn't spot when we parked up was the side of the forest we'd chosen was pretty much out-of-bounds due to the building of a wind farm. And the forest roads were restricted to construction traffic. For health and safety reasons. Anyway - to cut a long story short - we were out for about four hours. A walk which ended in a mad half-hour scramble though huge bracken, dense forest and rather a lot of farm detritus (old fencing and posts etc.). Stu took a couple of spectacular stumbles. On his second and far-superior fall he got his foot stuck in wire, did a half-twist pike somersault and landed in a ditch. He was fine. So I could giggle. On a more general note... We had a traumatic time at the end of last week when George was attacked in the front garden. Thankfully he is recovering and gradually gaining confidence again. He still has a limp (cause unknown) and is still a little nervy at night-time. But his face is starting to heal nicely and he is almost back to normal with his eating (he is a greedy cat - he sticks his head in the packet when I try to empty it into his bowl). The vet recommended we use a Feliway diffuser to reduce his stress and to help him keep calm. I have no idea if it is doing the trick - though Mollie wouldn't move for her evening toilet trip last night. She looked decidedly stoned and would not budge from her bed. We have a shower at last (I would use an exclamation mark here - but I have a 'thing' about them. They make me agitated). The best shower ever. And as Stu pointed out - the first time either of us have owned a shower that we haven't had to climb into. The rest of the bathroom is staying as it is for now as Stu is back working on the attic room. And finally, the paddock is full of sheep poo. I swear they poo out more than they eat. Today's photo: Joe being very brave and getting up-close with some Wales creatures. (Sound effect to this photo was 'Whoah". Not the kind to stop a horse...the kind like 'Hurry up and take the photo Mum it's getting a bit too close'.)
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It's been an interesting week.
And what's in store today could be the most interesting - more on that later. I'm guessing there should be a disclaimer on this post. Look away now if you're vegetarian, vegan or sheepish. So we've got to Friday. No shower. My hair needs a wash and I'm not sure I can face the trauma of washing it in the kitchen sink. I've signed up to be a volunteer driver for the local community. Just have to attend 'training' next week then I'll be on the contact list. Thankfully all driver services are put on-hold if the roads are dangerous (snow / ice). I have no clue how much time I will be able to give them - but they seemed perfectly happy with another name on their list. I also attempted to give the paddock its final mow of the year. However, the old Hayterette had other ideas. Looks like its in need of a full service (or scrapping) - so after an hour of pulling the damned starter and cutting a couple of feet before it cut out (on repeat). I gave up. Given the current money situation (every penny is precious right now) we had to look for another solution. There's no way we're in a position to buy a new mower just yet. Neighbours enter from stage right and we now have nine little pals munching away on the rather luscious grass. Seriously - once those guys got a gob full of our grass* there was no stopping them. I popped down to see them this morning and they look stuffed. Lounging around at the bottom of the paddock - smoking cigars. And now for today's plans... Earlier in the week I was asked if we wanted a Hebridean**. Before I read the rest of the message I was a little uncertain of how to reply. "Rick wants to know if you want a Hebridean lamb.... And then I read on.... "...for the freezer. We have one that keeps getting his head stuck in the feeding trough..." I think this rates as one of the most unusual FB IMs I've ever received. Stu hastily checked the freezer - moving everything around to clear space for the meat. And today I am trotting down the hill to watch the processing of the (poor) lamb. I am squeamish and I love the lambs. But I also like to eat the meat. So to resolve this conundrum I am popping down once the lamb no longer resembles a cute fluffy thing. *Due to the very hot summer a lot of farming land was scorched. But as we treat our paddock like a lawn it is the greenest and lushest grass around. **The Hebridean is a breed of small black sheep from Scotland, similar to other members of the Northern European short-tailed sheep group, having a short, triangular tail. They often have two pairs of horns. Today's photos - all from this morning. So far Autumn is providing some gorgeous sun rises, blue skies and misty views. Another encounter with HMRC today. And I managed a full eight hours of proper paid work.
Fair to say my brain is fried. HMRC Dealing with them is worse than speaking to Sky. As they're a government organisation they can get away with anything. You can't argue. You won't get a £10 voucher if they've cocked up. You just have to get over it. Suck it up. Pay the fucking bill. There does seem to be some kind of error. And according to the chap I spoke to first - he can't explain but it's something the system did. But it basically boils down to the system telling me for a whole year that I am £500 in credit to all of a sudden owing a bloody fortune. The second chap I spoke to was a little more helpful. But not a lot. He couldn't explain the glitch either and seemed to think the same would happen again - this year. So, in order to try and avoid said glitch happening again, I needed to make a minor amend to my most recent return. And there lies another fucking HMRC problem. Their website. Took me ages to get to the page where I could make the amend. I was logged in and out and sent at least 10 authorisation codes via text. Bottom line - I am smarting from the pain of the bill (which I should have been paying on account for the past year - but which 'the system' decided it was going to wipe off - and show my account in credit instead). Paid work I think I've lost my PowerPoint mojo. I have to do a presentation to some directors. No clue when. But sometime soon - in Bonn. So I thought I'd just rustle up some slides. Haha. Rustle up. Eight hours later I do have something. But it certainly wasn't rustled and at the current work rate there's probably another eight hours work to get it where it needs to be. And we have no shower. Or bath. In other news: this is the view from my current office location (moved to our bedroom so I can access a wardrobe in previous location) How the heck did we get into the final quarter of 2018 so quickly? Did someone remove a month?
Seriously - once you get to October it's all downhill to the Big Day. So much to squeeze in. People to see, holidays to take, winter wardrobe to find etc. I'm a little giddy at the moment - my boy is visiting this weekend. Yep - he's coming to Wales. As I type I have my fingers crossed (not easy) - I still can't quite believe he is coming to see us (plans could still potentially fall apart - factor in potential hangover or much more interesting Saturday night options). Anyway. He's coming. As we tumble headfirst towards Christmas I should reflect on some positives:
Shit. In just three bullet points I managed to mention a 'not yet done' thing. And I thought I was leaning towards glass-half-full personality. Continuing with the bullet points:
I keep trying to get Stu to take a break. Have a slow day. No sooner do I turn my back than he's back in the attic 'just doing this' or 'just going to fix this up' or ' back in a minute just going to plaster a full wall' etc. Mind you...when Stu has a 'slow day' I'm there...asking him to help with the little snagging tasks that I can't do without him. Did I mention Joe is coming this weekend? Today's photo: one of those little snagging jobs was these shelves. Seriously heavy wood (a freebie from a Corwen resident) that needed some serious Stu fixings. |
DebbieMe, my life, my family and my travels Archives
November 2022
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