Guess What I'm Doing

Guess what I am doing this morning? Yep sitting in a cafe drinking coffee.
The girls decided we should go to the Nurseries at Yarnton to look for I dunno what, but I was promised a pub lunch, with some reluctance I was persuaded to go along with this, so here I am as usual waiting for them. They can take as long as they like I am sitting at a comfortable table the sun is peeping through the sun shades a cool breeze is finding my hotspots the coffee is passable,as Genny would say all is okay.

Shopping done we go all the way over to the Riverside Pub at Lechlade (the girls like the beer) a comfortable table by the river in the sun was found and a good lunch consumed no booze for me I was volunteered to drive.
The Swans,Ducks,Moorhens and other waterway type birds were very active, people were busy chucking lumps of bread to them, I don't understand this, bread can't be that good for them but they always seem to go for it wherever folks feed birds. It was lovely to see the cygnets growing up so fast, swans appear to thrive here, there are countless couples nesting along the banks some days the surrounding fields are white with them. Another delightful sight was a moorhen bringing her chicks through the mayhem, they were oblivious to all the fuss and noise around them eventually making their way to the safety of the earthen banks just upstream from our position. The young where so small and vulnerable I was surprised they didn't seem phased being bullied by the ducks and a couple of black headed gulls who kept pecking away and dive bombing them (well that's what it looked like to me)the parents gave vocal support and encouragement the babies (bravely I think) kept on paddling to safety.
All to soon lunch is over and we are on our way home.  

Genny's Birthday

Today is July 27 it's Saturday and its Gennys birthday
Irina and I are in the car going to Chipping Norton so that I will be able to buy some flowers and a card for. All is going well we find a place to park and dive into the store where I am able to see some red roses which would be very nice for her, after a little difficulty locating the card Department found a really nice card paid for it and made way back to the car, where I  ripped off at the packaging and started to write,it was only after reading the first lines that I realised that it said anniversary and not birthday, oh well change the wording I thought, (cheap jack)  it looked  terrible now the thing is useless duh: no choice  get another one.
Breakfast over the tornado hit, Lizzy and the boys arrive, our new polished wood floor proves a huge attraction to them for sliding bottoms and feet this achieved to much laughter. They are so full of beans this morning,finally I ask them what they would like to do? Watch fire engines, tractors, and combines they chorus. Now the girls are able to have a chat, give Lizzy a break for five minutes,of course they're not quiet for that long I am going to rename the flat Much Tickling By The Chair don't know who started it teehee, all to soon it's time for them to leave they rally are getting bit to boisterous even for Irina who has been playing with them.
We are expecting Lena to come for lunch she is bringing Nick and Genya and the dogs up from Shaldon. About 11ish there is a phone call from her to say they are stuck in a huge traffic jam on the M5 near Tiverton won't be here until 3pm Ira then puts off starting the BBQ.
The lounge is filling up with cards and flowers,Genny getting Skype calls from Odessa and Heidfeld she very happy, eventually it's deemed time to light the BBQ, the garden is filled with smoke much to our neighbours annoyance,soon it has died down and the cooking can begin.
At last the family is here we can sit in the garden and enjoy the mountain of meat,dishes of salads,sauces, and relishes, all prepared by the girls fill the table, not excessive when there are six of us three being great hulking boys who's stomaches never seem to get full. Finally it's time for the pista resistance the birthday cake, a wonderful confection of sponge, cream, lemon, and lemon frosting,so light a puff of wind could blow it away. Genny has surpassed herself this time.  
All to soon Lena and family must leave for home, we settle down with a large drink to relax and review the day,the conclusion,it really went to fast but nevertheless was a great time.

Congratulations my Dearest Dear.  

The Bullring

Having a wonderful time  in the Birmingham Bullring. Came here on the train from Banbury, met the young lady from Shopmobility with a scooter for me.
The girls soon get fed up with me following them about,so once again abandon me For the joys of shopping.
I in the meantime set about exploring this maze of shops cafes bars etc,and I found. An Apple Store never seen one or been in one before,it's amazing every apple product on sale and the  famous Genius Bar, friendly helpful staff everywhere the place heaving with customers, me and my scooter made most welcome, it's made my day.

Making my way around this complex I find a favourite watering hole Drukers, so now I sit drink coffee brought to my table bY a nice young girl, she is very presentable but has a rather sudden hairdo, unusual but not unattractive. Everywhere is hustle and bustle but folks still have time to chat standard greeting “hello me duck how are you”. After lunch I take slow chug around the Bullring it's a warm sunny afternoon, I find the shops a bit limited in their range, it's seams to me to be mostly clothes, shoes, jewellery and phones. All the big guns are here of course but my interests lie computers cameras sound and vision stuff, I am looking but have not found too much of interest I did discover Currys, Bose and Apple but that's about it,I suspect I have not yet locked into the right area, there is still a labyrinth of alleys and walkways to discover, but not today,the clock says its time to go to the station and meet the girls, hand over the scooter and get on the train.
All accomplished one hour and fifteen minutes later  we are in the car heading for home. The train journey was swift smooth and quiet, I even got in a few minutes shut eye. If other destinations are as easy and cheap as this one I reckon it's  worth taking a closer look, Chiltern Railways certainly offer a very good service.

Verso at the garage

Have a small problem with the Verso, the heated rear screen isn't working, Inchcape (the garage) has got it for the day, the thinking being if its  doable they fixit if not its a new rear screen. Been given a courtesy car a little Toyota Yaris nice little car comes pretty well equipped,its comfortable enough, for me it is a bit underpowered, I find you have to use the 6 speed gearbox quite a lot. All in all not a bad little motor.
Now we having little bumble into Witney, do these girls ever get fed up with shopping??? I, meanwhile am being adventurous,the street temperature is approaching 30dg bit warmish, I am in Costa Coffee trying an iced Latte very tasty it is to, it is so nice to go into an air conditioned shop find a comfortable seat and relax.

Toyota Garage just phoned car is ready, nothing to report all is working as it should so we will see over the next weeks, now I have to find the girls and we go pick it up.

We’ve  picked up the car it came back washed and vaxd looking good, well done Inchcape.

Still more time in Swindon

Here we go again the girls decided today that Swindon is a good place to be, so here we are I'm sitting in the cafe Boswell’s waiting for them, drinking coffee as usual. I have not been abandoned they have returned to drop off some packages that where to much to carry about, only to disappear again into the maelstrom of the Brunel Centre.

Genya is a brilliant lad he trails about after them never complaining at least not in my hearing. I've been told he is going to spend a week or so in Shaldon with his brother/cousin Nick which will be good for him. Certainly better than sitting around with a load of old folk, thank goodness for computers he has spent a good deal of time on his since getting here, with Skype and other VoIP apps he's able to keep in touch with friends etc,so he's not entirely alone.

I've been toying with the idea of signing up to the Swindon shop mobility scheme, today I tried walking into town centre. After few minutes I was knackered, the shop is in a different area not one I would usually go to, I mean it's not that far from here really but getting there by car is a phaff. However driving there on arrival in town looks fairly simple, Swindon is a minefield of one way systems and roundabouts, we shall see. Buying one of these scooters is a possibility, problem is getting one in and out of the car, there are some made especially for that purpose, a bit pricey though and I not sure if I could lift it in and out myself, only thing to do is go take a look see.

Well that's it the girls are back I'm coffee’d out time for home time time. I am not feeling like driving today so it’s down to Ira, she really has got the hang of driving on the left I am very happy to sit next to her, she is quite confident it's just a question of knowing where to go and how to get there, she's using GPS so saving all the places we visit into the system.

This morning we had the builders come back from VW to look at the fan in our bathroom which was still not working correctly, they arrived and very soon decided to replace the item with a new one. After a certain amount of drilling and scraping and huffing and puffing the new fan was finally installed it seems as if it is better than the previous one we really hope now that it will do the job more efficiently.

Lee had not left very many minutes before there was another knock on the door and Declan arrive to replace two damage tiles which he had promised to do a couple weeks before much to Genny’s disbelief that he would not return, the job is now done, the bathroom is complete and looking very nice indeed.

The family then decided as it is really gorgeous and beautiful day about 22° probably the warmest one we've had so far this year that we should go have a picnic, but, first we need to shop of course, later I am to drive to somewhere where we will enjoy our lunch, I am torn between going to the canal at Thrupp which is a very favourite spot of ours or an equally favourite place which is near St John's Lock at Lechlade on the Thames. Right now I am sitting in the car park at Waitrose waiting for the family to arrive before deciding which place to go, I cannot make up my mind both have things going for them. I am sort of torn about going to Lechlade we have spent a considerable amount of times this past few days near Thrupp because that is where the garage is from where this new car came,and so I think a change of scenery is needed.

A Busy Friday

This morning we had the builders come back from VW to look at the fan in our bathroom which was still not working correctly, they arrived and very soon decided to replace the item with a new one. After a certain amount of drilling and scraping and huffing and puffing the new fan was finally installed it seems as if it is better than the previous one we really hope now that it will do the job more efficiently.

Lee had not left very many minutes before there was another knock on the door and Declan arrive to replace two damage tiles which he had promised to do a couple weeks before much to Genny’s disbelief that he would not return, the job is now done, the bathroom is complete and looking very nice indeed.

The family then decided as it is really gorgeous and beautiful day about 22° probably the warmest one we've had so far this year that we should go have a picnic, but, first we need to shop of course, later I am to drive to somewhere where we will enjoy our lunch, I am torn between going to the canal at Thrupp which is a very favourite spot of ours or an equally favourite place which is near St John's Lock at Lechlade on the Thames. Right now I am sitting in the car park at Waitrose waiting for the family to arrive before deciding which place to go, I cannot make up my mind both have things going for them. I am sort of torn about going to Lechlade we have spent a considerable amount of times this past few days near Thrupp because that is where the garage is from where this new car came,and so I think a change of scenery is needed.

Nice one Helen

Yesterday we went to Swindon looking for laminate flooring and another chair for the kitchen.
Finishing up at the outlet centre, I was sitting in the coffee shop having first of all had a bit of a chat with the staff. As I was waiting for the family to return Helen one of the girls asked me if I like teacakes I said “is the Pope catholic?” she said “well my colleague and I both made a tea cake for the same person and I have a spare would you like it”? it would have been churlish to refuse I said “well thank you very much” it was gorgeous warm and oozing with butter yummy yummy I am sure if my darling Jennie had been there she would have disapproved very strongly.

Another beautiful day

Today I gave into my worst fear using a mobility scooter which was the first time in Banbury, walking Has become increasingly difficult over the past few months my doctor seems to think that it will improve once the chemo stops and maybe my eyes get better and generally I will feel more like my old self but as of this moment I don't know.

Irina drove us to Banbury this morning she is getting in as much practice as possible, driving the car on the opposite side of the road from the one she is used to. They drop me off and I wander around the shops which I have not been able to do for sometime and finally finished here seated at my favourite table and chair in the Castle Quay museum cafe.

Back at the car the family have not arrived, I sit very comfortably on the scooter by the canal chatting away to a young couple about the tennis and the forthcoming F1 GP,they like me are looking forward to the finals and race tomorrow. As ever there is movement of boats up and down, their wake lapping the banks making the moored craft sway and bob about the motors a gentle gurgle as they pass. Soon Genny appears 

My further adventures with Ira.

Today Ira has taken us to Yarnton nurseries where she wants to spend a load of money and Jenny is quite happy to let her, as usual I'm sitting in the cafe with a very large and very nice cappuccino in front of me Another gorgeous day, the sun is hot temperature is outside at the moment about 21° virtually no cloud in the sky, our plan later is to go to Kidlington for abit more food shopping and then possibly go down to the canal at Thrupp for some lunch.

Failing this we will go home and have lunch in the garden under our very large umbrella with the fountain murmuring away in the background very restful.

Well we are at it again.

The girls decided as it was another gorgeous day today Saturday, we should go to Swindon for some retail therapy. The first big store we get to I am patted on the head and sent to, guess where? Yep the coffee shop actually I don't mind the coffee turns out to be very nice.

The reason for all this shopping is because Genny a few weeks ago said to me that the carpets in our flat were getting old and dusty, her spine is playing up and using a vac is difficult for both her and myself,we sort of discussed having a wooden floor installed but didn't take it any further. Fast forward to 10 days ago, Something must have been said to the family because before I new what was happening we were looking around carpet and tile shops at wood floor samples, it transpires they had offered to help with the cost of the project. 

We chose Windrush Flooring for the work. Luke the company boss came out last Saturday measured up and quoted a not unrealistic price,we selected the floor we wanted and gave him the go ahead, if he could get the work done quickly, we knew once the family left Genny nor I would be able to cope. Luke said if we could spread the work over 2 days he could fit us in from Wednesday of this week, that sounded fair enough to me, so the order was placed. Wednesday morning bright and early Genny and Irina started clearing the hall and lounge, the guys arrived and started attacking things,bits of carpet edging strip and underlay were soon flying out the window. The guys didn't stop until they had finished the Hall and the Lounge,the same thing happened on Thursday, by mid afternoon the bedrooms were complete, their muddles tidied up leaving our muddles to be sorted and reinstalled, finally by about 8-30pm the house was finished, it looks terrific the girls and Genya were knackered, took an early night.

Genny waked with a plan, we go to Swindon and look for curtains for the lounge,Ira wants some stuff, Genya and I don't have a say in the matter, so that's how I come to be sitting here drinking cappuccino and writing this. Later I am told we go look for BBQ tools, will this excitement never end?