Monday 31 October 2016

Saturday 22 October 2016

too much work..not enough play

I have worked my arse off this week trying to catch up after our impromptu hospital vacation. And I have spent most of today drawing Things That Go for a new book. Stuff like Snowmobiles and Container Ships. And Light Aircraft. And other vehicle complexities. Not really my thing. My head is aching. Had to bang out a quickie bit of moose cuteness to compensate...

Time to get the glad rags on now and go get hammered with the other half.
Happy weekend people.

Saturday 15 October 2016

birthday boy

It's the other half's birthday tomorrow. We can't decide where to go. Two out of the four of us can't walk very well. The other half has a knackered knee ligament which is awaiting an operation and the little one is still walking like a little old man after the removal of his appendix. It's gonna be slow wherever we go...

Thursday 13 October 2016

unexpected mini break

The little one and I had an unplanned mini break this weekend. To Bradford Royal Infirmary. 2 nights on the main children's ward and 2 nights on the children's surgical ward. 
So a 2 centre break if you like.

The troubles started on Saturday morning when he was moaning that his stomach hurt. I did what every caring parent would do under the circumstances. I told him to have a poo. 
By 11am, when the pain had moved to his right side and he'd been sick twice it was becoming apparent that it wasn't a general poo problem. I phoned the NHS helpline. They got us an appointment to see a doctor at the hospital. We stayed there for 4 days. And we were one appendix lighter when we came out.

The kids surgical ward is closed on a weekend 'cos they mainly cater for routine ops so we spent the first 2 nights on the general ward. There were a lot of screaming little people there. LOUD screaming little people. All night. I had a lovely little camp bed next to Alf but I didn't sleep much. He slept like a brick.
He had his appendix removed on Sunday morning. He came round, said "You told me it wouldn't hurt any more!" then went back to sleep. I guess I was wrong.
At 7.30 on Monday morning a man in a white uniform appeared at the foot of my camp bed. 
Man in white uniform: "Did anyone tell you that you'd be moving wards today"
Me: "Nope."
MIWU: "Oh. Well you are."
Me: "OK, how long do I have to pack"
MIWU: "I'm here to collect you now"
Well I was still in my pj's with no makeup on and hair like a bush. I had to quickly throw all the belongings we had accumulated over 2 days (a lot) into our bags and run after him while he pushed Alf's bed. In my socks. And pyjamas. Through the hospital. For about 2 miles. Still, as it was Bradford I didn't look any different to anyone else. At least I had teeth.

Anyway, after 2 days on Ward 2 we were deemed fit enough for release and we escaped on Tuesday night. 
I'm telling you, my own bed has never felt so good.
The little one is doing well now. His biggest smile came when they said he had to have 2 weeks off school. It's half term after that. I've never seen him so happy.
He has now taken up residence on the sofa and issues orders to me every 10 minutes. I'm being very caring and lovely. For now.....

Thursday 6 October 2016

we've got a gardener now you know...

The jungle around our house that we call "the garden" has had an intervention. It was getting out of hand. We bought the house with the biggest garden on the street but we forgot that we don't actually have the time or the inclination to do anything with the damned thing. 
To be honest it's never really warm enough to sit in it anyway. It faces the wrong way. The sun is on the decking on a morning. That's where the BBQ is. But no-one wants to go to a BBQ on a morning do they? And it's cold there at wine o'clock. So we don't even use it for entertaining purposes. It's just been abandoned really.
So.... I have employed the services of a professional. She starts on Tuesday. She's gonna come every week and hack down the overgrowth. Trim the bushes. Tidy the edges. Make it look like a display at the Chelsea Flower Show.
It could take a while...


Wednesday 5 October 2016

it's scarf weather

Luckily I have like a zillion scarves.

Saturday 1 October 2016

september 2016

Gone in a flash....