Uh-oh...

Five days.. FIVE DAYS!! Where the heck have five days gone??? I don't know why I haven't blogged, but I'm determined to keep up with my 'Blog a Day' so even if I only give you a line for each day, I will  type something! Right, let's see if I can remember what happened....!

18.01.2013

Friday, hmm... let me see..

 All I remember about Friday is the evening! We'd been preparing for the snow storm that the had forecast, but as it hadn't really materialised once it got to about 6pm, we decided that it wasn't going to come so we braved it and went out to find something to do. We had to drop birthday cards off at my Auntie's house and while we were doing that, somehow, we decided that we should all go to the bingo.. 'all' being my Auntie, Dan and myself. I'd been a couple of times before but not for a fair few years and Dan had never been but he's a fan of the odd gamble so as Auntie Val goes every few weeks we thought it would be the perfect opportunity for her to come and teach us! 

We didn't win anything but it was a good little night out, we had a laugh and I think Dan may have the bug now, he's got a streak of an older generation in him anyway so he fits right in ;)

As we came out of the building we realised the snow had got a little worse, it had started to stick and the wind was horrendous. Dan ran ahead to get the car starting to warm up and I battled against the wind trying to push my way through the couple of inches that had fallen. The next thing I know I see Dan running back towards me, I presumed he was going to help me push but as he approached me he began to lean down towards my height kind of thing. I thought he was going to kiss me, which although it would have been appreciated I thought it was a little random to say the situation! But I was wrong. He leant down and scooped me up and carried me all the way to the car! I was giggling the whole way and just as we reached the car and he was bending to sit me in the car I started to say "How romantic!" and as if it was written in a script with perfect comedy timing, he banged my head on the door frame! It was absolutely hilarious! Pure comedy timing. Then, to make matters even funnier as he turned back to go and collect my chair we saw the wind had spun it around and was rolling away at an alarming speed! Dan had to run to catch up to it! I was laughing so hard! I looked around a couple of times to see if someone was filming us, it would've definitely got the £250 from You've Been Framed!

From one small room, to a cell..

16.01.2013

 

There's not much that I like more than having a lazy day with my boy. Although it leaves me with a very boring blog to write!

We had planned to go for a nice frosty walk but once we had done a few jobs that we had to do in Bury, we got back and decided that it was just too cold and there was too much ice on the ground. So instead, we stayed in, put the bed down, got under he duvet and cuddled up to a film.. perfect! 

 

Not that we finished watching it mind. Mum called us for tea and then we decided to go and round to our friends for a brew, so I guess we'll finish watching it another day. I hate leaving a film with no ending lol.

 

 17.01.2013

 

I've just finished watching a programme called 'Inside Death Row with Trevor MacDonald' and it's left me with a feeling that Idon't really know how to explain. The title really gives away what it was about so won't go into too much background but it was the people that he met that have left me with this feeling.

Stepping (wheeling) out of my comfort zone...

14.01.2013

 

I had a very frightening realisation today..... I'm turning in to my mother.

Now, I've known for some time to keep my eye out for this as I can see traits of my mum in both of my sisters, but I didn't see this particular trait coming in me. 

 

For years now I've noticed that my mum has severe problems with breaking her routine. Anything even slightly different and she goes into a state of panic that makes her stress to high heaven. Even something as small as a visitor coming and so she doesn't start the tea on time, or not being able to do the weekly shop at the same time on the same day each week. She has a very good friend in Scotland who she goes to visit a few times a year and to get there she gets the coach. She has to get the same coach, from the same station, at the same time, every time otherwise she simply won't go. It just messes her head up and she thinks of all the things that could go wrong and it puts her off completely. I've never understood this, and to be perfectly honest it drives me absolutely mad! Now I'm not saying I'm like that, I'm not opposed to change or breaking my routine - although there are some things that I absolutely need a routine for, but that's another story - but I definitely saw a hint of this in me this morning. 

 

Wow. Just wow.

12.01.2013

Les Misérables blew my mind.  I got home from the cinema last night and I just couldn't function enough to blog about it even though I was still so excited. I just sat there, holding a cup of tea randomly bursting out in song with Dan! 

I just can't explain how much it moved me. I don't think I have ever been as moved by a film before. It had me crying at least five times! During a three hour film, you usually get a little restless at times don't you, well I do, I'll start fishing around for sweets, or changing my seating position or something just to change it up a little, but during this film I don't think I took my eyes off the screen once! I couldn't, I was completely captivated. Anne Hathaway singing I Dreamed A Dream, actually melted my heart, to be able to sing so beautifully but at the same time make the audience feel so much pain is extremely talented. 

I am now on a mission to find the soundtrack to download so I can actually hear the professionals sing it rather than me singing it and making even my own ears bleed! I may be able to hold a tune but I am certainly no Éponine! Also, the cinema were giving out the movie posters, but I missed out and as I'm a little bit in love with Hugh Jackman, it made me very sad so I thought I'd find the images online and post them here so I can have a sneaky look every now and again!

My first cake of the year!

10.01.2013

 

 Today was all about the cake making! My favourite thing to do! It was for a friends 50th birthday and she's a big fan of my cake so I promised her I would make her a cake to remember. As you might remember, last year I did a chocolate course at Slattery's and my mum and dad bought me some of the equipment I needed for this for Christmas so with Cath being a big fan of chocolate as well as my cake I thought it was the perfect time to put them to use.

 

It took me most of the day to do it but I think that's just because I'm still getting used to the skills and equipment and things, I think once I've got the hang of it I could do some really nice work, and hopefully make some money in the process!

There's not much more to say really other than to show you the finished product and see what you think....

 

Apologies and regret buys..

09.01.2013

I feel I must apologise to the RSPCA. Now, either they read my blog yesterday and I have somehow managed to make them feel guilty enough to come and visit, or.. they aren't actually as useless as I made out. I fear it may be the latter. They turned up to the house today to see the neighbours and I was able to find out what had been said as they phoned us back to update us on the case.

As you can imagined, they were not very pleased to see them turning up on their doorstep, but it sounds like it was a needed visit. Apparently Max the dog has got eaar mites, and an ear infection but other than that isn't in too bad health. The neightbours reason for leaving the dog outside was because he apparently  bit the mother, but the RSPCA officer herself said she didn't really believe this story. The officer said that the mother actually wanted to sign the dog over to them but the daughter wouldn't let them take him saying she wanted to keep him. Even though the officers explained that collies aren't the best dogs to have around children.. 

They have been given one week to make a decision, sort the facilities outside out and get him to the vet to sort out the infection and the mites, if it's not done then the dog will be taken away. I'm not going to hold my breath, but you never know they might surprise me. Although I think it might be our safetly I'm slightly mre concerned about now, after the glaring looks she was giving us through our window earlier.. I'm going to try and steer clear of them I think! Again, I'll keep you informed..

RSPCA - Really? You might want to re-think that title..

08.01.2013

 

So, this morning the dog was no longer tied to the post. We all assumed it had been taken in by the non-deserving owners but that turned out to be wrong..

 

Like I said last night, another neighbour of ours had complained to the RSPCA and so this morning we phoned them up to see if they had noticed when the dog had been taken in. They took us by complete surprise when they told us that it was them  that had taken it in! They went round and untied him at about 2am, took him into their house, dried him off because he was shivering, gave him some water and put some food out for him. He ate a whole box of dog fod, which would normally feed their own dogs for a week.. Tell me that's not a mistreated dog? It wouldn't be that hungry to eat all that if it had only not been fed for the 15 hours it was out in the garden would it?

 

But in another turn of events, once they had taken him in, they phoned the RSPCA to let them know what the situation was now. They were told to take the dog back immediately as if the owners had seen them then they could get them done for theft. So they took him back at about 2.30am and told my neighbours what they had done and all they said was 'thanks very much'. Absolute idiots. 

 

By the time we had found all this out it was about 11am and I realised that I hadn't seen them letting him out for a wee or anything like that, which I thought was bad, and so we used that as an excuse to phone the RSPCA back and find out what was going to happen. It turns out, nothing. I'm so disappointed in them, they said that they won't come out because apparently it isn't life threatening as it isn't happening on a regular basis! I was appalled.

You're telling me that this famous charity that's responsible for saving all these animals and promoting what they do on tv and making countless animal rescue programmes, won't come out to protect  an animal from cruelty....  that's three of the words used in their charity name - The Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals... I'd like to know what their idea of cruelty is then. Or how many times an act of cruelty needs to be performed before they will do something. 

 

I tell you something, I won't be handing over my spare change to the people rattling the tins raising money for them if they don't start showing me where this money goes...

Who let the dog out..

07.01.2013

I am absolutely outraged. 

My neighbours have never been the perfect people to live next door to, in fact they are no where near classed as anything like good neighbours if you ask me, but today has taken it way over the line. They are the type of people who you know very little about, they keep themselves to themselves.. apart from when they are entertaining half the chavvy asbo lads from the area.. It's a very strange set up that household too. There is a mother, a 17 year old daughter and then the 17 year old daughters daughter who is about 2. But these lads who go round are like between the ages of probably 13-17 and they are either in there all night partying or there are little 'exchanges' going on if you know what I'm saying.. There's no way I can prove the fact I think they are doing drugs in there.. taking and dealing if you ask me.. which I don't agree with anyway let alone when there is a toddler in the house. This got my back up for quite some time but like I say there was no way I could prove it, and I couldn't approach them about it, not unless I like my car with one less window and/or wheel..

 

So now you have some idea of the people I'm talking about here, well today they have completely lost any chance of me ever giving them any respect whatsoever. A few months ago, probably about nine months, they got this dog called Max. He was an overweight border collie, but harmless and friendly. You never see the two women taking the baby for a walk or anything so I found it hard to believe that they would take Max out. It turns out, they wouldn't, as we expected. Then they got this other dog, a little white staff, who was pregnant. Strange, as it seemed they couldn't even handle Max on his own. Well, the staff - Polo - gave birth to four puppies, three died and they said they were keeping the one that survived. Again, that seemed very strange and I began to start keeping an eye out for the dogs. Polo lost weight rapidly after having the pups and I suspected they weren't feeding them properly as Max had lost a lot of weight too. Then all of a sudden, Polo and the puppy were gone, they said that someone had come to 'claim' the puppy and that Polo had run away, and we saw a lot less of Max recently too.......

Then today, I saw Max for the firs time in what must be two months.. He was tied to a post in the garden, looking skin and bones, with no water, no food, no shelter, in the pouring rain. Mum and I were keeping an eye on him and once it started raining that bit heavier and we had worked out he'd been out there for four hours Mum went to knock on the door. She was greeted by a grunt and the door slammed in her face. It didn't leave us with much we could do. I didnt want to risk  interfering too much and them lashing out, I felt so sorry for Max but I didn't want to cause trouble. 

However, when Dan and I had been out this evening and came back after about four hours and the dog was still OUT , we just had to do something. We came in and phoned the RSPCA but they can't do anything unless it's an absolute emergency as their server is down or something, which is typical, but we have to phone back in the morning and report it again. They said they are breaching the Animal Welfare Act so I'm hoping they will do something to help. It's just not fair. I mean I've watched enough animal rescue programmes to know that they will probably have to give them reasonable time to make changes, but I really hope they listen to us, and I know other neighbours have complained too. The family are just not fit to own animals. It's cruelty, and I won't have it.

Will keep you updated.

Queuing and losing..

05.01.2013

It was as strange day today, I got up nice and on time ready to collect Dan from work, got there on time and then waited outside the house for the next 55 minutes, waiting for the next person to come on shift to arrive. It's so annoying because if Dan is going to be even ten minutes late, he phones in to let them know and yet this guy has to concern whatsoever, he didn't answer his phone at all and then just rolled up and walked in with no explanation at all. 

This then put the whole morning out of kilt, which was going to be a rush anyway as Dan had plans at 11 (bearing in mind that Dan should have finished at 10!) It was a strange day to be honest as when Dan finishes work we usually spend the day together but as he had planned to go on a motorbike ride with a friend, I had to make my own plans - I can tell you're just as shocked as I was! So yes, anyway getting back to the motorbike thing... I wasn't very happy, truth be told, about him going on this ride as I knew it was a powerful bike and yet I had no idea whothis guy was, whether he was a good driver, whether he was used to carrying a passenger, or anything and it scared me to death.. I think I have watched too many 'Helicpoter Heroes' type programmes as all I can see when I look at a motorbike - apart from the sexiness of it - is an accident waiting to happen! 

Anyway, he went out for a few hours and came back safely and I got a nice fancy meal and a visit to the cinema to make it up to me for scaring me silly... so it worked out all round really! There was one thing while we were at the cinema that really got my back up though and that's really why I decided to write this....

So, you're a lady and you need to use the ladies room.. But, there's a queue.. What, in that case, would you do? Would you:

Well, that lasted long didn't it!..

I knew I wouldn't be able to stick to writing a blog a day, although I do have things to tell you about from days gone by, so I'll get cracking...

02.01.2013

I didn't actually do anything this day, I felt dizzy every time I moved so I lay in bed all day! But I do have things to tell you about which I had forgotten (and bearing in mind the subject you'll find it hard to believe I did forget!) On December 29th, my best friend gave birth to her third baby! She had a baby girl, 7lb 5oz, born at 17.09 and she is called Maizie Grace. She's absolutely beautiful.

She's had a tough little start to life though, she's not yet left the hospital as she has quite severe jaundice and when I went to visit she was in neo-natal intensive care. That's a scary place I tell you! As I entered the room I was faced with bright blue lights, machinery everywhere and lots of beeps that sounded very important.I don't think she's doing too badly now, we are just waiting on her levels coming down a bit more before they let her home. 

And as if you don't have enough worries when you're new born is in hospital, Kirsty had yet more to deal with the other day.. She got her engagement ring stolen whilst at the hospital! Some might say it was partly her fault, she took off her ring to wash her hands and use the alcohol gel so that it didn't damage the ring and left it on the side of the sink, got back to Maizie's bed side, realised and turn back round to go and get it but by the time she'd got there it had gone! I can't believe someone who is in the same position as her, their child in hospital too, would steal it instead of handing it in. What goes through the minds of these people? Anyway, the police have been involved now so lets hope they find something out. 

Right so that's us caught up on important events from days ago, now things for that actually happened on the 2nd.. Well, like I said, not much really, I spent the day in bed.. Although in the evening I got a call of Dan saying he'd given my details to a girl he knew as she was in need of a cake maker! All rather exciting as we were messaging each other on Facebook and it felt really professional, finding out what she wanted, working out prices and things! It felt pretty natural too, something I could get used to for definite! 

03.01.2013

Right, yesterday..

Happy New Year!

Well it's the first of January 2013 which can mean only one thing.. It's that time again.. Time for the New Years resolutions! I sat down last week and wrote a list of "New Years Resolution Ideas" to try and make this day a little easier. Now, like I said, they are only ideas but I thought I'd share them with you, along with some reasons why I may or may not be able to stick to them!

New Years Resolution Ideas

1. Write a blog a day.. Now, this one will probably not happen as I rarely have the spare time in a day to sit and do this but I have a plan which may help. I got a new Cath Kidston bag for Christmas and its rather bigger than the last bag I had. What's this got to do with blogging you may wonder? Well, I thought if I can't get to the iPad or my new Android tablet (yes that is another present name drop) then if I can carry a small notepad around in my bag then I can jot something down and then do a collective blog the next time I have chance to sit and type. The whole point of me wanting to write more blogs is to get my mind more active and so I figure thinking of something fairly witty to write is one step to me using my brain to its full capacity again.