new router solves many problems

The internet access and functionality at home deteriorated to such an extent that youngest boy had to visit a relative to complete his homeork on Thursday evening. Therefore, after an hour on the telephone to the internet service provider I acted on the Advisor's recommendation and purchased a new router last night after work. It took approximately two minutes to set it up, and astonishingly the internet speed and access is now A1! hOORAY. I did buy a new router 6 months ago, but went for the same make as previously, which meant that the problems were not solved (or another faulty router which seems unlikely). This time I have a different make (recommended by computer advisor) and it has made all the difference. Thanks Netgear.

Fabulous weather. Yellow horse did 4 miles last night, sound and lively, he's so much happier on his feet with the anti-inflams. Dosage is cut down to half a dose per day from tomorrow. So will be watching closely to see if his pain comes back. Working towards no medication at all. Fingers crossed.

6 boys ate and slept at home on Friday night, all going to an 18th birthday party together in town. They proceeded through the food in the fridge like locusts. They descend every weekend to keep youngest company and me entertained. Now leaving spare beds made up for them (saves washing, and it's same occupants every weekend). Except for staggering quantity of food they consume its lovely to still have house-full of huge young men, despite absence of eldest at Uni. Can't imagine how horrible it will be when youngest goes and all beds empty. Probably fill them with puppies.

sunshine and clouds

Gorgeous weather, hardly any guests at saltmines until the weekend, those that are here out walking and enjoying the sun, not bothering me in Reception. Clouds are my own, but working through them... missing eldest, youngest came home with a throat bug or similar last night, and black pup piddled in the kitchen last night and this morning, at exactly the same time as I was celebrating the fact that both pups now seem to be reliably house trained! Art night-class tonight, girly meal tomorrow night, meal with New Zealand distant relatives who are travelling through on Saturday evening. I'll need a wheelbarrow to carry my fat-belly around with me......

Youngest visiting York, St Andrews and Hull Universities shortly looking for place to study History happily. Has already inspected Nottingham and Sheffield. Its a long task.

Yellow horse keen as mustard last night, still taking the anti-inflammatories, which seem to be suiting him! Lively as a cricket.

key fairy success story

Number 1. At 8.30am this morning I found the keys! The fairy had placed them in a plastic filing wallet, between mountains of property documents. I'm sure she had a good reason.

Number 2. Turkey butchery. The blasted stag turkey was as big as a house, so had to have his legs seperated from the body. Not satisfied with this piece of surgery, I went on to bone out the carcass as it was so huge, and frankly, a bit old. The body meat was great eating. Legs frozen until I have enthusiasm. The leg meat is as dark as fillet steak.

Number 3. The luggage. Enough said.

Keys

I parked my car at home yesterday afternoon, removed myself from the driver's seat, took a couple of mobile phone calls in the garden, and came inside. At 6.45pm when it was time for my Art nightclass it emerged that my car keys were lost. Aaarrgghhhh. Been looking now for about 4 hours, and no sign, despite the fact that they are attached to 2ft of blue ribbon to prevent this very situation. Its driving me MMMAAAAAADDDDDD. Please let them turn up... I have a spare set, but am so miserable to have misplaced something so important to me. And, if my car is now stolen no-one will believe that I lost the keys and didn't leave them in the ignition. So pissed off I can't express myself.

More cheerfully, yellow horse absolutely lovely tonight, and very sound indeed. He's just a banana coloured star. Big boy has brought all his university luggage into the kitchen today (Friday) despite the fact that his departure for University is not until Sunday morning. Crying inside already.

calorie off-setting

My husband says, like carbon off-setting, if you eat a bagful of calories, but put a small donation into a famine relief charity box, your calorie intake won't count. This is so heartless I am embarrassed to write it, but he was quite pleased with the idea...perhaps he could try politics as a full time career. With ideas like this he could go a long way. Oh, wait a minute, our own Politicians got there before him with world stuff.

Yellow horse enjoyed the anti-inflammatories, though didn't seem to make a deal of difference. As a result, he's got some more! He will be thrilled. He's so very slightly not right that we only notice because we know him so well. Don't want you to think he's suffering. He's fat and fine. Would benefit from losing 75kg. He weighted in at the Vet's at 615kg, a huge amount for a small horse. He doesn't look fat, just full of muscle, but its heavy for those tiny hooves.

Enjoyed my day shopping with my big boy today. It made us laugh when we noticed quite a few other large teenage boys also shuffling around Next and TKMaxx with their mothers, intent on the same purpose, and not wanting anyone to notice this final raid on the family purse! Purchased a £40 bit of tat jewellery on a whim whilst out today (highly unusual behaviour) with which I am surprisingly pleased - but feeling very slightly guilty. Pass the lash when you've finished with it please....

leaky water pipes

Monday viewed Sheffield Uni with youngest boy & friend. Tuesday took yellow horse to Vet 40 miles away. Inconclusive, treating with anti-inflammatory for 5 days then must phone (doubtless this means a further journey with him). Wednesday national Caravan Show in Hull (about 60 miles) and tour round to look at a small horse lorry (what an extravagance that would be...). Thursday and unsurprisingly have migraine, tired eyes and struggling to stay awake at work.

Rode the yellow horse last night after two doses of medication and he seems sound, will try again tonight. Had to bring the pups to work today so that they are not home alone. They are a nightmare in the car, just want to sit on your knee, but penned in the back they are sick everywhere. So, choice of battling to keep them in passenger footwell, or clearing up little piles of sick in boot.

Water is leaking on the car park at the salt mines. Poor Hugh is pick-axing through the road surface to try and find the guilty pipe, every time he thinks he's closer the flow of water shifts further under the tarmac. Problems, problems.

Big boy now counting down to departure (20th September). Dentist tomorrow, rail card has arrived, Student Union application came today. He has consented to shop with me on my next day off (Tuesday) so that I can enjoy a coffee and lunch with him (just the two of us) before he goes, and he can, in exchange, enjoy spending my money on new shoes and trainers for Uni. Some powerful blackmailing techniques were utilised to achieve this projected day out, the Armed Forces could learn much from me!

girls, girls, girls

who is chewing all the shoes and wellies in this house? It's hard to catch the perpetrators in the act....

Youngest boy has a doodah on his dashboard that tells him many things, one of which is his average mpg. As a learner this figure can be a bit up and down, but driving to the swimming pool this morning he achieved a creditable 56.2 with which he was very pleased. The tiny red Skoda Fabia done good!

Every day on his way to the swimming pool lifeguarding summer job, youngest drives past a tiny sign saying "thatched church this way". Yesterday I co-erced him to stop the little red Skoda (thereby affecting his average miles per gallon figure sadly), and had a look at this lovely little church. It has been in its present form since the early 1600s and is one of the very few remaining thatched churches in the country, and the only one in Lincolnshire. It was built from the remains of Markby Priory, and its roof was thatched by the churchwarden in 1672, because he wanted the tiles which were its original covering! Its a real gem and I'm so glad we stopped to look.

Particularly for Mr and Mrs Black, I also submit a few photos of Sutton on Sea beach chalets, the wind shelters at Trusthorpe, and more chalets 2 miles further on at Trusthorpe/Mablethorpe. Tonight am going for more beach chalet photos at Chapel St Leonards, as they turn out to be exceedingly photogenic (if only I had a beast camera...)

All quiet at the salt-mines today. Thought you might be amused to hear that a review of our customer surveys yesterday revealed that the more demanding of our guests would like: free access to bottled water whilst on holiday here, and also hospital beds (WTF?). Would also like tarmac park roads as the gravel can be noisy at night, and a flexible departure time, though at no added cost. Some would like softer beds, some would like their beds to be firmer, and some don't like any of the pillows supplied. More water pressure, more environmental lighting, more net curtains, towels (which are available on request if they would just read their paperwork), more shops, longer arcade opening hours, more recycling, and, to round off, one optimist would like to receive all inclusive drinks at the bar, and topless bar maids! Obviously, 99% of respondents had a very happy holiday, but there's always one....

calorie negative food, and navicular

Local Vet came to vaccinate the yellow horse yesterday, and we mentioned that the horse is stumbling quite often when he is being ridden. He is also a tiny bit unsound this week, which we attributed to galloping round the field in excitement during youngest boy's weekend party. Local Vet suggests that poor Skipper go in for investigation for navicular syndrome. Have now looked this up on internet and feeling very apprehensive. Need to book the horse in for overnighter at bigger, less local Vet, for Xrays and other procedures. Keep you posted.

On a lighter note, and following the claim I made in an earlier post that the stuffed cooking apples are calorie negative, would like to confirm the following:

if your food containes anything grown at home or picked by you, its calorific value is nil, or sometimes negative. For instance, sloe gin, bramble wine, elderberry champagne. Apple crumble or cake if you grew the apples yourself, all jams and preserves made by yourself. Continuing this theme, rest assured that anything you eat whilst you are standing up has no calorific value, also anything you have to eat in a hurry (something to do with metabolism speed?).
ABsolutely any edible item which you steal from someone else (their hand, their plate etc) doesn't count.

Does anyone else have any other suggestions of methods to keep the calories out of foods? Do try my tips. I can almost guarantee chocolate will taste better, and will not rest on the hips, if you eat it whilst walking (slowly). Pass me the biscuit tin dear....

big boy baking

Eldest boy, the one going to Uni in three weeks, has started to take an unholy interest in all things happening in the kitchen. Now focussed on the fact that he will need to feed himself in three weeks time. As a result, and also because all the trees in the orchard are absolutely laden with fruit, he brought in some cooking apples last night and threw this 'stuffed apple' dessert together! How impressed am I. With a little verbal prompting he shows great promise. He may not starve, or end up in MacDonald's every day after all!

Day off, not that you would notice. Rode horse at 7.30am, youngest needed to be delivered to gym at 8.45am, collected at 12 noon, delivered to maths tutor at 3.30pm, and delivered also to hockey practice at 7pm. Around this I tried to squeeze a bit of R&R, remarkably unsuccessfully. Had a Grumpy Old Woman moment in the Bank this morning as I attempted to change £40 of pennies, two pences, etc for notes (I'm afraid we don't really handle change at this counter, or this counter etc, etc), and it has left me feeling grumpy all day. Riding Club Social evening later tonight which may brighten my outlook. Be a good job when youngest passes his driving test. Has already managed the theory test pass (nothing short of a miracle as he didn't even look at the Highway Code), and should try for practical on the road in the next month or so. If he would only use his mirrors he's actually ready now, though I can't tell him that.

Blowing a gale here (again) today, and got caught in a rain squall that drenched me completely. Typical.