Xmas wrapping = done

Another frosty morning...

Another pick up point photo... this time with frozen fingers and frozen toes!
Winter is really here now!

The grass is all crunchy.

Waiting for a bus

Today has been difficult.
I waited in all day for the builder to fix the door. He text at 5.30 to say he'd be there by 6pm. He text a 6.30rextpm to say he isn't coming.
The car insurance company are being difficult. They won't process our claim until the landlady verifies that we were burgled. Apparently a police report and a forensics report are so much less reliable that the word of a homeowner. Grrrr
I rang jeep about an.offer I saw and they tried to bamboozle me into buying something huge.
And to top it off my physiotherapist is leaving so now I have to wait to see someone else. Who won't be as lovely as she was.
Urgh.
And I managed to tip my handbag out upside down on the bus.

I need a hug.

So, here is the view from the bus stop. It's pretty. And reminds us that each day will roll round regardless of the last. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day and bring joy.
Or at least biscuits.

I have an appraisal on Thursday. It's stressing me out on top of everything else. So I guess I should stop procrastinating and prepare my.paperwork.

'Classy' xmas wreath

Retro road sign

Further to my post this morning about what you'll actually see if you look properly, I found this today!
Walking everywhere has some perks.

Xmas lights

I can't believe I missed the switch on event!
I'm gutted.
I do like a cheesy, celebrity endorsed event with fireworks and trashy music. I actually think I was the fireworks when I was driving back from Oxford last weekend, I just didn't realise what they were for.
Ah well, it's still festive and exciting.

I won the sweetie raffle at work!

So, now i'm sat in the waiting room at the ostepath eating squares from the massive bar of chocolate in my bag! Eeeeeeee
See,I do have some good luck.

Sunrise over swindon

I've been getting a lift to work since the car was stolen.
I'm waiting for the insurance to replace mine.
Sue picks me up from the park by my house, which I never really visited before. It's actually quite pretty at dawn, no?

I suppose this gives me a new appreciation of mornings and nature... now that I get to stand out in them every day.

Scuba diving

Today Traff and I went Scuba diving (Using my birthday voucher! Eeeeee!) The course was at The Eagle House School.
Which looks like the kind of school that Malory Towers could be set in! It's really pretty, and they have their own pool, which was really the selling point to the diving instructors (That's my guess anyway..)

It was a taster course designed to get your familiar with the kit before doing a PADI open water diving course, and it was the first time either of us had been diving.

Before the course we had to fill in health forms, which were pretty complicated- 

• Do you currently have an ear infection?
• Do you have a history of ear disease, hearing loss or problems with balance?
• Do you have a history of ear or sinus surgery?
• Are you currently suffering from a cold, congestion, sinusitis or bronchitis?Doyouhaveahistoryofrespiratoryproblems,severeattacksofhayfeverorallergies,orlungdisease?
• Have you had a collapsed lung (pneumothorax) or history of chest surgery?
• Do you have active asthma or history of emphysema or tuberculosis?
• Areyoucurrentlytakingmedicationthatcarriesawarningaboutanyimpairmentofyourphysicalor mental abilities?
• Do you have behavioral health, mental or psychological problems or a nervous system disorder?
• Are you or could you be pregnant?
• Do you have a history of colostomy?
• Do you have a history of heart disease or heart attack, heart surgery or blood vessel surgery?      Doyouhaveahistoryofhighbloodpressure,angina,ortakemedicationtocontrolbloodpressure?Are you over 45 and have a family history of heart attack or stroke?
• Do you have a history of bleeding or other blood disorders?
• Do you have a history of diabetes?   Doyouhaveahistoryofseizures,blackoutsorfainting,convulsionsorepilepsyortakemedicationsto prevent them?
• Do you have a history of back, arm or leg problems following an injury, fracture or surgery?Do you have a history of fear of closed or open spaces or panic attacks (claustrophobia or agoraphobia)?

i   I was pretty paranoid all week that I would get a cold, and I kind of forgot to verify all the truly relevant points (I suffer from seizures and had a collapsed lung) I had intended to go to the doctors and just double check that this was fine, but after all the chaos I didn't get a chance. So I spent the first 30 minutes convinced that I would managed to explode my own lungs and die after the extremely rigours pre-dive safety training.

    As you can see, I survived so they were over zealous!

    We really enjoyed diving, I sucked at it because I was freaking out for most of it, but once I calmed down I enjoyed myself!

I

Mehndi party

Hug box

Massive thanks to Sophie and James for our hug box!
This week has been seriously rubbish, as you may have gathered from my blog.

It's not the big stuff. Obviously i'm angry but being angry doesn't change anything. It's all the frustrations that come with it.
No debt cards = no food shopping. Or bus fares or new bolts for the door. And I know that we can get by until early next week when our cards get replaced but it's so infuriating.
It's having to ask for lifts or cancel stuff because we can't get there. We're constantly putting people out or letting them down.
I feel like a rubbish friend because of the fall out from this.

The insurance claim is complicated, so it's taking time to process. But even when it's paid we still have to buy a new car and try to.keep it secure.
That stresses me out.

I feel like i've spent the whole week on the phone to the bank, insurance companies, police etc.

Everyone has been so kind and helpful, we're slowly getting back to normal.

Chocolate will make my day better!

News bug

This one seems pretty apt given all the fuss lately over fake news articles trending on social media...

Before you share, maybe consider the metaphorical bug.
Does your story have enough legs to stand up?
*sigh*

Space challenge..

.. you know you want to solve it!

Our encounter with the law..

We got up this morning and found that our house had been broken into over night.
Everything was tipped everywhere, all the cupboard were open, our work bags, keys, wallets, debt cards, traff's old phone, the ps4 and the car were taken. There was mud everywhere.

So, at 5am, we called the police. Who dutifully arrived, took statements and arranged forensic analysis.
They were lovely and couldn't have been kinder or more helpful.

They helped us search the garden and find my jewellery.
They think that the car will turn up. Hopefully in ok condition.
They think they know who took our stuff as it's one of a spate of break ins. They suggested some estates to look at to see if the car is parked up.

Forensics arrived as my car insurance company told me i'm not entitled to courtesy car because I didn't have an accident.
He recorded damage to the back door and advised us that this group of people usually hook the door open through the letter box. They use a pool cue. It doubles as a weapon.
They wore woolly gloves so didn't leave any finger prints.
No DNA.
No useful foot prints

Then another officer arrived to assure us they were collecting cctv images and going door to door to see if anyone saw anything.

The neighbours came round too see if they could help. Which was sweet.

We spent all day so far on the phone: bank, insurance, dvla, police, sony, friends, family... Honestly it's like a call centre.

We no longer have any keys to secure the house, so we're waiting for the locksmith and have been all day.
We cannot go out.

So we have to stay here angry and frustrated.

Heres is a picture of fingerprint powder showing the glove fibres.
I guess we learned something.

New book!!

In Keeping with tradition, I have the new harry potter (franchise) book on day of release! If anyone wants me I'll be reading! Eeeeeeeee

I'm off to see the film on Wednesday too.. part of me wants to finish the book before hand. I think I have too much work I should be doing to achieve that goal...

Xmas wreath making

Today I went to Abi's for a craft day. We had planned to go shopping but decided a more chilled out day was required.

We made our own wreath centres rather than buying them. We used cardboard and padded it (I padded mine with old tinsel and abi padded hers with wadding) so that we could use pins to affix things.

We both wound strips of burlap sacking around the padding as a backing fabric (as an aside, I got 2 sacks off amazon for £2 a fat quarter in hobbycraft is £8 so forward planning is key!).

We then made some fabric ribbons and then built up layers and textures, pinning each layer in place.

I'm pretty proud of my wreath, and traff said it looked "really good" and that I had improved.
So, I am allowed to affix it to the door. Plastic trumpet and all!

Pineapple emergency!

I came downstairs this morning to find my pineapple all flopped over.

The pineapple fruit has grown too big for the plant to support, initially I'd made a hammock for it from two pencils and a hair elastic,but it's gotten taller (it's loving the fire!) And so the hammock was useless.
Traff helped me to save it with a bbq skewer and some ribbon.
Next job = repotting.

It's growing so fast with the heating on at the moment, i'm a bit worried that with a bigger pot it'll become enormous.
We shall see.
I don't know how long they live for. Research is required!

Fire writing!

This was my productive activity today at work.
I guess mondays aren't so bad...

Date night!

Traff and I went for dinner at the fancy indian by our house.
I.ordered thali which was delicious, but was supposed to feed two people... not just me.
The waiter too a photo of us... can you see how different our priorities are?!

Rollerderby

Today I NSO'd a roller derby double header for SRD.
I'm really proud of myself because I learned to.keep score and held my own for the day, met some lovely people and won a prize on the raffle!
I also witnessed human hungry hippos.

Austentatious

Ross Noble

On Thursday I went to see Ross Noble at the Wyvern and he was amazing!
The show 'brain dump' is pretty abstract but if you can just go with it, it's hilarious.

Gate-crashing an exclusive event

...ok so it was a seasonal product launch at john Lewis, but I was not in receipt of an invite.

Ray forget that we were supposed to go to spin class and arranged for a pizza and shopping evening with our mum. She had invitations to the event so we just tagged along.

I've never drunk presecco whilst mooching around a department store before. It felt a bit naughty! They had a woman giving a christmas tree decorating tutorial, and a finger knitting demonstration and alcohol tastings which we skipped.

There was also a violinist who impressed me greatly!

I actually didn't buy anything, which shows impressive self restraint, no?

Westonbirt colour change festival

Festive cups are back!

As is the black forest hot chocolate...
Hurrah for it being 50 days until Christmas!

Traff's tshirts

He is now truly a real.wrestler. with merch.
I'm not sure i'm ready to wear a tshirt with "the shocker" printed on the back...

Festive food

Today I ate my first festive food of the season: a christmas meringue pie, which was orange and passion fruit flavoured.
With cranberries on top.

I guess the cranberries make it festive?

Fireworks!

I love Autumn. I know. I say it daily but I really do. I Iike going out in the dark and feeling like a naughty teenager out past curfew, I like wearing my ear earmuffs and honing my low light photography skills.
I also like that I can go out without getting sunburnt, which is a dead certainly if I even consider going outside between March and the end of September.

And I.know that facebook is full.of people who hate fireworks because the wake the baby and scare the dog, but I love them!

Fireworks are nostalgic. As a child my whole family would go to the fireworks display at brasenose park, and my dad would bring polythene sheeting home from work for us to sit on and drink thermos hot chocolate whilst we waited for the show. We had sparklers and luminous badges and bracelets and it was always magical.
As a teenager my friends and I would watch from the road as we didn't have £5 for entry. Not such a good view but still special.
As a student we always went to.the big display in Cardiff, and as an adult I still love going to see the fireworks!

I guess fireworks always being the week after my birthday somehow mark the passing of another year. A bit like they do for new years. Another event that shows the passing of time.

I like the period between Autumn and winter best if all. This Is the cold, crisp, foggy weather and when houses look.all cozy with their lights on. Its the season of lights: house lights, fireworks and the start of the Christmas lights too. It always feels exciting. And purposeful, I guess there is always something to be doing between now and December, shopping, decorating, cooking, meeting people. Everyone becomes festively cheery about mid november.

Anyway, todays fireworks were awesome, and a bit dramatic as the bonfire set a tree alight and the fire engine came lights and all to sort it! So much excitement!