Police

Having enjoyed the company of quite a few PC’s sitting their promotional exams over the last weeks, I shall be sad if they change the system and do it in house. We always have a good laugh about me and being an avid CSI watcher and them explaining to me that it really is not like that at all over here. Its interesting to here from the “horses mouth” about the crime figures and sucess rates and I reckon Derbyshire is a safer place to live, the soound of Nottingham quite frightens me, I’m just glad we live in the countryside.

Xmas

With only 5 weeks to go have started putting up the decorations and getting the house all ready. With graduation next week and family visitors as well time is just zooming by. I shall be very glad that we have actually got to a graduation day although it has worked out expensive, you didn’t have to pay for the tickets when I graduated and apart from your own child its really boring, think I’m going to take a novel with me and a drink. Lets hope jem gets it together and finishes his degree, the hsock of failing the first year and only being allowed back in the second year because we went to appeal, he has really got down to doing his work,

Saying goodbye

It’s really sad when regular customers have to say goodbye, Stuart and gilly have been staying with me twice a year since we opened. They come for a long weekend for the re-enactors market, always turning up in the dining room in full costume. The venue has just been changed to Leicester and its just too far for them to travel. I felt really devastated when they said as I really enjoy them coming they are so interesting and such good company and over the years have become very fond of them. It seems to have happened so many times this year with various shows being cancelled and people not having contracts re-newed, it makes me stop and think how lucky I have been to have had the chance to meet some of them in the first place. As my Dad would say “ships that pass in the night” you see them for a short time and then they are gone. It did make me very sad and I know they felt the same as they looked forward to there stays each year

badgered

We’ve been “badgered”, our back lawn has been ripped up by marauding badgers. I approached a local FWAG officer (farming and wildlife) and asked for advice and was told it will be a £2000 fine if I was to harm the badger in any way. So my beautiful lined lawn is a disaster if anyone knows of how to make our garden unappealing to them or how to repair a badly damaged lawn i would love some advice.

Empty nest

Jem has gone back to Uni and apart from the relief that he got back after re-sits and then the rush to get him back its actually a relief. I never thought I’d say that, when my friends sons went back for the second year they were saying how great it is without them and I told them they were terrible. how right they were. Its a pleasure to have him around but what a lot of work. No more cooking at funny times to match his funny hours. No more taxis at strange times (usually when I get in the bath). I’ll get some sleep as no one will be creeping in at 4 in the morning and letting me know they are home safe! and when you say anythiing the answer is “but you were awake” of course I am if anyone should open my bedroom door I wake up. It makes you realise how much you love your little birds and that one day they will need to fly away but lets hope not for good

Resits

After spending a worrying summer Jem got the results and is going back for the second year at uni. Who ever said having kids got easier!! He has also passed his driving test so I am qwuite pleased with him.

Helicopter landings

We are helicopter friendly as well as pet friendly but last week someone rang and wanted our grid references, most unusual I had them to hand as I had just given them to a customer. someone wanted to land and drop off and then take off again and asked for our landing charges. Well as usual we’re laid back here and have never charged anyone landing fees, the attitude being we don’t charge for people to park their cars so it makes no difference. I told them it came in with the room charge but we thought about it and would not allow people to land unless we knew them already or they were staying at least one night. I have beern watching too much CSI and get funny ideas of what people do!! Its like when people wan to book a room for an hour or the afternoon, well I’ve got a pretty good idea what they want to do and always say no. We have just had a customer with a copter and the boys have enjoyed going for a trip round although I made them take the camera to get pictures for the planning office.

New kitchen

The new kitchen is nearly finished although I have given Christmas as the final date! Some people complained about the house being “unclean” as we were walking in sawdust. It was difficult to work round the business I should have closed and done it all in one go instead of fitting it in round the customers. I’m really pleased with the wall of cupboards it gives so much more storage that it actually looks tidy!!! A bit twee having matching curtains and table cloth (must make another cloth in case I spoil this one). Loved the colour that I chose for the walls Dulux “snuggle up” that I’ve caried on and painted the hall in the same colour, the landing will be happening next and then all the ceilings which I hate painting, still it looks nice and fresh

Goose poo

Having 4 geese roam around the grounds has been really nice they were quite characters, BUT goose poo!!! how do they do so much and the more they ate grass etc the greener the poo got. In the end they had to go, I would have eaten them but Jon doesn’t seem to be able to eat what we grow so off they went to market and we got a couple of weeks food bill back for them, not worth it. Now I miss them and want them back.

University

Having sat on Jeremy to complete 3 modules in a month(referals) I wonder why they need to spend so much time away at uni. He had to teach himself with tutorials on the web and sped hours trying to work out how to do it. We then raced to Stafford to get the work in on time, 600/700 students had to get there work in before 12. 0′clock and I didn’t want ot get caught in the crush so we got there first. I’m sure that a degree could be completed in 2 years maximum.