Busy Busy, everyone’s busy

Thursday was just a mega-disaster. First I woke up for work half an hour late as I forgot to reset my alarm for my early start.

On the way to work, I drive along a country road and I was going about 50mph when a little rat-dog ran out in front of me, closely followed by a woman dragging two horses behind her. I slammed my brakes on to avoid hitting any of them while the woman stood in the middle of the road screaming at me. When the dog was out of my way, I started driving away slowly, but it ran in front of me again so I stopped again. The woman was now running about in the road (which has a 60mph limit so anything could have come flying around the corner) with the horses and screaming at me. Like all of this was my fault. I wound down my window and shouted at her “I’m not going to run over your dog! (Seriously, me kill an animal?) But maybe you shouldn’t let it run about in the road!” She just grabbed it and walked off without saying anything.

Come on now! If you can’t train your dog not to run into the road, and if you can’t control a dog and two horses all at the same time next to a 60mph road, maybe you shouldn’t try to do so and not blame the poor souls like me who get caught up in it. Also, don’t drag your horses into the road either, putting them at risk as well. I was SO angry with her and also terrified that I’d almost killed a dog, I was shaking for about 20 minutes afterwards.

The day at work we pretty uneventful, after work I went straight to the LG Arena to take photos of Madness. I got there at about 8pm only to be told I wasn’t on the list. Again. Go straight back home. Again. It was after 9pm when I got home, three hours after I finished work and with nothing to show for it. I emailed the woman who promised me the pass and she replied saying she’d had confirmation from management, but they used an old list for some reason. WTF?! Everyone’s always so dimissive, like it doesn’t really matter that I waste three hours and pay for the train every time it happens. Yet another disastrous gig to add to the list. I’m having more knock backs than passes and I’m thinking more and more of jacking it in. Just when I thought it was going somewhere, it’s going nowhere now.

After the disaster that was Thursday, I was invited to the accounts Christmas lunch on Friday. Three hours off work plus a three course meal and drinks for free? Yes please! I should volunteer to work in accounts next year as well. Although they’re the only department that gets to go out for lunch. I have no idea why, all the departments work just as hard, it hardly seems fair.

Jay’s mom’s been in hospital for a couple of weeks. She was only supposed to be in for a week, but things kept getting delayed and going wrong so she was in a week longer than she should have been. She’s had a colostomy, which is where they take your large intestine and poke it out through a hole in your belly. A bag is attached to it, known as a colostomy bag, which is where the, um, toilet waste is deposited. But they forgot to change her dressing so she got an infection. A nurse decided she couldn’t carry out a simple procedure and it took another two days for someone else to do it. Her temperature and blood pressure were too high so they had to keep her in for further observations. All this amongst various other complications. I’ve been going after work to see her and bring Jay home, who’s been to visit her every day. So things have been pretty hectic. She’s home now so she’s much happier. Even if she has to go back in every couple of days to have things done, sleeping in her own bed and being able to watch TV etc is much better.

We have our Christmas present early. My mam and Jay’s mom both wanted to give us money for Christmas, so we’ve bought a treadmill. We’ve been going to the gym occasionally, but it costs about £25 a month each, so over eight months we’d spend £400 between us, which pays for a decent treadmill. Plus it’s always in the house so we don’t have to get our stuff together and make the trip to the gym; it’s much easier to do half an hour a day after work when it’s right there. I’ve not used it yet, I’m going to get stuck in after Christmas when I’m not constantly full of food.

I took a trip to Loughborough last night for Christine’s birthday. There were only a couple of people I knew there, plus a load of Christine’s strange friends (including one girl who was completely inconsiderate to Christine’s hospitality, breaking away from us and staying out all night on her own, not answering her phone and texts when Christine was trying to find out if she was ok, and then hammering on the door at 8am to get in, then spending the next half an hour complaining about how McDonald’s wouldn’t give her a Big Mac meal at 5am.) But anyway, I take every invitation to go to Loughborough as I can get, as they’re pretty few and far between these days and I don’t want them to forget I exist! We had an epic three course Christmas meal, then went to see The Hobbit! Loved it, and it certainly didn’t feel like the three hours it was. The only bugbear was we had to see it in 3D as they weren’t showing it in 2D at the times we wanted to go, and it cost £11 each! Yes, ELEVEN POUNDS! To go to the cinema! I couldn’t believe it. I was so pleased I took my own popcorn and drink, bloody rip off! Anyway, it was very good and everything I expected it to be. Now we just have to wait a year for the next installment! I might watch it again before that; Jay has to watch it anyway, if he’s going to come with me to see the second one.

We’ve also been invited to Loughborough for New Year’s Eve, so we’re going to that. No idea where we’re sleeping, though. I’ve asked on the Facebook event, but no one’s being very forthcoming. The only offer we’ve had is someone’s bath…yeah that’d be nice, thanks.

Further update on my dog walking thing. I’ve started researching my essay, I’ve contacted the council to see if I need a licence as some councils require it (I don’t) and I’m just about to sign up for a Canine First Responder course (dog first aid). Lots of preparation before I feel ready to advertise myself, I still have a list as long as my arm. I just hope I can get some customers when the time comes! :o)

I can’t believe it’s only a week until Christmas, I don’t feel Christmassy at all :o( Did everyone get their cards I sent?

Dog Walker/ Pet Sitter available in the West Midlands.