Green Living & Death by Chocolate and Cider

Ok I am sat in work bored to tears, can’t surf the web as we had an email reminding us we are being monitored, can’t do any work as I have done it all, can’t chat as my colleague is on leave this afternoon, no one else likes me enough to make conversation (their loss) and to top it all no bingo tonight. How on earth am I supposed to manage without my weekly Scary Mary dose?

The good news is the major project W has been working on has finally left the house. The bad news is W has just ate my leftovers from the Indian takeaway which I was really looking forward to tonight. It is bad enough I have to hide chocolate like an alcoholic hides their booze but W calls it “Mental Torture” knowing sweeties are in the house but he cannot find them. Well honey, men have died for a lot less and quite frankly devour them during the wrong week in the month and I guarantee I will walk out of court cleared of your demise… All of this could have been avoided if he had remembered to take the fish out of the freezer when asked yesterday but he forgot and by the time I got home from work to make the Fish Pie I had been planning all day, the sodding lot was still solid. Tonight I have the wonderful task of gutting and filleting a dozen herring and a conger eel. Yeah my life is just one long exciting road. I don’t mind but it is not like I can have a drink while I am completing the gutting as the knife is way too sharp to risk it!

I won 4 tickets for a Motorbike Show this weekend and then found out no one wants them as everyone is busy and I ask myself “Do I smell” then remember most of my biking buddies are single parents and babysitting at short notice is not an easy thing to arrange.

W and I are what my sister refers to as “Hippy’s” personally I think it more of a green lifestyle for instance we so not have mains water and collect and recycle rainwater instead. We have not had a bin collection in over 10 years because we:
A. Don’t have a bin collection
B. Recycle everything
We have a log burning stove rather than any other heating in which we burn all the fallen logs we find lying around and we make our own Cider from apples we collect from trees that line our local roads although the next time W says to me first thing on a Sunday morning “Come on babe, get dressed we are going out” I will know better than to expect a visit to a boot sale or a fry up at the greasy spoon as last time he took me to the A127 and had me picking apples from the trees on the central reservation! Although I have to admit the Cider was superb and we will be doing the same next year. I buy all my vegetables and fruit from the local farm shop and my meat from a local butcher and worked out I save over £100 per month compared to shopping at my local Tesco and I get much better quality and all my food is produced locally, no air miles on our dinner. I try to grow as much of my own vegetables as possible too and I cannot tell you how fantastic the difference is in the taste. The only problem is I don’t have a garden so everything is in pots and containers but saying that, I have managed to grow Parsnips in a half cut barrel, spuds in a car tyre stack and strawberries in our hanging baskets! I urge you, even if it is Basil in a small pot on the window sill, grow your own as it is a choice you will never regret.

Take Care People xxxx

The Dogs opinion followed by the Cat

WHAT PETS WRITE IN THEIR DIARIES!!!Excerpts from a Dog's Diary......

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk Bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

The Cat Diary

Day 983 of my captivity...My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bastards.There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now................

Cousins, Tumble Driers and Stress

As I sit on a Friday contemplating the week that has passed I realise why I have had a headache all week. Stress is not normally something I have to deal with very often, thankfully but today it all seems to have caught up with me. The week started with me running Welly to work which is fine but means a really early start and as I am not a morning person, left me feeling a little out of sorts. I am the kind of person who you avoid until about 10am otherwise I am very likely to shout, scream and be generally unpleasant just because I am miserable first thing! As I drive back to collect the love of my life from work I get stuck in traffic and spend over 2 hours trying to get somewhere that should take about a quarter of the time, not a good start to the week.

Tuesday I get a phone call from a cousin I have not seen in a number of weeks who is working nights in central London and as they live in Devon want to stay at my house during the day sot hey can sleep. Of course I would love to help them but as I have had no water since Boxing Day and 4 Rotties that would think him nothing more than a Scooby Snack I have to ask No1 Step Daughter if she can help. Bless her heart as she agrees. I also organised a back up plan in case any thing went wrong but all is running well to date apart from the ear hole grief I am getting from her regarding her Tumble Drier that has given up the ghost. I have pointed out that as it is several years old, was purchased second hand and has moved house 3 times it has had a good innings and really she would be better off getting a new one. As any parent will tell you, kids can drop hints like bricks off a bridge and they are a lot less subtle. As we paid the deposit for 2 houses and bought her a washing machine, we would not be helping her with this little problem especially as she has my washing line in her back garden! Still she persists...

Wednesday we go to Scary Mary and her husband Frightening Frank evening otherwise known as Bingo, tonight we are accompanied by her fellas Mum and Sister, a good night but no winnings. The break halfway was again much fun as I still have to laugh at Scary Mary & Frightening Frank running for the smokers room. Cousin is now settled in and having dinner at mine tomorrow.

Thursday we find out that we can have our life back on Tuesday when the major project welly has been working on, is finally leaving so we book the day off from work and propose to get very drunk in celebration of the event that has been over 10 years in the offing. Dinner went well although has to throw Cousin out of door to work as he was having a good time and did not want to leave, even saw an old friend who joined us for dinner. Yep a very good night although still getting hints for a tumble drier!

So here we are, back to where we started. Tonight I am looking forward to getting home and chilling. Missed out on seeing all my friends this week apart from 1 so definitely going to see my sister S and family as I miss them very much. That should sort out any stress, she is ace at getting you chilled! More soon.

Have a great weekend people

Angie xxx