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

Scary Mary Revenge!

I went Bingo again last night and won a large enough sum to consider retirement and a holiday abroad, well alright perhaps a tenner won't get me that far but it felt really good and cheered me up no end after the rotten week I have had. Scary Mary was out in force and (like I expected any different) a fight kicked off in the middle of a game between a family of travelling folk and (I am sure the 90 year old from previous blog) a little old lady!

It started when the travelling folk dared to chat during the game, if you have ever been Bingo you know this is next to swapping your granny for a shell suit, but I digress, anyway little old lady shushed them, a lovely exchange of docker language followed by our little old lady turning purple and exploding.. ok thats not true, but she did chuck a full scale wobbler on a par with "Honerable No.1" Grandson. Little old lady stood to her full height (about 3 foot 6!) and told them in no uncertain terms that if they did not shut up she was going to throw them out, to which they all stood up and told her they would quite happily question her parentage and escort her quietly, to a new home at the local church graveyard. At this point I have to point out that this happened in Dagenham which is classed as the "East End of London" to most folk, and that of course means East End War spirit... Ever seen an entire Bingo Hall stand up and look like a riot about to happen? Upshot was the travelling folk decided to move on. Life is never dull in Dagenham.

Many thanks to my sister Sarah for teaching me how to paragraph!