Took my Kindle back on Friday.....

....Tesco hadn't any in stock, so got money back.  Trailed over to Walsall yesterday, as Tesco there had loads in stock.  Proud owner of new Kindle.......going back to Tesco in a minute....with Kindle, it is exactly the same, it will not turn on or hold a charge.  I want my money back and then I am going to the library.
    Charlotte texted to say she has lost her I-pod and the meat she bought in Tesco was off when she opened it. 
     Darsh is sat in the bath growling like a hungry bear, something tells me it it going to be a rough week.

                         HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNCLE PAUL

At the end of another week....

....nothing much to write about really.  We have had a wet and cold week, all except Thursday when I got into the garden to clear away some of the leaves and winter dead stuff, but the sunshine was a one day wonder and now we are back to dull and wet. 
     Darsh has been busy dealing with his tribunal, he finally attended on Friday and was told he had lost.  So now thats out of the way maybe we can get life back on track.  Charlotte attended with him for some of the time, but it was her 1st week out of training and doing real cases, so she found it hard going and could have done without the distraction from her dad.
      Yesterday we went into town to see "The King's Speech".  I enjoyed it but Darsh prefers realistic films, he was much happier when he got home and found "Mission Impossible" was on telly.  Far more up his street, as long as there is special effects and lots to see, he doesn't really care for a storyline.

We got to Charlotte's in daylight, so Sara you can see more of her enormous home.....

...Here is the living area...

                             ....leading back into her bedroom area.....

                      
                      .....bed not yet made, but then she was still in it 10 mins before, it was only ten to two (pm)

This is the best part...the view in daylight

       After the film we had a cheap and plastic meal in Wetherspoons and then Charlotte took us on a guided tour through the city.  It was freezing last night . 
    In the symphony hall there was a very posh reception going on, so we sat and watched all the posh frocks coming down the stairs from their hotel....

Darsh was bored, sat making phone calls-no special effects.

               ...across the floor in front of us...and up the escalator to their reception.

Out of the Symphony hall, we crossed the bridge, along the canal back to her flat..... past all the pots of lights by the "Piano and Pitcher" 

It was too cold to hold the camera still as we got to the "Mailbox" so had to go in for a cuppa, a cake and a warm.

.....then home and the poor abandoned half starved dog was delighted!

Charlotte came to stay for the weekend....

...it seems funny to have her living so close that she can roll up home with only 30mins notice.  I half expected a bag of washing, but she wanted to get bits and pieces she neeed for her flat, so off we went Home Bargains-for boxes, crates, storage jars and store cupboard food.  Then into Tesco-for fresh foods, new bedding and maybe a new telly.
      I was expecting to take my Kindle back as it will not hold it's charge and becomes flat after 2 hours use.  But I seem to be getting used to it, and it only freezes when needing a charge, but the warning light has a mind of its own...I'm sure it will go back at some point.

     We had sunday roast and then drove her and a car load of stuff back to her flat.  Joe was so thrilled to see her, following her round, climbing on her lap, and getting out all his toys.  But today he definately has got the Monday morning feeling....

                       .....and I found the black and white button on my camera, all I need now is to learn how to focus.

Sara.. I am sorry I don't have any decent pics of her new flat, I haven't been there in daylight yet so these are all I have and they aren't very good...

     Getting sick of posing on the bed .... as the pizza burns in the oven...(still, it's not far to walk..2steps at the most)

        Every thing is brand new, even the fridge is still covered in polythene...the cutlery is still in its box and we haven't even opened the dishwasher yet...

                     ...Having a bit of trouble with the hot water, dad in the bathroom trying to figure out the boiler

  It's mirrored cupboards all round with a walk-in shower along the back wall...shame the shower is too cold to use!
     However she loves her little pad and Matt is planning to move in with her for a few months until she moves back up to Newcastle.  There is noone else living in the block yet so it is very quiet, and very warm as the decorators are in getting the rooms ready to let.  There is full concierge service downstairs and lots of security cameras so she is all safe.  They even guard the road, Darsh pulled up on the yellow lines and they were there in an instant telling him to move.  But once they realise you are resident nothing is too much trouble!

Messing about with my tripod...

               
                ....and eventually managed to get most of the bird into the picture.  When the zoom is so great the slightest movement looses the whole bird, so it took me ages to get this, and it looked far clearer on the camera screen than it is on the computer.

        This snap wasn't quite so hard to get....

                           
                                             ....Charlotte taking it easy in her own flat.

     I went into town on the train yesterday and went to the pictures with her.  Saw "Never let me go".
Mmmm... that will teach us to read up on the films before we go and see them.  It was a sci-fi sort of thing, well made, beautifully filmed and acted, even the music was good.  Good to see Keira Knightley not all teeth and make up.  But it was a rather miserable film, with lots points we missed watching it only once, not hard to follow, just strange. 

     Today we had a wander round Walsall, found a huge new Tesco and they had a Kindle in stock! [Although the rather dense member of staff thought I was looking for "candles".] I've got it home, played all afternoon, found the books rather expensive, got a very stiff neck and now I have got it stuck on the home page.  The instructions are on screen-my screens stuck....Sara.. John....help....
              

Darsh got back early last night....

...so I didn't get round to finishing my post off properly.  That really was a 1st, he never gets there early for anything!  But I had bought 2 duck portions for our tea, so I guess he was hungry.....what a waste of time that was..yuk ..they were horrible.  The breast was too thick and the "crispy" coating was anything but, we had to separate the skin from the meat to try and crisp it up.  The whole thing was tasteless, - serves me right for buying ready done, usually I coat it myself with orange, brandy and brown sugar.

   Darsh treated himself to a new telly for valentines day!  It was for in the bedroom, and to replace the old one with a broken remote.  We no longer have to get out of bed to turn on the telly...yippee.  However it is rather large and to my mind it overpowers the room.  But he likes it, as he has got 24 hr news without having to get up and go downstairs.
    The old box has emigrated to Charlotte's room.. "I don't want it in there" she wailed when I told her...hang on...hasn't she moved out?
     My present was going to be an Amazon Kindle, they have just started selling them in Tesco.  I wanted to get one from a shop so that I could have a good look and a feel before I bought, but by the time we got to the pay desk they had sold out!  They are the same price in Tesco as on the net and no waiting for delivery, (but it didn't work out in this case.)  However they are having a delivery today, so we might just swim down later and collect one.

       It is RAINING heavily today and Joe, as usual, is refusing to go out into that.  He hates wet fur and delays going out for a wee for longer than you could possibly imagine that a little dog could wait.

   Selina and Pete brought me a lovely bunch of flowers at the weekend...

               

                       .... and this wasn't it.  I have been carefully growing this orchid for the last few years, ever since I found it in a reduced section at the garden centre.  After all these years it decides to flower, it reminds me of a big angry spider, or something out of Star Wars, it's horrible...so dissappointing, nothing pretty about it at all!

                   ....this is far more up my street!

Happy Valentines Day...

                  

We had a good weekend, Selina, Pete and Sukpal came to stay.  Charlotte came over on Friday night, then went back to her new flat cos Matt was coming to stay with her on Sat. eve.   She spent Sat packing bits she wanted to take with her...

   The car was absolutely full of her things, I didn't realise she had that many clothes but she still forgot her coat and had to come back home for it.   We all went to her flat as she wanted to show it to Sel and Pete...

She is on the 18th floor, but it is so small that you get any photographs of her room.

It's still a whole week to Valentine's day...

....just look what I've got...from Charlotte, not Darsh.  
     She has found herself a flat, in the Cube of all places, and is hoping to move in before the weekend.
Sal and Dave have gone back to Lincolnshire-lots of jobs to do before they sail back to France next week.
I have spent the day spring cleaning and Darsh has CLEANED HIS CAR !!!!!  He does it every year whether it needs it or not, and today was the big day.  It has been a beautiful day-sunny but cold-and I had a wander round the garden looking at the shoots and even a few brave daffodils nearly ready to flower. 

Tonights sunset was a real beauty...I was hanging out of the bedroom window hoping nobody saw me, and it wasn't until I put the pictures onto the computer that I noticed the flock of birds, flying home to roost.

Hurt my back...

....so taking things easy until it gets better, we didn't get out to our anniversary supper last night, had chinese at home instead.  Sal and Dave arrived on Thursday evening and it is nice to spend time together again.  Charlotte has disappeared to London for the weekend, she will be heading back tomorrow evening, ready for work on Monday.  Selina and Pete are also due back this weekend, but I don't think they have to work until Tues. but it will be good to hear all their news.

How to upset John in one easy lesson......

...the Apple iMac computer sold yesterday for £280.  It was all fastened up in its box, but we know nothing about them, so don't know the model number or anything.  The place was packed and the stuff was going for nearly the prices charged on the internet.  So apart from possibly the Apple there was no bargains we were interested in.  Darsh's garage remains unchanged.

     It's a dull and windy day today so I am having a good old clean up, and window clean session.  Darsh thought it was our wedding anniversary so has bought us an evening out Bugis Street Brasserie at the Copthorne Hotel.  But seeing he has got the wrong date again-for the 29th year in a row- I have to wait until FRIDAY THE 4TH OF FEBRUARY for my evening out.  However Charlotte is going flat hunting tonight so I am going to meet her and go with her.  I enjoy the bus ride home afterwards, especially as Charlotte moans and groans about it all the way home.   There is also an exhibition in the art gallery I want to see so I might go into town a bit earlier.

     We have just finished lunch, and the casserole dish was much appreciated by the dog....

                       ....now the dish needs agood scrub wigh a Brillo pad....

                                                                  ....but the dog looks like he needs a bath!