22 - 28 Oct: More "normal" week

Mon:  Took Suzuki for service to Hemel, cycled back in grey damp, 7miles, not very pleasant.  Attempted to change options on my BT phone and broadband. Website in consistent and customer service on phone appeared helpful but actually could do nothing, then promised to ring me back tomorrow.

Tue: Today was a "total disaster, darling" as they say on Strictly Dancing.  The electric fire came that we ordered last week.  I carefully measured where it was to go in the kitchen, and drilled a support hole to only go through a central heating pipe.  A jet of hot water sprayed across kitchen.  PANIC.  Grabbed towels and mop, moved furniture out of way, tossed carpet aside, ran upstairs and turned every tap off in the airing cupboard, then down to find house stop cock that easily closed, and cascade reduced to a gentle trickle (phew).  Called Brian, who gave me Dave's number (plumber who redid kitchen waterworks) who was available and came over on 45 mins.  Cut away plasterboard which now was soggy and sagging, and he fitted a joint.  Repressurised system and bled radiators.  Big clean up session,  got fan heater to dry out wall.  Adrenaline crashed down, and I collapsed for the rest of the afternoon listening to my choir music.  Felt calmer and fitted fire - conveniently it covered the hacked out hole so no plastered was required (unless I remove the fire in the future of course!).

Slightly suburban, but cute and comforting for the winter.

Other courier deliveries during the day, but not one expected from UKMail.  When I went to their website it said "delivery attempted, card left".  Bollocks, I was in all day, no card was left, and 3 other couriers managed to deliver during the day.

BT never called back, should I be surprised?????
Choir in evening, went well and my sight reading wasn't bad for a non-musician.

Wed:  UKMail say they will attempt delivery again today, ha ha.  Claimed it was an agency driver yesterday, and maybe he couldn't find the address.  Failed to explain then why he had entered "card left" into the tracking system.  Gardening girls came, sorted out front and back beds.
UKMail delivered at 4pm.  Popped to shops then cycled to Hemel to pick up car.

Thu: G&P round for coffee and chat, then off to T5 to pick up Jon who was stopping over from NY to Kabul.  Lunch at Rootz Brasserie.  In evening Mrs M went to Ballet (Swan Lake) with Lulu & Henry (plus drinks afterwards with Jon) and I attended my first HHT Council of Governors meeting.

Fri: Hosed down and swept patio, then front drive, removing gravel to see what was underneath the caked gravel/mud. G hair duty and shopping took till 12:00.  Jon came back at 4:30, we went to Tamarind Thai for quickie before getting him to airport at 7:45

Sat: Light snow on ground, cold and very clear.  Took G&N for coffee in Wendover, then shopping in PR.  I bought a pair of slippers, very GOMish.  In afternoon, we walked down to vill for a bit of shopping and got rained on, the skies stopped being clear!

This will hurt me more that it hurts you ...

Last minute decision to go to see Skyfall - tried Watford Vue but it was full and website was crap, managed to get into Hemel Odeon whose website was slightly less crap.  SPOILER ALERT Film was tosh, and not even enjoyable tosh at that.  Unmemorable song intro with bizarre graphic storyboard.  Bond was shot in the shoulder with a depleted uranium bullet yet carried on fighting as though nothing had happened.  Then he was shot again by a rifle and fell 100s metres into a river, over rapids etc...then next scene he is fit and well and in bed with a woman on the beach.  No explanation as to how he survived.  Usual type of chases/stunts, wooden dialogue, unrealistic villain, disconnected episodic scenes, quite a few holes in plot, not much humour, I could have added much more.  And the last gun fight in Scotland was far too long.  AND M DIES!!!!!!!!!!  We wished we hadn't bothered, but the reviews to date have been that it was a good film.  Are we odd or does the emperor really have no clothes?

Sun:  Clocks back one hour.  Lulu came home to pick up car, and we had Sunday lunch with G&N.  Afterwards Mrs & Miss M made cakes, very Mary Berryish.