Mrs Badcrumble's Diary

see, that's all my smiles!  So....yes..... i had a party on Saturday night.  I had a blast!  Thank you to all my lovely guests. 

I learned a lesson on Saturday night.  Even if I sometimes wake up in the morning feeling old and knackered.... I am not actually old or knackered or even old and knackered.  See - lesson learned.  I did listen.  Thank you wise one.  Love you lots xxx

So anyway aside from my sentimental moment there, the party was a scream!  There were some slightly surreal moments but what the hell, I might even do it again!

Not much else been happening, well, nothing I can put on here without offending anyone at least!  Work is busy, Alister is still having Jeckyll and Hyde moments, my room still smells odd from Saturday (no names mentioned!) so I am continuing to sleep on the sofa bed until I can figure out my next move, going to get stuck into studying again next week and am looking forward to that.  I've actually already read the first 3 chapters of my first course book so got a wee head start that I hope I can keep up.

Oh does anyone have any kids crafty ideas that I can use on Thursday that are chinese new yeary in nature?? 

Big news of the day is that Lynne is 30 today!  And I fully intend to toast her big day once alister is packed off to bed.  She came round earlier and we had choc fudge cake and candles and stuff. WE LOVE YOU LYNNIE!!!!!!!

Oh i fell in mud today!!!  I went in to work to do the wages with Janet but it took til 3pm - nightmare.  I got Alister from school, went to Asda, got home and realised i had left my keys in the office.  I thought maybe the playing fields would be frosty enough to not be squidgy.  They were but the wee hill to get up there was a mudslide but I went for it anyway and slid back down on my front!  I was caked!  And then realised I couldnt even go and get cleaned up cos I still didnt have my keys!  Luckily Lynnie turned up then so jumped in the car and went to get the keys.  What a muppet I am!  But go on, admit it, its why you love me!!!

Right I am off to get Alister used to the fact that bedtime is looming.  No doubt it will be met with a barrage of abuse, a few swear words and general stroppiness.  Dunno where he gets it from <whistle>

Night all, Mrs B signing off for now. Big luv Jill xxxxx

*EDIT* in his defence Alister cleaned his teeth and jumped into bed no problem tonight.  He is lying in bed singing but I can live with that!!

You know when you go for ages not noticing a noise but then you do and it's all you can hear?  My neighbours are that noise.

They live upstairs from me and ages ago they put in laminate flooring.  I thought no more about it except for the racket they made for about a week putting it in themselves.  I first noticed a while back how much i could hear when I went to the loo and one of them went at the same time.  Oh my god.  I could hear every tinkle.  Then I noticed i can hear their shower running.  The grandkids stomp up and down the hall for hours on end, the dog skids across the floor, the barking now sounds like the dog is in the room with me (its a big dog!).  Mr Upstairs got told off the other night for his stinky feet again.  The washing machine sounds like it's going to come through into my kitchen.  I hate being like this but the more noise I notice the louder it seems and the grumpier an old woman I am becoming.

"There should be a law against it!"  I ranted to my mother.  "There is" she helpfully replied.  And do you know what? She's right, well sort of.  You can't install laminate flooring in an upper flat without also putting down a silencing layer which costs a fortune.  I can assure you, they have no such layer upstairs from me.  Asides from that, their flat is a Council property.  I emailed the Council to ask if they would allow laminate flooring to be installed in an upper flat.  This was their response... "You must obtain permission from the council to have laminate flooring within flat type accommodation. If someone has not asked permission but has laminate flooring this will be reported to the Neighbourhood officer for there attention and action will be taken."  Doesn't actually answer the question of whether permission would be granted but I'm hoping they wouldn't allow it.

However, if I go and make a complaint and a guy turns up at their door to investigate a report that they have 'illegal' flooring (I can't believe this is me talking about such nonsense!) then it's going to be glaringly obvious who made the complaint.  And I don't fancy starting a feud with my neighbours.  On the other hand it's driving me nuts, some nights their clomping around keeps Alister awake.  We are no saints.  On days when my fuse is short and Alister's nerves are of steel we make a fair din roaring and shouting at each other.  But I feel like we have their whole family living with us some days

So I have emailed the council again to ask if the neighbourhod officers ever do regular inspections or something where they would pick up on it rather than me telling on them.  Of course, maybe they did get permission.  Maybe..... I'm off to bed.  They usually like to drop something on the floor just as I am dozing off just to make sure I can still hear them before they get up at about 5am for no apparent reason other than to start clomping around again and doing long loud pees!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks for listening
love ya
Jill
xxxxx

well, back to work tomorrow. I could sooooooo be a stay at home mum!!!!

Right - the health kick is well and truly back.  The house is heaving with fruit and veg.  I feel loads better after just one day of not eating junk.  The house is also heaving with chocolate, however, but a little of what you fancy never did anyone harm did it!??  Actually, my plan for now is to go back to basics with food. i.e. making stuff from the 2 Maw Broon's cookbooks!  Cant wait til Sunday - we are having stew made with a nice big chunk of brisket and home made dumplings. who hoo!!!!!

We had a bit of a funny moment at tea time tonight.  We had the good old Scottish staple of mince and tatties, with peas and carrots, then greek yoghurt with blueberries, strawberries and grapes.  All very nice but then I was making up some tuna mayo sandwich filler to take to work tomorrow and Alister was clearing the table and washing it.  Then I swept the floor and as I ran his bath he mopped the flor.  It was all so bizarrely stress free - quite unlike the Alister i've known for the past 2 weeks!!  Being back at school has obviously reminded him of the Alister he used to be!

So he is now in the bath, all the christmas presents have finally been put away since I had a lovely day to myself today so could get on with things.

Been trying to talk myself into doing the ironing tonight but i reckon if i have to talk myself into it i'd be best just leaving it til I feel like doing it.  Might make a start on my new Uni course tonight instead.  ho hum... (i'd put money on me actually playing MarioKart....)

bye for now.
High fives!
Jill
xxxxx

... i passed my exam that I sat in October.  A Pass 3, i could have done soooooo much better but I was kind of coasting cos I knew I had enough knowledge on the books already to coast it and not have to put much work in.  My next course is on the history of the english language and how it is still evolving these days with texts, emails and 'buzz' words.  I am determined to give my own ass a damn good kick and put some serious work in to this one!

Remembering this prompted me to look back through the old 2008 calendar.  Here's a quick run down of last year!

Jan - my cousin Nicola turned 21 and I had lunch in Edinburgh a few times
Feb - had my hair done, went on a work training course, had a night out with Lynnie, would have been my Dad's 60th, Fi stayed to see the Oscars, I went to the dentist and Alister and I went to see High School Musical Live in Edinburgh
Mar - 1st anniversary of my Dad dying, Fi and Bex both turned 30, Alister was 5
Apr - not much really...
May - had a fantastic weekend in the Lakes with Alister, my Mum moved house
Jun - went to Lanzarote for a week with Lynnie and Alister, went to see Bon Jovi at Hampden.  Richie still not proposed :(, Alister got glasses, Cheesy turned 30 (she has the best date of birth ever..... 5.6.78!)
Jul - Alister finished up at nursery, we had a grand weekend in London with Ross and Laura anda great day out at Port Lymphe Wild Animal Park, Gran Blair had 95th birthday
Aug - had my hair done, cant be the first time since Feb???, was off work for summer hols and had a few days in dundee, Alister started school and passed a hearing test, Karen turned 40
Sep - started running my kids craft class, had work night out to see Abbamania
Oct - Gran Blair died, Alister took part in a drama show, Gran Keir turned 80, A210 exam in Edinburgh, made a Will
Nov - went to the fireworks in the Glen, had first school parents night
Dec - got Pass 3 for exam, went out for Christmas lunch with work, went to panto on Christmas Eve, had Christmas at our gaff

Not a bad year considering the one before it!!!

Night all.
May 2009 bring all your hopes and dreams to life.
Jill
xxxxx

Well that's the annual craziness over with. Roll on Easter, it's much more civilised (apart from the whole throwing eggs around the countryside thing).  I feel I am now craving normality, routine...... and fresh fruit and veg! I feel soooooooo sluggish and fat and unhealthy and generally like a big old dirty fat bloater.  For that is precisely what I am!!

My gran's car was handed its death sentence today.  Yet again, when we had it all sorts of things went wrong.  This time it was a burnt out piston (it's 6 years old, come on!!!!) that means the engine has been condemned to Death Row.  If anyone fancies going to Dundee to buy a 6 year old Corsa for spare parts, all offers will be considered!!!

Alister goes back to school tomorrow, I go back to work on Wednesday. I'm REALLY looking forward to tomorrow

So, Christmas was nice.  My mum and gran came through and we all had a really lovely day.  Went to Dundee on Boxing Day and Ross and Laura arrived on 27th.  Ross and Alister and I went to Tannadice for the match and Alister was a mascot - he ws fab!  His grandad would have been very proud.

Then we came home for a few days (in the now condemned car), and went back up on New Years Day.  I went to bed at 10.15 on Hogmanay, very poor show but i just couldnt be arsed sitting up on my own.  Martin and Alison and the girls were up in dundee by that time so we had a couple of days with them then came back (on the bus) on 3rd Jan. 

Spent yesterday afternoon with josh, from Alister's class, and his mum Stephanie which was really nice then today we have had a well relaxing day playing with al Alister's new toys.

And here I am, just about to do an online tesco shop which will be mainly fresh fruit and veg in order to stop us both developing scurvy or turning into chocolate.  Hope you all had a grand old time over the festive season and recover soon!

HUUUUUUGE luv to all.

Jill & Alister
xxxxx