Snowdrops, Dentists, Interviews and Toenails

I have to go to the dentist today ... more on that later.

Kevin went to the doctor’s this morning to check his big toe, which was not looking so great. He has an ingrown toe nail.   Anyway, they have given him penicillin and told him that they can remove the toenail but he must make a separate appointment.  Kevin then proceeded to tell Hayzel and I how they remove toenails ... no thank you.   According to the doctor, if the toenail is removed, Kevin will have temporary relief for a few months but then it will grow back and be the same.  

I went with Hayzel into Norwich the other day (when it was freezing cold) for her to have an interview at a recruitment company – ended up being flung into the deep-end and had to drive around looking for parking ... first time driving in the UK, first time driving in our Ford, first time driving in Norwich multi-level carparks (everything is back to front – you turn up on the right side of the road, instead of keeping left ... weird) 

Our  TomTom guy in the car recently had a reboot and was talking Afrikaans, so no point listening to him.   ‘Draai Links!’  he kept yelling at me – like he even knew where I wanted to go.  For a few minutes I was a bit hysterical, cos my sense of direction is about as sophisticated as a snail’s but Ewan kept chirping from the back that we were fine and once I got to the roundabout by ToysRUs we were.   

Hayzel has been to a couple of interviews and I’m not going to jinx it by saying anymore.  Looking good though.

 I have an appointment with the dentist at 240pm this afternoon – I hope he removes the bloody tooth in the top left hand side of my mouth because I can’t stand it anymore but then I’ll have holey mouth syndrome, which seems to be the norm in the UK (God, most people have TERRIBLE teeth here!) ... I don’t want a holey, sunken in mouth.    Aargh.

There are snowdrops in our garden and Batman came to visit earlier.  

Taken from my bedroom window on zoom

Adding to below post

Here are some more
(lovely Toni, thank you!)

These were taken on Thursday - please click on the photo to see the full image - posting on here doesn't do them justice.

Toni's photos

Toni, as some of you may know, is quite brilliant at taking photos and she's done a few of our kiddies.   I particularly liked this one that she emailed to us yesterday.  (Hope to see some of the ones you took of Faye, Toni)

Click on the image to see the full version

An eventful week

Well this week was quite eventful hey?  

• Eric is home now and by all accounts doing really well - I believe the stitches will be coming out soon.   Great stuff. 
• Andrew bliksemed off his bike and ended up black and blue with bruising but is on the mend 
• Both Hayzel and Allyson have interviews on Monday, so that's good news.
• It snowed again in the night and early morning, there is a light covering and it's still coming down, albeit not very thickly.     
• David (my son) got a five year service award from work and a bit of a bonus.
• My brother left the UK for Hungary on Friday ... hope the trip went really well, Steve  (see the link on the left to my brother's blog which he will post to, once he gets Internet sorted out). 
• I got a job - start working properly on Monday. 
• Our ship, the MS Lisbon, has left Durban and is making its way to Felixstowe.
• My cholesterol has come down a bit.
• Hayzel and I have started using 'My Fitness Pal' which is an App I found on my Samsung phone (there is also a website) ... it's a calorie counting diary system and extremely useful - it's amazing how those calories mount up guys!   
• Hayzel took the kiddies to Toni on Thursday for some time out.   The weather was a bit crap, so they didn't end up going to the beach but next time, folks ... next time ... and I will be there!   
• The kiddies received a package yesterday from their Granny, Grandpa, Auntie Sharon and Uncle David, great whoops of joy were heard all over Long Stratton - Ewan couldn't stop jumping up and down!    The kids go back to school on Monday from this mid-term break.    Here's a few photos of them that I didn't manage to post before and one or two with their new clothes from the Meyer/Bothas ... 

they were sitting at the top of the stairs playing - couldn't resist sneaking a photo of our 'girls'

Sitting on his mum's knee watching Michael Jackson on YouTube do the Moonwalk

Faye this morning, in her new outfit

Ewan this morning, in his new outfit

Apologies if I've left any other important things out.

Aarr me harties ...

Well our rust-bucket is 'underway' ... it's now somewhere off the coast by Port Elizabeth, hopefully not taking on water.

One of these days it will be at Felixstowe and then a couple of weeks later, we will have our thingies and the kiddies toys (of course).  Yee Ha!

And in other News - Andrew got knocked off his Bike

Received a call from Allyson this morning to say that Andrew had been involved in an accident.   Turns out a bakkie sideswiped him whilst changing lanes ... Andrew thought he had broken ribs and ankle but from what he said to me on the phone just now, it sounds like he was severely bruised and probably has torn muscles.  He has been given a crutch and a foot/ankle support and is home.     What made me bawl was him saying that the first thing he wanted to do when he found his cell phone was phone me to get me to come and fetch him ... and of course, he couldn't.  
Anyway, thank God he is okay and now is going to make plans to get four-wheeled transport to take him to and from work.   I hope so.     
Love to everyone and thank you for letting me know what was happening, even though I was a bit hysterical on the phone.
xxxx

Whoo Hoo

I got a job!
So cool, the people who I did a transcript typing test on Sunday for asked me to phone them today. So I did.   
And upshot is that I've been accepted to work for a large company, who are based in Bedfordshire.  Obviously I am working from home, at my own pace, so that's quite cool - something I was doing in South Africa before I started working for Hayzel at IIA.  
Quite chuffed with myself.   (Especially so, because I thought I'd stuffed the test up)
Exit left, singing ... "I'm bad, I'm bad, you know it!"   :)

Morning at the Park:

Today was a nice sunny warm day (warm by the past days we have been having) and the kids on on break, so to give them something to do we went to the park.

Spring is just around the corner for us in the Northern Hemisphere, so hopefully weather will start clearing up a little bit for us. There are more and more birds singing in the trees and the pigeons are getting frisky, so here's to better weather!

Here are some pics of the kids in the park. Faye wanted some action shots of Bloom and Musa, so here they are aswell (click for bigger pic).

Meet Faye's new sister...

Her name is Ruby, isn't she cute?

St Mary's Church Long Stratton

I went to Church this morning, am pleased I did and now feel all Holier than thee (har har)
I spoke to the Assistant Curate and asked if I could have permission to go back sometime next week during the day to take my own pictures of the inside.  She said it wouldn't be a problem and that the Church is open in the mornings - so that's good.

They seem a nice bunch of people, the Minister (not the regular one) spent most of the service talking about how many mountains he's climbed (not with ropes and tackle but just walking) ... then proceeded to show us all his photos.  Quite sweet.

I noticed that there were only four bells ringing, so it looks like they haven't found a new bell ringer to join them yet.  If I get 'in' with the in-crowd, then I might end up volunteering, cos that's a cool job.   Although with my gammy shoulder, might not be the best thing to do every Sunday morning.

I am quite interested in trying to get some photos of the Sexton's Wheel of my own and also of some of the other features inside the Church, not least of which - the stained glass window.  It's not in any way a remarkable window, I've seen much better ones and it looks in dire need of some restoration but it has it's own charm. 

The stained glass window - not my photo

Hayzel and Kevin are going out this afternoon with the kiddies to Tim and Toni's - it's quite a nice day, puffy clouds and a bit of bright sunshine in the blue sky - so hope it stays like that.  It was very misty and foggy this morning when I was walking to Church (only about ten minutes from our house).

David won at the cricket today, so they are advancing to the Finals really quickly and doing very well- Congratulations Dude!
I understand that Eric is making very good progress and the Doctors are all pleased with him and the success of the Op, so that's really good news.

I am going to spend this afternoon doing tests for transcription typing work - well, that's the plan but whether I actually do it, is another story - I've been procrastinating all week about this 'work' prospect ... it pays a pittance.

The kids have a mid-term break now, I think they are off all of next week - should be fun. 

For Eric

We are pleased to hear that everything went well with your Operation, Eric and we send all our love to you for a speedy recovery.    Talk to you very soon!

Benefits anyone?

I don't qualify for a senior citizens bus pass (Concessionary Travel Ticket) because I'm too YOUNG!   Whodathunkit?!

But when I went onto DirectGov website today and completed the long-winded form to do the exercise and see if I can claim any Benefits from Ye Olde British government, turns out I can get £289.75 per WEEK in Jobseeker's Allowance and £9.77 per WEEK Council Tax Benefit.   That's a staggering £1198.08 per month or in real terms, R16773.12    

Of course, if I actually DID apply online through the JobCentrePlus website, I would then have to attend a personal interview and most probably would be told to eff off back to South Africa.  But this is the reason why so many people stream into Blightey each year - Free NHS, Free Schooling and your salary paid each month ... leaving you time to concentrate on the important stuff, like boozing down the pub or banging the wife to make more kiddies. 

WHoop WHoop 3 in a row, League Champions Again :)

HOWZAT! League Captain Winner

While I was out with Hayzel today, I was also keeping tabs (via Ally's Whatsapp messages) of David's cricket game today.   Well he batted like an Ace didn't he (50) and caught and bowled one of the other teams batsman out in a super fast delivery that only Ally seemed to be watching.  
Great job Dave, very proud of you dude!  
These fotos from Ally via Whatsapp

Dave used his G&M for this innings ...

Last Man Stands - Bedfordview League Champions

Out and about

Faye went to a birthday party today at Aslacton, a little village down the road from us.  She had her face painted, so now we don't have to bother buying a puppy  ...

It was particularly freezing out of the car and some places we drove through were really wet ...

St Michael's Church in Aslacton has a Saxon* round tower, 15th century Nave and Chancel, five bells (dating from the 17th century and the oldest set in Norfolk).  The pulpit frontal dates from the 15th Century, although I wasn't able to get inside today.     I didn't have time to frame shots properly, it was so cold there - I felt like my fingertips were freezing off!

 The Anglo-Saxon period was from 410 to 1066 ... technicall before Norman times (when Long Stratton's St. Mary's Church round tower was built) - so this little out of the way Church in Aslacton, is very old indeed.