Day 41

Hello dear Reader, after yesterday''s excitement a much quieter day today. Well apart from Olivia the PPI woman trying to call a few times. I did not bother to answer. The song Like a Virgin by Madonna has just come on the radio.

This song Like a Virgin takes me back to 1985 (I think, I am thirty-nine, dear Reader so I might be a year out, give or take) Now if you remember dear Reader, (I trust your memory is better than mine.) I have chatted before on here about my totally different religious upbringing that when my Ma and Pa were together that my Ma was in the Salvation Army and my Pa is a Spiritualist (they later divorced but the  different religious views were nothing to do with it). Anyway this recall of memory is an experience at the Salvation Army back in 1985 (I think).

I attended both my parents' churches on a regular basis and we were even Junior Soldiers at the Salvation Army. When attending the Salvation Army there was a variety of different clubs that you could join. The Singing Company was one such thing. The Singing Company is basically the choir and they practise through the week, before performing live in the Sunday service.

Now to get into the Singing Company you had to audition. It was not like the X Factor or anything--there was no Gary Barlow or Simon Cowell, just the lady called the YPSM (Young People's Sergent Major) So guess what gormless here decided to do for the audition? Yes that is right Like A Virgin by Madonna. I had seen the video on Top of the Pops. I knew the moves. Apart from of course at my very young naive age I did not actually know what 'virgin' meant, I did not know the meaning of the word and what the content exactly was referring to in Madonna's song.

So there I was best Ra Ra skirt on (Do you remember them dear Reader?)  With a cassette taped from my older cousins album. There may (knowing me at the time)  have been legwarmers involved too. So I walk in and practise a bit with the tape, then I'm up time for the audition. Off I go with a word perfect start with a few moves thrown in too. Like a viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.  I sing away. Well I did not make it to the second verse. 
"OK, you're in" she tells me. I was in the Singing Company. I had no idea at the time just what a complete embarrassing moment that must have been. So dear Reader, I don't know what passed me through that audition--if it was the pure talent of my singing voice or the fact that the YPSM was so wanting me to stop singing this totally inappropriate song in case some one overheard. That got me the gig!

Evening all x x x

Day 40

Exciting day today dear Reader, today I met Chris Evans; James May; Professor Brian Cox; and Gary Barlow! All for a fantastic cause too for breast cancer. It was Chris Evans' idea to drive a pink Rolls Royce FAB 1 from Lands End to John O' Groats stopping off in Birmingham and Warrington! 

Now Master L is a big Top Gear fan and I thought he would love to meet James May. As usual here in Warrington it had to rain. But we did not care we were right at the back of the stage and it was a great experience. I had said to the hubby if any of the guys talk to me can you take a photo because I don't want to bother them for a photo. So first Chris Evans came over and said hello and was very friendly and chatty. Then Gary Barlow! I could not believe he was stood right in front of me chatting and then Professor Brian Cox came over he was the most chatty. They were all really friendly. We just got a wave from James May who I think was shy :(

Gary then took to the stage and played the keyboard  and sang Back for Good. I could have reached out and touched him we were that close. Of course, dear Reader I had no intentions of reaching out and touching him! Just saying so you know how close we were! 

It all went by so fast and what great guys they are giving up their time for a great cause and helping to raise not only money but awareness too for breast cancer. A huge thank you to them.

Want to see some photos dear Reader?

Nice view from back stage

Our special guests arrive

Professor Brian Cox came straight over to talk to the crowd

James May and the Professor again!

Gary singing Back for Good live

Professor Brian Cox again!

And again with James May and Gary Barlow!

 Chris Evans

I was this close to Gary Barlow! This was taken just before he spoke to me. I had said to the Hubby if any of them come over for a chat can you take a photo of me chatting to them. But no he didn't saying his hands were too cold!

Over here James. Please come over for a chat Master L is a massive Top Gear Fan!

Hello again Professor Brian! He was lovely gave a lot of his time to chat.

And to give pictures

Chris Evans doing his thing!

And Professor Brian joining in!

Leaving so soon

Evening all x x x

Day 39

You will never guess what, dear Reader? Well this morning at 9:30am Olivia from PPI did actually call me back! (If you want to view more information on this check out Day 38). They just do not listen do they? Not only that at 7am...Yes 7am I got a text from another PPI company and this afternoon a call asking to speak to the "Home Owner," I did not take any of the calls today. I was good! Well apart from hanging up on the one that asked for the "Home Owner" that is.

It is so windy today. We have a loose fence panel that so needs fixing. Hubby and his DIY! I have now done a list of things that need fixing around the house, and I have not promoted said fence panel to the top of the list. The noise it makes gets on your nerves after hearing it banging since 7 am this morning. (Thanks to the PPI text) a trip to B&Q is needed to buy something to fix the post that you slot the fence in. I find B&Q such a boring place to shop. The Hubby can spend ages in there. I suppose it is the equivalent of the Hubby being stuck clothes shopping with me. Now I know how he feels. I have no idea what half the stuff in B&Q is either. Normally I would applaud a shop that sells everything--even the kitchen sink, but I can think of nothing worse than a trip to B&Q. 

Last time we went I thought it would be a good idea just to sit in one of the show sheds. When we go to the supermarket the Hubby has this thing were he gets himself lost. I mean he will just like disappear. One minute he is there, the next he is not and then we have to go looking for him and can't find him. Or he has this other thing were he will have gone wondering and then he is looking for us and he walks straight past us. He never sees us and just walks straight past us. So I thought I will disappear and let him find me. So I found this nice little shed and I sat in there and apart from startling a few unsuspecting people when they opened the door, it was nice and cosy in there.

My grandfather had a shed that he used to work in all the time, he was a carpenter and the smell of B&Q is like how his shed used to smell. He used to sit at a work bench and it was full of all useful tools and bits and bobs for his work. Now as a child I was fascinated and I would love to route through all his drawers he had in there looking at the nuts, bolts etc. But now at present day it felt like I had been sat in that shed ages. So I waited and waited....and waited... no sign of the hubby so after waiting a little longer I decided that perhaps he could not find me, so I had better go look for him. (Nothing changes does it dear Reader!)  So I look and find him still looking at drill bits exactly where I had left him!

Evening all x x x

Day 38

Well dear Reader, I had another call today from the PPI people. My voice is back, but a little croaky and I was not answering my phone yesterday due to losing my voice. Now dear Reader, I have spoke before on an earlier post how I have found the best to deal with these pesky PPI people. They simply do not listen if you say you are not interested, they still call you back. If you are a bit assertive and maybe a touch rude because you are annoyed with them. They still call back. So here is how I dealt with the call. If you want to see my first PPI call, I mentioned it in Day 29

First the lady from the call centre gave me her sales pitch.

PPI Woman: "Good afternoon Madam could I speak to Mrs B please?"

Me: "Yes this is Mrs B"

PPI Woman: "Good afternoon Madam, I am here to help you. You have got PPI to claim back and I am here to give you your money back."

Me: "Oh yes I think I got one of your many texts yesterday, saying you had fifteen hundred pounds for me?"

PPI Woman: "Erm... yes okay."

Me: "Please can we just crack on then and you tell me how I can get my money, so I can book a holiday. I quite fancy Spain I bet it is much warmer than here in the UK at the moment Do you?" "Or maybe Italy"

PPI Woman: "Madam Madam could I just interrupt you? I am here to help you I am not a sales person"

Me: "So you can guarantee that from this phone call, calling me you know I am entitled to PPI back?"

PPI Woman: "Yes"

Me: "Definitely?"

PPI Woman: "Yes Madam"

Me: "Wow that is good news I feel like I have won the lottery. I am so excited."

PPI Woman: "Okay Madam now I need to ask you three questions."

Me: "Okay."

PPI Woman: "You must answer these questions with a yes or a no."

ME: "Okay...I mean yes."

PPI Woman: "Do you have a credit card?"

Me: "Erm, I don't know. Does that count as a no?"

PPI Woman: "Sorry madam. Okay, we will move on to the next question."

Me: "Okay"

PPI Woman: "Do you have a mortgage?"

Me: "I don't know."

PPI Woman: "Okay, let's move on to the last question. Do you have any loans?"

Me: "I don't know."

PPI Woman: "Sorry."

Me: "I don't know if I should share with you such personal information over the phone, I don't know your name or nothing."

PPI Woman: "My name is Olivia and I am a very nice lady. I am calling from India."

Me: "Okay."

PPI Woman: "This is not a sales call. I am nice lady here to help you."

Me: "Okay, can you please then just tell me how I can claim my money, I am feeling I am wasting lots of your time here."

PPI Woman: "Madam, could I call you back tomorrow morning at 9:30 please?"

Me: "Tomorrow could be difficult because I have an appointment with my probation officer."

PPI Woman: "10:30?"

Me: "That will be my court case then."

PPI Woman: "I call you at 9:30 then?"

Me: "No Olivia, I just told you tomorrow morning is a very busy time for me."

PPI Woman: "What time will you be back then?"

Me: "Well it depends on how my court case goes. Will you wish me luck Olivia? Nobody has wished me luck and this could be the last phone call I take in a long time."

PPI Woman: I am going to call you back at 9:30 tomorrow morning, okay?"

Me: "But Olivia, I have told you I will not be in."

PPI Woman: "I will catch you when you will be in then."

Me: "But Olivia, I might be at her Majesty's pleasure."

PPI Woman: "I will catch you when you are in then."

Me: "That is it Olivia, I was caught, so you cannot catch me. It does not look good for me. I am going to jail. I just know it. This is the third time I have been caught nicking Jaffa Cakes from Morrisons."

The PPI Woman then hung up.

Evening all x x x
 

Day 37

I have now completely lost my voice dear Reader, it has gone. I do feel much better than I did yesterday but I have no voice.  The teens went back to school today. So I was home alone today. I got lost in my thoughts and I thought the new school shoes I have just bought Master L to go back to school in will probably be the last school shoes I ever buy him. Master L is in Year 11 and due to leave school in a few weeks. How did that happen? He will be seventeen this year! Seventeen, dear Reader. Master L is going on to sixth form but he will no doubt get to wear his hip and trendy trainers.

I remember when we went to buy his first ever pair of shoes. He had been walking a few weeks in our home. Trotting about, pacing about up and down. It has always been said in our family that once they start walking to buy their shoes, the arch of the foot forms properly. So off we all went on a family trip to Clark's shoe shop. I wanted him to have good well fitting shoes. So myself, the Hubby and Master L all go to the shop and we take Master L out of the pram.  We were meet by a keen sales assistant. Who informed us she would have to see Master L walking before she sold us shoes. So I popped Master L down thinking no problem. He was dashing around at home on his feet all the time. But do you know what dear Reader? Maybe it was the nice carpets in the shop, for when I put Master L down all he would do was crawl! He had not crawled at home for weeks! But crawl he did the whole time we were in the shop. Never getting on his feet once.  The assistant just turned to me and said "He is not ready yet" But I insisted that he was walking and could walk, but now in the shop he was just shuffling along on his butt! No idea what he was doing, but we ended up not buying or getting any shoes for him that day!

We did end up buying both our teens first shoes from Clark's and many a pair of school shoes and trainers. Many which had light on them. I remember one time my daughter had gone to Wacky Warehouse in a pair of Clark's trainers only to come home in an identical pair... but they were two sizes too big. That was not the first time that had happened to her. One time the Hubby had walked to pick Miss C up from school. When they came through the door I said 
"That is not her coat" Miss C was only four but the coat she was wearing was identical to hers but again a few sizes bigger. It was far too big and it came all the way down to her feet. But the hubby had never noticed, dear Reader. He had walked Miss C home with a coat almost trailing on the floor. I however think of the poor child that went home in a coat that was a few sizes too small!

Evening all x x x

Day 36

I awoke this morning with a sore throat and generally feeling awful, dear Reader. Not a good feeling at all. I am blaming it on the weather, one minute it is hot then it is cold. Or if you are shopping and you are out in the cold and then into the sometimes the overly warm and often too hot shops. I hate air conditioning too, that makes me too cold. I hate been ill too. 

I remember when I was ill when I was a child, it meant your pillow and duvet downstairs on the sofa and watching daytime TV not that there was much to watch back in the 1980's until we got Neighbours and Home and Away. Before it was something called The Love Boat and Knots Landing. I remember watching Neighbours and thinking it was brilliant. It was not long before it was on after school, so I use to watch it all the time everyday. I remember the actor Alan Dale was in it for years and years and since leaving he is now a huge American star, who has appeared in many big American shows. But for us 80s teens it was Scott, Kylie, Charlene and Jason that we were all into. The wedding between Scott and Charlene was the best episode ever, oh and that song. Do you remember it dear Reader?  Of course I would say I was into The Smiths or some other cool band to my friends, but yes I was a Kylie and Jason fan. I can even remember when I got my first full time job in 1990 that when I was told I would finish at 5.30pm my first thought was I will miss Home and Away and five minutes of Neighbours! At the time Home and Away was on at 5.10pm and then you could turn straight over for Neighbours at 5.35pm. So it was a case of setting the video timer to record.

Does anyone remember how complicated the video timer was to set to record? You needed a degree in setting this gadget. It was so difficult. Well our machine was. At the time too I lived with my grandparents. All through her life my gran embraced and got on with new technology, but she nor I could not set that timer. My uncle even wrote a step by step guide for us to explain how to do it. Many a times we tried only to have taped the wrong show. One day we cracked it though and I got my episodes and my Aussie soap fix. This went on for many years. I can not remember exactly when I stopped watching them or why. Life got busier I suppose. Home and Away and Neighbours are still going. I do not think they are as big as they were back in the eighties but they are still going. Not that I am tempted to start watching them again. 

It is amazing how we got through these phases of things that really mattered to us a lot at one time. How much we liked them and enjoyed them and then suddenly one day things change and you move on... now I have the re runs of Knots Landing to watch!

 
Evening all x x x

Day 35

Miss C says she would like to try more food, dear Reader. I do cook a variety of things, but I admit I do stick safely to foods that I know are going to be eaten and not wasted. The thing is when I do cook anything different it will be 
"I don't like that" but I am up for the challenge. First thing I said to my teen was for her to put what she wanted in the supermarket trolley and we will cook what you want. 
"Can't be bothered" she says. So then I asked her to put what she wanted on the shopping list. But no she added nothing. I have noticed we have had a few too many takeaways too in the Easter holidays, so I am looking online because apparently Delia Smith is running a free online cookery class. So I will be inspired and I will be cooking up some tasty delights all this week.Which I can guarantee you will be met by "I don't like this" 
And the new saying of "What the hell?" That my teens seem to be forever saying. Yes, when it is fresh, well- prepared, superb cooking I am serving up everyday with plenty of vegetables.  They will be complaining again then!

I always think it is important for us to have our family meals together around the table. I do not let my teens eat upstairs in their rooms.  I myself do not eat upstairs either. It is nice to chat and share things around the table. Oh yes dear Reader in my dreams, now you are lucky to get any conversation out of your teens at the table. The meal is constantly taken up by 
"What we having this for?" 
Or things like "We have run out of Pepsi" at the dinner table. But just sometimes we do get the occasional nice conversation going around the dinner table. 
Which is more meaningful than "pass the ketchup." When my teens grow up and leave home, I will insist they come home for a traditional Sunday lunch every Sunday so we can catch up and maybe we will play board games after too. (Like I say dear Reader, I can dream!)

Evening all x x x