Countdown to India, Sri Lanka and The Maldives - Day minus 6

Whilst we housesat they all flew to the Canary Islands for a cruise and here is youngest granddaughter Jenny trying out the captains chair on their aircraft. She has just got a job at RyanAir to train to be an air stewardess, which she's delighted about

We had a lovely week with Oscar. He was a little sniffy with us for the first day, well he probably thought he’d gone deaf as we think we are much quieter round the house than he is used to! He very quickly warmed up though and we got into a great routine…. Wherever we were, with glasses of water we had to ensure that we also had his bowl, with water in or else his head would be in the glass before you’ve even blinked. Obviously he has his own regular bowl of water, but bedroom water or living room water is MUCH better!

Not to be outdone, middle granddaughter Becky got a go too

We went to Bury St Edmunds for the day on Sunday, which Oscar was probably less than impressed with, though it was on our return from that that he thought he’d come and snuggle so perhaps he was scared we were going to leave him too. We had a good day with Jonathan and Lucy visiting Margaret and Ron. Ron was very chatty which can only be a good thing as he’s really not very well, and Margaret on her new hip was also much improved.

And so did eldest granddaughter Abbie

We went out for a ‘business lunch’ with Terry and Sue. Thoroughly enjoyable to catch up with them as ever. You know it’s good when lunch is till 18.00 and involves more than one bottle of wine!

Oscar got left behind, but he was OK with us. I wish she'd warn me when she's taking a photo, I could at lest pose a bit better!

A pleasant walk at Draycote Water on an extremely crisp, but sunny day (see our short Relive video of the walk with photos: click here). Shopping for new trainers (my old ones were 20 years old and falling to pieces so I left them on the ship) and approach shoes for India at Go Outdoors where Brian finally bought a lightweight down jacket after years of me saying he needed one! Chatting to Fi and James on their cruise and sending them weather forecasts, ordering ridiculous amounts of little ‘bits’ for India as well as confirming and paying and the time flew by.

Drinking water from his own bowl rather than our glasses of water! Look at the cushion behind with a photo of Oscar printed on them, we bought them all one of those for Christmas

Since we got back we’ve had a couple of Sunday clubs (this does mean Wednesday club too, but it’s all the same, though very different from Sunday Tea club!) Monday Club, in the flesh with curry at Diwans. Tea dancing on Wednesday. A full day at Abi’s yesterday involving lunch and sticking coverings on most of her upstairs windows and lots of chat. I’ve also done my first test pack and started on cooking slightly weird meals so we can empty the freezer to leave it turned off. (Coming back to a fridge that was no longer a fridge but just a box a few years ago was not the best welcome home!)

He did an awful lot of chilling out!

Tonight we are at a Burns night supper and tomorrow out with the Sunday tea club crowd, only because it’s Saturday not Sunday it was deemed curry not Chinese! It’ll just start the breaking in for the next 53 days I guess!

We chilled out too on a walk round Draycote Water near Rugby. The weather was clear and sunny, but very cold, actually really very nice.

It doesn’t sound like we’ve been doing much, but we’ve been jolly busy. Just now booking flights and travel insurance for a trip to Kenya in September with Fiona and James…. We can spend money, and apparently occasionally plan….!

We didn't actually walk right round as Severn Trent Water had closed off a section for maintenance, so we walked to the halfway point and then back again, the equivalent distance of a full circuit

And very pleasant it was too, as long as you walked fast to keep warm. The fully loaded hot chocolate and hot sandwich in the cafe at the end helped us warm up too

Fiona and James and all play a 'Spot the Cat' game between them where they take a general photo which has the cat somewhere in it and they have to find him. Occasionally we join in and here's one of our efforts (not as good as some of theirs)

I actually remembered to take a photo on one of our outings (I forgot to take one at Ron and Margarets and on our business lunch with Terry and Sue). Here we are in Diwan Indian Restaurant in Moseley on one of our Monday Club meetings. LtoR: Bill, Fiona (not my daughter), Mark, Tim and Jackie. Martina and Jill couldn't make it. I have to apologise to Tim for not mentioning in the last blog about his swift identification of where we were when I took the photo of the Class 37 train (see last blog entry). I sent him the photo of us at the Hewell Lane level crossing with no identification on and asked him where we were. He is an absolute train buff and within 2 minutes he messaged back with the correct location. He did grumble to me at this meal that I didn't mention it, so this is to make up. Sorry Tim!

Working together at Abi's (not my granddaughter) yesterday, installing some UV filter screens on her windows. She tucked it in at the sides, I cut it with a Stanley knife. Health and Safety first, what could possibly go wrong - no comments please Bill!

In case you're feeling at little stressed or anxious, just look at this photo. This is how to relax!

Countdown to India, Sri Lanka and The Maldives - Day -19

John, Jackie, Brian W and Brian on our Thursday 8 mile (pub crawl) walk

Saturday we did go to Alex and Rob, and had a lovely evening. Turns out we were there last year on January 6th too according to photo memories. That’s a good tradition to start!

Sunday we did go and see John, with the last of Alex’s yummy Christmas cake and had a good catch up before going dancing at a social club on the way in to Kings Heath. The floor was a reasonable size, though very slippery in one corner, the live music from a man on a keyboard pretty good, though a bit Wurlitzery and the people seemed ok. Particularly in that we were joined by Andy and Em, who we have seen at the Beetlestone’s and other IVC associated events, and who Brian knows from way back. We did scuttle off a little early to get to the pub, for a Sunday club drink. I thought we were past the stage of two social events in one evening, but it would appear not!

Wrapped up on a cold day heading to Barnt Green for breakfast

Monday we were up bright and early, well early anyway, to go to the nurse, I thought with an 08.20 and an 08.40 appointment we would be just in time for breakfast at Cafe Morso, but actually we were out, me with a needle in each arm, and Brian just in his right arm by 08.30, half an hour before the cafe opened! Home for breakfast then!

We both felt quite square eyed by the end of the day, looking at recommended hotels on India trips, looking at house insurance, paying bills, sending the last of four payments to the investment Jason had recommended. It had to be done in 4 blocks as you can only do a certain amount a day. This was day 4 and she’d warned me to keep my phone nearby as the security team might call….. Finishing up with an online Monday Club.

Fabulous bacon and egg baps from Warwicks in Barnt Green

Tuesday, having had no call from the bank security team, I assumed all was good, so I could now make the capital gains tax payments for us both, only to find payment number 4 had been returned to my bank account. Back on the phone then (telephone banking is very convenient) only this time when I asked to speak to a person, rather than do it all myself I got transferred to the security team (it’s clever as well then) after insisting that we check with Jason, who wasn’t available, his administrator had to get on the phone to the investment platform to confirm that the other three payments had made it to the correct place. He had to call back, and then I had to call the bank back, to make the final payment. I know it’s all to protect me, but it did mean that making one payment took all morning! I finished just in time to go back to Donna and Keith, for the postponed lunch from last week. Again, a fantastic welcome from Cookie and Cracker, who have both had haircuts, though we all decided we actually prefer Cookie a little scruffy! The boys were slightly disappointed in that we went out without them, but this just meant we got another fabulous welcome home afterwards. A lovely meal at Ounce, they really do very good steak, and lots of chat. Back for a cuppa (for B, another glass of wine for Donna and I) and furry fuss before a gentle return home.

What is this the remains of? We've no idea, an old iron age fort perhaps?

Wednesday, now I can pay the capital gains then! Six days this has taken and there is still one investment to make. This is why we didn’t leave the cruise in India and go travelling. Imagine trying to do this from foreign parts. They probably already think I’m money laundering, what would they think if I’d been trying to do it from India? We then had to chivvy our preferred company to actually put figures on our 53 day quote because Wednesday was the only day we had left for this sort of thing. Having done everything else, but still waiting for this we thought we might as well go to a tea dance, just down the road in Mappleborough Green, 15 minutes away. I was very dubious, but actually they were a lovely group of people, nearly all of them came over to introduce themselves and make us welcome. The couple we sat by knew Brian’s mum from when she used to run dances (and had been taught by Jenny his ex wife). It’s a very small world!

The Hewell Lane level crossing, halfway along the 'famous' Lickey Incline. Very exciting if you're a railway buff. A man was waiting with a big camera, so we had to stop to wait for whatever it was he wanted to photograph

Thursday we were out with John and Brian, though not doing the walk that they had planned. We turned up to get the 08.06 train out of Alvechurch only to find it, and at least the next two trains cancelled. The advantage of being free agents, we’ll walk to Barnt Green for breakfast and do an 8 miler from there! Two pubs (The Cross Inn at Finstall and The Ladybrird Inn at Bromsgrove), five pints and a virgin Sex on the Beach (which sounds much worse than a mock tail version of Sex on the Beach) for Brian W involving much silliness and a great day out. Home by 6 for beans on toast and as much water as we could get down our necks and we felt fine on Friday!

And here it is, an old diesel Class 37 engine (very exciting for me as I designed and supplied a fan clutch for those in the 1980's when they had over 300 in the fleet!). We waved, he hooted his horn

Just as well, because Friday was just as busy. We’d reserved an Explore trip to Sri Lanka and the Maldives to tag on to the end of the India trip well we missed the Maldives on the cruise after all. So although it’s expensive, it’s not as expensive as flying there just for that! So confirm that, book flights, and it’s really happening!

Novel sign for dissuading people from trespassing  

All confirmed before 10.45 when I nipped out for a haircut, short, I said, it’s got to last till April, I said! And so it is! Then off to Denise and Paul, for some Christmas cake, chat, bit of DIY, allotment soup and a 5mile road walk to keep out of the mud, via a coffee shop in Solihull before finishing up in their local pub the Fieldhouse for dinner!

And another one. Good sense of humour round here

Today we had to pack and nip in to Specsavers to get the lense put back into Brian’s glasses after it fell out in the pub last night before coming over to Fi and James’s where we are now Oscar sitting for a week while they are away on their first cruise, round the Canaries with the three girls and Fi’s mum and husband. We are feeling very spoiled, James prepared a chilli for us last night, so all I’ve got to do is heat it up, open the wine and enjoy, oh, and eat the cheese and chocolate, and whatever else we can find left over from Christmas! Oscar is such a cute cat, albeit getting on in years we enjoy being with him, though we are still going to be busy, what with going away on the 1st of February!

That's looking out towards Hartlebury and I wondered if the hill in the distance was the Wrekin but Brian W was unconvinced. Its probably too far south for that

And so to the pub (The Cross at Finstall) and Brian tries a Sex on the Beach

Followed by another pub, The Ladybird by Bromsgrove railway station. Its still only mid-afternoon! We followed this with a train back to Longbridge (it didn't stop at Barnt Green) followed by a taxi ride home as we couldn't be bothered to wait for the next train!

Back to sanity and here we are housesitting Oscar cat for a week in Leamington Spa while my daughter, Fiona, James and three grandchildren go off on a cruise in the Canaries

I think it'll be a good week!

Particularly as, at the moment, the sun is shining

Cookie and Cracker

Chilling with doglets Cookie and Cracker

Friday we got to Cookie and Cracker in time to take them out for their walk, which only seemed fair as we are so local and Kirsty who we were replacing had to drive up to Edinburgh. We were thrilled with our uproarious welcome, I’m sure they are the same with everyone but it still makes us feel special. It is interesting to note that they trotted off quite happily on their walk with us without a backward glance, and yet if one of us is slow down the drive, or pops back to put the bin out they don’t want to go till we are all present and correct.

Cute and cuddly and, when they're in, clean and dry ...

As last Christmas it was very wet, and muddy, and they have such short legs that even walking in the grass verge can mean trouble, so we might as well just accept that they will need a bath and take them for some madness in the woods. They have such fun, and look so cute trotting along with their little tails waving, and they don’t even mind too much being bathed and dried. Once back home and bathed and dried (or even not quite dried) all they want is to snuggle. One lap and two dogs can be tricky so persuading them that one each is a good thing is a definite plus.

But when we're out they get very muddy! Knowing they are going to have a bath when we get back, we just go out and let them have fun

They quickly settled back into the old routine, out for morning wees and straight onto the bed, probably before Brian has got back with the coffee. Sleep. Mill about while we have breakfast. Walkies. Bath. Breakfast. Sleep, most of the day till 17.00 ish when it’s treat time, unless we go out without them when they sit by the door till we get back when they greet us like they haven’t seen anyone for a week. Both on the sofa for crossword, before we have our dinner. Move into the lounge when all four of us cuddle onto the sofa for a movie. Bedtime wee before sleeping outside our room. Repeat.

Anywhere and everywhere

We did take them out in the car on NYE, perhaps it’s just us, but we take them out for a quick walk, before putting them in the car to go out for a walk. That way we can have waste out and food in! Anyway, we got in the car in the dry, but by the time we arrived in Evesham it was raining. The plan was to walk alongside the river, on non muddy paths (here's a little Relive video with photos of our walk in the rain: click here. Well, sort of, the river had come over the path, in both directions and it was pouring down the whole time we were out, though it had stopped by the time we got back to the house! We had a lovely chilled evening, lots of yummy things in our own little tapas selection (if you want to be posh, or finger buffet if you want to be retro!) and no noisy fireworks outside, so chilled dogs too.

Oh dear Cookie, that'll be a bath when we get back then!

New Year’s Day was actually dry, so after walking C&C we drove to Helen and Ian in time to walk Monty Dog. Brunch was a late affair, not till 13.00 but dry for the first BBQ of the year and well worth waiting for. Even those that hadn’t stayed over came back for brunch (except Reuben) so we caught up with everyone which was lovely. This all sounds very sedate really, but we have been busy, Brian is in full scale plan mode for a trip to India at the end of the month, to make the most of the cooler ‘winter’.

But they don't seem to mind it

Donna and Keith were back on the 3rd so we had a good chance to catch up with them which was great. We did postpone our planned lunch to next week though as Keith could barely keep his eyes open. We came back via Evesham Country Park where we had lunch and a mooch at the shops. It feels like we haven’t stopped since then. Out with the Sunday Club boys on Wednesday (I know!). Thursday I went to have my blood pressure and pulse rate taken, they are fine, before going in to Redditch for our annual eye tests. Over to Jason, the FA in the afternoon as I still have the proceeds from the house sale in my account which is slightly scary. Friday then back to Redditch into Santander to make the first transfer which will be an ongoing process as only a certain amount can be transferred per day. Fortunately now it’s set up I can do it over the telephone. We were then going to pop into Birmingham to visit the dance shop for new dance shoes only to find it had closed in September. Next nearest shop? Worcester. Might as well go while we are on a roll, so we both have new shoes, and in theory are going dancing on Sunday. Today has been all the phone calls we’d planned to do yesterday, including to Marj as I’d managed to get Fred Olsen to identify the couple that Marj wanted to contact to tell them about Don. We had a nice little chat, and she still ‘doesn’t know where we appeared from or how she would have managed without us’. Tonight we are going to Alex and Rob, tomorrow we must pop in on John, and Brian has found a local dance. Monday the nurse about inoculations for India, Tuesday lunch with Donna and Keith, Thursday walking with John and Brian, Friday walking with Denise and Paul. Saturday to Fiona for a week, Sunday Bury St Edmunds for the day, Tuesday lunch with Terry and Sue….. Talk about all go!

And then they're all cute and cuddly again

New  Years eve walk in Evesham, the River Avon was very full, cutting the path off ahead and about 1km back the other way making out walk only 2km long. Bit pointless paying for 4 hours parking expecting to be out much longer!

But we got back, got the clean and the Cracker just chilled out!

New Years Day at Ian and Helens and here's Ian, in true tradition, cooking breakfast/brunch on the BBQ in shorts and T shirt

And what a brunch it was. Here's Corinne, over from Australia for a few months with Mike, Ian, Helen, Manu, Emily and Sue

Jackie  and Ella

Brian with his old climbing mate Phil with Neil, Crystal, Sue, Emily and Manu

She didn't mention that I've finally got back into running after the excesses of the cruise. Two outings of 5km from the house along the local canal so far. Here's my first early morning run with the moon still out, how pleasant is this?

I go as far as the Shortwood tunnel, turn around and run back to the house, just over 5km, to find her still reading in bed!