My cousin added me as a friend on MySpace and he had a blog post talking about the word blog and how it didn’t have any meaning as far as he was concerned and maybe it would be akin to someone vomiting or similar. The post amused me a little then made me feel both nerdish and old since I remember when ‘weblog’ was born and I watched it hump journals/diaries and their strange offspring is the blog. But we all know I hate that the worlds merged and I think it has dummied down my beautiful internet but that’s another rant for another day.

I’m still ill. I finished my course of antibiotics and I’m still steaming twice a day. I’m also still having to take 15mg or more of codeine everyday to stop my teeth from throbbing out of my mouth. I do try and go without it as long as I can, my main taking it moments are at night. I’ll wake up and my entire face will be swollen and throbby and if I didn’t take something I’d be unable to sleep.

I got my referral from the doctor to see an ENT on the NHS. I have an appointment on September 20th with Nasal Disorders. How cool is that name?! I’m sort of pissed off because if the waiting list was this short why did my GPs keep trying to put me off? I can only assume that they would have referred me eventually, but they assumed [like I did] that I would get better. I also have an appointment with my dentist on the 29th where hopefully he’ll confirm that my teeth are fine.

The headboard I ordered in June showed up a couple of weeks ago. I don’t think I shared the story of it properly. I spent ages researching the different styles and materials etc. After I settled on one I liked I researched more to find the cheapest price. I found a good price and placed my order, printed my receipt and left it at that. After four weeks I thought I should see how it was coming, so I got my receipt out and discovered that the website I bought from didn’t think it was important to name themselves on the receipt. Because I’d been to so many websites researching I had no idea who I ordered it from. I decided to leave it until I got back from France since some websites quoted lead times of eight weeks.

We got a call from them on the Tuesday after I got back and it was delivered on Thursday. It was more beautiful than the pictures lead me to believe. We put it between the bed and the wall and on Friday I bought the washers, nuts and bolts we needed to fix it to the bed. We rearranged the bedroom after that. I’m so very pleased. Before the room felt more like mine than ‘ours’ so having the foot of the bed facing the door gives us an equal footing.

I decided today that I’m going to freeze my gym membership. I keep beating myself up for not going and I cannot keep doing that, it isn’t going to make me get better. Plus we can use the money it’ll free up for the next few months. We have to freeze it for at least three months, but I’m leaning towards four so we can start afresh in the new year after Christmas and our eighth [!!!] anniversary.

Also very good news: Horatio has a flat!! He spent some time researching various properties in Leeds and places he might like, went twice to look at various properties, really like two of them. He decided on a beautiful converted office in the north east not far from the centre. It is a ground floor flat, one bed, private entrance, off road car parking facilities, huge rooms. It is gorgeous. It was my favourite of the ads I saw. I’m so very excited to see it. I’ll get to see the outside this weekend, but I don’t think I’ll see the inside until September or October. He’ll need time to get settled in and start his new job etc. I’m so happy for him and so very proud of all he has accomplished. Very exciting new chapter in our lives.

I started cleaning the kitchen on Friday, I finished today. Weasel kindly helped with some bits, so between us we have de-frosted the freezer, re-arranged the tea and some other foods, washed all the surfaces and walls, scrubbed the sink, tidied the windowsill and everything in-between. It feels like a different room. I’ve also just ordered some nice shelves to put by the kitchen door [to outside] since we never use it. We’ll be able to store all the bread paraphernalia and sort out a better arrangement for our recycling. It should be here on Wednesday.

This is my first project to try and get the house sorted before my parents arrive on the 5th. I need to clean the bathroom, we’ll need to re-arrange the library to account for air bed and giving them some space to be comfortable. I also want to generally tidy up. In theory I should be ready by the time they arrive. I’m both excited and very nervous of them staying with us. I’ve had to plan to put a phone in our bedroom so I can still talk to Horatio every day since my parents don’t know I’m with him* [they think we're friends]. We’ll see how it goes I guess!

* I would tell them, but I’m afraid they’d encourage me to leave Weasel and marry Horatio and make babies which just isn’t what any of us want.

Last Friday night Weasel, Doodle and I went to see Bourne Ultimatum. It was fantastic! I love the Bourne films and this rounded off the story nicely. I loved the action, one liners, minor mysteries, startled looks etc. Definitely go and see it if you can! You don’t need to have seen the previous two for this one to make sense.

Yesterday we went to see Stoat and Mal to celebrate Stoat’s 60th birthday! I was very tired, so I wasn’t good for much. We chatted lots and he loved the plates we got him [square, white, gorgeous - if he hadn't liked them I was going to keep them!]. He also got a beautiful watch and some other bits and pieces. Was really wonderful. Doodle and I spent most of the day battling the Farm Game. We only have three more squares to expose out of 25 then more words scattered throughout. I’ve loved playing it. The main website is here – my saved game is here.

This Debbie title comes from one of our French adventures. When we were driving down, a car passed us with the license plate V88 ALE which I read as V8 & Ale; not a tasty combination.

Further French adventures include:

Bayeux & Beaches
We took the car out to Bayeux to see the tapestry* and went back to the château via some of the landing beaches from WWII. Bayeux was a lovely little town, we walked all over. The tapestry was a little disappointing because they had these personal radio things that told the story as you walked along. Sadly, it didn’t take into account people wanting to stop and look at something in more detail. So it started talking when I was at one then it moved on while I couldn’t. It got to four while I was still in front of one. It couldn’t be paused so one just ended up missing bits and not hearing all about it. It was impressive and worth seeing, but it could have been better.

Afterwards, we had some wonderful pizza [very garlicky for me!] and then some delicious ice cream. I love pineapple ice cream and I can only seem to get it on the continent.

We went to see so many of the landing beaches, they were very lovely. I don’t remember all that I saw, but it was moving in places, exciting, fascinating and very worth it. We also saw some German bunker thingies that were very interesting. Lovely day out.

* One of the little boys there heard someone talking about the tapestry and when he referred to it he said ‘tapas tree’ – we all agreed it was a very tasty idea.

Driving in car with Tori
Horatio traditionally didn’t like listening to Tori because ‘her lyrics are weird’ [and yet he likes Cibo Matto; go figure]. Anyway, I wasn’t feeling too hot and I thought she might cheer me up so Horatio let me play some things. I lovely driving through the countryside [France is beautiful] with the man I love with her playing. It was bliss. I hope I don’t forget how that felt.

Coastmaster 2000
Horatio is very good at climbing hills, he’d shoot ahead and then we’d coast down the hills, I coast much faster than him and I loved to sail by and shout ‘Coastmaster 2000!’ I startled him good at least once. It entertained me tremendously.

I’m sure other bits will come back to me and want mentioning, but that’ll do for now. I’m hoping now that I’ve released myself from the gym I won’t be so stressed and/or tired so perhaps I’ll be able to keep up with Debbie again.