Saturday 14 November 2020

Week 46 One Daily Positive - Off to Northern Ireland

So this weeks drama was the central heating system packing in on Sunday night. If the hot water is on at the same time as the heating, then the hot water tank sounds like it's ready to blast off to explore Mars. Hot water is also coming on at random times during the day with no explanation. Also heating is not turning it self off at the time selected. Thankfully boiler is under warranty, it's only 2 years old and call out booked for Wednesday morning. Can't help thinking that fitting a new boiler to a heating and water system that is 22 years old might have something to do with it. 

I've not eaten very well this week, just not feeling hungry then craving sugary food, lockdown helps as I would normally just pop to the local shop to buy chocolate/sweets.

313 Sunday Spent the morning in my pjs, made a chicken curry for lunch and prepared some gluten free bread dough. I found a clothes airer full of dry washing in the dining room, completed a few more jobs on my to do list, cleaned the oven and hob. Walked Bob into town for a take away coffee and to look at the poppy displays. Baked the bread when I got home, watched Nanny McPhee, painted some pebbles and read and commented on blog posts.


314 Monday Cleaned the bathrooms, kitchen cupboards, dusted throughout the house, cleaned windows, changed the beds and washed it all and towels, packed my case for Northern Ireland, booked flight and checked in. Started packing for Dubai also 2 different sets of clothes needed so easy to pack for, just need to remember to pick up the correct suitcase. Nipped out to purchase gluten free foods/flours I can take to NI and back to Dubai with me. Walked Bob, had a bath with the last of the hot water, don't care. Sat and watched TV.

Issue with the boiler, timer coming on at random times for the water and if the heating is on at the same time it sounded like the tank was preparing for a launch to Mars.


315 Tuesday Stuck all Bobs beds/blankets in the wash, changed the litter tray and sterilised it. 

Attempted a Christmas wreath decoration involving the cat and paint, it didn't end well.

Took Bob for a walk then to the vets to get him registered and check on his 'foreign' injections. The cat came along, we call the cat 'she' but have been told she is a he and I asked the vet to confirm today, plus her age and general health. A tooth has to come out, she needs an injection in the UK she wasn't required to have in Dubai. Good news, cat didn't run away and dog didn't bite the vet.

Cleaned the kitchen floor and hoovered throughout the house. Hoovered the car out, sorted the washing, Re hung the conservatory curtains for the 100th time, the flexible rail keeps retaining its rolled up memory and pings off the fittings when you look at it, so it's been rolled and tied the opposite way for 24 hours.

Touched up the paint work on a couple of internal doors. 

Took a walk with Bob along the canal in Worcester.


316 Wednesday Boiler repaired, faulty control panel and water tank temperature set too high. Cleaned my bedroom and bathroom, did some painting on the top floor. Pet sitters arrived, settled in while I walked Bob and we had tea. Bit of a kerfuffle over the road at the flats around 11pm, in the end I called the police. 3 cars, 6 police officers and arrived with sirens and lights within 10 mins and were in attendance for over half an hour.

Love still being able to sit outside in November.


317 Thursday Sent an email to the local housing association about last night. Didn't really do much today, house sitters took Bob out up the hills for the day, the cat and I went back to bed, stuck 2 loads of washing on, had dinner and bed.

Peas, beans and sweetcorn for an early planting out in Spring and some cauliflower.


318 Friday House sitters took Bob out for the day, I wrote some letters, had a bit of a tidy round and started my journey to Northern Ireland. Quite a few more people on the train and at the main stations of Worcester and Birmingham, Airport station was empty as was the terminal, a ghost town, only 15 flights max each day at the moment. Sat outside with a coffee from the vending machine in the Spar shop, after checking in, access to Departures was closed until 2 hours before the flight and departures was empty, closed and dark. it was rather dismal and depressing, but I guess this the reality of living in a pandemic. 

Almost had a heart attack when I saw the plane had propellors.


319 Saturday Off to do a food shop, home for lunch then to the Parent in Laws, apparently that is the correct term for ours son's in laws. Lockdown here is different from England, basically hospitality and hairdressers closed, but all other stores open. Evening spent in front of the TV after dinner, with wine and chocolate.


On the blog this week:

My garden in October and plans for November

I'm not bored, I'm lonely

Construction photography - The Museum of the Future, Dubai





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26 comments:

  1. Those pebbles are really cute.
    It sounds like another busy week for you.
    What a drama with the police over the road.
    I hope you have a lovely time in Northern Ireland. x

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    1. Thank you, having a great time in NI, just literally switched off

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  2. Weird issue about the hot water. OoOoO Nanny McPhee! Cute pebbles. OoOOO You're finally going to Dubai!! Shame the wreath decoration didn't turn out well. Quite odd to know now that your cat is a he. OoOo pretty canal. I haven't travelled since 2 years, it definitely must feel odd being so empty. Those are fancy propellers. Great to know you've landed safely.

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    1. yep everything seems to be coming together for the time being

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  3. Must be weird seeing all the different places' rules for covid living at the moment. Sounds like you got tonnes organised before travelling. Hope it's a nice time in NI.

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    1. It's similar to expat life, having to keep adapting to everything

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  4. Hope you can get your head round all the different rules and regs for covid, bad enough here when if I go 10 miles one way the rules are different than here.
    Hope Bob and Pushkins get on with the pet sitter while you are away.
    Gosh a propeller plane looks like something out of an old movie

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    1. I've not been on a plane like that for 20 years

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  5. Think I would be nervous with a plane with propellers too! Don't often see them!

    Glad the boiler got repaired - its a nightmare when they break down.

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    1. I'm grateful the boiler was still under warranty

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  6. Can just picture your face getting on that prop job plane! Glad the boiler has been sorted and sounds as if the pet sitters are having fun with Bob #366

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  7. What a pain with the boiler, glad its not too old though and under warranty. Gets so expensive otherwise. What a lovely walk alongside the canal. Wine and chocolate in front of the TV sounds like my kind of evening!

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    1. It's been great exploring new areas of our old home

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  8. Ha ha I have not been on a prop plane for ages. Glad the flight went okay. Good you managed to get the boiler sorted out before the house sitters were home alone. Love the sweet peas I did think about being organised and planting some ready for Spring but the motivation has escaped me so far. Hope you have a lovely time in Northern Ireland

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    1. NI is fab, I'm sure the sweet peas will be a tangled mess when i get back in feb

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  9. Glad to hear the boiler issue has been sorted before you've got house sitters. So, is Pushkins definitely a he? Will you plant your seedlings before going to Dubai? Or will house-sitters keep looking after them too? The pebbles look cute, and now I wonder what the cat and wreath project was supposed to be. Printing with cat paws?

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    1. The cat is male for sure, but we'll carry on calling it she.

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  10. I love your poppy pebbles. Lovely view from your walk along the canal. Glad you got your boiler fixed. I think seeing a propeller on the plane would have freaked me out soon. Glad you got to Northern Ireland okay and hope you are having a nice time. #project366

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  11. I love Northern Ireland, glad to see they still have places open, must be nice to have a wander around the shops. Glad the boiler is sorted now

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    1. It has been nice being here, but NI is back into lockdown as from tomorrow

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  12. I would have been scared seeing propellers on my plane! What a nightmare with the boiler, another stress you didn't need at the last minute! #project366

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    1. good job I didn't see the propellors before I got on the plane

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  13. Finally catching up on long overdue comments. I did know that you'd gone to Northern Ireland but I think you're back in Dubai now - hope it all went ok. Glad the dog sitters arrived and settled in - one less thing to worry about. I absolutely sympathise with the hot water/heating problems - glad it was a quick fix ! LOL @ the propellers on the plane ! Reminds me of the plane I used to take from London to Brittany !

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    1. Yep safely back in Dubai now and no propellers for that flight

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