Week 7 One Daily Positive and Project 365

Our trip to Northern Ireland went really quickly. I doubt there is never enough time to be spent with a grandchild. 

Came home to a leak in the roof and ceiling damaged on the landing and in the guest room. No end in sight just yet for the kitchen.

Lost my rag with the insurance company, not covered for wear and tear, fair enough, but you do have home assistance and we can make a temp repair to stop the matter getting worse. Bloke came out, looked at the roof, said he couldn't do anything and left. Insurance company said can't do temp repair for something that is caused by wear and tear. They don't seem to get why I'm a little narked with them. Doesn't help that I keep getting a different person who can only read off a sheet.

43 Saturday Popped to buy a foam pad and have a coffee then off for a dog walk in the afternoon.

I can't get enough time with this one. I love how mum and dad 'dump' him on me in the mornings and evenings.

44 Sunday Took the dogs for a walk and a swim, afternoon spent with the parent in laws.

45 Monday Morning at the house, then into town for the afternoon and home for tea. DIL randomly asked where the dining room curtain was, whoops I'd washed it but forgot to hang it back up before she noticed. We caught the ferry back to Liverpool, put the dog in the kennels then straight to the cabin to sleep.

It's hard saying bye to this one.

46 Tuesday I banged my head yesterday on a door frame, still got a sore head and a headache. Long journey home with pit stops for coffee and dog rests. Nothing done all afternoon, work still ongoing in the kitchen. Early night.

Early morning arrival into Liverpool.

47 Wednesday Didn't sleep well, there doesn't seem to be an end date for the kitchen and it is stressing me out now. In my head it would be done by now and the lounge and conservatory would be back to normal and I could chill for a week before starting my new job, but it's not to be. My head is also still hurting and I need to go out today. Went for a 5 mile dog walk and grabbed a coffee. The rest of the day spent sorting insurance claim and completing a sales pack for the flat. 

We unpacked the new dinner service to start using.

48 Thursday Popped out for a food shop and a visit to the laundrette. The insurance company sent a man out to tell us 'oh I can't fix that' then he left. We moved all the kitchen items into the kitchen cupboards despite it not being finished. Oncologist phoned to say iron levels dropped just outside the normal range. He wants to repeat bloods in 4 months and in the meantime if I feel they've dropped further I'm just to get back in touch.

Avoiding the weather.

49 Friday Morning spent on the phone to the insurance company. A visit to the school where I start working after half term to familiarise myself with where I need to go on my first day. Peter was in the loft space putting down tarpaulin, towels and buckets, I was in the converted part of the loft sorting stuff into piles of sell/keep/donate/bin. I cancelled my opticians appointment due to the weather, used neighbours washing machine and had chips and wine with same neighbour in the evening.

The extent of our storm damage. Some neighbours had fence panels down and bins blown over and a tree down at the bottom of the road, but we've been let off fairly well here.

On the blog this week:

Things to do on a Stena Ferry

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Week 103 - My Sunday Photo. Bob meets Santa with Animal Tales.

Bob's new friend Jelly Bean is staying with us over the christmas holidays while her humans are on holiday. She only arrived this morning and after settling in we headed over to Dog Walk for their annual Christmas Party. Taking 2 large dogs out was a little stressful and I spent a lot of time unravelling myself from the leads.

They both had a lovely time meeting Father Christmas and their secret santa gift, as well as plenty of snacks. 

 Neither of them were over impressed with their accessories they wore, but they looked the part and I wore my Christmas jumper, which was a bad idea when it was 28c.

Jelly had her first swimming lesson, while Bob jumped in and out of the pool.

Bob's secect santa gift.

When we got home Jelly and Pushkins met, Jelly ignored her and Pushkins just hissed.

Bob isn't too impressed with sharing his bed with Jelly.

HDYGG and Animal Tales - Waiting for summer in Dubai

 The temperature is warming up in Dubai with summer just round the corner. The water from the outside cold water tap is reading 32c at 9am and at 5pm.

We were in the desert last Friday at 7am after collecting friends from the airport.

They had very kindly lugged 6 packets of dog gravy for Bob, back packing around Vietnam, that they brought with them from South Africa.

The day time temps are between 24c and 32c this week, last week it was between 16c and 24c. The dog has been outside in the day when we are both working, he has a bed in his dog house and plenty of water, plus a snack that he eats the second I close the gate. I'm off work next week so I'll start leaving Bob inside to get him ready for the long summer when he'll be inside all day.

At the moment I feed Bob at 5.15am when I get up, then hubby puts him outside at 8.30am. I'm then home by 4.15pm and hubby works at home a few days a week. Once it heats up, I'll feed him as usual then shut him outside, hubby will bring him in when he goes to work. Both him and the cat did this last summer. The cat has already altered her routine, she is opting to stay out all night when it is cooler and stay in all day. We'll change her feeding routine also, she won't be fed until hubby goes to work at 8.30am, that way he can guarantee she'll come in without having to look for her.

It's a complicated system but the cat suffered with heat stroke last year and when temps reach up to 50c, needs must.

The garden is still going strong, the tomato plant is still producing and I have no idea how long this will go on for.

The seeds I planted a few months ago require a minimum of 30c to germinate so hopefully they'll be popping up through the soil soon.

I have no idea what these flowers are called, but they look pretty and I grew them from seed.

The Geraniums will need to come inside soon and I have a nice pot for them lined up.

The snap dragons have made a full recovery

I'm struggling to know what to do with this patch of sand, I'm thinking of starting a vegetable patch in September/October.

The last time I experienced cold weather around the clock was in December 2010 before we left the UK. Winters in South Africa were strange, day time temps were in the mid 20's as they are here, but dropped to zero and below at night. I'm not sure I'll know what to do in the garden when we eventually move back to the UK.

Week 6 - One Daily Positive and Project 366

I've been having a good, long, hard think about my new job this week. Peter is supporting whatever outcome I decide upon and has been talking things through with me via Skype and the telephone as he's in Germany in the UK this week. Financially we are more than secure and teaching adults, not 4 year olds, has always been my preference. I do actually enjoy teaching the children, I have very good knowledge of the British Curriculum and I can manage the paperwork and record keeping. I'm struggling with the long hours and working at home in the evenings and working abroad is certainly very challenging, I was also ill last week and ended up in hospital, I still haven't made a full recovery. I'm struggling with not letting myself down, I'm unable to just walk away. I have no issue with telling other people the job isn't for me, but I have huge trouble telling myself that. Peter is only a few years off retirement, I have 20+ years left. Teaching in Dubai is a great opportunity for me and my future career when we finally return to the UK. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it, I probably just need a bit more time, after all it has been 5 years since I last had this level of responsibility. 

I'm struggling to keep up with my blogging and photo prompts, there seems to be a lot of food pictures this week.

Sunday Day 38 #onedailypositive #project366 having dinner out because a) we don't have to cook b) we always eat out the night before one of us goes somewhere (Peter off to Germany and UK with work) c) because we can, and d) why not? My Sunday Photo this week is the Dubai Skyline.

Monday Day 39 #onedailypositive #project366 a day late with posting as I didn't have a suitable photo, so I snapped this one this evening as I left work. I called in at the Mall of Emirates on my way home, remind me NEVER again to drive along Sheik Zayed Road to get there and don't get me started on the parking. On a positive I got everything I need and more, came home for a bath and an early night.

Tuesday Day 40 #onedailypositive #project366 I've been having a tough time in my new job, getting to grips with all the paperwork, the planning and assessments and working with people from various cultures, getting to know the kids, making endless resources, balancing work with sleep and taking endless paperwork home to work on in the evenings and the fact I haven't worked for 5 years. On a positive though I decided to blitz the classroom this evening and on leaving work at 6pm I'd discovered loads of paperwork and resources made by the previous teacher that I can use, which means I can now focus on the planning assessments and teaching knowing that all the other stuff I've been fretting over is already sorted. Bob and I shared a McDonalds for dinner. Linking up with Animal Tales with A tent, 2 teens and a Warthog.

Wednesday Day 41 #onedailypositive #project366 after an unsettling tail gate experience I arrived home in day light, walked Bob, had dinner with home grown tomatoes and strawberries for afters, watered the garden, had a bath and washed my hair and in pjs by 6.30pm, spending the rest of the evening on assessments for work.

Thursday Day 42 #onedailypositive #project366 after a long and stressful week and a weekend ahead of work, the simplicity of opening the fridge and chucking what I can find on a tray pleases me greatly. Although hubby is away and I feel a bit lonely here in my own, it is nice to switch off from everything and just slum it for a few days.

Friday Day 43 #onedailypositive #project366 I'm putting off doing a load of paperwork for school and cleaning instead, which has so far yielded better results. A bar of chocolate on the bed and half a tin of quality street underneath it. I've already taken Bob into the desert to the lakes, we only saw one other dog walker today and the owner didn't want to play. Bob has been washed and the car cleaned. This afternoon I'm going to cycle to the beach and have dinner out. This weeks HDYGG? is a round up of Dubai in January and February.

Day 44 #onedailypositive #project366 arranged to meet a woman at the lakes after going yesterday and not seeing anyone. I went to the wrong lakes but did meet some other dog walkers and Bob really enjoyed himself, we were out for 2 hours, back home for a bacon butty, wash Bob and clean the car. An afternoon of paperwork and a bike ride ahead of me. Peter is with 3 of our children in the UK and home on Monday.

I'd love for you to link up with your One Daily Positive from the week. 

When Bob met Santa - My Sunday Photo - Week 50

Seeing as my kids are no fun anymore I accepted an invitation to take Bob to a Christmas party and meet Santa.

Operation 'Get Bob in the car' is quite a stressful process, as the second he see's any indication he's going out gets over excited and can no longer follow instructions. It's the same getting out the car the other end and by the time I'd negotiated several doors, completed registration forms, Bob almost didn't go to the party as he was so naughty, pulling on the lead, tripping me up and puling me in the opposite direction, mind you I don't think he was happy in his party t shirt and santa hat, that he removed before I had chance to take a photo.

There was space to run off the lead

 Other dogs to play with

Supervised and supported swimming

 And brand new experiences, such as being licked in the face

Disclaimer:
I am aware Bob is actually a dog and not a replacement child, I was invited, it was a bit of fun, Bob loves socialising and after all, this is Dubai.

Winter in South Africa

The sun still shines, the sky is blue and I can’t remember the last time it rained here, certainly not since I returned from my trip to the UK on May 2^nd and it probably won’t *rain again now till September, it's very dusty and everything is brown.

              

But don’t be fooled by the clear blue skies, we are scraping ice off the car first thing in the morning. Day time temps are still in the high teens and will probably stay like that for the whole of winter but after the sun sets and before it rises, temps are currently around 2-5c and we’re just waiting for the zero and below to kick in and when it does, boy is it even colder.

Family and friends who have visited in the winter from the UK are wearing summer gear in the day as they say it’s so warm compared to a UK summer. I start my day off with as many layers as I can manage and still be able to move.

It snowed in Pretoria in 2012, the 1st time since 1963. Some of the Malls have ice rinks.

By mid morning I’ve removed the scarf, gloves and maybe the fleece from underneath my coat, I may regret wearing tights with my jeans and boots, but that moment passes quickly.

The sun sets around 5.30pm within the hour I’ve had my bath and I’m on the sofa in my fleece pjs, blanket and hot water bottle and feet off the cold tiled floor. By 8pm we’re in bed with the electric blanket on, watching TV, but then we fall asleep early and wake early, before the sun rises at 6am, not wanting to get up, but as soon as it does, it’s straight outside to drink our tea and coffee under the sun where it is nice and warm.

*since scheduling this post there was a hail storm and torrential rain over the weekend