Depressed...

I was OK when I got up – but an article in the paper this morning left me very much with a “why bother” feeling. It started quite well too – the reason I picked up the paper in the first place was the front page headline “Chocolate can save your life”. I just needed to know how much and how often (to be fair, the amount I eat, I’m hardly likely to be in danger!). But it is QUALITY that counts, and not QUANTITY – like so many other things in life, especially when (as this article was) written by a man! I should have stopped there, really – but I started glancing through a few more pages. An article on Tea Tree Oil making boys develop breasts, was surprising (and indeed worrying), a picture of a bald Britney was amusing (probably not to her the day after she did it), then BAM!!! Page 21. Our Future. A picture of how the world will end. The sun will run out of hydrogen, expand until it reaches the orbit of Mars – and in the process – “Goodbye Earth, been nice knowing you”. The sun will then fizzle out and shrink. It’s not going to happen for another 3 or 4 hundred million years, apparently (how exact!) so, the article claims, no need to panic, (yet). I’m not panicking – just feeling like “What’s the point?” Then I suppose the inevitable thought: “Will the Earth last that long – or will we have killed it off long before then?”

I need chocolate!!

Quite busy...

… Oh I had it all planned out! Tomorrow (Monday) I was going to paint the ceiling in the lounge. Tuesday – the walls. I decided it was too much for one person to do in a day. I did the dining room in a day and I could barely move the next day – and it is a small room. My lounge isn’t big – but it is bigger than the dining room.

But then impatience set in – and I thought – if I got one coat on the ceiling today, it would save time tomorrow. Then, of course, the inevitable: “If I get TWO coats on today – well that would be even more time saved.” So – the ceiling is done. Oh – and I kind of did one coat on the walls as well! Had it been light enough I would have carried on! But anyway – I will get up at 7 tomorrow and do the last coat on the walls.

Deciding to start the decorating today was (to say the least) extremely unpopular with the husband! When I told him I was going to paint the ceiling he immediately went out for a long walk!! By the time he came back, I had done the part of the ceiling immediately above his chair, so he was able to sit down. He then went to sleep – and we have some video (done on my camera) of me painting and him asleep. I painted round him, and eventually he woke up and I moved his chair to do the bit of wall behind where he sits. I don’t think he was too impressed because he took the paper in the kitchen and stood in there to try and do the crossword.

Stupidly I forgot to have any lunch so by the time I’d done the walls I was feeling quite knackered. But I made myself some coffee and struggled on with the final coat on the ceiling. He was then back in the lounge like a shot, on his chair with his newspaper the instant I’d put his chair back in the corner. I then went into the kitchen to cook the dinner – only the two of us tonight because Jen has gone out. I heard this huge over-sigh when he discovered that his lamp had been unplugged and not plugged back in. The noise he made you would have thought it was the end of the bloody world!

He is well known for being totally unable to make any favourable comment in connection with anything I do – but he did make an effort this afternoon. He’d gone to sleep in a “soft aqua” and “sugared lilac” room – and he woke up in a “mellow mocha” one – what did he say?

“Ooh the paint smells nice!”

Anyway – I’ve had my dinner now – and a VERY LARGE glass of wine (ha – didn’t give him any!!) and now I’m off to have a nice long soak in the bath, with a cup of coffee and a chocolate mousse, (I will try not to fall asleep in the bath), and I have to be down here at 9 pm ready to tape “24” and “Lost”.

Plans for the rest of the week: Try and get to Ikea for a new curtain pole to match the one in the dining room. Find some nice curtains from somewhere – preferably a nice pale natural sort of colour. Put the stuff back in the lounge that needs to go back – and try and get rid of some of the junk he has accumulated over the last 7 years. Go to Birmingham on Wednesday – hopefully to see some programme being made – don’t know if we will get in or not – we have our eTickets, but there are no guarantees. Hair cut on Thursday (at last) and out for a meal with my parents on Thursday night. Might have a lie in on Friday!

It is tempting to stay up all night and finish the painting once he has gone to bed – but I know I shouldn’t. REALLY!! I MUST NOT DO ANY MORE PAINTING TODAY!!!!

...busy!!

Aren't unexpected days off just fantastic for getting all those jobs done that you normally don't get the time to do. I've been so busy today - I haven't stopped. I've taken photos of the snow, checked for emails about 7 or 8 times, more photos, slept, watched Neighbours, Doctors AND Diagnosis Murder (it was very good) and got down to some serious....
snowman building!



Hard to tell from the photo, but he is about 5 feet tall!



Don't you think these gnomes look like they are plotting something?



Especially the one in the red hat leaning against the gnome post... The other two look innocent enough I suppose!

In a quandary...

... I am all fired up (there’s a metaphor in there somewhere!!) with enthusiasm (for work? I must be ill!) But – do I (a) check for emails first, and risk being distracted by any possible replies that I might need to write – OR (b) crack on with my work and risk being distracted by the THOUGHT that there might be emails that need replies – OR perhaps (c) – write a blog…