The Big Push Day 12

I awoke reinvigorated from my lazy day yesterday and got straight into the swing of things, i had my coffee and did the blog as usual but only allowed myself 30 mins online before heading off out to Hesdin. I checked the bank to see if the money was in, it wasn't so i will need to go in on Tuesday as well, then went to Mr Bricolage and bought three tins of paint and some weed killer. When i got back i started on the second coat of the stairs, masked everything off so ant would not have to cut in and got painting. I had just finished the cutting in when Janine arrived so i stopped and had a chat to her, she had brought me a courgette and some tomatoes so i sent her away with a cabbage and a cauliflower. Whilst Janine was here mam in law phoned, so i said i would phone her back once Janine had gone, which i did. The i made another start, again just as i was getting into it the phone rang, it was ant. A member of the crew he was working with had died on route and he was a little shaken by it and had to speak to me, so we chatted and he seemed a little happier, the only thing is we now don't know when he is going to get back.
Eventually i managed to get the painting finished, it doesn't look too bad, but it could look better. After this i headed over to Chris and Allan to say hello, i hadn't seen them at all over the weekend and i didn't want to be rude. They are having work done in their house too and Simon was there so we all sat with a cuppa and chatted for a while, then i headed back. On returning i decided to try and tackle the hall ceiling, i managed to mock something together and just hope it doesn't look too bad when it has been painted, then i called it a day.
I cleaned the house and myself up, planned the evenings viewing, then made dinner, lowly pork chops with brussel sprouts, peas and chips tonight, not very appealing but very welcome as it was the first food i had had all day. The tv was drivel as usual and a bit later in the evening i went on line to catch ant on skype, we chatted for a while then he went off to sleep and i went back to the sofa. By nine thirty i was watching ace ventura call of the wild, what a croc of rubbish, so i turned it off, put the dogs out for their evening constitutional and went back on mine for a while, then headed off to bed and read.

The Big Push Day 11

I woke late this morning and had a relaxed morning, i knew i had things to do but couldn't find the oomph to get going, so i procrastinated for quite a long time, then went upstairs and sorted out one of the bedrooms, i even ironed the bedding, put some pictures up and generally tidied round the house a little. I caught up on a lot of the washing that has been waiting to be done since we got back from oz, and then spent some quality time with the dogs. One day off does not make a big difference in the grand scheme of things. I spoke to Sarah on the phone for some time, had some lunch, watched a bit of tv and generally slobbed about.
Late afternoon i went back online and caught ant on skype, he was quite chatty and we spoke for some time, he wanted to be sure i was not getting too down under all the pressure of the work, i am not i just wanted a lazy day, i was missing him allot so it helped to chat to him. I spoke to gran for a while on the phone and we talked about our imminent move to oz, so she knows it is going to happen now, she was a little disappointed but i reassured her it would not be the last she saw of us, and she understood this was something we had to do. After this is was a very gentle evening, sweet and sour chicken, the antiques roadshow and then an evening of carry on films before heading off to bed determined that tomorrow i would rediscover my oomph and get on with it again.

The Big Push Day 10

A five o'clock wake up this morning then a quick get ready and off to Lille for ant, he's off to Hong Kong for five days! I am not sure i will be able to cope as the will to carry on with the work on my own is already being slowly sapped. I got back by half eight and sat down to another coffee and went on line, did the blog and looked at Adelaide Now then some real estate, checked out Mount Barker but it was a little pricey as well. I looked at the euro to aus dollar exchange rate also and realized we would have a fair bit less than i thought, we will just have to hope it gets a little better. I spoke to ant on the phone and he told me off for wasting time on the computer and to get on with the painting, so i was about to make a start when the post person came and i got the electric bill i had been waiting for, i phoned the company only to be told that they would not be reimbursing the eight hundred euros we have over paid until February!! so this annoyed me a little, phoned ant again and he again got shirty about me not having started work.
I started painting the stairs we had papered the day before, it was not too hard but i made a little bit of a mess on the cutting in, after the first coat went up there was not enough paint left to start on the second coat, so i wasn't sure what to do with myself, i phoned ant again, then decided i would go have a shower and get ready for the evening, i managed to get into a pair of jeans i had not worn for a while, so that pleased me, then rested in front of the tv until Tony and Jackie arrived.
Tony and Jackie arrived at about seven and we headed off to Greg's for the party, it was in full swing by the time we got there, Greg has a band and there was a little marquee set up at one end of the garden and a food and drinks bit at the other. We set ourselves up near the food and drink and sat and chatted and listened to the music, there was also a pig on a spit which was interesting, the meat was delicious.
By about ten we had had enough and headed back here, Tony and Jackie came in for a coffee and chatted for a good while longer then they headed off home and i headed off to bed, quite tired by this point, i read for a little while then went to sleep.

The Big Push Day 9

Todays plan was to somehow cover the walls in the stairwell, a bit of a difficult task due to the height and restricted space, so we got our selves up and ready then headed out to Hesdin and went shopping at Mr Bricolage. We bought two rolls of fiberglass wall paper, designed to cover all surfaces and give a finish ready to paint, and some glue stuff to apply it. We got back to the house and started preparations for the work, i gave tony a call to see if he had any extending ladders i could borrow and to see if they fancied going to Greg's famous party on Saturday night, they did for both. Tony said he may drop by later with the ladders and he wanted to check out how things were going. Ant and i set to and did the easy bits first, the paper was very easy to apply, though we made a bit of a mess of the first piece we did, the subsequent pieces went up with little hassle. As we got to the bit that was hardest to reach we started to improvise with our ladders and other steps and, with a hotch potch of me supporting this Heath Robinson type design we managed to get all the wall finished, ready for painting by me the next day. In the end it looked quite good, and the stairs were much brighter than they have ever been. Whilst we were in the middle of the work one of the ceiling tiles i had put back up the day before fell off the ceiling, so i will have to look at repairing that problem another day.
Once we had finished applying the paper we started with the furniture moving in the bedroom, just as we had finished moving the bed Tony arrived with the ladders, great for the paint job on Saturday since i will be alone. We showed Tony the works in progress, not too sure if he was impressed but he didn't seem horrified, then i gave him one of the cabbages from the garden and he set off. Ant and i did the final tidy up then headed back to Hesdin to do a little food shopping, we bought pizza for dinner and some other bits for me whilst he is away. We got home and set too loading the pizza's up with extra toppings before cooking, then sat down to dinner in front of the tv and relaxed. The pizza was so filling i had to give some to the dogs and ant put half of his in the fridge. The dogs really got lucky as they got their normal dinner, the fish from the day before and pizza, diet day on Saturday i think.
By ten we went upstairs, ant packed his case for the following morning and i read for a while whilst he scurried around the house, then an early night as it will be a five am rise again, the joys!!

The Big Push Day 8

Up at 8 this morning, then online with coffee and smokes, i completed the blog then we had a little look at Adelaide Now and some property pages then we made a start. I had decided to try to cover the ugly ceiling in the hall with some polystyrene roll so headed off to St.Pol to pick up some stuff, ant started work on the cutting in in the bedrooms. I bought the rolls and some neoprene glue then headed home, by the time i had stuck a couple of the old polystyrene tiles back to the ceiling i realized the glue was not the best solution as it was burning the tiles, so i headed back out, to Hesdin this time, and bought the stuff i was supposed to get to stick the stuff on.
When i returned i made a start, and with ants help, a lot of sweat and a lot of hard work, got the ceiling covered, it looked a bit tatty in places so i decided to get some coving to cover the tatty edges, another trip out. While i was out ant had finished both bedrooms and dressed one of them, so we now have a nice space to sleep. I spent another hour applying coving to the ceilings then got really frustrated with it and ant decreed it was time to give it a break, it was five in the afternoon. We had a short rest upstairs and i watched All About Eve while ant napped on and off. When we came down we decided we didn't want the fish i had defrosted so we hightailed it out to the Frite van at Le Parq and got some fast food.
We had a nice easy evening in front of the TV, i had a couple of gin and tonics, and at the end of the evening we watched Almadovar's Volver, which was good. Then off to bed for another well deserved sleep. Ceiling looks much better than it did, it needs a coat of paint or two and i need to finish the coving but it is now a nice clean white rather than nicotine yellow.

The Big Push Day 7

Up early again today, came down and did the usual stuff, but having ant home was a bit more energized to get on with the task. After the coffee routine ant and i moved the furniture in the last bedroom and then i started on with the paint, ant started doing the skirting boards in the living room. I had the bedroom done after a few hours and came down to see how ant was getting on, he had nearly done in the living room. I phoned Jacqui and spoke to Simon to see if he could suggest how he could help with the stairs, they said they would come over in the afternoon. Ant made a start on the cutting in in the bedrooms and i set to doing a bit of tidying, washed the windows then cleaned down the walls in the living room. Jacqui and Simon arrived and we discussed what we could do about the ceilings in the hall and bathroom and the best way to get the walls sorted up stairs, he thought it was going to be neigh on impossible to get the ceilings sorted so after they had gone i phoned Maggie to ask if it would make a huge difference, she didn't think it would.
By this time ant was fed up of painting so we decided to shift the furniture back into the living room, this didn't take too long and the place looked so much better when we had finished, it has a whole different feel now the floor is done and the skirting painted. I decided that we would call it a day at that point, nearly five in the afternoon, so we tided away painting stuff then had a relax for an hour or so, then i sorted out the dinner, roast chicken, and we sat in the living room for the first time in ages and had a night in front of the tv. Gran phoned whilst we were eating to say that the lap top had arrived and dad was pleased with it, so i phoned her back after dinner and ant chatted to her for ages, then he decided he would phone his mum and everyone else in the world so i was left to my own devices. We had an earlyish night without the dogs in the room for a change so slept really well.

The Big Push Day 6

I got up with the good intentions of getting the skirting boards painted in the living room so it could all be put back together the day after and we could get the house back to some form of normality, the road to hell is paved with good intentions we are told and this turned out to be the case. I had my coffee and went online to do the blog, then looked at Adelaide Now to see what was happening in Adelaide, chatted to Jacqui Rowe on msn for a while then made a move. I tested a strip of the wall with the masking tape and it took up a strip of paint, paint i can't replace now, so i decided to give it a miss. I phoned my friend Kenny in Glasgow to see how he was getting on and to fill him in on news here, he wasn't too surprised at the news but wanted to know if ant was aware that this was being planned, as i, apparently, make the decisions and ant follows!! I assured him this was not the case, and that ant had refused a few years ago hence we were only just at the stage now. Ant phoned from London so i gave him a call back, he told me to have a day of relaxation and we would pick up tomorrow, i have to admit my oomph was a little waning and his input would refresh my ardor, so i had a relaxing day instead. I spent some time online looking at property in the Adelaide region, and discovered that Murray Bridge would be much more in our price bracket than Gawler so i will have to pick mums brains on that one. Then i had some lunch and watched a bit of tv, and by the time i had made the bed and got myself refreshed it was time to head out and pick ant up.
We chatted away in the car on the way back, sorted out a couple of issues i had with how we were going to proceed in decorating the stairwell and i felt much more positive. When we got back i sent him upstairs for a shower then i got on with making dinner, a quiche (homemade of course) which went down well, we reclined on the bed watching tv and had a couple of stubbies (beers) nothing much on the tv, a couple of property shows, but at the end of the night we watched a documentary about a transsexual beauty pageant in Las Vegas, it was quite good and some of the transsexuals were really very convincing and incredibly beautiful, this went on till one in the morning, i was surprised ant managed to stay awake, then we headed off to bed, the Richardson-Riggs en mass again.

The Big Push Day 5

I woke early again this morning, had my coffee and messed about online for about an hour, then loaded the girls into the car and headed off to Arras to sort out the sander. It was all sorted easily, though it was a little more costly than i had originally thought, but still cheaper and better looking than a carpet. When i got back i knew i had a bedroom to paint so i procrastinated for a bit and made some phone calls then took the bull by the horns and set too. It took a while to get all the junk out and the furniture sorted but eventually i got it ready to paint, the easy bit. It took about four hours in all, i left the cutting in for ant as he has a better eye and hand for these things, but i have to say it looks quite good, more modern and clean than it did.
After i had painted i put the furniture back where it was as i needed the room for the evening as the living room is still empty, then i settled down to an afternoon film, not a great one but it passed a couple of hours and was relaxing. At five thirty i went down to make some dinner, pork chops with potatoes and peas, just as it was ready Jacqui Rowe arrived, so i turned it all down and showed her what we had done so far, she seemed impressed, but, like me, was unsure what we would do about the stairs, the next couple of days will tell.
Once Jacqui had left i went upstairs with my dinner and had a nice relaxing night in front of the tv, at the end of the night i put the laptop on to catch any emails and ant called me on skype, which was nice. At eleven i headed to bed and read for a while then dropped off into a good deep sleep. Tomorrow i have the skirting boards to paint in the living room then ant is home at five, so that's something to look forward too, i will at least have more umph when he is here.

The Big Push Day 4

We got up at five thirty, bleary eyed and a little tired, i went down and made the coffee whilst ant sorted himself out. By Six thirty we were on the road, the dogs came with us for a change as there was nowhere in the house we could leave them where Ruby wouldn't chew a bit of furniture. I dropped ant off and was back home just before nine, so i made a couple of phone calls then steeled myself to the days tasks, i started on the outbuilding, this took a couple of hours but i got it finished, just the edging to do now. I decided to have a short rest before second coating the floor, but then thought i would just get on with it and get it done, so another couple of hours on that and i had finished the work planned for the day. I left the living room shut up and didn't even attempt to look at the finished result, it changes so much.
Since i was here alone i decided now would be a good time to rest, had ant been home i may have been spurred on to attempt something else as well, but i cuddled down with the dogs and watched some tv with a nice ham and tomato baguette. The rest of the day was a series of tv watching and eating, i saw another Studio Ghibli animè, which was good but very confusing, and another film. At six thirty i came down to make my dinner and phone gran, steak and chips again but it was very good. Gran asked me to sort out a lap top for dad for his birthday so i did that whilst she was on the phone and i checked ants holiday dates to see if we were free for the 29th November as gran is organizing a Christmas lunch at her favorite restaurant of the moment, we are free but i said i would have to discuss it with ant first.
An easy evening in front of the tv then followed, two episodes of Jam and Jerusalem, and then something incredibly banal, then i decided enough was enough and headed off to bed, i managed to read for a little while then dropped off to sleep. Another busy day tomorrow, i need to go back to Arras to pay for the sander, then get the big bedroom organized for painting and paint it, all fun fun fun, catch you soon

The Big Push Day 3

The alarm woke us at eight this morning, we headed down for coffee then set to with the sander to try and finish the floor before we had to take it back to the rental place. We got most of it done and i decided we would just have to finish the rest off with our hand sander, so we headed back off to Arras with the car loaded up with sanders. When we got there the man asked if we had brought back any unused sanding sheets, we hadn't, he advised this was going to cost us so he let us drop off the machines and go back on Monday with any sheets to pay. We then headed into Leroy Merlin to get same sanding pieces for the hand sander, some white paint and some glue for the skirting boards, then back home. I sat for ages sanding away at the floor, it didn't do much but it got it to a stage where we decided we could varnish, i cleaned the whole room up with the hoover then we set to varnishing, what a lovely color it came up.
After this we decided to have a short rest, ant napped for a couple of hours and i watched The Cat Returns by studio Ghibli, a great anime film. Ant then started on the cutting in in the middle bedroom while i cleaned out the kitchen and made a start on dinner, meatballs et fusli al forno, or meatballs and pasta baked in the oven, it was ok. We polished off the beautiful bottle of Salitage Chardonnay with it then relaxed in front of the telly. Ant then got up and started on his preparations for the trip on Sunday, then phoned gran and chatted to her, he put her on to me for a bit then finally we relaxed for the night. We had an earlyish night due to the wake up at five thirty the next morning to get ant to Lille in time.

The Big Push Day 2

What a day!!! we woke early and had coffee, then started on the removal of the furniture from the living/dining room, we managed to have this done by nine thirty and headed to Hesdin to hire a floor sander and get some other bits from Mr Bricolage. When we arrived we were told the guy that deals with rentals was out at the post office so we would have to wait, we had a mooch around then came back to the rental desk. The guy was there but told us the sander was broken, we asked where the nearest place to get one was and were told we would have to go to Arras. We high tailed it up to Arras to get there before the lunch time close down, and got there with half an hour to spare. The place we went had a special offer on the hire of the machines, and we got both the big sander and the edger, varnish and sand paper, then headed back home.
The big machine was a real swine, the paper would touch the floor then just tear, so i ended up doing most of the floor with the edger, then finally i got the hang of the big machine and got a huge section of the floor finished. By eight thirty we were done in so decided to call it a day and finish off in the morning, ant sent me up to the bedroom with the tv to relax whilst he made dinner. He came up half an hour later with a tray laden with sausage, chips and egg, two deserts, and some cheese, what a sweety, it was the first food we had had all day so it went down quickly. After this we settled down to a little tv, then by ten in the evening we were so done in we decided to call it a day and headed to bed, with the joy of more sanding to look forward to in the morning, with in minutes we were both asleep.

The Big Push Day 1

The beginning of the renovations started today, ant was up early, 7.30, i woke about an hour later. We sat and had our coffee and planned out the work we would do over the next week, he is home for three days then away for three. I headed out to do the food shopping, picking up Mark on the way, and ant stayed at home and worked on finishing off the out building. After i had dropped Mark off i headed up to Tony's to pick up the two tins of paint Jackie had kindly brought us back from the uk, it is much cheaper there. I only stopped at Tony's for a few moments then headed back home. When i got back ant was still on with the crepi, i unloaded the car and did a little tidy up then made us some lunch.
After lunch ant started to strip the wall paper on the stairs, he had run out of crepi so we will have to finish that job at another stage. I cleared one of the bedrooms ready for painting, i borrowed a roller off Jacqui Rowe and then set too, it was a bit streaky on the first coat, but the second coat finished it off nicely. It was so hot in the room i was sweating like a glass blowers ears so i was topless for all the village to see, hopefully no one passed.
By six in the evening i had done two coats and all the cutting in i dared without making a mess, ant was still steaming the wallpaper on the stairs, it sounds a bit like someone trying to blow up a very large balloon, a bit of a thankless task, i bet he regrets tearing strips off the walls when we first came here now!! I headed down for a bath, i got most of the paint off, then put the dinner on, a simple roasted chuck tonight with roasted potatoes and carrots, need to keep our strength up over the coming days. I requested ant stop what he was doing when the steamer is empty so he can get bathed and relax for the evening, this still has to happen yet so i can imagine my requests are going to become commands in a few minutes. Hope fully we will enjoy a peaceful evening in front of the telly, as we will be worrn out. At least we have achieved something and the middle bedroom is further towards being finished, tomorrow holds the delight of emptying the living rooms and sanding the floors, the place is going to be a riot for the next week but i will just have to live with it.
Bye for now

Wednesday 19th August

I woke about seven thirty and came down to an empty house, let the dogs out and made a coffee, put on the computer and started looking through emails and updating the blog. I chatted to Jacqui Rowe and she said she would nip over to have a chat and pick up the rabbit key. At about nine thirty ant came down, i asked him to get dressed as Jacqui was coming over and he went into over drive tidying up the house, a few moments later ian came down. Jacqui arrived and we all sat and chatted for a couple of hours, about our trip and her trip and the fun she was having with her three visitors. After she left we got ian sorted out for his flight home, had a little lunch, then set off for Paris, the day was so hot so the car was stiffling. We got him there in plenty of time for the flight, directed him on where to go then headed back up the motorway. When we got back i put on a stew for dinner then went back on line to finish writing up the blogs. We plan to have a nice relaxed evening with some Kath and Kim and something special from the Salitage winery, cheers aunty m!!

The Big Adventure The Homecoming

After the most welcome cigarette in the world i headed over to terminal five to meet ant, "meet me outside crispy creme donuts!!" i stood there for an age, saw several other members from the crew going through the terminal and though the bugger is outside having a smoke, low and behold he arrived i challenged him and he admitted he had been out there for the last ten minutes chatting to someone whilst having a smoke!! We weighed up our options, we had ages until our train back to France so ant nipped up to see if he could get us flights to Paris that would get us in earlier, he booked a couple but we decided we were risking being stuck in Paris waiting for a train to Arras so we headed in to London.
At St. Pancras we asked about getting an earlier Eurostar, this was possible with a small donation to the company, so we jumped at the chance, we then headed to Marks's and bought a couple of bottles of wine, had another smoke and then went through to the waiting lounge. The journey was quite uneventful, ant slept for most of it and carried on reading my short history of Australia. When we got to Lille i looked in to getting an earlier train to St. Pol, the next direct one was in two hours, so i got us two tickets for that and we went and found something to eat. We sat out in the sunshine for an hour and a half, ant with a pichet of rosé and me with a beer, watching the world go by then got on the little train. The journey was quite nice, again ant slept but the countryside was really lovely and at one point we ran along side an enormous canal with a fair few large barges, very picturesque. At St. Pol we were met by Marthe who gave us a lift home. The house was still standing, so that was a relief, then the dogs came charging out into the garden to greet us. Ant spent some time fussing about the place, but apart from an empty drinks cabinet and a huge volume of dead flies, i will need to check for a corpse, the house was fine. We shared a few drinks with ian and then headed off to bed with the girls, the richardson-riggs all in one bed again so nice.

The Big Adventure Part Six

Our last day in Singapore, we were due to leave quite late in the evening so effectively had all day to kill, we decided to wander up to orchard road, ant had decided i needed a new outfit for the trip home! the walk was pleasant and the place was full of huge malls, most in the process of being redone, so it looked like a big building site. After looking at all sorts of bit and pieces i insisted we stop for food, Mos Burger won the day again, then we started back on the hunt. I have to say i am not a big fan of clothes shopping but ant loves it, eventually i settled on some new trousers and a new shirt, ant said if someone was trying to get him to have a new outfit he would have snatched their hand off, so i guess i am just an ungrateful swine. Ant had wanted to find the Uniclo he had read about but we eventually tired of the experience and headed back. He bought two mr men tee shirts in the mall, one for him, Mr forgetful and one for me, Mr clever, he had wanted mr chatterbox and i had wanted mr grumpy but the sales person said, with the usual unhelpfulnes of the singaporesse, no we dont have that so we compromised. In the end the mr clever was too small for me so he ended up with both, it think it worked out for the best.
We had another afternoon siesta then another Mos Burger delight for dinner before finally getting ready for the off.
It was a bit touch and go if i would get on the flight, as it was quite full, but i got a seat with no problem at the desk, then they upgraded me to business class at check in, i was quite pleased about this as it is a little less hassle some than first. The flight was very pleasant, i managed to get in five hours sleep and watched The Ship That Rocked, not an oscar winner perhaps but a bit of light fluff. The meal was as good as i had had in first and the service was much better, i think the seat was even better for getting to sleep on as well so save your money and fly club!!
We landed by six in the morning and i streaked through the airport to the smoking place like a whippet out of a trap but this is another day so another part

The Big Adventure Part Five

We had arrived back into Singapore quite late so we went up to the room, ant had a couple of half bottles of wine so we had a drink and chatted about our experiences and how we felt everything had gone, we were both really happy about the trip and though mum and aunty m were really lovely people. We went to sleep and woke quite late the next day. Unfortunately we really wanted to be back in France sorting things out in the house so we did not feel to inclined to do much, but we decided we would take a walk over to Clarke Quay and have a wander around there, which we did. It was a nice walk, very hot and sunny, so we popped into a couple of airconned malls to cool down a little. We passed by the Durian and the Merlion, then stopped for a beer at Clarke Quay. I had read that Royal Selangor, an artisanal metal work company, had a little museum there so we went to have a look at that, the museum was not up to much but there was a work space where you could learn how to beat out a pewter bowl, after a little procrastination we decided to give it a go. We enjoyed it immensely, ant did a bowl for me with d a and r all over it, our combined initials, and i did one with david loves anthony in the middle all surrounded by a heart made of x's, which he liked too, so it was a great little souvenir of Singapore. After this we wandered back to the hotel and had a little down time, whilst ant had a nap and i watched a little T.V.
In the evening we had decided to go to Bugis Street market, not that we needed anything but it would be good for a little entertainment. We decided, after much procrastination, to eat in the Japanesse food court in the mall, it was great, they gave us a card when we went in and you went to each of the food stands and they made the stuff in front of you. I had mussels wrapped in bacon on a spit griddled, and quail eggs in bacon on a spit to start, ant had some griddled dumplings, then i had a BBQ chicken leg with almond rice and salad for a main, ant had a potatoe rosti with Japanesse curry, not very typical but very nice. We had a good wander round the market and bought nothing, then we walked back to the hotel, passing a street full of food places, the smell was wonderful. Off to bed again.

The Big Adventure Part Four

I had arranged to go down for breakfast with mum in the morning so ant could do some bits and aunty m could too. Mum and i met up at the lifts and headed down to the club, we sat and chatted for a couple of hours about all sorts of stuff and enjoyed a nice breakfast, finally ant and aunty m showed up and we all sat with coffee on the terrace. We had booked into a Chinese restaurant for Yum Cha at eleven so jumped a taxi over, what a great place, it was huge and busy, we sat down and waiters kept passing the table with steam trolleys with differing bits of dim sum that we could pick if we wanted, mum was clearly an expert at this and chose some very nice bits for us, i particularly enjoyed the ribs and the Bok Choi and the little BBQ pork pie things.
After lunch we headed over to Paddy's market and bought a couple of bits and pieces then we headed back to the hotel, ant and i got ready and we had to say our good byes. It was quite difficult to drive away in the bus and see them stood watching us leave, but it will not be the last time we will see them and we had had such a wonderful time, the memories of our first meeting will always be good ones.
The flight back to Singapore was pretty uneventful and i ate and slept and read, i was a little down in the dumps after having left and we still had two days in Singapore before heading home.

The Big Adventure Part Three

We arrived in Sydney at about five in the morning, i was quite fresh and ant looked better than i had ever seen him after a flight. On the transport in to the city the nerves started to kick in a little and then when we got to the hotel it was too much. No sign of mum and aunty m in the lobby or bar, so i asked at the desk if they had a Carlin registered, no they hadn't, Wood? no, so i didn't know what to do and started to get a bit dithery. Ant booked us in and we went to our room, a suite which was lovely, he tried to get online to see if there were any messages for us but i said we had to go back down to the lobby and see of we had just missed them. Ant asked the receptionist if there were any messages for him, "no, oh wait yes!! your mum will phone you in your room" so we headed back up to the room and within a minute of getting through the door the phone rang. Ant answered it was mum, they were on the same floor as us so we headed over to their room, rang the door bell and waited. Mum answered the door, she was pretty much exactly the person i had in my head, we hugged for a while then hugged aunty m, there were very few tears and then we sat and chatted for a bit, we decided to go back to our room so ant could get changed and we could smoke there as well. When we got there we exchanged gifts, mum had given me two huge beautiful aussie cook books and a load of Kath and Kim goodies for ant, aunty m gave us a lovely book on the Pemberton region and two bottles of Salitage wine and a Salitage teeshirt and apron, i have been in the teeshirt daily and am wearing it as i type. Aunty m phoned aunty Bobbie and i had a quick chat to her. When we were all ready we headed down to the Sofitel club and had some breakfast then decided what to do with the day, it was still very early, mum suggested a city tour bus out to Bondi, which sounded good so we headed down to circular key to check it out.
When we got there the place was shut so we sat and waited for it to open, aunty m's daughter phoned and we all had a chat to her. When it opened we decided it was ridiculously priced so we headed off for a coffee then decided we would take the ferry to Manly and have a look round there, which we did. At Manly we had a bit of a wander then settled down in a German beer bar and all had a beer, then we headed back to circular to get the ferry to darling and find some lunch. On the ferry on the way back over i noticed two of my old teachers from Kirkbie Kendal, Mr and Mrs Thompson, i went over and said hello, they live there now and had just got their permanent residency, what a coincidence!!
We headed over to darling and found a place for food, we all had fish and chips, which were very good and sat with a bottle of Riesling, which was also very good. We decided we had to get a couple of hours sleep in so headed back to the hotel and fell straight to sleep when we got into the loveliest bed i have ever slept in. At seven we met up again and headed out to a local restaurant where we ate some very good modern aussie cuisine, then headed back to the hotel where we had another drink then went up to our room to look at some photos on aunty m's ipod on the tv. Finally it was time to say good night and we all headed off to sleeptown very happy.

The Big Adventure Part Two

I woke at three in the morning, i couldn't wake ant so i went online for a little while, his laptop is terrible to use but i managed. By Six it was light and time to wake him so i got him up and we headed down to the breakfast buffet where i royally pigged out on dim sum and Japanese and traditional English breakfast stuff, they even had a honey comb suspended in a frame, which was very good. After breakfast we went for a wander through the malls next to the hotel, these go on for miles and no shops were open as it was still to early and after an hour or so i suggested we wander back. Then the shops started opening, so we mooched through a couple. I decided it would be nice to relax by the pool for a bit so we searched out some swimming shorts and headed to the pool. We had a lovely afternoon relaxing reading and swimming, unfortunately ant got somewhat burnt and i did to a lesser extent. In the evening we decided to check out the asian food court at the raffles plaza, it has had a face lift since the last time we were there, so we got some food and sat and ate for a bit then headed back to the room for an early night, we finished off the bottle of wine from the night before then fell asleep.

The next morning i woke at a much more sensible hour, we got up and headed out to hunt down some breakfast, then did a little shopping. Ant wanted me to have some pajamas for the flight so i would not look too crumpled when we arrived in Sydeney and we got a little something for mum for a birthday pressie. The day before we had seen a place advertising Doctor Fish and ant became obsessed with finding it again, which we did. We paid for fifteen minutes and went into a room full of long fish tanks, we had to wash our feet then sit on the side of the tank and dangle out feet in. It was a very strange experience, as soon as we put our feet in the fish swarmed about them nibbling all the dead skin off them, it was almost like tiny electric shocks but boy did it work. So with really smooth feet we headed back to the hotel to start preparation for heading off to Sydney. When we got to the airport the girl on the desk held me back to the end and the nerves started to kick in a little but i got on the flight and was put in first class again, i was determined to get some sleep and changed into my new pjs before the plane had even taken off, i looked a bit of a nong i am sure but it did help when i got off at the other end. I managed to sleep a little and watched a film and then the flight was over, but thats another day.

the big adventure part one

i am sat at the desk of a room on the thirty third floor of the Swissotel Stamford Singapore, it is four twenty in the morning local time. Anthony is still asleep and i am trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake him. As usual i have not managed my sleep pattern very well but it will all sort itself out by tomorrow morning. The adventure began two days ago, again i woke early and then had too much time to waste before the off, but eventually we left the house and headed to the train station with Marthe, the trains ran perfectly and after two and a bit hours we were in London. Even the underground didn't give us any trouble, despite it being rush hour we got seats, it was very hot and a little over crowded but it got us there in good time and relative comfort.
At Heathrow we had to go to terminal four and see if i could check in, i could not, i was too early and would have to come back at 8.45, 2 and a bit hours later, so i sent ant off so he could get himself sorted for work and amused myself. Terminal four is horrible now, there were no seats in departures so i went down to arrivals and mooched about. I tried to book into the pod hotel for a couple of hours but they were full so i found a seat and read some of the short history of australia. Eventually the time came to go back to the staff travel desk, it is always harrowing experience, not knowing if you will get on the flight, but this time the pressure was more intense. I got chatting with a lady stood waiting, she was traveling with the captain so i knew she would get on. Finally our names were called, they gave me a seat in club, lovely, so i rushed through security and got to the gate, it was already boarding, we went straight to the executive channel and were informed we had been bumped back down to cattle class, a bit of disappointment but we had got on.
When we boarded the flight we introduced ourselves to the csd and were ushered in to a galley to wait till they could re seat us, when everyone was on we were seated, 4a, my usual seat in first class, couldn't be happier. I forwent the champagne but tucked into the macadamia nuts, my favourite nut, perused the menu and the wine list then planned my viewing choices. Finally were got off the ground and the journey began, the flight was long but the seat very comfortable, the little pre-dinner nibbles were lovely, i was a little disappointed that the crayfish ravioli had gone by the time i ordered my meal, but that's the way of things. I had an asparagus salad starter, then a lamb curry thing that stripped all the tastebuds from my tongue, half a glass of pinot noir, a very nice chocolate desert and then settled in to the films, Wolverine the beginnings, not bad, then Star Treck, simply awful. I tried to get to sleep but only managed a couple of hours.
Singapore was just as i remembered it, i got through the airport quickly, not stopping to find the roof top bar i love to go to for a smoke, headed straight outside and was hit by the damp heat, then enjoyed that smoke so long in coming for the last fourteen hours. The crew were out quickly and we headed into the city. At the hotel we got to our room, very comfortable, with the biggest firmest bed and best view of any hotel i have ever stayed in, refreshed ourselves then headed to the mall to get provisions for a room picnic. Back in the room we settled in or a relaxing night, i quickly polished off a chicken teryaki burger and a scallop thing in rice, delicious and very cheap from mos burger, and ant had a huge bucket of chicken nuggets. We relaxed and opened the bottle of wine we had bought, ant was asleep before he had had two sips so i drank a glass and finished his then went to sleep too.

Sunday 09th August

Just one day until we head off, and it was quite a packed one. When we were all up and ready we headed into Hesin, did a little shopping and then went to the Hesdin Brocant, like a big car boot sale without the car. We headed over to Maggie and Mikes place where they had opened their courtyard and were selling stuff, Marion was there, and Rosie, Jackie and Tony. So we had a good morning of sitting around in the sun chatting, Sandra and Jim turned up for a bit and several others wandered in and out of the scene. We didn't buy anything but ant and Ian had a couple of drinks and at lunch time we all had a something to eat off the barbie.
We headed home about half two, Maggie had given us some curtains for the house which will be better than the ones up at the moment. On the way home i could sense ant was getting tired so i suggested he get a nap in before the evening, ian and i went to sort out the rabbits, then we headed off in search of an open tabac, a bit of a task on a Sunday. When we got back ant started on the packing, and i sorted out the stuff i was going to take, i got everything i needed into a small bag and ant did the same, it makes it easier when we are heading across London on the tube. Fen and Tally got picked up so that was another thing off the list, and then i started on preparations for the Apero, ant washed down the table outside and ian cleared the garden of doggy gifts.
Just as we finished our preparations Janine arrived, with a bag of tomatoes and a courgette. About half an hour later Marte arrived and we had a lovely evening sitting out eating and chatting and making merry, Ian was quite impressed at our ability to speak the lingo and said he really enjoyed sitting there listening to it. The lady's left at about nine and we stayed out until about eleven, it was a lovely clear night, very starry and a very pleasant evening all in all. We headed off to bed at eleven, i decided the dogs could come in with us as we would not be seeing them again for a while and the richardson-rigg family all headed off to snooze town in one big pile.
Ant woke at seven this morning, monday, to find one of the dogs had very kindly had several accidents all over the carpet, so it was a lovely task for me clearing it up, it's a good job i am not hungover, i will need to vax the rooms upstairs when i get back anyway. Unfortunately this means i am up very early, seven o'clock, and have until one twenty this afternoon to wait until we actually set off into the unknown, so a long morning of finding things to keep me occupied. I am not sure if i will be able to keep the blog up while we are away, i am leaving my lap top at home but i will have ants notebook so who knows, so that may be all till we get back.

Friday 7th August and Sat 8th

I know i have missed a day and i apologist, but there has been so much going on that it slipped down on the importance stakes, so here are two days for the price of one!! On Thursday we had to nip into town to get some materials for the house as we now have a long to do list, and i needed to get some things for the dinner party in the evening. Whilst at Carrefore we bumped into Mark so gave him a lift back to Le Parq. I sorted out his scanner for him and ant chatted to David for a while then we headed home. Ant spent the afternoon ripping up the nasty carpet on the stairs and then trying to remove the underlay that had been glued down so as to withstand a nuclear blast, in doing so he created enough dust to re sand the Sahara! He looked so funny in just a pair of undies and a t shirt covered in underlay dust. I set to on the dinner party, a chilled pea soup to start, then a beef bourguignon, cheese plate and finishing with peaches steeped in muscat wine. At about four in the arvo i released ant for his servitude and sent him off for a nap. Tony, Jackie, Paul and Ally arrived at about seven thirty, Ally was very taken with the house, it is a cute place, and we had a really good evening full of chat and laughter, ant and i even got old photo's out so we must have been a little merry!!
On Saturday we got up at eight thirty, tidied up a bit and then headed off to pick Ian up from Paris. It is about a two and a half hour drive, and we stopped on the way down to eat as i was absolutely famished. He arrived on time and we headed back home. We dropped his stuff at the house and relaxed for half an hour then headed out to the supermarket to get supplies for Ian's time here alone. When i was satisfied he had everything he would need for the duration we came home. The headache i was owed by my hangover started to kick in with force so ant said he would cook and i could go relax in front of the telly while he and Ian chatted in the kitchen, i did this for about half an hour then joined them. We had a good night, ant did a very nice chicken in white wine stew with roasted potatoes and we sat and drank beer and chatted till about eleven then all headed off to bed. Only Sunday to go then we will start our trip, so there will be plenty of excitement on Monday morning!!

Thursday 06th August

I got up at about eight and went down, released the hounds and started the morning, ant followed a little later on and we chatted for a bit, i then went online, hoping to catch mum to let her know what was going on, she hadn't come on for a bit so i decided to give her a call. I told her about our plans and was relieved she was really pleased. A couple of moments later aunt M phoned and we chatted to her, then ant disappeared outside, in a dressing gown and towel! to chat to Janine, she told us Madam Soyez, the old lady we bought the house from, was coming to the village and to our for a cup of tea. I had to do a shorted walk with Marte in order to get back and be prepared. I mowed the lawns and ant cleaned the windows.
We had a lovely time, Madam Soyez was accompanied by her son and daughter in law and a grandson, then had a good look round and we sat out in the garden with a cup of tea, they thanked us profusely for allowing them to see the place again and told us all sorts of information we didnt know, apparently there is a cellar and a well in the outbuildings. After they left we relaxed a bit, ant went for a nap and i read.
At around five Maggie and her husband Mike arrived, ant went out to chat with Mike as i accompanied Maggie round the house, she gave a list of suggestions for getting the place up to scratch and then gave us a valuation. Fortunately it was enough to give us a decent nest egg for the move and we should, if we can get it sold, have enough to buy outright in aus. After they left we headed out to feed the rabbits, made a quick stop at Martes to tell her we would not be going to Le Touquet with her on friday as we would have too much to do. Janinne was there as well so i let her know what was going on, she seemed quite sad but resigned to it. By the time we got sorted after the rabbits it was time to head off out to Rosie's for dinner.
We got to Rosies after a quick search for a Tabac, ant has been smoking like a chimney the last couple of days, and settled in to a lovely night of good food and hospitality, she made a really lovely menu and the chat was good. Ant got gently merry, i was very good and kept off the sauce due to the car. We got home about eleven thirty and cracked open a bottle of wine and chatted, about what we had to do in the house, with the dogs, looking for work, all the things we have to get done before starting our new life, and so to bed, two o'clock in the morning!!

Wednesday 05th August

We woke about about eight thirty and went down, i was hoping to catch mum online so went on the computer, but to no avail. Chatted to jacqui for a while, reassuring her her rabbits and fish were ok. At ten i went out with Marte for another walk, it was a nice morning and we went a different way, which was interesting, ant stayed at home and did housework. When we returned Marte came in for a coffee and a chat, the house looked really good.
Once Marte had left we headed out to Le Parq and then on to Carrefour to go shopping, we have four social events before monday so had to buy plenty of wine in. After shopping we stopped at David and Mark's for a coffee then headed home and set to work on the garden. It was quite a hot day so we did a little bit of work then threw it in and relaxed. We made a quick trip to the rabbits, they were fine, and then settled in to dinner and the tellevision. Ant had a good chat with gran, and we watched an interesting drama about the Spanish Flu, which was a little scary in the face of the swine flu issue. Then to bed, another day closer to monday.

Tuesday 04th August

Up at nine and off out for a walk with Marte at ten, did the usual two hours and left ant on the phone, he was still on it when i got back and was a bit upset due to the conversation he had had with his mum and brother, so we sat and chatted through some stuff and got things back to the happy equilibrium we normally experience. I had said i would take David into town with his cat as it needed to go to the vets, so set off for Le Parq at half one. Dropped in to say hello to Marrion and Maggie then dropped David back off at his and headed home. At three thirty Fen and Tally arrived then Ant and i headed off to Jackie and Tony's to drop off Jackies birthday present, a pair of Ugg boots.
We were at Tony and Jackies for about four hours sitting out in thier garden in the sun, ant drinking beer and me drinking shandy, chatting to Tony and Jackie and Paul and Ally about thier life in Melbourne and Australia in general, it was a very pleasant afternoon. By the time we got home ant was a little merrier than he had been, i set too making dinner then we sat and watched 'In Bruges' which was really good, thanks Tony for the loan. We headed off to bed by elleven as we were both a little tired, and lay and chatted for a while then gently fell asleep.

Monday 3rd August

Just one week until we head off to aus!! Woke and did the morning coffee, then i decided i would give mum a phone and let her know about the hotel change, this was the first time i had phoned her and was a little nervy but it all went fine, until we lost internet connection. Then we chatted on skype for a bit, ant commandeered the conversation a little bit but that's ok. At eleven i headed off out for a walk with Marte again, another nice long walk with the dogs.
I got back to find ant had done all sorts of housework bits whilst i had been out, he had even been and checked on the rabbits!! We had a little lunch then he headed off to bed for his afternoon nap. I went online for a while and eventually work him just before six. I noticed ruby was scratching away like mad so made another inspection to find she was crawling with flees, typical, poor little thing always gets stuff, even though they had an inoculation that's supposed to last for a year. We rushed down to town and got some shampoo and some front line, got back and bathed them both, fumigated the beds and then gave them frontline treatments.
I made a Thai Red curry for dinner, which was very tasty, and we had a few beers and sat and chatted about our future all night, we decided to have the dogs in with us for the night as their bedding was still a little damp, not a wise thing to do really since they were flea ridden, ah well! And so to bed, the whole Richardson-Rigg family on one bed, quite snug it was too. It has been quite an eventful day, we have made some major decisions about our future and the timescale it will take and i feel we have made some real progress, only the future will tell.

catch you sson

Sunday 02 August

I woke at about nine thirty this morning, did the morning routine, took the dogs for a walk then decided i would go to the feté at Wamin, i called round a couple of friends to see who would be going and arranged to meet Tony and Jackie at midday for a beer. I got to the fetè and it was very large and very busy, unfortunately there is little we need so i did not feel tempted to buy much. I did buy three books for a euro, Paul Theroux's Hotel Honolulu, A Town Like Alice, and Porterhouse Blue, so that should keep me in books for a while. I met up with Jackie and her son Paul and his partner Ally, Tony was missing in action looking at the stalls. Maggie and Mike were also there and Marion made a brief appearance. We all sat with a beer and chatted for a good while, i grilled Paul about life in aus for a bit, then decided it was time i got home to start the housework.
When i got back to the house i could not find the umph to get going on the house so i procrastinated a bit, chatted to Mandy on the phone, then gran, then fell asleep for a bit on the sofa. Eventually i got going and started. I managed to get done what i needed to then went online for a bit before heading out to pick ant up at Lille, a very late return. He arrived on time at ten in the evening and we headed home, we were both quite hungry so decided to stop at Mcdonalds for something to eat on the way back, it was not very pleasant but filled a need. When we got home ant opened his Aladdin's cave bags and out poured a new pair of glasses with reactors lenses, a new pair of normal crocs, a pair of crocs like deck shoes and two shirts for me and a whole host of things for him. So we are all set now for our week off before heading across the world.
Ant told me that BA had changed the hotel we were due to stay in, typical!! so i though i will have to call mum and let her know asap. All in all an interesting day, but plagued by such lethargy due to the beer in the middle of the day, still at least the holiday has begun, i have decreed that ant must use the time to get completely relaxed and refreshed before we head off on our journey, i think this may have scuppered all sorts of plans for work around the house but i don't care, it is important for him to relax a bit over the next few days.

Saturday 01 August

An early morning this morning, up at eight in readiness for a walk with Marte at nine, we did the same walk as Friday but in reverse, and chatted away about all sorts of things, mainly in french, so it is doing good for both my language and body. Stopped over for a lemonade at her place then came home. I had decided to go to the British Legion Garden Party a try so headed off to that, with a quick detour to Hesdin and a chat with Marion and Maggie. The garden party was not up to much but i did buy three books, one of which was an aussie joke book, so i shall look forward to having a look through that, and a jar of green tomato chutney, which was moldy when i got it home. I treated myself to an 'English Tea' which was a little disappointing but not unpleasant, then decided i would head off, i had been there fifteen minutes. It was full of older English people that i had no desire to get to know. As i was about to leave i spotted Dave, the owner of Fen and Tally, i said hi then said i was off, perhaps a little rude but i had had enough.

I headed home via Carrefore, where i treated myself to some wine and some lamb for dinner, got home and went online. Another episode in the life of mum, as usual an interesting read, so i sent back an email, then i started to worry she would be offended i had called her a fag hag in it, since she had had a very close relationship with a gay man. I don't know whether fag hag is a positive term but in my mind it is a term of great affection as i have had some very close relationships with female friends during my life and am still very close to my first fag hag even though we hardly ever see each other these days. I moved on to looking into transportable homes, i remember seeing a tv show with Billy Connolly where he toured aus on a motor bike, and stopped at a place where you could buy these second hand homes and have them transported to where ever, just a big yard full of homes on stilts waiting to be bought. So i had a good look at second hand ones and new ones and it seems such a cheep way of getting a home, though i think there must be a twist some where.
After this i headed out and checked the rabbits, they were fine as usual, then headed back and set too on the dinner, roasted lamb, perhaps my favorite of all roasted meats, with a red wine sauce and roasted baby potatoes from the garden. I had also treated myself to one of the lovely little french cakes you can buy in the supermarket, for a treat later, actually it was two and i was going to save one for ant on Sunday but some how it got eaten, i will just have to make it up to him. Another night a front the telly, same as last week, Total Wipeout then Top Gear. Just the same as last week this got me ranting at the telly again, same formula, Clarkeson rates a new car, only twenty odd thousand pounds this week so well within the reach of your average person on the street, then a challenge, the only reason i watched it this week was because this was to be centered round classic cars. Unfortunately this ended up aggravating me even more, as May had a Citroen Ami, a highly acclaimed classic, distinctive, beautiful in its own way and mechanically forward thinking for the time, as per it was laughed at, ah well since it wasn't British or a sports car what can you expect. Then a film treat, V for Vendetta, i have this on dvd but decided to watch it again because it is a good film, and i enjoyed it immensely. So to bed, no reading tonight due to the bottle of wine i had sunk, on my own, which is unusual for me but it was Saturday night so why not. Ant is home on Sunday so its a day of cleaning again.

catch you soon

Friday 31st July

I woke about nine this morning, i had arranged to go for a walk with Marte, so i got myself organized and ready for the off at ten, Marte phoned at ten to say she would be about half an hour late, which is quite normal in France, so at ten thirty we set off, i was unsure exactly how far we would go but had nothing special planned so it didn't matter. In the end we walked for two hours, from Noyelles les Humieres to Oeuf en Ternois, then to Humieres then back to Noyelles, probably about six miles in all, it felt good to get back into it and maybe i can trim down a little before heading over to aus. There is a lovely view on the road to Oeuf that looks back towards the village and gives a nice uninterupted view of the house, i am not sure you can see it so well in the photo, but it looks better in real life. After the walk Marte and i sat in her garden and had a drink of blackcurrant juice then i headed home. Fortunately the dogs were worn out and just lolled about the house for the rest of the afternoon.

I spent some time online, as per, and then did some reading, then later i headed out into the garden with the dogs, the cows were in the feild next to us so i took some pictures of them and the dogs, and the fruit and veg in the garden, the pumpkins are looking quite impressive if i say so myself. After this is decided to relax for a bit, the headed off to check on the rabbits before starting dinner, sausage, chips and eggs, not very healthy i know but very enjoyable. A night in front of the telly again, nothing much of interest apart from a history of Jaguar on classic gear, which was quite good, then off to bed and Mr Hughes again, two hours reading later i turned in. One interesting thing i noticed on my online session, it was an aussie obsessive day, is how similar some of the houses in south australia are to our house, i was looking at property for sale and saw many that could have been designed by the same architect, the same basic design but generally with some veranda shading. Anyway thats all for today, hope you enjoy the pictures, catch you soon.