is it just me or do things have a habit of repeating themselves - every year when it's autumn half-term the internet slows down, people get flu and other annoying bugs and i get an attack of the up chucks. i'm starting to wonder if i should keep a diary so i can check if life is on a circular tour or if it just seems that way to me - in other words, am i just mad!???

i heard the first fireworks this week, hmppfff, it's not november yet, they'll be saying it's nearly christmas soon - oh wait a minute, they already are.

i'm in a treacle fog at the moment, i'm trying to organise misplaced furniture on it's way down to Plymouth and trying to work out which is the best deal for my daughter's birthday present. i want to get her a replacement for the one she had as an 18th birthday present which she she kindly gave to me when my laptop suddenly died on me, she knew i needed my internet fix and would have been lost if i couldn't talk to my cyber friends, she didn't even think twice before offering me what had been her prize possession and feel compelled to find her some kind of replacement having taken over her 21st birthday present laptop for myself. ok so this gorgeous laptop had a broken keyboard which i had to pay to replace but it outlives my dreams and is a wonderful and powerful being, but something that is of not so much use to my daughter now because it is too old to connect with her iPhone, another must have which has unfortunately broken but will be updated on contract renewal at the end of the month. anyway, the need to give her back some kind of internet access is purely for a selfish reason, i like to be able to communicate with her and she often doesn't answer her phone, not because she's ignorant, more like she's too busy with 3 gorgeous children under the age of 4 to look after. i also feel guilty for getting so much pleasure from what i still feel is her laptop, the fantastic Applemac G4 PowerBook.

must go now to check emails, i've completely lost track of what i wanted to say anyway!

... yet again i'm waiting, on friday it was for my new fridge freezer to arrive, 8am to 6pm they said, i'd hoped for 10am but it arrived at 5.10pm! a small amount of frozen and fridge food had been in cool bags with ice blocks all day, i had to let the fridge stand for 4 hours from delivery time until switching it on so it was 9.10pm and the poor frozen food was looking less frozen by the minute, then it was about another 2 hours before the freezer had got to the right temperature for frozen food. so, after 13 hours being out of the fridge i decided to chuck the old stuff out and start again, changed my Sainsbury's delivery from tuesday to sunday at an extra cost of £2. i now wait with baited breathe for new frozen food to put into my new fridge, what an exciting life i lead.

the waiting can only be topped in interest levels with watching the midges playing in the garden as the light was fading tonight. they reminded me of a group of teenagers on the edge of a housing estate, they looked like they were play fighting and running around kissing each other. if i was outside i wouldn't have liked to be amongst them but watching them from inside was almost magical!

waiting ...

... and waiting and waiting some more - for a new fridge freezer to be delivered. i've been waiting since 8am, and all because i didn't want too pay £25!!! at first i was told i could order a fridge before 1.30pm and have it delivered the next day, this was last thursday at 12.30pm. then when i did order it i was told that to get next day delivery i should have called before 12.30! so i ordered delivery for saturday morning then at 5.55pm on thursday someone from the store called and said they couldn't do saturday but could do sunday, as i was in the middle of doing something else i just said yes but then realised it didn't fit in with my plans so called the next day and said i would be out on sunday and if i was paying for a delivery i wanted delivery on the day i ordered the delivery. they said i could have free delivery but it would be the following friday and it would be an all day slot. that saves me £25 so i think it will be ok - until today when i am waiting and have been waiting since 8am - what's the betting that the delivery turns up at 5.55pm or i get a call then saying they can't deliver at all today!!! 3.30pm and still waiting, only 2 and a half hours to go, ouch, i think i cut off my nose to spite my face!

please remind me not to go on a 15 mile bus journey again, i went on 2 today and that was 2 too many, why oh why did they close the train station at Sidmouth! travelling by train is sedate and fun, travelling on a bus is just stomach churning. wearing acupressure bands that prevent motion sickness helps in that i know i will not vomit but it doesn't stop the feeling sick - i had to shut my eyes and meditate silently to survive on the way back, it was that or walk!

why oh why do some people think life's rules don't apply to them? a strange car has been parking in front of and blocking my driveway for a few weeks. today i was alert and awake enough to confront the witch who was driving it, turns out she didn't want the bin men's lorry to scratch her precious car - if she thinks it won't get scratched outside my house she could be wrong! there is a car parked in the drive, ok, its tax disc has run out but that doesn't mean we won't want to move it, and it is my drive, what happened to having respect for other people property? i am totally sane to think this, access to my property should not be blocked by some stupid neighbour. the car is still parked just meters away in what should be a turning space, i hope i don't have any sharp objects in my pocket when i go out!!! ~ joke - honest! ~

another day over, another battle with mobile phones survived, almost, only tomorrow will i know if i can make it work. it's the technology thing again, it just totally fazes me!

just watched a programme about a family who go back to the 70s for 10 days, the lack of technology was so great in those days, and children played out because there was nothing else to do.

moving weekend!

like all good children my daughter is having a moving week rather than just a day. to be fair it's not what she wanted, rather misunderstandings and holidays combined with workmen who can only work on certain days!!! hopefully by the time they get back from their holiday they will be able to unpack and settle in to their new home, but it's a long time between packing up and unpacking. i hope the monday-friday at Butlins is a good chance to relax for them all and something they love and remember. i will miss my daughter, her 3 gorgeous children and even her big, beefy husband but they are only 40 miles away so it isn't the end of the world.