A Rude Awakening

What a start to the week!

I woke at 6.00am, heard a dripping sound, thought - Oh must be raining, should get that gutter fixed - then went back to sleep again.

At 6.30 hubby's alarm goes off - he gets up - half asleep still - and wanders into our ensuite. There he makes the alarming discovery that the dripping sound is not rain water but toilet water!

He calls me in (sounds calmer than it was) and I stumble in there to see what's going on. The sight before me is not a pretty one - toilet pan three quarters full with (thankfully) clear looking water. In our dazed states we survey the situation.

Then I say "why don't you flush it to see if that will sort it out"

OK - I said it - but he did it. (shared responsibility is so important in these times of crisis)

No sooner was the flush pulled then gallons (and I mean gallons) of water starter overflowing the sides.

A commotion then ensued - from which we gleaned the following learning points:-

1. A single flush of a toilet produces a suprising amount of water, which can move quicker than I can.
2. A tooth mug does not make a very effective bailer.
3. Towels are good at absorbing water but too many wet towels combined with a broken tumble drier can make for an interesting drying dilemma.
4. Teenage boys are not good at responding to clear, loud instructions early in the morning.
5. Aforementioned boys seem to have been napping in their "parts that make up a toilet" lessons and don't know what a cistern lid is.

Order was restored when hubby returned (with more towels and larger, more effective bailer) and turned off the water supply to the cistern.

We now have a very clean floor, which is a good thing, and a quite clean ceiling, which isn't so good....

I'm reading "In the Company of the Courtesan" by Sarah Dunant. I'm really enjoying it - although it is a book that requires a lot of concentration - not something I'm able to do very often. It is set in 16th Century Italy and is full of details about life in Venice at that time.

Well I presume it is historically accurate - although I'd only know if I read some historian saying it wasn't - not being an expert on Renaissance Italy myself.

My own novel is moving on slowly - fortunately it requires no research on my part - not that it is based on my own life or that of my friends and family, I must hastily point out. The problem I have is that I can think of some great bits to add in, exciting story lines, witty one liners, that sort of thing, but only when I am not able to write them down. Fantastic ideas come into my head when I'm walking round the shops or driving along a road. When I'm sat infront of my computer my mind goes blank. I think the only solution is to invest in a mini tape recorder. Problem with this is a) it would be another example of spending money rather than getting on and doing something and b) I think I'd look slightly more nutty than normal walking around talking to myself. Any suggestions??

Had to go for a smear test yesterday. The reminder came in the post just before Christmas but I decided it was inappropriate during the festive season so put it off for a few weeks. Common sense made me make an appointment and it must be said that it has been hanging over me like a black cloud ever since. How ridiculous is that!

Eldest son wanted to know why I was going off to the doctor - so I told him. He was horrified - well he did ask. Anyway it wasn't as bad as I remembered - it never is - is it?

(Youngest son has just read what I'm writing and wants to know what it is. His brother told him not to ask as it will make him sick - think this is getting a bit dramatic now. We've told him it's a girl thing - and that's enough).

It has got me wondering what's worse - smear or dentist. Had a brief debate with my chums on this and we didn't reach much of a conclusion.

On one hand - you can talk whilst having a smear, but you don't have to take off your knickers and show off your wobbly bits at the dentist.

Which reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend a number of years ago. She had rather large boobs and remarked that her dentist placed all his instruments on them whilst he worked. She found it rather annoying and uncomfortable - I found it rather alarming and recommended a new dentist asap!

Had to go to Milton Keynes, that well known home of confusing signposts, so decided to give hubbies new Sat Nav a trip out.


Things started well - it worked out a route and told me it would take 1 hour 18 mins to get there. Great thinks me - just in time for my meeting. Things went slightly awry when he (had to be set on a default man's voice didn't it) told me to turn left at the end of my road - and I'd have gone right - but I did as I was told. Soon I was scooting along the A1 - in the right direction which was a good sign.


I just couldn't get used to having this man shouting instructions at me. (not sure why that should be such a novelty!) If things went quiet I wondered if it had stopped working - then he'd say something and I'd jump out of my skin (every single time!!) There's me thinking hummm is it working, then AGGHH what's that he said??


Eventually he decided I needed to turn off the A1 onto some other road. It was his idea not mine but suddenly things started to go wrong. He didn't want me on that road - kept asking me to turn left in 80 yards - there was nowhere to turn - I'd have ended in a field if he had his way. Then he decided to re-calculate the route as things were not going to plan. He then tells me it will take 15,375 hours to reach my destination. WHAT!!!!


Anyway we worked through this little hiccup - I took control - and eventually he sorted himself out and when we finally got to MK he started to be a bit more helpful again.


He'd learnt the error of his ways - wish all men were that quick - and on the return journey he took me a completely different way. Far more scenic.