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| | What? It's not quite two months, that's not long! Well, I made it back, finally! Things have been a bit strained lately, but generally they're now on the up, so to speak. (this box is driving me nuts at the moment, it's hanging for a second so there's a delay and I keep doing double spaces!)
Okay, first off: financial stuff has been sorted. I'm now on something called an IVA (individual voluntary arrangement) so that means I have a basic bank account, no cheque book, debit card or credit cards. My debts have been taken over by a company to whom I pay a single monthly payment and they divvy it up amongst my creditors. At the end of 5 years the remainder of my debts are written off. Apparently I'm going to be very disciplined with my budget by that time! *lol* I am now, in fact, as I have no overdraft facility, and everything has to be paid for in cash or by direct debit. So no online purchases unless I can get my friend to do it, and pay her the money. This is going to work, I know it is 
Mum and Eddie came down for a visit recently too, we had a couple of days out; one was to Cotehele House which is actually just up the road from where I used to live, and I've been in the grounds but never the house. I'm telling you, I got fricken CHILLS in there, it was just so atmospheric.
It's 16th Century for a start, and the Great Hall, when you first go in, is so sparsely furnished that right away you get a sense of the times. Stone floors of course, the table is laid with pewter plates and goblets and little else, and on the wall there are ancient weapons: pikes, flintlocks, swords, muskets, lances ... all genuine artefacts. The house has been preserved as was, with no electricity in it at all. Will post some pictures sometime if anyone's interested.
The visit with Mum and Eddie was wonderful, and we were all desperately sad when they left: it'll probably be another year before we see them again.
While they were here though, a somewhat scary thing happened: they had my room so I was sleeping on the sofa bed in the front room, and at about 1.40am on the Wednesday morning, someone came knocking on the glass door!! I sat bolt upright, and quite honestly had the first inkling of how it's possible to have a heart attack through sheer fright. The knocking went on for a while and I ran upstairs to look out through Robbie's bedroom window that looks out onto the back garden. I saw this guy walk out through my gate and head up the hill, then he came around to the front and started ringing on the bell!
I leaned out of the window in my room (front) and asked what he wanted. He said he was looking for his mother! We got rid of him, and I went back to bed, and when the front doorbell rang at 6.45 am I thought it was the postman and opened it. Duh! (well, I was half asleep, hadn't slept that well!)
Got rid of him again and all was fine the next night.
Then Friday morning he came again! Same kind of time. Both days were ones I was due to go into work as well; I was knackered! When I got home from work I called the police and told them, they said they'd send someone over. They didn't. So, around midnight when he came back again I dialled 999 and they sent someone out - eventually!
Apparently (I'd found out through work anyway) he used to live here with his mother - now deceased. He'd had a head injury and believed he still lived here, was determined to get in, and told the police so; I heard him say "I'm getting in there, I am!"
I feel so bad about making a fuss, knowing he wasn't some nutter, but had suffered a head injury - but at the same time I was utterly terrified and don't know what I'd have done if Mum and Eddie hadn't been here. Anyway, he's getting the help he needs now. I hope!
Okay, this is getting far too long-winded! Just briefly then: Had another panic some weeks ago when those bombs went off in Turkey - Keith was there at the time and I couldn't get hold of him. He was close by, apparently, but okay.
We went camping last weekend, me, the boys, Keith and Charlie, and Chris and his girlfriend! Could have been weird, was a little, I suppose, but we all got on fine.
Was my birthday on the Sunday and that was the day we came home. Was a fantastic weekend and have uploaded a few pics.
 Surf's up! Dom, Keith, Charlie, Robbie. Right, that's enough!
Seeya around, folks!
ps - good to see Starbucks ticking over so nicely over at rmo.com :)
pps- "Terri, great to hear from you ..." who said that?!
*WHOO HOOOO*
Haha!
| | | Posted 10/1/2006 6:49 AM - 11 comments
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