I am such a plonker

Last week started out good; Phil and I kicked off on Monday morning with a visit to The Will Writing Company in Newport Pagnell.  I had seen an ad in the MK Flyer offering free mirror wills.  We saw a guy called Russ Kerry, I didn’t rate him much, aside from his false eye and his very prominent tick, he was also a bit thick and also slimey.  Phil liked him though but you don’t ever get anything for nothing and we ended up paying £250 quid for will storage.  The slime ball was asking us about our assets and was pushing us to see his financial advisor friend but we resisted and made an appointment with him to come back and sign our wills the following week.

Still, it got us thinking and on Monday afternoon we got out the files and started a spreadsheet.  It may sound a bit gloomy but it actually felt quite good sorting out our affairs.  Its funny, Phil does his side of things and I do mine but we’d be struggling if one went before the other so the spreadsheet will help.  It will also help our executors; our estate is complicated so they will probably be better getting a solicitor to do probate.

On Tuesday I decided to spring clean the flat.  It is only small but it took me the best part of 3 hours.  I cleaned out all the kitchen cupboards, pulled up the rugs, moved furniture and cleaned the laminate floor.  I haven’t done this since we first moved in so it was pretty filthy.  I felt pleased with myself when it was all spick and span.  I went to the gym in the afternoon even though my back was killing me.

I did some more work in the spreadsheet on Wednesday morning and then went to the gym in the afternoon.  I didn’t get home until nearly 4 pm and was surprised to find my sister Julia waiting outside in her car.  Now I was expecting her, but not until 5pm, she had cancelled her appointment and had actually arrived in MK at 3pm.  Never mind, better late than never, I made tea and we had a good catch up.

No diagnosis had been made for my other sister Lou and she is still really poorly and off work.  She has seen the rheumatoid arthritis consultant and was given a prescription of steroids but was told she couldn’t take them until they had conferred with the heart specialist.  It is all rather worrying.

Harriet came round after work so she could see Auntie Julia.  She and Billy got the results of the survey on the house that they are trying to buy in Newport and it wasn’t good news.  They have decided to pull out, £400 down the drain but better safe than sorry.

I picked up Mike (mum’s friend) and Sue and Ian and we went to the Giffard for a bite to eat.  Phil was out with the Wednesday night boys but he did stop off for a pint en route to the Nags Head.  The pub was packed and we had to wait ages for food and when it eventually came, it wasn’t very good. It wasn’t a late night and we were home for half ten.  I made up a bed for Ju on the sofa, we had a quick chat before turning in and that’s when it got messy.  I got up from Phil’s chair, kicked back the reclining foot stall but it didn’t quite click in and flipped back, catching me on my shin and sent me sprawling.  Luckily with the anaesthetic (red wine) I didn’t feel a thing but the next morning it was a different story.

Phil got up first and made bacon sandwiches.  It was only after he went to work and when I had difficulty refilling the kettle when I realised my right hand was swollen and actually quite painful.  My sister who is a nurse said I ought to go to A&E to get it checked out.  At this point I thought my hand was just bruised but after Ju left I did drive myself to the urgent care unit at MK General. I waited for ages but eventually saw a nurse who  did a letter and referred me to A&E.  A&E was packed out, there was a chap honking up a cardboard bowl so I decided to sit at the back next to a convict chained to 2 prison officers.  I had to wait for hours but eventually got seen by a nurse who said I needed an x-ray.

Before they could do the x-ray, I had to have my ring cut off. It wasn’t an expensive ring but boy it was painful getting it off.  I had another wait to get my x-ray but eventually it got done and then I saw the doctor.  The x-ray showed a broken knuckle and a broken bone, it also showed some damage from when I broken my wrist before.  An orthopaedic consultant came to look at my x-ray but decided that I didn’t need to be plastered. The doc gave me pain killers, put a splint on my fingers, taped 2 fingers together and put me a sling and this is when Sue and Ian turned up.

At a push, I probably could have managed to drive home but I felt a bit shaky by this point.  Sue drove my car back to the flat and then took me back to her house.  She made me tea and a sandwich and made me a new sling with a pair of her tights. I would have liked to stay home and have an early night but we were invited out to a meal at Zen Gardens to celebrate Cameron n Pauline’s birthdays.  In normal circumstances I would have cancelled but we have cancelled on them so many times that I felt obliged to go.

Sue drove us there and back; it was a buffet so Phil got me plates of food.  It was a challenge eating but somehow I managed. I planned to sit on the sofa and rest up on Friday (doctors orders) but it was such a lovely day that I got Phil to drop me off at the city centre so I could get buy some dressings from Boots for my hand.  The centre was packed; I went to the chemist and then walked home, down through Campbell Park and along the canal.

My hand felt a bit better on Saturday morning.  I took my splint off and managed to have a bath and wash my hair, a major feat in itself.  Saturday was the day of Pats party so there was a few things to do.  Thankfully Phil offered to help.  Our first job was a trip to Waitrose to collect wine glasses that I had hired. Next stop was Costco to pick up the birthday cake that I had ordered.  Then we went to Asda to buy some groceries and also helium balloons. Bought these and took them to customer services only to discover that they didn’t have any helium.  We ended up getting the balloons from the Card Factory in Bletchley.

Phil did us nice salad baguettes for lunch and at half one, Sue and Ian picked me up.  They had volunteered to help set up the room at the sheltered housing place.  Pat, Janice and Ann were already there setting things up when we arrived. Sue, bless her had made flower table arrangements and very nice they looked.  Ian put up banners and blew up balloons and we were all set up in just over the hour.

Phil picked up Sue and Ian and Mike and we got to the party about quarter to seven.  The DJ was having problems with his equipment and I did think for one moment that this is not going to go well.  But I am pleased to say, that collectively, we managed to pull it off.  It was nice to see that lots of Pat’s family, some of which had travelled quite far, come to celebrate her birthday.  It was difficult to tell who were family and who were residents, Phil said they all looked like homeless people to him.  I had to give some guidance to the DJ with regards to music but then we were rocking and rolling. Sue and I danced all night but most people got up on the dance floor, even Phil.  We left at 11pm, I felt a little guilty leaving Pat and her family to clean up but to be honest, I was cream crackered.

Phil dropped me off the following morning to help me clean up.  Pat and Janice were already there; Phil moved some chairs and tables and took the glasses home.  To be fair there wasn’t much to do as the majority of cleaning had been done the night before. Poor Pat, looked dead on her feet bless her, she kept thanking me for a lovely party.  The main thing is that she enjoyed it.  Phil did liver and bacon for lunch and we had a very quiet Sunday. My hand was really killing me and I had to up the pain killers.

Yesterday we were back at the slime balls to sign our wills.  Our appointment was for 9.30 am and he kept us waiting for 15 minutes.  When we got in the office he was printing off our wills and both had mistakes so had be redone.  There was some pressure to talk to his financial advisor mate and also to put our life assurance policy into trust but we have little faith in FA’s and trusts so we dug our heels in.

After wills we went to Waitrose to drop off the hire glasses.  Phil couldn’t believe you could hire them for free so I had to explain that they probably expect you to buy the wine from Waitrose for your party.  We had time to kill before Phil’s hospital appointment so we went to the city centre.  Phil wanted ear drops and Hopi ear candles and I needed to get a wrist support.  Phil got some bread from Lidl’s and we got to the hospital 20 minutes early.

We saw a new consultant, Dr Stuart who was very nice. He explained that all prostate patients now have to go to Oxford for their treatment; we thought Northampton was bad enough.  Anyway Phil’s PSA is normal and Dr Stuart said that if this was the case next year, then he would sign him off.  This is good news.  We went to the carvery at Peartree Bridge for lunch; it was okay, no where as good as it used to be though.

Phil did the VAT return and did his Hopi ear candle but it didn’t do any good, if anything it made it worse.  Personally I think he is going to have to go the nurse to have his ears syringed. I could really do without broken bones, I’ve got a lot on this week and the next and last Friday I should have gone to mum’s in Melton to paint her passageway floor.  I am such an idiot and I so hate letting people down. Still it’s time to stop feeling sorry for myself and get my arse into gear. Today I am getting back to the gym although goodness knows what I am going to be able to do. At the very least, it will get me off the sofa.