Holiday, what holiday? Am oh so slightly tired and grumpy!

 We have been back a fortnight and are both absolutely shattered.  7 days have been spent in the office (v slightly above the 3 a week norm - it was actually 5 and 2).  There have been 2 trips to the supermarket for groceries.  This week was £156 (small shopping trolley) that was reduced to £111 with my loyalty card.  Regardless, or possibly because, of the discount I feel I am being ripped off.  That is a sizeable bribe for my personal data/overcharge if I do not consent to handing over my personal data.  At some point they will be hacked and my in box will be full of (a) apologetic emails stressing that financial details are safe; and (b) invites to join in some class claim for the data protection breach.  In the case of M&S I gave some thought to exactly what personal information they had on me and decided that, at its highest, it was my bra size.  That is not even a protected criteria.  

In the case of my groceries I am just being overcharged unless I give them info about me so they can make money out of me some where else whilst pretending to give me a discount.  We seem to have moved some distance from the simple purchase of food at the price marked on the shelf.  I knew where I was with that transaction.

There have been 3 trips to get petrol/diesel.  Well we all know where that is right now!

There was one trip to the butcher.  Just the one.  I’m not going to actually turn vegetarian but I am beginning to feel I am being pushed towards it.  £65 for a rib of beef, a rolled shoulder of lamb and 8 rashers of bacon.  Tbf I did ask if they had any beef bones for stock and they gave me a carrier bag full.  That’s my kind of customer bonus.  The supermarket had some for sale the week before at £14.   I do accept there was more meat on them but then I wasn’t after meat, I was after bones and I wasn’t paying £14 for them.

Two trips to my parents, neither really social though I did get a cup of tea (that English house calling tradition and my primary fuel).  Tech questions/queries/issues.  No actual problems though they did not actually view it quite that way.  Have yet to actually see the MiL (we have messaged).  S, of course, has - lawns to mow, rubbish to put out, tumble dryer condenser to empty, window blinds to charge.

I have had one trip to the GP surgery for a preventative investigation - less said about that the better really.  Turns out I am now so old it is likely to be my last.  

S missed his flu jab.  Completely forgot.  Just maybe there is a point to some of those irritating text appointment reminders after all!

S has mowed our lawn, fixed an aerial, trimmed hedges and massacred my currant bushes - the red and white currants will be fine but that is not how one prunes blackcurrant bushes.  I did concede that it made it easier to get down to the veg garden.  It was then pointed out to me that this may well be temporary as that is the space he has determined as the motor home parking space.  That little win, at the expense of the blackcurrant bushes, may well be short lived then.

We have put house numbers on the waste bins.  Not sure why but everyone else with house numbers rather than names appears to have done so I followed suit.  With six bins had we had more than a one digit house number I may have taken my chances!

One of my near neighbours has been refused retrospective planning permission.  No one objected.  Personally I object that permission wasn’t asked for before work started  but that is not an option.  I am very much a believer of leaving things better than you found them.  As far as I can see it is much improved, or was before work was halted.  The Council planning dept do not share this view and regard the ‘improvements’ as an eyesore that is not in line with the area.  Given what they do allow through this is a mystery to me though I lack any planning experience or expertise.  Since the entire (falling down) upper floor was taken down and rebuilt, I wait to see what the Council require by way of rectification?   

On a positive front I had Sunday afternoon tea at The Bell at Stilton  https://thebellstilton.co.uk/about-us/ with a former colleague.  This was very pleasant and a great catch up session.  Haven’t seen her for ages.  Not for the want of trying on both sides but her family situation is not entirely straightforward (is anyone’s?) and it just has not worked out for us.  She was spending a few days about 3/4hr from us so we took the opportunity, while her husband was around to supervise kids and dog.

The washing and ironing is finally up to date, more or less, and that has been put away. 

The Bramley apples have all been turned into apple sauce and bottled (canned). I have five jars of tomato chutney (using both ripe and underripe fruit).  The raspberries have been cut back as they are not having a good year.  We will see if a good weeding and feeding will help them next year but I think they need cooler temperatures and more water than was on offer this year.  Three veg beds have been emptied.  I have 2 veg beds which will be in use over winter to some extent, one to clear and the strawberry bed to weed and sort runners on.  

The greenhouse is cleared of tomatoes and the chillis are taking centre stage.  Together with the main tomato bed and the Comice pears the chillis are my main (glut) crops left to deal with when they get round to it which will not be long.  

Everything has been watered, the lemon verbena trimmed and seems to be coming back to life.

The house is in need of a proper clean and there are areas (we used to call them the utility room and dining room) that have become dumping grounds. 

Today’s job then!