Only four more shifts until I have two weeks off.

TWO

WHOLE

WEEKS!!!!!!!

Not that I have nothing to do.
The whole point of this time off is to get ready for Xmas.
I plan to get all pressies bought and wrapped. The house will get a good clean from top to bottom and cupboards will get a clear out.
Decorations will go up and baking will be done and the freezer filled.
As busy as I'm going to be I'm actually looking forward to it. A change of pace is needed for a little while.

I love my job but it has been so busy lately I don't have time to think.
I'm the 'go to' person on the ward and when we are really busy it seems that everyone needs a piece of me.
If I'm not stocking up or making beds I'm running to theatres with patients or I'm running to pathology or pharmacy or medical records. When I am on the ward I have nurses asking me to help with obs or Dr's nabbing me to help hold kids down in the treatment room, even the parents need me to help out occasionally and sometimes I literally don't know which way to turn.

But I love it!
I just need a break occasionally to re-charge the batteries so to speak.
Roll on 21:30 Friday.  

It's all happening little by little.
My little girls are growing up and Dharma is the one who is finalising everything.
Last year she did her very last Xmas nativity and today she did the very last Viking day.
In year three at her lower school they have a term where they learn all about Vikings and on one day they all get to dress as vikings and have a day with special visitors who teach them all they need to know about Vikings and the way they used to live.
Murron did it 4 years ago, Marjorie did it 2 years ago and today it's Dharma's turn.
Out came the viking outfit for the very last time. I may have to pass it onto our neighbour who's little girl will be in need of it in a couple of years.
Anyway, got the photo of Dharma to complete the trio.

   

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE!!!

Sorry but I couldn't resist when I saw this picture.
The pumpkins I made a couple of years ago just sprang to mind!

I may not be able to brag about my own artwork anymore but it doesn't stop me looking into other people's creativity when I'm having a quick surf around the internet in the mornings.

On a recent image hunt I stumbled onto the photographic and video work of a Guy called Tyler Shields.

When I discovered these two images of Matt Dallas and Zachary Quinto, to say I was a little intriqued is an understatement.
This guy is talanted. His portraits are extremely unconventional and creative. From what I can gather he also videos his photo shoots and gets very involved himself. Some of the things he puts his subjects through to get the final shot are very near the mark. Did Matt Dallas realise what he would have to go through to get that luscious wet and muddy shot?
Just take a look at the behind the scenes shoot.

Poor Matt is soooo cold. I don't think I've ever seen anyone shivering so much.

And I just love Zachary Quinto getting a good soaking with milk!

As a rule I only usually watch the auditions for X-Factor.
It's just so cringingly funny to watch all those poor deluded people who think they can actually sing and then see their reactions when they get told not to give up their day job.

When the live shows start I give up. It loses something. Eveyone who gets through can pretty much sing and the fun has gone.
However.......

This year one of those cringingly bad acts has actually got through and has made it through the first three weeks of the show!
I am of course talking about Jon and Edward.
MY GOD what are they still doing there....... no no I know what they are still doing there..... people are voting for them because they are dying to see what abortion of a song and dance routine they are going to come up with next week.

COME ON, SEE SENSE, STOP VOTING FOR THESE IMBECILES.
Some truly good acts are losing out on their chances. I mean Miss Frank and Danyl! in the bottom two last night. It's not right.
Thank goodness Danyl got through (sorry Miss Frank) because he gave the best performance of the night IMO. Neither of them deserved to be in the bottom two. 

Quite simply Jon and Edward have got to go!! so....

STOP VOTING FOR THEM!!! PLEASE!!!  

Who am I kidding.

I'm sitting here in my PJ's. It's just gone 11 in the morning. I've enjoyed my morning milky coffee and I am now contemplating what to do for the rest of the day.
I'm in the middle of three days off. I turned 40 yesterday...... aarrrggh!!!! Feeling just a tad sorry for myself.
It's actually quite a nice day so It would be the perfect opportunity to get the grass cut in the back garden before it reaches my knees.

I've just started Twittering! Heaven knows why. I don't lead an exciting life. I don't even have my artwork to brag about anymore. Just look for mysteriousmum at Twitter.com. I know, pretty obscure nickname but mumofthree was already taken!
  
I really miss doing my artwork. If I was still doing the conventions and media shows I would currently be working on 'Zachary Quinto'
The guy is amazing looking. One minute the meaning of evil and the next a mild mannered mummy's boy. His interpretation of the new 'Spock' just blew me away.

My job, as much as I love it, just doesn't allow time for the artwork and allow me to run a family at the same time.
Although there is one piece of artwork that I really must look at doing.
I did a set of pictures for the Start Trek Franchise. All the crews.

I loved this set. Especially the Classic Crew.
It occurs to me that this set is now incomplete. There is an 'all new' Classic Crew.
Can I call them 'Classic'? Maybe I should call them the 'Re-boot Crew'

Anyway, finding the time to do it could be difficult. Must get the house tidy and garden done today. I have a massive shop to do on Monday if we want to eat for the rest of the month and the hubby is taking me out to dinner on Monday evening because he couldn't come out with us last night.
Then it's back to work on Tuesday. 
I love my job, I really do. But that said, If I had the financial means, I would give it up in a heartbeat to be able to spend more time doing family stuff and getting back into my artwork.

15 years on the Sci Fi/Fantasy convention and media show circuit is hard to give up and there are just so many amazing shows and films going on at the moment that I'm getting itchy feet.

I'm currently on a day off between 10 shitty days!
I've just done two lates straight into three earlies and next week I'm doing early late early early early. But on Tuesday I have to be in work two hours earlier to do some annual mandatory training. I do get my overtime back in a couple of weeks but it just means that a nasty week has turned into a really shitty week again and at the moment the ward is REALLY busy.
So! what am I doing on my day off between these two shitty weeks?............

Putting up flat packed furniture, that's what.
Oh the joy.

We normally don't have too much of a problem but the set we've bought Murron for her bedroom, although it looks good when it's up, has been an absolute bitch to get up.
So far we have a damaged drawer top that needs replacing and one 4 drawer unit only had 2 complete drawers in the pack!
We are half way through the wardrobe and so far so good.
There are forms to fill in to get replacement parts and I think a fairly strong worded letter will be going with them.

Anyway, I'm just thinking ahead to next weekend when I will be starting a 10 day stretch of annual leave!
Not that I'll be getting much of a break. I want to decorate my bedroom and get the gardens well and truly de-jungled in preparation for the winter. 

Better get back to this wardrobe.

The rollercoaster of life just keeps going and going and going and now I'm getting a little nauseous!
I just want to have a little bit of time where everything sorts itself out and we just plod along without anything else coming along to kick us back down again.

June was a horrendous month but we got through it.
Problems with my car and my husbands car and illness and so on.
There was always a light at the end of the tunnel. Our holiday was looming and nothing was going to spoil it.
We MOT'd and taxed BOTH cars at the end of July and then spent a beautiful week in York and then that rollercoaster took another dip.

My car started to give us a problem again. The gear box started playing up. It wouldn't always go into reverse. It's an automatic gearbox and my Brother in Law took a look at it for us when we got home. He thought it may have just been the microswitches on the gearstick so he took it all apart, gave it a good clean and realigned them.
We held our breath for a couple of days only to be told that it was actually the gear box.... bollocks!
The car is nearly ten years old and is now costing us way too much money. It's time to finance a newer family car.

My dad has been kind enough to help us with the finance and on our day off this past week me and Ian went car hunting.
All was going well, although it's really hard to find small dealerships anymore. We were sat outside a dealership who didn't have much that we were interested in so we got back into Ian's car to go elsewhere only to find his car wouldn't start!
Dead as a Dodo..... C'MON!!!!!

Here comes the salt in the wound..... 

So! the car hunting was over for the day. We called the RAC who told us they were going to be at least 75 minutes.
Right, we thought, lets go into the pub over the road and get some lunch.
We had just ordered and were sat enjoying a nice cold pint when the RAC van showed up!!
That was a funny 75 minutes!  

Right, I have a tough week coming up. Late shift today followed by 5 straight early shifts. Luckily I have a week off after that.
Not that I haven't got anything to do. I have to get the kids ready to go back to school. The gardens need to be de-jungled and I need to start thinking about decorating for Murron's room before we get her new furniture.
Mum will be around to help me keep on top of things so hopefully it will just go along nice a smoothly and lots will be achieved.
Might even find that family car we desperately need!    

Here I am, having a quick cuppa before heading off to work.
This time last week it was our 15th anniversary and we were in York with the kids and my Mum and Dad. Mum and Dad actually had the kids for the day so me and Ian could go and do some serious shopping and pub crawling.... lovely!

Anyway, like I said we had a lovely time and we were pretty lucky with the weather. It was a bit soggy the day we got there and wednesday morning was a bit wet but for the rest of the week the weather held off nicely during the day and only rained over night.
We even had plenty of sunshine, especially on our anniversary. I managed to get a little burnt sitting on the balcony of the Living Room which is exactly what I managed to do 5 years ago on our 10th anniversary.

The kids loved the York Museum.
  

We had a day in Whitby and we did something we've never done before...... we went crabbing.
We saw people lined up along the quay dangling string and bait all day and the girls wanted a go, so we got them all little kits and some bait and off we went. Turns out Mummy is pretty good at crabbing!

The last thing we did in York was with Murron on the Friday evening. Marjorie and Dharma had gone home earlier with Nan and Grandad. We did what everyone should do in York and we went on a Ghost Walk. The one to do is the one that starts at the top of the Shambles. It's absolutely hilarious and the kids just love it.

But one of my favourite photo this year is this one.

Anyway, that's just a few of ou pictures from this year. Hoping to try somewhere totally different next year.

After seeing a panty pad advert with the catch phrase ' Have a happy period' I was struck by the memory of an extremely funny letter I once read. I googled and found it.... enjoy!

PC Magazine’s 2007 editors’ choice for best webmail-award-winning letter.

I recently posted a blog titled "Michael Jackson is dead! GET OVER IT!"
Yesterday I received a response worthy of a blog all it's own.
This woman clearly didn't read through my blog properly because she totally missed the fact that I too am a Michael Jackson fan.
I am just a Michael Jackson fan who, at the time of that blog, was absolutely sick to death of hearing about his death. 'Every' channel was doing it. The BBC and ITV had something to say during EVERY news report. Other channels were showing documentaries. Even channels that didn't have shows had adverts promoting new albums of his greatest hits (talk about jumping on the band wagon).
Newspapers were dedicating pages and pages........ and even more pages to the life and times of MJ.
I even gave up listening to the radio because it didn't matter what channel you listened to you could guaranteed that every hour there was at least 2 or more MJ hits.
I couldn't change the channel on anything because it didn't matter where I went, there he was.

The world had gone Michael Jackson MAD! Trying to deify a man who, after everything was said and done WAS just a pop star and showman, albeit a very good one.

So here in Yellow is that very response with comments by me in white........

"Oh aren't u being just a bit DRAMATIC with the whole MJ being everywhere comments? No, just giving MY point of view.   
I actually would love to c him on television and now that its been a month since his death, its rare to c even a video! Thank god for small mercies. Surely you can get everything you want to see on DVD? Notice the way the word see is actually spelled SEE and not C. 
Change the friggen station for crying out loud, he's not on everyone!! Erm, I tried that one.... didn't work because HE WAS on everyone.
Obviously u r just the bandwagon, I can't even say fan but u catch my drift, who is ignorant to ALL facts, michael jackson. Wrong again. I am totally aware of everything Michael Jackson because I grew up through all his BEST years and fabulous videos. And it's YOU ARE not U R.
I'm so tired of hearing people say that he was nothing but a great entertainer! Great Entertainer, singer, songwriter, dancer...... but that's it.
FYI he's made the guiness book of world records for being the star to donate the MOST money to charities! The man went on several tours and donated every penny earned to charities! That in itself I believe makes him worthy of some serious air time! True, but he's not the only one who does this and considering most of this work was done in the last 10 - 15 years makes you wonder what he was trying to get people to forget. 
Another thing, I love how everyone is so quick to make comments about his mental health and appearance. Who the hell r u to judge? Likewise, who the hell are you to judge me? The man WAS mentally ill and surrounded by 'yes' men. He had no-one to turn to for real advice. All people wanted was his money, they just wanted a piece of it. It's no wonder he was ill. 
once again this brings me back to ur (your!!!!) ignorance. The man had been famous since he was 5!! He had no childhood and wanted nothing more than to experience what we all did when we were kids, have fun! If u have the money to build ur own amusement park and buy a friggen monkey, more power to u! He was, is, and always will b the KING and I hope for every remaining day of ur life that u r graced with an appearance and/or song of his! God I hope not! It would get very boring and would actually put me off wanting to watch or listen and that would be a shame.

So there you have it. Another deranged fan tries to have her say. She attacked the wrong person. I stand by what I said.
Now I am going back to my 'life'....... which 'I' actually have.

Yesterday evening I was relaxing for a change when there was a ring at the door.
I answered and stood before me were two ladies with handsful of flyers. I could see a few other people knocking on neighbours doors so I thought they were selling something.
The woman before me smiled and apologised for disturbing my evening but was wondering if I'd like to attend a convention!

Oooh I thought, what kind of convention? Multi-media, sci-fi, autograph, ...... I haven't gone to one for ages. I'd love to go again.
So I took a flyer.
I read the title.
I looked the woman in the face.
Did my best not to laugh her out of the street.
Shut the door in her face.
Sat for the next half hour totally incredulous at the gullibility of some people in the world!

The title of the flyer/convention?

HOW WILL I SURVIVE THE END OF THE WORLD?

Are you kidding me?
It's sad that these people have nothing better to worry about on a Saturday evening.
Instead of enjoying themselves, relaxing with family or going out to dinner or going to the cinema or even just going for a drink at the local.
To pound the streets trying to get people to attend a convention on something that is totally out of their control is really, REALLY sad. They need help.     

Here we go again, the rollercoaster of life continues.

After an absolute stinker of a month things are beginning to go in the opposite direction.
Financially things have settled, not great but settled.
Looks like they could be getting a little better when my Tax code cock up is corrected.

Ian got rid of the duffer of a car he's been running for the last month and got back the money he spent on it.
He then found another car for the same money and got his brother to MOT it yesterday and the guy that MOT'd it stated 'whoever sold this car to your brother for that money wants his head testing, he could have got another £300-£400 for it!'
So hopefully this car will be reliable and a little more economical for a while.

After months of worrying about Murron she brought home a fabulous set of SAT's results. I'm convinced now that sending Marjorie straight to this school when she moves up in September is the right thing to do.

The shitty week I've just had with my flu/tonsillitis is just about over.

The kids break up for the summer 1 week today.
Three weeks today we will be finishing off the packing for our holiday in York. (which is paid for in full and all the spending money has been saved for!)

In the grand scheme of things, as bad as the last month has been, our bills are paid, we still have a roof over our heads, we both have good stable jobs, the kids are healthy and happy and doing well at school.
Most importantly as much as we've argued and stressed over things this past month, Me and Ian are still together!

Last Saturday I woke up feeling a little off but I went to work anyway. I only worked half my shift because I steadily felt worse throughout the day. I couldn't get my temperature down below 38 degrees even after paracetamol and Ibuprofen.  By Sunday morning I felt decidedly fluey and as it was my day off anyway I decided to stay curled up on the sofa and watch movies all day. My temperature topped out at 39 degrees! By Sunday evening I wasn't feeling much better so I phoned work and told them that it was highly unlikely I would be in on Monday Morning.

On Monday morning I could hardly move and my temperature was still 39 degrees.

At the back of my mind and in the current global situation the one thing niggling at the back of my mind was..... Swine Flu!
So I called Occupational Health at work who advised me to call my GP.
I phone my GP who informed me that they were no longer swabbing but had gone directly to treatment phase.
He had a checklist of symptoms and as long as you hit at least three symptoms you are automatically put on Tamiflu. I hit at least 5!
So he issued me with Tamiflu vouchers and advised that I stay home and take the rest of the week off work.

So here I've been ever since. Curled up on the sofa, feeling like total crap. The kids have been ordered to stay away from me as much a possible so I haven't even had a cuddle!

That's the Bad part of the week.
The good part of the week happened yesterday.

After watching a news article stating that thousands of people are not claiming all the benefits they are entitled to, I decided to use a quick government online check list. It told me pretty much what I expected and that I wasn't entitled to anything more than the Working Tax and Child Benefit we already get.
What it did point out though is that it would appear I have been on the wrong Tax Code for the last year!
We phoned the Tax office who confirmed it. The overpayment would be corrected back to April this year within the next 2 pay cheques. Overpayment from April last year to April this year goes to a different department who will take a look at it and send out a cheque! This could be anything from £600 - £1000!!!!!   
It also means that I could be around £100 better off every month. 

To add to the good part of the week, Murron brought her SATs results home. Considering her first two years in middle school have been very rocky she has done amazingly well. She more than achieved the national average in everything with above average achieved for her science. She was only 1 point away from above average with maths and is moving to the top set in September!

Now, how quickly do you think the Tax office are going to get their arses into gear?

For the last week I have given up listening to my radio because every other song is Michael Jackson.
I have thought twice about putting the news on because you can guarantee a 30 minute expose on Michael Jackson.
Even watching normal TV is difficult to do without someone mentioning the name Michael Jackson.

HE'S DEAD..... WE GET IT....... LEAVE IT ALONE NOW AND LET HIS FAMILY GET ON GRIEVING IN PEACE!!

Don't get me wrong, I loved some of Michael Jackson's work, songs and videos, I even remember staying up until midnight to watch the new Thriller video, I just don't want it rammed down my throat every time I turn the radio on.

HE WAS NOT A MESSIAH.

He was an american pop star with a very dodgy mental state and a debatable private life.
I know this is going to anger some people but as much as I feel for his children, I think that now he is gone they actually stand some kind of normal life and especially childhood!

So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can we have our radio and news back again?
Enough is enough.

8.10 on Saturday 4th July.... Just as I go to publish this entry with the BBC news on..... there he is.... I thought we were going to get away with it this morning but sadly....NO!

As for the comment left by 'Angela'....... I rest my case!

God, could things get any worse!

I reached a low point on Friday.
The last two weeks hadn't been too bad. A little strained because of the financial situation but plodding along, getting on with things and planning for payday and exactly where the money is going to need to be divided to try and salvage the pilfered Xmas savings.

Thursday night however I was spoiling for a fight, I took it out on my kids and my hubby and ended up having a bit of a row over everything imaginable.
Friday morning saw me lose it completely.
Murron just got up and decided that it was her mission for the day to wind me up and she just picked the wrong moment because I let rip. So much so that on the way to school I broke down and cried while screaming at her for being horrible and selfish.

After the school run I sat and mulled things over even more and then let rip at my Mum. She listened while I blubbed about the last month and that I didn't know where I was going wrong with Murron and basically let me get it out of my system.
Unfortunately that wasn't enough because I got to work, sat down for the handover with Sue, the Ward Manager and Sister Julie and when Julie asked if I was OK I blubbed all over again!
Thankfully the day was very busy as we had to deep clean most of the ward while it was quiet so I had plenty to keep me occupied without having to interact with too many people. 

Saturday, things had calmed down a little. I had a quiet day doing practically nothing before taking the kids out to a family party for the evening and we just chilled. They were little angels. Which is frustrating because I know they can be little angels! Why can't they do it all the time?

Anyway, Sunday arrived and Ian was home and we broached the subject of 'our future'.
It's Frightening when you think that we have been renting the house we are currently in for 7 years and that adds up to £52,000!!!!!
I had never looked at it like that before. If you add the 2 years rent at the previous house that's a grand total of £66,500 of our money going into other people's pockets!
So, we went to our local housing development to look at 'possibilities'. There is a house within our grasp. We just need to seriously speak to a financial advisor to see what he 'advises' in the current climate with our current credit history.

We came home, did some gardening, had a roast dinner, things were looking normal...........
Then our fridge freezer stopped working! FUCK IT, want to throw anything else at us this month!!!!? C'MON!!

I had intended to lighten up a little when blogging but right at this precise moment in time I have very little to lighten up about.

I'm sitting here contemplating what to do today.
The utility room is a mess, the kitchen is a mess, the house in general is a mess, my car needs cleaning inside and out, the back garden needs a good weeding....... I simply do not have the get up and go to do any of it. 

We have had an absolutely horrendous few weeks and it's got to a point now where it has just got to get better.

Financially we where finally on top of things but at the end of the day things where still VERY tight. Bills all paid and provision made for future expected expences like Car Insurance, Car Tax, House Insurance, Xmas and our Holiday.
But as always, the best laid plans never go as expected. I could say they went down the crapper but at the time we didn't even have a crapper!

Here goes.....

My car failed it's MOT. Suspension springs and shocks - £120

Ian desperately needed to go to the dentist - £50 and then ended up having to go back to have a tooth pulled after five days of pain ridden hell.

Ian's car died. I mean it actually died. It had to be replaced. Luckily his mechanic brother had a car that Ian could have. It cost us £250 and to be completely honest it's a piece of crap but what do you expect for £250. It will do until we can find something a little more permanent.

Bathroom was then being ripped out. Landlady has promised for a couple of years and finally got round to doing it with a week's notice.

Then on the Thursday after this, I was working 12 - 8 and decided to go to Tesco before I popped round to Mum's for a shower and then work.
Unfortunately my car decided to break down in the Tesco carpark! This was 11am and I still hadn't had a shower. Luckily Ian was home and after a major panic I actually got to work at 11.45 stressed but showered but it turned out to be a day at work that I couldn't wait to get away from. Doesn't happen very often but it happened that day.... typical.

The car needed a new alternator £160 which Ian's brother would get and fit for us over the weekend.

The next 2 days I had booked as annual leave, Friday and Saturday, so that I could be in the house when Martin the infamous builder was fitting our bathroom.
It was a lovely day Friday so I did some gardening. It was such a lovely day we decided to BBQ for dinner. I set the BBQ up ready to light in the back garden and my Mum came round so that me and Ian could go and get a shower and freshen up.
I was in the shower when I got a call from Mum to say that we needed to go home because Murron needed to go to the hospital!
She had come off her bike and anihilated her thumb.

GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!

3-4 hours in Bedford A+E on Friday night only to be told that she needed surgery at the Lister on Saturday.
Just to rub salt into the already open wound, my car with my Bedford Hospital car parking pass was with Ian's brother so we had to pay for our parking!  
My parent's had their weekend shattered because they had to take Marjorie and Dharma while we concentrated on Murron.
We sat around all day Saturday waiting for a surgery that never happened and were told to go home and come back on Sunday.

We woke up on Sunday to a lake in the kitchen...... the new toilet had leaked overnight.
We sat around all day Sunday for surgery that again, never happened and were told to come back on Monday.
It was at this time we found out that my car would be a little longer because the alternator that arrived was faulty and needed to be sent back.

Surgery finally took place on Monday at 10am. £40 pound in petrol, £18 in parking and £20 in food.
This happened to be the most fabulous weekend's weather's we have seen so far this year and we saw none of it!

I had to add the Sunday and Monday as annual leave and Ian took Tuesday and Wednesday. To say that we both hated doing this is an understatement. My ward is struggling for staff as it is and this didn't help them one little bit and Ian has only just started his job so time off is not really a good thing to do.

Anyway, things finally settled down. The bathroom was finished. I got my car back. Murron is fine.

I got back to work only to find out that the 'proposed' change in hours at work that everyone opposed are actually going ahead from July 1st.
This would mean my earlie's will start at 7am and end at 3pm. This is only a half our earlier than normal and not a problem.
My lates however will change to 1.30pm to 9.30pm! 1 and a half hours difference and it would mean I wouldn't get home until after 10pm.
To say I am not a happy bunny about this is an understatement.
My kids will all be in bed when I get home.
I am also still expected to do an early shifts right after a late shift which would mean only 9 hours between shifts but it would also mean that I would say goodbye to my kids at 8.30am on one morning and not see them again until teatime the next day!
I will of course give it a go and Julie is doing her best not to give me lates followed by earlies but if it doesn't work for me then the ward will be losing yet another member of staff. 

Yesterday was Dharma's birthday and she wanted to go out for Dinner with Edward.
So Murron and Marjorie got packed off to Mum's again and I took Dharma and Edward to Kid's World and then a MacDonald's.
We came home and watched a movie before going down the river to feed the ducks and play at the park.
It was finally a good day.

So! Monday morning, new week, new start. £660 over budget for the month (dipping into Xmas savings.... grrrrrrr)
It has got to get better.    

On the upside we are at least having a better month than Gordon Brown and the Labour Party!! but only just!        

I've just seen an advert for action aid.
Very noble and worth while in most cases but this advert was aimed at a child living in the slums of Bangalor.
Now here's where I get just a tad angry.

Don't get me wrong, I really sympathise with these children and their families but I absolutely refuse to give money to help a country feed it's people when that country spends BILLIONS of pounds on it's own space program!!
Nice to know what your own governments priorities are.

How can the Indian government justify spending Billions on a space program and just leave millions of it's own people to starve and live in pittiful conditions. It's just not right.

When people support charities that give money to India they are literally telling the Indian government that it's OK for them to treat people in this abysmal way because the well off and gullible people from the rest of the world will keep paying for their shortcomings.

Does anyone ever look at it like this?
I know it's hard to leave people in that state but unless we put our collaborative feet down with the Indian government things just aren't going to improve and they will never get out of the slums.

I work for the NHS so I see bureaucracy at work every day and it makes me mad.
Well this weekend I completely had my fill.

Murron came off of her bike on the way home from a friends house on Friday afternoon.
She's managed to break her thumb in several places and has also lacerated it right to the bone.
We went to Bedford A+E at 4pm and ended up being told that she needed to be seen by a 'plastics' team.
Unfortunatly Bedford don't have a plastics team so we had to go to The Lister Hospital for 9am on Saturday.

We turn up at Children's Ambulatory at 8.45. Murron has been nil by mouth since midnight. We eventually get assessed but told the surgery wouldn't be until mid afternoon so Murron was given food and a drink and then we were taken up to the ward to wait for surgery. 
At lunch time Murron is given dinner because she has been bumped to early evening because of an emergency.
Come 8pm she is told to go home and come back on Sunday.

We arrive at 7.30 and again Murron has been nil by mouth since midnight.
She gets into a gown and a nurse even arrives on the ward to take her to theatre........... only to be told that Murron should have some breakfast because she has been bumped until mid afternoon.
Come mid afternoon, we and several other patients that have been lining up over the weekend, get told that we have been bumped again and will probably not be going to theatre until around 9pm.
At 8.30pm we are told that the surgery will not be happening again and that we should come back for 7.30 on Monday!!!!!!!!!!! 

To say I was a little pissed off is an understatement and the poor consultant got all barrels.
It turns out the hospital has been running with just one theatre for the weekend. More and more serious emergencies kept coming in and bumping everything else.
Don't get me wrong, I work on a children's ward I know how this all works and I totally understand that More serious injuries get priority.
What I don't understand is why they wouldn't just open up another theatre to help with the backlog.
There were 6 patients alone on the children's ward and heaven knows how many others elsewhere in the hospital.
These backlogs are going to have to be seen on Monday and some elective surgeries may have to get cancelled and all because they simply wouldn't open another surgery.

What a complete waste of time and resources and how many people are going to get cancelled and have to re-arrange their lives all over again.

We were lucky. My Mum was available to take Marjorie and Dharma for the weekend but we still had to fork out for three trips to Stevenage and as of 7.30 tomorrow morning we will have spent £18 on car parking, not to mention about £20 on food and drink.
What about people who don't have family backup or transport or are running on benefits and can't afford petrol and parking and food every day?

The consultant said, get back for 7.30 and 'hopefully' she will be first on the trauma list.

HOPEFULLY!!!!!

I think you can guess my reaction to that little statement.
Anyway, I think a trip to the PALS desk is in order tomorrow. They are going to get a serious complaint about all this and I will also be complaining to Bedford Hospital.
What are they doing referring people to a hospital over a weekend when that hospital quite obviously can't handle it.

All this hassle for us and 5 other families and all they had to do was open another theatre.
It's not as if the surgeons weren't available because they were! all there ready to work, just frustrated because their surgeries kept getting bumped! 
They can't say it's a matter of money because keeping all these bumped patients and rearranging elective surgeries must surely cost an arm and a leg.

Anyway, It's nearly midnight and I have to be up at 5am to get a shower at Mum's before we have to leave.
(Martin still isn't finished replacing the bathroom)

BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY..............

I don't get to blog as much as I used to.
To tell the truth I'm not particularly missing it either. Not that I'm going to stop however!
So, time for an update.

Things are going pretty well at the moment.
I have a job I'm actually enjoying. Ian has landed a job he's never been happier with and can actually see a future with.
Murron is doing OK at school and has just finished her year 6 SAT's.
Marjorie and Dharma are both still enjoying lower school and Marjorie is looking forward to joining Murron in middle school in September. 
We are all looking forward to a week in York in August and Xmas is already saved for!

It's safe to say that short of earning a little more money or winning the lottery, things are going pretty well at the moment.
There's the problem.
We have everything under control financially. Bills are 'all' paid on time every time but at the end of all that we struggle to have enough of everything we need at the end of the month. Money for clothes and shoes, particularly for the kids, is so tight it's virtually non existent.
It's tough when you can see your kids outgrowing things at such a rate when you know you can't just go out and replace them.
Me and Ian only get things when we are so desperate that if we wear something again it's likely to fall apart.

On the upside, our landlady has finally decided to replace our bathroom and toilet! After 7 years the mucky cream suite and cream tiles with big orange flowers is going to be replaced with (hopefully) something plain and white! I say hopefully because if she had any input in what it was being replaced with then it will probably be lime green, bright yellow and stamped with chilli peppers!
Thank god she let's us decorate.
She is also replacing the carpet in our hall, stairs and landing. Again, hopefully, it will be a neutral oatmealy colour that we stressed when they came to measure up. If there is a pattern (and that includes the bathroom) in any way, shape or form I'm moving!........ and I mean it.

I'm actually looking forward to all this, the only problem is that it's all being ripped out this week! Half term holiday for the kids!
The builder has promised that the toilet is the priority and will be replaced the same day. It better be or we'll be staying at his place that evening.......... and I mean it.

OH MY GOD.......

Excuse the interuption to what I have been writing but I've just seen something I can't believe.
Our neighbour is cutting his grass.
Nothing unusual there you might think but I have never seen him cut the grass in the 7 years we've been here.
It's always been his other half that cuts the grass.
He's a muscly meat head that loves pumping iron but when it comes to houswework and gardening it always been the missus that's responsible. He's an arrogant dick to be completely honest.
So, when I heard the lawnmower 5 minutes ago I expected to see her. Imagine my complete shock when I saw him! I almost choked on my brunch.  

Anyway, time to think about getting ready for work. I've still got a uniform to iron. Still, last shift for 4 days and I'm really looking forward to it.