Ady took today off. His lieu days for all the evening and weekend work have been backing up rather and with travelling time he worked something like 70 hours last week so although it was nice to go up to London with him and make it feel less like work he was in need of some time off. He didn’t really get it to be fair, as he took at least 4 work phone calls during the day but he has so many various things he seems to be responsible for there it is easier for him to take the call and deal with it rather than turn his phone off and deal with it -and the repurcussions of letting someone else try and deal with it tomorrow. Having had jobs like that myself I know how frustrating it is and I do really feel for him at the moment. He is trying to take short term crap for long term potential which will either pay off or he’ll simply have to stop at the end of this ‘season’ (July). Either way there is an end in sight although the irony of him putting in loads of hours, taking extra responsibility and not really enjoying large chunks of his job in order that we might be able to live a totally different lifestyle is not lost on us.
So having stayed slightly later yesterday in order to take all of today off we had browsed the RSPB and NT handbooks and decided to go to Dungeness today.Of course what we had failed to do was work out how long it would take to get there so when we set off after 10am needing to be back for swimming by 5pm and then realised when we put the details into the Satnav that it was a 2 hour drive we had to swiftly amend that plan! 😆 It does look good though and we will get there another time. We turned left (right would take us into the sea!) and decided to go north. Before long we hit signs for Woods Mill. Now I’ve never been to Woods Mill which is odd given how close it is to us. There used to be a school trip there every year but it always clashed with the trip to France (sort of consolation prize for those not going across the channel I guess) and I always went to France. And I was always under the impression there was an admission charge, which I think is because I’ve only ever seen events there advertised which do carry an admission charge. But we were there, the sun had started shining and it was free so in we went!
We had a lovely few hours there walking round. We spent ages at the reed beds and lakes, wandered through the woodland area, sat in the hide bird watching for a while, got very muddy tramping over marshland, followed the stream, played pooh sticks on every bridge and talked about all sorts of birds, animals and plants including some tracker stuff like footprint and poo spotting. Scarlett spotted carp in the lake so we spent ages trying to catch one – and failing 😆
Most of the bridges had poetic woodland names like ‘Kingfisher Bridge’ except for a flat wooden one, which looked fairly new and had the beautifully carved wooden sign on it to say it was called ‘Steve’s Bridge’which amused me greatly. We found a net abandoned nearby and the children and I spent a very happy 20 minutes or so floating things and then catching them again while Ady played with the camera 🙂
How one of us (me) didn’t fall in I don’t know :lol:.
We came home via a quick trip to Sainsburys for various forgotten items from the online shop and a new laundry basket as my old ones are both broken and fairly lethal with sharp plastic bits. Home for pancakes for Davies and Scarlett before heading out again to swimming lessons.
They’ve missed the last 2 swimming lessons (Legoland and then London trips) and this was the last one before the end of term. They did jumping in, which they both love and then some messing around type things with the floats and noodles. Davies has really come along and Scarlett seems to be making progress.
Then it was off to the local parish hall to give blood for Ady and I. It was the fourth time we’ve been and only the second time I’ve actually managed to give blood although Ady has done it all four times. The first time we went they did something wrong putting the needle in my vein and had to give up and last time my whatever they test first levels were too low to donate. This time they used a ‘side vein’ in my arm which bloody ached and the man said I was his personal record for slowest time to fill the blood bag at 12 minutes something. The bloke next to me took 4 minutes and Ady was even faster than that. My arm is still sore but it doesn’t look like I’ll have a bruise which is unusual. Davies and Scarlett were well looked after and taken off to do colouring activity books all on the blood donor theme and plied with juice, crisps and biscuits. If it hadn’t hurt it would have been a win: win situation really, lying down in peace for 15 minutes with a guaranteed tea and biscuit at the end while feeling smug about doing something good 🙂 :lol:.
Home again for a couple of chapters of Famous Five and then a very late dinner for Ady and I. Tomorrow he’s off QVCing again (3-4pm show TVAG fans ;)) while the children and I hit Drusillas with my Mum.
We should have a slowest blood drawing competition then. I think the last time I gave blood it took them about 20mins to start to get any (I have sneaky hideaway veins), and then a good 15 mins or more to fill the bag. I felt so terrible and ill afterwards I’ve not been back yet. Really should remedy that though.
Comment by Em — 02 April 2008 @ 11:50 am