Away and back

Lighter of pocket and of heart.

Ady’s had a nice few days watching films we’d hate, eating food we don’t like and even hanging out at the shop drinking whisky one evening 🙂 I gave him firm instructions NOT to do anything dangerous or silly while we were gone as I didn’t want to have to ring someone in the village to come and look for him if he didn’t ring me at the agreed time each day – stuff like tying up the wind turbine in high winds in the dark, or using the chainsaw, that sort of thing… Instead I think he actually had a bit of a rest while we weren’t here which is a good thing.

The kids mostly enjoyed the mainland but it felt a bit stifling being in FW on a wet weekend in winter. They watched *hours* of TV and mostly ate crap, stereotypical teenagerhood all crammed into one weekend 😉

The ferry on Saturday was 4 hours, going to Mallaig via Muck and Eigg. Lucy from Eigg was on the boat for the first half so I sat and chatted to her. She said she always thinks of the Loch Nevis as the fifth Small Isle – filled with Calmac staff who we all know and a random selection of islanders at any given time. I liked that analogy, particularly at this time of year when just like the islands it was a bit of a ghost town whereas in the summer it is crammed with tourists.

Off the ferry onto the train where we chased the daylight away to Fort William where we were hit with the twinkling lights of civilisation making us feel instantly festive as we got off the train. Into the room where the kids hung out while I did a first trip to Lidl and Morrisons for secret festive stuff for them and a bottle of wine for me. I regretted not getting a bar of chocolate too later but didn’t succumb to late night supermarket proximity, or even a raid on the vending machine in the Premier Inn reception which I could actually hear singing to me. Ah hormonal chocolate cravings!

We had McDonalds for dinner, Davies and I had baths and Davies begged a blowdry of his hair too. Funny how he would have his hair played with all day whereas Scarlett is still only a step away from hissing at me like a feral cat when I brush hers.  Scarlett had asked to share the double bed with me as she hates the camp beds in Premier Inn so she did but she was so wriggly all night that I gave up and I slept on the camp bed in the middle of the night. It was dreadful! We sorted it out for the following two nights by her staying in the double with me but using her duvet from the camp bed which meant we were not trying to share the covers. It worked really well.

Sunday – I walked along to Poundstretcher and Argos for a few bits, the others didn’t want to come so I went by myself. I dropped that stuff off and then we all went to Lidl and Morrisons for lunch and dinner stuff and to do the big food shop. I packed all of that up and then was bored so Scarlett and I went into town for a while. Not much was open but I did get a Superdrug nail varnish fix 🙂  Scarlett’s turn for a bath and hairbrush that night, made better by watching The Hunt on a big Tv rather than a tablet and on Sunday rather than downloaded later in the week.

Monday – Dentist first thing. Davies’ crossbite is not severe enough for NHS treatment, Scarlett’s overcrowding and crossbite/ overbite / underbite is. So he chatted to her lots about the options, what each would entail, the impact on her and the end result. He was excellent with her, talked to her rather than me (which I always really like with medical professionals) and was realistic and honest with her. Good stuff 🙂 She has decided to go with a brace which I am really pleased about and despite feeling really cross with my Mum saying in a patronising way that ‘she might not care now, but she’ll be glad when she’s older and her appearance is everything in her 20s’ I don’t think she will regret having a brace whereas she may regret not doing it.  So mainland trips every 8 weeks from early next year then…

From there into the town for a quick charity shop / WHSmiths / outdoor shop for wellies for Davies jaunt. The kids headed back to the hotel before me but I was not far behind as it was grey, miserable and everywhere had a slightly depressing air about it. It wasn’t much better back at the room. Too early for a bath because I didn’t want to go out again later to get dinner with wet hair, nothing worth watching on the TV, internet very slow as they try and persuade you to pay for the upgrade to faster service. We had all eaten and drunk too much junk and were feeling blah. I offered bowling but none of us were really bothered so we just hung out in the room being silly until it was late enough to do the dinner run to the chip shop. All in bed by 11 having packed ready for a quick get away this morning.

Today – early start for us, up before 8am! Actually I was awake before 7am. Final pack up, leave the room tidy and load up with all our heavy bags. I think two cups of tea followed by hoisting a really heavy rucksack onto my back did me no favours as I suddenly had the sort of nausea feeling I’ve only had before during morning sickness when pregnant. I had to stop and lean against the wall and breath deeply but it did pass. Hate being dramatic like that, particularly as it freaks the kids out. The walk across to the station was torture, as was the walk from the station to the ferry the other end. The rucksack was crazy heavy, I had a smaller ruck sack in one hand and the holdall, which felt like it weighed as much as me trailing behind, except one of the wheels had bust and was leaning inwards so I was literally dragging it and very aware of all the bottles of drink within.

Very pleased to be on the boat, it was a choppy sailing and I went outside twice to get fresh air as I was still not right but as soon as we arrived home I felt fine so I am sure it was tiredness, overheating, hot tea (which does sometimes happen here if I drink the first cup of the morning too hot on an empty stomach) and heavy lifting all combining with travel stress. So good to be home. Loaded the car up, drove to the fork and swapped everything into the other car. The kids walked to the croft with a wheelbarrow each while Ady and I drove across the river which was far too high and almost got swept away. Water was pouring the doors and splashing over the bonnet! High drama indeed. Ady revved it hard and got it across though. We managed to get everything up the croft in one lift with the kids loaded up and Ady and I with a really overloaded wheelbarrow each.

Grand unpack and put away done, followed by lunch, catch up on the last two episodes of junior Bake Off and plenty of sitting near the log burner feeling most zen and centred once more.

Now to focus on Scarlett’s birthday, closely followed by Christmas. Just a couple of weeks of being a director left and lots of plans for the croft in 2016 to talk about.