Bertie

So, for the third day running, I've worked out for an hour, not sure you can see any difference, but at least I know that I've done it.

I watched Ruth Brown on The Voice UK again and oh wow, she is my favourite, not that there aren't others who are astonishing but Ruth's voice is incredible, I can't put into words how amazing she is.  

It's now Sunday and I only did a quick, 10 minutes of Tracy Anderson butt and thigh workout this morning, no jogging as I slept late, plus, the rain is torrential, again... and it's oh so cold.

Monday rolled around again, as it does, and work has been dreary and mind numbing, but I do have a job... that's what I keep telling myself.  The weather is dreadful, I've managed to avoid much of the rain but it's cool and grey and nothing like summer should be.

Wednesday night, I was woken in the wee small hours with a start, I thought it was my smoke alarm but it was the house alarm.  It blasted into my slumber, just enough to wake me with a start and set my heart rate to ridiculously high and then it stopped again.  It did it again just as I was getting up around 4am and when I went to the control panel to turn off the flashing, the flashing outside continued.  It took me a minute to work out that my porch light was flashing on and off too, and it wasn't the alarm box on the outside of the house.

So, two things went at the same time and I'm waiting for the third... you know they always come in three's.

I wondered how I'd sleep on Thursday night with no alarm and no porch light, typical that they should both fail together.  After a couple of glasses of wine and being late going to bed, I actually slept pretty well, until the police helicopter hovering overhead woke me.  I smiled to myself as I lay there and wondered if one of my angels had sent the helicopter?  Overkill I know, but Mother's are very protective of their offspring, that was my first thought, my second thought was that if someone was at that very moment, trying to break into my unlit door, then they were probably being watched by the overhead chopper.  I promptly fell back to sleep knowing that one or more beings were keeping me safe in the unarmed darkness.

I was aiming to rise at 5.30am on my day off but it was actually nearer 6am when I finally got up.  I jogged for 40 minutes, hit the shower, went for fuel then picked J up and off we went to the Trafford Centre.  We did of course head for coffee to begin with, a visit to the Trafford Centre would not be in order if we didn't hit Starbucks first.  We each had a skinny cappuccino and split a skinny lemon and poppy seed muffin between us.

After that, we window shopped a lot, I can't even tell you about Bertie, you will be so jealous, it's a shoe shop and new to Trafford, well, it's been there a few months but J and I haven't been in before.  It's part of the group that Dune belongs to, beautiful styles, soft, colourful leather and all have this divine cushioning going on.  They're kind of of middle of the road in price, (middle of the road for normal people like us,) and the next time you're over, I'm taking you there Mrs, http://www.bertieshoes.com/

After dining at Giraffe and enjoying garlic focaccia and edamame, J and I diverted to B&Q for me to get my new bulb for my porch light and batteries to get my house alarm working again.  I dropped J off at home and headed to my own to mow the lawn.  I can't tell you how desperate the grass was.  It's been so wet, it's just grown like, well, grass, and was so long, it was embarrassing.  Anyway, it was very light rain but I mowed anyway, it was now or never and I didn't want to leave it another day, let alone another week.  Anyway, I mowed and it was hard going but brushing the path and drive after mowing is even harder, it's a workout in itself.

After that I ironed and then caught up on emails.  Tomorrow, cleaning and tidying beckons, then hopefully, a nice evening with a friend awaits.