Dear So and So...Still No Heat

Dear Jim The Boiler Man,

I know you had to order a part, but I am freezing. If we don't have this sorted out by tomorrow I am coming to your house to hang out. Please inform your wife of the following dietary restrictions.... No really, sort it out.

I Can't Feel The Tip Of My Nose, Kat

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Dear Weight Watchers,

I'm sorry but cake makes me feel better when I am cold. Plus, I need the blubber to retain heat.

Looking Forward To A Gain, Kat

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Dear Little Tiny Village that I Live Next To,

We're getting a sushi restaurant! Now don't go getting too big for your britches, remember we only have a Londis, tanning salon, kebab shop, seamstress, hair dresser, used car lot and dog groomers in town. We're not the big time yet.

Bubble Burster, Kat

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Dear Hubby,

Thank you for reenforcing the reasons I love you. When you came in the house today and declared that it was too cold inside to even eat and then declared that tomorrow we WILL eat at the pub my heart went pitter patter a bit.

Who Says Marriages Lose Their Spark, Kat

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Dear Children of Mine,

You guys have been amazingly cool about the fact that we have no heat in the house (other than space heaters in the bedrooms). I can't believe I haven't heard a million complaints, but you have been troopers. Thank you for not being divas.

Love, Mom

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Dear Readers,

I hope you have a great weekend. Don't run with scissors, don't drink and drive, don't pull your sisters hair, quit staring at your brother, sticks are not guns, don't make that face it will stick and I swear if you don't use your inside voice I am coming back there and everyone will regret it.

Don't forget to link up!

Love ya mean it, Kat

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The Earring That Wasn't

KiKi got her ears pierced yesterday. She didn't flinch. She didn't cry. She was an angel. I was completely impressed.

LaLa on the other hand is walking around with one earring today.

My friend came over last night. She is a qualified beautician who also does ear piercing. She has pierced all my friends children's ears. I knew, just knew, that she could work her magic on my two and put to rest all the begging for having pierced ears.

KiKi went first. Acted like getting her ears pierced was as mundane as getting her hair washed. LaLa sat in the chair, got her ears sanitized, had her ears marked and then backed out. No big deal. On the way up to the corner store to get my friend the money I owed her for the earrings, LaLa decided that she did want them pierced after all. I of course asked, "Are you sure?" The response being "Yep."

So, I told my friend and she said "Do you think we could just do it in the car?" Mind you the ear was already sanitized and it has literally been five minutes since we had left my house. I figured well, it's no less sanitary than my kitchen, hell why not. So I agreed. I went into the shop to use the cash point and by the time I got back one earring was in place. As my friend went to do the second earring LaLa did what LaLa does best and completely lost her stuff. Lost it everywhere. It went from a quick job to looking like we were doing some sort of back alley surgery right out front of the Londis. People were starting to stare.

So, I looked at my friend and said, do you think we can carry this on at your Mum's house around the corner. So we got into our respective cars and met up at her parents house. After 30 minutes of cajoling, bribery (we were up to 2 chocolates, ice cream, new earrings and $5 to spend on base), we still couldn't get her to calm down enough to get the second earring placed. So, she's walking around today with one earring and feeling quite sheepish because she admitted that it didn't really hurt but the noise of the earring gun had scared her.

Next attempt for the second earring is scheduled for tomorrow. Oy Vey.

No Heat Once Again..

You know you have been a really bad blogger when your Granny calls to ask why you haven't blogged in a week. That was the phone call I had on Friday, seriously people, I don't make these things up they just happen. I thought about writing Saturday since it was miserable outside, but went to an indoor soft playground with my kids and husband instead (obnoxiously loud, but the best chicken bacon sandwiches in town). Then Sunday, I was going to post a picture and realized I hadn't taken any photos all week. So much for 365 project, eh?

During all this I was dealing with the hell of having no heat in my house. In fact, I still don't have any heat in my house. "Kat!", you say, "didn't your heat go out last year?" Why yes, it did young padawan. In fact, this is the third time that my heating has gone out. In fact, I am on a first name basis with my boiler repair man, Jim*. I had high hopes for Jim tonight as he took the front off my boiler. Probably just a small fix I thought. Then the next thing I knew, Jim had the guts of my entire boiler laid out in my laundry room. Cue my worried face. Jim grunted and made exasperated sighs for a good forty five minutes before he let me have the news. No heat tonight. No heat tomorrow. *IF* he could get the part, maybe heat the next day, but he thinks we should just put a whole new boiler in.

This is where I was swearing inside my head. A lot.

He left my house, still freezing, and went down to my landlady's house. About an hour later I got a call. The landlady has tomorrow off from work, so she is going to sort out having three quotes done on new boilers. So, MAYBE I will have heat by the end of the week. No, hurry folks I just have two children and a husband who is worse than a toddler when he is cold and miserable.

Well, at least I am getting a new boiler.

*Jim is pretty awesome. He is a man of very few words. He is all rough and grumbly looking and at first I half expected him to hit my kids with a stick when they buzzed about him like flies. But he didn't and in fact sat there and talked to LaLa for a bit when she showed interest in his tools. I suspect he has grandkids.

Silent Sunday/366

Dear So and So...(I couldn't think of a title so I am leaving this bit blank-ish)

Dear Cosmic Complaints Department of The World,

So, I sent out a question on the FaceBook asking where I could hire new house elves and apparently it is now impossible. Someone suggested asking Santa about his elves in the off season of the North Pole, but then someone else said it wasn't allowed because of 'elf and safety. Bureaucracy everywhere! Another suggested I look into pixies or faeries. I just want to know how to get my bloomin house clean with little to no effort on my part. Response needed quickly,

Thanks in Advance, Kat

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Dear Gingerbread Rogers,

When you look at me with those pleading kitten eyes I melt, but if you don't quit trying to eat my food while I am still eating it I might be forced to take drastic measures. Bad Kitteh!!!

Love, The Woman Who Would Like To Enjoy Her Cereal In Peace

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Dear KiKi,

I am so proud of you! Dry bed for two weeks! Keep it up!

Love, Mom

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Dear Song Stuck in My Head,

First of all, Moves like Jagger is getting really annoying at this point. I actually can't stand the dang song. I just keep singing MooooOOOOooooOOOOooves like Jagger over and over and over again like a broken recored. I don't even know any other part of the song in my head. Second of all, I am sure that NObody wants to hear me sing it. I sound a bit like a tone deaf whale. I assume.

Warbling Away, Kat

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Dear Winter,

I see that you have now arrived. Thank goodness, I was starting to think it was actually just November!

Seasonally Confused, Kat

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Dear Hubby,

I still think it is absolutely hysterical that when I have more than 3 female friends in the house at once that you go hide in the bedroom. They really don't bite. I promise.

Love Your Wife, Kat

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Dear Readers,

Sorry about last week if you wrote letters. I honestly just forgot what day it was. Not an excuse really but, hey ho, that how things go sometimes. If you have letters this week, please link up.

Love Ya Mean It, Kat

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The Moment I Realized I Wear Granny Panties- Sorry Mom

A couple days ago I got dressed in the dark. It was in the morning and after a shower, my room however was dark because I have blackout curtains and my husband was still sleeping so I didn't want to wake him up. Leaving the room I was completely presentable; jeans, nice top...socks that match. I thought to myself, pretty good for literally getting dressed in the dark.

I went about my business for the day- a few errands, lots of shows of tv that I had recorded, ya know the usual things.

Then I went to the loo. I looked down and gasped. I wasn't wearing my own underpants. In fact, I didn't know who's underpants I was wearing.

Definitely female.

Multi-colored.

Now...who could have had an opportunity to leave their pants at my house....

HOLY CRAP! I was wearing my Mom's underpants.

And this was the moment I realized that my underwear is in fact equatable to granny panties, because until the moment I saw them, I had no idea they weren't my pants.

I guess it is a good thing my husband isn't looking at my pants as much as he tries to get in them.

Silent Sunday/366

Living in The Fens

Right now the wind is whipping at about 45 mph outside my house and there is nothing to stop it. My curtains are blowing in the breeze and my windows are shut. I don't know if that says more about the quality of the windows in this house or the force of the wind! There aren't many trees where I live because the land used to be covered with water. So there isn't anything to naturally block the wind when it decides to whip up. And it does. Frequently.

You see, up until the 1600's the whole area was a swampland. Then some Duke decided that he would rather have the swampland turned into farmland and brought in the Dutch. The Dutch, being the master of all that is water related control, somehow managed to drain the swamps and with a system of ditches and pump (from what I can gather). The ditches I know about because I drive next to them daily. They are about 10-15 feet deep and usually filled about a quarter of the way up with water. Kinda scary when they are about 10 feet off to the side of a 60mph road. You don't want to wreck around here.

However, aside from the wind and the scary ditches there are so many cool things about living around here. There are farms everywhere with fresh produce. I have even gotten free potatoes once because a tractor dropped about half a load and the farmer decided that it would be too much trouble to pick them up. They just put out a sign that said "courtesy of the Sedge Fen farmers". Best potatoes I have ever had in my life. There is also fact that we are only 15 min away from Ely, a town full of history and a convenient train station to London; and only 30 minutes from Bury St Edmunds, which has great shopping. It is also really quiet. I know most of my neighbors.

I guess it just really fits my style of living....I just wish my curtains weren't blowing when my windows are closed.

Post Holidays Hangover

So, I am sitting here this morning trying to write a post about how excited I am about my kids going back to school, but I couldn't. It was utter crap. I mean, it was really really truly and honestly one of the most boring and mundane things I think I have ever written. It was so bad that I highlighted the whole thing and hit delete. Honestly, I won't torture you like that. Mostly it was crap because as much as I like having my kids in school and I hate the mess that they create when they are home, I was actually a little reluctant to make them go back to school today.

I will wait while you pick your jaws up off the ground.

I know! Me, the person who insists that their children NEED to be in school for their own good and well-being as well as my own, felt a bit sad sending her children back to school. This holiday season was just so...perfect. My parents and brother were in town, my husband was in town, my kids didn't fight any more than well a few times a day-ish, and the weather up until a couple of days ago was completely gorgeous. I was truly sad to see this holiday season end. My kids going back to school was just the nail in the holiday coffin.

So, today, I will pack up the last of the Christmas cheer and slide it all back up into the loft. I will with gusto embrace the New Year. I will do all of this, right after I get rid of this Post Holiday Emotional Hangover...

My brother, Andy, post present unwrapping on Christmas Day.

(cause I feel a bit like this!)

New Year, New Challenges

The holidays are now done and dusted. The Christmas tree has been disassembled, dragged though my house (dropping nearly every needle on the floor on the way out the door) and chopped up for firewood; nearly all the wrapping paper and toy boxes (my GOD getting into a Barbie is like breaking into Fort Knox) have been taken to the recycling center; and things are getting slowly back to normal.

I really enjoyed my Christmas season this year. My parents and brother came to England to spend time with us. It was the first Christmas in three years that we were all together as a family and it was really special. We spent Christmas Eve at Ely Cathedral which was magical. The singing was phenomenal and the pomp and circumstance could only probably be rivaled by High Mass at the Vatican. This was followed by the flurry of endless amounts of paper being ripped off of presents on Christmas morning by the girls (95% of what was under the tree was for them)(yes, they are THAT spoiled).

Now that we are back nearly into the swing of a normal schedule I am starting to look forward to the new (and some not so new) challenges that I have set for myself. These aren't resolutions per se, but things that I have set out to accomplish this year. I have once again decided to focus on my health and will be attending my weekly WeightWatchers meetings again starting tomorrow. I have also taken a keen interest in learning how to better use my camera. I have had my DSLR since before I moved to England, but have rarely taken it out of the auto setting. To help me with this, I am doing the 365 project. One photo a day for 365 days. Simples. I am also determined to finish my book. Slowly and steady wins the race, eh? In between this I also have PTA, bible study and I have started a home based jewelry business. If you want something done, ask a busy person right?

I guess I better get cracking on this year! Happy New Year everyone!