THE DIARY OF LITTLE WAGGATAIL

31 Jan 2013

Oh I have just been reading a message from a girl who advertised her five puppies for sale, they are not ready to leave the Mum quite yet. The man who was interested in them, left and through the night, the pups were stolen and the Mum was found with her skull kicked in. She is now at the vet, and looks like she will not make the night.

I hate that person or people who did this. I really hope the saying what goes around, comes around?

 Will affect whoever is involved in this?

There is my little Waggatail playing so happily with her toy and old Black beauty, laying fast asleep on the rug, Long Chops is on a train waiting to come home with her Daddy. In about half an hour, she will come bursting through the door, telling the pup  and old BB, she is back and  in charge.

Though she has had a day on two trains and two taxi’s as well as long walks and a  bus, being in the office all day going from  meeting room to conference room and being on guard under Hubs desk, she will still be full of beans as her boisterous bouncy body will burst through that door soon. She will be fed and watered and all cozy for the night. I have cleaned their beds for them and they will be happy and safe. How can anyone be so nasty and it makes one worry about what will happen to those puppy’s?

I will have to rush around picking all of the toys that LC, will kill and put them away, but I don’t fancy my chances with Waggatails teddy, as she loves the blooming thing. OMG? It makes the worst sound and she constantly bites it. I have never ever in all of the years I have had dogs, heard anything like it?

For fifty odd minutes, she has every second, without taking a breath, bit her toy, making it do that stupid noise.

At least now when I shout “Waggatail? She looks up to me, still biting the thing. Poor BB, is trying to sleep, does she not know?

Tomorrow we are out training on how not to get ran over. Two people come from Guide dogs, and one drives the car, I tell LWT, to wait and hope she will? If she doesn’t, I pull her lead hard and say “No!” Knowing my dog, she probably will say,

“Yes, it looks fun?

She has to be the cheekiest dog in the world.

She loves to carry her blanket around with her. She pushes her toy into the face of Long Chops. She is a real teas.

She was a good girl at the vet the other day, let the vet do what she had to  do for a checkup and Bb got her needle, didn’t even cry, right after I told GDI, and the vet, that poor BB, hates her injections and would for sure cry? Not a blooming sound? What a shown up?

LC, has the softest ears now  with her deer conditioner. £40 a bottle, I would hope it  makes her ears soft?

In fact, for that much, I would want my ears to have diamonds in them.

Well I will let you know how training goes on tomorrow? That is if I have not gone deaf with the teddy with the hiccups?

With love LC, BB, LWT and me. Mummy Fi

     

CHANEL No. 5?

Chanel No. 5

 

This was in the Independent

A man walking his dog has discovered a ‘horrible smelling’ lump of sperm whale vomit thought to be worth around £100,000.

Ken Willman originally paid little attention to the dirty yellow rock his dog Madge dug up as the pair walked along Morecombe’s beach.

However, upon arriving home he says something “triggered my mind” and he looked the substance up on the internet.

On doing so, unemployed Mr Willman discovered the substance is likely to be ambergris - a lump of sperm whale vomit – which is used in perfumes such as Chanel No.5 to amplify the scent.

The lump of vomit is often called ‘floating gold’ and is said to smell like old wood or fungus. It acts as a scent stabiliser when combined with other ingredients, however.

He added: “I didn't actually realise what it was at first, I couldn't understand why Madge was so interested in it. It smelled horrible."

Mr Willman went on: “I left it, came back home and looked it up on the internet. When I saw how much it could be worth, I went back to the beach and grabbed it.”

A French dealer has already offered Mr Wilman €50,000 (£43,000) to purchase the substance if it turns out to be ambergris, but it is believed it could be worth twice as much as that.

Mr Willman says he will be sending a small amount of the vomit to France to have it checked, and if it turns out to be ambergris it “could be like winning the lottery”.

Chris Hill, curator at the Aquarium of the Lakes in Cumbria, said: “It's quite a find…How much it's worth will depend on how fresh it is, but it's potentially $180,000.”

He added: “There are places in Europe that will buy it from you. They will age it, like a fine wine, and then test it for perfume.”

Ambergris is the intestinal slurry of a sperm whale which is usually ejected into the ocean when the animal has a stomach or throat problem.

It can float undiscovered for years, gradually hardening and developing its distinctive odour, usually washing up on beaches in small, fist or football-sized lumps.

In 2006 a couple walking on an Australian beach found a 32-pound chunk of ambergris, which netted them $295,000.

“Right that’s me off to the beach? Lots of games of fetch for Waggatail this afternoon?

Either that, or looking for those whales to pat their backs?

“Come on, cough it up for Aunt Fi?

I love Chanel No 5, but with this doggy story, perhaps it should be renamed

Chanel No. 2?

COKE CANNED

I have visited the former USSR I think about 32 times. From the age of six, until I was 22. Apart from once, all for eye treatment. I saw many changes, from the iron curtain red riches to the rogue Russian real life. Searching for  secrets then wishing I had never found out about  my discoveries.

One day I would love to write my autobiography and tell you the mysterious marvels of Moscow. Before it was spoiled to a modern way of life.

In my blogs, I only skate across memories, I don’t go into that much detail. In my book in the future, I wish to but one day I hope to share  it all and it will be goodbye to old baggage.

Some people say my past helped to make me, I would agree, but add it also helped to break me.

Though I have found tough glue and I am putting myself together again.

From the heartless evil woman who gave birth to me, to my adopted Mother, to me holding my child so close to my heart, he could feel life and sadly I feel he has picked up on my pain, but I hope he also will remember the fun I have in life? I love to laugh. It is free, costs nothing and is something you can give freely to others, as hearing someone laugh, is infectious.

What can we do for others that costs nothing? Just be kind, a hello, or see if they would like to join you for a cup of tea? Or Coffee? Ok it costs for the drink, but not to say hello?

There  are people in our world, who go a week or more without saying a word to anyone. How awful is that? Even prisoners, talk to one another and to remove that, is a human rights act.

So how kind will teens school be today? Will he get the 14 cans of coke he had in his bag back? Will he take it out on the boy who told the teacher on him? I blooming hope not?

Really I am not at  all cross with him for  trying to make some money, he is an entrepreneur. He has tried to get at least a dozen jobs but they all say he  has to be sixteen or over eighteen.

As he is neither, he sells pop at school.

Oh if he gets it  removed full time from him, my life tonight? Will be  hell again.

Hub left the house early this morning, taking our Long Chops with him. As the front door closes, the dark silence is so empty. He won’t be back until after nine tonight. Then in the morning off again for the weekend to France. I will tell you more when I learn  about it. I have not yet looked at his work load.

The wind today again, is pure evil. It rained all night. I have never heard rain like it.

Today I have spoken to my two friends. One called me and the other I phoned. They are both so  different, an yet, get on so well.

They didn’t know  one another before our wedding.

I may write about our wedding day this week, as it was a day when I was a free bird. The happiest day of my life. I know everyone  says that, but it really was. My first wedding day, was truly dreadful. It was the last place I wanted to be.

My dearest Yam and DD, are driving from Mexico to the US, Tennessee, over the next  five days. I can’t wait until they are home safe, though they will hate it, as it will be so cold and dark there and they have left beautiful Mexico where the sun never goes to bed.

though I absolutely love where they live in America. It is fantastic.

Well I’m rambling again, just wanted to say hello for today, before I pick up my work tools and start to  do my  job.

With lots of love x

STOLEN

Here I am again Bloggets. As the night has stolen my dreams, pain has forbidden me to sleep and my mind doesn’t allow me to relax.

So I have put on my robe and tried to sneak downstairs, without disturbing my Hub, who struggles to sleep as I have been tossing and turning, wincing with pain.

I hope now I’m down here, he will sleep better, as he only has less than a handful of fingers to count the hours before he has to be up to travel by train to Peterborough.

He  is meeting with his daughter, after work. He will wait for her on a dark damp street. I only hope she turns up this time and they have a nice meeting?

He won’t be home until very late then packing for the South of  France the next morning.

It will take him three trains to get there  and he is on his own. He will arrive at his destination, at eleven o clock in the evening on Friday.

All I can think about is how he will cope? What if there is no assistance at France? Oh God I only wish I could stop worrying about everything and everyone?

I know when Hub is back from London in a couple of weeks, after Peterborough, France and then the Capital, I will be OK for a week, until he is off again to the States. Thankfully only for a few days.

He will be with someone too.

At Hubs place of work, there are a lot of changes in the air. I just wish they could change his job, so he is home more? Like every night?

Ha. I don’t ask much do I?

I just don’t  know how he does his job, as he will go on three trains tomorrow, one in France to the south, will be for five hours?

How does he know when to get off?

God he is so brave, but brilliant at his work too.

Tomorrow I have a day of trying not to get killed on the road? Haha. I am training on how not to get knocked over. A driver, pulls the car close to me and I have to ask the dog,  Waggatail, to go forward. If she does, when the car is coming, I have to pull her sharply back.

Don’t worry, the driver is a member of staff, from Guide dogs..

Not just a random person we will pick from the road side?

Well, that is  what they tell me, anyway? Ha.

Oh, I went out at tea time, to get some food from the freezer, like bread rolls, for teens lunch for the next day. As my arms were full of bread a frozen Pizza and some frozen vegetables and meat for the boys, I banged my head on the garage door. Then as I cursed, I did it again. The wind forced the door down slightly, without me knowing.

But the funny thing was, as I did  it, I dropped a tub of veg, and as I tried to squeeze my arm, to save the tub, I managed to halve the pack of bread rolls, making half of the packet rip and shooting two of the bread rolls across the lawn.

Hahahahaha. I blooming hate having the freezer in the  garage, but there we are that is where it is?

So the bin was fed the rolls and teen retrieved the tub of veg, it was covered well, so OK.

When I am sitting here, I could fall asleep. When I lay down, I become wide awake. What is all that about?

Teen went to the cinema with a friend and had a good time thank God. Coming back in a half civilised mood.

Let’s hope it continues?

My Yam told me to take a taxi and go to a hotel to get away from everything. But how can I? I have three dogs and my teen as well as Hub.

We see little enough without leaving him. I would feel too selfish, though I do feel like I need a break.

If I am in a hotel room, on my own, I would think of family at home, and feel bad about not being with them.

I’m rambling now, not sure if this blog will get published. If you are reading it though, I guess I have published it?

I will go back to bed now, and try to sleep, as I have to be up with Hub at quarter past six, this morning.

Hub told me his gift from him to me for my birthday, is coming today, on a pallet? OMG? What could it be? He told me to put it in the garage, or get them, to do so.

I have twelve days to wait to see what it could be, then on the same day, a visit from my mad Aunt. Hahahahaha.

Do you remember the blog I wrote about her before? Well, she will be back.

Until the dawn breaks and the birds start to sing, I will chat to you then, take good care, with love.

SCARED STIFF

I wonder why the dark was invented/created? For the cats and other nocturnal animals to be happy perhaps? I can’t see the colour of the sky, but already I am beginning to get sick of the black streets outside my window. Reminds me of something.

 The wind is howling like an angry  monster. Roaring through the ink, cover which suffocates our part of the world. Tiny glimpses of lights kindly given from our stars and the moonlight, torch our moving clouds, as though to push away the heavy nights to make way for the spring, which will follow the winter.

Walking down an alley way, silence in front of me but behind, a tin can,  can be heard, rattling rolling, then stopping, as though a foot has covered it, not to cause  unnecessary attention towards the shadow which seems to be following me. I walk quicker, the tunnel of emptiness, strangles me with a carpet dull tone. Punching me in the face. If I turn around, I will run into the evil who is waiting for the right moment to pounce on me. I don’t want to look at him, I don’t want to see who is there. To look into the evil, ice,  eyes, which will be full of anger and  hatred. Perhaps red with madness? I  don’t want to be caught. What will he have in his hand? How will I meet my end?

Keep walking forward, into an invisible wall. Finding out there is nowhere to go, no place I can run get out, get away? Or turn, turn to face my destiny.

I’m walking faster now, not a sound can be heard as yet, just my heart. Pounding, beating almost ready to explode.

My mouth is dry, I can’t  scream, my lips are stuck together. My tongue is almost choking me. I can’t do anything to remove it from the roof of my mouth. I no longer have any saliva to swallow. I can hardly breathe. My body is slowing down, my legs are moving, an yet I am paralysed. I am not moving or going, anywhere

   I have never been so terrified in my life. This fear is beyond terror. Beyond what my body can cope with.

A  silver glow can be seen in front of me. It is like dust.

It is the reflection from the crescent moon.

It’s coming closer to me, I can see now. But then a huge finger like  shape comes  down on me. Sweeping across my face. A tree branch. Oh, my God.  There it is. Oh my word? Please God, just let me be alright?

It’s just a  dozen steps away from me. What do I do? Help me? Please?

Now, that is it, my front door. My Husband is standing there waiting for me, watching for my arrival. I safely walk up the garden path, look over my shoulder and there it is, the can, rolling in the wind, getting stuck in anything and everything, nothing follows it.

All in my mind.

 

HELL ON EARTH

I have twenty minutes before the teen returns home, where a dark cloud will form over my head, as I wonder what mood he will be in? Hub and I were talking about it before, we think apart from hormones, he is going through a bad  time in life, as one, all he has wanted to do since the age of eleven, is to be a police man. His dreams of that have been shattered. This is sad, but, I am relieved as this day  in age, a Bobby on the beat, is not a good place to be?

Can you imagine my nerves?

I feel really sad for him, it’s like his life has been crushed, if only you knew how passionate he was about the career choice?

Things are not going good at school. He is stressed about what job to do to go to college, University? Or look  for a  job? To get a job here, you need experience, if you don’t have the qualifications? He was talking about becoming a teacher. Well to be honest, he is not the astute kind of lad. He is highly intelligent, but not when it comes to study. He hates paperwork.

He is giving his teachers grief at school right now, he is making  me mad at home, He is missing his girlfriend and he is feeling guilty about not seeing his natural Father, though he does not want to see him, he is a kind child and feels how others will feel.

Now he tells me by mobile, he is on his way home, he posted my letter which is miles away, near his school, and he is in trouble again at  school.

It is never anything really bad or big, but every day now he has made a teacher cross. God, why can’t he just get on in life?

Hub is on the phone for a couple of hours and I have this blooming teen to deal with. It is like a kick in the chest.

I just wish I could get out of the daily routine I find myself in.

To wake up, let the dogs out, groom them, let them out again. Empty the dish washer, clean the kitchen, fill the dish washer, empty the washing machine and fill again.  Some days iron, others dust or do the windows, or clean upstairs. Every night cook. I really really hate being a house wife.

Thank God for my blogs. An  escape for a short time through the day.

I have odd jobs to do for Hub, but to be honest, they are not challenging  either?

It is absolutely pouring with rain here still and the wind is wild. I am having one of those  days where I wish I was in the Caribbean? Ha. Don’t we all?

Just  away from life’s stresses. Over the next ten days I will be coping with life without hub and I am just dreading that.

Teen has just walked through the door. I have been off here half an hour. Back on again, teen in his room. We have had an other fight. Oh really God this is getting me down?

Where is that cure, for my sight, where is my car and where can I go?

To be able to get in a car and drive, and drive, and drive. Park in the car park of a quaint hotel and just have a lovely meal, with no worries and go to a cosy bedroom and just relax? I wish.

I envy Hub as he half can do that, though he worries about how to get to his next venue. I need something lovely to happen this week? Please?

 

 

OLD BLUE BY FIONA CUMMINGS

OLD BLUE BY FIONA CUMMINGS

 

Pull on some blue jeans and my check shirt

 Scrape from my boots the glued on dirt

 Pick up my hat

Call in my cat

Feed him his breakfast

Curse at the mist

Wishing for some sun

So I can feel the heat as we run

Under the summer sky

No worries

No need to ask why

Just saddle up my dapple horse

Feed him his apple of course

Clime on high

Do the rough Corse

Over the heathery  hills

Feeling light like feathery quills

Oh such absolute thrills

When I am riding

No time for crying

Chuck away those awful pills

Jumping the fence

Will he make it

I’m tense

Of course he would

He is so good

The smell of the earth beneath the hooves

Let him go free

Allow him to choose

In which direction will he go

Oh it’s so wonderful my hair shall flow

The wind in my face

As he cantors with grace

The happiness he must feel

His life he must steel

For his species are chained

For their freedom is pained

But my horse is free

Just him and me

5 words 5 wishes 5 years

Good morning dearest Bloggets. I hope you are all well today? If not, I really wish for you to be better soon? The wind here is dreadful, mixed in with the rain it’s truly awful. Our wind  chimes are working their little chimes like a church bell again, or a  school play time bell? Ha, I did  wonder, why whenever I pass our local little school, all of the small children are out in the playground? Bless them, they heard my chimes and thought it must be play time?

 “What do you reccon?

We have had a good sleep last night thank God. The pains I have had are lighter now. I am sure it has been with stress and I have escaped the Doctor, ha. Dr Death has not knocked……

I hope he keeps away from this house/me and my family for many years to come.

I thought I would be getting fit this month with all of the training with my new pup? Looks like not? The longest I have been out is two hours and most of that was in a car.

Hub leaves on Friday, so I guess that blooming case has to come back out again? More dreadful lonely days, where by the daylight turns into nights, without me even knowing.

I need more in my life, I hope my new business will keep me busy and one day a publisher will read my blogs and ask me to write for them? That is my dream.

If I had five things to wish for in my life, it would be not in this order, but

1 I would become a well known author.

2. I would learn my work has helped people

3. My teen became happy and successful in life

4. Hub and I got a cure for our sight loss

5. all of those we love would live for many years? Is that too much to ask? Ha.

OK, out of five of those wishes, two could come true?

If I could say five words about my life now, they would be

Worrying, flat, hopeful, lucky, alive.

Five years ago, my five words would be

Flat, depressed, tearful, hopeful, desperate.

It will be interesting to look at my five words in five years’ time and see what they will be?

You should try it for yourself, do your five words first now, how you see your life, then think about five years ago, then keep it written somewhere and look in five years’ time do the same? Will it change much?  Will you want it to?

We had a man come to the house today, who has been recommended. To do a fence in our garden. He seemed a nice person, so we shall see. We need a fenced off area for our dogs to pollute, so we know where it is to  clean.

He is an elderly gent, about sixty fourish, I would say, and he does that sort of work through the week and at weekends? Ha, wait for it?

No, not poll dancing, but D.j work.

I didn’t like to ask what kind of music? But I guess it will be sixties stuff? Wouldn’t it be funny, if he was one of those Dj’s, who go to Ibiza? Hahahahahah.

I have absolutely loads of housework to do, so must get on now, Until later my friends, if we have a house left with the dreadful winds we are having here? With love.

 

BALLS TO YOU

My dear Bloggets, as I write to you to thank you for more support, as yesterday we reached record numbers of views, I am honoured and so very grateful you are looking, and more importantly, coming back.

My  family from the US, are coming back from their holiday in Mexico in a few days, I hope our new bloggets keep coming on here from Mexico? Friends in Germany are here regular and of course there are all of you in America, bless you all and our UK family are true to this page.

I love to see new countries too and there is at least four countries a week seeing what often rubbish I write? Ha. What I write is true though and real.

Hub is taking some stress away from me, but not too sure it is totally working, as he is really stressing himself? He is having a nightmare with the website, Sainsbury’s. Poor man, it has took him two hours to shop. He just can’t get to the checkout. I know he will in the end though,  but I doubt he will be volunteering again for a while?

Oh I told him to buy something he likes, as he is asking what I would like all of the time, then putting in the trolley what teen will like, he told me it was my turn to have nice things, and he was buying nice foods for me, in his words,

“I have put in a lime scale remover, I  know you like that? Hahahahaha.

I will Lime scale him? I wrote to complain about a website that is not at all accessible and telling them I had no vision, and could not use their website, they wrote back and said they were so sorry, and they could if I called them, send me out a catalogue?

Right, OK, a catalogue will be good for me to look through?

Idiotism?

Hub told a website selling furniture the same and they wrote back, saying that making their website accessible, was too expensive. Then under that sentence, they wrote

“we know nothing about accessibility!”

So, how do they know it is deer?

Teen had words with me tonight about his girl. Let’s call her bunches. Why? Not sure, better than Posh.

Haha.

He wants to go and see her on Friday night. I said no, he is not seeing her and coming on the bus from the town after ten at night on a Friday, he went mad, I was a bad Mum, I was this and that,  I had lost it with feelings, and  couldn’t remember what it was like to be in love, and was spoiling their relationship…..

I said she could come here and her Mum could pick her up. So I think that is what is happening. I don’t mind him seeing her through the day until about six at night, I know I am over protective, but why don’t they meet on a weekend? Through the day? Because Saturday she has an exam to see if she can pass for a posh school, well the best in this area, and Sunday, she is at her Fathers farm. So is this my fault?

Anyway, he said sorry. He told me he really loves the girl and she has the same feelings for him.

 I am finding it hard to let go of the  strings. But only because I love him and want the best for him, and he can go anywhere during the day time. Why does he need nights? I think he is a Vampire, who comes out in the evenings?

I watched a program last night on the television, about disabled people being out of work. I thought it would be interesting, only could bare twenty minutes of it, as the show drove me mad.

God only knows where they got the people from for the program, but I guess like everything, scandal is what is hot.

The people who were there to represent disabled people, were so awful. And so obviously putting an act on, not to work.

In fairness, after I stopped watching it,  other people may have been on, but it was too  uncomfortable to watch.

I am sure it is better for disabled  people to work if they are fit enough. It gets them out of the house, gives them a purpose in life and makes them not feel like a Burdon. But will they be given jobs that are demeaning? I will never forget the day I went to talk with a stupid person from the job centre to see what work I could do, he handed me a newspaper and told me to look through it. I told him I was blind, he phreaked out when I removed my guide dogs harness saying he was afraid of dogs, he then told me I could be a wait for it?

Oh, you’re going to like this one,

A bingo caller…..

I asked him how would I see the balls? To read the numbers?

There was silence. I mean not only at his desk, but in the whole office, as every computer was silenced, every phone seamed to stop as gasps could be heard from other desks in the same office.

I mean, what a  complete fool? In the end, it was like I was interviewing him. There I was in my suit and heels, when I stood at the door to come home, my taxi driver came in for me, the stupid employment man said goodbye, the taxi driver asked me who the heck he was, I asked him why, he told me what he was wearing, jeans and a rolled up long sleeved t/shirt.

The man was a nut.

I never went  back. I bet he does not have a job now.

If he has,  he should have been featured on the program I watched last night?

The show focussed on lazy actors, rather than genuine people. As I say, I only watched as much as I could stand.

I shall go for now  until tomorrow, with love.

 

THE DIARY OF LITTLE WAGGATAIL

29 Jan 2013

Gosh what a couple of days? Yesterday Waggatail and I did our first walk on our own without sighted guide/help.

Hub came with his white cane. Long chops was at the vet all day. A nurse came in the morning and  took her to have some tests done on her ears. She has these spots and flaky skin. Sounds awful, but, not really, we just wanted to make sure she was OK? I was really worried about her, as I think of my dogs like my children. I am a doggy person in the respect, I really love my animals and think they think, like us. Some people who are not really into their pets will think this is odd, but others will understand.

I was concerned that they would hurt her and she would feel betrayed that we were not there to save her. I know, I know, this is not normal, but as you all know, I  am not normal.

So goodbye to our LC, and after Hub and I did some work removing some furniture, we connected some speakers to our stereo and put on our coats. I fed Black beauty a biscuit and put Little Waggatails harness on. Hub is so confident with his cane and doesn’t even use it as  he should, just holds it in front of him.

Oh I was OK, until it came to actually going out of the door. I lead the way and off we  went. It was awful. Waggatail was sniffing everything and I was on her case  all of the time. Constantly thinking she was going to walk me into something, she does not slow down  for steps, so I have a huge  fear of steps and really was afraid she would not let me know they were coming up, and down I would go.

Though I was the driver, Hub was the Satellite Navigator. He was telling me a step was coming up. I know the rough places of the steps, but not exactly where. Hub is much better than me at feeling the ground with his feet and just knowing what to look out for.

Well the school was out and the noise was deafening. A lady shouted to me to go to her, it was a nice lady from church. I have not been there for so long, wanted to go this week  but was impossible. With Hubs  job, we just have no time at home together so when at home, there is so much to do.

So we passed the children playing football etcetera and the noise was just so loud? I could hardly hear my Barings, but though Waggatail was a little bothered, Hub managed to follow me God knows how, as he was unable to hear my footsteps. We made some mistakes on the way, but got there, Waggatail, found the door of the restaurant and when we were having our meal, she lay fascinated by the ice machine. Our friendly owner Lewis, told me she was lying under the table, with her head going up and down, looking at the ice dropping into the glasses. I have learned, that if you face Waggatail out to see what is going on, she will lay happier, rather than making her face nothing.

On the way back, it was really stressful. She was all over the place. Hub was really supportive. Bless him, I was rubbish though truly rubbish. A real let down and there is no way, I would go out on my own with my new pup, not yet.   

But I’m not saying never.

Hub is off on the train on Thursday with Long chops. All day till very late at night, home for bed, then the next day packing for France. I will have LC thank God, I feel safer when she is  with me, as she is a real Shepherd. I will though worry about Hub in France. He is going by train and my nerves will be shaking until he returns. Only home for a couple of nights then off for five days again. That time taking LC with him. Then home for my birthday and a visit from my loving mad Aunt. That will be the first time she sees Waggatail. She will love  her.

Today,  I met the GDI, and we went with BB, in her car to the vets. For Waggatails check-up and Black beauty’s injection for her arthritis. We got them both weighed and BB has already  put on quite a lot of weight. Only a month retired, this is not good.

She is still slightly under their recommended weight but I want her lighter.

After then, we went to the station. Got on a train, but got back off, so only did that once, but did practice how to get  her on and making her sit to get off, or she will pull you off the train. We learned the way from the taxi and into the station to the desk where you will get assistance. Our train station, is awful in the respect that there is no tactile so you can walk from the taxi rank, right onto the track.

WT did this well. After then, we took the dogs on a free run. Old black beauty, loved it so much. My GDI, had a few words to someone about the ball she was throwing for her dogs, telling her not to  do it, in a nice way, but I cringed as what right do we have to tell someone not to throw the ball, just because guide dogs are not allowed to have them?

We called in to the centre for the blind and I enquired about a sighted volunteer to visit once a week, to go shopping with me and do things like filling in forms or letters. It is great that there is  that service where I used to live, there was nothing like that, and everything you applied for, you were made to feel awkward about it, here not as yet? Having said that, I have to be assessed….

That will take part in two weeks, then they will match a volunteer up with me.

God, what / who, will they give me?

I can’t wait to see?

Imagine if it is a really old man? Or a dishy hunk, or a loony from the local  Sanatorium?

I will keep you informed, I am sure we will have fun whoever it is, I also need to have coffee with  my coffee cup friend. I hope to do that soon?

We came home and we now have sleepy dogs, even LC is sleeping as yesterday took it out on her too, with the vet.

I am stressed with my poor attempt on our walk yesterday so I am not feeling good, I am a bit of a perfectionist, I don’t like to fail and I feel like I really failed yesterday. Also Hub wanted me to go to London with him for a couple of days next week, and I can’t I just can’t. I am week still really dreadfully week. Just wish I had a bit more get up and go, and confidence around people? Meeting his colleagues scares me. Though I have met some of them and they have been delightful and there are a couple of guys I really like the sound of, Hub speaks of them in such a great way. He has so much respect for them and I just know I would love them, but they won’t be on this trip.

I also would be travelling there and back on my own, just couldn’t, not yet.

So until next time my friends, I can tell you that Waggatail is really improving, she comes to me when I call her name now, she comes to me, in the garden instead of running away and she is so much more settled in the house. Her behaviour around shops with the GDI, is impeccable too.

With love, Me, Waggatail, Black beauty and Long Chops.

"YOU ARE BLIND SO YOU MUST NEED ONE OF THESE?

 

Technology can really get you in to trouble. I have heard Hub using voice recognition on his iPhone and, when it works, it's fantastic. Ask it to set an alarm, put something in your diary, even create a text message and it gets on with it, although I don't think I would like to shout out all of my, text messages! Ahahahah!

 Voice recognition does have its problems, as the following imagined interaction with Twitter shows.

"I'm using voice recognition software to write this tweed.

 No. tweet. Scratch that.

 “Fondue,

No, Mind you.

 “Deal heat.

 No, Delete.

 “Hair raise.

No, Erase

“  Duck.

 Yes, Duck your computer."

Hub's mellifluous tones seem to get the results he wants from voice recognition but it still has a long way to go before it could cope with things like local accents. As you may know in Britain, we have so many accents. Where I come from the North East of England, you only need to travel three miles, and you will find a different accent. From my city, to the outskirts to the  country side, then to the seaside, all within twenty miles, you will  find four different accents of the same northern origins, just with different ways of expressing yourself and some different words are used, for the  same word.

I have travelled a lot in my life, so when necessary, only when necessary, I talk in a way which people will understand me. But I can quite easily  go into my local accent, where by someone only an hour from where I live, will not understand a word I say.

Today I have been out with my Guide dog trainer. More of that later, but we called into a center for the blind. A place where by I don’t normally find myself. One of the reasons being, I hate being blind and constantly reminded of the fact that I am.

But over the years, I have learned how to deal with the situation,  I am in. That is to listen to what people tell me I am supposed to do and act like , then please myself.

Look at the dreadful things which are available to blind  and partially sighted people, take in what I need to and dismiss the rubbish.

Well today I was handed  a key board,  oh, I thought it was one of the  portable keyboards that Hub had for his IPhone. No, I was told, it was a very handy remote control for the television.

Oh my God…. It was blooming huge? Really, it looked so ugly. One good thing, you would never lose it?

With the talking box now for the television, why do those awful things still sell?

I guess with me, I hate being labeled. I don’t like to look blind, as what do blind people look like? What is your stereo typical idea of a blind person?

If you have one, I don’t want to be like that thank you very much.

I mean, do sighted people all look the same?

What would you sighted people think if I was to tell you, you all had to wear arm bands so you could be seen by others.

You had to carry a card in bright  yellow, saying

“I need assistance please!”

A guide dog with a huge yellow label on the harness saying

“Please do not distract, I am working?”

You sighted Bloggets, should you all have a label saying

“Hi, look at me, I can see?

A label to hold up to tell the world

“No need to help me please, I have sight!”

How would you all  feel if you all had the same hair style? I have spoken to sighted people before who have told me I have beautiful hair, not at all what they would expect blind people to have? Hahahaha. And they tell you this, you know?

It is like a survey I did once how they were going to develop houses for the blind and they wanted to know what I  thought of their amazing ideas of doors with huge aluminous stickers on every door and different colored work tops in the kitchen. I mean, how would you like that in your house?

We can’t see very well if at all, we are just like you, but our eyes don’t work.

Please help us if we look lost, but  if you ever come across anyone who is blind and they come across as rude not wanting help, don’t let that put you  off helping the next person, please, as that could make a difference of whether or  not that person will ever get out again. You helping, makes our days out better and life longer.

Well, the wish to live more easier.

One good thing that came out of the visit to the blind society, was they have a volunteer service, where by someone once a week will come out and go shopping with you, or if you want to go to the theatre, or whatever, they will go with you. So in a couple of weeks, A lady is coming to assess me…..

Oh, yes, I will be assessed. What on earth will they make of me?

I would love to see that paperwork when they leave?

She said she will see what kind of volunteer will be suitable for me? Hahahahaha.

So for all of those  Scientists and developers whom read my blogs, as I know you are all out there? Ha. When you are doing wonderful things to help those of us who cannot see what you can, try to think what you would like,  if you lost your sight. Don’t ever think you will always be able to see, as the statistics out there are frightening when it comes to sight loss.

I must go to rest now, as I still feel really ill from last night. I don’t know what is wrong with me, but going to rest and I really want to chat about so much more, so hopefully later and will do the Doggy diary too later.

x

HEART

I had an awful night of pain last night. Chest pains. My heart was all over the place. Did not realise how much my walk with Pup would take out of me? I still have her diary to do, but will write it when I come in as off to the vet with her and old BB. Then I think the station to train, get it? Train station? Training?

 Ha. Oh, well, perhaps not!

Any way Hub was about to call the Doctor for me, but thank God he fell asleep. I hate medics. Well just hospitals in general. They scare me riget.

My past I guess has a lot to answer for that, I had an amazing experience last year when I went private though. But I doubt we will ever be able to do that again. My dearest family in the US, leant us the money and Hub paid them back so a gift from family and Hub made my life so much better for the time I had a huge operation in fact if you knew the half of it, it would shock you.

Right now I must get ready to go GDI training with Waggatail. How will she do today? Well, one good thing, she is learning her name at last.

I have just found out Hubs work plan for the next two weeks and it is a nightmare as ever. God I really hate his job. Our life is so hard. Not financially, but emotionally.

Never mind, we had a great day yesterday and for every two weeks, I have one of those. More  than I had a few years ago.

I will write more later about the program I watched last night, OMG?

With love.

THE CHINESE SPA

Good evening friends and family of Bloggets. I hope you are well? Today has been a lovely one for me. Starting from this morning when our poor dog was taken to the vet, and she went with a nurse, thankfully without any problems. I will write later about that. Then Hub and I began to move speakers around from the office to the conservatory. They are beautiful Acoustic energy speakers and they are tall with a corner effect, as though they will fit perfectly in a corner of a room. They  have an amazing sound, as hub has a high quality tolerance, for fantastic sound.

Everything has to sound perfect. I wonder why he  does not ask me to sing to him????

So after we did one of my most favourite job, of moving furniture, a hobby that my Husband can not bare, as he just gets used to  where furniture is, and he goes away on business, I get bored, change it around and he comes home, not knowing where the heck he is? Hahahaha.  It is bad of me but I have always done it, in my days of youth, I used to move huge items of furniture, from room to room.

My delicate frame, now prevents me…….

OK, alright, I’m week.

And the only thing that is delicate on my frame, is my earrings.

So we were to walk to our restaurant. It would be Waggatails first walk and I got quite anxious in the end.

I felt a little sorry for Black beauty, leaving her, she must know she has been replaced for a younger model, but love her, she was starting to make a lot of mistakes.

So off we went and more in her diary later, but she got us there. And I will write tomorrow, in “The diary of little Waggatail, but it was not streight forward.

Our restaurant was stunning, I promise, anyone going there, will love it. The quality of the furniture, the crockery, the food, and most of all, the owner? What a wonderful experience.

I had vegetarian spring rolls. I normally don’t like them, but there, they are like nothing I have tasted before.

Then I had my salt and pepper mushrooms, their delicious chips and peppers with onions and chopped chilli with salad. I know if you eat meat that will not sound too good, but it is I really promise, the mushrooms, are cooked in the finest of Tempura batter and wow?

Then the best coffee in the world, oh, how could I forget, the prawn crackers, they are Thai, and they are amazing. Hub had Chicken spring rolls then sweet and sour pork with chips. Really I know it does not sound anything special, but that is the amazing thing about there, the simplest of foods are the most tantalising tastiest treats you can have. Also it was just a lunch so did not go to much out of town with the menu.

The plates have the most wonderful shape and the dishes the food comes in, I have never seen any dishes like them and I could open a crockery shop with the china I have in my house.

Even the coffee cups with the saucers and cutlery, are so unique.

I asked  Lewis the owner, where he got his furniture from, this was seconds after Hub told me I could not ask such a personal question? Haha haha.

He told us they were tables from a local shop and they were £20,000. It is not that big the place so this will let you know how lovely everything is?  From the blue lights on the wall and the mirrors. The plush carpets too are so nice and though very modern, also incredibly homely.

I know of the deco, because of what teen has told us.

Did the scary walk home, and it was not too good, more in the  diary, and home to do some paperwork, phone calls and a little house work. Gave teen his tea and I then  went for a stunning bath. Our bath is a spa and it was so hot, I was freezing when I got back home. The weather today is so cold and wet, also very windy. The wind is up to 55miles per hour. Our wind chimes in the front garden are sounding more like a church and I am not sure yet, how a neighbour has not  cut the strings?

I am grateful for them, though as they tell me when I  am coming home, where our house is?

 Trouble is, they tell everyone else where our house is too!

I watched a stupid program on the television, one which I will write about tomorrow, so remind me please my Bloggets?

Now I am going to bed, an early night for me but so tired, today has really took it out of me.

Tomorrow, out training with Waggatail, so I will let you know how we got on? I think we are doing the train station.

OMG? I hope she lets me know where the blooming edge is?

Hahahahahaha

Until then my friends, Nighty night.

x