Don't worry, this isn't the only blogging space I've woefully neglected for some time.
As ever, a nice mix of the positive and the negative for me to witter on about :-)
So, let's get the negative out of the way. The MRI scan on my knees to find out if they can finally operate has been delayed due to the machine 'blowing up' today. Not going to throw any stones at the hospital, not necessarily something they can really control. Frustrating though. In the meantime I'm having more bad days than good. The continued cold damp weather really isn't doing my knees any favours.
To try and improve things I'm on another weight-loss drive, and trying to get as much suitable exercise as I can. Work isn't helping much though.
And on that front, right now I am shattered. Fairly major incident kicked off on Friday, resulting in me pulling an extra 30 odd hours by the time Monday morning came around. So I had Monday afternoon off, then ended up having another 11 hour day yesterday thanks to bad traffic and a looooong multi-agency meeting (I was kindly chauffeured there and back which helped somewhat). The incident is still ongoing but I've had today off and tomorrow is another leave day. That'll just leave Friday to get through before the weekend.
Ari hasn't been sleeping great this past week or two so that's really cut into my rest time. A spate of growing pains is the best guess as to why she's been awake more nights than not.
Onto more positive things, the biggest of these being we have a new addition to the household:
This is Khan, our 3/4 Rottweiler, 1/4 Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy. Nearly 12 weeks old and already on his way to being a well trained little lad (teething aside). Mostly house trained, only a handful of accidents and most of those because we weren't quick enough reading his signs and getting him outside. Ari loves him to bits, and he's good at not trying to steal food or chew things that aren't his toys.
The cats aren't best impressed, but he's used to living with cats so once they get over the shock there shouldn't be too many problems.
The unpredictable thing at the moment is his final size. His build isn't anywhere near as stocky as a purebreed Rotti or Staffie, and at the moment the paws aren't suggesting we've got a potential horse..but there's still plenty of time for him to extend and we're half certain he's already started that cunning activity of growing in his sleep :-)
Today is the first full day of him being with us and I've been genuinely amazed at how well behaved he's been.
I miss having a dog, cats are great, but there's nothing quite like have a furry friend who is genuinely pleased to see you after you've only left the room for two minutes.
Now if I can just get Ari to sleep through the night I might actually have the energy for something meaningful in the way of leisure activities.....
So, last Sunday evening, Ari's fast asleep, I'm settling down to some quality letter-writing time, K's at work on her laptop on the latest book.
When K comes in asking if I can smell burning, and then we both smell it – that distinctive smell of electrical insulation on fire.
Immediately we turn into two human bloodhounds, scouring the house for the source of ignition, trying to find out whether our home is about to go up in flames, and then K notices the police and blue flashing lights outside.
It's not our house, it's the flat over the shops on the corner of our road (which basically abuts our property.
There's police, two then three fire appliances, more police, an ambulance...
And then as they control the fire, the truth comes out, the source of the fire is dodgy wiring from where the resident alcoholic in the flat had set up a 'cannabis farm' by tapping into the shop below's electricity supply.
So by the time all that dies down, it's gone midnight on Sunday night...well apart from the continued police investigations that basically continued through the night and into the day on Monday (occasionally waking me up).
Monday night all was quiet outside...Ari felt it a good idea to wake up teething for a couple of hours, but she's been doing that every night this week (sigh).
Then Tuesday night, we had two rounds of 'fun'. Between 9pm and midnight(ish) we had two drug dealers flogging their weed (and smoking plenty of it too) parked up on the road outside, couple or three calls to the police, no-one attended.
Then at 3am, when everything was otherwise quiet two geniuses from the Salvation Army hostel across the way thought it would be a great idea to break into the flat above the shops..presumably in case the fire and the police investigations managed to miss some spare weed (sigh). Police called again – 999 this time – and a dog unit attended and nicked them. By 4am it was all sorted, just in time for Ari to wake up with her teeth. At 5.30am the police called asking if I could give a statement (they apologised for the early hour, but 5.30am to a domestic household – seriously?). So I cheerfully gave one to the unit who was parked outside waiting for the security contractor to arrive and re-fix the door the fire brigade then Tweedledum and Tweedledumberstill broke. They were a bit irritated the main copper had stayed comfy at the station, so I offered them coffee and made two firm uniformed friends.
Since then it's been mostly quiet, it seems the two dealers are now in fact sleeping in their car as they've run out of their allotted time in the Sally Army hostel, however their dealing ways seem to have stopped for now. More will be happening regarding them I'm sure.
Then on a more positive note, last night I attended a local 'Residents led partnership group' called Foleshill Moving Forward. Designed to help improve the community and bring residents and various agencies together...my first time there ever and I was voted in as Vice-Chair of the new committee. It's only for a 6-month start-up period, but it will be interesting to see how much buttock I can prod and how much I can help improve things round here...gods know it needs it.
KiahErrol Author and Crafter
