Shit

The older I get, the easier I find I can access my assertion/anger button
Some of that comes from experience and confidence.
Some of that comes out of need.
and some of it comes from the way businesses feel that they can treat the general public like shit

Today, I've been waiting for a  Customer Relations Person to call me and every time the phone has rung, it has been someone else on the line......This has proved to be somewhat galling given that just before I picked up the receiver, I have psyched myself for a bit of a verbal joust
( a case of too much testosterone with no outlet)

Finally, a rather prim Mz Beale called me, ( 5 hours after I was promised a call) and I was just about to let rip when I let out an uncensored and unchecked scream of " nnnnnoooooooooooooooooo! "
I lost all credibility.
Out of the corner of my eye, I had caught Albert placing two very heavy paws right into a newly gloss painted  window ledge.

Bake Off

Three posts in one day? Bloody hell
I had to leave things on a lighter note, what with Sad George and French Birka overkill dominating today's posts
The bake off is back!
And hats off to the BBC for finding another 12 delightful contestants
We have a feisty PE teacher, a vicar, a ditsy grandma, a sweet natured boffin, a potentially arrogant banker ...and best of all a camp-as -Christmas Sikh Queen who was seen skipping around the bake off tent like a middle aged Harvey Feirstein
Wonderful stuff

Madness

The sight of four French policemen " requesting" that a Muslim sunbather remove her makeshift " Burkini" on a Nice beach, saddened me greatly today.
It reminded me of when my best friend Nu worked in Saudi Arabia.
Then the religious police stalked the streets looking for women who had not covered themselves with their abaya properly and were not adverse in swinging their sticks to maintain public modesty.
The "need to do something" after the dreadful terrorism in France is understandable
But...this?

Meatballs On the Dashboard

I am aware that I haven't given you all an update on George since we got home.
Today seems to be "George Day" so I shall endeavour to rectify this somewhat.
The truth is that there seems to be no real news at the moment.
On the surface, the old boy is well. The foul smelling lump under his jaw is receding in size and odour and he is still three quarters the way through his antibiotics.
He is eating well, and looking bright but I am not blind to the fact that he probably has something sinister lurking around his jaw, and in various lumps and bumps over his body.
He is an old dog, and after his course of medication we shall consult the vet yet again for guidance.
In the meantime, he is having some nice George time.
Today he came with me to B& Q
He sat on his own towel ( and cushion) on the passenger seat and felt very spoilt as he could look through the windscreen without hindrance.
He was bought his very own pack of chicken meatballs ( his absolute fav treat) and was fed four ,( one hiding his morning antibiotic tablet,) in the car park as he happily watched people ambling around with their shopping trolleys.
And he was taken to the beach promenade for his very own, uninterrupted and unhurried mooch from one fascinating piss mark to another .

I need to prep and paint the front door today.
There is washing in need of hanging up and all of the other animals are stamping their little feet for attention.
But for one peace filled hour,
I sat with my grey eyed old scottie
just him and me on a beach facing bench.
Sharing cheap meatballs.

Handy Hint Number One

Tonight I re watched the opening ceremony of the London Olympics
I cried buckets, it was so good.
Wrung out I pleased myself afterwards by finding a new ( and indeed better use) for a fairly useless Garfield which I had been given nearly 40 years ago
I am thinking of making a regular feature called Handy Hints! 

At first glance a vintage Garfield

Look again! 

The perfect ipad holder! 

Household Cockups

The Prof is away and I am just about to finish a serious bout of housework.
I don't mind as the job is quite satisfying especially if you have left a cat like Albert have free reign in the house for a week.
It's a bit like being a serial killer as you have to remove all traces of the dead bodies .
The living room was covered by the almost mumified parts of what looked like  some sort of tit.
Under the bed was quarter of a small rabbit and I found a pair of back legs and a tail of something unfortunate underneath the bookcase.
My friend Bel Ami  only does housework when he has a row with his wife which is a shame as I think he's missing out.....I find cleaning strangely therapeutic even when there are putrefying bodies involved.
Now, long term readers of Going gently will remember that I used to be a bit of a fiend when it came to household bleach. I used to have a tendency to splash it too liberally around the toilet bowl and bath and on  more that one occasion have burnt my buttocks rather badly when I have forgotten I had not rinsed away the residue.

Today's mistake was to spray all of the throws and cushions in the living room with fly spray instead of the more fragrant spray starch
I've had to rewash everything.......

What's your worst household mistake?
It's nice to get back to some sort of normality here, so I would be interested to hear?  

All Intact

I've just sat down
At the end of a long day. Dogs have all returned. Albert is fine. The field animals are all present and correct.
All are asleep.
My sister has looked after George superbly. We will wait and see what happens after his antibiotics
I will leave you with this happy photo as  I can't be arsed explaining anything else

A note of Thanks

we are homeward bound this morning and by teatime the children  Sorry, animals will be collected and collated back home.
We can find out more about George's affliction, prise Winnie from her foster mother and pay a kings ransom to the kennels housing the Welsh terriers, who will, no doubt, sleep for the next 24 hours.

I've enjoyed my time in Kent. Thanks to Sorrel for her hospitality and for her never ending effort to go the last mile. Thanks to Jon and Charlotte for hosting some delicious meals and thanks to Duncan and Izzy for the use of the beach hut even though it took us an age to work out what went where!

Richard was a brick chauffeuring us around the Dover cliffs and Leo was very sweet quizzing me to distraction about soddin Star Wars. 

So a big thank you to "The family Prof."...