good morning Mick and all GN's from a cold raining and miserable morning in North Yorkshire. What a change from yesterday! Have had a rubbish night , and am really hobbling and struggling this morning. What a change from yesterday, and how right it makes me feel about making the most of any decent day!
Yesterday, it took me quite a while to get ready and I am just definitely getting slower and slower to do anything to my annoyance. However my plan to take all food etc with me as it was valentines day, and I thought that everywhere would be busy and booked and expensive was true and very worthwhile, for the effort made. Still about an hour after I had hoped to leave I did get myself going at last.
Once I was actually on my way I relaxed and took my time, enjoying the countryside and a few flowers out etc. I made my way to Saltburn, and of course it was very busy, with everyone determined to make the most of the sunshine. It took me a couple of drives and cruising round the promenade to find somewhere that I could park, which would allow me to open the boot and get my buggy out.
I was eventually successful and was glad to then sit for a while, then made some coffee and had something to eat and used my binoculars to look out to sea and to watch the happenings around me. The world and his wife had decided to make the most of the day, and were out in force. The sea had a few brave souls paddling or swimming but quite a lot of the surfing brigade, all in their wet suits and making the most of the weather, but there was not a lot of waves for them to use. The promenade was extremely busy. Families of all kinds wandering by with small children trying out their tricycles or little bikes with stabilisers. Having to watch out for the dogs on very long leads causing a bit of a hazard across the prom, but the surface was good as it has recently been resurfaced. So after taking my coffee very slowly I had to take a deep breath and make a start.
So got the boot opened and checked that the power was working and ok on the buggy, before the effort of getting it out, which was a common sense thought I had had to try and work out a sensible and practical routine to learn to getting it out and set up. I wanted to do it all myself , but at the same time take the precaution of doing it with other people about, in case of some major hazard , where I would have to ask for help to get it back in the car etc.,
It took me a while to get it out and sorted , I was rather slow, partly because my back was so painful, but more chickening out a little and checking and rechecking that I was doing it all right, but eventually there I was, with thick jacket on, car locked, sunglasses at the ready and bits in bag with me. Then it was take a deep breath and give it a go! Ta Da !! Success and I began very slowly , checking that I had remembered the right sequences etc but then as I gained more confidence I , at last, regained my freedom to get around.
I had put my best binoculars and bits and pieces in the bag with me and then I was off and away. Taking my time I weaved my way through families and dog walkers and was able to go right along the promenade from where the funicular is at the moment missing along past flower beds and good views out to sea. As it used to be with the old AA people or when you used to see another car like your own and acknowledge it I was now part of the buggy brigade, noticing the various types of buggies passing me by. Local people with their big buggies taking the air and enjoying the sunshine and other skeleton style like mine, not so comfortable but more importantly allowing the riders to be independant. I even asked a couple walking by with their dog to take a picture of me on the buggy, so that I had the proof of my first real outing on my own, to show friends etc.
I was so pleased with my progress that thought to drive it further round and into the town, but then caution took over and I decided that for the first time, I should stop whilst I was ahead and not face the rough paving and manhole covers etc. I got back to the car without mishap, and my back was rather painful as were my knees, being in a different position from the big buggy and of course this one has a lot less springing. Then I thought of just taking the key in with me and having a sit down before making the effort to close it all down correctly and then the biggest effort would be getting it back into the car. But I thought, no dont put it off , as if I sat down and seized up I might be rather stuck.
Fortune favours the brave. After very slowly sorting it all out and getting it folded down etc I had the boot opened and moved the buggy nearer to the boot, ready to make the big effort of picking it up safely , without causing it or me a mischief, when a gentleman walking by asked if I would like him to put it in for me. I accepted gratefully and thanked him for his help. I then got myself organised and went off to Guisborough and called into cafe Nero, for a celebratory coffee. They were quite quiet being later in the afternoon and I was happy to enjoy my coffee, get warmed up a bit and read my paper. Then on the way home I called into a Tesco and got some shopping and arrived home very weary but very pleased with my outing.
It took an effort to get stuff from the car , and I was too weary to do anything much and just had a sandwich and a few crisps , too tired to make any effort cooking and went to bed early leaving the mess to sort out today. So as we say, take your pleasures and pay for them. It certainly feels like that today, as I creak around. But I have no major plans for the day and will be fine when the painkillers begin to work, and I can then potter about restoring things to their proper places, listening to desert island discs and private passions and ignoring the cold and wet outside. I must get my Makaton book out and make some effort as , all being well, I intend to go to the class tomorrow. I know that I wont be able to get the certificate , having missed a week, but it will still be good practise and I will also be able to see if I am doing it correctly, so that the teacher can point out any errors. It is so much harder to correct something if you have been doing it wrong for some time. Well that is the plan anyway, if I can stop coughing etc etc.
Hope you recover well today Mick and can find something interesting to watch on tv. Well done cutting out all that bunting Grandmattie and hope you enjoy your dinner. Bellasnana hope you will feel a bit better soon and keep snug and warm in the meantime. ginny I could just enjoy a slice of lemon meringue pie right now. Ladylfl , I hope you will feel better soon. Sorry to hear about your son s falling out. Is there anyone in the family or a friend of his that might be able to talk to him and see if the Golden Wedding might give him an excuse to come and join in? He could possibly be sorry about how things are but not see a way to return without having to make an apology or risk being turned down or whatever. I have a close friend where something similar had happened over quite a while, and fortunately they were both invited to another occasion, without being told that each other would be there. It allowed a meeting to take place without either party feeling that they had had to climb down from the original situation, but did provide an occasion, if begrudingly to begin with, for them to get back together and things are much better now.
Well I wish everyone a good day, with the memory of that little sunshine yesterday to cheer us and remind us that things should soon get better. Enjoy whatever you do and take it easy.
so hopefully clears the snow so it's safe for me to walk the dog as I fractured my knee on Monday and hubby v ill with unknown bug. He's hardly eaten in a week and is very fatigued. 