Busy busy week

Firstly HAPPY BIRTHDAY PHIL. 45 today (though he probably doesn't want to be reminded of that).

Phew, where did that week go? I seem to have been really busy doing notalot - a day and a bit of paid work and a lot of work on my own website (http://www.mipmarketing.co.uk/) and leaflet, lots of walking and thinking and looking after poorly Phil. After an up and down week he was very sick again on Thursday night and went to see Tina (our lovely GP) on Friday morning. He had raging temperature along with watery, bloody diarrhea and she thinks it could be e-coli, likely caused by Annie licking his face (a warning to others - where dogs' tongues go is not where you would want your tongue to go). He stayed in bed all Friday and didn't eat anything until Saturday night. This seems to have done the trick though, as he's me or less back to his normal self now, if a bit thin and weak.

Saturday Phil and I ventured into Oakham Library (a cost saving initiative - I have always bought new books from the supermarket) and bumped into friends Julia and Peter who have an alarmingly peripatetic lifestyle. Peter works across Europe on aircraft engineering contracts, they have a house in France and a house in Langham, and a few months ago they decided to sell (or rent if they couldn't sell) their UK house, so rehomed their two cats (which I organised for them - they are now renamed and living very happily with our dear ex-neighbours Antida and Wim round the corner in Market Overton), sold all their furniture on ebay and off they went to live in Italy where Peter's latest contract was. Now they're back - Peter's contract ended and the only new work he could get was in Marham which is somewhere over in the fens I think. Unfortunately for them, having sold all their furniture they're living in a completely empty house, not even a bed to lie on or chair to sit on. I suggested Freecycle. It's amazing what you can find on Rutland Freecycle - yesterday someone successfully rehomed a tarantula.

On the way home we popped into the Co-op garage where my friend Sandra works. The Co-op burnt down last year, apparently due to some cleverclogs breaking in using a blow torch. While a new building is erected the store is housed in a huge marquee, which is really quite incredible and doesn't feel like a tent at all. Anyway, had a short chat with Sandra and picked up the Co-op phone number to see if I can get some part-time work to bolster my irregular consulting income. Sandra recently bought a scooter which I would find quite terrifying - she agreed that she finds riding on the main road scarey and sticks to the lanes where possible.

Tonight is pub quiz night; home to Oakham Rugby Club. Thank goodness for that - the Rugby Club is a horrendous venue; a freezing shed. They did make the most amazing supper though.

Other than that, things have been pretty quiet the last week, so not much to report. Some nice but uneventful walks with Annie (yesterday she put up a hare which was VERY exciting) trips to the supermarket and Oakham, signing up with temp agencies and talking to mmmmmm - not saying anymore or my mother will get all excited....