Puddytat Purr

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Projects for 2013 Juno FINISHED!! -----------------------------
Color Affection -----------------------------
Spider Socks -----------------------------
Decimal -----------------------------
Stole for Claire's Mum FINISHED!! -----------------------------
Flavya -----------------------------
Kid Seta -----------------------------
Isis Tailcoat -----------------------------
Kaleidescope FINISHED!! -----------------------------
Cherie Amour -----------------------------
Sylvi -----------------------------
Myrtle -----------------------------
Simone FINISHED!! -----------------------------
Rollator Bag -----------------------------
Viajante -----------------------------

Week 24 June 18, 2013
Pathetic June 14, 2013
Recalculation June 9, 2013
Week 23 June 9, 2013
Week 22 June 2, 2013
The miniSpinner update May 27, 2013
This week….and last week too! May 27, 2013
Spinning May 18, 2013
Juno May 16, 2013
Oh dear…. May 16, 2013

Week 24

This weeks picture:

Week 24

So, on Sunday, Jess went to stay at Sams on the Island. Adam was supposed to be going to visit his family too, but they cancelled.

On Monday, I was supposed to meet up with Janey, but I was just so tired after last week that I had to cancel on her.

Jess was home on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Matt turned 20 and he came over with Vicky and my Mum. I caught the bus into Southampton (as Mum doesn’t know the way here) to meet them and we did a bit of shopping before all coming back here for dinner and cake.

I had a lovely day and I really enjoyed seeing them – it’s days like those that I realise how much I miss them!

On Thursday, I sent a card to Claire’s parents who celebrated their golden wedding anniversary this weekend and I worked in the afternoon – it was a very slow afternoon and we didn’t get a lot of people in the shop.

On Friday, Jess went to Sams again, Adam got a new iPhone, Janey had knee replacement surgery and I had a weird chest pain.

I’d just been out for a walk with Isis. It wasn’t a longer walk than usual and I didn’t overdo it, it was just a nice walk while she sniffed every blade of grass and I listened to an audio book.

I got home and was standing talking to Alex when I had a stitch like pain under my left breast, I pressed on my ribs (which is what I usually do) but the pain got worse and quickly. I said “OW!” and sat on the sofa and leaned forward.

The pain got so intense, it bought tears to my eyes – I thought for a moment I was having a heart attack.

20 seconds later; it was gone and I felt absolutely fine – apart from a headache!

All dolled up & ready to go

I phoned the doctor next day to get an appointment but the first one available isn’t until 1st July!

Saturday was my 4th anniversary from when I first spun on a spinning wheel so I celebrated by giving Sherry The Cherry a spa session; I wiped her down, cleaned all the oil off, treated her wood with Woodbeams and reoiled her. She’s such a gorgeous colour now and positively glows when I use Woodbeams on her.

She’s now all ready for the Tour de Fleece which starts on 29th June.

I also worked for a couple of hours on Saturday morning.

So, crafting this week was a little different as I wanted to get the fibre on the wheel finished as it’s for Claire and I want to deliver it to her at Woolfest next weekend.

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were all about finishing the spinning and plying
Tuesday evening – Kid Seta
Wednesday – Socks
Thursday – Flavya
Friday – Bag
Saturday – Sylvi

Lists

I didn’t get to work on Decimal as I spent extra time on the spinning, but I’ll do extra work on it next week as I now have a free day.

I did a bit of Filofax reorganisation too – I have a lot of lists, I make lists for everything. Then I had this idea, I removed all my lists and used PostIt notes instead.

I actually saved myself some space doing this and all the PostIt notes are on a flyleaf – I’ve staggered the placement and written their titles down the side so I can see each lists location at a glance.

I’ve also removed my highlighter pens from the back pocket and put some stickers in there instead which has made it a lot less bulky.

I am going to add address pages back in though, I prefer having them written down in there, even though they’re already in my iPhone!

I love having everything to hand in my iPhone, but the cloud seems to be a bit temperamental with me and I’ve had contacts and appointments disappear – so I like everything backed up to my Filofax now.

How was your week?

Pathetic

I feel a bit pathetic really asking for hugs when some of you are dealing with cancer, death and other things worse than me.

But, I need to whinge a bit.

You may or may not know I got diagnosed with plantar fasciitis (policeman’s heel) a few weeks ago with mild Achilles’ tendon inflammation too.

To give you an idea of how this feels: imagine standing unexpectedly on a golf ball with the ball impacting where your heel and foot sole meet – that pain is pretty much constant interspersed with shooting stabbing pains in my feet and up the legs to my knees. I look at the bottom of my foot and I’m surprised my heel isn’t grotesquely swollen.

I live with pain every day, I have chronic pain syndrome in my back and my mobility is (now) such that I rarely go out without a walking aid anymore.

I turn 38 in a week and I feel like an old woman – I’m 38 FFS!

I’ve learned to live with the pain in my back – I hate it and I want to cry about it sometimes. I’ll never accept it, but I have learned to deal with it.

The added pain I’m getting in my feet is the icing on the pain cake!

It’s shortened the amount of time I can stand and I just want to cry like a baby!

I’m now taking cocodamol daily – up until April; a cocodamol would make me stoned and giggly – the cocodamol are now having little effect.

I’ve been referred to pain management clinic (which could take upto 18 weeks if their policy is to be believed) for my back and physio for my feet (which could also take 18 weeks). I don’t have high hopes for the pain clinic; I went to one on the Island, they made me do a pain management course and gave me facet joint injections – neither worked!

I go to the doctor and I say ‘it hurts’ and they say ‘have a tablet’ or ‘I’ll refer you’ and they don’t care!!!!!! I know they’re not supposed to care, but I feel like a fraud when they sit there with no interest or compassion, like they don’t believe me!

Even the kids do it, they don’t mean to and I know they care about me, but I’ve suffered pain all their lives and what’s one more pain to deal with, right?

It’s akin to telling people you suffer with depression or migraines and they say ‘I get down/headaches too’

No!!! IT’S NOT THE FUCKING SAME!!!

I hate the days where I have to say to one of my kids ‘please do that, I just can’t today’ because I don’t think they really get it, especially as my pain has escalated so much, so quickly in the last couple of years – I do not want my children to become my carers!!!

But, I’m scared to be on my own too!

My knees buckle sometimes – I’m frightened of falling and hurting myself, I’m frightened of being alone and unable to cope, but I’m also frightened of needing physical care as I’ve worked in care and feel very sorry for people in care.

I’m rambling now.

Gonna shut up and cry in the kitchen again so my son doesn’t have to deal with me!

Recalculation

I’ve done some recalculation on the miniSpinner now I’ve decided not to get the lace flyer, I also discovered postage will be $15 less than I thought (although, there’s a good possibility he may offer free worldwide postage at Christmas!)

miniSpinner – $895
maintenance kit – $29
postage – $60
Total is $955
Converted it’s £625.71
Add VAT @ 20% – £125.14
Then add duty @ 1.7% – £12.76
Total is £763.62

I already have £141.21, so it’ll take me a further 33 weeks at £20 a week to save. BUT, I’m selling my KnitPro needles to Kazzy at Woolfest for £70, so that’ll bump things up a bit!

I should have the miniSpinner by Christmas!

Week 23

This weeks picture:

Week 23

On Monday, I went to the doctor; I’ve been experiencing chronic pain in both feet when I stand up, mostly under the heels but the pain goes right up to the knees. He diagnosed Plantar Fasciitis with mild tendinitis in both Achilles tendons. He gave me some ibuprofen and some paracetamol and referred me to physiotherapy.

If I take the maximum dose; I’ve got enough ibuprofen for 8 days and enough paracetamol for 2! It takes up to 18 weeks to be seen after a referral! Good thing I’ve already got some medication.

On Wednesday, I went to work. But, instead of doing my usual sorting of the haberdashery, I shadowed Richard on the till. We had a great day and it was loads of fun.

Spinning on the miniSpinner

This meant that on Thursday, I worked an afternoon shift on the till on my own. It was fun again and I really enjoyed it.

I went straight from work to S&B, caught the bus and spent the whole journey overheating and feeling massively travel sick, I just kept repeating to myself ‘don’t be sick, don’t be sick’ until I got to Southampton and could get off the bus!

Thankfully, Jane gave me a lift home!

On Friday, I went to visit Bex to have a play on her miniSpinner, to confirm that I did like it and I did want one. It was also to see if I could spin lace on the Woolee Winder. Well, I had no problem there and it was very easy to use!

So, I’m not going to get the lace flyer, which will save me about $249, but I will add the maintenance kit at $29 instead.

I’m sorely tempted to go for one in an exotic wood, which will add $300 back onto the price, but as everyone has said – get it to match Sherry The Cherry!

I’ve already got the battery as I destashed some fabric to Helen when she came over and she ordered me the battery to pay for the fabric and I’ve used it to charge my phone – it’s so cool that it does that!

On Saturday, I was supposed to work in the afternoon, but I got a call at 9.30 from a panicked Sara asking if I could do the whole day as Fran had called in sick – that’s the trouble with your boss liking you; she calls you first when there’s a problem.

It was Woodley Fun Day on Saturday afternoon, which Jess and Alex went to – they said it was good fun and enjoyed it.

Adam very kindly stayed at home and looked after Isis and Oscar and Dexter who were here for the afternoon while Debs and Bry went to a service in Chichester.

I was absolutely shattered when I got home; I haven’t been sleeping well the past couple of weeks and I was amazed at how hard it was sitting at a till all day.

I’ve also got a very moody fluffy puppy as I have been out every day since Wednesday – so she spent most of last night sitting next to me on the sofa. I’m going to take her for a nice walk later then refuse to move for the next few days!

Crafting went like this:

Sunday – I spun all day
Monday – Decimal
Tuesday – Kid Seta
Wednesday – Sylvi
Thursday – Socks
Friday – Bag
Saturday – Flavya

I didn’t get a lot done of the Flavya as I was just too tired, but even a couple of rows is progress!

How was your week?

Week 22

Here’s the piccie!

Week 22

Not really that busy this week.

On Tuesday, I went to the dentist and had my crown replaced – I broke a tooth when I was a child and had a crown fitted. The crown served me well for years, but recently (as in the last five years or so); the crown has slipped ever so slightly and a gap appeared between my front teeth. There was also a black line at the top of the crown which I think was glue or something.

I was terrified, but managed to go and get it all done – I even had injections and didn’t thump him!

Here’s the before and after!

Sorry they’re such crappy photos but I’m sure you can see the difference! I’m very pleased with the difference!

On Thursday I went to S&B on the bus like I normally do, we got as far as the top end of Shirley High Street and the police made us pull over; a motorcyclist had had a collision with a car and the entire road had been closed.

We – the passengers – were given the choice; we could wait on the bus or we could walk to the next stage on the bus route. I asked how long it was until the next stage and told not far at all. What wasn’t taken into account was that the police weren’t even letting pedestrians through so we had to go round a block to get 10 metres up the road! Then we had to walk for ages to find another bus stop.

Eventually, I got to Southampton and decided to pop to Lidl as I wanted something I’d seen in a promo email I’d received that morning. Turns out the items won’t actually be in store until Monday, so I’d walked all the way down there for nothing.

I normally arrive at Ikea at 6pm…I didn’t arrive until 7.30pm! I got an hour before I had to leave to catch the bus home again *sigh*

I heard later that the motorcyclist died in hospital and the car driver was arrested for driving without due care and attention.

Helen came to see me on Friday, we didn’t go anywhere; just sat and knit and discussed what patterns we’re doing and what we want to do. She raided my fabric stash and bought me a battery that will (eventually) power my miniSpinner – I’m waiting for it to arrive.

On Saturday, I was supposed to go to Jumble Jelly for a spin in, but I was so tired – I just really couldn’t be bothered.

I’ve had two nights where I only got two hours sleep this week – Tuesday night and Thursday night; of course, I have work on Wednesdays and Fridays tut

Holy Savings, Batman

So, knitting order this week went like this:

Sunday – Spinning (all day)
Monday – Rollator Bag
Tuesday – Flavya
Wednesday – Socks
Thursday – Decimal
Friday – Kid Seta
Saturday – Sylvi

I did a bit of spinning nearly every evening as I’m working on something for Claire and I’d really like to deliver it at Woolfest!

I now have £96 saved for my eSpinner, Jess bought me this cool Batman money box LOL

The miniSpinner update

I have read (almost) the entire Hansen eSpinner forum on Ravelry LOL

Bex has told me that after some careful oiling; hers is now running a LOT better and she may not need the lace flyer after all!

I’m going to hers next week to have a play with her miniSpinner to see if I feel the same way.

If I do, then that’s $249 less that I’ll have to pay.

But, I may buy the maintenance kit at $29 and I’m not sure whether to buy extra bobbins or use someone else’s idea of using a ball winder then plying from that (I may do that for now and order bobbins later).

I did have an epiphany at the end of last week though – Jane went to Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool Festival last year and I thought I’d ask her if she fancied picking me an eSpinner up this year and bringing it home in her luggage (that would save me $75 postage and about £130 in customs and duty).

Unfortunately, Jane isn’t going to go to Rhinebeck this year so I’m on the scout for anyone that’s either going on holiday to the US this year, or is coming to the UK from the US and is willing to bring one over in their suitcase!

I did briefly flirt with the idea of going to Rhinebeck myself, but the flights are over £700!

If, I can get someone to get me one and bring it over, then I only need around £650 (if I buy a spinner and no extras) and that’s doable by October.

So, are you going to Rhinebeck?

This week….and last week too!

Tut, not very good at this weekly blogging thing, am I?

Anyway, week 20:

Week 20

On Monday, I went to Eastleigh with Alex to see Star Trek Into Darkness.

If you haven’t yet seen this; GO!!!

It is a fab film, they did a really good job of keeping a few things secret and it was full of emotion. It’s a great film for both fans and people new to the Star Trek world.

I came out of there wanting to go straight back in and see it again! Even Alex enjoyed it and he’s not really a fan of Star Trek.

On Tuesday, I went to the dentist to have my crown cut down, moulds taken and a temporary crown fitted.

I worked Wednesday and Thursday and went to Stitch & Bitch on Thursday evening.

I was supposed to go to the hospital on Friday, but that got moved to the following Monday.

Week 21:

Week 21

I’ve changed it a bit – I put everything in its own little box now – I saw a picture of someone else’s Filofax on Facebook and she’d done it this way; so I’m stealing the idea!

Have a drink!

On Sunday, I went to Jilly’s for a tea party to celebrate her 50th birthday.

I felt a bit out of place as I didn’t know anyone there at first, but Jilly and her husband, Mark, did their best to make me feel welcome. Then Dawn arrived so I had someone to speak to while we munched on cake. Ilana and Cecelia turned up shortly after, but Dawn and I left around 4 o’clock.

Dawn and her husband kindly gave me a lift home.

But, it was a good party and I think Jilly had fun!

On Monday, I started a new system with my crafting. I have – currently – six knitting projects and one spinning project that I’m trying to work on and I’m getting nowhere fast.

That’s seven projects, I decided it would make sense to work on a different project each day and to write down what I’ve worked on so I remember!

So, on Monday, I did a bit of spinning and I finished Kaleidoscope (I’ve written it sideways in Monday), Tuesday I worked on some socks, Wednesday I worked on Kid Seta, Thursday was Sylvi, Friday was Flavya and Saturday was my rollator bag.

As I work on each project, I write it in on the day and I cross it off the list at the end of the week.

It’s working well so far – I just hope I can stick to it. Although, I know the system will halt when Wimbledon starts as I’m planning a KAL with Claire and then immediately after that I shall be spinning for the Tour de Fleece.

Kaleidoscope

I did finish Kaleidoscope

this week – it needs buttons, but I’m calling it finished!

On Monday, I went to the spinal clinic for an assessment. The guy was very nice, but has basically said my problem is classic Chronic Pain Syndrome and has now referred me to the pain clinic.

On Friday, I did lots of housework and baked a cake as Claire, Steve, Debs & Bry all came over on Saturday!

Claire and Steve got caught in traffic and were on the road for over five hours, poor things! They bought their strimmer over so I could get Alex and Adam to cut the lawns and Alex played Assassin’s Creed 2 so they could watch.

That week looked really busy, but it wasn’t – I just made notes about everything LOL.

How was your week?

Spinning

I’ve decided I want an espinner and because I always go expensive; I want a Hansen espinner, with a WooLee Winder….in Cherry! So it matches Sherry The Cherry!

I want an eSpinner for several reasons; I’d like to go to Spinning Guild, but obviously can’t lug my wheel down to the train station! I’d also like to take a wheel with me when I go and visit Claire or go to Woolfest or for a spin in at Bex’s or Jumble Jelly – I can’t take Sherry The Cherry out of the house, she’s just too heavy.

A folding wheel wouldn’t be practical either with using the rollator, so an eSpinner seems the best idea.

I did a bit of calculation, the spinner is going to cost $895 with postage at $75, so that’s $970!

But, I’ll also want the lace flyer at $245 with a spare bobbin at $35, that’s $280.

So that’s a total of $1250!

Now I have to add VAT at 20% = $250 and duty at 1.7% = $25.50.

So, my new total is $1525.50. This isn’t including whatever handling charge there’ll be by our postal service when it reaches the UK.

So, $1525.50 is approximately £1005.77 sigh

So, what I’ve decided to do is save the £20 a week Adam gives me – this way, it’ll take just over 50 weeks!!!

Blimey!

I better start saving!

Juno

Just a quick post to show you Juno , I have actually knit this twice, but I screwed it up so had to reknit the body.

It’s a tight fitting cardigan with a fancy collar and I love it!

I knit it in Cascade 220, Italian Plum which is a gorgeous purple colour!

It took a lot of blocking to get it to a decent shape and I think it could’ve done with being blocked a bit harder as it gapes at the buttons, but Jane said to put grosgrain ribbon on the back of the front bands to stabalise it.

I shall order some when I can afford it.

Another reason it took so long was because I knew exactly what buttons I wanted for them and I had to wait until I could go to Wonderwool to get them!

Oh dear….

It appears I’ve been a bit slack with the updating of my blog.

I was just sorting out my Photobucket account and I realised I haven’t posted anything since Week 15!

So, let’s start with Week 16!!

Week 16

On the Sunday, I bleached J’s hair, then she totally pissed me off by going to her boyfriends house and dyeing it purple!

Monday, was Winifred’s 2nd birthday and I posted off admition that I had been speeding a few weeks before.

On Thursday we heard the very happy news that Arnie (Matt’s best friend) had finally become a father!

On Friday, Walter turned 2 and on Saturday, my Mum turned 71!!

I didn’t see her that day as I was planning to visit the Island the following week.

Week 17

Week 17 started off slow, Janey was supposed to come visit, but her bad knee prevented her from doing so

I worked Thursday instead of Wednesday so that we could get my induction done.

Friday I had my property inspection and Rosanne came over to show me how to bind my quilt!

On Saturday, I went to Wonderwool!!

Yes, I wasn’t supposed to be going, but Jane offered me a lift the week before and I could hardly refuse!

I ordered my ticket and didn’t tell anyone I was going. It was fab to get there and have loads of people surprised to see me If you’d like to see my pictures, they’re here. I had a fab day with Jane and Kirstin, but was absolutely shattered to get home at 8pm after a 5am start!

Week 18

On Tuesday of Week 18, Alex and I went to the Island and Alex had his braces removed!

No braces

It’s really quite amazing as he’d only had them in about a year, but he has lovely straight teeth now! He’s so pleased.

This picture was taken in the dentist chair just after they’d been removed.

He’ll have to wear a retainer at night for a while, but you don’t know he’s wearing it when it’s in.

While we were on the Island, we also went and visited the family – I do miss them! – and decided we’d celebrate the removal of braces by getting a Chinese takeaway as we haven’t had one since we moved away.

Not sure what’s going to happen now, going to the dentist every six weeks gave us the perfect excuse to visit the family. I shall have to make it a regular thing to go over and see them, I just wish it wasn’t so expensive!

Mum with her quilt

I also had the opportunity to deliver Mum’s Birthday present, I was very pleased with the quilt once I’d finished it!

The only machine stitching on the entire thing was where the binding had been attached to the front of the quilt (which Rosanne did), the rest of it was done entirely by hand!

I think Mum liked it and I hope she uses it.

I do plan to make more quilts…I’m just not sure when as I’ve got so many knitted projects lined up (as you can see by the sidebar), but I’ll get to it eventually!

On Wednesday, I worked and then went to the doctor to have my contraception implant out. This is something I thought long and hard about.

Obviously, being single; I don’t use it for the contraception side of things, but I do love the fact it stopped my cycle. Yet, that is precisely the reason I had it removed.

I’ll be 38 this year and I know that, sooner or later, I shall hit the menopause and quite frankly; I’d like my body to be as normal as possible when that happens – not having periods is not normal (no matter what anyone says!), so I’ve had it removed to give my body a chance to sort itself out before any funky menopausal stuff sends it doolally!

Wednesday afternoon, I also cut my hair.

Yes, I cut the dreads!

I took a good long, hard look at them and while I love them – they didn’t look how I wanted.

And it was my fault.

I’ve wrecked them with the constant bleaching and dyeing over the past two years.

So I went from this:

Long, blonde dreads

To this:

Short blone dreads

Short dreads

If anyone knows how to put more than one photo on a line…could you tell me?

Then we dyed it. I used Black Cherry, which is one that I normally use and it usually looks gorgeous; a sort of reddy black.

But putting it on over bleached hair had quite a different result!

Short dreads

It’s quite an unusual colour and not something I would’ve gone for deliberately, but I quite like it.

Of course, the grey is really going to show through as it grows, but I shall be strong and leave it at this length (trimming every couple of months) until all the dye has grown out and my locks are healthy and their natural colour again!

On Thursday, Oscar and Dexter came to stay while Debs & Bry went on a little cruise.

They went home on Saturday and I went to Bradford-On-Avon to go to Jumble Jelly for our monthly spin in.

Week 19

Week 19 started off with me removing the dressing on my arm from the implant removal – I had to keep that damn thing on for five days!!

Dinky bag

On Tuesday, Rosanna picked me up and we went to Poole to visit Bex for the day.

While we were there, Bex showed me how to make a very small project bag. I basically wanted one that was just big enough to put a sock project in; I find most project bags are too big for sock projects and there’s lots of excess fabric!

So, we did lots of measuring and I cut out the fabric I’d taken over. I made Bex sew it up as I don’t like machines and we ended up with an adorable little bag that I love!

I want to make loads more now too!

I’ve just gotten back into listening to audiobooks – gives me something to do when I’m on the bus going shopping – but my little earphones weren’t strong enough so that I could hear over the noise of the bus and other traffic.

So, I went on eBay and bid on a pair of SkullCandy folding headphones. I won them for £15!

Although, I wish I’d checked to see if these have the mic that works with the iPhone too so I don’t have to unplug them whenever anyone rings!

On Thursday, I ordered a new vacuum cleaner (I have such an exciting life!) as my little Hetty just isn’t up to the job of keeping a yellow carpet clean of grey Isis hair!

I got a Bissell and it’s amazing! Vacuuming the lounge now takes ten minutes instead of 45!

On Friday, I visited the dentist.

I hate visiting the dentist….with a passion!

When I was a kid, I was told my mouth was overcrowded and I needed four teeth extracted. The dentist injected my mouth eight times then sent me into the waiting room for it to numb while he dealt with another patient. When it was time for me to go back in, I started to cry and refused. I put my hands and feet on the door frame – five nurses picked me up, carried me in there and held me down while the dentist yanked out the teeth; I’ve hated them ever since!

But, when I was about 11, I fell flat on my face and broke my front tooth. It was crowned (by a different dentist – we never went back to that butcher!) and the crown has lasted all this time.

But, it’s slipped! It used to be straight and in line with my other teeth. Now I have quite a large gap between the crown and the front tooth next to it.

So, I registered with a dentist in town and went to see him.

He hasn’t helped my phobia at all really – he declared me to have advanced gum disease and stated that if I don’t visit the hygienist every 3 months (at a cost of £46 for half hour), all my teeth will fall out.

Oh, apparently I need a ‘small‘ filling too!

But, preparations to have the crown replaced are under way – he took a mould of my teeth so that they could make a temporary crown and took x-rays to see if the tooth under the crown is still alive (which I know it is!)

On Saturday, Matt came over as he had an MRI booked.

He also wanted to get a new phone so he came over very early.

It was one of those days right from the off!

He decided he was going to get the 9.15am ferry, that meant I needed to get the 8.37 bus to Southampton.

Matt miscalculated and ended up on the 8.45 ferry and my bus had obviously gone early as I missed it (at 8.33) and had to wait half an hour for the next one. Eventually we managed to meet up in West Quay.

We then went to the 3 store so that he could get a new phone. He really really wanted an iPhone 5, but the cheapest he could get it for was £49 up front then £34 a month – which he couldn’t really afford. So he decided to go for the iPhone 4S – that was no upfront charge and £29 a month.

We left there and grabbed something to eat from the food market outside before heading off to the hospital.

The MRI was pretty straightforward and he decided he would come back to ours for dinner.

We caught the bus back to Southampton and headed for the train station.

While we were sitting on the platform, I was showing him some hints for his new phone.

We had trouble setting up his e-mail as he couldn’t remember his password, so he handed me his old phone (a Samsung Galaxy S2) to see if it was written on there somewhere. I couldn’t find it and put the phone next to him on the seat.

We were in Romsey before he realised he hadn’t picked the Galaxy up!

We walked back to the house – me apologizing all the way – and as soon as we got in, I called South West trains. They were most unhelpful and basically said I had to go back to the station to find out if staff there had picked it up.

I contacted o2 and had the phone blocked so it was useless to anyone who may have picked it up.

Project bag or headphone bag?

We had dinner and I opened my new (to me) SkullCandy headphones. They’re perfect and guess what I store them in?

The little bag that Bex made is perfect to carry them in when I’m not using them!

I will make a bag especially for them eventually (probably when I want to make socks and use the bag as a sock project bag!).

We headed back to the train station so that Matt could go home, I went with him as he wasn’t sure on the way and I can get home on the bus for nothing, it also gave me the opportunity to take Isis to see how she’d cope with public transport.

When we got to Southampton, I asked one of the staff if Matt’s phone had been handed in. She didn’t know anyting, but got on the radio.

The staff member on the opposite platform had found it! I don’t know who was more excited, the guard or Matt LOL

So, he went home with both phones (I contacted O2 the next day and got the block lifted) and I headed off to the bus stop.

It was 7.45pm by this point, I’d been on the go for over 12 hours.

And the next bus wasn’t until 9.25pm!

I decided to wait, Isis and I both had warm coats on and I had knitting with me – boring knitting, but at least it was knitting.

Unfortunately, my phone was dying so I couldn’t listen to an audiobook on my new headphones!

It got to about 8.30 and I was freezing and bored, I decided to catch the train instead. I went back into the train station only to be told I had just missed the two trains going via Romsey and the next one wasn’t until 9.15pm.

I went back to the bus stop.

I eventually got home around 11pm and Isis and I were both exhausted!

I suspect you are after reading all that too LOL