Well Im back - finally....
A busy week at work as usual - tried to leave a couple of days on time but didnt generally work out. I think I will write a whole story about work separately so you need to read it only if interested.
i have been struggling with ear problems over the last week and finally as it was really started to hurt decided I needed to register with a GP and go and see them for some antibiotics. I researched all GP surgeries within a mile of my address and decided on one - rang up to register only to be told I could as my address wasnt in their zone - well it was actually the GP surgery that was closest to me. then I ring the Tower Hamlets NHS (National Health service) and it turns out I have the grand choice of one GP surgery that is a bus and a 10 min walk away. Tried to argue the point that I wanted to go to my closest GP surgery and what happened to client choice but I lost. Then I rang the GP surgery only to be told that they didnt have any appointemts until the following week - she said I did need to be seen for an ear infection and to go to the closest Walk in Centre. I left work early on the Monday to do this - actually got seen very quickly and yes I did have a temperature and a raving ear infection and paid £8 for the medication. Didnt go to work on Tuesday - did get up at 0620 as usual and then decided I just couldnt do it so went back to bed. therefore I have yet to register with a GP as you need to do it in person and I will need to leave work early or start work late in order to do this.
Another frustration of the week included buying a new laptop. My wonderful little Acer Aspire One died completely about two weeks ago - nearly two years old but it has done some rough travelling all over the world plus daily usage and it has been amazing and I will definitely buy another one. i took it to get fixed but as the price of just looking to see what could be wrong was nearly its original cost and that didnt include getting whatever was wrong fixed I decided just to get a new one. i had been itching to buy a 15.6 inch screen so I could start using Photoshop so this brought forward my plan. Andrew very kindly took my laptop to work and managed to remove the hard drive and save most of what was on there - somehow I dont have my cambridge photos from several weeks ago but have mostly everything else. Anyway searched thru the catalogues and with Andrew's help decided on a suitable laptop from Tesco's. This I ordered on line and went for a pick up option at Canary Wharf on the Saturday afternoon. This happened - I got it haome and charged the battery - reasonably proud of what i had and how compact and light it was - then it wouldnt go. Andrew arrived home and the first thing he said was he thought I had gone for the 15.6 inch screen not the 14 inch one. true enough it was totally the wrong laptop. On to the phone I get to Tesco's - also annoyed that they charge me for the phonecall. Apologies from them and they arranged to pick it up from my workplace on Monday and deliver the right one. Monday comes and it gets picked up and redelivered - I open it again and again its the wrong one - on the phone and they apologise and cant redeliver until Wednesday as it was after 1300 which is cut off for the next day. Then they decide they dont have it in stock - would I like something else. Well, no I want my money back. Then they [ick it up on Weds but I cant buy another one as Tesco's take 2-5 working days to reimburse the money and as I have just paid the rent for all of us for the month i dont have enough money in my account as I am expecting £200 to go out for my weekend away in the Lake District.
Anyway for the sake of starting another paragraph just so its easier to read - the lake district trip is full up so i cant get on it so i have just enough money to buy one from Argos on Thursday evening. I had to go to tolworth Hospital for my first Managers hearing (to do with the UK Mental health Act) and I knew i wasnt going to go back to work so went to Argos near Victoria station to pickup the new laptop i had chosen. A very straightforward process. Got home and charged the battery - it started straight away although I hate windows 7. And then I reaslised it was 16 inch screen - even better - even Andrew was impressed. Thanks to Andrew as well getting it set up for the internet. So i am very lucky - £500 later with a laptop that would cost around $2000NZ.
Went up to Bedford on Friday for work - bout 50 mins north of London - anothers Managers hearing for a client in a low secure forensic unit - not such a great hearing for me as i knew I would get a hard time from all about lack of initiative from Social Services in regards to finding a new placement - i have learnt not to even try to defend the Council i work for and invite people to make complaints about the lack of service because they are usually genuine complaints. i have also learnt not to make any promises about the fact that now I am involved that i will be onto it straight away cos I wont due to other\ work pressures. I find that honesty generally goes down well. Had the morning off work as not worth the travelling to go to work - would only be there an hour and would have to leave again.
The other excitement was that Andrew and Nancy left Friday morning to go to Egypt for 16 whole days and i will have the apartment to myself. I was supposed to be going but decided I would be running my finances a bit dry if I did and i am no longer using the credit cards to fund my travel. a week ago British Airways announced strikes and cancelled their flights but fortunately I helped find new flights.
I decided based on the weather forecast that it was quite good that i didnt go to the Lake District as it was pretty cold and cloudy and rainy all weekend. i did think about some day trips but as I am still recovering from the ear infection decided not to plan anything.
Friday night was fantastic - Masterchef, Glee and Ultimate Force - what more could a girl want on TV. I think all that says about me is that i am a mass of contradictions in terms of what I watch.
Saturday - it was raining so watched French Open tennis all day, did the cleaning and mucked around getting used to the laptop as well as getting groceries.
Sunday - again watched the tennis, sat on the balcony and read my book (when the sun was out)
Monday - still cold and rainy so went to lakeside shopping centre - half an hour on the train to Essex - needed some new jeans and brought a top. Came home and watched tennis again - this will be a feature of the next week although hopefully I have next weekend away in the Cotswolds.