9.20...

... better get up, I suppose...

BACK FROM...

... our return viewing at Wingrove Road. Still loving it. Need to get the boundary security sorted as a matter of urgency though, otherwise the neighbours will be having unwanted visitors! Apart from that, everything else can be done leisurely. Nothing needs doing immediately,just a thorough clean everywhere, but I'll get a cleaning company in for that. James was his usual reserved self. Didn't give too much away, but did seem to like it. I think he was surprised that it had a more lived in feel than he was expecting, as we'd told him that the guys are property developers. He didn't know that they'd chosen to live in this house for five years and I think he was expecting everything to be box fresh. Regardless, WE are the ones who will be living there (hopefully, fingers crossed) and we will soon get it just the way we want it!!

GOING BACK TO THE HOUSE...

... today. It really does seem as though things are nearing completion with the sale of our bungalow. The Freehold is ours, the couple at the bottom of the chain should have access to their funds this week, so all should be good for an exchange within the next few days with luck. Mind you, one thing we've learned during this whole sorry mess, is never to get our hopes up!! James and Claire are coming with us today. We really hope they love it as much as we do, although even if they don't, WE know it's right for us! Then this evening it's back to town for Dead Simple at the Theatre Royal. Really looking forward to that. It was a Christmas present from James and Claire. Fortunately, it's quite some time since I read it, so hopefully I've forgotten the plot!!

GREAT NEWS!!

The freehold purchase is complete! In fact it was actually completed on my birthday last week! If we'd known we could have had an even greater celebration. Now, just need the rest of the chain to get sorted...

GOT CONFIRMATION THIS MORNING...

... that the solicitor who's handling our freehold purchase has instructed the Land Registry that the certificate needs to be completed with the utmost haste. All we are waiting for now is receipt of that document, then all is done on our part. We need to know what is happening at the very bottom of the chain now. If we are going to be ready to complete in a couple of weeks, we would, not unreasonably, expect them to be ready too. After all,this process has already taken far longer than the usual three months!! We're going back to the house on Wingrove Road tomorrow. Actually getting very excited. You would think I'd have leaned my lesson by now wouldn't you?

DINNER WITH CHRISTINA.

This will be a treat. We hardly ever do anything, just the two of us, so it will be a nice change. Poor old Charles is dropping me in Gosforth where I will meet Christina and be whisked away for a meal, and he has to twiddle his thumbs while he waits for me. Hopefully, he can spend some time with James while he waits, otherwise he's going to be Billy No Mates somewhere.

BACK TO BAKING!

Didn't take long, did it? But, to be honest, I've quite enjoyed myself in the kitchen again, especially as it's been pretty wet outside. I keep catching myself daydreaming about the kitchen at the new, new house, and then have to stop myself because we can't let ourselves get too excited about it again, not after all the horrors we've experienced so far!! We're going back at the weekend for another look, and probably to ask all the questions we forgot to ask because we were so gob-smacked the first time. Tomorrow evening, Christina is taking me to Vujon for a birthday meal. Just the two of us! Should be lovely. I've never been before, but have heard lots of good things about the food. Can't wait!

FINALLY WATCHING...

... the Newcastle v West Ham game from Survival Sunday. ive managed to get worked up with Souness in the pre-match build up already. If I'd been watching it live I may well have chucked something through the TV at that point. There's no way I could have watched this live. I know what the score is and I'm still nervous!!

BACK HOME!!

We've had a fabulous few days away. I think it's done us good, because we haven't focused on all the uncertainty about the house sale and purchase. It's been lovely to meet new people and to visit unfamiliar places. The girls have been well looked after by Helen, Bill and Hannah, so I don't need to feel guilty about leaving them. We went to see Hannah's new house today. A lovely stone terraced cottage with so much character it's ridiculous!! We loved it and could see how much love and care she's already out into making it her own. On the drive home, the order for quiche came through from Centurion, so I need to get with that first thing tomorrow. So, back to work for me then. Before that though, there's just the small matter of all the holiday ironing!

AT MADRID AIRPORT...

... just waiting for the gate to open! Can't wait to get home now, or at least back to Helen's - and the girls. It's been a fabulous few days, but it'll be good to get back to normal again.

WEDDING WAS GORGEOUS,

And somehow we're still in the Preniership! Have just ducked out of the festivities for a minute to change my shoes, so not really able to catch up on all the NUFC stuff. Will do that later....

TODAY IS...

...Lucy and Ata's wedding day! Very exciting. The ceremony isn't until 4.30, but the build up will begin this morning. We're planning the early part of the day just lazing around the hotel grounds. Certainly, breakfast is top of the list as we somehow missed out on a real evening meal last night. We were at the match, had nibbled loads of snacks before leaving and nobody really wanted anything else at the time. Now, however, I am starving! Right, time to get dressed...

SO HERE WE ARE...

... in Madrid, in a fabulously luxiourious club suite in the Intercontinental, being totally spoiled. Arrived very late last night, after a somewhat trying day. Leaving the girls behind was horrible. Called in to see my Mum for literally 15 minutes On our way to Leeds Bradford Airport, and she was so pleased to see us it took my mind off Lily and Rose for a while! Had a right old faff getting parked, despite having booked on line, ended up walking miles, but the flight down to Heathrow was fine, took no time at all, despite settling into a holding queue over London, which we really didn't mind because the view was stunning. Had about three and a half hours in T5, which soon passed with shopping and eating at Ramseys, in fact we almost didn't get to the gate in time because it was only announced 30 minutes before closing and was so far away from the main building we had to take a train! The Iberian Airlines flight was pretty horrid. We weren't bothered about the lack of food obviously as we'd just eaten, but it took until we were 50miles away from Madrid before we even got a glass of water. We then had a right old carry on with the baggage reclaim, having been directed to the wrong carousel, all waiting in vain, only to realise 45 minutes later that they had come in in another carousel right at the far end of arrivals. Got to the hotel pretty late on really and ended up swapping the original room we were given for one with a balcony which is what we'd booked. Never mind, it was all sorted and we are now well settled. We've spent most of the day - my birthday - in the old part of the city, sightseeing with James and Claire, and enjoying the sun and churros!! Had a lovely couple of hours with Bob and Margaret and Lucy in the hotel garden and are now having a quiet time back in the room, before we go out tonight for tapas and a few drinks!!

OFF TO MADRID TODAY

Feeling like a complete traitor as the girls have no idea that we're going off on a jaunt without them. Honestly, I HATE having to leave them and really cannot wait for Monday evening when we're back with them again. We're up early because we need to get to Helen and Bills, to settle the girls, have a quick catch up, call in on my Mum for a few minutes and then we need to get to Leeds Bradford for about 1.00ish. We have a four hour wait in Terminal 5 which we are going to fill with a meal and some retail therapy. So far as Madrid's concerned, we won't actually be getting to our hotel until 11.30ish, so will probably just want a shower and straight to sleep! Catch up later!

WOW!!

What a difference 48 hours makes! We've pulled out of Nuns Moor Road because of the pressure we were under to exchange. Had an offer accepted on Wingrove Road. The vendors have bought a property at auction today. Have informed our buyers that we have breathing space, so hope all is okay with them. Really don't want the people at the bottom of the chain to feel the sort of pressure we've been under in the past couple of weeks. Just need to make a few calls to solicitors and estate agents and then we'll pack it away until we come back from Madrid. AND BREATHE...!

OFFER MADE...

... and withdraw again!!

NOT SURE WHAT TO WRITE TODAY!!

Mainly because we are waiting to hear wether our offer has been accepted. It's been a while since we made the call,so it's not looking too hopeful, or they're out, or showing more people round... It's a highly desirable property. They will be getting loads of viewings! Meanwhile, our sale doesn't look like completing, despite our solicitor claiming it should do by Friday of this week. So I think we have to withdraw our offer before Mrs Wilkie decides to put it back on the market. ... Just had the estate agent on the phone. The vendors of the property we viewed yesterday ARE Intersted, but intend to take the very beautiful wood burner that featured in the particulars. And Charles has said a flat 'NO'! So, back to the drawing board then.

I KNEW...

... we shouldn't have looked at house. It is absolutely fabulous. Now we don't know WHAT to do! Do we leave it until we know what's happening with our sale, in which case somebody else will have snapped it up? Or do we explain that we can't stand the pressure we're getting from our sellers and put in an offer and hope it's accepted? Or do we put in an offer, see what they say and then let our sellers know what we've decided, thus taking a little of the pressure away from our buyers? What the hell do we do? Our sellers have made it clear that the property on Nuns Moor Road will be back on the market on Friday. We are tired of all the tension that their demands have put on us and just want to put an end to that. In trying to find a solution to the likelihood of losing Nuns Moor Road, have we just made everything a whole lot more complicated?

AAAAAAAAARGH!

Hate being in limbo!

SLEEPLESS NIGHT!

Had a really bad night last night. So much on my mind, and so much at stake this week. We ARE going to view the property I mentioned yesterday. Even though it's only been on the market for days, it's already been knocked down by £25000 because they've found a property and want a quick sale. It may be absolutely a non-starter, but we've got a viewing at noon today and hope it will at least provide us with an ace up our sleeve should our Nuns Moor Road seller turn awkward again this week. I think, if we DO love it, we've got to be honest with everyone, although it won't affect the people further down our chain at all really. Apart from all this going on, and the possibility that we might be exchanging contracts this week, so none of the above would happen, we've also got a crazily busy week to get through. Two gigs - Take That for me, James and Claire tomorrow, then Mark Knopffler for Charles and me on Wednesday. Thursday will be a difficult day, because we have to leave the girls with my sister and brother-in-law, and, although I know they will be fine, I HATE leaving them, even for a long weekend. We fly to Heathrow and then to Madrid late on Thursday evening. James and Claire and the Millers will have arrived during the afternoon. Friday is my birthday. Saturday MIGHT see us all at the last Real Madrid home game of the season and Sunday is Lucy and Ata's wedding. We return to Yorkshire and the girls late on Monday evening. I'm really looking forward to all of this, but it just feels a little bit stressful with all the house business thrown into the equation. One way or another, I hope we can fly to Madrid knowing exactly what is happening with our sale.

POTENTIAL BIG, BIG, BIG...

... Decision to make!!! We've just found an absolutely fabulous house, at least it looks it from the photos and we think we will always regret it if we don't go and look, so we're hoping to arrange a viewing tomorrow morning. If it was as perfect as it looks, would take the pressure off us as far as rapid completion is concerned. Aaaaaaargh!!! Part of me wishes I hadn't come across it and the other part is dead excited!

JUST WON...

... £102 on the Lottery. Not exactly life changing BUT hope and pray that it's a sign that good things are on the way this week!!

CANT BEAR THE TENSION!

Not talking about the house this time, but the NEWCASTLE game this pm. NO WAY will I be able to watch that! Might need to go out for the duration. I think it's a standard 3.00 kick off, so I might go down to Morpeth then. Apparently, we're going out for lunch today, which is something I find really difficult, especially as Charles has also announced that we might be having a takeaway this evening with family. Don't get me wrong, I do love food, BUT I make it a rule never to eat lunch AND dinner in a day, because I am absolutely determined not to put weight on. Charles told me this morning that I'm 'boring!' Well, maybe I am, but I'm not fat!

OOOH!!

Discovered another house in Fenham that we REALLY like! It's probably more than we want to pay, and has only just gone on the market so we probably wouldn't be able to get the price down at all, but it's literally just round the corner from Nuns Moor Road and is FULL of interest PLUS it has the most incredible kitchen ever!! I know we're not supposed to be looking until next week has thrown up whatever it will in terms of an exchange of contracts, but I'm incredibly tempted to book a viewing. I've asked for more details from the agent in the meantime...

MORE TWISTS AND TURNS.

It's getting ridiculous now. Yesterday we thought it was all over. The people who we thought we're buying from decided to remarket the house. This would leave us £9000 out of pocket and homeless if we still sell here. I sent a text to them in the morning, basically pleading for more time and trying to get them to appreciate that starting all over again would only increase the time they would have to wait. I heard nothing back from them. Their estate agent was in agreement that we should probably start the process of looking for an alternative house, so I made appointments to view five house tomorrow. Then, at the end of the afternoon, we got an email from our solicitor, basically saying that all parties should be ready to exchange next week, although completion will take longer. This morning I got a text from our sellers saying they had every sympathy, but have lost all trust in the chain and want to start again. Although they still want us to buy it!!! (Not sure how that works!) so we were still in that awful situation of expecting to lose the house. I texted them again and this time told them that we still hope to buy their house, but that we had made appointments to view five properties in the morning. A text very quickly came back asking us to wait and to see if contracts really ARE exchanged this week. They will also wait a week before re-advertising their house. We go away to Madrid on Thursday for a long weekend for Lucy and Ata's wedding, so if this is going to happen it needs to happen very soon. Our solicitor is well aware of the urgency, let's just hope the others in the chain are as well, because there won't be anymore chances after this. If this doesn't work, I think we just have to accept that we are staying in Fram!!

ARRANGING VIEWINGS!

Right back at the beginning again. Looks like the house on Nuns Moor Road had slipped away from us. Our solicitor reckons were about 4 - 6 weeks away from completion. How they couldn't see that they'll have to wait far longer if they begin the process again than if they stick with us, I really don't know. We've worked out that we will have thrown away £9000 if this falls through, so you can imagine the mood in the camp right now. Typically, there aren't many properties around that really appeal to us right now. I have booked a few viewings for Saturday, but I suspect they'll require a lot of work as they all seem to be at the bottom end of our budget, so I really can't work up any enthusiasm for the task. Honest truth - I'm gutted AGAIN. Well, we both are.

SO...

...the house sale has been back on for a couple of weeks. We were under the impression that we were nearly there, other than having to wait for the freehold transfer, but it appears that things are nowhere near as advanced as we thought. Of course all this is frustrating, but the whole sorry state of affairs has just been compounded because the people who are selling the house in Fenham that we are supposed to be buying have decided to put it back on the market unless we can agree a timescale for exchange by midday tomorrow!!! (I thought they'd said Friday, but read the email and their deadline is tomorrow. There's no way that is going to happen, so unless there's a miracle tomorrow morning, it looks as if we have lost the house. We are gutted. I feel so stupid for having gone out and spent so much money on furniture and fittings for that house. Never, ever again will I get my hopes up until everything is signed and sealed.

LOST FOR WORDS

Doesn't happen often, but today I'm speechless! Might just be better if I say nothing at all then.

HAD YET ANOTHER...

...potential blow to the house move today.

Our buyers are wanting a definite exchange date or they are putting the house back on the market.

I've been dreading this. In fact I think it's amazing that they've waited so long, considering their circumstances.

So, either a firm decision is made about exchange of contracts OR we have to seriously consider what we really want to do. I've looked at other properties that are on the market currently and nothing comes close to the one we wanted.

Of course, all this happens while Charles is away!

NOTHING MUCH HAPPENING TODAY!

After all the angst associated with the Election and the football over the weekend, today seems to be a bit of a letdown!

We've been out this morning, I've done everything I need to do around the house, Charles is just about to cut the grass, but apart from that there's nothing much going on at all.

In case anyone's in the least bit interested, there's absolutely NO PROGRESS on the house move whatsoever, in fact we haven't heard a thing for over a week now. To be honest, I think we're both at the point where we just don't care any more!

MADE THIS EARLIER...

Yummy and extremely quick recipe...

IT took just ten minutes to make, 25 mins in the oven and looks,and smells, fabulous.

Give it a try!!

BACK FROM THE MATCH

WE DREW!

With West Brom

And we are relieved.

And Carver will view it as a victory.

Oh, and Sunderland won. Great!

So, still not out of the messy stuff.

FORGOT TO MENTION...

... that the jackdaws nest was dismantled yesterday.

It took some doing and was IMMENSE, comprising some pretty lengthy sticks and branches as well as loads of padding stuff, but the chimney sweep did a great job of getting rid of it AND covering the chimney with wire. It was so dense, it was hardly surprising the smoke couldn't escape. Anyway, we also had our boiler guy round  to check everything over and he completely cleaned the whole system out, so it's pretty sparkling now.

The jackdaws were less than impressed that their home had been destroyed though. And circled VICIOUSLY for hours afterwards, sweeping and whirling around in desperation, before appearing to resign themselves to finding somewhere else to start building.

NOT SURE WHAT TO SAY.

Another five years of Tory rule, thanks to failed tactical voting.

Never have I felt quite so let down.

And it struck me this morning that, despite voting in every General Election since I was old enough, I have NEVER, EVER, NOT EVEN ONCE, managed to vote for the successful party.

Why bother?

Sincerely hope nobody close to me falls ill during the next few years, or falls on hard times. Desperate times.

JACKDAWS!!

Building a nest in our chimney!

How dare they?

Woke up to a very sooty smell this morning, then discovered that the problem was caused by a jackdaw nest.

Had the boiler man out to check that the boiler itself is okay and it is. It's fine.

The chimney sweep sadly can't get here until the morning, so until he gets here and clears all the twigs and debris, I can't use the boiler at all.

He's going to fit some sort of mesh or cowl to stop it happening again.

Not very happy.

Charles is in Birmingham, so he's the lucky one today!

GETTING A BIT SICK...

... of this weather now. Yet another day when the girls are reluctant to step across the threshold,even when I try to entice them out with treats - under an umbrella. Bonkers, I know.

Also, getting a bit sick of bumping into people in Morpeth and having the, "Have you moved yet?" conversation. Couldn't pay for my fuel this morning, until I'd given a blow by blow account to one of our neighbours who just happened to be filling up at the same time. We're still here, get used to it.


Increasingly sick of the negativity that pervades NUFC. Oh, I know I'm the most negative of supporters and never expect them to win, but this is all encompassing, from the top down there is nothing good about the state of our club. It's tiring trying to be a supporter. And it's probably my stupid to expect anything to change any time soon.

Charles keeps telling me that I'm the most negative person he knows. Maybe we should be moving to Manchester (can't afford Chelsea!) then I might have something to cheer me up a bit.

LOVELY LUNCH...

... with James and Claire today.

To be honest, the company was probably the best thing about it.
We were at the Northumberland Arms, one of our favourite local eateries, but none of us could award the food and service more than a 5/10 today. Perfectly edible, but not exciting or memorable like it used to be.

Disappointing!

WHAT A TRULY...

... Miserable Sunday!

Lousy, wet, cold weather, so not really a day for going out anywhere.

The realisation that yesterday really DID happen and Newcastle are in one helluva huge, horrible mess and that the idiot Carver has gone into complete meltdown.

Nothing much to do apart from watch the 'proper' teams playing, and then realising that Pardew is managing one of them.

Watching Chelsea win the league and trying not to feel jealous.

Feeling totally uninspired to do anything other than lounge around on the sofa.

Trying to get out of my head the comment that Charles made this morning about thinking I'm depressed...

CAN'T SEE...

... anything other than relegation for Newcastle after yet another abysmal performance this afternoon that saw us lose to Leicester, have two players sent off and then have to listen to Carver blaming one of them for doing it deliberately.

The club IS a joke.

And more fool us for caring about it.

BIG DAY!

For Newcastle fans.

(And the Duchess of Cambridge too, as I notice she's gone into labour this morning. Poor thing!)

Personally I expect the goal tally from our lot to be a big fat zero and for Leicester to run rampage. No hope any more.

Charles will punish himself by watching it. I will make sure I'm out of the house for the duration.

But before that,  a little trip into Newcastle to meet Christina for brunch...

THE START OF BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND!

Lots to do over the next week or so. Mostly family stuff, so that'll be nice. Might even grab a couple of days in Yorkshire for a catch up with my Mum and Helen and Bill.

Meeting Christina tomorrow, planning a days shopping on Sunday, out on Monday with James and Claire, so maybe it'll be Yorkshire on Tuesday. Oh,  just realised, we won't be able to go for a couple of days because Charles will be in Brum on Wednesday. Oh well, can't be helped.

It'll just be nice to get out a bit, instead of being cooped up in the house waiting for stuff to happen. Seriously, I'm starting to get quite anxious about loss of earnings.

Honest truth - I've got myself so stressed recently, that I've bought a couple of colouring books and some pencil crayons - just to give me something to do to take my mind off things. It's supposed to be good for my 'mindfulness'! Well, we'll see about that...