Nice Pink Rosette

Tonight we chose Dressage over Jools Holland. I'm glad we did as Dan and Bugsy came 4th and have got a very nice pink rosette for their trouble. Also today she has managed to talk herself into a job for the summer on an eventing yard in Gloucestershire. That means she'll be leaving home straight after her 'A' levels finish and won't be back until the last week in September - and then it's only a few days until she starts University....GULP.....I am sooooo going to miss her.

Jools Holland

Today Dan and I have been offered a night out par excellence. Her Dad has got us two tickets to go to Hampton Court Palace on Thursday evening to see Jools Holland. There is, however, a problem. We are already booked to go to a dressage competition at Longreach on Thursday evening.

Nights out are like buses, none for ages then two come along together.

Pooh Pah Pants

Today has not been the best day. In fact today has been a 'Poh Pah Pants'Day. I still have the remnants of the 'man-flu' I contracted last week, and this is not very nice. I have a hacking, rattling cough, permanent pain at the top of my nose (sinus) and today this developed into a full blown migraine which precipitated an afternoon on the sofa, under a thin blanket watching back to back episodes of "Dog, the Bounty Hunter" whilst drifting in and out of dozes. I did get my laundry and ironing done this morning, and a spot of food shopping, but the rest of the day has gone to pot. I'm usually such a busy person that I hate being ill as it inteferes with my plans. I wanted to ride my Phoebe this afternoon, but was feeling too shitty to face it.

I have taken enough tablets today to rattle as I walk and now just feel pretty crappy. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be feeling a bit better. I have however, booked a table for The Minnow for Saturday night with Jacqui and Mel and I'm really looking forward to that.

All sympathetic comments gratefully received.

Tip Toes

Dan has got a new boy-friend. He's not a 'boyfriend' yet because so far they've only been to the movies once. Right now he's here in the main lounge with her watching a DVD. I want to go through to say 'goodnight' because it's my bed time - but I daren't in case I catch them mid-snog. I'm not sure where he lives and how he's getting home. Manners dictate that I should offer him a lift home, but I don't know if she's planning to take him home or what?! When he arrived he shook my hand and said what a pleasure it was to meet me!!! I do like these public school boys - so polite!!! I shall have to go through on tip toes and do a reccy.

Sometimes it's very difficult being the mother of a teenage girl.

Simple pleasures

Today has been great. Went to the stables first thing and had a great riding lesson - Phoebe has now got over the goats and is back to normal. Then I came home and sunbathed (topless!) in the garden for about three hours.

Now I'm going to bed and today I've washed my bedding - clean sheets - bliss!!!

Some really good news!

Today I have been sunbathing in the garden - topping up the tan I started whilst in Spain. Later this afternoon I got a 'phone call from Sheffield and it was my best friend Jacqui telling me that she and her husband Mel are coming to stay next weekend. YIPPEE!!!!! Can't wait!!!!

Tears at Malaga Airport

Am back from 2 day jaunt to Spain. Had a fantastic time, eating, drinking, sunbathing, swimming, lovely family members and a great time was had by all. I did however cry at Malaga Airport - twice. I had to get up on Tuesday at 3.15am to get my 7.50 flight from Gatwick so when I arrived at Malaga and there was nobody there to meet me I regressed to 4 year old child and after waiting for 35 minutes and feeling abandoned I started to cry. My Mobile phone wouldn't work and I couldn't contact anybody....and because I'm a bit emotional when over tired...anyway eventually Mike picked me up and then I was alright again.

Today, upon attempting to leave the airport to fly home, one of the teenage kids I was accompanying had a problem with his passport and wasn't allowed through passport control. I had already gone through and was about to board the aircraft when I got the message that there was a problem. I had to run back only to find that he was being carted off to immigration!!! The man who was doing the carting didn't speak any English!!! I ran after them demanding to know what the problem was and found myself in small police station with 4 police officers and the teenage boy!

The police officers were all wearing guns (yikes) and were like extras from a very bad south american drug running movie (think 'Midnight Express'). To say that I was a bit concerned would be an understatement. Of course - because I didn't think (I never do) and I was annoyed (I often am) I started shouting at them and 'demanding' an explanation. Obviously that didn't go down too well (none of them spoke English and all they could see was this mad small woman screaming and frothing at the mouth) and one of them started pushing me around. Being really stupid, the next thing I did was light a fag. Cut to the next scene which includes very small room, me, the boy, a guard and jail-type door and bars on windows!!!! Can you imagine? It was at this point where I cried at Malaga Airport for the second time in three days!!!

Luckily my mobie phone had a signal, I called the office and one of our directors who speaks Spanish was able to talk to the head honcho and find out that there was a block on his passport to prevent him being taken from Spain unless he had one of his parents with him.

Eventually somebody from the house came to pick him up - but until they did we weren't allowed to leave. When I say we weren't allowed to leave - I actually mean that for over an hour we were kept there against our will, not given anything to eat or drink, and kept being shouted at by the guards!!! I had by then missed my flight, so I was booked onto another one 2 hours later. Unfortunately (!) there were only business class seats left - so a few minutes later I found myself sitting in the 'club' lounge eating breakfast opposite Rick Parfitt of Status Quo!!! (who, in case you're interested looks fantastic for his age!) Talk about going from the sublime to the ridiculous.

I finally got home about 4pm - which was a huge relief because a few times during this debacle I had visions of ending up in some Spanish jail for eternity being used as a plaything for some big hispanic drug running momma!!!

It's funny now - but at the time I don't mind admitting that I was crapping my pants.

So I've decided I don't really like Malaga Airport, I do however, like flying business class - despite being by far the scruffiest looking passenger that BA have probably ever had. You get a huge comfy seat, pillows and blankets, free drinks, and a proper meal, on a proper plate with a proper knife and fork!!!

It could only happen to me.