Ok, so the weather has turned.

They say that locally, it will be storms and lots of thunder tonight.

This can only mean two things....

1 - the boys will stay in all night and look at me with heavy blame in their eyes as they don't do "out in the rain".

2 - the Wii will be revealed and now, armed with my pickaxe, the weekend marathon will start.

I have planned it to the degree that I will be having my evening meal at about 9ish so that it will eek the energy levels out to stay up as late as possible!!!!

I am just so hardcore.

I also have nibbles and vodka....

Oh come on, what else am I going to do in the awful weather to cheer myself up?!!!

If the weather stays dry on Sunday I will be going to a local VW show.

What are you going to do to keep you happy in this weather?

Now it has been a while since I have reported on the tank, and it is worth the wait as I have some exciting news!

Two weekends ago I took everything out of the tank to have a re-design. As I got to the stage of emptying the media out, I spotted 4 tiny sunset platy fry.

I carefully caught them and carried on with the tank refill and new look!

Then I popped the fry back in, gave them chance to hide before I put the remaining old water and original adult fish back in.

Last night, at feeding, I saw an amazing sight…..

There was my only surviving male sunset, next to him was Nemo and by Nemo were 2 of the fry that I had saved during the re-design!

One of them looks above the size of being eaten, but the other one is still a bit smaller!

I went to take a photo and then realized that my camera was missing! I think that I left in my van so I am off to hunt for it tonight and see if I can capture all the sunsets together.

So now I need 2 names for my fry…..

Any suggestions?

I have set a rule.

I must only ever play the Wii at weekends.

Last night, at about 10pm, I thought that maybe I could just get an hours play in before I started to feel tired and wind down for bed.

At 12.45am I knew that I had to put the controller down and stop playing!

It is so addictive.

I am now on a weekend only plan!!!!

I have a game that is a strategy game and I got my pickaxe last night!!!!

I never thought that at nearly 40 I would get addicted to a game on a games console!!! How mad is that?

I have never previously been tempted, but to be honest, I only bought the Wii for the Fit pack.

Mind you, I can see the next winter spent snuggled up and gaming!!!!

Men???? Who needs a man now that I have my 2 silly black cats, my BiOrb full of fish and my Wii!!!!!

This time last year I was nervous about living alone and wondering how I would cope and now, well now I am at peace with myself and how my life is.

I have wanted one since Xmas.

Yesterday I finally got a refund cheque from my gas supplier and I am due a hefty cheque from my Co-Op dividend card.

Today, in a moment of weakness, I called and I am off to collect a WII console at 3pm.

I just could not help myself.

I eventually want to get the WII Fit package.

I am, at this present time, beyond saving.

Looks like sun lounger and voddy during the day and WII at night.

I do have to add that I am actually only spending £40 in real money as my refund cheque covered the rest, hence my justification to buy it!!!!

The Co-Op payment will be here in June and that will pay for my WII for add on thing.

I feel very excited..... and I have seen 4 games that I like!!!!

Oh, this is so glorious in the sun.

Whilst I am stuck in an office, I know that it is sunny outside and that makes me feel good and positive.

On the way in this morning, I went mad and stopped at Homebase and got a cheap sun bed thing.

It is one of those 3 way folding ones. You know the one that if you get the balance all wrong, you land up well and truly tipped!!!!!

It had £6 off in the pre-summer sale, so I bought it. the fact that it is aqua blue, my joint favourite colour, had no bearing on my decision at all!!!

I hope that this weather lasts till Saturday so that I can sit out in my very small back garden with a voddy whilst listening to my ipod.

I also fancy doing loads of garden stuff, but I have run out of special garden refuse sacks and I have now been given my full quota for this year.

Madness, but I can buy a roll of the special bags direct from the council for 33, so I will do that!!!

Oh, I got my van back and it was not anything major or serious so I am happy about that too!!!

In this sun, well, I just do not think that I could have the hump even if I wanted too.

Yesterday I was awoken by the beautiful sunshine coming through my window.

I got up and was wondering what I was going to get up too.

As I pottered about in the bathroom, I heard the tree outside tapping on the window.

In a split moment of madness, I decided to cut the tree down.

I had a saw and how hard could it be???

Well, the first thing that shocked me was the fact that the tree was a lot bigger than it looked.

It shocked me how many branches and leaves and dead fruit there was.

It shocked me how much my shoulders and armed hurt after sawing, and sawing and sawing……

It has made a huge difference and I had loads of sunshine right through until about 3pm yesterday.

It shone on my washing line and it was glorious to have lovely fresh dried washing.

It was worth all the pain and has now set me off on a garden mission…….

The sun certainly makes you feel good and positive eh?!!!

So did you have a lovely weekend?

I feel very at peace.

I feel very content.

I see a light at the end of the tunnel.

I feel excited about a 3 day weekend and having my best mates over for dinner on Saturday.

I feel excited that the sun may shine.

I just feel good in all respects.

As I did not stay sober enough to take any photos at the weeknd, I have managed to find on that someone else took with me in it!!!!

I was a bit squiffy at this point, but I like it!!!

Here is one without me that I feel captures the escemce of the weekend.....

Well, I have to tell you that I did have the most amazing weekend away.

It was so good to actually be away from the flat, away from the boys and away from everything!!!!

I spent a lot of time drinking voddy and just laughing and chilling out with mates, both old and new.

It has really livened me up and gave me the break that I needed.

Some of the weekend is already a distant blur, but a really good haze!!!!

The boys were pretty good for the lady upstairs and they looked a bit thinner but happy to see me!

I had an embarrassing moment when the van conked out as I was approaching the tolls, and they had to close the Dartford tolls for 5 minutes to allow me to be towed through.

The van is now on the side of the road waiting for the mechanic to come out next Tuesday.

I am not worried as I do not think it is too serious.

I cannot tell you how good it felt to be away, and now I have a cunning plan to try and get away again in June!

Ok, so did I tell you that I am off to the New Forest for a few days?

No, well I most certainly am!!!

I have Thursday, Friday and Monday off work, so it will be quiet here for a few days!!!

I am off in my 1973 VW camper van to join fellow VW fans in their vans, tents and beetles, for a weekend of carnage and laughter, fun and hopefully some good weather.

Since I have been on my own and in my rented flat, this is the second time that I have been away.

I feel happy with the lady upstairs looking after the boys, so I just need to have some fun.

I am going away again in July and maybe 2 more weekends before October.

I know, some days there is just no stopping me!!!!!

It seems that young Alfie could not stay away this weekend.

I caught him on Saturday and despite me chasing him and making loads of noise, he came back on Sunday.

I took a few photo's of him yesterday, as despite everything, he is a lovely looking 14 month old fluffball!!!

Check out Vinnie in the third photo!!! He was not happy!!!!

this morning as I am feeling abit drawn out.

Last night, 12 of us from work went for a massive Chinese meal.

After a year of not eating Chinese, I can confirm that it has not gone well and would seem to be aggrevating my delicate stomach. So that is another food off my available to eat list!!!

I have a few glasses of red wine, but not that many.

I got home about 12.30 and Vinnie made a one cat protest and messed about till almost 2 before coming in.

This morning I am feeling alittle slow, and that it would take some time to solve any great mystery that may come my way.

I hope it is a quiet one at work.

I feel old. Mind you, the young 'uns feel shattered too so I get some joy from knowing that!!!!

Let the day pass smoothly and quickly.... please!

My cats are lunatics.

They do love to sit and gaze out the cat flap for hours on end.

I have no idea what they may be looking for, I have no idea if they ever find it, but it always make me laugh when I see them.

It always start with both of them having a look.....

Then Scooter normally pushes forward to get a closer look at things and get an all round assessment of what is out there....

After a while, Vinnie will suddenly take matters into his own hands and make a mad dash for it, who cares if it is raining?!!!!

Once Vinnie escapes, Scooter will often carry on just sitting there, poking his head out occasionally, just waiting.

I love my cats, there are a never ending source of entertainment.

I have been inspired by Seaside Man to appreciate the free things in life that can make you smile!

In his honour and to thank him for posting all his photo's I have a moment in a lifetime, well maybe not that dramatic, last night!

I was faffing with my camera and the cats were making a real fuss in the kitchen.

I wondered to the kitchen, with my camera still in my hand, and sorted the cats out.

As I looked out the window, I caught sight of a rainbow and was lucky enough to capture a few photos before it disappeared again.

I hope that you enjoy them!!!!

It was one of those weekends where I got the camera out, charged the batteries and then went mad for photos!!!

Shame on me though as my laptop went all wobbly last night, so I could not upload them. I cannot complain as the laptop is 10 years old and have served me well. I just cannot justify buying another when I do not even have a phone line at home!!!!

I am hoping that tonight a cunning plan will cure the laptop and I can update all this week with photos.

I have an amazing one that I must share with you tomorrow with a mad story to go with it.

Had a great weekend as moved my van, went for a drive and got all excited with the smell and feeling of freedom being in him.

I went mad and did a few small jobs in him and just sat and thought watching the rain.

I am so excited as next Friday I go off in him for 3 days in the New Forest with some very good friends, and some new friends.

At last I feel that my struggle to survive on my own is going to have some reward.

I feel good, I feel relaxed and I feel like I have a renewed sense of life.

How blummin' deep for a Monday eh?!!!!

Take care and try to control yourself watching for the photos eh?!!!

I spoke to the woman that lives upstairs last night about my cats.

I feel cheeky asking her to look after them too many times as my mum bought me up proper like!!!

After having a really nice chat with her, I have agreed to pay her now to mind the boys for the weekend.

Now I am paying, I do not feel bad asking her and I am planning to have one weekend per month until September away.

She is well happy as she gets paid, I am happy as I do not feel like I am taking the mickey.

This is a double wammy, as know I am totally rethinking Duncan (my 1973 VW camper van!) and now I may keep him another year..... especially if I can use him once a month as it kind of justifies having him.

Now, finally, I can see a point to living alone, being skint and going through the last 12 months.

To just have something each month to look forward too has really lifted me, and made me smile loads.

Just really wanted to share my good news, and those that know me well, know how much this all means to me.

Thanks for reading and have a big smile for me!

I have a cunning plan to get me a regular paid cat sitter.

If the plan works, then I may be able to get away for 4 or 5 weekends in the van this year.

It is a really abvious plan, but it just took me about 7 months to think of it!!!

I won't tempt fate yet, but trust me, you will know if it all works out.

I also have a cunning plan about where to move my van too in the road I live in. It will hopefully stop all the moans from now until my trip away in 2 weeks time.

My 60 litre tank is running fine and I still have all my fish and they all still look happy!

I feel so optimistic today...... I really feel like I am taking control of small area's of my life, but they all count.

Yep, I am feeling good.

My boys are weird at the moment. The weather seems to be causing them problems and the change in daylight is just confusing them even more!!!!

Well, I feel robbed that it snowed all day yesterday, but by the evening there was no trace of it.

It was almost like it had never happened. Weird old weather as I could barely see this morning on the way to work through the large snow flakes, and now....... the sun is shining.

I had a weekend of quiet reflection and faffing about not doing that much!!!

I did push the boat out though and in the Woolworths sale bought myself a starter kit for a mini herb garden. I sure know how to live!!!

I will take a photo tonight and we can begin the official Kackers Herb Watch!!!!!

The boys sulked all day yesterday as it was too cold and too snowy for them to leave the flat. They made out like it was completely my fault and even playing wit their favourite toy could not life their spirits.

Hopefully they have noticed the sun and got some fresh air today.

See, I told you it was non stop excitement.

Bad weekend news was that baileys with a hint of mint is no longer on special offer. Gutted but I made the most of the offer with my 4 bottles!!!!

Hope everyone out there is ok?

for your kind comments and words.

I am so sorry that I was out of sorts yesterday.

I blame all sorts of things, but mainly me being silly about things!!!!

I do realize that if I want things to change then I need to do something rather than sit and dwell!!!!

When you get it all clear in your head, it all seems so simple and now I feel silly for making such a negative comment when really, I have so much to be happy and thankful for.

I have a plan for many things, and over the next few months I will put parts of it in, stage by stage.

The fish are all still happy and I swear that 2 of them have grown already!!!

The boys are on a mad one at the moment, I think it is the change of season that is causing it.

They will be shocked if the weather forecast comes true and it does indeed snow on Sunday!!!!!

I am off out on Friday night as it is my best mates 30th birthday. she has been such a kind and good mates since I moved here. I am actually driving and staying sober!!!

It is my choice as I feel that going out and getting roaring at the moment is a bad idea!!! I love tapa's and the restaurant is supposed to be great.

Having said that, I won £10 on a lottery thing on Saturday so I am off to buy a bottle of Mint baileys as it is on special offer!!!!

I will need that as if it does snow on Sunday, it would go rather well with some dodgy Sunday afternoon telly!

I feel abit fed up at the moment.

I am not sure if it just that time of year really, or just a build up of things.

I know it will pass.

I will give myself a shake up and it will be over shortly.

I think that a good bottle of red, some good telly and a good old talking too myself will sort me out.

I may be suffering with that "thinking way too much" thing that we all go through sometimes.

I hope normal service will resume shortly.

Oh, the fish and tank are still fine. The boys are still silly!

Sorry, but that is all I can manage today.

p.s feel free to slap me if you like... it may help!

The water tests were all superb last night, so I am very pleased.

My lonely Oto has dicovered the real plants and seems very happy hoovering his way over the leaves!!

The sunsets also like the plant and one has taken a real shine to the moss ball!!!!

Nemo the Second can now make his way to the surface but looked abit shattered yesterday!!!

The danios are just going mental chasing about and I noticed last night that the Oto occasionally joins them for a 60 mph lap round the tank every so often!!!!

All in all, it all looks well, the results were as if nothing had happened, so fingers crossed.

This saturday I may get another 2 dwarf Oto to keep my lonely one company.

Then I will just leave things to settle for a few weeks.

I have to say that if I had of seen the 60 first I would not have bothered with a 30!!! The extra size just makes them alot easier to design and makes fish watching alot easier and more enjoyable.

I am well an truly in love, hook, line and sinker!!!!

Well, firstly, I took one last photo of the 30 litre in place.

I laid everything out and ready for the big transfer. I lined my lounge floor with plastic bag liners, had buckets of old water from the 30 litre, plenty of towels and paper towels at the ready.

I started by cleaning the 60 litre in the bath and washing all the bits and bobs needed to go into it.

I then removed the plants and rocks from my 30 litre, leaving the fish in there believeing that an emty tank would make it easier to catch them!! Oh how wrong could I be, but more of that later! I then transeffred my fish to the bucket and removed almost all the media gravel from the 30.

Then, once the 60 was clean, I arranged my rock from the 30, 2 real plants that came with the tank, one plastic plant and the media fro the 30 into the new tank. I then used the sponge, no squeezing, from the 30. I then used the new fueng shey shoo pebbles to lay onto top of the media.

I then chased the fish round the 30 to get them into the bucket. I had already filled the bucket with water from the 30 and placed a plastic plant and rock from the 30 into the bucket. Now I am sure that there is a knack to catching fish quickly with a net, but I failed to find it and catching the Oto as a task in itself. Once I had completed that, I left the 30 to settle so that I could gently transfer the remaining water.

I emptied the space out ready for the stand and the new tank.

I then carefully transferred the water from the 30 and the water that I had stored n containers into the new tank. It was a delicate and very long part of the operation!!

Then I carefully chased the fish round the bucket until they were all counted and in the new tank!!! Again, I failed to master the catching of fish with a net from a dark bucket, but I got there with patience and some calming talk!!!

Then I transferred the water from the bucket back into the 60 and proceeded to walk backwards and forwards form thre kitchen for at least 10 miles whilst I slowly topped the 60 up with a further 21 litres of treated water.

Then I just had to watch, sit and wait for it all to settle down enough so that I could see inside the tank and check that there were no leaks and that the pump and heater were all working ok.

All in all, it took three hours with about 40 minutes of preparation to complete the task.

On Sunday morning I swapped my original rock from the 30 for a new rock that came with the 60 as the colour suited my room and the tank better!!!

As you can see by the pictures, the tank settled very nicely overnight and looks very clean and very sparkly!!!!

I have to say that the whole task went very smoothly and was a lot easier than I had imagined. I am glad that I got everything ready in advance and had it laid out over my floor as it made life much easier.

I am very happy with my new look tank and very excited about having real plants. I am going to add 3 more Oto next weekend and then let things settle down again.

I am tempted to add maybe a few more community fish, but I will see in a few weeks. I am just so happy that my one and only Oto survived and my baby Nemo the second. Oh, and I may add another real plant so that I can get rid of the plastic one!!!!

I am well and truly addicted!

I saved money to get my car through the MOT.

She sailed through so I had some money left over.

I was going to be all good and put it towards bills and food and boring stuff.

This morning, I was really naughty.

Today I agreed to buy a second hand 60 litre Biorb.

It is the size up from my current tank.

It comes with the stand and everything.

I am going to keep my 30 litre, as one day I hope to rent somewhere a bit bigger so that I can have 2 tanks running. Or, of course, I may meet a rich man and live in a huge house or something!!!

This is the first thing that I have bought myself since I bought the 30 litre in July last year.

I am not going to beat myself up about it, though I may feel guilty until I collect it!!!!

How very naughty of me, but I have to say, I feel really good!!!!!!

Jaco - still catching up but hope all is well my lovely. Hope job is exciting...... XXX

and I will try to update later ot tomorrow as it may be a bit busy here!!!!

I am fine, had a quiet long weekend, due to waether, but it was very nice.

I got lonely towards the end, but I can through it ok!!!!

After today, that is it, I am off till next Wednesday!!!

I am strangely excited.

I have a list as long as my arm and alot of it is to do in the flat, so who cares if it snows?

One more day then 6 days off.

Honestly, I feel like I have won the work lottery!

I hope to have photos galore and lots of updates for next week.

Bet you can barely contain yourself now eh?!!!!

and I am so glad that I got up in a mission mood on Saturday!!!

I opened all the windows, pulled the worlds heavy shelving unit handmade thing into the middle of the room and started painting!

After the first coat, I mixed white and the darker colour together to get an off white to paint all the bricks off the fireplace.

By the time I had finished that, the shelves were ready for the next coat.

I was so lucky as the sun was out, there was a gentle breeze and everything went according to plan.

Whilst waiting for the painting to dry, I rewired my amp, CD player and speakers and that was the start of my downfall.

I then spent the rest of the day and almost all of the evening listening to my fave cd’s and having a right old boogie!!!!

Sunday I had a slower start due to aching neck and shoulders, but I did eventually get the room back together and all ship shape.

I did not get any photos as I need to catch it in the right light!

I am so glad to have got it all done, and that is it for me and decorating now!!!

Now I am looking forward to having Thursday and next Tuesday off.

Only using 2 days annual holiday and get 6 days off.

How could I grumble this week?!!!

Today has flown past.

I nearly bought a watch on Ebay.

I asked the seller for the size and it was as big as my whole wrist.

I have been laughing about it on and off all day.

Special hug today for Jacobite XXXXXX

I shall finish painting the lounge this weekend and hope to get some photo's to post up next week.

I also hope to bring some photos of Nemo the Second in too.

I am so excited, only working 3 days next week and 3 days the week after.

So on the way home I will be buying a bottle of cola as I am having a voddy, cherry liqueur and coke night, almost like an alcoholic cherry coke.

I just really feel in the mood.

Have a good and safe weekend.
X

It has been one of those weeks.

It does seem to have been going on forever!

It has been one of those weeks where nothing has or is really happening and maybe that is why it feels like it is dragging on and on......

I have tons of jobs to do, but I really do not feel like I have the energy to do any of it.

I have great plans for the weekend to finish the lounge and sort my messy hall cupboard.

The good news is that I have extended my Easter by taking the Thursday before and Tuesday after.

So I get 6 days off on the run but only use 2 days annual holiday which is great.

I just feel like some time out and I am going to plan so that I go out at least for 3 days so that I make some use of the time.

I feel a garden spring clean coming on as I want to get some gro bags and get some toms and plants going this year!!!

It will mean that you will all have to do without me for 6 days.

I may also look into having a phone line and getting online at the flat.

So, who do you use and how much it is?

It was 2 years ago that I saw Scooter and took him home with me!!!

It was through a friend of my ex, and he claimed to be allergic Scooter, who was called Fido then!!!

I took one look at him and knew that we were destined to be together. I fell in love immediately and I do not regret my decision.

So 2 years ago he was Fido and weighed just on 2 kilo.

Now he is called Scooter and weighs 4.1 kilo and has gone from 14 month old kitten to adult cat.

I am very lucky with him as he is so good and has such a lovely personality. He is a typical Burmese. His only downside is that he is not very photogenic!!!

I am so glad that I did take him as I would have terribly lonely when I moved out to be on my own.

To celebrate our 2 years together, here are a couple of photos!!

Whilst decorating my lounge, I had a small casualty. It was a lovely lamp that sits on my mantel that provides the only light in the room along with the fish tank.

I trod on it and something snapped and now it won’t work.

I was upset, but to be honest, it never really fitted the shelf that well and I was always catching it.

This morning I went to Homebase. I found the ultimate lamp.

It will fir perfectly in sense of the size and shape and was almost a perfect colour match to the walls.

I loved it upon sight.

I went to the till and the price came up as £4 dearer than the ticket. So off I went with the lady to show her where I had got it form and to prove the difference in price.

As we walked towards the lamp area, I noticed a small bargain shelf of lamps and lampshades.

There I saw the lamp of my dreams with a small fingerprint on the front of the shade.

It was reduced with a 60% discount.

I told the woman to stop, I picked up the seconds lamp, and headed back to the till.

Once I got back to the car, I took the shade off and simply turned it round.

I got the lamp of my dreams for £8.40 this morning.

What a great way to start the day!!!!!! I love a good bargain.

My goodness, what has happened?

It is manic out there this morning, so I hope you are all well and safe.

The cats just looked at me this morning and I knew that I had to make sure the litter trays were empty as I cannot see either of them going outside today!!!

I was shocked as you hear the weather and think, Pah, that won't affect me, it won't hit here.

How wrong I was, roads were littered with tree and I could barely walk to get to the car!!!

Good news is that I managed to paint the ceiling and walls of my lounge.

I will never do that again on my own in one weekend.

It was too much and this morning I ache and feel like an old lady.... creaking and groaning!!!

The flat looks like an explosion has taken place as most of the lounge is spread across the hallway, the bedroom and in the kitchen!!!

Have fun and brace yourselves against the wind!

One of the loveliest people at work is getting married today, well this afternoon.

He has arranged with another man here to ship us all to his reception tonight.

It looks like it is going to be a vodka night!!!

I must be good though as I am hoping to paint my lounge at the weekend and I hav