Nine weeks later

Well nine weeks after my operations, and here I am, feeling fine and looking forward to going back to Uni, OK that's not quite true I'm really nervous, but I'm trying a bit of positive thinking this morning. I've had (for me) a really good nights sleep, and I've had my breakfast and cup (OK maybe 2) of coffee so I'm raring to go. So raring is possibly an overstatement, but I'm up, sometimes that just has to be enough. I still appear to be living in an alternate universe as my kids sat and did their homework at the dining room table when they got back from school yesterday, it did seem a little odd, but we left them to it and went to B&Q. Ah B&Q where all the best people go on a late Friday afternoon, actually it seems like a good time to go as there was hardly anybody there. Do you know they sell hundreds of different types of plasterboard (for the false ceiling), neither did I and OK it was more like 5 different sorts, but that's not the point, I'm not sure that it was a fact I needed in my head, I should be leaving plenty of space available for information from my lectures next week, not stuffing it with DIY facts. Anyway the outcome of the trip was that more research was required to ascertain exactly which of the many types we actually needed, and also how to get them home as they are 8 ft x 4ft, now I have a big car, but it's not that big. Neils idea of a solution was to take a stanley knife with him when he buys them and cut them in half to put them in the car. You might think this was an unlikely option but we once bought some wood and a saw and he chopped it up to put it in the car (the wood), the things we've done in DIY car parks. (No smutty thoughts thank you). Well he's taken my car to work this morning which can only mean one of two things, he couldn't find his car keys (it's always a possibility) or he's buying something big on the way home. We'll have to wait and see!

I have to tell you that I have a brilliant dog. Now those of you that have met Ned will know that I love him dearly and he has a great personality but that Neil has always thought of him as a bit of an idiot and of no real use. This is no longer the case, after last nights adventure, he is very useful indeed. So picture a typical evening, Neil and I are watching TV, Xander is home from his dinner and is on the computer in the next room and Will is over the road babysitting. It doesn't really matter where everyone was, I'm just setting the scene. Anyway we were watching something on the TV when a huge spider ran out from under the TV cabinet and headed straight towards the settee, (there may have been screaming and it may have been me) it rested, momentarily, under the coffee table with me spluttering at Neil about this huge spider whilst trying to retract my long legs back into my body, and Neil going "what" "where", in a totally unhelpful manner. When the spider (suitably rested) made a last minute dive under the settee. So I'm gesticulating to Neil and making high pitched noises that only dolphins can hear and Neil thinks I've gone mad as he hasn't even seen the damn spider, which considering it's size was quite an impressive feat. When I realise that the dog has his nose under the settee, and his bum in the air and is wagging his tail like mad. Well if he didn't believe me (and I don't think he did) Neil knew the dog was after something. 

Before we go any further I should explain to those of you that have never met Ned, he's not a small dog, his Dad is an English Pointer and his Mom a rough coated lurcher, so I'd describe him as a large skinny dog, who's all elbows. Now Ned is just not letting this new friend of his get away and is persistent in trying to get under the settee (there is a two inch gap) when the spider makes a break towards the dining room and the sideboard. Ned follows and dives under the chair next to the sideboard, again his tail wagging like mad the whole time then he suddenly stops, comes out from the chair and trots back into the room. He looks really pleased with himself, and I'm so pleased because I'm convinced he's killed the spider and eaten it. Well I wasn't quite right, at this point he tossed his head and threw the spider into the air, it landed somewhere behind him and started to crawl away, so he pounced on it again. Needless to say this went on for sometime, but eventually he had killed it, but he never ate it, just displayed it's mushed up carcass on the floor in front of him for all of us to see, and I'm assuming admire. Still when I have 3 cats, one of which slept through the whole process on the settee next to me, you can see that I'd be very proud of my spider hunting dog, even if he does play with his catch afterwards.

Well I should get on with all that housework that I didn't do yesterday because it was Fun Time Friday, I do think that should be a permanent addition to my week, but I do need to find another name for Housework Saturday.