As usual Jamie and I went swimming this morning with Steve and Megan. Jamie did really well today swimming eight ‘widths’ of the pool. (Actually about 4/5ths of the width — a narrow strip is roped off for serious swimmers.) I was very proud of her. She doesn’t normally exert herself at all. So todays effort was very very good. Well done Jamie!
When we got back from swimming, we all sat out in the sunshine for a while. I go too hot and went in to read. I finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets last night and am most of the way through Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I’ll probably finish it tonight.

I went swimming again with Jamie, Megan, and Steve this morning. For some reason they decided to throw in all the novelty floats today which livened things up a lot in the pool.
Things were quiet again this afternoon, Jamie and I watched My Fair Lady, while Jan was still reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
The good news is that she has now finished it and I get my turn. So, I’m off to bed now to get a good start on the book!

It’s been a quiet day today! We dropped Jamie off at her stage school this morning. We got up late because of last nights adventure, so she was a little grumpy. Then back home, where Jan rushed through the jobs she had to do. Then she was off reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I picked Jamie up from stage school and dropped her back at home. She was even more grumpy than this morning!
I then left both of them with their Harry Potter books and went to do some jobs for my mum. I chained together her flower pots that she has at the front of the house, and then fastened the chain to the wall. She has been worried about them since some drunk tried to wander off with one of them one night. THis chain is more of a deterrent than anything else. I also fixed her new hose pipe for her and watered the plants for her. I should be easier for her now, a lot lighter than carrying and lifting a watering can.
When I got back home, the girls were still on the bed reading!
Oh yeah, it was the longest day today — the Summer Solstice, not that we got to see too much of it. It’s been dull and cloudy on and off today, we even had some light rain in the late afternoon. The great British Summer!

It was father’s day today. I got a lovely card and certificate from Jamie. She also got me The Matrix Reloaded soundtrack album. Jamie and I went swimming again this morning with Steve and Meg. Afterwards we went strawberry picking with Jan at a local fruit farm. Despite earlier promises, Jamie didn’t stuff herself with strawberries on the field! Back home we played on the swingball and genrally lounged about in the sun.
All in all I’ve had a good Father’s Day!
Surprising since I’ve got an ear infection of some description which has me wincing in pain regularly and hearing first white noise then a high pitched tone constantly.

It was my birthday today. Happy birthday to me! The last couple of years it has fallen on a weekend, this year I had to work. 🙁
I took lots of cakes and pastries in the office to share. The normal thing to do is go for a drink at lunch time or after work. But as a teetotaller I decided to buy the cakes instead.
I got some nice cards and presents including a bonsai tree, some books, a cd and lots of book tokens.
Jan and Jamie, Kim and Megan, Paula and Pete, and Steve, made it an enjoyable evening.
Still, it was a lot different from last year when it was my 40th.

Another quiet day today. I did some more work for Jan in the garden. Did a bit of shopping, and not much else really. Watched the first Harry Potter movie this evening. Had some fun with Jamie and I whistling as loud as we could to the closing credits (you had to be there, it was funny honest).

What a great day we’ve had today. In the morning Jamie was invited to go with Kim and Megan to see The Jungle Book 2. She jumped at the chance and Kim collected her about 10. I went out to pick up some shopping we needed.
When I got back I helped Jan out in the garden. Digging up half an old bush at the front of the house. There was rather a lot of it and I struggled to fit it in the car to take it to the tip.
After lunch, Jamie, Kim, Megan and I went to Stockport town centre for the Dancing in the Streets celebration. It was really, really good. I was very impressed with the quality of the dancing and the effort put in by the participants and organisers. There was a huge turnout, and we struggled to get a good view at times. The weather managed to stay nice too, despite the predicted rain. I took quite a few photos before the battery in the camera ran out. I’ll stick them up in the gallery later. We didn’t get to see everything, there was so much going on. But what we did see we really enjoyed. When we got back Jan had got loads done in the garden. All in all a very good day.

Hmmm… What a lazy day! Jan woke me at 10:20 this morning, and I didn’t get up until after 11am!
I had breakfast and read my book. After lunch, Jan and I sat in the sun for a while. I did manage to go for a short ride on my bike, only about 5 miles though. Then back to sitting in the sun with another book.
Jamie has gone to Jessie’s for a sleepover. This is one that has been planned for quite a while. She has been looking forward to it.
I went out for kebabs for Jan and I and we sat and watched a couple of movies; The Mummy Returns and Bridget Jones’s Diary