So, as we come to the close of the year, I thought I’d write my annual summary post now, as I won’t have time otherwise.
I’m working tomorrow, taking decorations down on Sunday and then working 2 long days on New Years Eve and New Years Day.

On the whole, it’s been a year of highs and lows.

Low – The year started on a low with Ian being sent to hospital to get checked.
He’s on loads of different meds, including Methotrexate and that means Drs being extra cautious occasionally and this was one such occasion.
I had also been fighting off flu like symptoms since Boxing Day and it all caught up with me at the beginning of the month with a couple of days off work.

High – I discovered ‘Call Me By Your Name’ in January.
What a beautiful film. Wonderful story, amazingly acted, set in Northern Italy during the 1980’s. Brought back memories of lots of lazy Italian afternoon feels from my holiday in 2017.

Low – February was a drudge. Thinking about getting back into Uni work, continuing with placements and the start of investigations for Marjorie for ‘possible’ Coeliac disease. MRI on my knee to wee what’s going on.

High – Cinema trip with two of my girls to see the ‘Sing a long’ version of ‘The Greatest Showman’.

High – The beginning of March sees a HUGE high as we ventured into London to see Imagine Dragons. 4 days in London with the only problem being ‘The Beast from the East’ that was set to hit full on that day. After 5 days of continuous -5 degree temps and lots of snow fall, we had to endure a snowstorm on the motorways to get into London that was on an Amber alert because of the weather.
NOTHING was going to stop us seeing this Gig!!! It was AMAZING!!!

Low – March saw the official start of my final year of Uni. Goodbye life for the next 12 months!

High – March 13th – the Cineworld secret screener was ‘Love Simon’! Brilliant. March 16th we saw Peter Rabbit!

Low – I got another cold towards the end of March.

High – April saw the Commonwealth Games in Australia and following my boys in the diving and the artistic gymnastics. The highlight was staying up until ‘stupid o’clock’ with Marjorie, to watch the Men’s artistic all-around competition and see Nile Wilson take home the gold!
Topping all of that however, was little Rhys McClenaghan, from Northern Ireland taking the ‘Pommel’ gold medal ahead of Olypic champion Max Whitlock.

High/Low – April saw the first trailer for one of Adam Driver’s films. ‘The Man Who Killed Don Quixote’. A film I am still waiting to see as it has been tied up in legal wranglings ever since!! It has had various film festival releases but no general release over here in the UK yet. Chances are my first viewing will be on DVD……. eventually.

High – April 25th – A day in London with my eldest to see CC Smugglers in Covent Garden. Brilliant day out.

Low – Bit of a melt down at work as life in general was getting a bit too much. Marji’s Coeliac, Ian’s pinched nerves and worrying about his job, car MOT’s, full on Uni work, a tenancy inspection that was due, my own health worries. All came crashing down during a chat with my manager.

Low – I nearly died in May…. literally!
Got caught up in a police chase. As I was driving down a local ONE WAY road in my teeny tiny Peugeot 206cc, I came face to face with a bloody great 4 x 4 being chased by police and heading right at me! To top it off, as I was trying to recover my senses when they miraculously missed me, I then had them come screaming back down the road and screaming past me again! Morons.

Low – Marjorie’s Coeliac is confirmed.

Low – My computer died. Literally died. Had to purchase a new one.

Low – Uncle Sid lost his long fought battle with Cancer.

High/Low – My baby girl, Dharma, turned 16 in June. Took her and some friends skating in MK. Decided to have a go myself after 25 years and ended up bruising my coccyx and could barely walk for three weeks.

Low – The fiasco with Ian’s pinched nerves begins to take off.

High – Dharma got her first job just two weeks after leaving school.

High – Got caught up with the rest of the country in the world cup. Even had a BBQ on semi-final day.

High – Lovely weekend spent at the Bedford River Festival.

High – August – Took Dharma into Coventry to meet up with a pen pal.

High – Hozier finally announces new material after 4 long years of waiting.

Low low, low – September, October and November were just stress from start to finish.
Over the last year, Ian, who has psoriatic arthritis,  has been dealing with impinged nerves in his neck meaning that his left arm and leg are painful, constantly has pins and needles and he can’t drive very far. He has been relying on a colleague to get him too and from work for at least the last 6 months because he can’t drive long distances anymore. We owe this colleague more than he will ever know because I really don’t think Ian would have a job at the moment without him!
Ian has had appointments and a big procedure at Addenbrookes, and I couldn’t attend any of it because of course commitments.
For the same reason, I have recently felt like a really ‘shitty’ Mother because, 2 of my girls have ongoing orthopaedic issues and I haven’t been able to attend all of their appointments due to course commitments. My 16 year old had a trip to A+E with a knee injury, on the bus with her 19 year old sister because ‘I’ was committed to something and Ian can’t sit for more than 5 minutes in the A+E chairs without being in excruciating agony.
To top all of this off, Addenbrooks fucked up AGAIN!!
Ian’s follow up appointment, that had already been moved 3 times, was cancelled because it was a nurse review and should have been a consultant review. He went back on the waiting list for a review and finally got an appointment for January 3rd. Watch this space.

High – There was one high in October when I got to see CC Smugglers for the second time this year.

High – December – FINALLY got to see Hozier in concert.

High – Had a wonderful Xmas.

Low, low, low – All three of the girls have had ongoing medical issues throughout the whole year.

Low – As I said in the title, we’re ending the year on a shit note… literally. Went into the back garden to put some nuts out for the squirrels and discovered a blocked drain which would explain a few things to do with the drainage in the house over the last few months!!
We are now waiting for Dyno Rod to come and do the dirty and get things running again and just to rub things in our face a little, after giving them the ‘house’ number and not a mobile number, we discover that Virgin has a fault on the line so our phone isn’t working!! Had to phone Dyno Rod back to leave a mobile number.

There are only three days left. Can anything else go wrong?
Work tomorrow.
Decorations down Sunday.
Work on Monday.
Not a lot of room for anything to go wrong…………..