Mixed Week

Work has been a nightmare this week. We're very short staffed again, and our store manager only allows a maximum of one customer being served and one queuing, before he wants more tills open. That's fine in theory, but when you only have three cashiers, it's an hour and a half to closing time, and they and you all still have tea breaks, what exactly am I supposed to do?! Just general stress at work this week, compounded by new starters, sickness, and the damn customers!

Last week my great-uncle Harry died. He was 89, and I'd never met him, but it was sad anyway. Another piece of the family history lost.

This week i discovered that a former colleague, Elsie, suffered a heart attack a couple of months ago, and (the day I found out actually) was in hospital undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumour. I haven't heard any more yet, but I so hope she pulls through. She's an absolute sweetheart, always ready with a smile, would do anything for anyone, and never had a bad word to say about anyone.

Finally, my fortnightly weekend off has come around again, and I have all day today and tomorrow off. I doubt I'll be doing much, but it's nice to be able to do what I want with no worries about being up early for work, or the like. Mum and I just popped down to the shops, and though it was a pretty mundane trip, it was nice today for several reasons. On the way out of our yard we noticed the young rooks chattering a lot, and stopped to watch them, when we realised they're having flying practice! There are four of them altogether, plus adults, and the youngsters were flying between the trees, a TV aerial on the house at the end of our flats, and the balcony wall on the top floor of the flats. I had my camera with me, but not the zoom lens, so I couldn't get any pics, but it was nice to see, especially as rooks, crows and the whole corvidae family are some of my favourite birds.

We dropped into WHSmiths for Mum, and then the pet shop, where I needed bird seed and millet, and we spent ten minutes or so talking to Henry, the Umbrella Cockatoo, and Ozzy, the African Grey. Ozzy is only a youngster himself - about three or four now, and has a bit of a rebellious attitude, hence his name - yes, he's named after Ozzy Osbourne! He usually wants a scratch and some head rubs, but can be a bit nippy, though today he was completely docile, and when i scratched his neck i realised why - with lots of new feathers coming through, he was really itchy, and the scratches rub off some of the hard coating from the new feather shaft, making it more comfortable for him.

Henry is the old man of the pet shop, and like Ozzy, very much a family pet, and not for sale. He's competely soppy, and just loves people stopping by his cage and giving him scratches and attention, usually closing his eyes and cooing to you while you do it! I *want* Henry .... :-) He's only there during the summer, as he's getting on a bit now, and actually spends the winter months with a foster family in an apartment overlooking Brighton Marina!

After the pet shop it was back to shop at Waitrose, for a few bits, though I think we're doing a proper shop at Tesco later today. We may go for a walk as well, though it's overcast and horribly humid, so I shall have lunch and then see how I feel.

I have email to catch up on, and my photos from the beginning of the week to upload today or tomorrow, as well as washing and all the usual chores to do, but at least I have the time to do it all this weekend!

As for the Bon Jovi concert, I guess I'll still go if Richie isn't there, but it won't be the same. If I had to guess, I'd say that he won't be out of rehab in time for the concert, as I would imagine he'd do a 30 day programme, but I guess we'll have to see. If him missing a few promo concerts for the new album means he has the time to get himself together and be well again for the next proper tour, then that's really a small price to pay for any genuine fan.