DID IT WORK?

 Well, when we went to bed last night, we'd had the pool pump on for hours and hours, with a massive dump of Chlorine added.

That chlorine was supposed to 'bind' to the minuscule crap floating around in the pool, then sink it to the bottom.

IF that has happened, when we go out there today, we need to do a very slow vacuum of the pool TO WASTE, which means that water on the bottom of the pool is sucked out of the pool and it goes down the drains.  NOT recycled back into the pool.

If all goes as expected, we then re-fill the pool as it will be down about a third, and all will be honky dory again.

I will take a sample of the water to the pool shop and they will tell us what we need to add, to get all the ph and alkaline levels bang on.

Luckily, we already have heaps of the necessary chemicals here, so there won't be any more expense involved.

So, if we have done everything correctly, our pool should be up and running perfectly by this afternoon! 

Gosh I  hope it is, it's been a process for sure.  Though, no where near as bad as last summer!

And ... I just looked at the weather forecast for the next two weeks.  And there's bugger all sunshine headed our way!  Seriously, it looks like we are in for rain and thunderstorms, and just a day or two of sunshine!!!

BUT, as we know from past experience, the weather forecast is just that, a 'forecast'.  Not set in concrete.  Mother nature has her own ideas.  So, we will live in hope we get plenty of sunshine, so we can enjoy our pool to the fullest.

While I lounged in bed this morning, Stew got up and went and looked at the pool.

AND....

IT  IS  CRYSTAL  CLEAR!!!

We haven't even done the final vacuum yet.  Even though it looks amazing, Stew is still going to vacuum it as per instructions.

I can't believe all it needed was a filter media change, and a MASSIVE chlorine shock.

I had done chlorine shocks over the past few weeks, but NOTHING like the amount we put in it yesterday.  That was an insane amount to put in it, but IT WORKED.

Now we know how to keep it clear.  I'm damn relieved, cos it was doing my bloody head in I tell ya.

DAY 5 OF 14

And I have to admit, I've not stuck to this challenge at all!

Christmas was too much of a temptation.

All the different foods in the house were irresistible.

I am going to get rid of it all today, send what's left of the 'evil shit' home with the kids.

I've already sent heaps home with Lacy, Brylee and Bex, but there's more they can have.

I bought FAR TOO MUCH food in the first place.

I can stick to my challenge easier if I don't have that shit in my house.

My next weigh in at Weight Watchers is when they reopen on the 9th of January.

I would like to think I'm going to have a 'stay the same' or a little loss, NOT a huge gain.

So, time to get back on track, and be good.

ABOVE:  THIS ... brings me joy.

We had an amazingly big garden in our Cambridge home, and it was beautiful.

But this gorgeous, pocket sized little garden?

PURE JOY.

We have shaped it, and tended it, and thrown shit in it... and it's perfect.

Every time I look out the windows, I just feel so happy.

I hope you have a happy place too, and are enjoying your holiday break with family and friends.

7.12 pm:  Sorry I've been absent for most of the day.  I got busy, then I got tired, then I had a nap.

Then family arrived for a swim.

ABOVE:  Putting the 4 chemicals in the pool only took me about half an hour.  Then I tested the water and everything was bang on.

That made me very happy.

Look at this:

ABOVE:  The difference is HUGE.  It couldn't be any clearer.  The boys jumped in and were immediately screaming about how they could see EVERYTHING!   

It looks so inviting now.

Once the family left for home, Stew took himself off to the pub for his regular boys night get together.  I wonder how many of them are still in town, or have gone away for the holidays?

While he's been out, I've tidied up the sewing room in readiness for doing some work in the next day or two.

Bearing in mind we are going up to Auckland for a few days next week, I might even leave it until we come home.

I am going to sign off for the day now, as all I plan on doing from now till bedtime is watch the tv, and maybe start my Christmas jig saw.

Catch ya tomorrow.

POOL

 Today is going to be all about sorting out our freakin' pool.

I'm dragging Stew down to the pool shop, so we can get new sand for the filter, and have our water analysed to see what's up with it.

I am really hoping we can get it crystal clear really soon.

It just puts me off getting in it when it's cloudy.

At least this year it's NOT shonky chlorine.

I'm using liquid chlorine, so not doctored, padded out with calcium, granulated chlorine this time.

All going well... we will be back in the pool by tomorrow.

Until then, I am seriously tempted to get into the sewing room and do a little bit of work.

There is NOTHING to do in the house, so no harm doing some sewing right?

ABOVE: This is the ham Steve and Bex provided for Christmas Day Lunch.  It was/is the nicest, tastiest ham I've eaten in a very long time.

I am going to make sure we get the same one from now on.

ABOVE:  At the pool shop, and got what we needed to change the sand in our filter.  We've chosen to change to 'glass' instead of sand.  Seems it's better?

And now the guys have to do that, then we 'shock' the pool and run it for 24 hours.

Then on to the next step, vacum it very slowly to WASTE, and then top it up, and take a water sample back to the shop to find out what we need to do to get the water 'right'.

Quite a process, but it will be worth it.

I hope.

Lunch today will be enjoyed with family here again.  So I've got out sausage rolls and cocktail sausages, and heaps of sweets!

I just went to the supermarket for some T-Bone steaks.

And the checkout operator I got was SO SLOW I wanted to kill her on the spot.  By the time she had served the person in front of me, the operator in the next checkout beside me had served 3 people while I just stood there waiting... waiting.... and the queue behind ME was three deep with very angry people like me.

I could not believe how she just took her time, fussing over what bag to put what in, scanning everything in SLOW MOTION!  I kid you not, she was like, I've NEVER seen anyone move so slow!

When I finally got to put my 5 items on the counter, she asked me if I wanted a bag?

And I was like, HELL NO!  You might take 5 minutes to decide if you need one or two bags!  Should the beef go in the same bag as the pork?  FUCK NO.

Well, that's what I wanted to say.  Instead I just smiled and said NO thanks.

Piss off of the day, for sure.

Luckily I can laugh now.  Just for once I wish I'd gone through the self-checkout!

Kids are due here soon, so I better get off here and sort out the food.

ABOVE:  And there ya go, men at work. 😂😅 They got all the old 'sand' out, and put in the new  glassstuff.  Which looked exactly like the old 'sand', so it probably wasn't sand in there at all. Derrr.  Either way, it's all clean shit in the filter now.

Lunch is done and dusted.  Kids have all gone home again.  We are just gunna chill out until the pool has filled up again, we lost about a third of the water. Then the kids will be back for a swim before dinner.

I cannot believe it!  Our pool is already SO MUCH CLEARER!  It's bloody amazing.  Just changing out the pool pump filtering system has literally done the job.

We all had a swim this afternoon.  Everyone noticed how much clearer and cleaner it was and felt.

I've now put a mega load of chlorine in it, and the pump is on for the next 12-24 hours.  

I am picking that by this time tomorrow, it will be looking even better.

I'm so happy.

I know it's early, but I am signing off for the day.

We are only going to be watching the telly till bedtime now.  

Catch ya tomorrow.

BOXING DAY

 First thing this morning, Stew and I are walking to Chartwell Square. 

As long as it's not pouring with rain that is.

I want to pick up one item from Farmers.

We have decided to walk to A. Get some exercise and B. Avoid traffic and parking woes.

 edit:  We took the car, it is just too hot and humid to walk any distance!

It is bound to be hectic with Boxing Day sales.

I don't usually ever go to the shops on Boxing day, but I'm making an exception today.

When we get back home, I will be packing up all the Christmas decorations and trees.

It's done.  Time to get the house back to 'normal'.

Lacy gave me a gift yesterday that proved to be very popular with everyone.

ABOVE:  It's a sand 'picture'.  It's so much fun watching the sand flow, forming a new 'landscape' every time you flip it over.

It was on the go all day.  I really love it, thanks so much Lacy.

And.. my lounge smells amazing!

Steve and Bex gave me a gift basket full of bath bombs and bubble bath bombs.  I can't wait to use them once our bath arrives in February.

That's all I have for now... catch ya later.

Whoop whoop!  I just got 30 metres of fabric for 40% off.

Gotta love a good sale.

We are now at Chartwell Square,  where the bulk of the shops are not even open yet. So we are having a drink and sausage roll for our Boxing Day breakfast. Nice.

Farmers opened bang on 10 am, and we got in there, grabbed what I wanted and were out of there again in 5 minutes flat!

We ran into Lacy and Keera too, it was lovely to see them.

ABOVE:  Chartwell Square this morning.

Home now, and all the Christmas decorations and trees are away for another year.

My house is back to normal and I love it.

So much less CLUTTER.

We have no other plans for today, except doing bugger all!

ABOVE:  Our trusty watchdog.... keeping an eye out for visitors.  

4.23 pm:  Just been in the pool with everyone.  So nice, but murky water.  The guys are going to find new filter sand tomorrow, and replace our sand.  I'm also going to take in a sample of our water, to find out what it needs to get crystal clear again.

Right now it's a bit like pea soup.... maybe not quite that bad, but it's certainly not clear.

Visitors just left and it's back to just Stew and I again.  We are really enjoying doing nothing!  

I'm not even tempted to get in the sewing room.

9.30 pm: Watching a Christmas Special of Call The Midwives... I love this programme.  😊

Stew is hiding out in the lounge! lol

Time to sign off for the day, catch ya tomorrow.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE.

 MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone who reads my blog, no matter for how long or short a time, I appreciate each and every one of you.

I hope you all have a really lovely day.

LET THE FEAST BEGIN....

AND GOOD TIMES 

WITH FRIENDS AND

FAMILY

Why don't Chickens wear underwear?

Because their peckers on their face.

We are having a fantastic day.

SO MUCH FOOD!

I've done my dash now.  

Time to reign it in.

Lovely, lovely day.  And now I'm signing off.

I hope everyone is having/has had an awesome day too.

Catch you tomorrow.

CHRISTMAS EVE ... DAY

 Ok, the day before Christmas.

Not a lot going on right now.

We are expecting Steve, Bex, the boys and a few others for lunch.

A lower key lunch compared to  what's on tomorrow.

I'm just making sausage rolls, cocktail sausages and a small sweet platter.

Should be good though.

Until lunch, I'm going to just potter around the house, making sure everything is honky dory.

ABOVE:  I don't put lights outside the house, but I hope my entrance looks welcoming.

ABOVE:  I moved the bigger Christmas Tree into the family room... cos it wasn't getting any love in the sunroom.

Lunch is half ready.  I just have to do the hot foods in the last half an hour.

Stew and I are sitting here, twiddling our thumbs!

That's what happens when you are too organised!

I hope everyone else is ready and looking forward to a lovely, happy and safe few days with friends and family. 

And we just had a really lovely lunch... I ate some rubbish. But I did not overdo it. 

Proud about that.

Stew and I will be walking it off this evening.

ABOVE:  Seems I'm a 'Gangster Granny'!  lol

Last night I put two of my 'bigger' dresses for sale on Marketplace and another Facebook site.

I sold the first one right away, monies paid into my account no problem at all. (direct debit)

The second one?

A person said she wanted it, and would transfer the money via WESTERN UNION.

Then she told me I had to click on the link to get the money.  I checked it out.

It asked me to provide all my bank details, including my access number AND password.

I was like:  'LIKE FUCK' am I giving anyone THOSE details!

So I cancelled the transaction/sale.

I wonder how many people have been scammed that way, not realising the risks they take?  

NEVER   EVER    EVER    EVER give anyone your bank access number and/or password!

LOSE THE 'SALE'.... not all ya money.

DAY 14 OF 15.... and I failed today, and had some carbs and sugary food.

And I am human.

I acknowledge my slip up (0ne day EARLY).

And I am going for a walk this evening in the rain... and dragging Stew along with me too.

The one thing that resounded with me after eating lunch today?  NONE of it was that tasty, or amazing, or satisfying.

NONE OF IT.  

So that is going to make it easier to restrict what I have tomorrow.  For sure. 

I will still partake of the 'Christmas Food', but like today, I will not have much.

ABOVE:  We decided to go for an early evening walk.... to a suburb a couple over from ours.

Harrowfield usually has lots of homes decorated in Christmas lights.  This year we felt there were less than last year.

But there were still a few worth seeing.

Because we were there early, before it got dark, some of the homes lights were not on.

ABOVE:  The Grinch house.

ABOVE:  Me being a Grinch too.

I do it well.

ABOVE:  Lovely Kiwis, sad they were not lit up.

Brylee and Dom have just done the drive through Harrowfield, they just missed us. lol

They are on their way over here to visit us now.  Awwww nice.

11.18 pm...

ABOVE:  And these two stayed for a really lovely long visit.  Lots of catching up as we hadn't seen them for a while.

Now... it's pretty much bedtime.

Don't want to still be up when Santa comes!

Catch ya tomorrow.