Hellooooo,
How are you?
Life here is good, wet and cold - yes. But definitely good. Sometimes it’s hard to see how good life is while you’re living it. But I find there is joy in the mundane, as long as we are all safe and well.
I was watching Bowel Babe’s (Deborah James) Instagram story last week of how unwell she’s been lately. If we’re not going through hell, then life is most definitely good. It’s all too easy to forget that.
Wishing Deborah a very speedy recovery. May she be up and dancing very soon. xx
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So what have I been up to? Well, not much, but enough. :)
I had a few shifts at the vaccine centre. The weather is getting a tad shite, but I’m still very much enjoying it. I get to meet, for the most part, lovely people. Had a few 93 and 94 year olds come in. By themselves, by bus, still compos mentis, and it makes my heart so happy. They are living the dream. Well, they’re living my dream. :)
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I planned ahead. I knew I wanted to wear trousers in the latter part of the week. So it just made sense to wear dresses whenever possible for free flow of output before then.
Dresses are my preference. They feel comfortable. Poo can flow, rather than backing up. If I can avoid complications I will. If I remember to that is. I can’t say I’m massively good at remembering things. :)
This dress is a great day dress. An everyday dress in fact. One of those wash and wears ones. No fuss, no bother and only £18.
Dress from Sainsbury’s, Boots from Penelope Chilvers
Then on Wednesday I had invited my mum and dad, and Kaitlyn and Ben, for my dads 81st birthday dinner!
He didn’t get to celebrate it with anyone (apart from my mum that is) last year. In fairness that probably suited him. But as we can mingle now it seemed like as good a time as any.
Besides. We don’t celebrate a 20th birthdays do we, we celebrate the 21st!
Sam, Milly and Zak face timed in too. So it felt like the gang was all here.
Obviously I scaped a birthday, seasonal scape for him. Now I can’t say he was particularly enthralled with it. But he definitely was touched by the effort we all went to.
As it’s his special 81st, it seemed only right to spoil him. Red wine and chocolates galore and tickets to see West Ham play football (which Ben will take him to for me. I think it’s safe to say I feel the same way about watching football as my dad feels about table scaping hahahahaha).
Dress from Sainsbury’s, Boots from Ralph Lauren
We had such a lovely evening. Which more than made up for having to sit last year’s birthday out.
Then on Thursday Chris and I did something we haven’t done in two years! We took clients out for a meal at The Savoy and then to the theatre to see “Pretty Woman - The Musical”.
I think it’s safe to say I hated every minute of the show. To the point it made my skin crawl with the cringe factor.
I have politely requested to Chris that I don’t go again, unless I put in a special request.
But more on that later. First things first. Chris books The Savoy meal and show through a corporate events company.
Up until now we’ve never had an issue. But Thursday was quite the **** up.
So us, Chris’s colleague, and his wife, arrive to greet our eight guests. We had a lovely time mingling and getting to know them. Chris popped to the restaurant in the Savoy that we were booked into just to make sure everything was ok.
He was gone ages, which did seem odd at the time.
Anyway, he came back to let us know some error had occurred, and that either the events company or The Savoy Grill had double booked us, actually not just us, there were two other tables double booked too. So thirty people had no where to have dinner.
This is a bit embarrassing when you’ve invited eight clients, who have taken time out of their lives to come for a meal out.
Plus I was super hungry, and that’s never ideal hahahahaha.
Chris asked the hotel concierge to help us out. Which he did.
I dressed in high heels, because I was just going from the car to the door of the hotel, and then about 10 steps to the Savoy Theatre.
What we had to do was a yomp further into theatre district to a restaurant called Christopher’s, which luckily for us had room for 12!
Christopher’s is really nice if you’re ever in the area. It’s not quite up to The Grill standards, but at this point fed was best, rather than where you get fed.
I didn’t take a coat, and wore stilettos, and an awful lot of bling, actions I greatly regretted as I shone like a Christmas bauble, I was a mugger’s dream. But then I really wasn’t expecting to trek round London on a busy Thursday night. ;)
Rather than the 3 course meal at the Grill that the clients were promised, we managed to fit in a main course, and then a speedy hike back to the Savoy Theatre.
So that was all a bit embarrassing. But not the end of the world obviously.
Then the show! What can I say…if you love shows, you’ll love it. If like me (unlikely) you’ll find it an excruciating experience, an utter cringe fest.
For me, most shows are like scratching your nails down a chalkboard. I don’t know why I was made this way, I just was.
This show, well it was full on nail scratching.
In fairness, it must be hard to make a musical from a non musical film (so why bother?).
In its defence, the lead male character was incredibly well cast, I think he was even better than Richard Gere to be honest. I don’t know him, but apparently he was in Hollyoaks and Strictly. He was really good. Great acting, singing, dancing, that boy paid attention at stage school for sure!
I thought the female opera singer was also amazing! She was quite heavily pregnant too, which I’ve never seen in a stage show before. Bless her, she must be exhausted, physically - rather than emotionally drained as I was hahahahaha.
And I liked the brightly coloured, glittery confetti the cast throw in the final scene. :)
Everything else was dross (this is only my opinion, the rest of the theatre was thrilled and enthralled by it all).
You just can’t have someone trying to be Julia Roberts. It’s nonsensical. The role of Vivienne should have been cast as that ~ Vivienne. But they kept getting her to do ‘the Julia Roberts’ laugh’…a recipe for disaster, unless of course, you are in fact Julia Roberts.
It was a hard no from me.
On nights where we take clients to The Savoy Grill and then a show, I get pleasure from the meal, and go to the show, to, well show willing to my lovely husband.
But after some considerable thought. I won’t be going again. Unless it’s something I wish to see.
Like when we went to see Mouse Trap, 9 to 5 and Blythe Spirit. All my requests, and I loved every second of them.
I appreciate you are possibly realising for the first time that I am a total weirdo!
‘Who in their right mind doesn’t love a show!?!” you shout…
…Me!! It’s me!!
”I’m Suzanne, I’m disgusting, I am dead inside and I find all theatre painful to watch, like my soul is ebbing out of me” hahahahaha.
Anyway, the main thing is the clients loved the show (because they are normal people). They didn’t seem miffed at all about the traipsing round town and lack of dinner at the Savoy.
We will replay the evening at some stage and make it up to them with a meal at the Savoy Grill. (Just hope we don’t have to re do the theatre bit). ;)
(To add insult to injury I have now gone down with a cold. My first cold in two years! Which I’m pretty sure I picked up at the very tightly packed, hot theatre, with old Coughy Mccoughy sitting behind me. I knew as soon as I heard her hacking cough that she’d be passing it around like popcorn!
I took a mask to wear but as not a single other person had one on it seemed pointless.
I try and stay away from other people as much as possible. I feel no need to come in contact or touch people to say hello or goodbye, I don’t yearn human touch from anyone other than my loved ones. Let’s get back to air kisses and maybe waving from a distance too. ;)
Getting a cold is just yet another reason why I’m not going again. I have been to countless restaurants and shops in the last 2 years, I have been on trains and planes and airports and not caught anything.
I go to the theatre once and get a right stinker of a cold. I’m done, I’m out, goodbye. ;)
Top from Kate Spade, Trousers from Ralph Lauren, Shoes from Jimmy Choo and Bag from Diane Von Furstenberg (DVF).
I bought this bag about 3 years ago. It was a great price so I thought I might as well. Last week was the first time I’ve ever used it. I’m so happy it finally got to live out it’s destiny. :)
In the Savoy, before we found out we had no booking.
We had a fun night even though it didn’t quite go to plan. it was salvaged. Plus there’s dinner at the Savoy to look forward to at some stage in the future.
Oh and my knee is no better, it’s incredibly painful. And really there’s no point in going to see a doctor about it as they’ll just say “yes, I see, well the thing is Mrs. Doré - you’re just old!” Hahahahaha.
I didn’t realise the amount of stairs there are at The Savoy Theatre until I had to walk them last Thursday night. We were three flights down, it must have been used as a bomb shelter during the war it’s so deep underground. Another very good reason to bail out of going to shows.
“Suzanne, do you want to come see a show next week?”
”Awwww, thanks for the invite but my knees just won’t take it”
Sounds slightly better than “No! I’d rather gouge my eyes out thanks” ;)
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Jumper from Hollister, Gilet from Belstaff, Leggings from Dorothy Perkins, Boots from Gucci
Saturday came and I had to collect some watches I’d put in for repair and resizing the straps (the perils of lockdown took their toll on my waistline and wrist width hahahahaha).
I wanted to get a few more bits ready for Christmas in Fortnums too.
Plus, I decided to spend my winnings from Ascot a few weeks ago, on a pair of walking/hiking boots. I know, I was quite surprised by this too.
I thought I’d give walking a go, my knees only give me grief when I’m going up or downstairs. So I thought it would be a good idea to keep using them while I can, pain free.
We met a lovely couple while we were at Chelsea Flower Show a few weeks ago, they invited us to stay with them in the Peak District. And I really quite fancied it. A cottage, in the middle of no where. What a dream.
The only thing is I only own nice shoes. And I hardly think scrambling over fields in Louis Vuitton white trainers is the way forward.
So we popped to Selfridges. I’d seen some in there last week that took my fancy, and as I know nothing of walking or hiking it seemed like as good a place as any to start.
I was sold the moment I put them on! I’d not heard of the make before, and weirdly, the lady we’re going to visit in Derbyshire bought a new pair of walking boots too, at the same time, but miles from where I was stood in London. She bought a pair of Woden boots as well! And she’d never heard of the make before either. How peculiar. It’s destiny you see. :)
Anyway, they are super comfy. Light and bouncy. Now all I have to do is go for a walk in them. I was going to go yesterday but it was raining and I didn’t want my new boots to get dirty (I think I might not be the walking boots type! Hahahahaha).
I love spending time with him. Especially in matching gilets. He only noticed this after we left the house. I think it’s totally adorable. He’s not too sure about that. Hahahahaha
We’re Howard and Hilda from Ever Decreasing Circles. Hahahahaha
We then went to Louis Vuitton to get a refill of the perfume I wear. It’s a huge saving to get the bottle refilled rather than to buy a new bottle. I know, I’m so eco friendly, just call me Greta!
The wait to get into LV is a pain. Then once you’re in you still wait even more to be served.
So Chris and I nabbed the armchairs and I had a little doze, I have slept in worse places I can assure you. :)
I managed to get a refill which was very handy. Plus I’m very grateful to Chris for remembering I was out of my fave perfume in the first place.
If you get a chance, have a sniff of Mille Feux by LV. I may not have good taste and enjoy shows like normal people. But I’m very good at finding great smells. :)
We had intended on going up and getting free toppings on an ice cream in F&M, but Chris managed to get us a table in Chutney Mary. So curry always trumps ice cream.
We packed a lot in one day. And the reason I’m so calm about going up town is that we drive. Firstly it reduces the risk of going near germy people by not using public transport. And secondly I have all my spare stoma supplies in the car. I am more than comfortable changing my bag in the car. In fact I’d say I was more comfortable to change it there than in a public toilet.
It’s my car, I can stink it out if I want to. I very rarely change my bag in public toilets.
I had to on holiday in Rhodes a few weeks back as I wanted to change my bag after we had checked out of the room. I didn’t want to, but I had to.
It’s really not the end of the world to change it in a public loo, but my sensibilities prefer my own space. I’d say most stoma users have to, especially if they have a ileostomy. It is what it is.
The meal at Chutney Mary was amazing as ever. It’s such a great place to go. They treat us like old friends. It’s ‘our local’, just 50 miles from our home.
Clearly it’s a popular place for all. Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, came in with his wife for dinner with friends. I was going to ask for a pay rise for my friend Tanya and all the other hard working nurses, but if he’s seen what they have done for us, especially over the last 2 years, and hasn’t bothered to give them much of a raise I hardly think Sue from Braintree mentioning it would do much good.
Obviously it’s the Indian restaurant of choice for the Tory party, as I saw Jeffery Archer in there last December, but don’t let that put you off. Hahahahaha.
Mila Kunis and Halle Berry enjoy it there too, if that’s any help. :)
(Although, I happen to love Jeffery Archer. I’m reading one of his books at the moment. Having read everything he’s ever written).
Jumper from Gant, Tracksuit bottoms from Ralph Lauren. Boots from Woden.
Hello walking boots!!
I said to Chris “quick love, take my photo!” Why quick? Well it was raining and I didn’t want to get my boots wet or dirty!!
I can see the Peak District is going to be a hoot!! So much fun with me crying about every spot of mud and water on my shoes designed for mud and water. Hahahahaha
Sunday I felt a bit lethargic, we’d had a busy few days so we decided to buy ice cream and popcorn and sit and watch films. Number 1 on the list was Pretty Woman, for the sole purpose of erasing the musical from our memories!!
We also watched Hidden Figures. My mum kept recommending it to me but we very rarely watch films. But it is a masterpiece. If you haven’t seen it yet, I really would recommend it, it’s fascinating, infuriating and uplifting.
I’m full of cold, so I can’t really be bothered to do much this week. But I thought I’d better clear away Halloween. Some of the pumpkins outside were deflating as they rotted away.
I cut open the ones I hadn’t already cut and left them in the garden for the local wildlife. Apparently deer love pumpkins.
I have infrared CCTV, so I might check that if I get any takers of the pumpkins in the week.
Keep well, stay safe. Xx