Fishy Problems

We went to Shipley Garden Centre for my fishy bits, I got a pump and filter for my small tank + a proper breeding net doo dah that stays in the main tank, I say proper because I'd always used makeshift but very successful contraptions with my goldfish [who have got rather large and so are now living in a pond].
I thought I'd give the breeding net a go first, I put them all in and lobbed the overfed snail back in the main tank.

As a result I spent almost the entire day [I was meant to be working] fishing babies out of the tank and putting them in the net, I was up to about 30 fish but I still couldn't see many in the breeding net, I had suspected earlier that they were going straight through it but thought [hoped] it was too fine a mesh, I was wrong.
As quick as I was putting them in, they were making their escape, stupid bloody fish!
At 11.30 last night I decided to set up the other tank and transferred the babies into that, there were 6 survivors and I've caught 3 more this morning.

Not to mention that if I were a cat I'd probably used up at least two of my remaining nine lives in the last three days.
The tank is incorporated into the bottom of a coffee table and to get to the fish I had to take the glass top off, so this meant I had to balance the lamp on the edge of the table to see what I was doing.



Yes - it was stupid, after five minutes the lamp did a nose dive into the tank and I caught it just as the bulb hit the water and went pop. 'Oh s**t' was my first thought, 'have I killed all the tank inhabitants?' Meanwhile my other half was telling me off about water and electricity not mixing, blah blah blah.

All the fish were OK, the bulb was changed by the aforementioned muttering electrician, it didn't even blow the fuse but now I had to fish out the glass from the bottom of the tank and skim off the powdered stuff from the top. Why do I get into these scrapes?

Later on, I was holding firmly onto the lamp - haven't let go of it since whilst searching for babies, when I dropped my high-tech fishing instrument on the floor, OK, it's a jug. I leaned down to pick it up without thinking and found myself being told off again as the lamp was about a centimetre away from being dipped into the tank with yours truly holding on to it for grim death so that it didn't fall in.

That was when I decided to move them into the other tank, not for their safety, but for the peace of mind of my grumpy old man. I agree though, I should have known better.



Oh yes, during the transfer between tanks I tried to slice my toes off - no shoes or slippers on as usual - on the glass table top as it was leaning against the sofa and I walked straight into the edge of it. This is a problem of mine, although I can and do regularly multi-task with the best of the female species, if I'm on a mission I've got a one-track mind and I'm totally oblivious to everything else, surroundings, safety etc. I did, more than once step back off a stepladder whilst up it painting fish [I like fish] on the spare bedroom walls, fortunately I wasn't too high at the time.

After all this I had a whisky to calm his nerves, he doesn't really drink but I'm more than happy to stand in ...

I'm a fishy Grandma!

My 'golden' White Cloud Mountain minnows have had babies, I've found about 14 so far and have moved them into a large goldfish bowl with one of my apple snails happily munching on his lettuce and cucumber.
This, I'm lead to believe helps feed the young fry as the apple snail excretes the micro-organisms [infusoria] they feed on.
It's only a temporary measure and I'm going to buy better equipment and food for them tomorrow otherwise the water will soon get polluted and my apple snail will escape, I'd hate to walk into the living room and something go crunch.
The adult fish are starting to look a bit frisky again and one of the females looks quite chunky so there maybe more to follow, this will keep me busy and amused for hours, so much so that I'll probably forget to be grumpy...

Unpacking And Yet More Moaning

We were going to the 'manor' today but now I've got some work to do, it's very secret, hush hush work [yeh, right], but they want it back as soon as possible so it's pointless going away yet.

Therefore instead of chasing around after the grumpy old man asking him to get out the clothes he wants packing, I've now unpacked my things. Hopefully by the time we do go I'll be able to leave out some of my more wintery garb. It also saves me lying in wait for an unsuspecting cat who isn't so unsuspecting after all and seems to have disappeared - how does she know?

By staying at home a bit longer I'll be able to get back into serious 'grump' mode, I've been too cheerful the last couple of days and it really doesn't suit me although I haven't had the headache or face-ache caused by practising my frown.

I'm taking my grumpy old man to B & Q tomorrow [10% discount for crumblies] to get some paint to finish off the bathroom that we've been putting off for ages. Well it was no good doing much in the way of improvement if one of the Asda rumours were true, the one that they were demolishing our houses, I liked that rumour, it was my very, very favourite.

Now, whilst I would like an Asda in Langley Mill, the more I read the booklet, the less I think we actually need one. Yes, it reads like they are doing us a great favour, saying that most people in Langley Mill go to either Morrisons at Eastwood or Tesco at Heanor.
Gosh, you may think, they must be miles away, this is not so, they are both very close towns with an exceptional bus service to either.

I imagine the traffic to and from Langley Mill will increase and it's bad enough now with through traffic, we know what a complete bog they made at Heanor with Tesco's island, can Langley Mill cope with this?
Langley Mill is only small, not even a town really, but it's got a Netto, Farmfoods and Lidl already, plenty for the size of the place. The only good I think they'll be doing is employing local people but is this enough?

Something does want doing with that eyesore on the corner of Cromford road, it looks dreadful as a first impression upon entering Amber Valley , if I was arriving at Langley Mill for the first time I'd be inclined to leave as fast as possible.

Oh, and where do they get the idea that Heanor Haulage is on Cromford road? We all know it's on Wesley Street, just off of Station Road - or are there other plans that we don't know about?

The cat has just turned up, huh, that's what I call 'sods law'

Oh yes, I'm back on 'Grumpy' form ...

Mystery of the socks - case solved!

This is not about my odd socks, they're gradually turning up as I dig deeper into the linen basket, no this is another sock puzzle.
Now to me, socks are the peasant equivalent to women who buy handbags or shoes, I love socks - and can afford them - but they seem to have disappeared.

When we first went to the 'Manor' this year I didn't pack many [well there weren't many actual pairs] as I thought I must have left some there when we closed for the winter.
I was wrong, oh dear, this meant that I had to buy some more [tragic].

I've been packing this morning ready to go again and I was still puzzled about my complete lack of socks, I needed some plain white or trainer socks in case we went bird watching and it was warm enough for cropped jeans - it's that time of year when you have to pack for every type of weather. I'd look a complete numpty in cropped jeans with bright orange Garfield socks.

I checked in the Christmas underwear draw [I have a reminder on my phone to get in the festive mood and start wearing my Christmas socks on Nov 14th]
I searched in all the suspect places and believe me when you've got to bring all your stuff back from the caravan for the winter, you shove them anywhere they'll fit.

Of course, that's what I'd done, only I'd forgotten all about it. When I bought them back last winter I got as many in my sock draw as would fit and stashed the rest. Eventually I found them - in the cat's 'rainy day' draw, about 50 pairs in 2 carrier bags.

This year I must make a note to myself informing me what I've done with things, I recently found a lot of sheets in the attic in a plastic underbed container we bought back with us. I know they've been up there at least two years because that's when I lost them and bought more sheets.

There was a time when I remembered every detail and didn't have to write reminders, this is a sure sign that my brain cells are dying at an alarming rate - or my preferred theory, that my head is so full of stuff that it's overflowing...

Been to see Asda's plans again

I've been to have a look at Asda's plans for Langley Mill again with my friends [I'm like that, nosy as well as grumpy]. I posted my views on their proposals in the box whilst I was there rather than emailing them.

It was actually better at the Bridge centre today as you could see everything and talk to someone from Asda quite easily, even [almost] being offered a pencil so I could draw in some trees on one of the plans. When we went on Wednesday it was overcrowded with practically the entire population of two streets turning up at the same time, this was no-ones fault as we all had a right to be there first.

I can't help being a bit suspicious about the houses Asda and HH propose to build behind us. I think they're included on the plans simply to put me off the scent [conspiracy theories, self importance and paranoia - just look at the problems I have with missing socks and it's up to 10 odd ones now!].

I bet when it's all done and dusted HH will still be on the back of us just as Mr HH said they may.

I don't think there's the room [even downsized] for HH's complete operation to go next to the Asda store; offices yes, they'll probably go there + indoor storage, but all the lorry fronts, flat-bed trailers, moving equipment and general crap will have to fit in somewhere. As I see it there's only the back of us and there's nothing we can do about it as they're already there.
Lets hope I'm wrong to be suspicious, I have been known to be wrong before [I can't remember the exact date]

I wonder if anyone else noticed the new Asda addition in the booklet? [also on the website] It's the page with the little map of nearby Asda's. Well number 2 is at Hucknall and to my knowledge Hucknall hasn't got an Asda... Yet.

I did mention it to one of the Asda people there [I'm like that] and I got the impression that they'd rather someone like me - a woman on a mission to annoy people with her BLOG - hadn't noticed.

I think I'll have a change from being grumpy now, I'm getting on my own nerves & it's giving me a headache having to wear a permanent frown...

A bad Week

Well I'm having a titifilarious time I must say, first my dog died [I don't think that has sunk in yet], then we find out that Heanor Haulage are definitely staying, but across the road and not behind us. Today we went to Rufford Park for my fourth hobby which in order of favourites is
1. moaning, 2. computers, 3. card making, 4. photography. 5. star gazing


I took a couple of photo's of fungi, mainly because it's easy to get them to pose - have you ever tried talking a bee into holding still?
Then I saw it, no not the Treecreeper that I'd been after for the last few weeks, but the bloody red [empty] battery icon flashing, I blame the bee that wouldn't hold still for a photograph when we went for a walk by the canal the other day, nothing to do with the fact that I'd forgotten to recharge the camera.

I'll be sending my opinions on 'Asda in Langley Mill' by email but that's only because there's not enough room on the card for me to write everything I think I need to say, it won't be nasty or demanding or unreasonable and I promise not to lie naked in front of the bulldozers when I don't get my own way, unless it's summer of course [and believe me you want to hope it's winter 'cos it's not pretty].

On an entirely different subject - I have here before me 9 odd socks - all mine - how has this happened?

1 Tweety pie
1 bear
1 pig
1 Cheeky chops [don't ask]
3 different Garfields
1 other ginger cat [I've got a matching keyring to this pair]
1 nutty tart ... yes well ...

Asda's plans for Langley Mill

Well FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFlippin Heck, Mr Heanor Haulage was fibbing when he said they 'may move to their back yard'. They're going to annoy us on the front instead, I can't see where Mr HH is going to fit in all his crap, although we were told he was downsizing.

We ahem, can give our opinions to Asda but I can't see that making any difference whatsoever, but we will try!

Not only will will HH be on the front, the same area will be for Asda's deliveries and we weren't told that it wasn't going to be 24 hour opening, in fact it was very much suggested that it would be.

Oh I can feel a major grump coming on...

"Special Preview for local residents" tomorrow

I'm going to the preview evening, I'm interested to see what Asda's plans are - as are many others. I hope the plans they show us include what Heanor Haulage plan to do so then at least I'll know for sure what I need to moan about.

I for one don't think I can cope with Asda on the front and HH on the back, it's bad enough now with the noise, fumes and muck + the horrible view.



I've hardly slept since getting the letter from Asda 'regarding a planning application for a new store in Langley Mill' and noticing the bit that said - 'with Heanor Haulage relocating to new premises on part of their site.'

I'll no doubt be adding more to my 'grumpy blog' straight after the preview... as long as I haven't been arrested for setting fire to the part of the plans that HH intend to move to.

The lorries are racing up and down the yard as I type, I can taste the dust, I suppose it's my own fault for actually having a window open, a bit inconsiderate of me to do that and then moan about HH's dust when it blows through don't you think?...

Sad Day

I've not been in a grumpy mood today, just sad.
My beautiful Yorkshire terrier Pippa died last evening, we had the funeral today.
She's buried under an apple tree, close to her sister Sheri, a golden labrador, there's also a duckling that a [ba***rd] crow killed last year, 3 budgies, 1 canary and several goldfish so she's in good company.
All the time we were digging a blackbird sang, it was lovely.

As with all funerals - yes, even pets - we felt much better afterwards but I still felt that I was in need of retail therapy to cheer me up. So the Grumpy Old Man and I went to JTF with friends and as usual bought a load of crap.

I've got to find somewhere to put all the extra unnecessary junk that I bought.
So NOW I'm starting to feel a bit tetchy!

Still sad though...

A bit more 'Asda in Langley Mill?' grumpiness

I am so looking forward to HH moving it's entire operation to the back of us, [if this is true] especially if the events of a few weeks ago are anything to go by.
There were two cranes, chugging diesel fumes from dawn until dusk [whether anyone was there or not]. They used one crane to build the other as it was in sections, then they played with it a bit [about three weeks] before finally dismantling it and loading it on to several trailers and I waved it bye bye.




I suppose the 'back yard' is ahem, tidier than it was, a lot of the scrap metal has gone so there's probably less danger of lumps of broken metal landing in our properties than there used to be - this did happen when something got caught in the crane chains, in my opinion they [then] operated far too close to the houses. Now we've mostly got trailers along the back wall, much safer. [I'd still prefer trees please]
Apart from the noise and diesel fumes there's the copious amounts of dust that blows over from the 'back yard'. When a lorry leaves the yard it whizzes off so fast that all you see is dust for the next ten minutes, then you get to taste it if it's blowing your way, yuck!
It's even better when they sandblast the trailers ready for a paint job, all that lovely extra dust and the NOISE!!! is horrendous, I was actually speaking to an environmental health officer on the phone during one of these sessions and I couldn't hear what he was saying, I think he heard me though because I was spitting feathers at the time!

At least Asda are showing us their plans, HH sneaked in one Sunday afternoon - inasmuch as lorries can sneak. Not a soul here knew they were coming, no notices, NOTHING - I wonder how that happened?

Right I've got that off my chest, do I feel any less grumpy? Well, yes actually, I do.

Oh, before I forget - I'd love an Asda in Langley Mill, with our own residents entrance and a personalised shopping trolley of course + [most importantly] Heanor Haulage relocated somewhere more suitable.

Oh dear, I'm off in la la land again - it's my age you know ...

Asda In Langley Mill?

So the rumours were true then.

At long last, after all the rumours of the last year, Asda have finally put me out of my misery [I think not - this is a grumpy blog] by announcing their plans for a supermarket in Langley Mill.

All along I've thought 'Yippee, if Asda come then HH will be leaving' - apart from one nasty rumour last July that HH was going to be staying at the back of us and spreading next to the railway - I ignored this rumour because I didn't like it, hmm ...

Now Mr HH has made a statement saying that they may just move round to their 'back yard' which is at the back of our back yard. He wants his cake and to eat it! [yes, I know it's a stupid saying.

We peasants, sorry I mean residents have been invited to view the plans for Asda next Wednesday evening - 1st April, 2 days ahead of the public viewing....

More grumpiness is bound to follow...

Friday - Getting ready for 'THE WEDDING'

My Niece gets married tomorrow, I've spent a bucket load of money on make-up and accessories, I didn't go to this much effort or expense on my own wedding (relatively speaking, I know it was yonks ago). I rarely use foundation, it always used to make me spotty (oh to be that teenager again!). But I've now got one or two tiny blemishes and wrinkles that need a little minimising (ok, they're great big FURROWS).

My sister aka 'mother of the bride' says that she'll do my make-up for me [dunno why, I am perfectly capable of doing it myself] tomorrow morning - if I get there early enough - wedding 2pm. I need to be at said sisters by 11am to allow enough time for the make-up to set - hmm, I think she's trying to insult me but I can't quite put my finger on it...

I'm not altogether sure that letting my sis do my make-up is a good idea anyway, they're starting on the champagne at about 9am, if I get there at 11am she'll be sozzled when she starts on me. By the time I've been done (ages later) I'll have been drinking too and whatever minor miracles she'll 'appear' to have done to my face will no doubt be classed as BRILLIANT by yours truly, while I'll probably in actual fact resemble a decorative compost heap! I think to be on the safe side, I'll do my make-up before we go.

Now have you ever tried using individual lash inserts, the sort that last - ahem 'up to four weeks'? Well vanity dictated that I should have a go - They are a nightmare when you get to a certain age (someone who needs reading glasses).

Instructions - pour a few drops of 'Superfix Lash' adhesive onto a piece of aluminium foil [not included]. By the time I'd stuck the second one on the glue had dried. Now I'm not saying their glue is crap but you'd think it'd stay runny longer than that - say a week, in my case.

I tried doing them with specs on, looking through the lens with one eye while squinting with the other, that didn't work, I still couldn't see until I realised that I was in fact looking over the top of the lens so I could see and reach the squinty eye - so off with the glasses.
Hmm, I managed to get one stuck at the top of my nose, I might have left it and claimed that it was the beginnings of a 'unibrow' but I'm meant to be improving my appearance.

After my complete failure with the 'instructions' of - pouring a few drops of 'Superfix Lash' adhesive onto a piece of aluminium foil [not included] - I just dipped the lashes onto the doo-dah in the glue bottle and stuck them somewhere - well, 'close to but not touching the eyelid', as per the instructions - I think.

Anyway I persevered and now an hour later I've got lashes 'To Die For', shame they're stuck at odd angles, from one direction I look very surprised and from another I look half asleep.

OH SLEEP! I've got to go to sleep tonight somehow! WITH these lash inserts precariously balanced on my own stumpy lashes. What's betting I'll have to take them off in the morning because they'll be all screwed up and my own lashes are bound to fall out as I yank them off in a panic instead of remembering to use the remover [included].

Tomorrow, oh heck! I've got some false nails to put on ...

Still On My High Horse - and no signs of getting off it yet.

I am still miffed about the underhanded way that acefieldwork choose to conduct their surveys.
There are no two ways about it; I was lied to.

I DO SURVEYS, I'm on several online survey panels, I very often don't meet the required 'criteria' therefore am not suitable for a particular survey - mostly because I'm not responsible for any of the smaller, demanding, noisy people that seem to rule the world.

The surveys I do complete are done honestly. Advertisers do need to know if their adverts are reaching us and if we actually notice what they're advertising.

I am probably not the best survey panellist, I don't read newspapers, I get all my news online. I don't see adverts on the Internet at all unless I wish to, as I use 'Ad Muncher'. A wonderful program I tried and paid for that was worth every penny.

The only adverts I do see are on TV and there they make one HUGE error, I never, ever hear them and I'm sure I'm not the only one. The advertising is so loud compared to the programs that I'm ready with the remote in my hand as soon as I judge the adverts are starting and press the mute button.

Doing online surveys can be quite informative, in fact it's probably the only way that advertisers influence me in any way. I've even learnt which are the healthier crisps to buy, not particularly by believing everything advertisers say but by rummaging amongst the crisps on the shelves and having a look after completing a survey (the advertisers weren't fibbing but I'm a sceptic).
I'd never even heard of 'Sustainable Harvest', now because of online surveys about tea and coffee I have and so looked into it further.

These are just two examples of Market Research that in my opinion have got it right, there are lots of other examples I could mention but don't really have time at the moment.

I get paid for online surveys - not for myself, everything I earn goes to charity. Some of the Market Research Companies do it that way anyway and let you choose which charity you want to help. Others are set up so you can claim the money or goods if you want. But it's the charity option for me - I'm no Saint, it's just easier and I'm known for being idle ...

Had my phone Market Research 'Interview'

Huh, am even more grumpy now, the lady on the phone was very nice, that really pi**ed me off, I wanted an argument!

When I said I was prepared to answer any questions on the program which was crap; but none on any advertising, she just said 'well you're refusing to do the interview which is up to you'.

I said that 'I wasn't refusing but I would only answer questions on the program on the DVD and I wanted to know why we were being treated like idiots when we're not (well not all of us) and that I'd been lied to'.

She was still NICE to me!! She must have had practice, I couldn't be nice to someone who spoke to me like I spoke to her, she went on to ask if I wanted to speak to a supervisor.
I didn't as I was busy, up to my eyebrows in glue, sticking my nieces wedding card together (will moan about that later - but it is a masterpiece)

So I just said 'no, I want no more to do with it and if they wanted me to answer questions on adverts then they should have said so, instead if sandwiching them between a 'pilot' episode of crap and saying that they wanted my opinion on that!'

She went on to say (nicely - bitch!) that that was the way they had to do it and she'd just put me down as a refusal.

Oh my God, I'm high on glue! and my exclamation mark key has nearly worn out!!

The Rocky Laporte Show - with ADVERTS

I'm a sucker for people coming up to me in the street with a few questions,
first off -'have you got a working DVD player?' - 'good, it'll only take 5 minutes now and 30 mins later and I'm not trying to sell you anything and for your time you'll receive a £5 Boots voucher'.
That was ok, my feet were aching, I sat on a bench while the 'I'm not trying to sell you anything' lady filled in my details. Then I had to look at a booklet and say which coffee, shampoo, perfume, kitchen towel, foundation make-up, conditioner, boxes of chocolate, fabric softener, savoury snacks, air freshener, mascara and marmalade I would like to receive if I won one of their lottery baskets (worth up to £100 in total)

Of course to enter this 'Lottery' I was given a DVD to watch (on my working DVD player), I couldn't watch it on my laptop or computer it had to be DVD player and I wasn't to fast forward or rewind, apparently it was a new pilot show that they wanted MY OPINION on (obviously my opinion is important, but I already know that). It was described as 'a bit like Friends'.

Anyway I dutifully watched the DVD with an open mind but alas not at the time I said I would because I hadn't yet returned from my marathon trip into Nottingham (will moan about that later)

It was utter crap, Rocky Laporte is possibly? a good comedian but he's no actor. There was canned laughter every 3 seconds but I never laughed once.

THERE WERE ADVERTS IN THE MIDDLE!!

I started to smell a rat but persevered with the DVD as I was in a bit of an 'all or nothing' mood.
I even found myself taking note of the adverts, something I would never normally do in a million years.
I then had to fill in a 'programme evaluation' sheet - I didn't mince my words!
Then and only then, I had to open a sealed plastic envelope - S**T! it was the same booklet I'd had before - coffee etc.

I'm now waiting for my telephone interview, between 2-4pm, do you think I'll be a nice little sheep and do it properly?
WHAT? for a probable non-existent £5 Boots voucher and the chance of winning their equally non-existent lottery?
Anyway To receive my voucher I had to follow all the instructions and I failed at the 1st stage which was 'enjoy the program'





'Market Research' - they expect us to be honest with our answers why can't they be equally as honest with their questions instead of treating us like morons?

Rant over ...