Not the best

Seriously cute!

My internet's been off since I last posted. It's been most frustrating, but at least I've had Odi to keep me occupied.

It's been hugely frustrating as I've been receiving emails but couldn't send anything, couldn't log onto internet sites and it made me aware just how I've come to rely on internet access 24/7. I couldn't even pay my credit card and had to do what I needed to do on my iPhone when I was at the supermarket.

It's all very well being home alone for 10 days with a new puppy, and actually I've welcomed that it's allowed us to bond and develop a pattern to our lives, but the responsibility of being a Guide Dog walker is an added dimension I'd not thought about before getting Odi and this, combined with no internet, has led to me feeling a bit isolated.

Meanwhile, I've done precisely no work at all and when I look back and think about what I have done this week, I have to say that my answer would be 'very little'.

I've been to the supermarket 3 times. The first was ok, the second I tripped and fell on my way out so have a wonderful, painful bruise on my right thigh/hip, and the third Odi managed to poo on her way out, which was pretty embarrassing even though I was armed with bags and cleaner. We've been and had a couple of puppy play dates with the enormous Teddy, who resides in Tweedbank. At 7 months old he's bigger than most adult dogs, but he doesn't know it and thinks he's tiny, so when he jumps on Odi from a height and lands with his full weight on her, it's a little scary. Also doesn't help when his owner says, 'Oh all that stuff's on the internet' which has served to add to my frustration. We've had my friend Shirley come for a visit, been to Edinburgh to meet No. 1 and No. 2 Sons, and Odi and I have done walking and a bit of training and that's about it. 

The good news is that Odi now knows her name well and responds most of the time. She sits on command and I think that's about as far as we've got. Oh yes, and the good, quiet little puppy has changed into a complete demon now she's better!

And finally, I was supposed to receive my State Pension last week, but have had nothing from the Pensions people and because I couldn't log on to the internet I couldn't do it all online. When I phoned apparently I didn't give the right answers to name, rank and serial number so they couldn't process it over the phone... wtf?! - don't ask me, I thought I new my name etc, but apparently not! When I mentioned that I should perhaps have had a letter from them telling me what to do, the reply I got was, 'We get it right 99% of the time and you are just one of those people who falls in the 1%'. Very reassuring... not! I'm hoping to get a letter soon but I'm not holding my breath.

All in all not the best of weeks.

Odi at her best!