ALABAMA - VICTORY FOR THE DEMOCRATS.

With Alabama being in the News today I thought it was a good opportunity to blip my Alabama licence plate. After a holiday in America in 2000 I fancied getting a licence plate as a souvenir so I bought this one on Ebay.  No particular reason why I chose an Alabama one - I bid on a few and won this one.

Went to Morrisons as usual this morning.  Before coming home we took a detour to Prudhoe as Jan wanted to see someone about the non delivery of a 3 piece suite she had bought a few weeks ago.  She was promised delivery a fortnight ago and before it was due she had arranged for her old suite to be taken away by the local hospice charity shop.  But the new suite never arrived. So now she is just using garden furniture.  She has been phoning different numbers with no joy - just an answering machine.  The shop she bought it from was closing down and she was told at the time that the company was going " online only ". So she had no point of contact.  In desperation  she went this morning to the carpet dept of the same company to see if she could find out whats happening.  Turns out the furniture part of the company has gone into administration.  The man she spoke to said he might be able to arrange for her to collect her suite but as there were no drivers or vans due to the firm being in administration she would have to provide her own transport.  So its all up in the air at the moment.  Hope she get her suite as its a leather one and was very expensive.

We got drenched when we were taking the shopping out of the car as it started raining heavily.  It rained most of the afternoon and it was cold so the rain started turning to ice on the pavements.  I found this out when I walked down to the village to post my parcel. I had to pick my way carefully.

I spent a while this afternoon sorting out my parcel - managed to get quite a lot of gifts into a smaller box than yesterday - whilst keeping the weight under 2kg.  I went online and calculated the cost would be £22.45.  ( a lot less than the £60 for the larger parcel) This proved to be the correct price and the post office lady was impressed that I knew how much my parcel would cost.  She asked " How did you find out the weight of your parcel ".   I answered " I used my bathroom scales ".  She said...... " I never thought of that ".  !!!!!!!

Newcastle United were playing at home this evening - against Everton. The kick off was 7.45pm.  I decided not to go.  Didn't fancy sitting in the cold - or having to come home late after the match.  So I listened on the radio.  Becky was going to watch on TV but it turned out that neither Sky or BT were showing the match so she relied on updates from me via WhatsApp.  Newcastle lost.  Everton scored the only goal.  Newcastle are struggling and are in a bit of trouble.  Heading towards the relegation zone rapidly.  Hope Rafa can turn things round - and quick.

( There are strong rumours that the club will be sold in the very near future - I hope so as the new owner may invest money in badly needed new players.  Fingers crossed we hear good news soon ).

Almost forgot - I'm off to the panto again tomorrow. The run at " The Pantodrome " In Newcastle was supposed to start on Monday - but it didn't.  Shows on Monday and Tuesday were cancelled at  short notice.  They went ahead today - but with an understudy instead of " the star".  The " star " was Denise Walsh and according to a statement by the company putting on the panto she has " parted company " with them.  The understudy will be on stage for all future performances.  I wonder whats gone on.  Mind you Denise Walsh is known to be " gobby " and strong willed so it would be no surprise to find out she has rubbed people up the wrong way. I didn't book my seat especially to see her as when I booked none of the actors had been announced so it makes no difference to me if she isn't in it.   The other " star " is some lad from Emmerdale - and I don't watch Emmerdale so I have no idea who he is anyway.

Steps today - 12,054