All of a sudden we're busy!!!

For those of you who read our Blips regularly, you will know that Ann has just got herself a little part-time job at Wilkies (which is a very lovely shop 5 mins round the corner from us). At the moment she's doing three x 4hr shifts a week, however she's on a 'zero hour contract' because she wants to be able to pop down to our 'other home' in Cornwall whenever she wants. The shop is only open 9.30 – 5pm (& 12 – 4pm on Sundays until Christmas) and at the interview she was asked how flexible she was. Obviously one wants to make a good impression at an interview so she said she was very flexible............ She was telling the truth. A shift is only 4 hrs long and as all she's done for the last 18 months is walk me for miles & miles & miles and watch hours & hours of c*** TV and drink bottles & bottles of wine actually she didn't mention the wine!!, she said she was quite happy to work a 4 hr shift any day/time of the week.

She's only done 6 shifts but everywhere seems to be struggling to find staff. Last week she was texted at lunchtime to ask if she could come in for the afternoon. Unfortunately she couldn't because once she knows her shifts, she arranges the rest of our life around them and so had signed up to do a 'Meet & Greet'. Then she worried that she wasn't being flexible enough?!!

Ann's not due back in work until Thursday but today she got a text asking if there were anything that she could do tomorrow. If they'd asked what she could do yesterday or today, she could have done anything, but tomorrow afternoon she's signed up to do a 'Meet & Greet' and then she has to take me to the vets for my half yearly check-up and then our friend Susi is coming round for tea. She's said she can work 9.30-12.30pm which they seem happy with, but that means that I'm going to have to go out for my 'first thing in the morning walk' in the dark, a quick whiz round the block at lunchtime, and then another walk in the dark after the vets. Doesn't look like I'll be getting much 'run about time' then??

All of a sudden, Ann seems 'busy'. Our very lovely friend, Diane is coming to stay with us for a few days on Friday, she has girlie lunches planned for the 12th & 14th December, so all of a sudden she's not as free & bored as she thought she was. Lol!

Just as well Ann is organised. She did a big Tesco shop this morning for the next week. And then when she came back from her shopping expedition she started putting up our Christmas decs. Normally she doesn't start putting up our decs until 1st Dec but because she knew she was going to be out tomorrow afternoon she thought she'd make a start now because the original plan was to take me on a big long walk tomorrow morning. Obv that's not going to happen now?!!

Anyway this afternoon I went through the 'Hermitage' for my walk. Ann is so loving the fact................... that now that we've reached the summit of Mount Everest, she can actually enjoy our walks again without having to trek up hills. Today we walked along by burn and I kept popping in for a splish, splosh, splash. But can you see me? I'm the same colour as all the autumn leaves. Ann has to keep a close eye on me because often she can't see me when I'm playing in the leaves. However, all she has to do; is shout, 'Trixie come', and I re-emerge from wherever I've been playing.

I'm such a good little collie pup.