Dad's operation

Left for hospital this morning with Mam and Dad at 0800, his appointment was 0830 and of course, being typically early it was 0815 when we got there, i dropped them off and drove to Tesco's to top up with dog food for Megan as i am off to work tomorrow and don't expect others to supply her food.
I was back at hospital by 0900 and found my way to the Surgical day ward on 2nd floor of Shotley Bridge Hospital. Dad was in a side ward with mum and had had all his particulars taken and paperwork was all done, the surgeon was there checking the lump on his finger to be removed and the small tumour to the right of his right eye on the side of his face, the proceedure would be quick and it was, he left us for theatre at 0909 and was back by 0935, he had a cup of tea and a biscuit as had only been under a local anaesthetic and i ran to get car and picked them up and drove home, I walked Megan in the afternoon and then packed and sorted out clothes ready for my trip.

The weather has been dry but thsi evening it is raining (28/12/07), nothing worse than damp weather when you have a dog to walk who likes to run through muddy puddles.

Hospital pictures below

Back to Reality

Well it seems Christmas has come and gone as quick as it usually does, the traffic has returned to the roads as the "back to work" season is here, either that or people are returning broken or unwanted gifts ir rushing to the sales.

Christmas day was nice, the lunch almost made me explode , so much so that we had to wait for Christmas pudding until tea time as we could not eat it after lunch.

Presents were amazing, new electric razor, new Loius Vuitton "REAL" holdall, new 10 megapixel camera, a commissioned painting of the view from my parents window, including myself and Megan in the corner on our walk.

We stayed in that evening as i had done all the visiting or relatives prior to 25th so settled down to TV, very uninspiring as usual, i think i even fell asleep and missed the queens speech which use to be a family highlight which is now a chore.

My brother and his wifes gifts did not arrive and as we speak i have just answered th door to Royal Mail Services and there is a box awaiting them when they get back from shopping.

I have had many walks with Megan, she loves it down the woods, the ground has been frosty and crisp and although there has been no snow it was white in a frosty way which added to the spirit of things.

Today 27th the weather has turned mild and the ground softened so Megan will be very muddy after her afternoon walk,the temperature is almost 50degrees which for december is really warm.

The tree now looks sad and lonely, opened gifts still litter it's base and remnants of wrapping paper and labels can be found stuck to objects or the bottom of your shoes.

Dad is having a tumour removed tomorrow at 830am from the side of his right eye, the proceedure should take no more than 5 minutes but he is not allowed to drive so i am taking him and bringing him back with mam, Ged will still with megan then return to his sisters in the afternoon.

I fly to Heathrow on 29th, not working until 30th at 0925 but cannot get there on time on 30th so having to go the day before and stay in Renaissance hotel ( BA rate £45.00) and flight was £81.00 so an expensive trip to work eh!!!
Fly to New York on 30th and back in Arora hotel Heathrow on 31st at 9pm, leave for New York again on 1st Jan 2008 check in at 1625 and back about 830am on 3rd January, flying to Newcastle on 1250 flight then driving home to Surrey with Ged and Megan on 4th.
I do miss my new scottish friend but understand his committments to his family and him having to get used to losing something he loved dearly and getting used to someone else, he is a great person and i miss him as a friend.

Last UK shopping trip

Today 20th December mum and i went to the Metro centre in Gateshead, only M&S opens at 9am all the other shops are 10am but we were there by 915am just to get a parking space as an hour later at this time of year is stressful and annoying with patience wearing thin with a lot of people.
I had a free £10 voucher for Argos with buying the TV/DVD flat screen ( £299.00) for bedroom so mum wanted a nose/ear hair trimmer for dad so she used it and it was £11.99 so only £1.99 to put to the voucher, i do like to help them if i can.

Dropped of duty free cigarettes at Gabi's so waiting for th money for them, walked Megan for an hour down the woods and she loves it down there, she was bouncing about like a spring lamb.

I also spent an hour this afternoon wrapping up final gifts and also ironing some clothes for work and also for Christmas day, there is nothing worse than trying to iron and manouvre while parents are trying to make Christmas lunch.

I also worry about people that ar eno longe rin my life as poor Chris buried his mum today after suffering for a long time with cancer, the dreaded C word. I thought of him and what was happening during my shopping trip with mum and had my eye on my watch constantly. The poor lad has to perform in panto 2 hours after the crematorium service, this takes strength.

I will sign off and hope you all have you gifts and are looking forward to the festive period with friend, family and loved ones. That does include you Graham who is one of those men who deserve the world and i would give it, if i had it!!!

Bad days

I really hate days that are filled with bad news, firstly i fell out and then fortunately made up with a good friend, then i received a text message to say my old friend Chris's mam had died of cancer ( see evening chronicle family notice below).
It seems every year at Christmas time bad news rears it's ugly head. Poor Chris is starring in Aladdin at the Theatre Royal Newcastle and i bet he is still having to do the show before the funeral and probably the afternoon of the funeral, how strong must he be to be able to do that or just 100000000% loyal to his showbusiness career.
I did text him anonymously to send my condolences and he asked who i was but i said it was not important, just to let him know that people are thinking about him right now.

I am lucky to still have my parents, i have lost a brother, sister in law and two nephews though, not through death just by falling out, pretty pathetic really but stubborness runs through the Gleghorn family.

I am here in Calgary Canada and being alone in a hotel room does not help when bad news arrives, especially as the hotel has been plunged into darkness on and off for 2 days with no lights, tv or internet.

This is not one of those cities on my "Must have a holiday there" list, its depressing, miserable and because it is winter it is like a ghost town at night as so cold outside.
ALl the buildings are linked by tunnels so you never have to step into the open unless you want too.



HAYWARD (Byker). Peacefully on December 15th, aged 66 years, Anne (nee Brennan), devoted wife of Fred, loving mam to Christopher and Gary and his fiancee Karen and sister of Betty. Family and friends please meet at St. Anthony of Padua, Roman Catholic Church, on Thursday December 20th at 10.00am, followed by cremation at The West Road Crematorium at 11.15am. R.I.P.


God Bless Anne

First appeared on 17 Dec 2007

Wrapping day!!!

I have spent hours today wrapping up presents, i do enjpoy the chore as long as i have chosen the right wrapping paper and nice lables, bows and other shiny things.
I have kept presents small, not in quantity but size as then i can wrap them and plave them in one big box or Christmas bag with a decent label and a classy bow, rather than have to write a load of labels for one person.
The dog was aware i was wrapping her presents as she was sniffing around them. On Christmas morning she opens her own presents and the lead up to Christmas the presents are under the tree but she does not touch any of them until Christmas morning when we give her her own gifts.
I also helped to decorate the tree todaym dad put the lights on and i put on the toys and miles and miles of beads which always fall off.
The frost was heavy today and very cold outside, same for tomorrow which adds to that Christmas mood.

Seattle Shopping

The day started early at 830am, met for breakfast and then headed to the Hilton hotel and the Alamo car hire desk, i was told to book this via the British Airways crew website which had a link to Alamo with the discounts, i could not believe the car for 24 hours, fully inclusive was $40 or £20.00, that was divided by four of us and with the replacement fuel we payed $12.50 each or £6.25. I have paid more for a taxi to travel a short distance and we did almost 80 miles today.
We travelled north of Seattle to the Premium Outlet Mall in Tulalip, it was around 37 miles and we did hit some snow on the way, we never once got lost as i had printed out directions from Mapquest before i left home in UK.
The mall was quaint and not as busy as i thought it would be two Sundays before Christmas, we found a good parking spot and set off on the hunt for bargains.
The first shop i entered was the Calvin Klein store and i spent $140.00 then i spent $80 in the Polo/Ralph Lauren store and my biggest purchase was a $700.00 diamond necklace for my mother, i bought her a diamond ring last year and this will match the ring for special occasions.
I think spoiling your parents is important, they spoilt me all of my younger life and even now, and as i work and they are retired spoiling them is only saying thank you for my great upbringing and childhood which was full of great things as well as love.
Anyway, back to the shops................we stayed there in the Outlet mall until 130pm and then called at Wallmart next door where i bought gifts for Megan and some real great squeaky toys and a doggies furry mobile phone which rings,doubt i will be popular on Christmas day when Megan is making noise squeaking toys etc when people are trying to nap after a rather large lunch.
We got back to the city about 330pm and headed off to shops in the city after returning the car full of fuel, Ross is a typical "rummage store" where you have to really search to find designer brand items and seriously reduced prices, usually i cannot be bothered so only browse.
Bed Bath and Beyond is a really nice store, it is not typically bathroom items but as it's names suggest...Bed bath and......BEYOND, so it carried everything except clothes, lots of gadgets and photo frames, candles, bedding,etc. They were selling huge pampering bath item baskets all in cellophane and ideal for Ged to give to my mother as a Christmas gift so i got one for him, the holder is green suede and it looks nice.
I am now back in my hotel room, it is cold outside and although it is only 8pm my body is still on UK time at 4am so i am struggling to stay awake.I land back in Heathrow around 12pm on 11th December and driving home to my parents on Wednesday 12th, it usually takes about 5 hours and my car will be packed with gifts and clothes as not returning home until beginning of January. I will be flying on staff tickets from Newcastle to Heathrow 3 times leaving Megan with my parents while i fly to Calgary, Bangalore and New York ( twice) over New Year.
Fuel is UK is at a record high at an average of £1.07 per litre which is astronomical so the journey home will be more expensive than usual, however when i spend £50+ in Tesco's i get 5p off every litre of petrol so i am currently getting it for 96-97p per litre.







The Car we hired, the Chevrolet Impala, a nice comfortable car!!!

The build up to Christmas

I suppose i am lucky as with my job i usually stay in major cities all over the world, so i don not have to drive, find parking spaces etc etc i just leave hotel and im in the shops, very lucky i know!
I have been doing some research into Seattle Outlet malls as i am going there on 8th and we usually stay there for 24 hours but this trip i have all of 9th off.
The plan is to hire a care and head 36 miles north to Tulalip where there is a massive outlet mall featuring Calvin Klein, Armani, Polo etc etc and i have also joined some online club and have extra money off vouchers to spend, i have also remembered to pack my driving license as this can be handy when hiring a car HA HA!!
I have my dollars, credit cards and although i have most of my Christmas shopping i know i will buy much more than i need. A great saying i once overheard was " would you still buy it if it was twice the price" if the answer is NO then you don't need it in the first place whatever it cost, otherwise your only buying it because it is cheap.
I am sure some of the crew may come with me to share the hire car expenses but i would be quite happy to go on my own, it can be a little daunting when your thousands of miles from home and driving on the other side of the road alone so i suppose the company would be good and also someone with navigational skills, ( i have printed the driections from mapquest).
Lets hope i get a nice car, have a safe journey and get lots of bargains.
Will let you know in a future blog.

Christmas Gifts

Christmas is a great time of year so i hope you all enjoy it!!!!





Christmas becomes more and more difficult every year, it's not the money thing but the "what shall i buy", I do spoil my parents and after diamond and emerald rings for mum and dvd recorders etc for dad i am stuck as to what to buy so i have opted for many lower price gifts and one expensive one each.
They spoilt me as a child and on Christmas morning myself and my brother would go downstairs to see an array of brightly wrapped presents arranged on the lounge furniture, in those days i think it may have taken 10-15 minutes of frantic unwrapping or should i say ripping of the paper until it was all over.
Mum checks ( and still does) all the wrapping for gifts that may still be hiding in there before she loads it into large black bin bags ready for collection, i suppose some years ago a gift may have been thrown away by accident so i understand why she does it.

FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is it so wrong to be a little over protective with your parents. Would i be wrong to question family members who had a slight minor disaster and thought it appropriate to contact my parents who were on a cruise ship at the time and turn it into some major world crisis for no reason, this made them worry and possibly spoilt their well deserved holiday.
Then when i contact them with my condolences about the ceiling collapse and also use this time to question contacting parents, it was then all thrown back in my face for no reason at all.
I was accused of "once again" turning things into a family issue, i also have decided that my parents are th only important people in my life and i will disown the rest of my immediate family as it is pretty obvious they do not want any part of me on their lives so i have to get used to the fact they do not exist anymore. Should not be too diffiult as my brother has never been in my life so it is not really a life changing decision.
His wife is a control freak who has to decide who,when and what is happening, she has friends who use her for what they can get out of her financially and although she is intelligent she is blind to this fact.
As for my brother he is a selfish, self centred, obnoxious unloving person who is so mean its unexplainable.
They waste money on themselves and although if i had worked as hard as they have in their lives i would too , treat myself , however i would also look after the two people that brought me into this world and made me the person i am, my parents but others do not see it like this and would rather waste money on wasters and sponsoring children in dark corners of the earth.
Poor dad drives around in an M registration Toyota which costs him more to keep on the road than it is worth while others by large BMW's and 12 carat diamond bracelets.
I would operate differently, they would have a new kitchen, house redecoration, new car, nice holiday, regular weekend breaks but then again i am proud to say im a loving, giving son and not a mean tight fisted one.
When my parents die i will get by on the memory that i did what i could for them with what i could afford. They knew i was kind and considerate and always put others before myself unlike my mean nasty brother and his false family.
My nephews are like chalk and cheese, one smokes dope 24/7 and has his fingers in s om many pies but unsuccessful in most, the other is gay, hates his father and is driven by his mother, so not only do you have a controlling woman figure but a male gay version which in fact is worse.
He is self opinionated and always thinks he is right, no one ever communicated and everything was like a big secret. eg my sister in law obviously had be planning to go overseas to see "whoever" but she only told my parents as my brother was driving her to the airport for the flight, if that was me i would have mentioned it to my mam and dad when i had thought about going months before.
I do not want to go into the reason why my brother and his wife sleep seperately but put it this way, when i ranted at them it sort of took presidence over what he did so he felt let off the hook, this he has bled dry to make himself look better.
His wife has been on a mission to darken the name of me and my brother and uses any and every opportunity to do so.
I was really upset when their dog died, being an animla lover, so i sent a text, yes i had a frosty thank you reply but i do not think i would get a text of any of them when anything happens to my dog.
I am proud that i help others and put myself out for people, i would hate to be like them and im so pleased that i am not and never will be.
They can now get on with their own sad lives as one day they will come down to earth with a bump and i will not be there to pick up any of the pieces.

Im Warm

Well after two weeks of no heating and hot water, living in layers and layers of clothes, hot water bottles, electric blankets, electric heaters they finally fixed it on Thursday 29th November.
I have lived in the luxury of bubble baths as it used to take 2 hours to fill one with pans and kettles.
I have been offered £100.00 compensation and £100 off a new boiler, i think that is appalling for what we went through and i have questioned their offer and waiting for a reply.
Off to Seattle tomorrow and i will be stressed as Ged working and although Angela is looking after Megan i still stress out about her when she is here on her own.