Rocking Your World Friday - week 1

So….what’s this all about then?

All last year I enjoyed reading Virginia and Carmen giving a regular run down of what had been Rockin’ Their World that week – those little (or big) things that had put a smile on their face or a spring in their step. 

I don’t think they will mind me saying, but neither lady was having an easy time of things, especially in the second half of 2011, but still every week they managed to find, and focus on, so many positives. 

They really set a fantastic example, and this year I thought I would join in.  It will help me stay focussed on the good stuff all year, and also it will be fun for me to sit and re-read all the posts next New Years eve and remind myself of everything I have been grateful for along the way.

So here goes….what’s been rocking my world this week?

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The biggie is that my house is WARM again!

A few days before Christmas, our boiler went boom!  And ever since then, we’ve had no heating, and no hot running water.  It has been no fun at all.

But like knights on white chargers, British Gas turned up this week, and three days of hard work later, they have installed a brand spanking new combi boiler and we are, quite literally, running on gas again.  Woohoo!  I had an hour long super soak in the bath last night, and it was wonderful!

You don’t half appreciate things when they’ve been taken away from you for a while…

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The next thing is kind of related to the boiler dudes’ visit.  Of course they needed access to every radiator in the house.  And you know what that means.  It means that BEDROOMS have to be clean and tidy!  Eek!!!!  We don’t usually let people upstairs J  We spent a solid two days tidying up the bedrooms – but it was SO worth it.  My en suite bathroom is now so bright and decluttered that you need sunglasses to avoid the glare from the white tiles.  My bedroom is so lovely I just want to live in it 24 hours a day. And, most exciting of all, we discovered that Connor, my 9 year old, not only has a CARPET, but apparently there was a RUG under there too!  Who knew?? :D

We had a big clear out downstairs too (bye bye to my ten-years-in-the-making collection of jiffy bags from behind the big sofa, I’ll miss you, all my little envelope pals!), and two trips to the local tip later, the house was more presentable than it has been in years.  And I love it!  Now I just need to keep it that way J

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Other miscellaneous things:

No, this isn't me...my arms aren't that hairy!

• My middle son bought me a FAB Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock t shirt for my Christmas (slightly belatedly, it turned up in the post yesterday), which I’m currently wearing at work and which has already attracted a loud Bazingaaaa! :D
• I got an extra day off work this week due to it being the boiler dudes’ first day working and wanting to be there to show them where everything was and offer them lots of tea and biccies and stuff – so I have only had to work three days this week, yay!
• Thanks to that extra day off I actually got an art journal page done for the first time in a while
• Plus, I feel like I have finally broken the back of my Sketchbook Project book, and for the first time I believe that I can and WILL get it finished in time for the January 31^st deadline
• I got an extension on the bookbinding tutorial I am working on for the new Art Journey series over at UKScrappers, and am on track to finish it in plenty of time, so I no longer feel like I’ve let Mary Anne down (HATE letting people down!)
• While tidying earlier in the week I found a fab old photo (see below) – we think it’s from 1999-ish – of my old team from when I worked at WHSmith.  I wish my hair was still that colour!  This caused great amusement at my new job as the chap on the bike works here too, and both he and I have changed in appearance a lot over the years!  I love coming across forgotten gems like this J
• I’ve bought myself a little pocket diary and am writing myself small bite sized daily to do lists and it’s really helping me feel in control and on top of stuff
• I’ve also started taking photos every day for my “Project 366, a (leap) year in pictures” – having fun with it so far, no masterpieces yet but I’m hoping it will eventually provide an interesting (to me, anyway!) retrospective of the 12 months
• Grapes were half price in Tesco today and I am thoroughly enjoying munching my way through a huge bag of them, they are DELICIOUS!  (I might have a tummy ache later though if I don’t stop soon!)
• I learnt this week that ESPN America are now starting to broadcast AHL hockey – which is fantastic news for me as I will be able to follow the Chicago Wolves – my main team’s farm team – and also other teams I am fond of such as the Hamilton Bulldogs and Hershey Bears – AND I can follow James Wright’s progress now he’s with the San Antonio Rampage.  (I fully appreciate that this last bullet point will mean absolutely nothing to 99% of the people who read my blog, sorry! J )

So, there you go - LOTS to be happy about this week!

See you again same time, same place next Friday?  Oh, and if you’d like to put together a Rockin’ post of your own, head on over to Virginia’s blog to find out where to link up and stuff…

Rock on!