This Week I…..

Hi! Currently I’m finishing this post off on my phone, sat in the middle of a sports hall with 2 Roller Derby games going on around me.

Yesterday the Norfolk Brawds beat London Batter C Power to win promotion to Tier 1 next season. Later on today we’ll play Rebellion Roller Derby for 1st/2nd place in Tier 2. Most excitingly, you’ll be able to watch us play live on BBC Sport at 4:30pm. Eeek!

But more on that later. First up, this week I….

Felt like an Idiot

On Monday I had booked a gas engineer to come round as our heating wasn’t working.

We had some repairs done on it as we had no hot water back in June. But back in June it was about 50 billion degrees outside, so when we checked the water, we never checked the heating.

Then, as the temperature dropped, I thought maybe I’d turn it on a bit to dry some washing, and it never came on when I turned the thermostat. The dial was set to heating and water, there were lights on the boiler. Just no hot radiators.

Due to arrive between 8am-1pm the day didn’t start well when at 8:44am I found a card on my doormat saying I hadn’t been home when they called, despite the fact that I DEFINITELY was and both my doorbell and mobile phone work perfectly well, thank you.

The appointment was rescheduled for the afternoon, and it was with a slight sense of affrontery that I greeted the engineer at lunchtime. I was polite, I had no idea if he was the same engineer that can’t work doorbells or not, but still I feel there may have been a little bit of “about time too” in my demeanour.

I showed the engineer to the boiler, which is where this exchange occurred.

Me: We had an engineer out in June because we had no hot water, but it was 40 degrees at the time and we didn’t test the heating. Now the heating isn’t working.
Gas Engineer: Have you flicked this switch?
*Flicks switch*
*Heating comes on*
Me: No, what is it?
Gas Engineer: It’s the “on” switch.
Me: …….

In my defence, the switch was on the timer, which I have never used, so must have been changed in June, but I’m still filing this one away in the same mental folder as that time I bought a new laptop because I hadn’t switched my old one on at the wall……

Went to an exhibition

My friends at Weird Norfolk have an exhibition in the Forum. It’s a little snapshot into the weird and spooky goings on around Norfolk, of which there are many!

If you want to read about the Pub that had a haunted Goats head, or the tree with a Witch buried under it, then you should probably give them a follow on Instagram.

Had a Haircut

A couple of weeks earlier than I usually do, so I wasn’t quite  as shaggy dog like as usual before, but I do love freshly cut hair.

It also looks far better when it’s been stuffed under a sweaty helmet for hours, which is why I wanted to get it done before Playoffs weekend.

Found out I missed a bit

Sadly freshly cut hair also beautifully shows off all the bits I missed when I was being really lazy when I did my roots.

Now I look like I have mange.

Tried something new

I didn’t WANT to try something new, but in a “story of my life” kind of a way Boots have decided to discontinue the hot cloth cleanser I have been using for 4 years, and replace it with a product that is more expensive and doesn’t get as good reviews. I can’t really afford to be spending £13 on cleansers right now, especially if they’re not even very good. So I polled my Facebook friends for an alternative.

Liz Earle got mentioned a lot, but I definitely can’t afford to spending £16 on a bottle half the size, so that was out (I hate it when I fall in love with expensive products and then have to use them forever, even if it means I have to eat beans, so I don’t even want to TRY Liz Earle).

The other top favourite was Superdrug. So I tried to buy the Naturally Radiant, which I thought would be better for my combination skin, but of course they didn’t have that in store, so instead I bought the Vitamin E version, to tide me over, and have ordered the Naturally Radiant to collect next week.

The Vitamin E was £4.99 for 200ml (Buy One get One Half Price at the moment). The Naturally Radiant was £5.99 for 150ml (BOGOF at the moment). I shall review them both once I’ve given them a fair try!

I’m hoping they’re great, because if they are I can rejoice as they are cheaper than the discontinued product I loved before. Wish me luck!

Visited a lovely park

On Friday we headed up to Stoke ready for Saturdays play offs. After a looong Friday afternoon in the car we decided to shake off the cobwebs with a walk around Hanley Park. It’s a lovely Victorian Park, and currently being renovated. During the renovation signs have been put up with photos of the park in its heyday and information about the original design of the park.

We had a lovely walk.

Then it rained.

A lot.

I, obviously, did not have an umbrella.

This happens to me far too often.

Got Promoted

In 2017 the Norfolk Brawds earned promotion to Tier 2 of the British Championships, and this year, with a lot of hard work. We made playoffs again.

We came second in Tier 2 North, which meant playing the winners of Tier 2 South, the formidable London Batter C Power. We played Batter C last year and lost, but our hard work paid off, and despite being predicted to lose, we won the game 214-89.

This means we get promotion to Tier 1 next season, but, like I mentioned above, it also means that we’ll be playing in the Tier 2 final live on BBC Sport.

Our opponents Rebellion were the only team to beat us this season, by just a few points, so it should be an interesting game!

And that was another thrilling week in my life.

How was your week?