This week was crazily hot - too hot to do anything in fact, although we did make an effort and go out for Sophie's birthday. Then the end of the week was storms. Very little thunder but lots of lightning and heavy showers, every night. The girls stayed downstairs one night to get some photos and I have to admit, they're pretty cool !
Sunday 9th August - Today was so hot, I felt like we were all melting. I did nothing at all - lazed around in front of the fan and even then, I was too hot ! We did have a beautiful sunset though.
Monday - Another stupidly hot day. I had big plans but couldn't drag myself away from the fan for long ! I headed to the local supermarket and stocked up on salami, chorizo and ham and we ate that with rice and salad - too hot to cook and too hot to eat hot food too ! No photos at all today so you can have a picture from later in the week, as we went to the restaurant for Sophie's meal.
Tuesday - Erm, see Monday ! lol
Wednesday - The storms don't manage to clear the air so it's still hot and muggy. I had a tidy up in the kitchen, dealt with lots of washing and laundry folding, then that was it. I headed to the shop to stock up on ice creams and we did take the dog out when it started cooling down after dinner but a decidedly calm day. Heading into the kitchen before bed to let the dog out one last time, there were dozens and dozens of maggots everywhere, wriggling all over the floor - totally disgusting. In the bin, behind the bin, all over the floor heading to the door. They moved really fast and seemed determined to get somewhere specific, like they had a set mission in mind. But there have been no flies so where did they come from ?! This happened last year at about the same time of year too - it was just a one-off so I'm hoping that's it. I absolutely HATE maggots but I was very brave and squished them all - the kids even came to help, telling me when there was one wriggling towards me. I did let out a few swear words when they got too close but luckily the kids thought it was funny because I don't usually swear ! I went and read for ages before finally settling down and feeling like sleep ! Yuck !
(No photo today but I posted extras yesterday !)
Thursday - The bank phoned and left a message. My usual bank woman (who I saw last week to sign the papers at last) is on holiday so I got a different woman. There was a problem with the paperwork - some papers were signed in the wrong place and others weren't signed at all (I'd just signed in each place - about ten in total - where the bank woman pointed with her pen) so could I go back in to redo all the paperwork? Seriously ?! I have no words !
Friday - Sophie's birthday - 19 years old ! After getting up early and waiting for the gas man to come and read the meter, I headed into town to deal with the bank. Well, guess what ... they were closed today and tomorrow as a one-off! She could blooming well have told me on the phone - sigh. Once the kids got up, we headed to a Buffalo Grill restaurant for Sophie's birthday. We all had Mexican/American food. I had a "Mexican plate" - baked potato, chilli con carne, ribs and chicken wings and the kids all had different types of burgers. Then they provide free birthday cake for everyone !
Saturday - Today is a bank holiday in France and here in Dunkirk, it's the day when all the town centre shops put boxes and tables outside of the store with bargain basement things to look through. Usually there are lots of boot sale type spaces around the pavements that individuals can rent too, but due to COVID, that part was scrapped this year. We decided to head down for a look and I said I'd give up if it was stupidly busy. Well, it was OK, so we grabbed a few bargains - a pair of trainers each for Juliette and Pierre, a school backpack for Pierre and a T-shirt or two for Juliette - then we headed for home just as it started pouring hard again. Luckily it was so hot, we didn't care about getting wet !
The bank stuff seems to be such a pain in the neck. Hope you manage to get it sorted once and for all next week. The storm looks amazing. We had something similar with maggots once and it hasn't happened again - still not clear why it happened.
ReplyDeleteThat's the worst thing with the maggots - I've cleaned everything, inspected the dog's bowl, and I still can't figure out where they came from. Yuck !
DeleteIt was far too hot last week. We had a couple of rumbles of thunder but that was it. No amazing storms here. The lightening photos are brilliant!
ReplyDeleteEww! It doesn't sound nice dealing with the maggots. I hope they don't come back.
Happy birthday to Sophie! It sounds like a lovely meal out.x
I hope they don't come back too - I blooming hate maggots ! lol
DeleteWe've not quite had the nice weather yet. We had a lot of lightning but no thunder it was weird. You captured it amazingly well. It doesn't sound nice dealing with the maggots. I hope they don't come back. Happy birthday to Sophie, hope she had a nice day. Sounds like a lovely meal out.xx
ReplyDeleteWe were the same all week - loads of lightning but not even one rumble of thunder. Very strange !
DeleteOh what a faff with the bank. We had similar nightmares with my mum's (and our) bank after she died, dragging on for ages rather than cancelling the account as requested. They never seem to improve.
ReplyDeleteThe restaurant sounds really nice. I love mexican food
More fun with the bank this week - I'll put it in the next round-up ! lol
Deletegetting soaked by the rain can be a relief when it is so hot.
ReplyDeleteFlipping heck at the bank mess up, surely the first woman must have know her job?
Happy belated birthday Sophie
Those lightning pictures are stunning.
According to the bank, they have put lots of protection measures in place because Juliette and Pierre are under 18. If I was someone unknown, I could kind of understand it but I've had accounts in that bank for over 20 years ! And the money isn't even leaving the bank - just switching from one account to another :-/
DeleteHappy Birthday Sophie. What a pain with the bank and why on earth didn't they say they'd be closed. The sunset and lightning pictures are fab! #366
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthday to Sophie! That bank woman is so incompetent. Love the pink sunset. The lightning pictures are amazing! eek @ the maggots' march through the kitchen. We had a flies infestation earlier this summer, when the new neighbours clearly did something in their walls/pipes, and the flies moved to our place. It was revolting, a bit like a horror movie. We managed to escape all the heat and thunderstorms in Cornwall.
ReplyDeleteI really don't understand why the maggots are a one off - and I'm sure maggots don't usually do a big route march from the bin to the door. I'm thinking they're not actually maggots but I have no idea what they are - they're quite big. Yuck, whatever they are, I really hope they don't come back !
DeleteStunning pics - i really need to practice some more
ReplyDeleteIt was so hot last week – such a relief when the rain and thunderstorms came to cool it all down again. What a beautiful sunset and I love the photos of the lightning. How horrible to find maggots all over the kitchen – I think I would have let out a few swear words too! Well done for being brave and managing to squish them. Hope Sophie had a lovely birthday. #project366
ReplyDeleteYikes you were brave dealing with the maggots, I think I would be too squeamish! But good the kids helped you too. Love the storm photos. Hope Sophie enjoyed her birthday celebrations x
ReplyDeleteI literally didn't have a choice - there was nobody else around to rescue me ! lol
DeleteHappy birthday Sophie, looks like you had a great week. Love the stormy skies and the sunset. The bank is started to irritate me now, wish me luck as I try to close my account this trip
ReplyDeleteHope you have less hassle than I did at the bank ! xx
DeleteI hope Sophie enjoyed her birthday despite the heat! It was unbearable but your lightning pics are amazing! #project366
ReplyDeleteHope Sophie had a great birthday. OMG the bank. What a pain in the backside. Those photos of the lightening are really clever they looks great.
ReplyDeleteAmazing click of the sunset. That's a lovely picture of the canal with flowers. Woah, those are perfectly timed clicks of the lightning! Oh God tht must've felt disgusting seeing all those maggots. Such bank & document issues happen where i live ALOT, and it goes even further that they misplace the document or say its not valid anymore that you have to do the whole thing over again.
ReplyDeleteFood looks delicious. Free birthday cake? shouldn't it be someone's birthday to get it?
It was my daughter's birthday - you have to show an ID card to get it :) OMG, your banks sound even worse than mine !
DeleteYour storm photo's are incredible, we still haven't had one here, much to my frustrations
ReplyDeleteStunning - you capture the true scene
ReplyDelete