Back in the pINK!

You'll be pleased to hear that (almost) good health has returned to Devonshire Road. My wonderful man is nearly back to his normal (has he ever been such???) self. He's on the steroids in readiness for the new regime that's going to make him worse before it gets better, but he's on positive form at the moment....which can only be a good thing, I keep telling myself!!!

He drinks wine by the mug these days!!!

The only thing that appears to want to stick around is the blasted Insomnia......I wake up almost nightly with the bed all to myself (is this REALLY a bad thing?!). He normally returns somewhere around 5am for a warm cuddle, which is blissful. Thankfully, the naked sleep walker has not reappeared.......As well as his improved health, the Hubby has gone and got himself another tattoo. It has recently been completed and, I think, it is rather lovely. It's inspired by a tree fern and is of a maori/polynesian/tribal design.....it definitely suits him very much indeed.... *grin*

Hubby's tat

Not only has Mr McEllis gone and got himself a new tattoo.... *drum roll*.... so have I! 

It has been some time in the thinking, designing, finding the confidence, etc, but today I did it, I went and got inked. I was a tad nervous to say the least, however Richard, my tattooist was nothing short of bloody marvellous, guiding me through every step of the 3 hours I was in his hands, ignoring the 'ow', 'ooh', 'aah', 'sh*t', 'f*ck', etc, that uttered from my lips. The last time I had a tattoo was 23 years ago, I was young and un-wordly wise and I picked something that today I find just isn't me, it never was really, but you live and learn, and bizarrely, although I've often thought and talked about getting rid of it, I wouldn't be without it. 

Work in progress....

My tattoo is inspired by the mighty Albatross, the Southern Hemisphere seabird of myth, legend and superstition. My tattoo is symbolic and a metaphor for the following reasons:

• I love birds, nuff said really.
• Albatross pair for life - if my Civil Partnership f*cks up and falls to pieces, I'll never be doing it again. Nor do I think I will EVER be in love with any other man as much as I am with my Husband, he IS my pair-bond........his Alba to my Tross!
• My back is a constant source of pain and discomfort and so, having the bird on my back, seeing as my back is 'an Albatross around my neck', seemed more than appropriate.
• I have, in recent times, rid my life of Albatross that were definitely around my neck!
• Albatross wander the Southern Oceans for years and years.....my life, up until a few years ago was full of me just wandering, never really settling, akin to the Albatross.

So there you have it, and I have it, and I love it.....I think we came up with a beautiful design, don't you?

The McKenna Albatross

Now, what of the pesky little dogs you ask? Well, they're fine actually. No real news from either of them....I did ask and they refused to comment. They plod on and enjoy their spoilt rotten lifestyles, being little buggers and having it bloody easy quite frankly...oh to be a dog in SE23, what a wonderful life!

 It was a chilly morn....

We recently took Max and Millie to meet with Karen, a professional dog groomer, who specialises in small/medium dogs. She lives just off our road, literally a 5 minute walk away. M&M charms the pants off her, as is their way, while we spent time ooh-ing and aah-ing at her banana collection in her garden (ours are better!). Twas decided that Millie doesn't need any grooming (what would you trim?!?!?!?!!), she is gorgeous just as she is. Max, on the other hand, needs a bit of a trim and a tidy, especially around his arse end....he does have a fluffy bum. Karen will be taking her choppers to Max before the end of September, and of course, there will be pictures!!

Daddy Love

This year, we have decided to flee the UK for Christmas and spend it in France, staying with our wonderful friends, Sharon & Nick in their beautiful house in the French countryside......and Max and Millie are coming too!!! Max already has his passport, Millie's will be ready in a month or so. It's very exciting to think they'll be journeying through Le Tunnel to Le France for Le Christmas Holiday with Le Dads.......very exciting and I really can't wait to take pictures of them in France....Le puppies are going to have Le Grand Continental Adventure!!!

Walkies......

This chapter's musical delight is a bit obvious really......it HAD to be 'Albatross' by Fleetwood Mac......Enjoy.

In Sickness & In Health

Health in McEllis Towers of late has been a tad negative to say the least. It all started with 'Him Indoors' developing a number of joint attacks, and thinking that they were jolly comfortable and happy where they were, decided to stay for a while and make his poor life a misery (and I thought I did a good enough job on my own!). 

Max making Dad feel better...

There have been blood tests, MRIs, x-rays, etc and now he's taking steroids, which make him look like he's run a marathon (which he does in his sleep most nights anyway!!!). Oh, and let's not get started on sleep, or lack of it. One night I awoke from my slumber to hear my Husband walking out of the front door, in the middle of the night, completely naked. He came in, left the front door open and then promptly went back to sleep - he has no recollection of this event!!!!! 

Remember Kids, so NO to drugs.....!

My Man and Millie

I worry so much about him, of course I do, but I also feel helpless, what the hell CAN I do?!?! He hurts from morning until night, he has chronic insomnia, the drugs make him feel yuck and to top it all off, he lives with me......goodness knows how he copes with it all, honestly! What with everything else that has been going on this past year, it just makes me wonder how on earth he finds the energy to have the most gorgeous, effervescent, handsome smile that just melts me. He's a fighter, thankfully, well he is until I have to start wiping his arse for him, then it's off to Switzerland (his words, not mine!!!). He starts a new drug regime in a few weeks which (here we go again!) is going to make him really poorly......however, the end result it supposed to make him feel better. We. Will. See.

Millie Love

As the old git has not been too good, he's been at home, which has meant that the puppies have been spoilt rotten with Daddy Love every day for the last couple of weeks. They are not going to know what's hit them when we're both back at work from Monday morning! Max has been loving the extra Daddy Time and in the mornings he is SO cuddly and loving, a proper little snuggle monster, which is lovely but a pain when you have to get out of bed to go to work and you have this warm, fluffy hot water bottle of a dog cuddling you!

No dogs were harmed in the taking of this picture

In comparison, I am 100% fine and dandy, I wouldn't even dare to compare my 'aches and pains' with his condition, they're just chalk and cheese. I did cripple myself with a couple of bags of gravel last week in preparation for our small 'gathering' and ended up tearing some muscles in my back/shoulders/neck which has had me feeling sorry for myself and a bit moany (nothing new there then I hear you say!). However, the garden looked amazing and it was worth the pain.

Le Jardin - ready for Le Soiree

I've been cycling to work and back almost every day since February and I am very happy that I have lost 18lbs in weight. I didn't think I had lost so much but got the shock of my life when I weighed myself! I am very pleased and I will continue to cycle every day until the ice/snow force me onto the commuter train. I absolutely love cycling to work, although this past week I had 2 punctures in 2 days which did not go down well.....I was less than pleased - the air being savoury with unsuitable outbursts. However, the plus side is that I now have super-dooper tyres that are kevlar reinforced and less prone to punctures.....

My Trusty Steed

Millie continues to refuse training and is just as obnoxious to other dogs as she has been the past year. Although, it has to be said that there have been glimmers of hope recently when she's been in the vicinity of other dogs, so perhaps she's "getting it", albeit very slowly! This morning we took them to Dulwich Woods for a good walk and Millie came face to face with at least 6 other dogs all at the same time. She did not know what to do or where to look, so every hackle went bolt upright, she braced herself and walked right through them, ignoring them all. She looked like a Sulawesi Crested Macaque......Very funny!!! 

Millie or Macaque - You Decide!

At home Millie is pretty much referred to as Wiggles or Millie-Moo (sometimes just Moo!)......well, after having a chat with the lovely Jo next door, she tells us that even the kids (Daniel and Alanah) have started calling her Millie-Moo after hearing us do it and that Alanah also does a pretty good impression of Max's little bark (which we have yet to hear!). What IS funny, is listening to the kids playing in the garden, shouting "EXPELLIARMUS" at each other. It almost made me want to join in....FAB kids, just FAB!

Wiggle in the Woods

Although it is not and never has been a competition between blogs (silently, for me anyway, it IS a competition!), I noticed today that we have received 4708 hits to the Max & Millie blog which is amazing considering that most of the time I'm convinced that no one reads it. However, when you compare this with 6258 hits on the pesky Hens in the City Blog which has been going twice as long (ish) then you realise that we're not doing so bad at all......not bad people, not bad at all.....THANK YOU for reading....and please continue to do so!

Thanks for the hits!

Music for this chapter is brought to you by the unstoppable Beyonce.....retro, smooth, summery, lovely.....(and sort of dedicated to my Husband who I love more than Haribo....and that's A LOT!).