I will give you an update as to what's been happening whilst my blog was in hibernation.
Nat, (my son remember) opened Milton Keynes
HOT WORLD BUFFET restaurant and bar. The place looks incredible, far beyond what my imagination had visualised when he walked his father and I around the place after he had just ripped the guts out of the building. There are many reasons I feel a heart swelling pride for my son on the completion of this eye popping, jaw dropping project.
12 weeks before completion of the restaurant, his boss/friend/mentor, died unexpectedly.
He was just 40 with two young children. Not only had he a passion and a realistic dream to open many more restaurants with Nat. Sadly he was also so close to finishing his film that he had been working so hard and enthusiastically on for the last two years, now never to have an ending.
Nat saw Cal briefly in the Nottingham's Red Hot World Buffet restaurant car park, on the Saturday before he died. Nat was returning to his car with his girlfriend after shopping and Cal was rushing to his car which was also parked there. Cal was late getting to his polo match, (he was always in a hurry), Nat remembers how the wind was blowing his thick dark hair as he shouted "see you Tuesday morning at Milton Keynes Nat, have a good weekend". That meeting never took place. Cal was found dead in his hotel room after playing his polo match.
Apart from the shock and grief my son felt at losing his close friend he also had the responsibility of completing the restaurant without him by his side.
I don't think he has truly mourned, time has forbidden him this. There were deadlines to meet and Cal's family needed Nat to ensure this happened, large amounts of money and staff jobs were at stake here.
Whilst working on the Milton Keynes project, Nat and Cal shared an apartment for several months as they did when completing the Northampton restaurant. Nat was asked to pack all Cal's belongings from the apartment for his family to collect. I know he found this really hard, and the reality that his pal had gone and left him raised many emotions within him.
Despite all this, the deadlines were met, Cal and Nat's designs evolved from the sketches on paper to solid forms that when seen, touch and play with your imagination. The place is so worth a visit, its in the heart of the Theatre Land, incredible food from around the world at price's that leave you wondering how the heck do they do it. All this whilst sat in superb surroundings (my personal favorite is the Japanese area).
Cal's family are carrying on his dreams, and hope to start work very soon on a Red Hot in Sheffield. My son is already sketching ideas down, I know that Cal is by my side sharing my pride and encouraging my son along.
Gosh look how much I've rambled on, and that's not everything that Nat's got up to. I better move on to my mother now, or I can see you yawning and moving on (you still might, I have been away for a while and much has happened).
My mum, what an incredible gutsy, strong willed madam she is. Despite all the crap that she has had to endure these past few months, she still amazes family, staff and friends at her determination to get through.
Yesterday Math and I went to open up her cottage (we have had parts of it decorated and new carpets laid), so that staff from the hospital could bring her home for an hour to assess how she manages getting around.
Raisers are to be made to chairs, loos etc, Bath aids and care staff to be organised, and then a day at home on her own to see how this goes will be put in place. Of course I will cross my fingers and all other parts of my anatomy willing to take part in this day being a success. I'm sure that the determination that has amazed us all, will carry her through. I will keep you updated, and tell you many of the tales that have taken part during her recovery at later dates.
Math and I, well now there lies a bit of a story.Due to many things, not just the several unfortunate events that have happened to my mum, we have had to re plan our future plans.
First, we have backed out of moving home, apart from the housing market plummeting, we want to be close to my mum for the foreseeable future.
Also with my forthcoming operation taking place in September, we thought it best to stay where we are (I have all my aids fitted here). We have driven around the area and there are many properties for sale, maybe not in that exact place, but I'm sure when the time comes I will find one that will tell me this is where I must lay my chucks (even thought of having some here).
So at the moment our allotments are bursting with delicious fruit and veg, we have our holiday home, so we will be content here for the time being.
Math has shocked and surprised me, by taking on a completely different career course. Weary of the theory and egotistical facade of training, he has found enjoyment in discovering the talents of his youth.
No its not being a rock star or struggling artist, its back to his first love, the very real world of electronics... Already we are having to put customers on hold, Math seems really happy, good decision me thinks.
I won't talk too much about my operation until I've been for my pre-ops on the 28th of July, when I will See Doctor Gorgeous, gaze into his eyes and smell his hypnotic cologne, oh yes and of course listen to what hes going to do to me......
I want to then use my blog as a diary to my recovery. I persuaded my friend Akelamalu to start a blog to do this after her operation, and she said it helped. Of course I will be adding bits and bobs about my friends and family, might even start the 55s again....
Finally, whilst my blog was closed I decided in a mad moment to carry out a bit of an update. I wanted to move my blogging pals who were in my bookmark, to my blog roll. To cut a very long complicated and frustrating story short, I 'lost' many of my pals. After tears and screams, I have visited my friends who had some of the lost addresses. All I can hope for now is that any pals I couldn't find, one day press my blog to see if I'm about.......... 
