"You need an ad blocker Marie. Never go online without one."
Why not? Sounds like you are assuming all ads carry viruses. I personally use an adblocker, but not because I think the ads are dangerous in any way.
If the ads are blocking the view of the website content, it's possibly a browser issue. Simply refreshing the site may solve the problem (F5, or the refresh button on your toolbar)
And no, there's no reason to pay for an adblocker, there are plenty of effective free ones available.
P.S. long time no see, old friend!!