Wednesday, November 30, 2005

It's the pits!!!

I was thinking that my drawers were getting a bit crammed and difficult to close so I thought I'd take a little look to see if something could be thrown out.
No, not all of these were in there but I decided to line 'em all up anyway if only to explain it to myself.
Left to right: Mitchum at the end was in my travel bag, Nivea 1 was upstairs, Nivea 2 was in the bathroom. They're a lovely delicate perfume and I tend to take one along when travelling for a quick freshen up squirt ... or if entering a pongy airplane loo! On the other hand if I'm gonna make an airplane loo pongy it doesn't come amiss. Of course one tries to avoid that scenario though and just do wees, cos despite the fact that Dutch people (or was it Germans?) like a toilet where the pooh sits on a sort of shelf, so they can see what they've done and have a sense of satisfaction about it, us British like it to just get flushed down and disappear and we never ever want to see if again and especially NOT stuck to the side of the procelain.
Where was I??
Who's that laughing?
OK Sure 1 and 2 were in the bathroom. Two is the clear variety in case I was going to wear black. With that I was supposed to be able to avoid the white smudges that somehow get on a garment as you pull it on.
Sure 3 was upstairs.
The next two were replacements for the Sure 1 and 3 cos they were running out and I thought since there was a two for one offer, even if it was a Drugstore own and may not be as effective as Sure, I thought I'd give it a try. Sometimes one's body gets used to one particular product and it's a good idea to ring the changes ... so the old wives say.
Ah, the little Sure, now that one ... I think it was in my swimming bag. Well hold on there just a cotton picking minute, Ms Julie ... just had a look in my swimming bag (haven't renewed my leisure centre subs by the way so I'll have to cycle more!) and sure enough, there's a Sure in there!!
I know, maybe it was on my "I should save the ozone day" and decided to buy a push-up roll on? Or wipe on?
Last, but not least, is my Ice Crystal, which has replaced all of the aforesaid for effectiveness and cost but now I have to use the rest up cos I'll feel so naughty about the waste otherwise?
Have to say the Ice Crystal (by the way, I also bought one from Boots, Pit Rock, which I'm keeping 'elsewhere') and these crystal deoderants are far more effective and at the rate of use (daily at least once) each will probably last me for about a year and that with an initial outlay of only about a fiver. So, which is the better buy, huh? Huh?
I'm looking thro my new specs. They got a shorter corridor apparently. Haven't seen any doors off the corridor so I can't really say what the use of it is!
Actually, they're variable and the reading bit is shaped more like a flat bottomed tear drop that's just hit a surface, rather than one that's still falling ... if you get my drift and sure enough I'm seeing thro the bottom reading bit much more easily than with the old, presumably 'long corridor'.
If it wasn't for the eye drop I've just put in my left eye I'd probably have totally unfuzzy vision. Let's see how they are after a day's wear and 'tear' ... like that??? Hah!
Ok, maybe the happy pill is working already?
Maybe it's a thingy ... what's that word when you think you're on the real thing and you're not? Placibo, that's it. Or is that an Italian tenor??
The doc offfered a sick note, say's I'm the same person just an exhausted one. Sick note doesn't quite do it for freelance bods and her advice that I take as much rest as possible is great! I'll do that when I've finished working and catch up later. But she also gave me a month of the happy making pills which, don't worry, I won't become addicted to cos I know when I'm happy and I know when I'm not and when I'm happy I won't need 'em, see??
More knocks on the door today ... why are these people coming in winter when the bloody heat of the whole house just whoofs straight out of the door in two minutes?
This guy wanted me to start having at least two pints of milk delivered a day to save the delivery man's round. They wanted proof that people still want milk delivering.
Well I did used to when I had a family but I don't now!
I don't want it sitting on doors steps when I'm not there .... hello burglar .. I'm not hooo-ooomee .. come in and get whatever you like! I don't want it getting hot in the sun, nor having the birdies sitting on the top and pecking holes in it. Tho I do feel for both the birdies and the milkman, I'm afraid I really don't want it delivered. I'm an erratic milk user anyway. Yeah, I would be, wouldn't I?
Then a phone call from the Bank. Oh oh! Then I realised I still haven't opened some mail from them and thought it was my insurance, public liability thing. Maybe it is in the pile, there's a couple there from the bank.
But no, he wanted to offer me a no fee deposit account with instant access and 1% more interest on it. Suggesting I transfer X amount of £s over and just keep a couple of hundred for business expenses, cos I can do it online. Told him I haven't had time to activate the online banking stuff yet ... yes, yes, I know it's useful, I used to do it when living in the States and had great fun plotting pie charts with how much I'd spent on shoes, or gifts, or deoderants that month in pretty colours but I just aint done it here yet.
Anyway since there won't be so much going in that account I figure I may as well keep it all in one place !
My car needs cleaning. I hate to do that when it immediately gets mucky again.
Well, got to go take pix of Brownies with the Mayor at the Town Hall.
Hey, the lady gave me a 'free' bottle of lens cleaner and a little cloth! And the specs only cost £327!!!!
Hang about .... :) Actually, the major cost was on the lens, variable, light reactive, anti-glare. The frame was in the cheapest range that wasn't National Health but it just so happens that's the frame I like and suited me cos I did look at the Fcuk ones too . I hope I spelled that correctly.
Over and out ...........


Marvellous new ear plugs

They squish very flat and then take about 5 mins to expand in yer lug 'oles.

They've proved to me that I CAN get a long sleep - if the morning traffic is cut out. There are some particularly noisy happenings and vehicles. One is the council's lorry carrying the market stalls with all those steel poles rattling together.
Another is the emptying of the three glass bottle banks opposite, around 7 am on Tuesday mornings. That used to be my day off when I was working a 9-5 (plus evenings for piccies) and I really didn't appreciate the sound of breaking bottles so early in the day. I also would have a concern for my car since it's parked close to where the grabbing arm lifts the containers and one day there was a patch of shards of glass where the driver obviously had a bad aim that day!
Of course there are those individuals who really enjoy dropping the bottles in to hear a satisfying smash, too! It's amazing how sound can carry.
A third is a taxi firm which collects someone regularly for 9.30 am, every morning. (OK, it's late to be in bed but if I'd been up til 4am, it's reasonable, just sorta shift working). The driver arrives about 9.20 and then gives two parps on his horn.
Then there are the parpers going by who know my neighbour.
I shut the phone off in the bedroom. For some reason, of late, I can't answer on that handset. I can make calls out but not accept them and it's frustrating to run downstairs and the caller rings off before I get to the phone!
This morning, for some reason, I actually checked the bedside handset when I awoke from my slumbers, to find three calls awaiting my attention.
The first one made me sniffle and the second one made me laugh: "Take the earplugs out of your ears, then you'll be able to hear the phone ringing!"
What a special man!

The pics I liked



Helen and John.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Postie, postie don't be slow

Be like Elvis, go man go!
Phew, I just spent a couple of hours (why so long, I don't know) wrapping 'someone's' Xmas pressies to send abroad, taping up the box, etc and trotted to the Post Office.
I got the indrawn breath through teeth treatment and head shaking.
"You should have put it in two boxes"
Pause while he looks at me with raised eyebrows.
"Nah, I'll only have to buy another box and untape that one and then tape two of them."
"You sure?"
"Yes!"
"You'll need a special form, I have every one here except that one."
"Can you look a bit harder?? You ARE a post office!"
"You'll have to fill it in. Write everything in these boxes, I'll do the rest."
.............
"I hope they don't read the list, the presents won't be a surprise"
"Oh, you should have just written 'presents' - they won't open it anyway - do you want to write it again?"
"Nah" (Queue 5 deep behind me)
"Oh, you should have left the value blank, they automatically give you £150. Do you want to write it again?"
"Nah"
"Do you want it fast or slow?"
"How much?"
"£ XX "
Pyks faints clean away.
Had to clean up my computer.
It's been telling me I'm low on disk space.
I didn't worry too much because a friend has a BIG giga hard drive for me, we just need to make the exchange.
The warnings ballonos were getting more regular.
Then they changed from amber to red
I heeded the message and thought I'd better archive one or two of the 5,000 piccies on here but found the machine needed to make a copy before transferring (well, best to be safe than sorry) but it halted part way through (already had been going about half an hour!) and told me there wasn't enough space.
New tactic, moved the folder to D drive and tried again but in the meantime responded to a request, did I want some unnecessary/old files deleting.
Yeah, OK ....... got a message that I now had 106MB of Windows space available.
I wasn't just Low, I was "bleeping" low!
Spent hours today transferring files to disks, very tedious but necessary.
Why's my house look like a bomb's hit it after I've walked in?
Got ironing, accounts, invoices, mail to open, story to write, pic tonight, couple to make appointments for. All this reminds me why I only used to ever go out for an hour occasionally, at night.
Still, soonest started, soonest finished.
Well, I don't see it ever being finished but at least it won't be so much to think about, eh?
Cold, innit?
Guy knocked on the door last night ....
"I'm from NPower .... "
"Excuse me but I'm busy working"
"Oh yes, well, so am I"
Bloody cheek .... is that what they tell them to say to customers?????
"Do you pay your bill by standing order?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Well, you could change your gas to us."
"I can't be fagged to wait 3 weeks for the meter to be changed. I hate making appointments. And my house is now getting cold with this door open, good night!"
Another knock this afternoon.
"Hello, I'm from .... whatever ... I saw you yesterday and you said you were out."
"I was, I'd just left the house."
"Would you mind answering some questions?"
"I'm really busy, I'm working."
"Oh, you are of course over 35?" (What's he mean, OF COURSE???)
"Yes."
"You're under 55?"
"Erm, just."
"You work more than six hours a week?"
"I won't do if I keep answering the door to people asking me questions! I'm up to here, thank you, goodbye."
I think I'll go back to my home being my castle and stop answering knocks on the door ... mind you .....
ring ring, ring ring
Thinks ... I'm dashing for an appointment for which I'm going to be late anyway, there's no number showing so I don't know who it is, I'll ignore it, there's an answer facility.
Get the door locked and dashing down the road and I get a chorus of the Mexican Hat Dance on my mobile.
"Oh hello, I've been given your number to buy a picture and you didn't answer on your home phone.
Bugger, the phone's just going ...........
It's OK, it was 'ma mannnnnnn'!!!!
Ah well, back to the keyboard ............

Monday, November 28, 2005

What snow?

Argh, another gap, created by my attempting an edit. I DO wish it didn't DO that! Pretend it's white snow! A whiteout!

My goodness, how time has flown.

Better keep looking though, just in case. Sigh.

Stuff that's happened in the meantime; we had the town illluminations on Thursday last, tree in square lit up, youngsters from Lacey Gardens, St Michael's and Kidgate primary schools provided a choir and orchestra and the Louth Riverhead Silver Band played festive music afterwards while the shops stayed open late. Santa visited and kiddies' faces were a wonder to behold, as usual. By the time I arrived at this event, though early, there was a goodly crowd so I had to hold my camera aloft and shout 'scuse me' as I squeezed my way through to the front. I expect adults to be taller than I but half the kids are, too. It's one of those jobs where it's a delight to see the toddlers' faces when they see Santa and the excitement in the older children because Christmas is getting nearer but it's a devil getting thro' the crowds when you're little!

Friday - SNOW day, Ian and I packed carefully for a trip down to Essex to Peter's wine and cheese party, in Stebbing, near Dunmow. He put blankets in the car, wellies, a shovel and had warm clothing in case we got marooned. I had similar warm clothes and packed a picnic with hot home made soup, beef and horseradish sandwiches and fruit. Off we set ... for me to call a halt 2 mins later at the first shop we came to so I could buy a bottle of water.

It had been snowing in Louth and was settling but we made out way over to the A1 going out via Horncastle and thro New York, where there's a great route, if you know it, which is nice and straight and not a lot of traffic and you come out past Boston, at Kirton, so can avoid the City and any commuter traffic. Also, even the other side of the Louth bypass, there was no snow and we had absolutely no problems at all with the weather.

We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express at Braintree, close to the Freeport Designer Shopping Centre so of course had to have a trip around there and make a few purchases. Also went to the cinema and caught Flightplan with Jodie Foster. I'd been half frit out of my mind just seeing the trailer and my inclination was to see Nanny McPhee - which was probably more frightening, since that's what young kids apparently enjoy, being scared - but the film was good and I managed to keep watching through the whole of it.

Peter had laid on a lovely feast of cheeses and had some interesting friends whom I met for the first time. Peter's an Aquarian - I always find Aquarians a bit batty, strange people. So I suppose that's how people find me, too! However, once I know they're Aquarian I just accept it. Whether birds of a feather flock together applies here I'm not sure but it was strange that in the room there were three of us all with the same actual birthday, 8th Feb, plus Peter, another Aquarian. I didn't ask if there were any more among those gathered but don't you think that's a bit quirky, in a gathering of less than 20 people, that 3 have the same birthday??

One of Peter's guests had a surprise for us. He played Santa by giving us all a book by Dostoyevsky, The Village of Stepanchikovo, which he'd translated. He being Ignat Avsey. We were also given the opportunity to purchase his translation of The Karamazov Brothers, also by Dostoyevsky. If his translation is half so amusing as the surprise he sprung over his little marketing ploy, it should be fun! I bought a couple of copies of the latter book and Ig was kind enough to autograph them.

That's just reminded me of another book I bought which was signed by the author, 'Hic!or The Entire History of Wine (Abridged)' by Julian Curry. Julian, well known to TV audiences as Claude Erskine-Brown in 'Rumpole of the Bailey', performed the book last year at the Louth Riverhead Playgoers theatre. Sitting on stage consuming a bottle of red (and seeming very much to enjoy it) looked like a very enjoyable way of passing an evening and certainly as a member of the audience I found the show hugely amusing and informative. See link at side to learn more about HIC!

At breakfast y'day morning I noticed a man, maybe in his 50's, setting the table precisely for two. He positioned the plates and mugs and put a napkin by each setting and placed the cutlery on this. His face was quite serious doing this but when he'd finished, he sat back and gave a little smile and was joined presently by a blonde haired lady. They gave each other such beaming smiles I decided that they just HAD to be relatively newly married. Which is possibly a little unfair a statement to make when there must be, ohhhhh, a couple of hundred long-time married couples who are happy and stll smile at one another at breakfast time??? I did glance at the guy's wedding ring and sure enough it was very bright gold and shiny and the lady's appeared similarly bright, so maybe my assessment wasn't too far off the mark? I like people watching. If wonder if the watcher is watched?

Went to the pub last night for the quiz. With very little assistance from me Ian completed the quiz sheet. Certainly my input in the music section (popular) was almost zilch. The only one I knew was Procol Harum's Whiter Shade of Pale and everyone knew that, anyway!

And we won! Well, there was a tie breaker but the question was deemed so daft that the two winning teams (Ian and myself, Mick and Sue) decided to share the prize anyway. Well, who knows how many millions of chicken nuggets were consumed last year??? Or was it last month?

I've got a bath that's gone from hot to luke warm to decidedly chilly so I think I'll top it up with hot and get my show on the road!!

Monday, November 21, 2005

"Where've you been?"

I was just about to write an email to Victoria, on Saturday, when it occured to me that it would be nice to speak to her instead. it was 4pm and I figured it should be 8am in Alaska so I dialled and got a very sleepy voice saying "Hello??? Wha? Is it the middle of the night? Is everything OK? Where've you been?"
I'd miscalculated, she's 9 hours behind me.
I chuckled later, at the "Where've you been?"
It put me in mind of parent waiting at the door for miscreant teenager's return, pointing with jabbing motions at watch on wrist :) I reckon Tora's always been older (and wiser) than I!
So, where have I been?
Long time, week ago now, I went with Ian to the Sommeliers' evening. Haven't actually got the details of that in front of me at this moment, but from memory there were about 50 people in an old hall with a huge fire in the middle (I mean in the middle of a side wall, of course), the warmth from which did not, unfortunately, reach to the outer edges of the room nor, more particularly to the ends of the two tables meeting in a v shape, at one of which I was sitting, near an outer door which wouldn't shut properly! The candles on the table up our end of the room burned like fury with the wind and were gone when the rest were only half was burned!
However, as the evening and consumption of wine and food progressed, one worried less and less about the cold!
"French dishes with wines from the Rhone Valley, (loosely and with exceptions) and/or where the food dishes originate from North Africa or Lincolnshire."
There were 7 wines and I'm not even going to begin to name them all or be oenophilic about it -- 3 dark reds, one of which was a surprise one and Australian (must have been a French emigree?), 1 rose, 1 white to go with Kir and 1 white fizzy one that tasted like Asti, but wasn't. The dishes we had to accompany were a selection of olives and ditto saucissons. Anchovy croissant ... very nice!, crepes with mushrooms and smoked haddock and sole, skewered rosemary marinaded chicken with aioli dip, chuchuka (sorta ratty toowee) in filo pastry cups, venison on a little slice of bread fried in olive oil - wouldda been much quicker to write "sur tartine" but who (apart from me) sits with a french dicko by their side??? Oh yes, with a delish creamed horseradish.
I haven't finished yet, come back .... Pork sausages (must have been the Lincs element) in Puy lentils and then rabbit in a mustard sauce, finishing with a selection of 3 cheeses.
I wuz stuffed ... and not a little woozy!
I fear it was a little raucous on our table, particularly down the end where I was sitting. Can't think why :)
Think I've missed out on mentioning such fun stuff that I haven't done in years, such as a walk along the prom (prom prom where the big band plays, tiddly om pom pom - cept they didn't, I just added that), down to Willy's bar for a micro-brewery beer and a spot of lunch before taking in a matinee of The Constant Gardener with Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weiss.
Sitting in Willy's I saw a guy approaching who was obviously, to me, out of his head. I'm not such a sage that I could tell what on, but I reckoned that someone who stops and looks at nothing at all and talks to himself is probably away with the pixies. Oh he did trip as he walked in the bar, too.
He was served.
Shortly after which it became noticeable that someone behind us was talking rather loudly. When he started swearing he was given his money back and ejected.
I don't think he helped his case by the abusive language he used to the bar maid doing the ejecting, nor to a potential return when he shouted, from across the road: "Hey, that's my fucking favourite bar, you bitch."
The film was a good one but don't go if you want a laugh.
Yesterday Ian and I went for a bike ride into Grimsby. I think we did 14km, which is about 4 times the length of any journey I've ridden on 'my noo bike' so far in Louth and I got to test the 'lady seat'.
Ian's 6' 2" tall which seems to be all legs and where he would have preferred me to be in front to keep an eye on me, he had to lead since I didn't know where the hell we were going. So I had the opportunity to see that my legs were peddalling twice as face as his. He was keeping on eye on me though, in a mirror on his handle bars. At one point the sun was shining directly in the mirror and he lost me and stopped.
Just as well cos I'd been stopped at a traffic light to let a cyclist cycle over a crossing. Can they do that??? I tried going up and down the gears but despite the service they get a bit noisy at times and even if it's easier to pedal I get fed up of the noise it makes in that mode!
We cycled along the river Freshney for a while and I noted some houses for sale there, which would be quite a nice aspect but the yards at the back were tiny and very definitely not conducive to any summertime sunbathing. Sigh, I suppose you have to sacrifice something for cheap housing?
Oh, I have to get a photograph taken today for tomorrow's interview, for the 'identification process', else i can't have the interview. Mustn't forget.
Well, that's tomorrow so let's see how it goes?
Oh, the lady's seat ... I still got numb 'bits' and fidgeted and fidgeted for the last 20 mins or so of the ride, wondering which it I could sit on that didn't ache. Ian's moved the sit back and inch or so now so I'll test that out. Apparently it IS gel, as well as specially shaped for lady's bits so the next step, I suppose, is to tie a cushion to the seat???

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Remembrance in Louth and Mablethorpe

Mablethorpe community waiting to pay their respects at a service held at The Dunes, prior to marching to the town's war memorial.

King Edward VI Grammar School Combined Cadet Force.








In respect and memory.


Laying a wreath for the Royal Marines.

Playing the Last Post, 17-year-old Adam Barter, with Rev. Canon Stephen Holdaway who conducted the War Memorial service and Chairman of Louth British Legion, Gus Robertson who spoke the act of homage in reciting the words of the poet, Laurence Binyon, written in 1914, For the Fallen.
“They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.”

Remembering


The water feature (with fish) of which the Sutton on Sea War Memorial is the centrepiece. From the middle section, closest to front on piccie, I was taking pictures of the rededication service of the war memorial, balancing on the outermost wall when the wind caught me. I decided that bouncing on large boulders and flattening the Salvation Army Band was not an option so let the sway take me backwards .. well, I didn't have any choice, really, and landed IN the water feature, up to my knees. The boots I was wearing were 'fashion', part suede, part woolly so they just soaked up the water.

As I continued falling, trying to regain balance lots was going thro' my mind, taking in that the vicar was praying, not eveyone's head was bowed, some were looking a tad horrified at me slowly sinking into the water and sheesh, I hoped I didn't make a huge splashy noise or squeal if I ended up sitting in the cold 'bath'! I did, automatically, hold my camera aloft ... ever the professional!

After the service there were people asking if I was OK, some smiling, some laughing ... one guy said 'Thank you so much for being so funny." At the Meridale Community Hall, just by the memorial, there was an exhibition commemorating all those on the memorial, which had been researched, I believe, by Tony Cumberworth, including pictures taken in French cemetaries of gravestones and of commerative plaques where no body had been able to be recovered.

The exhibition was very, very moving.

In the cafe area where we all warmed up with coffee/tea, I took off my squelching boots and hung my socks (clean that morning!) over a radiator, to dry out, to people's amustment. Lost my poppy, too.

In fact I'm on my third poppy!

At Mablethorpe this morning, a service was held in The Dunes. Unfortunately I (we ;) ) had to leave to dash back to the Louth ceremony but I would have loved to stay through the end since it was to culminate with poppy petals being released on to the stage. Apart from being touching, that would have made a great photograph.

I DID keep still, for the two minutes silence and not take a picture. Got told off by a lady one year, saying I'd been bouncing all over the place. True, I had, but not at that point, nor would I.

Can't please everyone all of the time, huh?

This has been a long weekend, it feels, that has gone quickly. On Friday evening Ian and I went to Louth Playgoers theatre to see You're Only Young Twice. It was great fun, Gordon Adams has to be congratulated on playing his part of Gordon very amusingly.

We then checked out The Greyhouse pub which has just reopened. All designer, sofas and leather banquettes. Very nice.

Yesterday afternoon we played 18 holes at Woodthorpe. This was my second game in two years and I played worse than the first time a couple of weeks ago, in Scotland!! It was a longer course and I had been used to playing 9 holes, in Portugal, 3s an 4s, so I started getting tired, which actually, almost coincided with my game improving slightly - maybe tiredness meant I wasn't trying so hard? My language got stronger, though even if my game didn't!

Ian was great, carrying his clubs, pulling mine and holding my hand to jolly me along as well. It must be like taking a 12 year old out. OK, I break just like a little girl but .... I do other stuff just like a woman!

A bit more culture in the evening, a concert by Louth Chamber Choir at St James' Church which I was enjoying but it was lulling me and when Ian saw me dropping off to sleep, he gave me the wakey wakey nudge - thank goodness - before I started snoring!!!

We had to repair to the Greyhound again to waken me, at the interval. No sense in staying and snoring my way through it, huh?

It was chilly last night, the roads and pavements (and my car!) had been salted.

Well, I haven't sent any more job applications off since Thursday but tomorrow I'm going to spend the day in the sales office of a magazine for a look-see, not an interview per se but a kindness, favour to me (though there were none owed) to see what goes on in sales and see if, maybe, I can hack it. Being people orientated isn't enough for sales (damn!).

Going along to the Lincs Sommerliers group meeting on Monday evening, oooo la la, tis one with an arome francais and I get to meet Ian's friends. I couldn't really reciprocate in the introducing to friends department since mine are a moveable feast .. whoever's at t'pub .. but it became obvious the last couple of days that my work has provided the majority of my friends. Whatever I end up doing, workwise, I'm glad of my time in this Louth/Mablethorpe/Sutton community among such lovely caring people.

OK, gotta get on with my captioning.


Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Fools For Good Blog

The Louth Hospital CT Scanner Appeal Charity Calender made by the lads who have called themselves Fools For Good with yours truly, Pyk, as the photographer, is now on sale.

Jim had a couple of hours to while away last night and has set up a blog for Fools For Good and you can click on this link to view it. I've also put a link in the right hand margin if you think the picture is so funny that you want to see it again!!!

Nutmeg

I came across a very relaxing aromatherapy massage oil in Boots, containing Peppermint and Nutmeg.

When I went into our small branch to buy a replacement, there was none so I set about making my own by buying a carrier oil, almond oil and separate small bottles of peppermint and nutmeg essential oils, which I mentioned the other day as pleasantly wafting around my house.

The essence oils suggested 6 drops per 15 ml of carrier but when I sniffed at the resultant mix it didn't seem half strong enough so I got a little heavy handed with it!

Since I had two bottles of carrier, I made a second batch, which I kept for myself. I thought maybe I'd used a little too much peppermint in the previous mix so was lighter with that oil and heavier, quite a bit, with the nutmeg oil in the second bottle.

The night before last I massaged a little of this mix on my chest ... peppermint opens the airways, I tend toward a blocked nose if I've been in a warm room ... and it was a very relaxing aroma, combined with the nutmeg and I suppose I smelled like a rather exotic rice pudding!

I slept straight away but in the morning felt that I'd been up all night! Though I couldn't recall any dreams I had had, there was the feeling that I had indeed been dreaming the whole night through.

Then I remembered that nutmeg has been prescribed as a means of weaning addicts off drugs. A whole grated teaspoonful could give someone a high for quite some hours.

It occured to me that having been heavy handed with the very essential oil of nutmeg that I may well have been hallucinating in my dreams, hence thinking I'd been dreaming all night!

Y'know, I suppose it does pay to follow instructions on bottles!

Or look at the picture if it's a foreign bottle - eh Pete? .... Recalling the soap/softener farrago!

I've got fuzzy eyes!

I think my left eye's suddenly developed long sightedness and my right one got shorter sightedness. Consequently I'm squinting like fury.

What stops me making an optician appointment is having to wait for one. I'm Aquarius and spontaneous. I want it and I want it NOW!!!!

Silly really, if I'd made the appointment when I went in to see how long 'til I could have one, about 3 weeks ago, I'd have it sorted by now, my fears about going blind would be allayed - OK, I know I'm a Chicken Licken but I figure if you take the worst case scenario, it can only be better - I'd have new lens and I wouldn't be wondering how much a course of Botox injections would cost.

A couple of years ago I thought I'd give contact lens another 'go'. I had hard lens when I was 17 (back in the ice age) and they were great to look after. Unfortunately I had to give them up because I developed conjunctivitus, since being on 'the pill' I was told, had dried the liquid in my eyes some and they just didn't sit well.

I did try semi permeable lens in my late 30's, having been tube-tied by then but got fed up of the messing around cleaning them! When I went back to spectacles, all those people who had said:"Wow, you look really good without glasses," said:"I'm so glad you're wearing glasses again, they really suit you."

So two years ago I toyed with soft multivision lens. Didn't like those at ALL. Hated the feeling of touching my eyes putting them in and flailed getting them out again and besides, they seemed to jump around on my eyes and I was forever blinking to get focussed vision. I'd made this final attempt at wearing lens since the camera I was using did not have a dioptric thingy and if taking a picture at a distance I couldn't see if everyone was smiling at me!!!

I do have a friend who's had laser treatment and he said it was very successful and is chuffed to little pieces - but then I've heard that it doesn't necessarily mean not wearing spectacles at all, it could mean just wearing them for, say, reading.

Anyway, job on list..... make optician appointment and go pay dentist fee for my no-show yesterday so I can go get my tooshy pegs checked out! OH, I don't mean extracted!!!


Monday, November 07, 2005

Real Life (Original)

Got caught out, didn't I??
Panicking, doing the headless chicken thing, zapped the original Real Life, thought 'no one' would be any the wiser. Wrong - some people rise early!
In my lost the plot mode I thought how bleeping useless I am, no use to man nor beast .... However, pulled it together and decided scatty doesn't equate to useless and times, they are a changing ... What I have to remember is that I've dealt with a WHOOOOOOOOOLE load of tish over the last few years, on my own and I'm still in the ring and fighting!
Sooooooooo ... reinstating Real Life!! :)

"I had a taste, over the weekend of life when one isn't working all the time and you know what? I really really enjoyed it!
Of course I had to make up for not working, by working this evening, catching up on captioning the pix I've taken the last few days but it's a small price to pay for the pleasure.
I think I'll need a huge syringeful of Botox to deal with the frown/squint lines I'm laying in store for myself though.
Ok, this weekend Ian (of Scotland jaunt)invited me to dinner joining his parents (Hugh and Jean), sister (June), bro in law (Bob), niece (Michelle), her boyfriend (John) and friend (Helen), to celebrate Michelle's 21st birthday.
We went to a restaurant in Grimsby, The Granary, which has just been awarded recognition in a Which guide, the only place to have one such in the Grimsby/Cleethorpes/Louth area, I gather and we indulged in some very fine fare, followed by birthday cake, cheeses, port and eisswine back at June and Bob's home.
Yesterday we had lunch, except for John and Helen at the Grimsby Golf Club and it was most convivial.
Also brings it home to me that I only have work engagements in my diary, not social ones, unless it's taking pictures at someone else's! i.e. balls. I mean balls, not swearing!
So anyway, this could be a big egg on face moment ... I think there's one out there who doesn't mind my snoring ... can even match it ... but even so I win in the talking in the sleep stakes! Minus four. I woke us both up saying that.No, it wasn't a score, just what I thought the temperature was.
I could go so far as to say I have a boyfriend ... except he's a man.
Oh, and it has to be Ian, of course, cos if I'd been off meeting anyone else's family then that'd be a bit of a to-do, wouldn't it?
Oh eek.I write this blog for me, though knowing it amuses a few peeps out there, but this is a sorta public announcement.
However, Ian has provided some very happy times for me of late and hopefully, I for him.
So blooming heck, now y'all know!I'm off to bed (about time too) before I wake up and find I'm dreaming!
ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz - minus four. " :) x


Real life

Deleted, far too scary!
Thanks J!

Lost the plot, headless chicken mode

Promptly gone into lost the plot, headless chicken mode.
Seem to have spent the better part of the day looking on local job sites, phoned a couple, applications in post to me tonight, forgot my dental appointment, been asked where photo prints are (here, waiting) found insurance doc I should complete and return, mail unopened cheque or two unbanked.
OK Ishould be doing that, instead of this, except this is my five minutes of regaining sanity.
Got a nice job at the Food and Drinks Fayre on 19th, preview evening. Got a spare ticket.
Flower water needs changing, sun was over the roof and washing almost as wet as when it went out.
Got a job at 7pm mustn't miss that, too.
Just eaten lunch/dinner, at least don't have to bother about food again. No wonder people saying 'you've lost a lot of weight'.
Think I should concentrate the job hunting to evening hours.
Wonder when I'll do the accounts?
Pull self together, girl.

Friday, November 04, 2005

Smells - Oh and it may help prevent flu!

I suppose I should really have written aromas, or scents or perfumes? Smell would denote something less than pleasant and my house smells exceeding pleasant at the moment!
Peppermint, nutmeg mixed in a carrier almond oil for massage are wafting from the kitchen. I placed the mixer bottle on some kitchen paper, sure to spill some and then put the paper on a warm radiator and the wonderful spicy aroma is wafting through.
In fact, if you can have a cacophony of aromas I think I've created one!

I'd just started ironing and had used some Comfort Vaporesse to create the sssssteammm-heat!

Also got a burner going in the sitting room, where I've just drifted through and used a few drops of relaxing oil in that. I can smell lavender, most definitely, but not sure what else.

What more do I need? Hmmm, how about someone to use the massage oil on.

Julie Coates, you cheeky monkey!

Juniper, I so wish I'd bought some! Juniper berries are used in making gin, that lavender'y smell, huh? In fact it's been used for a wide variety of purposes over the ages, even in cannibalism -The Juniper Tree (In folklore, healing and cannibalism).
It's an antiseptic and in the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic, which is believed to have killed some 20,000,000 people worldwide it was sprayed in flu wards to prevent air-borne infection and found to be quite effective.
How do you quantify 'quite effective', I wonder? Did fewer people suddenly not die? Was the strain of flu less virulent?? The statement 'quite effective' should come with examples! Unfortunately I can't give you any, cos I just copied it and I wasn't around in 1918.!

'ere you lot, don't all go rushing out to buy it before I've got myself a bottle, (and hiking up the price!) since I'm the one passing the info on.

"Get yer bird flu antiseptic 'ere, roll up, roll up."

Now, just remember me when you're sittting there, pretty, with the flu bug having passed o'er your house!!!

The wood smells good and also acts, I read somewhere, as a deterrent to midges.

Hey, just had an absolutely brill idea ... midges about in Scotland late summer (maybe early, too, dunno, didn't see any!).

Well,you're hardly likely to pocket a hanky with Juniper oil dabbed on it and wave it around Stephen Fry style, are you? Hankie waving just doesn't seem to be the done thing nowadays. Why did people wave them out of train windows ? All those bogies and germs? Though I suppose it's better to wave them OUT of a window than in the carriage?
Hmm, I suppose you could always say it was Olbas oil on the hankie and it was to prevent blocked nose?
Anyway, a really good and very practical way to carry the Juniper wood then would be either as a stave, and be a Morris Man Dancer OR to have one of Laguioles superb corkscrew knives.

Ahem, I do get to the point eventually!

I first read of these in .... who's that guy that wrote about living in France??? (Peter, erm, Peter? Peter? Peter someone or other? )Y'know the one who set 'em all off ... next thing we knew there was then Living in Tuscany, Living in Spain, etc etc. Almost became as popular as the Collins Litte Gem books.

Digression .. did you have any of those books? I came across a stand with them on in Spencers Newsagents, in Louth. There were sooo many titles. Herbs and spices - that wasn't around in my childhood. We had normal things, like Dogs, Cats, Trains and Mushrooms.

We only ever came across two types of mushroom though and they were in the shop so didn't actually have to decide whether it was poisonous or not.

'nother digression ... I adore chanterelle mushrooms. They're aromatic Love porcini, too. Amazing how much they taste like pork!

A lady from Switzerland was on the Steve Wright in the after 'international' quiz show yesterday and she said one of her hobbies is picking mushrooms, a couple of kilo a day, in the season (now) to take home and eat.
How wonderful, huh?
In fact Tora went mushroom picking a few weeks ago. She had her book with her after a couple of picks and found that one she had been discarding as poisonous is in fact edible and very tasty!
I've tried the dried mushroom and the taste is fine but sometimes there seems to be residue of soil Not only do you rehydrate the mush, you rehydrate the mud!
Chantrelles in a fondu, with those Swiss cheeses and kirsh ......... oh wow, I'm drooling.
They're hellish expensive over here.
Now, where did I digress so I can get back to the point. Ah the Languioles Juniper Corkscrew knife OK, we're talking costly - it's not £2.99 from Spar "cos the one in the cutlery drawer just fell to pieces so can you chuck me one in the bag with that bottle of vin, mate."
Superb craftsmanship, folk tale stories behind the design that include Napoleon - if you believe one story, or flies and sheep if you believe the other one. AND churchgoing. I mean, how much story do you usually get in a pocketknife? And it pulls, too.

Just think you go out on the town .. you may not pull, but the knife will - corks, of course!

Back pedal. If you're out on the town ... leave your knife at home, huh?

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Blimey O'Reilly

That form took me hours to complete! Thirteen pages! Took me 10 mins to get the nerve to hit 'send'!

I need to go sit in a darkened room with a cuppa now! Except I've got some photographs to go take.

I finally thought of a situation in my life involving team work .... being a mummy!!!

I just needed that one thing to trigger the rest.

It's been the same, pretty much, for writing play reviews. I can't dash home and write one, I have to give myself a couple of hours break and then ponder, waiting for the trigger words. They might be at any point in relation to the play, but once I have them, the rest flows around it.

Ok, jobs to do, better dash!

Oh, better remember to mail a hard copy ........

whoooooooooosh

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

la la la la laaaaaaaaaa

Quite a good day today. Did waste a little time, I confess, but today is the equivalent of a weekend for me. One day does not a weekend make, JC!
I might open my mail in a day or so's time!! At least I know what it is without opening.
Ohhhh, I went off to Mablethorpe y'day afternoon for 4 jobs and within half a mile of home I suddenly got really tired and did that eye drooping thing .. which isn't good when you're driving. Two or three times it happened, enough to make me thing I was scared enough for it not to happen again and by now I was about 300yard from home. Next thing I knew I was swervin to miss a traffic light and island! Sheesh, scarey. You don't really think of pulling over for a nap when you're THAT close to home, do ya?
I decided it was time to have some 'fun' so went along to choir this evening. I used to go regularly when I first came to Louth but jobs always seemed to coincide with practice evenings .. well, they do when you're working all the time, then their busy season coincided with mine so in fairness I gave up.
However, there's a new director who said to just go along, when I can. I could, so I did.
It was great! Really enjoyed singing my little heart out and we're practising Christmas songs for a concert and to entertain the dears in the old peeps' homes over the festive season.
Then popped into the pub with a couple of the gals, Bree and Pat, then in to see the guys (and gals) who belong to/play with the Alford Morris with whom I had such a fine bank holiday weekend.
Going to concentrate on filling in a job application form tomorrow. Trouble is,I'm trying to answer on grade level 7 and it's only a grade 1 job! Duh.
I quite like the idea of a proper job ... maybe I'd have some spare time to write??