Pykspeeks

Almost four years later

2010-11-25T00:40:00.002Z

Quite amazed to see I can still access this Blog. I closed it in a fit of pique which I regretted almost immediately!!

What has been interesting viewing the blog are the enhancements, for instance being able to see where in the world the readers are (were). Well, another surprise that 77 or so people actually read a page of the blog in October this year!!

I wonder what they were searching for in order that they fell upon me??

Anyway ... update ... I'm getting married next March (not to be upstaged by the Royal Wedding ... getting mine ... OURS ... in first.

I had this brilliant idea of ordered a custom-made dress which was 4" smaller at all of the vital statistics and seem to have been eating myself silly worryingabout getting into it. Of course this is not the way to get thinner.

Joined Weightwatchers tonight! Have to go for 12 weeks (it's free through my GP ) if I fall by the wayside I have to pay £50. Good incentive. But a better one is the fact that when I attempted to try on the dress I looked like a gorilla at a chimps tea party.

Now lets see if this will post ... and will I every be able to get back to it???

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

A rovin' we did go!

2006-03-31T11:44:00.000+01:00

Finally got my head stuck into 'the accounts' and made good headway. Haven't totally finished the year up yet but should do, over the next couple of days. I had a deadline for Wednesday, early afternoon since CB and I were due to catch the 9pm sailing to Amsterdam, from Hull.
Went to have my hair snipped and Claire told me she had just returned, the day before, from a similar trip, to Bruges. She regaled me with tales of sea-sickness and old people with cases full of ciggies.
Well, bless the old people if they're still active enough to drag caseload's of ciggies around capital cities of Europe, let 'em do it, at least they still have the freedom to buy ciggies, even if any place to smoke 'em is fast disappearing in the UK! One lady took her little pavement scooter with her. I wondered if she'd have been able to walk if she didn't smoke quite so much though! I'm saying no more on the smoking subject cos I was guilty of buying a few packs of tobacco and some (not many) ciggies.
The tales of sea sickness did worry me though. I got some tablets to combat it but then found they wouldn't 'go' with my medication so went for natural methods by buying crystalized ginger and a tin of Altoids, a great little hot peppermint.
I know they're big ships and generally speaking one doesn't feel the ups and downs of the sea so badly in them but even so, Claire said the 8-10 knot winds meant people were confined (by the captain) to their cabins. At least lying down one has less chance of FALLING down, I suppose!
Personally, I'm haunted by a trip over the North Sea to the Ise of Man, from Morecambe, almost 30 years ago! The ship was soooo rolly that the minute it got out of the lee of the harbour I started feeling ill and spent almost the whole of the journey lying flat in a 'ladies lounge', apart from frequent trips to the loo to be ill.
On arrival in the IOM I refused to go back by boat and we had, despite having little money, to buy air tickets to fly back. It was only a day trip and I spent the remainder of the day recovering from the journey.
Anyhow, hum, though we had force 5-8 ish winds, all went well. Awaking about 3am this morning and CB saying "Have we stopped moving?" did worry me a little. Had visions of being tossed on the sea in a non-functioning ship!
A very gentle 'bing bong Irishy' tune awakens passengers from their slumbers and a time check, at 6am, followed by others half an hour later and then with increasing frequency until one finds oneself saying to the invisible lady, "Shut the **** up!"
This phrase also sprang to mind last evening in Langans Restaurant, on board ship (The Pride of Hull) over dinner.
On the outward journey we ate in the Four Seasons Restaurant, a buffet meal with quite a wide choice of dishes but I do worry a little about 'buffet' food. I mean, catering for 100s, SOME of it has to have been sitting around for a while, somewhere or other! For my main course I had a curry and maybe it was that which assailed me the following day?
However, the Langans Restaurant meals were cooked to order and last night we upgraded for a treat, also thinking we'd not be in earshot of the likes who used ***k and other four letter words as every other word in their conversation.
We got, instead, a guy with a male eating companion, who used 'bloody', instead. Not sooo bad? However, he talked incessantly. It was interesting watching his companion's body language, he physically distanced himself from the 'talker' though he had to appear to be listening. I wondered if he was an employee, or an exceptionally good friend cos I'd have been forced to 'do a Peter' and tell the guy how rude he was in that he talked non-stop and boringly and mainly about himself.
You may think that I shouldn't have listened to his private conversation? I agree but he also spoke so loudly that one had no option. About his diebetes, operation, prostitutes and finally it became so wearisome that I think I actually managed to stop listening, as did the guy's dining pal; a glazed looked came over him!
As to Amsterdam, it was a taster day, really. We docked an hour late and then had to queue for some time before disembarking, with only two immigration chappies on arrival and then we were bussed into the city, from Europort, which took a couple of hours so we arrived in the centre of Amsterdam at 11.30. We had already agreed that we'd like a canal cruise tour because despite several trips to the city I'd never used this mode of transport and I do like a 'sight seeing' trip in a city, to give one a general overview of the place.
First I had to find a loo and kindly the captain consented to allow me to nip on his boat before boarding time, for a wee! In the loo, of course.
There's an awful lot of 'social' housing, thousands of flats. I'd forgotten that the 'continentals' do 'do' apartment-living. In one housing 'project', where individual architects had been given a free rein, the original people who had moved to the island just a short ferry hop from the city were called 'pioneers' by our guide. It was hardly a move to the new world though!
However, it was all very interesting and quite enjoyable. We sat at the back of the cruise boat, for a good all round view (I led the way to the seating) to find the noise of the engine could drown conversation when the captain 'put his foot down', it was next to the loos and every now and again there'd be the loud 'schuuuup' sound of the flushing toilet like those on aeroplanes, and opening the window to cool down (sun beating on glass above) the smell of diesel fuel was quite strong! I also led the way to the coach seat on the return journey which had a broken switch and the air blower thingy was blasting cold air, mainly on CB, but of course we didn't discover that until the coach was moving and all the seats were filled!
Perhaps I'm not a very good seat-selector?
The cruise was followed by a meander thro the streets of Amsterdam, which became a faster and faster walk as I got hungrier and more desperate for the loo!
Also had forgotten those toilets were one's 'doings' sit on a sort of 'shelf' for examination (if one wishes to examine!) before being flushed away!
Having eaten and cheered up (me), we were to walk off the meal with more sight-seeing and CB, bless 'im was not too upset at my dragging him toward the red-light district, well, 'Chinatown' and other bustling areas. However, the streets where the ladies displayed their wares (some with 'considerable' wares but one would have needed a caseload of paper bags, had one consumed the wares, if one gets my meaning!) in the windows had some pretty shady characters hanging around and I had my handbag very firmly tucked under my arm, though CB said he was keeping an eye on me, walking in front of him and he was carrying a substantial umbrella, truncheon-style, ready for use!
That walk also became a quest for a loo (me again!). Yes, we could have stopped in a bar again but then I'd only have filled up and probably needed a loo on the return coach journey!
So, we had a flavour of the city, a day of loo hunting and some fun and were back at the coach stop at 4pm.
OH, nooooo, didn't visit a 'coffee shop', having experienced the weed on a previous trip and not having particularly enjoyed the experience but one street we walked down I became decidedly 'heady' as the smell of the 'grass' wafted into the street!
It was interesting getting off the ship, at the bottom of the lift were all the people with their cases full and trolley loads of booze and cigs.
The 'two for one' offers have finished now, until next September. Maybe Bruges next time??
OK, back to the accounts.

Domani, I'll start Domani!

2006-03-27T23:29:00.000+01:00

My accounts! I had a super weekend but ended up just spending today reading and dozing. I figure I must have needed the sleep.
But I'll have to get up and at it tomorrow with those durned accounts!
CB cooked a very tasty meal for the family for mother's day. My input was the gravy and the pudding. Since the gravy was a tad 'gourmet' (blackberry liqueur, sage, thyme, peppercorns, as well as oxo!) I just made a small panful, forgot, of course, how much we Britis like our gravy so I had to hastily make a second panful when peeps went back for seconds. Using what was left I tipped in red wine, some more liqueur and thyme but made the mistake of sprinkling the oxo (the new fandangled kind which includes the thickener) on top so it lumped a tad! Should have strained it! Gravy? One lump or two?
Tora phoned me from Alaska, yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

Weird!

2006-03-26T12:45:00.000+01:00

A couple of posts have disappeared into the ether! One I posted a few days ago has suddenly just arrived in my mail box, though it doesn't yet appear on the blog and it arrived at the same time as the blog I've just posted, which also hasn't arrived on the blog.
Strange things happening!

Where'd the sun go?

2006-03-26T11:35:00.000+01:00

It was a beautiful morning when I got up, balmy breeze, sunshine ...but the clouds have gathered now so I expect we're in for another dowsing.
Oh, I got my new VDU specs for work. They're great for reading and the VDU but anything further than 6 feet from my nose is very fuzzy indeed! I've bought one of those specs cords so I can hang them around my neck if I need to see further!
When the visiting optician was fitting the specs, which actually simply plopped on my ears/nose and didn't need alteration, I asked if he'd have a fiddle with my old (second best) specs since the previous evening, fed up of fuzzy vision (I'm using my 'spare' pair at the moment) I'd pushed the specs up and over to the right and 'hey presto', I could see!
Nice man altered the nose bits so I can see much better with them.
My new (from December) varifocals, which I took back since they seemed fuzzy, too, were replaced since apparently they were missing about 2mm of vision in the right lens on a very narrow reading area anyway.
The optician was very good and obliging and since the frame had also chipped, they replaced the frame. Trying on the new pair, yesterday, the assistant noticed that the new frame had chipped in a couple of places and when she ran her nail over it, the paint simply peeled away. We had a look at similar shaped frames (so we could use the same lens - which actually, they'd changed from Nikon corridor to Varilux for greater reading area, I believe!) but I didn't like the colours, so have chosen yet ANOTHER new frame which will require yet another set of lens - since the lens element of the specs was about £250 and they now have a useless set, I have to commend them for sorting the problems which were created by the manufacturer. And denying that I was the 'customer from hell', which is how I felt!
That sorted, I had a little promenade around the market place which was choc-a-bloc with people buying Mother's Day gifts and flowers. There were absolutely TONS of flowers, and each of the three or four stalls were double their usual size.
Gave me a bit of a lump in the throat, actually. Families being together today.
Tora called me last week (the US Mother's Day is in a couple of months' time, I think) and she'd been panicked into thinking it was last week. Bless her. She said she'd call me today so I'll make sure I have my mobile close by at Cheeky Boy's.
It's a family celebration there today, with CB in the chef's hat with a starter of smoked salmon (I believe), roast pork and all that goes with it and I've made a chilled lemon flan for the pudding.
Hmmm, is it a pudding or dessert? There is a difference, etiquette wise, but I can't remember what it is. Lemme think ...........
OK, just grabbed my etiquette book .... "Pudding ... never 'sweet', 'afters' or 'dessert' (except when describing a fruit course), is always eaten with a spoon and fork, with the exceptionn of ices and sorbets, which are consumed with a small spoon alone."
Wow, I've just learned how to cut cheese off the board. Well, I learned anyway, that if you're taking a slice of a wedged cheese, you cut yourself a lengthwise slice, not one across the tip and you cut a wedge out of a round cheese. AND you cut yourself off a small bunch from a big bunch of grapes, not grab 'em off individually. Mind you, I DO do that anyway, cos empty grape prongs just look so untidy sticking up off a bunch!
Michael Parkinson's jazz prog is on the radio. I've no idea why I'm listening to it, apart from the fact I don't want to listen to Radio 1 .. I know I'll try to find Radio 4. It's a bit hissy ... possibly interference from the computer. Oh, just thought, I could put the TV on and get them digitally, I think.
I was watching/listening to a really interesting (to me) programme in the wee small hours. I think I started watching it at 1am and one prog ran into another, on the same theme and before I knew it, it was 4.30am! Mind you, since we 'sprang forward' an hour overnight, I expect I lost an hour there! It was about Vivaldi and La Pieta. An English lady (name escapes me) has been going thro the Venetian archives and finding info not previously revealed. She said it was funny reading it, thinking ... "Oh I must go find more about this." Then she realised there was no more because she was the first person to be reading it!
A group, a female choir and orchestra, had travelled from Oxford to play/sing pieces which Vivaldi had composed solely for female voices for the orphans of La Pieta.
Apparently, in those times, a number of children were born malformed through veneral disease and suchalike and people would often just dump the babes in the canals. An alternative was set up whereby the babies, girls, could be left in a drawer, a bell rung to draw attention and they would then be brought up in the orphanage. The mother's would often leave a token ... half of something, a coin, a picture etc, in case they ever had the opportunity to get the baby back and would produce the matching half.
Some of these young ladies were not too pretty to look at and in the church there were 4 galleries for the orchestra and singers with screens thro which the ladies could be glimpsed by flickering candlelight, but obscured, of course. Some of the performers became stars in their own right but they stayed within La Pieta for donkeys years. Presumably because they chose to because it had become their home.
So, the first prog was the history of all this, told by members of the choir/orchestra and the second prog was a performance of Vivaldi's Gloria. I was really enjoying it but the beautiful music kept sending me to sleep and the lateness of the hour I eventually gave up and went to bed, wishing I could have recorded it for later viewing.
One amusing thing was the fact that there was one lady with a wonderful bass voice. At the time when Vivaldi's music was first performed, people believed that there must have been a man snuck in to sing the bass but it was certainly proved that women can be bass too ... in a manner of speaking!
And talking of singing .... I had a go on the karoke last night! Only the second occasion I've been mad enough to do it!
A group of Morris folks got together for a dinner in Boston at a pub and in another bar was the karoke set up. Nipping thro for a ciggie, Helen dared me to 'have a go'. There were about 5,000 songs to choose from and it would have taken a month to look thro them all and by D I was flagging, so I chose Doris Day's Que Sera Sera. I really enjoyed it and people were laughing a singing along, too! I did do one more, alone .... from Oliver - As Long As He Needs Me. Which Shirley Bassey would have laughed her stilettoes off hearing my rendition but it was great to let rip!
Then one last go as the guy was about to finish up and a bunch of us, 5 I think, did our rendition of YMCA. I was charged with going to book a spot for that and since I was in a rather inaccessable place at table, I had to crawl under the table, go out a conservatory door, thinking I could then walk around the side but found I was in a fenced area, so I climbed over the 5ft fence (to the amusement of peeps inside the conservatory ... even more so cos they could see a gate which escaped me!) and charged back into the pub !!
It was a most convivial evening. Well, apart from 3 people who left without eating cos the food numbers had got mixed up and while they weren't going to have to go without, they chose not to wait. Shame really cos we were all being served at different times so they wouldn't have been eating alone.
The main course of a roast, which some selected, drew some ribald comments but mostly the plates were cleared if only cos by 9.15pm we were pretty darned hungry. The banana split was too sweet even for my taste and had 'squirty' cream on it, yeuk and I noticed that other's who'd made that choice also just scraped the goo off the banana and ate only the fruit!
It was all about the company though and I took some piccies. The biter did get bit, I have to confess and someone got quite a good piccie of me with the mike in hand, belting out the Doris Day song!
I may pop by the crematorium on my way to CB's. It would have been my mum's birthday yesterday and followed closely by Mother's day it would be nice just to spend a few moments 'near her'.
There were circumstances strange and sad, though nothing sinister, around my mum's death, thirty-one years ago and losing her was a blow, one that I didn't feel when my father passed on.
Once or twice, once in even Dallas, a most unexpected place to expect to see her anyway, about seven years ago, I thought I caught a glimpse of mum,but of course it wasn't her! I followed the lady in Dallas around the shop just because I wanted so badly for the lady to be my mum! Daft woman I am!
Well, I'd better get myself sorted, bathed and dressed.
I'm at home the next few days, hopefully with my head buried in my accounts! I do SO want to get those off my plate!

Strong streaks

2006-03-23T23:24:00.000Z

Androgynous
You scored 66 masculinity and 83 femininity!

You scored high on both masculinity and femininity. You have a strong personality exhibiting characteristics of both traditional sex roles.

My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

alt="free online dating" src="http://is3.okcupid.com/graphics/0.gif" border=0>
http://www.okcupid.com/">%20alt="free%20online%20dating"%20src="http://is3.okcupid.com/graphics/0.gif"%20border=0>
You scored higher than 62% on masculinity
alt="free online dating" src="http://is3.okcupid.com/graphics/0.gif" border=0>
http://www.okcupid.com/">%20alt="free%20online%20dating"%20src="http://is3.okcupid.com/graphics/0.gif"%20border=0>
You scored higher than 96% on femininity

Link: The Bem Sex Role Inventory Test written by weirdscience on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

I've no idea why it's gone do-lally above, I did a cut and paste and didn't touch it! Thanks to GW for this one.
I don't think of myself as having a strong male streak! But maybe living alone for some time has made me more independent (or selfish?)

Pleased to see that I DO have a strong feminine streak though. I mean, I am a girly!

Biting the bullet

2006-03-21T20:15:00.000Z

Before relaxing into a stupor on Friday evening, a friend mentioned he'd had some luck with one of the companies who undertake to complain for one (at a cost) about mortgage endowment policies which are projected to fall short.
Mine's on 'red alert', harumph.
As said friend pointed out, it costs nothing (well, it doesn't HAVE to cost anything) to complain and "them as don't ask don't get".
While on the subject of asking, it's come to my notice that many people in this part of the world actually say 'ast' rather than ask, and that rhymes with the chast bit of chastity (cos you wouldn't say 'charstity', but some people may say 'parst', as opposed to 'past', so I couldn't use past as an example .... did I have a parenthesis somewhere back there?)
Martin's Money Tips, which the Cheeky Boy (CB) suggested I subscribe to, came up with yet another piece of advice on complaining about these policies so I scuttled over there (Which) and they actually compose the letter for you, where one ticks the paragraphs that pertain to one's own circumstances and hey presto, a formal, unemotional letters results.
One of which is now signed, folded and enveloped, by the front door, ready for me to pick up on t'way out in t'morning for da post.
I may as well try to do something about it, doncha think?
At least I feel like I've tried ... and one can do no more than try, huh?
I'm also trying to figure why my front room looks 'empty'.
I used that word advisedly - anyone who's been in here certainly wouldn't call it empty since when there's more than just myself present, visitors have to make appointments to move around!
However, I've come to the conclusion tis because there are no flowers in residence in the corner!
Now that, being a floral-free zone, was an almost constant state of affairs up until a few months ago but since the advent of CB as my 'fwend', more often than not a vase of flowers brightens up the room. Sometimes I get them for myself, too, for a dash of colour but only since I'd been reminded how lovely they look, having been presented them as a gift.
I should add, here, that there was a bunch until a couple of days ago, from CB but he hasn't been over for a few days, having had a jolly up in Scotland.
OH, no-one's commented how awful my hair looks so I must have got away with it. I did used to cut it myself quite regularly ... ALL over, not just the fringe. I got away with it then, too, until I occasionally did visit a hairdresser who would say "WHO cut YOUR hair???" Obviously they must have thought I was a client of Vidal Sasoon and wonder why I was coming down, so, in the world, non? :)
Well, I think my bread roll for tomorrow's lunch must have defrosted by now and I'd best go make it now so I only have to grab it out of the fridge in the morning.
I try to get organised the night before work so I can make a quick exit. However, I'm beginning to think there's a fine line between compulsion and organisation!!!

Le Weekend

2006-03-19T20:20:00.000Z

Very tortoiselike I got through my chores today, stopping every now and again to lounge on the bed or sofa to read.

Partied a little too vigorously on Friday, again! Nothing to do with being St Pat's night ... in fact we were planning how to celebrate St George's day on April 23rd! Toddled home at 4.30 but none the worse for wear in the morning.

However, I decided I needed to chill out so spent the day, Saturday, in bed, with a new book, reading and napping and nipping downstairs occasionally to make a cuppa or a snack. I actually slept the whole night through as well so I can only concur that I needed the relaxing day.

Up early today to get the laundry on the go, cleaned kitchen floor, hoovered, etc so I haven't been totally listless and useless!

I was glad to have time to get into my book. I've had it a while but only had time for a page here and there and with the fuzzy eyes (stil) I have to keep resting but I'm now thoroughly enjoying ... if enjoying is quite the word I'm looking for... reading The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell.

I meant to get a trim on Saturday but have saved myself the visit today - took the scissors to the front of my hair myself, now I can wait a couple of weeks more! :) Must get a bigger puddin' basin!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

2006-03-16T23:12:00.000Z

I don't like this chilly weather, it makes my knee play up!
I thought the copper bangles had solved the problem, way back in May but it has come upon me again and I think it was the weather that solved the problem, sunshine (not to mention being a stone lighter!) rather than the mystique of copper and magnets.
So I've gulped down my ibruprophen (fen?) .... don't you think there's a lot of 'ph's' in medicines? there's phenol this and phensy that ..... afore I go to bed. I've been waking about 5am with 'the knee' and not really getting back off to sleep.
Now, who was the writer who wrote a very amusing novel about a guy with 'a knee'. I know! David Lodge. I think. Certainly someone wrote about a guy (the same one, I think) who was terrified he'd combust spontaneously, so he carried a mini extinguisher around in his briefcase.
I saw a programme about spontaneous combustion a few years ago and the images stick in my mind yet.
Tora, forget you ever read that .... your dreams are exciting enough without adding rubbish springing from MY mind!
Not that I'm a crock (oh yeah?) or crock of anything (excuse ME!) BUT I've got pulled muscles in my shoulder for getting stuck at the computer for about 3 hrs on a difficult call at work, yesterday.
Today I took in a cologne stick '4711' Cool. It's got a great smell; a mixture of green tea perfume and menthol. I rubbed some on to cool me down and relieve a little of the tension and before I knew it the stick was being passed around my colleagues who then sat in the wafting fumes, de-stressing!
Think I'll just stay put this weekend. Accounting for every minute of my time, at work, doesn't come easily to a quirky Aquarian so I may just spend the weekend with absolutely NO appointments and just lounging around in my jammies, hah!
Hmmm, I wonder if my hairdresser's free on Saturday? Ugh, that'd mean an appointment though. I could, at least, pop in and have a look at the range of colours available. Quite like the idea of red. No, not chestnut red, RED red! well, sorta purpley red, as opposed to strawberry red.
I bought tons of stuff today, so I could spend over £40 and get £7 off my bill, at Somerfield. Not bad, eh?
Yep, I'm still shopping there, despite the cold fridges but I figure it's cold outside now anyway and I'm going in there wearing a well padded coat so I can stand the cold.
Oh had my dental appointment today and told the hygienist that it'll be my last visit to her since I haven't re-registered in the new private dental scheme.
She's disappointed since I normally have to spend the first 10 mins talking to bring her up to date on my exploits ... I promised I'd drop a card in every now and again so she doesn't lose touch.
Well, I'd best go brush my nice shiny clean 'tushpegs' before I go up the wooden hill.
I will SOOOOOOOO deserve my week off at the end of the month. Sighhhhhhhhh

Good do, Den

2006-03-13T22:16:00.000Z

Den's birthday do on Friday went very well.
We were suitably bladdered even before leaving her house for the restaurant and certainly by 4am were well sotted.
I seemed to lose the power to co-ordinate my thoughts and powers of speech on Saturday, a most odd feeling.
I think I may have killed a brain cell or three. I only had, probably, about a bottle of wine (or so, they were big glasses)
Pondering when I had last felt that way, Cheeky Boy pointed out that it was when I last had a night out with 'the girls' and that maybe a lesson should be drawn from that.
SO I did and decided I wasn't getting enough practice and should thus go out with the girls more!
Hah!
Potentially a night out with the girls next weekend ....
Oh, watched a prog on tv about a woman (working for Auntie) who binge drank every night for a month and was having about 15 or more drinks a night, mixed, Wickeds, vodkas, pints, Breezers, etc. Lord knows how she managed to do that EVERY night for a month!!!
I mean, I wasn't even safe crossing the road the next day!
OK, I'm done!

Older and braver .... or more stupid?

2006-03-13T21:54:00.000Z

I think I'm getting braver, the older I get.
(not to say more loquacious) I said NOT to say that!
When I was a young woman I was terrified of being alone at night, once married.
Strangely, I didn't mind going 'up the Junction' to see the pictures, on my own (despite the weirdos that also attended and did strange things to the back of my seat), when, alone, I lived on the edge of Clapham Common.
Nor did I mind walking said streets ... I mean just walking along them, not walking them, excuuuuuuse me .... in the dark.
Once I was married though I was scared of uncurtained windows in the dark and spiders and spending a night alone.
Truth be told, when I moved in here I finally made some cafe curtains for the back cos I got fed up of feeling scared in the kitchen, feeling exposed, I suppose ... strange for a naturist, huh? But I have learned to deal with spiders and of course I learned to spend nights alone.
Many moons ago, on the very odd occasion when I was alone, once, I had the phone (on a long lead) right by the bed, the scissors and a pepper pot to hand. I'd probably have ended up cutting the phone line and blinding myself with the pepper had I had to use it.
I also borrowed a friend's dog but I was doubly nervous of the doggie and to calm it I was stroking its head, cos every time it heard a noise it growled. When my arm got tired of stroking, the dog growled at me to continue, so I had to take doggie and basket back to its owners around 11pm cos I was a nervous wreck.
Nowadays though if I hear/see something that disturbs me I just seems to HAVE to go sort it out!
A few months back, in one of the towns I used to visit, I was with a group of 3 local councillors and a couple of other stalwarts of the town (though I probably weighed more than all of them put together), when a couple of young lads started throwing a chair around in the street, which they'd nicked off a Sally Army skip.
I watched in amazement as these teenies created havoc and no one did anything but stand and watch them. So off I toddle, OY, PUT THAT RUBBISH BACK ON THE SKIP! I yelled at 'em. And they did and slouched off, sniggering as they turned to look back. But I stood my ground and off they went.
This evening I could hear my back gate swinging, or being swung, while I was washing up. Could have been the wind or could have been something else. I was washing up and had a knife in my hand but decided that since the last two times I rushed out of the house with a knife in my hand and a) ... the gas man thought I was going to do for him and ran to his car and wound the window up quick fast (I'd only been peeling spuds and wanted to tell him something I'd just remembered) and b) ... running out of the house to chastise Tora for climbing too high on the climbing frame (which only I thought was too high, not her!), I fell over a toy and to the ground and saw the knife coming toward my heart (depending where that is or if, indeed, I even have one), threw out my arm, landed on my milk-swelled booby and got mastitis, unless that's a boil you get behind your ear. So
Where was I?
So, I put the knife down and picked up the lemon sproggler, juicer, what-have-you and decided I could deliver a sproggling blow with that quite effectively instead, threw open the door and .... well, of course, there was nothing there but the gate had been unlatched.
I don't know if I'm getting braver, or if fear pitch just gets to a level where I don't want the fear and acting releases it?
I once thought I was going to be mugged, in Geneva and fear gave wings to my feet. Yep, I ran away, but given the fact I thought the guy might be after my handbag, I was hardly going to hit him with it and let him grab it, was I????
These are my closing thoughts afore I go to bed with my honeyed malted milk drink.
And maybe I should remember that I'm 4' 11" tall (short) and not 6' 4" ! :)

I love filling my car with petrol cos

2006-03-13T18:58:00.000Z

Cos I do it on the way home and that means I'm on the way home
Cos there's usually an offer on chocolate so I take up the offer and scoff chocolate on the way home.
Cos when my car's full I could just take off ANYWHERE for miles and miles
Cos though I don't take off anywhere for miles and miles, I at least don't have to fill up again for about 10 days.

Cold, innit?
Sitting here in my fleeces.

Movement on the specs front. Optician B, to whom I returned the specs to check the right lens is correct, sent 'em to the manufacturer who decided there 2mm of reading area missing.

Sooooo, they're going to put new lens in the old frame, of a different type of varifocal, with more reading 'room' and the optician is going to then put the new lens in a new frame when they come back. So that'll take another week.

Got the dentist on Thursday and I get to leave work half an hour early, which seems worth it even if I do have to get scraped and polished!

Wheeeeeeeeee, going on a mini cruise to Amsterdam in a week or so's time. Got to get my accounts done though before I go .... What'll I talk about when they're done?

Hey, on Saturday, the Rotary Club put on 'Solid Steel', a Caribbean 10piece band. It was great, we were rocking in the aisles to such tunes as Rivers of Babylon, Brazil, Girl from Ipanema, etc ... and of course, that well-known Caribbean song 'The Lincolnshire Poacher'!!!

Yup, that's right, the Lincs Poacher. Some guys from the Louth Male Voice choir started the song off and the band picked up the tune behind 'em while the rest of us sang along, too.

Mind you, poaching isn't exactly something to be proud of, is it?

More houses are coming on the market.

Got a warm 'blankie' here beside me in case a chill sets in. I got some very taste pasta with Gorganzola cheese sauce and spinach from Lidl the other day and with additional spinach and green beans it made a very fine dinner this evening. Wots more, all I had to do was bring stuff to the boil and then simmer it.

OK, best go now before I become boring .... waddya mean, that I left it too late???

Nowt to hide

2006-03-08T20:44:00.000Z

I've sent off some of the info to the IR which they requested. For the rest it would mean my picking out a chitty here and a chitty there so I've offered them the whole kit and caboodle to go thro' themselves!
If nothing else I think it spells out that I have nothing to hide in my accounts - I'm too daft to even TRY to fool the IR!
Put my specs thro' the door of Optician 2 today.
Got a crick in my neck today from trying to find a comfortable way of looking at the VDU thro my old specs. I could do with a massage.
Mind, I'd quite like a massage anyway, they're very relaxing.
Even reflexology would be good. Couple of times I've had that that treatment it made me cry! Who'd have thought that having your feeties massaged could be such an emotional experience?
Got a gals' 'do' on Friday for a friend's birthday but going to see my maaaaaaaan tomorrow evening.
At the weekend the local Rotary Club has organised a performance by the Carribean Steel Band in St James' Church. I'm looking forward to that. I haven't bought tickets forward but since the church seats around 600+ people I suspect we should be able to get in!
Decided the best thing about being at work all day is that I don't get to see the rain unless I'm having a sneak ciggie in the bike sheds!
Sorry Tor, don't read that last sentence!!!!!
I've just finished my Margaret Yorke book which had three stories in it and now feel bereft! Found a Puzzler book but if I do that just before I go to sleep my mind keeps buzzing instead of shutting down.
Not much on TV, maybe I'll watch a video. I've bought one or two recently off the market. They're ones I probably wouldn't mind seeing again but it would be good if there was a 'swap shelf' somewhere!
Ahhhh, just remembered I bought some very tasty chocolate biscuits in Lidl yesterday .... cuppa and a biccky, methinks.
I said biccky, NOT bitty!!!!!!!!!
Big grin!

Caught between a rock and a hard place

2006-03-07T19:20:00.000Z

Did I mention I had an eye test at work?
I only had one last November but felt that my varifocals were unsuitable because I couldn't actually find a comfortable part of my specs to view through even though I highered my chair (leaving my leggies dangling), lowered the VDU, pulled it further forward, pushed it further back ... So, persuaded to test me again the work optician said my right eye prescription was almost 'one out' ... not sure what one out is but it did confirm to me that the prescription wasn't 'all that', remember I've been going on about fuzzy vision since the year blog?
For the first time ever I'd been tested at one optician and had the specs made up at another one ... mistake, don't do it!
Went back first with old and new scripts to the place which had made up the specs, pointing out that the frame had chipped already, which I wasn't too chuffed about having paid a total of around £300 ish. They said no prob, they'd replace the frames but as far as they were concerned they had put the correction lens in (tho they didn't test them on that day). Today I went to the testing optician with both prescriptions. They checked the lens and said they thought the right one was slightly out on the reading element and the fact that the two scripts were at variance wasn't important, it was only slightly different and shouldn't make much difference ... well, maybe it wouldn't to their eyes. They suggested I go back to the place which made the specs and get the lens checked.
Back I toddled and they already had a new frame awaiting me. They checked the lens and said as far as they were concerned it was correct to the script but offered to send them back to the manufacturers to check and will keep the frames for me for when I get it sorted.
I'm not sure I'm going to get it sorted, quite honestly.
The testing opticians DID say to come back if I still had a problem but were obviously on the defensive.
So I'm sitting here with my old specs on, which was a different prescription again.
Hopefully the new ones for VDU use only will arrive soon. Actually, the frame and lens were free and they look much better than the £300 ones anyway!
Sucks!
Inland Rev's chasing me ... compliance unit. Like I really need that.
Pension Dept has renamed me. I phoned 'em to at least get my name correct and I certainly don't want to be the new person cos my pension, already pitiful, was £10 a week less than the first time they forecast it.
My floor's covered in papers.
I wish I understood these things!
Anyway, the good news. 6 month check up at the hospital and all is well. One of the clinic nurses was on the ward when I had my op and she was soooo sweet when she recognised me and gave me a hug and the bestest of smiles!

Gilding the Lily

2006-03-05T21:46:00.000Z

An advert for a musical box.
A Porcelain Musical Box
A Porcelain Musical Rosary Box
A porcelain musical rosary box with a picture of our Lady of Lourdes painted upon it
A porcelain musical rosary box with a picture of our Lady of Lourdes painted upon it containing a bead and pewter rosary
A porcelain musical rosary box with a picture of our Lady of Lourdes painted upon it containing a bead and pewter rosary with a pewter medallion
A porcelain musical rosary box with a picture of our Lady of Lourdes painted upon it containing a bead and pewter rosary with a luminous portrait on the pewter medallion
A porcelain musical rosary box with a picture of our Lady of Lourdes painted upon it containing a bead and pewter rosary with a luminous portrait on the pewter medallion AND a crucifix.
It goes on .... the porcelain musical rosary box also has a luminous portrait of Our Lady
which is framed by sparkling faux gems and metal finished scrollwork.
And it plays Schubert's Ave Maria.

Phew.It's also got feet. Can anyone think of anything else it could possibly have had upon it?

I saw a film a few weeks ago with the bonniest of little lads in it, who I've now found won an Oscar for his performance - little wonder, it hardly seemed as though he was acting.

The film was The Little Kidnappers aka The Kidnappers. It was made in 1954 and there was a remake in the 90's with Charlton Heston. The story remains the same, and heartwarming, I'm sure but the little chap who played 'Davy' could never be emulated (he's actually (was) called Vincent Williams and was also in Greyfriars Bobby).

The story's about a couple of orphaned laddies being sent to their grandparents in Nova Scotia. They want a dog and the tyrannical grandaddy says 'noooo'. They come across a lost baby which the older boys takes to look after which creates a bit of a situation with the babby's Dutch father and there's something of a hue and a cry.

There are two lines which the little Davy delivers with such sincerity .... "Is that a babby, Harry?" which the baby looks at him with SUCH a smile. And "Don't eat the babby, Grandaddy, it wouldn't be fitting."

Ack, they don't make 'em like that any more.

Been looking for a copy of the original to buy but so far all I've come up with is the remake.

Been getting home from work shattered, still learning, still making mistakes but fewer so i suppose by the time I've given it the 3 months I was told, many moons ago, one should give a job, I suppose I may have the hang of it.

Accounts not yet done. Telling myself I'll do them at the end of the month when I have some time off. Have to do them, need to do them to move forward in one way and another.

One other small task done ... bringing my 'friends and family' list up to date with BT. It was about 3 years out of date. Actually had a credit balance with BT which should increase next quarter since the last one including a few weeks prior to my starting the new job. Since I now hardly have time to think, at work, and having spent all day long talking, don't much feel like it in the evenings, I suspect the phone bill will lessen!

Mind you, I still like to talk with my fingers!!!

I'm reading a Margaret Yorke triple story book at the moment. This author has written a book a year (sometimes two) since 1957 and still writing.

Good that, innit?

Time for a cuppa, methinks. See ya.

Revelation!!

2006-02-18T18:39:00.000Z

I had this revelation this evening and I wasn't even on a dusty road, riding a donkey!

It wasn't much of one, I mean, the earth didn't stop turning and apples didn't start ascending in the air .... damn, have I forgotten what it was already?

Let me follow my train of thought again.

OK, in bath, which had gone cool cos after I'd finished doing a day's housework I thought I'd earned half an hour on the sofa with my novel (Margaret Yorke, I do so like her thrillers) .... ah yes, it's coming back to me.

Margaret Yorke, thriller, mystery, whodunnit, dead bodies and how you can tell one's been moved after death and bloody and gravity .... us in Lincolnshire, we seem to think about gravity quite a bit. Look at Isaac Newton, for instance!

No forget him, he's just a diversion ... here's another one ... when's the Da Vinci code going to be on the cinema??? Will Ian be on the cutting room floor or revealed in all his priestly glory?? (only acting!)

Get back to the revelation, Jules.

OK, so, dead body, blood, gravity. And I had the revelation about the heart being a pump. I'd topped the bath up 3 times to get it hot enough, letting some water out each time and the third time it was hot enough that when I settled back down in it and splished and splashed, my little ol heart gave a little flutter. Either of pleasure or protest, I suppose!

So I was thinking about the water heater firing up (cos it's in the bathroom and quite noisy) and the pump pushing the water thro those flames to heat it and dead bodies and bloody and gravity and the heart pumping the blood around and it occurred to me (revelation) that my body is a machine and it doesn't even have any electricity powering it!

Well, that's it, really. I enjoyed it.

Then there I was in my towel and heard someone at the front door and expected it to be Ian, but didn't really think it might be anyone else and so I trotted thro in the towel and it's just as well it was Ian cos the towel fell off .. and he had a revelation, too!!!!

Off out for dinner .... report tomorrow or sometime!

Wot, me?

2006-02-14T21:11:00.000Z

Thanks GW

Your Hair Should Be Blue

Wild, brilliant, and out of control.You're a risk taker with an eye to the future.

What's" Your Funky Inner Hair Color?

I wish!

Wappy Valentines!

2006-02-14T19:55:00.000Z

Just thought the day was worth a mention.

Had a lovely phone call this evening, quite unexpected. I suppose it shows what goes around, comes around ... sometimes in a nice way.

Clearing around a little I came across a photograph I'd had printed, intending to give it 'just for the noticeboard' but having other things on my mind, didn't get around to posting it until yesterday.

This evening I had a call from the Mablethorpe RNLI/Coastguard PR guy thanking me for the photograph. He said the boys (and girl) were delighted with the piccie which had been taken of them on Remembrance Sunday. He said he was sorry I'm not around for their photographs any more since I'd done them many a good piccie and turn and if I wanted to pop around to the lifeboat station on a Sunday, I should have coffee with them ... even the possibility of a ride on t'boat when the weather improves!

Now wasn't that kind?

Hey, went to the http://www.spilsby.info/theatre/ Spilsby Theatre on Saturday, Ian's treat, to see (hear?), OK, see AND hear the Joji Hirota Taiko Drummers. There was a HUGE drum and the sticks were like broomhandles. The drumming set a thrumming right thro me!

The only thing that marred the evening was that since the group was late arriving, the entire audience was coaxed into the bar and it was cram jammed, plus the outer passageway. I got a sudden claustrophobic panic, haven't had one for years but suddenly finding myself surrounded by people all taller than I I had to race for the door!

Prior to the show we had a Chinese meal close by which was jolly tasty.

The Audrey T dvd has turned up ... which is to say I've remembered who I loaned it to! So much to remember at present.

I'm going over papers tonight for a panic refresher in what I've supposed to have learned over the last 5 weeks.

Bought petrol on the way home and picked up a bag of Maltesers. The assistant asked if I wasn't taking advantage of the special offer of 4 choccie bars for £1.20 ... since it was a saving of 80p I did - and had eaten 2.5 of them by the time I got home. Sigh.

Sommeliers' meeting, last night, was interesting. S. African wines. 3 whites, plus a dessert muscat and 3 (or 4?) reds. We didn't eat until late, just bread and cheese with the wine, so I was a tad light headed by the end of the tastings!

Well, here's one for all the lovers tonight ...... I was just going thro my portfolio and recall I enjoyed taking this piccie because I was allowed to set it up in a shop for their advertising purposes and just enjoyed the bits and pieces I put together to pleasant effect.

Just feeling a bit sad. I enjoyed taking piccies.

Who's reading dis?

2006-02-10T20:31:00.000Z

The numbers have gone up??????

Wasted

2006-02-10T20:12:00.000Z

Just wondering which is more wasted .... me or my dinner!

A day and a half at work. Went on info overload and got the collywobbles - can I, can't I, can I, can't I? Decided can't, then can, then maybe not, then maybe.

Got home to a couple of days of mail and still with overcoat on ripped it all open and disposed of suitably, bin, bin, bin ..... complete, file, bin, etc. Then friend/neighbour asked if I was in .... yep, come on round. Opened a bottle and we slugged our way down it.

Not sure how I managed to find the sausage pie (with chicken) in freezer but somehow managed to cook it and gave the frozen beans about 12 mins ... soggy beans!!! N'er mind, all goes down the same way and it sopped up (some of ) the alcohol.

Haven't finished yet!

No, sireeeeeeeeee

I'm off over da pub later . Yup, I may well regret this tomorrow but tonight ........ tonight, tonight, won't be just ANY night ........... I'm singingggggggggggggg.

Got some washing on the go. Hope I didn't mix any whites in it ... new navy jeans will make a proper mess of 'em if I have.

Had a suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu per birthday. Lovely meal ... tho I was falling alseep by 8ish and refused to go to bed on the grounds that growed ups don't go to bed at 8pm. So I fell in and out of slip for a couple of hours while Amelie was on t'box. Mind you, I saw bits I hadn't seen before so it must be a film that although I love it, I sleep thro!

The 'he loves me, loves me not', also starring Audry Tautou dvd which I bought a couple of weeks ago seems to have disappeared. Haven't quite racked my brain (not a good idea) but can't think where I've put it!

Last night went with Ian et al to a buffet (Indian) at the golf club. Jolly good eats.

I think I've taken on mother figure .... Julie, you got any mints? Julie, You got any headache tablets? Julie, where've we got to???

Doing the mummy thing comes pretty easy, lots of practice.

OH, changed and re-changed my holiday dates. DOn't know if I'll get the 'rechange' yet. If I do, I think I'll just have to stick at that, regardless of whether I can find anywhere to go or not!

Am I rambling?

I bought some vanilla cinnamon cedar candles today .... Can't smell a bloody thing of course, with the cold and all that but I like to see the flames dancing.

OK, I'm done, wasted ................ hmmm, think there's a jelly in the fridge somewhere

rummage rummage .

ta ta

Looking after the pennies

2006-02-07T21:12:00.000Z

I'm getting into this saving lark!
Well, it's not quite saving, it's spending less.
I phoned the National Insurance peeps and told them to cancel the direct debit cos I'm no longer self employed.
Stop them? Is that what you want to do?
Well, yes, I think it's appropriate since I'm PAYE now, don't you?
Erm, yes.
OK.
Also phoned mobile co and told them I aim to halve my bill either with them or without them.
Which gained me a half price annual contract and £100 off my next bill. Mind, that £100 was cos I didn't want a new phone.
The one I have sings and dances enough for me. I can do piccies, texts and talk, wake myself up, make notes and that's quite sufficient.
Went to the doc tonight, usual stuff, cold gone to my chest. Don't think there's room for much more there!
Got the antiobiotics, cough cough.
I'm sitting in my jammies, stuffed full of sausage pie (with chicken).
Oh, it's not actually my birthday 'til tomorrow. I bought a bunch of snack bars, Clubs (mint and orange), Cadbury's choc rolls, cup cakes, Rollo Rolls, lemon fingers, jelly beans, granola bars and low cal biscuit thingies to put out on the morrow and invite peeps to help me celebrate my birthday.
It's the biggest 'party' I'll ever have had.
In fact, I remembered, the first since I was 11, methinks.
I think I've hit the purple age. Not only is my work wardrobe shades of purple but today I went into Wilkos and every 'smelly' I bought (loo, floor cleaner, disinfectant, candle, bleach) is lavender.
The accounts?
Yeah, soon!
Now, wonder what I can save on spending next??
Sensibly of course!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEEEE

2006-02-07T21:07:00.000Z

Happy birthday to meeee

Happy birthday to me-eeeeeeee

Happy birthday to meeeeeee-eeee

HAH

Roasting

2006-02-01T17:42:00.000Z

I'm roasting parsnips at the moment. Haven't had home roast ones for ages. Mind you, Mrs ... wotsername's are as good, the frozen ones, I'm sure, but cost more. Not that that was my consideration when I bought the parsnips, I just wanted parsnips, suddenly the wonderful caramelised sweetness of them came to my tastebuds' memory and I just had to have 'em.

I'm reminded when Tora and Danny, her husband, who's American, came for Xmas dinner a couple of years ago. I'd been a bit busy working up to Xmas, even on Xmas day and so the Boxing Day dinner was THE dinner. That's all very long winded! Anyway, it was some time since I had made a roasted meal and didn't quite get it all synchronised and the parsnips came out somewhat roastier than one might have wanted (read 'burned').

Danny, however had never had roasted parnips before and said he really enjoyed them and said how much he liked them. I assured him that's the best way to cook 'em! It's just occured to me, he could have been being polite to his future witch in law, sorry, mother in law!

I got that sock washed! Put it in with the bedding and of course it got lost down the duvet cover.

Andrew, I've explained what spotty dogging is further down the blog, where you enquired.

Oh, had a hangover this morning. So glad the first couple of hours was a powerpoint presentation, with the lights off. I had to put my chair up to it's fullest extent though, so I could see from the back and when it started on a spin, although slow, since my feet didn't reach the floor, I just had to wait for it to stop again and felt somewhat dizzy and not a little poorly!

Da girls were laughing at me!

I don't know how it came up. For some reason, on the back row there, we got around to talking about vibrators and I mentioned the Dinky Digger. Which resulted in some laughter, especially when I drew it.

One of the gals said that she'd read that Asda was stocking vibrators, in the contraceptives department, nicely packaged so no one would know what it was when you put it on the conveyor belt. So I got charged the with task (if you choose to accept it) of going to the store at lunchtime to find out if this was true!

I scanned those shelves but nary a vibrator could I find. So I asked the assistant. She had to stop herself grinning. Said they didn't have them. So I asked if her colleagues knew anything about them. The pharmacist said they DID stock them, before Christmas, but they'd been taken off sale.

I wonder if someone electrocuted themselves with one??

I think the parsnips are burning .... back in a mo ..... Dang, when they go, they GO. Only the skinniest ones are, ummm, over cooked.

So, whilst there were no vibrators, there were some interesting looking lubes, so I bought one called 'Heat'. Got back and gave the bad news to the gals but showed 'em the lube and so we all put a dab on the back of our hands and blew on it (that's what the instructions say). There was an awfa lot of giggling going on!

I think I'm throwing money down the drain! My washing machine is taking the softener in on the first rinse, so goodness knows how much of it is still in the laundry by the time it's had the fourth and final rinse!

Had a couple of hours or so with the accounts on Monday. I actually enjoyed myself! Looking at my expenses though, I really must do something about the landline and mobile bills! Think I'll go pay as you talk, whatever it's called. That will mean having a new number, I think, and that's a nuisance cos I like my current one. I hardly ever get calls on it nowadays ... or the landline, come to that, so I won't have to let hundreds of people know the new number. Which does, however, rather bear out my statement to the accountant that it was 90% used for work.

We learned about tax credits today. Y'know what?? I think I could have claimed it over the last couple of years! Damn!!! I wonder how many people struggle on (ok, I wasn't struggling exactly, but only cos I was spending capital!) not realising they may have good cause to claim? I suppose some people know the system and how to work it and others just try their damnedest to keep body and soul together. Or are just daft!!! ME!

I was touched last night. I mean in a sentimental way!

A friend, not a close friend but a former choir friend (I'm the former, not her) was in the pub last night. Hadn't seen her for ages and enquired after her health, etc. She enquired who Ian was, so I introduced them. She then went on to say he was a lucky man and said nice stuff about me. That 'nice stuff' was so unexpected and I hadn't even PAID her to say anything!!!! :)

One of the gals at work today said 'You crack me up'. I wasn't sure if she meant I was driving her potty with the daft questions I come up with or silly remarks, but it appears she meant I made her laugh. There's an office do on Friday, which I'm not going to now, but she leaned over and said she wished I was. Can't think why, grin. Oh yes, they said I'm in the wrong career. I should be an Ann Summers rep.

Maybe in my spare time???

What spare time?

There's about 3 of us, at least, now house hunting in Grimsby. I wonder if we could buy a mansion and sub-divide??

I did see quite a nice flat but one of the gals looked aghast. "You CAN'T move from Louth to THAT area, it'd be TOO much of a culture shock for you."

Wonder if my steak's defrosted yet?

Got my wrap made for tomorrow. Corned beef and creamed horseradish with some salad bit.

Hey, maybe I can have roasted parsnip ones the next day!

Oh, rumbly tumbly, orf I go! Better do some ironing too.

Sock it to me

2006-01-30T19:47:00.000Z

How annoying when you've just finished a carefully sorted wash, to find a sock on the staircase that'll have to languish a week or so until there's enough fodder fo de washer!
Spent a couple of days trying to contact the IR to see if it's true as I thought I heard, on a radio prog, that if you pay your tax even if the return isn't completed, that you can avoid the £100 fine. When I finally got thro I was so surprised I didn't even hear the voice talking to me from my mobile on the desk. Having checked with someone, the tax person told me it is not so and suggested I complete my return online .. but I do believe you have to get a password that can take 7 days so I'd miss the deadline anyway.
I know, I know. My own fault!
I at least did manage to tell tax person that I'm no longer self employed so would they please stop taking NI contributions from me. She said she'd put me thro to the right no., which was continually engaged so she couldn't. Think I'd better just write 'em a letter.
Would that I were as careful with my pennies as I am becoming with my time!
Just getting back into the morning routine, or at least forming one.
It's get up, wee wee, run bath, fill kettle, make tea, pour cereal, take out lunch (prepared night before) eat breakfast, bath, teeth, hair, make-up, dress, wash up, then do anything else I can fit in before time to leave.
I saved a little time the other morning by proggling my ears with a baby bud whilst en route upstairs to dress, etc. Probably a bit silly. If I'd tripped I could have proggled deeper than I'd intended!
Bath ... the landlord when mentioning putting up the rent agreed that a shower would be a good idea. I had the tiling done in, what? Oct? Nov? Haven't heard a thing since!
Saw quite a nice 2 bed apartment for sale today - online. Think I need, still, to sort finances to figure out exactly how much I can afford. Sounds like a good idea, doesn't it?
Went to a lovely dinner over the weekend at Rob and Henrietta's. I suppose there must have been 7 or 8 couples spread over two dining tables.
OH, I don't mean spread over! Seated at!
After the main course half change tables so it makes for an interesting mix and lots of different conversations.
I think this was the third such dinner party I've attended, Roger and Sue, Steve and Sally ... just noticed, I'm writing the guys' names first.
Just seems to flow better, not being discriminating!
Also makes for some very lovely meals!
These are Ian's friends. I had a touch of the collywobbles at the first en masse meeting when I wasn't 'hiding' behind my camera but it was unfounded. Was just me out of the socialising loop for so long and being a spectator on the fringe.
I'm just chomping my way through some Fox's Glacier dark - Licorice and Aniseed sweeties. Yum.
I wonder if aniseed is addictive?
I've had SO many dreams - and strange ones at that - since I've begun this new job.
Can't recall anything specific but I'm sure I never used to have such active nights, except if I'd overdone it with the nutmeg on my night-time milk drink.
OK, got to get down on the floor now, next to my filing drawer which I've dragged out of its cabinet so I can go thro the files and pick out info for the accounts.
What will I have to worry about when I've done these?
I expect I'll find something!
I'm never short on ideas!!!!

Tag, you got me GW

2006-01-30T18:17:00.000Z

Tagged by GW:

Four jobs you've had in your life: Secretary to the Adjutant of the Honourable Artiillery Company, Company of Pikemen and Musketeers (the Lord Mayor of London's official guard). Secretary (p/t) for Roger Whittaker, shelf filler in MacFisheries, photojournalist :)

Four movies you could watch over and over: Amelie, Le Diner Au Cons, The King and I, Wasabi

Four places you've lived: Torre (Portugal), Dallas, Bishop's Stortford (Herts), Wheatley (Oxon)

Four places you've been on holiday: St Lucia, Paris, Apapa (Nigeria), Loch Maree (etc etc)

Four websites you visit daily: Hotmail, Yahoo front page for horoscope, I'm struggling for two more daily ones!

Four TV shows you love to watch: Who do you think you are? That guy with a double-barrelled name (Hugh Fearnley-??) who grows his own food and cooks for the whole village. Not The Nine O'Clock News. Billy Connolly's antics.

Four of your favourite foods: Liver & Onions & Mash, Smoked Haddock, Mussels, Kidneys Liegiose (can't spell that).

Four places you'd rather be: Anywhere with my kids. Under canvas on a British summer's day. Swimming nekkid. Cuddling wiv my sweetie.

Four albums you can't live without: I'm fickle, it changes but I always go back to these: Mozart at Midnight; Best of Cesaria Evora, Best Rock Ballads in the World Ever. Vivaldi 6 double concertos, cos I love the one for two mandolins, strings and continuo.

Four people to tag with this:
Squid Vicious
Kat
Scarycheri
Runa

Latest successes

2006-01-26T19:59:00.000Z

They're only small but even so, a success is a success!
I have managed to get on a waiting list for a new dentist. I have a hygienist visit booked with the old surgery and if I have an emergency I gather dentists HAVE to see you, so though it may be months (I was told) rather than weeks, at least there's hope!
Also read thro the pension info, last night, which I've been given for the new job. To be honest I'm not a lot wiser though it's set out very well. I wonder when that financial advisor gets back?? I think I know which one I need but I need advising.
This evening I've composed a letter, ready to mail to my former husband, asking for help with answering the questions. Without his help, having looked at the questionnaire, I think I'm stumped.
Had to run the gamut of a picket line today, going into work. However, there were only two guys on the line, one with a placard together with a non-striking member of staff to welcome us in, so I just smiled a nice smile and said "Good morning!" to them all !
A suggestion has been made to have an office get-together to enable the new and old staff in the building to get to know one another, which I think is a good idea.
It's dress down day tomorrow.
One young guy who came into the room late, mis-heard the announcement and said: "You're joking????!!!"
"A dressing gown day???"
OH, was chuffed to see today on the internet version that I've got front cover on Lincolnshire Life magazine!! Yayyyyy. It isn't actually in the shops yet, maybe arrive in a couple of days.
It's the piccie of the Turner Prize winning artist Grayson Perry, who was dressed as a lady, cos he likes to do that.
There's a link at the side, here, for a gander at the mag cover.
Also looked at The Journal, online and found they've used half a doz piccies of the Caistor Sommeliers' dinner in December, including a piccie of Ian and myself. Of course I didn't take that one!
It'll be time to send out a couple of invoices, shortly.
Think I'll then close the business account - maybe do two lots of accounts at once???
Hah, fat chance!!

Success

2006-01-24T19:02:00.000Z

I'm beginning to think that one success a day, however small, is good!

Mine, today, was finding which organisation manages the car park opposite - the District Council couldn't help me - and asking the land owners to send me a form to 'bags' a space if one comes up. No guarantee, of course, that I'll get one but at least my name is down and I reckon I have a fairly good reason for wanting one ... double yellows both sides of my road, outside the property.

A guy further up has a drive in which he has two cars and a further one in the park in the unallocated spaces.

I gathered, a month or so back, when I challenged a guy who was taking photographs of the area ... didn't challenge him until I saw him include my car in the picture ... that the whole of the parking area is to be posted, or bollarded. That was the day I was still in my jammies, yelling at him, across the road .... "Excuse me ... what are you doing????"

I figure the financial advisor must be on holiday cos he's not available on his home no., either.

Ok, I've got plan B in action and looking thro the endowment stuff I don't seem to have had a statement for last year. I emailed the insurance company for a copy, last night and at least got the email addy right cos I've had a reply saying it's been forwarded to the policy department.

Baby steps!

All my holidays from work have been OK'd so I have odd days and a week or two to look forward to. Now just have to think how best to relax on them.

The egg/bacon/onion turnover tasted good! Reminded me of my childhood.

I've washed up, ironed and thinking now about whether I have the courage to look at the accounts.

No, I'm still thinking ...

Bought a couple of dvd's. Audrey Tatou of Amelie and A Very Long Engagement fame was recommended to me in He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. Got that from Amazon for almost £7.
I had also read a jolly good review of Le Diner Au Cons so trotted down to the library to see if they had it. Apparently they considered buying it in in 1998 but did nothing about it.

How come, in Tesco I found it, yesterday in the international section and a sticker on it that read 'NEW' . Anyway, I decided to buy it. The price was a bit 'ouch' and I could have got it cheaper online but when all's said and done, I've sometimes kept the library dvds so long that I could have bought them, so at least this one is mine and though I'm not one to read a book twice (dunno why, just dont care to ... maybe cos when they're mainly thrillers I usually guess 'whodunnit' fairly early on and there's no point in reading it twice when you really DO know who dunnit!) but with a French language film it's always fun to to try translate and not be five minutes behind the action. Not saying I'm NOT five mins behind but the odd word correctly translated gives one a happy feeling.

My 'loss' was my neighbour's gain yesterday! I bought a fashion woolly, in a sale, reduced from £25 to £2.50, just something I could keep at work if it gets a bit chilly. Unfortunately the hanger size was NOT the woolly size, which was 3 x smaller! Fortunately, since it was sorta trendy, Anna was delighted to have a new woolly!

Oh, I may have found a new NHS dentist. Not an easy thing to do nowadays. Mine's gone private with a £15 monthly charge (not v. good for a family budget, huh?) Even for me, alone, it's not actually amusing especially when a new crown - the mostly likely treatment I would need - would cost an additional £200-£500. So my two-crowned bridge, if even one of the tooshies goes, could cost from £600 to £1500 to replace.

No, that isn't funny!

Mind you, I'd look pretty funny when I smiled!

I do, still, smile occasionally :)

I hate finances!

2006-01-23T22:22:00.000Z

I've got an endowment thingy that I've had letters about telling me it's going to fall short by about two-thirds the projected payment. I don't understand. I don't understand! I've just read the policy and I still don't understand.
I'm about to look at one of these claim4you companies to see if I can answer the questions they want answered. They're scaring people into using them, saying 85% of people who try to do it themselves dont get anything. One wants 25% of what you get to do it for you. Which is a bit steep, why not a set rate? I mean, it takes as much time for them to deal with it for someone who's got a £10K endowment as a £25K one, huh? A couple of thou is quite sufficient.
Anyway, I'm as confused now as I was before.
I phoned a 'financial advisor', someone who set up my pension which I gained from my ex, but didn't yet get a reply. Also, I suppose, on a no win no pay basis it's fine but . ..... I can't even be fagged to finish what I was writing!
Finance stinks.
I was of the era where hubby did the finance and I did the house and kids, etc. Why'm I suddenly supposed to be a finance expert????
No, the accounts haven't got any further.
I spose I'll just go over to the claim4you site and give away as much as I would have gained. Ah well, at least it'll be dealt with.
I'm all at sea.
I've just baked an onion, bacon and egg pie.
I can't remember when I last made pastry.
I didn't have enough pastry to put a lid on the pie so it became a turnover.
I thought I had sinusitus and a stye.
Stye's almost gone but it appears I have a snotty nosed cold.
I am not a happy bunny.
I did do one useful thing today, I took my decree whatever to the pensions peeps to prove I'm divorced so they can work out my pensions forecast.
I think I'm probably worth more deceased.
I've got a pensions document to go thro for work.
I'm just as at sea there.
Why can't I get my head around this?
Don't like, not happy.

Today

2006-01-21T00:34:00.000Z

I got out of the bath the wrong side today.

I tripped myself up cos the towel was wrapped around the wrong leg.

I hope I don't do that again.

I've got a sore throat and a stye. I can see what's gonna happen. Now I'm working with lots of people I'm going to get every bug going that I've managed to avoid for 15 years.

Sigh.

Here endeth Pyks blog

2006-01-10T20:17:00.000Z

It's been great fun, a place to have a little talk with myself but Pyks has run its course.
Maybe a novel next?
I wish!

Very taxing

2006-01-06T11:25:00.000Z

I hate it when those ads start appearing on TV about getting tax returns sent in. They make me nervous.
Makes me think of Pam Ayres' poem "I wish I'd taken care of me teeth."
I wish I'd done an hour a week on my accounts.
However, spilt milk, no use crying and all that.
I have made progress in the last week and got to the point where I needed to fish out last year's records to grab the cheque/paying in books and first month's balance, etc but could I find them?? Nope.
I believed I hadn't actually collected them from the accountant so phoned him at the beginning of Decemeber to see if they had them, still.
Nope.
Stalemate.
Turned the house upside down ... which wasn't a bad thing since I've turfed out all sorts of rubbish, but also 'wasted' time by finding interesting stuff to browse, too.
I'm a 'keeper'. I've got old diary pages and an archive of all my newsclippings, which all takes up quite a bit of space and not sure I'll ever need them again but .... Maybe I'll have to resort to getting a long ladder and exploring my loft space??
Feeling at a loss today I phoned the accountant again and the receptionist if the records just sit THERE awaiting collection. When I gave her my name she said "Oh, I think we have them here."
She got back to me after asking the person who deals with my affairs and said: "Sorry, we don't have them."
Stalemate.
"Would you PLEASE ask them to look again??? I really don't have them!"
......
"Hello! We DO have your records!"
Hello, I really need these useful people.
Must be one of those days ... The postman brought me a tax return and repayment reminder.
In fact, come to think of it, the accountant hasn't harrassed me AT ALL about getting my accounts in to them for the last year so either they've forgotten about me (and my records) or they just know I'll do it last minute.
I have a sneaky feeling it's the former!
Well, now I'd better get sorted and go collect what I need.
No wonder I get nervous. I wish I'd taken better notice when I did accounts at college!
Just revisted my bete noir about claiming for an element of rent in the accounts.
I did suggest to the accountant that there should be a claim but he pooh-poohed this.
Then I got me a copy of the Writers' and Artists' Year Book which states quite specifically: "if the claim is based on an appropriate proportion of the total costs of rent, light and heat, cleaning ... ." so I feel justified and having another go at him about this and wonder if it's claimable in retrospect if I'm right.
Just had a word with the tax office to warn them it's all gonna be late, of which a note has been made but the fine will be automatic and mentioned this rent issue to my 'customer manager'. She suggested showing Ac. a copy of the book. I mean, how many photojournalists does he have as clients? The only other person I know, in this area, with a similar job does his own accounts (now I know why) so maybe the Ac doesn't know it all!
Postie also brought me my civil service pensions pack ... more papers to read through.
Now I know why people have secretaries to deal with paperwork.
Somehow, as a secretary, it was always easier to deal with other people's affairs!

Another new year, they just keep a'coming around

2006-01-04T21:00:00.000Z

Into the new year and had a lovely time with Ian and his great friends but found time to nip over back here to spend some time with my friends on NY's eve, too.
It got a bit exciting at Steve and Sally's when the candles with plastic decoration around them, on the mantle and which had Xmas bunting along it, caught fire and spread black smoke up the wall and we all coughed! It was discovered by a guest hunting for the port while the remainder were either in the smoking room (not the room that was smoking) or still watching the NY's fun and aftermath of the London fireworks on the telly.
I finally got some accounts keyed in ... took my chitty file to Ian's and sat peacefully, no phones ringing ... not that they do that much nowadays except for calls from gyms (see below) and keyed in a year and a half's worth of receipts.
Need now to key in stuff from my bank balances. I should have done some today but the day just disappeared. Since I stopped work mid-December the days have just zoomed by and I've rarely had to get up early and when I have there's usually been an opportunity to go back to bed or have an afternoon nap.
I think I just got plain ol' worn out the last few years of all work and little rest.
It will be nice to leave work at work in future, hmm, and a regular income which should be much more encouraging for a potential mortgage application if I get to go ahead and buy a home.
I've been looking on rightmove today to see if there's something in this area which I can afford outright .... da answer is very definitely no! Or at least not at the moment. A patch of land with planning consent but I don't think a Lego house would be much good!
Maybe a bijou cottage in Brittany ... or Spain or Portugal or Bulgaria or or or .... I think I'd better just keep an open mind.
I enquired today of the council the cost of a season ticket at a car park near the new office. It's £5 a day or £70 for a month, which includes all the council's car parks.
I'd noticed a piece of land with a big sign declaring it 'private parking' so rang that company and they can off a space and a key to the compound for about £1 a day. Now that's a bit better, huh?
I just have to go there and exchange money for key.
I could have joined the gym nearest to work ... only about 10 mins walk away and for £40 ish a month enjoy free parking and the gym's facilities but you have to contract for a whole year and while I'm sure I could benefit from a year's worth of work outs and SHOULD make exercise regular, especially if I'm to be desk-bound, I'd rather do it in slots of 3 or 6 months.
Also, it can be a bit of a dicey area to walk in on darker nights. Hmmm.
One of my favourite films was on TV last night ... Wasabi ... starring Jean Reno. I missed the ending and it's so long since I saw it that I can't recall what it was!
I have to confess it wasn't natural exuberation this time but probably something to do with the couple of pints imbibed over at t'pub and the Baileys nightcap.
Well, time to apply the cream .....

How's yer belly off for spots?

2006-01-04T20:11:00.000Z

I believe that's a sort of jolly greeting. In fact I just googled it and didn't get much of a response. It means, of course, "How are you?" I'm not sure what the response is supposed to be, if there's a proper one, like Ca va? and you say Ca va. Which seems a bit daft but the cheek kissing that goes with it is nice!
I was watching some young people greeting each other, in Geneva, few years ago and they exchanged Ca Vas and the girls/boys exchanged kisses and the boys shook hands. That was really civilised. I suppose the high five is a different method of greeting one's friends but we Brits with our 'How do you do?", which we don't really want answering is a bit stand offish, but it's what we say, eh?
We, as a family in my childhood, didn't do the kissing thing. Simply said hello to people. When I moved darn sarf and into the cheek kissing circles it was a bit scary.
I used to worry silly about giving dinner parties. Of course I only invited people I liked and who were friends but still I'd worry for a week or so about what to cook and by the time I'd finished cooking it I'd lost all my appetite. Also worried about whether I was supposed to do the kiss thing on greeting people and saying goodbye.
Went to one friend's for dinner and was astonished that she'd only thought about what to cook and bought the ingredients the same day!
Oh-oh ... methinks there must have been some insecurity lurking, huh?
I'm much more spontaneous nowadays. Yes, I've had my insecurity wobbles but I've been touched by people over the last couple of years or so, their stories when I've met them to write or take a piccie, or have got to know people and then found something befell them.
One lovely lady I hadn't seen for a while I caught up with at a coffee morning. We passed pleasantries and as she was going out of the door a friend of hers told me that the lady had been widowed and then she chattered on a bit, padding the story out and I was actually shocked and upset by the news and just took to my heels and raced after the lady, threw my arms around her and hugged her.
We chatted for 10 mins or so and when I got home I printed out a photo of her husband which I cropped from one I'd taken at a function and mailed it to her.
She was really happy to receive that and we continued to hug when we met.
Don't suppose I'll see her much now.
I don't think I'm a fair weather friend.
I think I'm a bad weather friend.
I'm there for people when they're having a bad time and I try to make them smile and feel better and then I disappear when they're up and running.
I found when I lost my mother that rather than having people cross the road to avoid talking to me, I preferred to talk to them and discuss the situation. A catharsis I suppose.
I interviewed a WWII Veteran and as he spoke the tears ran down the cheeks of both of us. I continued to see him at various functions and we always had a hug and kiss and guys (Rotary)would look a little askance at this but it was just friendly in remembrance of the tears we had shared and of the friends he had lost.
Actually, the guy showed me some of the Special Services paraphenalia he had, a string saw type thing, a knocker-outer-er and a stilleto knife and a book on unarmed combat. He even said 'take them home and look at them'. I didn't like to say no and hoped to God that I didn't get stopped by the police on my way home! A walking armoury!
I had a spending spree today for some work garb. Taking a leaf out of Jenny Joseph's poetry book I decided I shall wear purple (though I don't consider myself 'old') ... and shades of ... but not a red hat. Well, I HAVE worn a red hat but not with purple. Mind you, if the hat fits, wear it!
I bought so much I haven't the energy to take the tags off yet! Hope it fits cos I've definitely gone up a size, sigh.
I keep getting calls from the two gyms I visited. I do wish they'd stop calling. I see it's their number and just don't take the call. I mean, I know when I want to go there ... when I'm ready and when I've decided which one to go to ... I reckon it'll be the one with the toning tables so I can just lie there (do I mean lay there? I get fed up of wondering which is correct) and let the tables do the work and I'll do the aching the next day anyway!
Hang on ... sherry ....
OK, I'm recharged ...
I wish I hadn't given them my number now. Surely they have plenty of people with new year's resolutions visited them in scores by now??? Or maybe the resolutions didn't get beyond Jan 2nd?
I'm resolved to do it - when I'm ready!
I sure won't be using the sauna and steam room facilities for a wee whilie.
I've got spots on my belly!
I had a similar rash in the small of my back last summer and put it down to lots of work and being a fixture for hours on the sofa with my back pressed into the cushion, while I worked.
However, I recalled having something similar and more widespread a few years back when I'd had flu and was on antibiotics (and incidentally keeping myself well wrapped up) and was told to stop taking the tablets since I was probably having an allergic reaction.
So I read the instructions on my current medication:
May cause sweating and itchy rash, if this occurs stop using immediately and see your doctor.
So I did.
But she thinks it's v. probably a heat rash so I'm to continue taking the tabs and prescribed a cream.
I've just read the possible side effects of the cream: "if the rash gets worse during treatment, you may be allergic to it, in this case, stop using it and see your doctor."
So next time someone enquires how my belly is off for spots I suppose I should tell them it's fine and covered in them!

The list grows ....

2005-12-30T13:20:00.000Z

It might also be a good idea to keep me away from tumble dryer hoses.
I'll mention it when MM (Ma Maaaaaan) gets back.
In the meantime, 'Fragile, handle with care' tape, found in a kitchen drawer, has sorta patched things up.
It's sleeting.

Snow!!!

2005-12-29T18:47:00.000Z

You know how us Brits panic when we get a bit of snow!
The gritters are out weeks before the mention of frost, chucking gritty salt all over my car when it's parked roadside and making a mucky mess but come a few inches of snow and Louth became gridlocked and inaccessible and over the radio people were advised to stay out of the area and avoid unnecessary travel.
Apparently 3 lorries (trucks) got stuck on the bypass hill and the whole area was affected.
I heard this on t'news and decided to stay put - the roads didn't look much fun anyway.
I thought they'd be better today - they weren't!!!
I thought they'd be better tomorrow - it's going to be even worse overnight and in the morning, MORE snow. However, that's supposed to turn to rain by the afternoon so I may be adventurous enough to venture on to the road and will attempt to remember to brake about 50 feet before I reach T junctions.
Once I left the braking a bit late and it was on a road that had had no sun and I went sliding out into the middle of the B1200, which fortunately didn't have anything coming either way!
That was almost as scary as turning right and having a momentary lapse of memory and finding I was driving on the wrong side of the road, of a sudden! Yes, BOTH times that it happened!
We were adventurous today!
We walked over the fields on public footpaths, which obviously weren't paved and anyway, even if they were you couldn't see the paving (but they weren't) cos of the snow underfoot! It was only about a 4 mile walk but pretty exciting.
I tend to forget that my spectacles go dark (I once stopped buying the reactolite-type ones, think I got a touch of SAD! - kept thinking we had awful weather then would look over the top of my specs and see we had brilliant sunshine!) and when I look o'er the top it was a really really white and bright day.
We walked alongside a river looking for a bridge. We joked about Ian throwing me in. Hmm, I think I started the conversation. When first we met and had a coffee, we followed this by a walk in the town, which actually led down a small alleyway to his car, in which he gave me a lift (ride) back to mine.
Ian now jokes how brave I was to do that - as opposed to stupid, cos he knows he wasn't going to attack me and I didn't think he was (see, shows I must be a good judge of character!) I told him if he was thinking of throwing me in the river, he could have chosen a more comfortable place to do it.
Well, being thrown in a river could never be comfortable, could it?
Hmm, I suppose if you were very hot then being thrown in a river might be a welcome relief?
In Texas (where in 2000, if I recall correctly, in N Dallas, it was over 100 deg F for 40 days running), where the dinosaurs were (not now, of course!) people were walking in the river looking a the dinosaur footprints (One lady, it was reported, on finding dinosaur prints in her garden, said: "Fancy them coming so close to the house!").
I was just standing on a stepping stone and saw a very squiggly little snake in the water.
Being thrown in that water, no matter how hot the day, I would not have been happy and would not have found it a welcome relief!
Heck, on the golf course, I wouldn't even go into the half way loo without an iron in my hand in case any snakes had decided to hole up in the privvy!
If I lost a ball in the long grass, it simply stayed lost.
Anyway, we found bridges and Ian never had any intention of chucking me in any rivers. In fact, on the return walk, a different route, where a small footbridge was missing, he very gallantly went first, testing out the squidginess of the snow/mud and depth of the water and then hauled me across and up t'other side.
On the radio today, people were messaging in about the strange concoctions they eat and drink. One person swore by burned toast spread with Marmite and dipped in milk. Which does sound a bit weird even to me.
Another said Coke with milk is good. I can imagine that would taste somewhat like a cream soda, yes?
Personally I enjoy, occasionally, a Makerson Stout with cream in it. Maybe it was the poor (wo)man's forerunner to Baileys?
A Croft Original sherry is going down very nicely at present.
The walk today did serve to clean my boots of the neat Jeyes Fluid (Ian said it smells like Lysol - but since I only know what Jeyes smells like and not what Lysol smells like, I can't yay or nay that) with which I disinfected my feeties at the Christmas Stock show about three weeks back. My scarf, which has been in the car boot for two weeks has, however, picked up the smell! I wondered how come, as i walked with scarf wrapped around my face as we walked into the wind, in the snow, that I could still smell the Jeyes from my boots when they must be about 4 feet from my nose. Then the penny dropped.
The scarf probably needs disinfecting now anyway cos I had to use it to wipe my runny nose because I couldn't find a hankie in my pocket!
Well, I didn't want frozen 'candles', did I??
I made some really hearty veg soup yesterday.
I'm something of a whizzzzz on soups.
Don't know why, just am. Can't really give you a recipe because I just cobble together whatever I have to hand and add a pinch of this herb, a spoonful of that spice and a cup or three of the other stock until it tastes the way I'm happy with.
Ian gets these "Oh I've died and gone to heaven" looks on his face when he tastes my soup. It's very rewarding!
We ate the remainder today, which I padded out with additional chicken stock, a little more thyme and mace and nutmeg, black pepper and salt - oh and some teeny tiny pasta shells.
Isn't it amazing how much one can write about nothing at all?
And ..... on the breakage front ...
Yesterday Ian broke a glass AND a mug, so he was one up on me.
Then today he was cutting up pork pie and it went sliding off the work surface on to the floor. And I should not have laughed cos a little while later I was just lifting the lid on the pan of soup and somehow the lid upended itself, turned over and scooped it was into the soup and landed upside down on the pan, full of soup.
Well, only Scoop could do that, huh???
I am now now allowed near glass things, plastic things, slippery things, hot things, including those with flames and maybe by the end of the night I'll be banned from electrical things???
OH, good news ... with no distractions, phones, having to dash out to pictures, etc etc I keyed in a year's chitties (don't make me explain again what they are!) from my accounts and started on the current year.
I might be able to get all this done without having to pay a fine to the tax man at this rate.
Once I've found an accountant who doesn't wear Mickey Mouse ties.
It is currently -6.5 deg C outside. There's a sensor outside the bedroom window. When I get up to pad to the bathroom I go look-see how cold it is before burying myself back in the down duvet.
Normally Ian heats my side of the bed up and seems to realise when I return from my little forays to the bathroom, even if he's fast asleep, waking up to have a small chat to enquire as to my well-being, state of sleeplessness, did I enjoy my cup of tea, the time and then he goes straight back to sleep.
I on the other hand stay awake to listen to his symphony and found last night that for 20 minutes, every 9-11 seconds (I may have counted more or less slowly) he gave a little twitchy kick. For a measured, quiet guy in the day time, he sure is active at night!
Last night I was first in bed and gave stern admonishments (is that a word?) about not dragging me over to the cold side!
What a wimp!
New Year's eve .... an invitation or two .... my, doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself?
And when you get older??

Boxing Day

2005-12-26T11:20:00.000Z

Lotsa snow forecast! In the meantime it's just come down as rain!
Seem to have eaten myself silly the last few days, feel like a whale. I never did get to the gym on Xmas eve - well, it was a bit ambitious, wasn't it?
We were going to walk or cycle today but the rain's already arrived. Maybe I should just run up and down stairs.
Actually, I think Ian would probably prefer that I just stay in one place!
Remember the pressie that was on my back door handle, which dropped when I turned the handle?
There was glass in it.
Little lavendar gel candles in glass pots. Didn't find the broken one until I opened the parcel to use one of the candles and had to be careful of the broken glass.
Ian made a wonderful dinner, melon and Proscuitto for starters, paella with huge prawns all still in their shells, tiger prawns with just the tips of shells on tails, mussels, chorizo, chicken thighs, the usual stuff, followed by Christmas Pudding and double thick cream and brandy.
Oh, and breakfast was smoked salmon and scrambled egg and bucks fizz. Oh and a bottle of Champagne after that but before dinner and Montagny with dinner.
All very delish and fun.
Except
I managed to swallow one of those tail tips? And it went down the wrong way and as I dashed off to get some water to stop choking, Ian followed and i put the glass down and it broke - don't know how, it was a sturdy glass, now it's just a was glass.
Then I noticed the candles had burned out and the gel one had some gel left in it - we'd put it in a nice glass votive holder of Ian's, so I was teasing the gel out - it felt wonderfully squidgy - but then it felt a bit damned sharp and I had to hurtle through to him laughing saying "I got glass in my fingers!" to which he responded promptly by getting the tweezers which Santa had put in his stocking as a silly present and thank goodness he did! I think we retired shortly after that before I could get into much more mischief!
However, I managed the third breakage this morning which was a relatively innocent one and didn't involve glass or anything of value but we both burst out laughing as we heard the crack.
Santa brought me some lovely pressies including some super warm furry pyksie slippers! And a lovely antique butter knife - which is what I rather hoped he might find to replace mine which I ruined from leaving it in the washing up water over long!
Mind, he brought Ian some weird stuff - I'm not sure that purple and black is his colour well, a bra, triangle and s'penders in purple and black, stockings, too! I spose I'll just have to wear them for him!
One of the funniest. No, THE funniest, is a do-it-yourself willy kit! You make a replica of your willy. Y'know, the way one does? He laughed like a drain when he saw it. Reading the instructions it sounds very ouch-worthy. It's in glow-in-the-dark green! Hey, I could use it as a magic wand, or to read by! I used to like those stars - like Alfie gave to Kat for Christmas in Eastenders. You put them on the ceiling and they glow when the lights are out.
It's very relaxing looking at those, actually. Anyone with hyper-active kids could do worse than stick someof those on the ceiling.
By the same token though, I'm not sure about a glowing in the dark willy on the bedside table. I'll have to see if I can find the link for it.
NO, I'm not going to post a piccie of the finished product!
Thank you for my super gifts and a wonderful Christmas Day, my maaaaaaaaaan but most of all for being you and so kind and smiley xxxx

Oof puff pant

2005-12-22T17:23:00.000Z

Nah, I haven't started exercising yet but I did go look around the health club with golf course today and was impressed. The pools aren't as long as the one I've been used to swimming so I figure I'd just have to do more lengths. IF they don't get too many people in it'd be OK. The separate ladies sauna probably seats about four people if they're very friendly. I was actually quite encouraged to use the gym and even the spinning didn't seem as bad as I thought - I had a quick 'go' on one of the bikes ... not sure how long 'the bits' would stand up to (or sit down on) the bike seats though!
The golf course is basic but so's my golf.
All looked good, just a question of when. I'm going to pop in for a free trial of the facilties. The tour I was given today actually lasted about one and three-quarter hours so they weren't exactly rushing me around!
A couple of the classes I might like to attend are held only during the period when I'll most likely be at work, which is a shame but I can still see a couple that interest me. There's a 'body combat' class which is little like kick boxing without contact, nipping about like Mohammed Ali.
Went to a very enjoyable party last night at Sue and Roger's home, friends of Ian. There were about 14 guests and it was great fun with a very tasty dinner, veal sausages cooked in red wine with shallots - yum!
Did some last minute shopping today, stocking fillers - no, I didn't buy a pair of legs!!
Well, better get wrapping ...
I was goin to get
A little bit wet
But I took wit me
An umbrellee
I put dat up
When da rain came on
An' me kept dry
So say si bon!

Customary care

2005-12-21T13:18:00.000Z

I've just called re the Customs (re)claim - at least THIS time I had a specific no. to call and person to talk to so didn't have to go on to redial.
As requested on the telephone previously, I had mailed all the labels adhered to Tora's gift but today I received a letter asking me to send the original customs declaration and charge labels.
So I called, off trotted the man and returned saying YES, they did have all the originals.
So why ask for them? He said our letters must have crossed in the post.
Yet the letter begins "Thank you for your recent letter" - d'ya think something didn't actually look at what I'd enclosed?
Just shows, it aint over 'til the fat lady stops singing!
Watch this space!
The reason I actually originally logged on this morning was to say that I had a word with The Angels (cards) and twice, the same card fell out.
Celeste:
"A happy move to a new home or place of employment is in the works. This movement will usher in positive new energy"
Well, well! There IS an angel on my shoulder!

Secret Santa?

2005-12-21T11:39:00.000Z

My friend/neighbour, Anna, sent me a text saying there's a bag on my bag door. Which promptly fell off when I turned the handle to open it, hope there's nothing breakable inside! She hasn't answered whether the gifts inside are from her or a secret Santa!!!! There's no writing at all on the gifts inside... maybe whoever left them there even got the wrong address???
Care has obviously gone into wrapping them though.
As if by magic ... an hour after the question asked, a text reply, yes, they ARE from her. That's just doubled the number of gifts I have to open. Wheeeeeee
I enjoy giving pressies soooooo much! Like to see if I can surprise, I suppose. I haven't heard from my son about his Christmas goat yet!!!
Just been calling a couple of health clubs in the area.
New year, new job, potential new home, new age in February! I've put a pound or 6 on through indulgence and Ian's great cooking and my membership to the Kenwick club expired a couple of weeks ago. In truth I hadn't used the pool, my exercise of preference, for a month or more and I did enjoy swimming.
There are two possibilities in clubs, one which is just around the corner from my new place of employ so that would be handy to nip into either early or after work and they're sending me a pack on their facilities - there's no online website.
The second club has golf too, though. A nine-hole course that would suit me well - until I built up stamina for 18 again and 2 hours is good exercise.
I don't really want to use the gym - I get obsessive about gym use ... once had a gym on the complex where I lived in the US and I started going for 20 mins and ended up being in there for two - three hours! It din't make much difference though!!! :)
A bit of cycling a bit of gentle walking on the machinery, 20 mins in a gym is plenty of time for me ... a sort of penance then I go enjoy swimming 40 lengths!
There are two jacuzzis at the second club, also and two pools so swimmers don't have to wait for aquacise to finish and a sauna and - well, two, one female only and one mixed and one steam room.
By now you'll have gathered where my preference lies but it may depend on cost ... so much does, huh?
Oh yes, I thought I'd got poltergeist again!
The first year I moved in here there were a couple of slightly inexplicable things.
On Monday when Ian was leaving early I reset the heating to come on at six but getting up and finding cold radiators the timer was set at 9. OK, maybe I just did 6 upside down, easily done??
Knowing I had to be up early y'day for the dentist but not THAT early, I reset it for 8am and left it at 1pm to go off ... I was out for an hour or two but started feeling the chill around 1.30 so looked at the clock and the red and blue 'stoppers' were pushed right up to one another for between 12 and 1, approx and so it had only been on for an hour.
Weird stuff!
I wonder if I've added sleepwalking and clock changing ..........ARGH come to that, my bedside clock, which obviously I never change cos it keeps good time and rarely use the alarm on (thus maybe turning the wrong dial on the back?) was almost 2 hours behind time the other morning, too. I altered it to the correct time and it's kept time sooooo ????? ..... to my nocturnal habits of snoring, sleep talking and tooth grinding? I can only hope I don't fart, as well ... at least, asleep, I'm spared the embarrassment of knowing about it!!!

I'm all stuck up, ugh ugh ugh

2005-12-20T16:57:00.000Z

Isn't there an EASY way of unpeeling the backing off double-sided tape???

Musing

2005-12-20T10:45:00.000Z

Just back from a visit to the dental hygienist. She says they're in good nick! I put it down to flossing and interdent brushes - and a few thou $'s work in the US a few years ago. They're not taking any routine appointments until March, only problems, cos the dentist is going private. We'll be getting a letter in January with the options. One prob is that there are 4.500 patients and he's only taking on 1800! Erk. However, the hygienist said she'll put in a good word for me cos she enjoys my stories when I go visit! Apparently the monthly sum will cover the cost of a couple of routine visits and hygiene visits and one pays for any additional work done ... at what price though? Hmmm? Crowns in the US were $300 ish each - probably the same in £s here! I'd better not eat any more banana toffee!

After the last four years of being awoken early by the bottle bank collecting lorry, crashing 3 times as it emptied the brown, green and white banks, it suddenly occurred to me this morning that it ALL goes in the same truck, just one load on top of the other ... which renders pointless the 3 colours of the containers because they all get mixed up anyway!!!! Anyone thought about that?

I've mailed or hand delivered all my cards now. Just got a couple of piccies to frame for gifts, which I'm looking forward to seeing finished. I think I'll be tempted to keep one for myself. I'll take a piccie when I've finished.

Had a girls' night out at Sorrentos Italian restaurant last night. There was a table next to us with about 8 gals on it, all wearing puce-coloured pinnies. Not sure why the pinnies ... I know it's de rigeur for hen parties to dress alike as they trail around the pubs but the pinnies really did nothing for the gals and one of our party said "Are they staff?" Whoever they were, they were SOOOO noisy! Three of 'em even stood on the (not very substantial) chairs for some reason, it was a relief when they'd gone. Maybe I'm getting 'old'. However, I do think it's possible to enjoy oneself without marring other's enjoyment of their evening.

The meals were large and we were glad we'd opted for no starter beyond garlic bread and enjoyed a liqueur/coffee afterwards. I had Strega. I'd been trying to remember the name of the liqueur and was delighted to find it on the wine list. I thought it was made from pine nuts - it has a disinfectant type smell - maybe a medicament type smell would be a better description!

As the story goes, Giuseppe Alberti found monks from the town who made this liquor. He eventually coaxed the secret recipe from them and started to produce it as Alberti Medical Elixer. It did not sell. So he renamed it to Strega (witch's love potion). Strega is a delicate liquer with digestive qualities. It is made up of a number of herbs such as mint, fennel, and saffron (the world's most expensive spice) which gives it a bright yellow color. Only two people left in the world have this secret recipe. They better not drink too much of this and forget the recipe, because it is 80 proof .

Finally sorted out the duty on my gift from Tora. Tor's had to email Customs and tell them it was a gift and give the value of producing it and I've had to send the wrappings from the parcel and maybe in a month's time I may get a refund if they can now agree it's a gift. Then I have to try to reclaim ParcelPost's handling fee. What a to-do!!

Bless her, she knows me ... of course I opened the gift right away. Today I received a wrapped gift, which I know is a calendar, but I'll be good and open on Christmas day.

There was a continental market in the town on Sunday. They operate every weekend, going around the country but at this time of year it's a daily market, moving from town to town. There was a Polish bread stall that ran out of bread by 1pm. It's baked in London and the lady gets up at 3am to go collect it. A cheese stall, run by Thierry, had customers in line all day long. One guy was selling bratwurst in rolls, charging £2 each. I bought a packet containing six sausages in Lidl for £1.49, which suspiciously like those on the market so the guy must have been making a fair profit on his sales.

It was nice to have the opportunity to buy this foreign stuff but it wasn't exactly cheap! Some ethnic type clothing (well, Asia IS a continent) was well over priced. I had an acquaintance who went to Goa and came back with a case BULGING with goods and a cotton throw, cost her £1, which is charged at around £20 over here. The whole caseful, including silver jewellery only cost her about £20. Hmm, OK, plus the airfare!

I've been printing off what will probably be the last few photographs that I'll be selling. In fact, season of goodwill, they were one or outstanding or requests from pleasant people so I just sent them gratis. I've been told I'm generous to a fault. Really though I was just glad to get them done and out of the way and off my mind.

In fact one such, hand delivered today the lady insisted on paying for. I suppose generosity spawns generosity and kindness, kindness. I'd like to think so.

Well, once I've framed these piccies I won't have any excuse left, apart from the Xmas festivities, not to start on the accounts ...........

Fine balancing act

2005-12-16T10:47:00.000Z

The sky was half blue, half brown so I risked putting out the laundry, bedding, though there was no wind (it blew all thro the night though).
Now the wind's come up but the sky's wholly grey/brown so I have to get ready to rush out to grab the laundry before it gets soaked!
There was a frost last night. I should have put the laundry out overnight. It's great when it gets frozen because it freeze dries and though it may be a bit difficult to get off the line and fold, it's great when it defrosts, just right for ironing.
Sheesh, how mundane!
Didn't get to bed until 3.40 am, finishing making/writing cards and wrapping pressies. I was going to do 'just one more' pressie when I realised I was so tired I could hardly stand.
Sank into my pillow, covered up with the down duvet then realised I should be up early because the postman tried to deliver a parcel yesterday at 9.10 and the card said he'd try again today. So I've been pottering, waiting for him to come, when I really want to go back to sleep and I reckon postie's probably decided that if I wasn't in at 9.10 y'day he'll try me at the back end of the day.
If I suddenly fall asleep while typing ... oh oh, sky's getting awfa dark.
Weather report from Ian, 19 M north of me that he's just had hailstones. Ouch.
The parcel I'm waiting for is a gift from Tori but the PO have decided to levy a huge customs duty on it. Ian's called to say his parents had a similar occurence and managed to get a refund!
Well, i want my pressie and am happy to pay but by gum sometimes they can be very jobsworth!
Looking out of the window earlier I saw a guy walking around the car park opposite taking photographs from different angles. Since he then took one with my car in it I could contain myself no longer and forgetting I was dressed in my checked jammies and red socks I threw open the door and yelled at him: "Excuse me ... what are you doing."
The guy actually lives over the road but without my specs on I couldn't see it was him.
He came over to explain that he was photographing for a survey (I'd have thought ...... rainnnnnnnn
Argh and yeuk .... it was hail and I didn't have time to find footware and my socks are wet! AT the same time the Parcelforce guy called and while taking delivery and discussing the parcel the phone went and then my mobile trilled too!
Why do things happen all at once?
The delivery guy has pointed out a number to call to reclaim (if possible) charges ... which, naturally, is engaged every time I call it and ringback doesn't work.
Oh yes, the car park ... seems the council want it surveying to re do it, adding posts so it looks like the free spaces, if that's what they are because one neighbour disputes that, saying they have it in their deeds that they have a parking space over there. Which would only be fair since we have double yellows both sides of the road and thus no where to park our cars and no room in the garden/drives. I suppose I should ring the council now and get my 'bags I' in for a paying spot. Sigh bloody sigh!
Second lot of washing's just finished so now I have TWO lots to find drying space for.
Ting! I could use the tumble drier!
Wonder how long I'm going to have to keep re-dialling?

One that arrives on time

2005-12-15T22:13:00.000Z

Season's Greetings

all

my readers

The end is nigh

2005-12-15T21:25:00.000Z

Long time to look back on, I need to cast my mind back!

Last Sunday Chas, son, came to visit with his girlfriend of four months, Hannah. I haven't seen him in almost a year and it was wonderful to see him. He'd put on a little weight (and lost some I gather) and his hair was longer, no longer the 'no. 1' and he looked happy and healthy. We had a blow out lunch at t'pub and afterwards relaxed in front of the TV followed by tea. I had to dash off early evening for a concert so what they hadn't managed to eat for tea I packed as a picnic for their three hour drive back.

A great afternoon.

Racing to pick Ian up, we went on to a concert of The Messiah in the Central Hall, Grimsby, by the Grimsby Philharmonic Society with the Eastern Sinfonia. A group of Ian's friends were attending en block and Ian had exchanged his ticket and bought an additional one so we could sit together. The circle was pretty well packed though the stalls had plenty of room. One of the group, David was in the choir and his brother and wife had come some distance to join the choir for the night (and day's practice, when they'd run through the WHOLE of the concert).

It was a long programme, not finishing til gone 10, I think and then apparently 45 mins had been cut from it!!

Afterwards there was a party at the home of David and Nina, with drinks and eats, including some delicious mince pies which had a pastry with bite and layer of cream cheese inside. Unusual and very tasty, like they had cream ready added!

David's brother Bob treated us to a Jake Thackery style impromptu recital on guitar then with David a duo which was very good and amusing and David managed even with one string broken!
Yesterday I got my hair multi-hued again! A variation on the colours this time, blonde (duh), purple and copper!! It must be noticeable since a few people have commented on it again - favourably I have to add. In fact I suddenly noticed that the colour selection seems to have become quite popular on ladies in the town. I wonder if I started the trend a year or so back?
During the year I have been asked where I had my hair done (and this evening) and can only suppose that the question was put so people could either avoid or making an appointment with the hairdresser!
I have started making cards. I used a Scottish deer for the first batch but the second batch (which I'm working on) is of Christmas wreaths which were hung outside a florists.
Now I want to exhort y'all to take care on the roads. I know it's a busy time of year and people are rushing around to get things done but please do remember it's better to arrival safely even if late, huh?
A friend was in a road accident last night. He underwent a six hour operation through the night and a second one this afternoon which, I understand, went according to plan.
Here's hoping for a full recovery.
I finish my job tomorrow - sort of! I had decided tomorrow would be the last day but there's a continental market in the town on Sunday and I don't mind capturing a few shots from that.
Sooooo, hmmm, apart from the odd occasion of 'social pictures' this will be the end of pyk the 'photojournalist'.
I start a new job, totally unrelated, in January, beginning with 8 weeks training and it's not one to write about so pykspeeks could be nearing its end folks!
A lot of people have expressed dismay with "Awww, we LIKE you" and have been generous in their praise for the job I've done, which has been heartening and sad but life moves on, the rent needs paying and I'll have to start doing 'normal' hours (arghghghgh, how????)
But, no more evening work and a Saturday morning only once in maybe three months, paid holidays and pensionable. Security.
Bet I'll have the most colourful bonce in the office!!!

Moi?

2005-12-13T11:42:00.000Z

Your Seduction Style: The Natural

You don't really try to seduce people... it just seems to happen.Fun loving and free spirited, you bring out the inner child in people.You are spontaneous, sincere, and unpretentious - a hard combo to find!People drop their guard around you, and find themselves falling fast.

What Is Your Seduction Style?

I suppose, at 4' 11", people do see something childlike! I was walking through a primary school yesterday when the youngsters were in a long, long line waiting to file into the hall. I was glad to get alongside the 8 years old who didn't tower over me!

Ahem

2005-12-10T13:36:00.000Z

Is it just me or is everyone seeing fuzzy???
Grin
I experienced late night opening last night, at t'pub.
I only went over for the last hour, not realising the last hour had turned into the last two hours and there was such a lot of bonhomie that I actually got home three hours later.
Good grief, maybe it's true that people will drink much more???
I certainly did, I dare not to say even HOW much, suffice to say that it is now 13.40 and and still re-hydrating. Surely there's a better word for that?
Getting wet? Nah.
Soaking?
Sopping up?
OK re-hydrating.

Sutton on Sea had a Victorian Christmas shopping evening last night and the main drag, giggle, was closed.

There were a few guys, Old Fossils (no, I'm not being derogatory!) selling hot chestnuts and mulled wine, and other stalls, of course - this fuzzy picture is one such, Tony Powell. I was messing about with the settings and thought this was a sort of ghostly picture. I did get a proper one, too, which looks very jolly.
I think this is Peter Atkin.
Wot a lot of conkers!

I had to stand on the street waiting for someone tall to walk past last night when I got back!

My car aerial, fixed at great expense (£198) was screwed in so tightly by a guy from the Environment Agency the other day when inspecting the sea defences that unscrewing it, at the best of times difficult, became impossible last night. I'm just not tall enough to grip it at the right angle.

So I skulked around the car park eating a bag of popcorn (caramelised) wondering if whomever I asked to remove my car aeril would, in fact, request me to show, in some way or other, that the car was in fact mine, or whether they would be just helping me have it away with someone else's aerial. Do I mean that?? I think I meant to say make off with.

Fortunately, the first person who came by was a) 6' 3" so I wasn't going to embarrass anyone who was also too short and b) Rick, Anna's boyfriend, whom I know so that little jobette was accomplished no probs.

I have just purchased my son's Xmas present. I don't think he reads this so it won't spoil the surprise. And anyway, he'll find out in a couple of days time through the post.

I've bought him a goat!!!

There was a radio programme on a couple of weekends back where people were discussing how much to spend, what to get, whether one should even buy Xmas gifts at all.

I don't think, by and large, except for a large collection of shoes and aerosol deoderants that I or my kids are particularly materialistic. I don't HAVE to have designer stuff, if it fits and it's the right colour and looks ok, that's fine by me, and since Chas is an organ donor ... no, hang about, a potential one but I hope not too soon and please God not before I go, unless it's just some of that stuff that's in the middle of your bones ... ahhh, marrow .... which he can spare ... losing plot, losing plot .... hmmm, oh yes, so I thought he might like to have a gift that's helping someone else this year.

You can get more than just a goat (you can get a whole herd of them!) can buy a toilet block, a fruit tree (this was second favourite choice, cos it's living, see?) clean water kit, plastic sheeting, a school desk, school uniforms .... all sorts of stuff, from a fiver to £000's. You select your gift, then personalise a card and can either send it email or snail mail (sorry postie, I do know you walk pretty fast really).

Well, I figure that if I can't buy a present that won't be useful, or I don't know what the recipient would really like/enjoy, then exchanging dosh is just a bit daft so it may as well be used for better purposes, huh?

Ok, so you're all dying to know the URL for this great way or sorting out a gift ... it doesn't have to be for Christmas, it can be for any ol' reason at all!

So ...... http://www.greatgifts.org

Must get my Christmas cards written. I wish I thought about all this earlier then I could have made some! I've had two particularly lovely hand made cards and wonder if I've got time to make any ... or enough imagination to make interesting ones. Duh, I spose I could take a photograph of something???

Or maybe I should just crack on with the accounts.

I'm SOOOO good at procrastinating.

Having said that, I'd better get shifting cos I've got to get to an Xmas Fayre at Fotherby and then on to Ian's. He cooking a rogan josh for dinner and I'm going to take over a Bollywood DVD, Bride and Prejudice which makes me hum "bompa dompa dom" and want to jump around (sound like and Oompa Lumpa, don't I?)

Maybe I'll just make another cup of tea first???

OH, Chas is coming over tomorrow - son - and in the evening there's a concert, Handel's Messiah.

Bompa dompa dom

welllllll

2005-12-10T01:07:00.000Z

I have to say that I can't really remember what I was going to say.

The Beasties

2005-12-08T13:46:00.000Z

Show Champions, Class 10, Pen of three matching lambs sired by continental ram (exceeding 131 kg live weight), Beltex X owned by Mrs P Wright of Boston.Left to right: Chris Wright, Pam Wright and Emma Wright.

One guy kindly (?) opened the gate so I could better take this picture and the lambs wanted to run for it - or me - so I grabbed a piccie while they were still penned!

This beast is one of a pair, 3rd in their Class of an unhaltered matching pair (heifers/steers or mixed) and I didn't get underneath to find out what it/they were), and they are Belgian Blue X Charolaid X Lincoln Red! Beautiful colour! The top of the beast has been shorn to 'show the meat' I was advised by a passer by.

Harold Fox from Spilsby admiring the Class 5 Unhaltered Steer Show Champion, 'Reddy' a Belgian Blue X with a Limousin cow, from P & B Hodgson & Sons Ltd from Mareham Le Fen. Yes, I can see it's red! I so doubted myself that I'd got the wrong beast since it was a Belgian Blue X that I phoned the farmer myself to check! Speaking to Mr Fox on how lovely the beast looked he said "Yes, it'll be dead by tonight!" Awww

I was busy dipping my welly-booted feeties in and out of troughs as I passed through the market building to the sheep pens and when finally coming out I stuck 'em in the wrong bucket and got the wellies covered in neat Jeyes Fluid and slithered all over the place til I could find a puddle to splosh in!

My car boot smells very disinfected now!

A load of bull

2005-12-07T14:41:00.000Z

It's the Louth Christmas Fat Stock Show tomorrow so hopefully I'll have piccies of bulls. The first time I was asked to do the show I wasn't sure whether I was taking piccies of cows or bulls ... I think the boy cows had had their bits removed - which was what I was looking for to differentiate. However and on the other hand, I didn't actually want piccies of the bits.

It'll be a wellies jobbie tomorrow. And maybe more jobbie than one would like. Wonder if I can find a santa hat to drape on a beast?

Spellcheck

2005-12-06T12:37:00.000Z

I used spellcheck in the last but one post and it made more mistakes in correcting them than mending them. If I go back and correct them I'll just get one of those big white spaces which I still haven't solved, at the beginning of the post so the mis-spellings will just have to remain an annoyance. They're not all mis-spellings though, they may just be typos or then again, maybe just MY spellings, from the pyk dic?
I think I need to make a list. Maybe I need a booklet for lists? Somehow I managed to have 3 notebooks on the go at once. It's not to be recommended. Probably because one of them was meant to be a to-do b ooklet, but since they all look the same it just got mixed up. Now I need to look through all three to find the note I made that was for me, not a caption! Grrrr

Did you know

2005-12-05T23:39:00.000Z

that Charles Dickens and I have only 151 years minus one day (or plus, I'm not hot on maths) separating our births?? In fact I'm so bad at sums that I've just figured it's actually 139 years, still minus or plus one day.
Well, the point is really we're both Aquarians and great writers!!!
Well, it made ME laugh!

It comes to something

2005-12-05T22:12:00.000Z

When you have to look at yer diary to see what you've been doing!

OK, Thursday I went to take a photograph of the replica Royal wedding cake - Chas and Camilla's. Two ladies from Woodhall Spa, Dawn Blunden and Mary Robinson, (with help from adult education students and friends) and the use of a friend's bakery in Norfolk, won the contract to bake the two tier cake, with 4 weeks notice to plan, bake and decorate it.

As well as the main cake they baked 2,500 extra slices (did you get one? I didn't!) for special people (ah, that's why!).
The ingredients included,080 eggs from frantic local chickens, to make 93 12-inch rich fruit cakes, which were later dowsed with 20 bottles of brandy and it weighed a whopping 17 stones!
Oh yes and it took three days to mix all the ingredients by hand - so if you've been labouring over your Christmas cake, stop moaning!
Oh yes, I gather Prince William is partial to a bit of fruit cake!
Went along to a cheque presentation for the Louth Hospital CT Scanner Appeal - the ladies of the WI had raised Â£245 from their August garden party and autumn auction. They were being entertained at this event by the Louth Recorder Group. I didn't have time to stay and enjoy the whole performance but enjoyed the five mins I was there. There was a rather strangely shaped 'recorder' though ...Anyonee know what it is??

Friday evening was the Caistor Sommeliers' annual dinner - held at the Kenwick Park Golf Club. Hey, it was great fun and started with a champagne reception - and me taking their piccies for the social pages.

Members took their own wine and shared it around their tables. There were some fun Christmas crackers. Each had a numbered whistle inside and at one place setting was a conductor's baton and a list of Christmas Carols, in numbers, rather than with crochets, etc.

We elected a conductor but then couldn't really decide whether it was better to just point the baton at each number ...Having swapped whistles round the table so the number ran one after the other around (can't think of a word for that), or for him to call out the numbers.

Actually, I found it easier to be pointed at. However, calling was the chosen method in the end and we took so long deciding that we were the last table to go and everyone just ended up singing the words anyway. I think we'd sorta got beyond musicality by then. We did get point .. just the least of any other table!

There was adeliciouss choc in a pot pudding (as well as two others, which I can't remember now!) which had I been at home it would have been great to run one's finger around and lick the very last morsel from the rather awkward dish! Individual ones, I hasten to add!

Saturday a.m. I drove Ian up to the club to collect his car and in the meantime jaunted off to take a picture at a Christmas fayre at Holy Trinity church. As I walked up the side gate and across the York stones I was recalling how, a couple of years ago (that long?) my feet went from under me and I fell with a thump to the ground ... and blow me down, if I didn't do just that ... OOOOOF. By gum that shook me up, Arms flailing (camera case kerplonk), Pyk kerplonk, on bum, back, arms, shoulders. Don't think I hit my head but certainly pulled something in back of neck/head, whiplash, I think!

I wobbled into the church and found the Director of Nursing (it was a do for the scanner) from the Louth Hospital who said I needed sweet tea. I was shaken (and had a wet bum/back). And the vicar was sought to sort the situation of the flagstones out.

Not sure how much time passed but the gate I'd entered by was locked and the area roped off so no-one else could walk along it.

The Vicar told me NO ONE else had fallen over. She had walked three times that day on it and hadn't fallen over. The flagstones had been power washed just a few days before. THUS "It must be the way you walk."

You know, it may well have been the way I walk, but unfortunately, it's the ONLY way I can walk! The DofN on the other hand, who had come out with me to look at the offending bit of paving and had announed them 'lethal' as he rubbed his toe over the area, suggested that some sand 'cheap as chips' should be thrown over them to give some grip.

Well, I didn't really fancy doing much else jobwise after this but with Ian driving we went out to Mablethorpe where the Dunes had a Victorian Christmas.

The boys there, the very fragrant Malc and Phil (I always like to give 'em a peck on the cheek, cos they smell so good!) were dressed up and the mayor was wearing mayoral robes, which were very becoming but they weren't really his but from Dennis Joice's wardrobe, who's abfab with a needle and thread and makes all his dame's costumes and many others for the various pantos in which he's involved.

He won't be doing pantos for a while cos he's starting a new career - at 73 - as a dance host on the Fred Olsen lines cruise ships. He's such a dapper guy, I wouldn't mind being a wallflower mesen!

Left to right they run: Malc, Phil, Santa, Mayoress andgranddaughterr, Mayor and Dennis.

Sunday was the Christmas market in Louth and with my trust camera bag carrier/minder, Ian, we went into the fray for piccie taking. It was pretty crowded and we arrived as the Alford Morris were about to perform.

After a warming glass of gluwein we repaired to the Mason's Arms and tested out a pint or two of real ale. Ian joined in with the singing, got a great voice. On Sunday night one of the Morris guy's said "You can bring him again, he's got a good voice!"

New life was breathed into yours truly and when the playgoers cast, or some of them, from next year's panto encouraged us, from the stage to join in the dancing, yours truly took to the cobbles and danced her little pants off. Well, not quite that but certainly the ale acted asanaestheticc for my back!

The event was organised this year by the Rotary, Round Table and Lions, who also had stalls providing sustenance including some delicious looking sausages - 'cept they'd all gone by the time we got out of the pub! Not much wonder, eh??

Well, it was a dog's life for some ... the Bernese Mountain dogs, towing little trailers found time for a rest though!

Oh yes, day ended with the pub quiz which 'we' won this week, without having to share the glory.

Well, I actually only answered a couple and one of those was wrong! The quiz answers were punctuated with laughter since Tom, had a little machine that gave out some very rude-sounding farts and people kept erupting in giggles.

Laid back

2005-12-02T16:09:00.000Z

Or is it layed back?? Layed would be like a chicken and egg situation, wouldn't it? And layed back ... well once assumes that things get layed out and forward so layed back can only be like a scene from Sense of the Realm ... my copy of which, by the way, I appear to have lost.
Where was I?
Oh yes, I appear to be laid back today almost to the point of being beyond care, which is all rather nice really.
I found I was a little slower getting going this morning that I had expected to be - interrupted doncha know it, by a phone call that went on a bit - so rather than stress out and try to get the the first piccie ... where we do have one already this week on the same society ... and get totally stressed out trying to find a parking space close enough to the library, on market day, when the town's packed and especially just before Christmas, I thought I'd give it a miss and motor to the next job, in Mablethorpe, in a relaxed rather than the usual frenetic manner.
There I met up with my local MP, Sir Peter Tapsell, at the Cons Club ... short for Conservatives, I should add for those who might put another and rather different connotation on the abbreviation, where a coffee morning was being held and Sir P was due to view the sea defences with gentlemen from the Environment Agency.
He was dismayed to be losing 'the bouncy one' (photographer) but said he'd send me a Christmas card if I let his secretary know where I'm going. He's actually been a jolly person to take pictures of and I was very happy, of couse, when I got a piccie of him in The Daily Telegraph, prior to the last election.
Hmm, I think I'm supposed to have run to the Post Office with mail, taken the drying out of the tumbler - tho from the condensation on the windows, the stuff I put on the radiator should be practically dry by now. It's like being in the tropics here!
I should have gone to a school Xmas Fayre but since I went to one yesterday, with the new 'less pictures' regime I wondered if they'd support a second picture in the same week so I stayed home in the warm and had a cup of tea and got on with writing up this morning's story.
Going out this evening, the Caistor Sommeliers' annual dinner at Kenwick Park Golf Club. Better take camera for social pix.
Hope I can still fit into my evening gear - Ian's a great cook and has been feeding me well !!! I love mussels and just mentioned a recipe I'd seen in the Scottish Fish Ricipe Cookbook and low (and behold) when I arrived at his house for a St Andrew's day dinner, our starter was mussels! Yummmmmmy. The haggis, steak, riced pots and mashed swede (in lieu of neeps) was first class and followed by cheese and biscuits and accompanied by some fine wine.
I hope i don't end up like one of those bottom weighted kiddies' toys that you push and it just rocks and rocks on it's bum, falls to the side and immediately bounces back up again.
Oh, maybe that's why I was called the bouncy one???
Shove her over but she'll bounce back!

It's the pits!!!

2005-11-30T16:43:00.000Z

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

2005-11-30T10:51:00.000Z

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

2005-11-30T01:40:00.000Z

Helen and John.

Postie, postie don't be slow

2005-11-29T17:24:00.000Z

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 ............

What snow?

2005-11-28T11:25:00.000Z

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!!

"Where've you been?"

2005-11-21T11:52:00.000Z

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???

Remembrance in Louth and Mablethorpe

2005-11-13T14:51:00.000Z

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

2005-11-13T14:11:00.000Z

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.

Fools For Good Blog

2005-11-08T19:34:00.000Z

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

2005-11-08T18:59:00.000Z

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!!!

Real Life (Original)

2005-11-07T23:24:00.000Z

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

2005-11-07T16:37:00.000Z

Deleted, far too scary!
Thanks J!

Lost the plot, headless chicken mode

2005-11-07T16:29:00.000Z

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.

Smells - Oh and it may help prevent flu!

2005-11-04T15:32:00.000Z

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?

Blimey O'Reilly

2005-11-02T14:07:00.000Z

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

la la la la laaaaaaaaaa

2005-11-01T23:55:00.000Z

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??

Halloween

2005-10-29T12:34:00.000+01:00

Hey, fun party last night. A last minute invitation to Robert's Halloween bbq was accepted and in half an hour I rushed to produce some sort of dress-up effect. Black trews and jumper, a choker which was actually a belt of black stones on leather, earrings that change colour according to mood ... they're always deep red on me ... black boots and then going mad with red hair putty and gel. I gave myself red horns, twisting my hair and reddened the spikes. Drew strange eye brows and used brown eye shadow and last of all, bright red lipstick.
Didn't look at all like myself .. bit scary and horrid, actually!
First of all I had a job to do, though. There was Ashley Mote, MEP for the SE Region, Steve Radford, President of the Liberal Party and Marc Glendening, campaign director of the Democracy Movement.
And I turn up looking like a little devil!!
Give people their due, they managed not to look too aghast. Which was disturbing in itself. Marc thought I was just a Louth Goth. So I began explaining to everyone that I was heading on to a Halloween party.
Gosh, that's awful, really, that people might think I look so awful ALL the time!! :)
Drove to the party and after a hello drink drove my car back home and walked back to the party ... no drinkee drivee.
It was a fun evening and delicious chilli and ostrich burgers. Denise and I each took a bottle of red, which we shared and finished both bottles, then finished the half bottle Q had left on his departure, THEN opened another bottle of red. Not sure how far down that one we got but I do know I stumbled in after very kindly being walked home, immediately washed my hair, was ill and then had a cup of tea and 3 fat slices of Lincolnshire plum bread.
I had to pay a visit in the night down to the bathroom and fair reeled down the stairs!
However, God decided to spare me today and no resultant headache!
I should add that I don't actually drink much nowadays - though that may be difficult to believe!
May have a job avenue to explore.
It would make quite good sense if so.
Would probably mean moving but not too far away. Would mean I could finally invest in my own little property and yet leave me time to do the magazine photography which is mainly evenings, for social events. And it's a term time job so that would leave a certain amount of freedom.
I had a chat with the Angels this morning about it and during the first shuffle a card veritably leapt out of the pack and it was SO relevant I laughed out loud!
It's a bright day. I've done a couple of jobs and met nice people. The police cadets are holding a coffee morning for a local charity and they'd gone to so much trouble, making cakes and puzzles, a tombola and raffle and by 11 am they'd barely had an visitors, despite advertising it in the local paper and putting out about 700 flyers yesterday. Such a shame when youngsters go to a lot of effort and there's little response.
A coffee morning at a youth club in the town was drawing more clientele - who were being encouraged in, off the streets!
I've a dinner to go to this evening, for my niece, Nic. It's her 30th birthday on Monday.
Today feels good.

Erotica Exhibition , Olympia 17-20 November 2005

2005-10-28T15:04:00.000+01:00

I went, last year, to the Erotica Exhibition at Olympia and it occurred to me that it's that time of year again! Just looked at the site and see there's even weekend job opportunities .... now maybe that's something I could apply for, huh? Erotica Exhibition job opportunities
Actually, it was a fun day's outing. You'd probably need a couple of days to cover it thoroughly but for anyone with an open mind and a sense of fun, it's interesting.
There were people queuing for the loos by the entrance, inside, with holdalls and I wondered why so many had bags with them. Then I realised that they had their 'outfits' in the bags. And some weird and wonderful outfits there were. One guy, walking toward me looked like a policeman, turning around after he'd walked past, the back of his uniform from tops of legs to shoulders was completely cut away ;)
There were stalls selling fun clothing, toys of all descriptions. Like a kiddie in a candy shop I was wide eyed and wanting to see everything. I tried a nipple clamp on my little finger and by gum did that make my eyes smart! Well, I didn't actually know it was a nipple clamp til I was yelling ouch and an assistant grinned at me and told me where it was supposed to be used.
Mind, I suppose once you own the toy, you can clamp it where the heck you like!
I'd say, though there were young and beautiful people, that the exhibition appealed to those in their late 30's upwards ... just my observation.
There was a very large lady wearing stockings and an extremely short skirt (shorter than Fifi's), bustier and collar, who was being led around on a leash by a suited guy. Quite incongruous!
There was dungeon furniture. I did climb on one bench to see if it was comfortable and anyway, I'm always climbing things !! No I didn't get strapped to it! LOL I was just curious!
It was a fun event, not at all sordid and I think interesting for the enquiring mind.
Take a look ......... Erotica Exhibition see the link in side margin if it isn't here.
And for the vegetarians among us, a little clip: Erotic Veg

Wonderful weather

2005-10-28T00:15:00.000+01:00

But my how confusing was the weather today? I was dressed warmly from early, ready to go out with a girlfriend, in the latest fashion, viking boots, long swishy skirt and cable woolly. G/f had to cancel so I took me off down town to do some banking , thought a walk would be healthy and blow the cobwebs away and took the precaution of putting a gilet on too.
Was I ever hot!
And what diverse fashions from me looking like Eskimo Nell to people walking around in tee shirts and shorts and bare bellies!
Nope, not done the CV yet and the job offer didn't come through ... would you believe it, there is no job fairy????
However, the Angels (cards, remember?) are telling me to charge ahead and to expect miraculous solutions. ..... Pete, just shush, huh??? I can't afford any more 2 pennies !!!!
Sheesh, it's back to reality this week after the great week in Scotland. Not many jobs, bit worrying (bit?????).
I went to A&E the other night ... my eyes were really puffy and red. I figured if there were people bleeding all over the place I'd just turn on my heel and walk out.
However, no one laughed at me and the man at reception was so sweet and found me on the records.
He went thro my details and then next of kin .... Tora (love ya) ... it was her old address in Sheffield, though. It occured to me that with Tora thousands of miles away and nine hours behind us that to attempt to telephone her in the event of dire circumstances ... get your ass over here, your mum's gonna die in an hour ... was, hmmm, maybe a bit pointless.
So I gave 'em my neighbour's name and number.
Then my bloody eyes got even redder ... cos they shed a tear. Silly, innit?

Hmmmm

2005-10-25T17:47:00.000+01:00

Russell Grant today said I must make my mind up quickly if offered the chance to take a change in direction careerwise. That I'll hardly have time to think but it will be an opportunity I won't want to miss. I'll get the chance to pursue and achieve ambitions which up until now have been verging on the fringe of dreams but most things will go my way.

This was today's horoscope - bit spooky. I hope the offer comes soon cos the day's 2/3rds over and I can't stand the suspense!!!!

Pondering

2005-10-25T17:33:00.000+01:00

On the radio yesterday findings were announced that tall women were less likely to have children and more likely to concentrate on their careers and be seen as stronger characters and more able.
Today personnel officers somewhere or other said that fat people are less likely to be given a job than a skinny counterpart applying for it.
I think I'll update my CV and say I'm 5' 9" and thin as a beanpole.
Well, if potential employers don't look beyond a CV I don't want sieving out before they've even been able to see that a short, average weight lady can cut it, do I?
I suppose interview stage could be a problem?
I'll have to ponder on that one.

Helpless

2005-10-25T11:44:00.000+01:00

OK, there was a period when, hormonally challenged, I'd get stressed out over something stupid ... like my car battery having gone flat, I just burst into tears ... mind you, I did that over the parking ticket, didn't I? Maybe I DO have some hormones left??
On the whole, through life (hell, I'm talking like it's over and it's far from THAT!) I've been a coper. Something go wrong? Get on and fix it!
Looking after the children, they have a spill, you pick 'em up, kiss 'em better and sorted ... apart from if they need to go to the hospital.
How many calls did we have from ATC telling us Chas was at the hospital again?
I was squeamish taking Victoria for her first 'jab' but it's something you just have to do.
I'm having some tiling done in the bathroom at the moment for the installation of a shower.
The young guy who's been left with the job was talking to his partner a while back telling her where I lived for her to deliver some lunch but told her to wait until the rain had let off some.
Rain's let off and he's just dashed through, all worried looking.
"I've got to go!"
"Yes?"
"She's trapped the babies fingers in the door and she's only one. I've got to go."
Why didn't the daft bint just call the surgery or an ambulance ??
OK, that sounds selfish ... but first I was told this was a one day job. This morning I'm told it's a two-day job, grouting tomorrow and: "Oh, by the way, you can't bathe, can you go swimming and have a shower there?"
Fuck!
Anyway, it really would have been much more practical to call someone medical. There's a surgery in the next street, too.
It would be really nice to have the luxury of not being able to cope.
Liar, Julie Coates, you'd do it anyway!!!
I hate asking for help.
Then again, I'm not sure who'd I'd ask it of, anyway!
I'd have stayed in the dark at the top of the landing for ever .... thank you :)

Pyknyk golfing in the buff

2005-10-24T23:03:00.000+01:00

Hah, little devil! Got my sunglasses on, see?

The Mini-Mizer

Thanks Kat!

Lucky Heather

2005-10-24T21:49:00.000+01:00

Rather than pay the gypsies a Â£ for a wee sprig of heather I thought it would be nice to pick my own and playing my first round of golf in a couple of years (and a bit), it seemed a good time to take a sprig when visiting Gairloch Golf Course.
What a bonnie wee course. It struck me that it was quicker to get around (even though walking) than the US and Portuguese courses I'd played on ... then again, it was a smallish course. However, it wasn't exactly an easy one.
I didn't t think so, anyway!
There were huge great dips that you didn't know were there (if you'd never played it before) and great inclines to get down and had to ring a bell on the 5th when you'd finished so the people behind knew it was safe to play.
Maybe with some lessons in technique (no ones ever complained about my technique, I may add) I can make the balls go further but at least I was consistent with 7s on most holes!
Stop laughing!

The eighth hole, shown in piccie, is a dog-leg hole running parallel with the beach, then a whacking great dip, then uphill again, of course. Oh lor ... or was this the 9th, pictured? Can anyone read the flag???
Hey, I did par one hole, each time around (9 holes twice).
I stood on the tee mat with my wood ... "You won't need that, it's not far!" said Ian.
"It's OK, it's just a 9 wood." I do love my 9 wood.
I gave the ball a whack and it flew, wheeeeeeee, up in the air and landed on the green. YESSSSS! HAH!
Well, it was great fun and not only did I get my trolley pulled up the hills, I got pulled up 'em too!
I was given the highest handicap to play with.
Y'know, if I'd been given just 20 more, I could have played with Tiger Woods and beaten him???
Oh, I lost my sprig of heather!

Water, Water everywhere

2005-10-24T21:12:00.000+01:00

The American lady asked for a glass of tap water. "Are you sure?" "Yes, I'd like some tap water." "Water from the tap?" "Yes, water from the tap." "Ohhhhh ... k. Erm. The water from the tap is good, it just looks funny." "Looks funny?" "Yes, it's sorta pale whisky coloured." "Pale whisky coloured?" "Yeah, but it's used in whisky so that's alright, huh?"

Now who would have liked to have had the opportunity this young chappie had??

In the boat, with outboard motor (and oars, I was pleased to see ... I shouldn't have watched that scary film a couple of weeks back about the outboard motor packing up and the man died and the two boys got stranded and and and .... I digress) I felt a little dis-ease. I'm not a 'water person' generally. I did get over not wanting to go on canoes on the Welsh border river darn sarf by telling myself I had dry clothes, my valuables were looked after and I could swim and it wasn't a fast flowing river.

I got over worrying about bobbing about on a little Greek boat that seemed terribly over-laden, and stank of diesel, between islands, by telling myself that the Greeks had been doing this for centuries with only the odd Siren to contend with.

Sitting in this little boat in water that's all the same colour of dark peat but translucent, ie. no code ... turquoise - shallow, pale blue - not very deep, inky blue - too bloody deep, and mountains that took a long time to get closer, it occurred to me to ask: "Is the water deep?" (Remember my near drowning experience as a kiddie, in my profile? Oh and then the one in Nigeria when I went surf/body boarding and waved cos I was drowning - I thought - and got waved back at???).

Reply: "It is a bit."

I decided not to ask how big a bit it was deep, for the moment.

I thought about how wet my bum was in my windproof but apparently not waterproof outer garments. But then it was my golfing waterproofs and I've never yet, as far as I can remember (and I don't do remembering, remember?) been required to sit in a puddle on a golf course.

Yeuk, when I stood up I could feel the water dripping down my leg. I don't think I'd peed myself with fright!!! Giggle.

It was good to get on land on the Enchanted Isle Maree. A consecrated area, people are still buried there occasionally. These two stones mark the graves of a Nordic prince and a Scottish Princess. It's a bit of a Romeo and Juliet story, so you know it's not exactly a happy outcome, eh?

There's a wishing tree that you stick money in! There was lots of money there, old pennies that had gone green! I wonder if Queen Victoria spent a penny on the island?? Oh, I slept in her bedroom and had a great morning view.

"So, how deep exactly WAS the loch?"

"Hmm, about 400 feet minimum."

Faints clean away .............

Dear, dear, deer

2005-10-24T20:48:00.000+01:00

Click on the picture, then down in the bottom right hand corner when the symbol comes up, to enlarge and look carefully to the left of the picture. Whotcha see?

I raced up to where I'd left my camera bag to get a longer lens and then caught .......

Then at night the deer came up close ....

Fifi La Belle - the waitress from hell

2005-10-24T19:42:00.000+01:00

I've remembered why my previous waiting on experience only lasted one day.
When 14 I wanted to have a weekend job for extra pocket money but certain jobs were unacceptable to my mother.

Potato picking - which I was never terribly serious about anyway - was a no-no ... mum had picked a bucket or two of tatties when in the Land Army and she said it would be too hard work.

Paper round - nah, too early and EVERY day.

A job in a kiosk along the prom? Certainly NOT ... mum wasn't having HER daughter working on the prom

... interjection ... Mum sometimes had some strange little ideas - don't we all? - like, when aged 16 I dared to suggest I might use tampons instead of sanitary towels (pre wings, we're talking walking with a brick between yer legs), her reply was: "They're only used by married women and prostitutes." Go figure .....
So Mum arranged a little job for me, waitress in a fish and chip restaurant owned by someone with whom she was acquainted.
The job seems easy enough, huh? You say hello to the people sat at the table, you write down what they want to eat, deliver it to table, take the plates away and take their money at the end and, if lucky, have a small tip. No probs.
Firstly one had to learn how much butter to put on the sliced bread and to cut it in triangles, just two, then arrange them so they didn't dry out, waiting for the lunchtime rush.
Taking the order, you actually have to be able to read what you've written and if you use some private sort of shorthand, be able to recall what it stands for and get each order correct!
Then it was down to the kitchen and yell the order out at the top of your voice: Haddock, chips, mushy peas twice, fishcake beans and chips, etc.
This was my stumbling block ... I'm just no good at shouting .. OK, I want no response to the contrary from my kids here .... I wasn't good at shouting THEN ... I only do it when I have to now! So like a little wallflower, I'd stand there until someone noticed me. However, the customers did get served and left a nice tip ... which when I left the table to be cleared for 5 mins while getting another order, had disappeared on my return ... and then when there was a tip there it had to go into a box for everyone to share. I suppose, in which case, it still means that the nicer to the customer I am, the more they'll tip?
Tora did waiting on for a while, at breakfast in one of the lodge chains. Do you know how mean people are about tipping at breakfast? There's no less effort goes into serving the customers, the wait-persons (hah!) get up extra early to serve, too, but for some reason people just don't seem to think they should tip for breakfast service.
Fifi la Belle? First night we'd been out, busy and I didn't even manage to get from my black woolly and trousers to Fifi's outfit!! I wrote the orders in triplicate and remembered to write the names on the tabs, forgot to serve from the right, just the nearest side I could get to ... couldn't get the till to open and one of the customers had to come show me how, which I promptly forgot ... Well, suffice to say I wasn't your normal waitress!
I did get into my togs the next day, though, pelmet skirt and all !
Didn't get to serve more than breakfast to one table ... they had to depart to sort a domestic ... I wonder if I was the domestic problem???
Served dinner a second evening to the visiting American couple. Offered the dessert they'd chosen and then decided to add a little extra ...
"Hmm, I know it's not cholesterolly correct ... but would you like extra thick double cream on that???"
Yeah, course they did!
I think they got their bottled water free each evening ... I certainly didn't charge for it, I wasn't going to fight with that bloody till again!
The next day what had initially been described to me as "someone needs a packed lunch" and bless Ian, cos that's all he knew at the time ... turned into "cater for 50" eeeee-kkkk!
Come to the conclusion that I'd rather be in the kitchen doing the cooking (NOT THE WASHING UP THO!) This time it was remembering what I'd written and who exactly the bill belonged to .. for when they came back and wanted something additionally. Then remembering how much the individual dishes were ...and we were only offering two or three, and then adding the totals.
I don't 'do' adding - come to that, I don't seem to do remembering!
I stopped adding the day I got a plastic card.
I'm awfa good at signing my name though!

Wester Ross Fisheries Trust Biologist, Peter Cunningham, right, about to lead a group of youngsters and parents around the shores of Loch Maree Hotel on an educational open day, supported by Scottish Natural Heritage, Fisheries Research Services Freshwater Laboratory, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, and in the series of investigations to learn more about the distribution of fishes within Loch Maree, Highland Biodiversity Partnership, the Atlantic Salmon Trust, Loch Maree Hotel and artist Bill Woodrow.
There were, on display, European eel, Arctic charr, minnows and an exercise in catching minnows, scale reading to age fish - not tell their fortune, trips out on a boat to fish among other adventures.
An excited 5 year old staggering ashore with a bucket containing his fish shouted: "I'm only five and I caught this fish and my brother's 9 and he didn't!"
Peter broadcasts on Two Loch Radio (I understand) and very kindly thanked us on Thursday morning for all assistance rendered. Unfortunately, at 7.30am I wasn't around to hear it!

Got a new box!

2005-10-14T22:09:00.000+01:00

What????

Went searching for electricals this afternoon. I dropped my little radio the substitute for car radio and broken one of the ear phones and the radio's awfully crackly too.

I had been deriving SUCH pleasure from being able to listen to Radio 4 again so hoped I'd be able to replace it. The little radio was only £2, the batteries cost more! However, searching the town I couldn't find anything similar, what a shame. Still I can listen with one earpiece though it's still crackly. Still, better than nothing and I'll keep an eye open to see if I can find a new one. I suppose I can think about getting the aerial on car fixed but it just needs someone to pull the aerial out again and I'm stuck with yet another £200 bill. It'll just have to be an insurance jobbie next time. It's a little late to report it now, I suppose.

However I did find a digibox. Yes, plenty around, at a price. Basic is good and I found one at £39.99 in the Co-op and I'm up and running. I'd missed those extra channels, ITV 3 particularly. Happy bunny now.

Still have to pack for my Scotland break but the golf stuff's sorted. Clubs, well over the allowed number in the bag. I probably only use about 5 of them with any regularity (that is, when I actually last played) and even then could probably get around with a putter, a 7 iron and my 9 wood. Lotsa spare balls, couple of gloves. Shoes and socks, wet gear, tees. Sorted. Wellies and walking boots, all handed over already for stowing for the journey.

I hate packing to go away, what to take??? Have to have absolutely everything I have available to select from and then agony of choice. It's almost a relief to be coming back again and only have to get everything back in the case.

Still, not wishing the time away, just looking forward to 'the journey' .....

Talking on the tele-phone

2005-10-12T10:23:00.000+01:00

I've just had a conversation with myself on the phone. My bedroom handset, for some reason, seems not to be working. I can dial out but not answer calls.
Awoken early (for me) at 8.15 I tried to take the call on upstairs set which wouldn't work, dashed downstairs, by which time the phone had stopped ringing and then my mobile went off upstairs ... dashed up to get it.
All jolly good exercise. However it was a lady who didn't really want to speak to me, because I had no idea what she was talking about but since she had me, she held me prisoner for about 15 minutes anyway, complaining that I hadn't returned her calls for a week, then she'd realised why and that's because she'd been leaving messages on the wrong number and whoever had been picking the message up must think she was batty, then a tirade about the office phone not being answered - I said they were short staffed at present - then going into the office twice and there being no one to serve her - and she's a busy woman and doesn't have time to waste - then that she doesn't get a free paper and the newspapers should pay the deliverers more to make sure that they turn up - then ...... I did manage to get in 'but I'm FREELANCE' .... then .... thank God her other phone rang.
I've just had a look through the instruction booklet but can't see why this problem has come up. I did try to page the second handset from first - doesn't work. However I can page the first handset from the second!
Tis a puzzlement.
I rang my home no. from my mobile to see if the handset worked. I was sitting there, holding both handsets with the mobile on sofa next to me, waiting for the phone to ring, waiting waiting ... looked at the mobile which was emitting small sounds and there was a guy saying "hello? hello?" . Hmm, he shouldn't be answering MY phone, I should be!
Of course I had to apologise .... wrong number!
At one point I had a phone to each ear and was just getting me chuckling in stereo.
I suppose NOW I need a new digibox AND new phone system!
Perhaps I'd just better make a list for Santa?
Bugger!!! I AM Santa!!!!

The Muse

2005-10-11T22:38:00.000+01:00

Dang, i had to edit this cos I cocked up the link and now I've got one of these blooming gaps!!!! Grrrrr

I'm supposed to be going to bed early tonight to try to swing my body clock around. Since I said that, about an hour ago, I'm still here (but it's still about 3 hours earlier than I normally get to bed!) and just having a little blogging nightcap.
Last night I was up late, just chittering about on here, looking at this and that, waiting for my 'muse' to arrive. I had a story to write up and stories, other than my own, don't come so easily. If I dilly about long enough, but it usually take a couple of hours at least, I usually suddenly get a phrase in my head that inspires me and off I go.
Silly really, cos it's pretty much chronologically told but I just needed that something to give me the will to get started.
Talking of the will ... this was supposed to be my holiday weeek but I did 4 jobs yesterday and a couple today. But today's were done with more verve than yesterday's since I now have something to look forward to.
Despite Pete's kind offer of a visit to Spain I started mithering about my accounts cos they'd had those ads on the TV again - I hate those! Also I'd had a look at the flights, cost of, to Anchorage next April May and it seemed like a good idea to maybe be a little circumspect?
I decided to stay home and put head down into accounts - I haven't of course!
I seem to have to put myself under pressure to work!
I used to read job ads which said "Can work under pressure" and would think "nooooo, that's not me" but realised I was doing that for many years anyway and now it's just a matter of course.
Last time I prepared the accounts I started at 2pm and just worked all through the afternoon, evening and night (guaranteed peace from the phone) and nipped to the accountants at 10am the next morning.
What I have to look forward to is that I AM going away after all, up to Scotland ... just in case the last post's clues weren't sufficient.
This is where I shall be staying Loch Maree Hotel. A friend, Ian, has invited me to accompany him on a little foray to the Highlands where he's going to employ his culinary talents for a couple of days, to help out a friend who has been incapacitated through an accident and I shall assist as Fifi La Belle and wait on.
I was wondering if I can be like the 'ello 'ello French maids. Short skirt and stocking tops??? Maybe that's not quite Highland style?? I think it would be fun though and I could muddle through with Franglais.
Yell 'soups on' for un soupcon?
Ok, I'll behave myself, Ian!!!
Just two days the guests need to be looked after and then it's going to be discovering the locale and doing whatever one does in the Highlands. I've unearthed my walking boots and all weather gear, dusted off the Tommy Armours (golf clubs) and with a little luck Ian will have the patience of a Saint and won't feel like wrapping 'em around my neck and maybe I can get gently into the game again. I have missed golf.
There are some row boats .. you'll see them on the link. Maybe I could sit in the prow (do row boats have prows???) with a book to keep me quiet.
My camera will obviously be a necessity with that landscape.
I've been squeaky excited about this little ... little???? it's almost 1000 miles! ... roundtrip.
It's a brave man that can stand 10 hours of me in a car!!!!!
Remembering my post on snoring on here ... even if I fall asleep I'll probably snore!
I recall driving up to Edinburgh with Tora, from Oxford, little car fully laden, her bike on the back and we were looking at a 2am ish arrival. Tora chattered 50 to the dozen - doing my trick of thinking that talking to the driver will keep him/her awake.
I finally suggested she have a little nap - I had enough adrenaline coursing through me, driving through that landscape, with big black shadows (mountains) lurking outside the window, to keep me awake for a month!
Quiet for a moment and then "I'm asleep, mum!"
Hey, then there's the homeward journey!!! I'm giggling.
Don't say I didn't warn you!
Are we almost there yet? LOL.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

2005-10-11T03:42:00.000+01:00

Just wheeeeee eeeee eeeee :)
Think lochs, haggis, grouse, deer, och aye the noo, wellies, all weather gear.
Think good company, good food and whisky.
Think Pyk grinning!

What a lovely day - and the fat lady aint sung yet!

2005-10-09T17:32:00.000+01:00

I popped into Grimsby today - haven't been there in months, and it seemed a veritable metropolis compared with Louth. Sitting in the Freshney Mall having coffee with a friend reminded me of malls in North Dallas, without the stetsons and 'cowie' boots.
It served to remind me that I should get out more. I don't mean get out ... I'm always OUT for work but get away from 'small' a little more often. Must make a resolution!
It was good to enjoy company too .......
Had a foray into Staples to stock up on stationery, mainly hard-backed envelopes for sending out photographs and notebooks that'll slip into my back pocket.
The day's not yet over, either. I just remembered there's a concert at Welton-le-Wold this evening, in the church, with Hoover The Dog who play, apparently 'mainly Celtic-ish' music. A trio with a violinist, piano accordianist and a guy playing bouzouki and guitar. Not at the same time, one assumes! Got my seat booked!
Wore my little red boots today and they're jolly comfortable and make me bounce! Mind you, bounce is often about attitude, too, isn't it?
OH, having wondered if I could get a compilation track from the Bridget Jones movie, the answer is yes I can - so I did and had a singalong on the way home.
Now, if I throw myself into work for the next hour I can go out with a clear conscience.... and finish it off later.

Smells

2005-10-08T19:44:00.000+01:00

Remember I bought a crystal deoderant?
I was somewhat hesitant in using it and sniffed hither and thither about my person every 10 mins the first day I used it.
However, I have to say that it is so effective that it is disconcerting.
Y'know how, after healthy exercise or ... hey, why beat about the bush ... sometimes, one is just aware of one's own personal aroma. It's not unpleasant, it's just natural. Well, if one doesn't let it get out of hand it's not unpleasant!
I think it's quite sensuous, actually and prefer a gentle smell of perspiration on a guy to some of the rather overpowering spray deoderants which seem to be very popular nowadays.
Anyway, this deoderant is SO effective that there's absolutely NO body smell and no perspiration.
It makes me feel like I don't exist!
This particular crystal deoderant, Ice Guard I bought in a Fabian's Health Shop for £4.99. Boots did have two brands, one was £6+ the other a roll on liquid crystal.
Oh, to use the Ice Guard you either rub the crystal on while still wet from bathing or run it under the tap to dampen.
.... Hey guys .... it says it can be used on the feet ;)

***** Star!

These boots were made for walking

2005-10-08T19:10:00.000+01:00

New boots! Dash around as I do, my little Pikolinos boots, I just noticed, are just about done for. Not sure if the cobbler can do anything for them. I looked in J Walkers (say it) to see if I could buy a replacement pair but I have very broad little feet (3EE) with a high instep and it's difficult finding comfortable footwear. As a consequence, normally if I do find something to fit I tend to buy 2 or 3 pairs!
I really wanted tan leather boots but searching all the shoe shops in the town I was not suited. But I did eventually get booted, in Peter Scott's shoe shop AND this was the last day of their £5 off offer! I used it to buy a tin of protective spray against dirt and damp - they're suede. My little booties look so sweet!
Damp! I didn't bring my washing in before the rain and returning from town the clothing was dripping, seemed pointless bringing it in by then.
I'm having a day of 'treat Julie'. Filled the fridge with sensible food. I thought for dinner possibly chicken or steak and roasted vegetables. I bought a summer pudding and extra thick cream - big smile - and some Rocquefort and Chevre cheeses. Love the Rocquefort crumbled over salad with a dressing made from walnut oil.
The Chevre is great with caramelised onions on top and then gently grilled.
The roast veg is delicious sprinkled with walnut oil, Balsamic vinegar and a shake of ground cumin.
Also got some fruit.
Gosh, healthy Pyk? I'll probably end up just spooning the extra thick double cream down me!!!
Got a dvd for the evening .. Bridget Jones, the Edge of Reason. I must be the last person in the world to see it.
Oh and I found a dvd "On the Whisky Trail" .. showing he distillery process with visits to various distilleries in Scotland.
Looking around for a new digibox.

Earthquake

2005-10-08T18:44:00.000+01:00

From Victoria, in Alaska: "Last night there was an earthquake, just a couple of jolts. Danny, downstairs in the basement, didn't feel it. I looked it up on the web just now and found out it was a 3.29 located just 18 miles north of Palmer. "
"It's good news to have lots of little earthquakes, some scientists say, as that way the plate just keeps on slightly slipping all the time, not sticking and sticking and sticking until the fault gives out in a big way."

I recall six years or so ago there was a big earthquake in the East, we'd heard about it on the TV. In Portugal, about a half hour drive west of Lisbon, sitting in our third floor apartment in the evening, reading by lamplight, music playing, suddenly there was a sound like a train and the lamp began swaying. It only last about 30 seconds. We looked at one another then went out on to the balcony where, all around, people were coming out of their houses and walking to their gates to look around. It was a strange experience.

Lisbon was devastated by an earthquake 250 years ago, almost to the day. On 1st November 1755, in ten minutes between 30,000 to 50,000 people lost their lives. The effect of the quake was magnified by the fact that it was All Saints Day and countless candles were burning in houses, and churches, plus open fires in homes and Lisbon was rapidly turned into a sea of fire.

Some of my lady friends in the US have experienced tornadoes. One lady, Marie, told me how it sounded like a train - I remembered her words.

Staying in a motel in Texas Hill country, there were tornado warnings on the tv. Disconcerting for someone formerly living in a country where they were seldom a problem. The TV screen had a tornado warning permanently on the screen.

I decided to call reception and ask what one should do in the event of a tornado.

Ma'am, take the bed matress, get into the bath and pull the matress over the top of you.

"But the bath is only big enough for one person!"

"Make sure you run fastest then, Ma'am."

Tonighttttt, tonighttt wont be just ANY night ....

2005-10-08T00:04:00.000+01:00

Actually, I don't know if there'll be a morning star. I wouldn't know one if it jumped up and bit me.
There was a tremendously bright night recently. I just went to stand in the yard for a while and chanced to look up ... I mean, I don't normally see anything over 5' and lo (and behold) the sky was amass with the twinkly white things!
BUT there was an interloper. A yellow twinkly thing. I thought it must be a plane, or maybe even a shooting star (I tried, quickly, to think of a wish but I couldn't decide which one to select) ... I watched the yellow star and I'm sure it moved but that could be because I blinked???
Where the hell is this going???
Erm, hold on a mo. ............... re-read, re-read
de dum, de dum. Anyway it turns out it might have been Mars!!!
I think it's misty tonight, lemme look ......no twinkles.

I hadn't looked at the sky in ages.
That must mean I've either been at home, indoors, working or just dashing from place to place. I do that, just focussed ahead.
Tonight.
Well, I had an emotional wobble, the way you do, from time to time ...
You don't????
Well I do!
I came over a bit emotional and teary ... I suppose it could have been hormones but I'm not sure if I have them now!!!
Anyway, I was back on track, quickly, after a hug from Anna and packed my camera bag and off I went.
Two harvest suppers, a service before a harvest supper (or was it auction) and a 'Kay-lee' I just can't be fagged to decide how many i's and e's there are in the word (Ceilidh?)
First stop ..Legbourne for their harvest supper. Must have been about 100 people there, just about to start their supper.
Pic, thank you. whoooooooooooosh
On to the Woolpack for the service and whatever.
Erm, it was cancelled. OK. Fine
On to Alvingham where the kaylee was being held by Rushlinc, except it wasn't because there was one sole car outside Alvingham Village Hall.
Wrong night. Bugger.
On to Fotherby. (pictured, in St Mary's Church)
Fotherby's nice. I like the people at Fotherby.
Park down Church Lane under this hangy type tree and it was like the Night of the Triffids. I'd had my window open and when I closed it, bits of tree were still in the car. They were still there when I drove off.
Get OFF ME!!!
Used the magnalite on my keyring to lock the door and find my way up the church path.
Open door
YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Light, bright, smiley, happy people!!!
Hello Julie would you like supper????
Too right I would!!!
How lovely
Roger dashed off for a plate of chine. I'll have to explain chine to you I spose. It's a Lincs delicacy.
Do you know ...........it takes a big black bin bag full of parsley to stuff a chine?
I did get an explanation from a butcher lady once how it's all done but I've got cotton wool for a brain and I can't wholly recall. But it's the back of a pig and big slashes are made into the meat and stuffed with the parsley and whatever and then it's boiled so it becomes ham.
It's something of an acquired taste but once aquired it's very lovely.
I learned something tonight. You're supposed to put vinegar on it!
So I did.
Now that wasn't all!
There was trifle and apple pie to follow AND cheese and Plum Bread (another Lincs delicacy). There are no plums in it though. It's a bread with raisins and currants.
And the company was sooooo convivial.
I chatted at table with a lady who was visiting her parents, originally from Yorkshire, who recently moved to Fotherby. What nice people.
The lady's son, Sam, is a Christian.
I know that sounds strange, but he made a commitment almost 2 years ago (he's 20) and it was delightful chatting to him. Asking how his friends treat him. Though there is quite a number of young people in his church, once outside he's still something of an 'oddity' in this age of binge drinking youngsters.
I was surprised when I saw him, initially, cos the mean age must have been about 45, of the diners and there's this young lad who didn't in the least look sulky cos he'd been dragged along.
He belongs to a church in .... damn, I really must take in details better (Keithley may ring a bell, but I was writing, earlier, about Keith Sharp - chair of Louth MS Society and there's going to be a Louth Male Voice Choir concert with some welsh guys in aid of the local MS branch). Well wherever and they have a band and the words to songs (they dont say hymns) are displayed on a screen, and there are lots of youngsters and they do happy clappy.
Well, he just seemed like a really nice lad.
Then after tea/coffee we had a rousing hymn singing session of ............of course ...... We plough the fields and scaaaaaat -ter etc. Then, ..... can't remember, Oh, ... Raise the song of Harvest home, that one. Then ...... oh yes, How Great Thou Art.

Wow, i really got into that one.
Shame I stopped going to choir. I really do love to sing.
Thenthe answer to a puzzle.

The puzzle was ..........

What is this????

I'm not going to give you any clues since we didn't have any .............. OK, I'll be kind, but it's a very obscure clue ... look at the colour of the casing. What edible product do we Brits automatically associate that colour with (think a bit darker) .... then you'll have to go to a plant site to look up its common name with this word preceding it.

I could be really really generous and tell you that the second word rhymes with wine.

Sheesh, if you don't get it now, then you're an eejit!!!

Whoops, Sorreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee . Snort, laughter.

Yes, of course I got it ... I got the name of it from the lady who brought it along!!

Off the shoulder

2005-10-06T21:17:00.000+01:00

Phewwwww, almost off the chest!!
I bought a lovely black deep V neck (and back) soft velour-type woolly last week. It feels so wonderful to stroke it ... I sorta hoped someone might find me tactile enough to stroke, LOL. Anyway, I had a job this evening, which I'd diaried, for the local Lions and had a panic call at 7pm to check I was coming and inviting me to stay 'for a bite'. Now it struck me that this wasn't just an 'ordinary' presentation and I ought to pull the stops out a little so I jumped into one of my 'little black numbers', figure hugging trousers and this super woolly. It did slip a little off my shoulder but since I was running late I pulled a jacket on and dashed.
I arrived to find the room choc-a-bloc. Not only were there Lions, district Lions plus the Louth Old Boys under 16A football team, which won a national football competition sponsored by the Lions, plus all the parents, aunties and grannies.
When I took my jacket off the shoulders on the woolly began to slip and I spent the rest of the night oiking them up.
I was chatting to Nigel Gay, he's a volunteer at the local theatre and we discussed plays, holidays etc and I would oik shoulders every now and again. By the end of my drink I was just fed up with doing it and the shoulders slipped down and down and down 'til it was decided OFF shoulder and damn near off chest. I looked at Nigel and grinned, which he returned: "Think it's time I went before I end up half naked!"
Damn, think I'll have to wear a bra with it next time and pin the shoulders to the strap. Tch.
Don't think my tum's too keen on white bread. Got some delicious buns but going swimming even a couple of hours after eating, the bread felt like a huge weight in my chest. I only did 26 lengths then hied me to the jacuzzi and found a nice strong jet to put my feet up against for a session of auto-reflexology. Finished off in the steam room.
OH, I had 9 minutes in the sun cabin today. If I'm not going away next week (and I'm not, methinks) then at least I can appear to have by topping up my August tan.
I asked the beautifican if a sun cabin was free and got a very strange look.
"Sun bed you mean?"
Well, I don't know what her bed looks like but if she goes to bed standing up with her arms up in the air on grab handles, then yes, it's a bed.
Now, let me go see if the fridge is worth raiding. From memory .. it isn't !

Digibox dead

2005-10-05T21:31:00.000+01:00

Duke of Gloucester at Kidgate School, yesterday

Sharron Davies at Lacey Gardens Junior School today

Rev Richard Holden being presented with a photograph of the celebration of his first communion in charge, that is. The photographer was .....? Yeah! I got to stand in the pulpit!!

Coun Grant Allen, Chairman of Alford Civic Trust addresses guests invited to the 'topping out' of Alford Manor House. I shinnied up the ladder behind him.

Week ago, Friday, a couple of girlfriends came back here for a drink and chat after closing time and we chatted and chatted and chatted a bit more and them some more and at 9.30 am on Saturday we finally parted company.
We'd talked alllll the way through the night.
However, the wine flowed a little more liberally than I'd intended since Julie (another one, not me) managed to send her glass of wine (Villa Maria) flying (twice).
Needless to say I slept much of Saturday, worked Sunday and it wasn't until Monday that I turned the TV on and wanted to scan what was on via the digibox. It was all fuzzy. Very poor reception, so I put it down to interference due to the weather conditions.
I tried again the next day, same problem.
I unplugged it all and thought maybe the problem would go away when I plugged it back in.
Wrong.
Then it dawned on me .... two glasses of wine inside a digibox probably do it no good whatsoever!
It went in the dustbin bag today.

I've been loaned a copy of the Da Vinci Code. I keep seeing that it's a favourite in various dating profiles. Seems people either love it or hate it, so I thought I'd give it a go so I can have an opinion on it.

I had dressed crab today. Ate it from the shell cos I'd forgotten, nah, couldn't be bothered to queue, to get salad. Looked at the label which read: "This product may contain pieces of shell." To which my mind responded: "oh yeah, duhhh". I was wondering if I could do anything with the shell, maybe have a little 'seaside' spot in the garden, or make a feature of one of the pots, shells, sand, weed ... then I saw printed inside the shell was 'Reg Des 917059'. I thought it was real, not plastic!!!

I wonder if that crab knew that it was going to be famous posthumously??

I'm eating half a melon, spooning into it and it's delicious!

Car Boots and Traffic Wardens!

2005-10-03T13:09:00.000+01:00

OK, by request, this is the full length version. Pete said it didn't show my big arse, which I claim is a matter of opinion as to whether it's big and it's also a matter of preference as to whether big is beautiful!
I mean, it's only a size 12 bottie and not exactly humongous!
Moving on ...
What do you have in your car's boot??? (trunk)
I listed the things I had in mine in a comment below.

A stepladder
Little green wellie boots
Half a dozen bottles of water
A blanket
A beach tent
A tweed hat
An umbrella.
oh, and I forgot:
A pair of golf shoes, a 7 iron, a beach mat, windscreen defroster and a bag from the Erotica Exhibition last year which a sachet of lube. What?
Pete's got a blanket and two bottles of Rioja.
I was driving around with 6 bottles of wine in mine but finally got fed up of the clanking sound - though they were in a bottle carrier. The bottles were 3 of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Villa Maria Reserve. This must be my favourite wine. Used to buy it in the US for about $5 but even there is got popular and went up in price. Here it was £8.99 a bottle but there was a 3 for the price of 2 offer so I thought I'd take advantage of it.
Also, listening to Radio 4 on my tiny radio (that I have to use because my aerial was stolen and uprooted with such force it's a £200 jobbie now!!!!) I heard a programme where Raymond Blanc, who used stoutly to support Australian/New Zealand wine is now gung ho about some of the French wines now being produced. So I grabbed a bottle of French Connection Merlot Grenache.
http://www.bottlegreen.com/ French Connection is a supporter of the Royal British Legion and there's a piccie of a poppy on the bottle. They will make a donation to the RBL for every poppy bottle purchased, "With a minimum £30,000 guaranteed each year." Which sounds good to me. So if you see a poppy bottle, grab yourself one and feel good in more ways than one.
I got another parking ticket today. I went into a local school to pick up a press release re. The Duke of Gloucester's visit in the town tomorrow. A reporter is coming from Boston and I was asked by the school sec if I'd fax the press release to her. I'd only paid for 30 mins parking and wasn't going to go into town but - out of the goodness of my little heart - trotted down to the office to use their fax. Got caught with a call to take another picture and since I was in town and needed a couple of toiletry things I nipped into Boots.
I had that feeling again though, re my car.
Sure enough as I dashed up to it there were the two parking wardens. I wouldn't mind but couldn't one of them been hitting another car??? The guy hadn't pressed 'go' yet and I yelled NOT AGAIN!!! I was ten minutes over time. He hit go. B******. He pointed out that had I spent a further 10p I would not have been late back. Yes I ****ing well know that but I wasn't originally going to stay that long ... I'd just gone to do someone a favour! Damn, blast. I didn't say all that, of course, I just burst into a torrent of tears, threw the ticket on the front seat and burned rubber ... stalling in the process.
Arrived at my next job with red eyes. Parked up, took a jolly picture of childen doing African dancing at St Michael's CofE school, got back to find my car, which I'd cleaned the day before, had the biggest slidey bird poop down the passenger window you could ever imagine!
Drove on to next job and still bloody well cried!
Oh well, better phone 'em up and pay for it while it's still only £30 and not £60 if I leave it over a week.
Put the car thro the wash, tumble dried it ... HAH, just checking you're reading properly!
Went in to pick up the bike (but it's not ready yet) ... I wonder if bicycles can be parked free - if, indeed, there's anywhere to chain them to?
One of my toiletry purchases was a crystal deoderant. Though I'd try a little experiment. I'll see if it loses me friends!
A few years ago I bought a 'natural' deoderant ... that one where in the ad. people were camouflaged as tree trunks, Natura, I think.
It definitely did not work and I was so annoyed I wrote to the manufacturuer and told them it made me smell like onions! The letter must have amused the recipient but they had, of course, to reply that their product was of the highest quality yardy yah - but they did send me a voucher to buy another one.
Managed 38 lenghts tonight but realised I hadn't eaten since I can't remember when so dashed off to Somerfield (not so cold today in there!) but got chucked out after 15 misn of mooching. Or soliciting?
I wanted a melon which was on the top shelf, bigger than my head I reckon but I couldn't reach to grip it and they were pushed quite tightly together. I gave a tall guy walking in a big big beaming smile.
Why'd he look like rabbit caught in headlight?? He looked worried but calmed down when I stopped jumping about like a monkey and said I only wanted him to reach me a melon. He picked a nice one too! Told him he can shop with me another time.

Yeuk, Spider

2005-10-02T20:36:00.000+01:00

HUGE great spider in the bath ..... it must have been at least 3" across. Time of year to start putting t' plug in t'bath'ole methinks!
Just realised I haven't eaten today ... I've defrosted a steak and will break open a bottle of red.
I've been captioning, periodically, inbetween a visit from a girlfriend and a few of phone calls. Realised also that I've left it rather late to draw up my monthly invoice. Bad Julie.
I DID however, get my bike around to the Bike Doctor and should be able to collect it tomorrow. I freewheeled all the way down Church Street, the penance was having to pedal up Newgate hill (if that's what it's called). It wasn't much exercise. I'll have to go for a swim tomorrow.
I also made chutney today! Pink (cos the toms weren't yet red) and green. The pink tastes better but thre's more of the green. I've already given two pots away.
Anyone want chutney???
Ok, dinner ..........

OOps

2005-10-02T01:13:00.000+01:00

OK folks, this is the type of picture you DON'T take!!! Oh my gosh, Julie ..... I knew there was something wrong with the background.
Sorry Nikki.

"What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?"

2005-10-01T11:07:00.000+01:00

I've been prompted to think a little about my life (thanks, Pete).

Writing is cathartic; it helps sort out the mind. Well, sometimes. Other times too much thinking can just be confusing.
One friend commented I seem to be thinking to myself on here.
If no one was reading this blog I would still find an outlet in writing because I have done that for so many years; written either my own words, or someone else's since the day I learned to write.
I am thinking to myself when I write.
I can see the counter going up and that tells me people are reading my words and of course the occasional comment confirms this.
So my life must be interesting enough for others to read about.
Why do we read? To escape? To learn? To be amused? Simply to pass the time?
Until four years ago I had always lived with some one, except for a year when I lived alone in a bed sit in London.
I was excited about that prospect, fresh from college, going to live in The Smoke. No more curfews, no disapproval of what I did. No threats of what would become of me if I didn't behave.
I found that far from becoming a gallivanter I haunted the library and read, alone, at night. I recall I had a crush on Tony Blackburn (arghgh) - he was a constant in my life, a cheery voice in the morning.
I had gone to work in a very large organisation where people went into London from far and wide. I was 17 in a bedsit in London. The friend whom I'd gone up to London with and I had parted company after just a few weeks when she got on drugs. The girl she palled up with was dead within the year.
I either went home at weekends or was visited by my then boyfriend, husband to be.
For all my life until four years ago, apart from the bedsit period, I have lived with someone and though I may have, did, pull my weight in a relationship and at times was the stronger spirit I nevertheless had the 'luxury' of being able to feel 'looked after', either by parents or partner.
Parents died, partners gone, it's just me. It's scary to be 'just me' for the first time in your life at 50!
A front goes up.
Getting used to travelling alone, at hotels I decided not to be pushed into a corner, the lady on her own consuming one glass of wine, being the one speculated about by dining couples.
"Just one?"
"No, all of one and I'd like a centre table, please."
"A glass of wine, madam?"
"May I see the wine list, please ... I'll have a bottle of .... "
I could be the voyeur instead of the viewed.
I may be able only to consume a couple of glasses of the wine but I'd have the remainder sent to my room.
I'm a loner. I always have been. I didn't realise that as a child. My grandpa bought me a bag of oranges one day as a gift. I rarely saw him. He gve them to me and said something about my being a loner. I didn't understand what he meant.
I put the fact that I didn't seem to be a crowd person down to feeling my parents would not, somehow, be happy if I invited friends back home. I did, on the odd occasion and there was no problem with that. So maybe it wasn't a potential lack of hospitality on my parents' part but more the fact I was simply a loner.
A leader, yes. Not short of friends but someone who preferred her own company?
We moved house a lot anyway and it didn't do to cultivate friendships since one never knew when the next uprooting may happen and have to start all over again.
Broken home.
Strange place, strange people. Yet again be the outsider and have to conform or be admired or to excel to be acceptable.
Average intelligence but with potential not realised. I was told 'we know you'll do your best.' No direction given though. How does someone young know where to go if there's no one to lead?
I was practical, a good athlete, developed a knack for making people smile. Maybe my own ready smile helped?
If you smile people are nicer to you. You're not a threat. So introduced into new communities and situations time and again, once just smiles.
So what of my first four years as all of me?
Returned to these shores traumatised. No home, no job, but some money.
Anyone having lost a 'loved one' be it through break up of relationship or death knows it takes a while to get over ... if one ever does, entirely.
I once read a list of the top 10 stress factors and in the first couple of years I had about 8 of them, all at the same time.
Within a month I had a home and two jobs, one of which was wholly new to me, learning on the job. Maybe working on automatic pilot but I was independent. Though not quite because I was living two lives. My own and that of my incarcerated partner.
When the cancer came to light I realised, at least, that I had to live just one life, my own. And I only had one opportunity to do this.
I gave up one job .. the one I had been trained for, for the one I enjoyed.
Anti social hours and all. But it's taxing at times. A few months ago I applied for and was granted an NUJ card. I realised I had succeeded in something I'd done for myself.
I would like company - at the same time, being self-employed and new to this keeping oneself, it was (is) scary. At the moment I sacrifice company for security?
Maybe one day that feeling will go. Maybe it's as well to keep an element of fear, since it does, at least, drive one.
So, do I need to get a life?
I did get one. It's my own. It's not ideal but it's mine. I can do what I want and when I want. I can't belong to things that need attendance on a regular basis .. I did try the choir but their busy time coincided with busy work periods too.
I used to quite enjoy golf but don't really have four hours to spare very often. Also, it's better with a partner but I'm shy of my skills and I'd probably be a fairly irregular player.
I thought about joining a tennis club. I tend to think that everyone is brilliant at the game if they own a raquet. Clubs are very competitive. I like to play for to enjoy the experience, not to compete. Sports tend to be very competitive.
I swim (alone) ... I now cycle (alone) :)
Other 'societies' also tend to need regular attendance.
Anyone in the newspaper industry, well, on the photography/writing side will know full well what I mean. Maybe it's difficult for others to comprehend?
A loner, I appear to have acquired what is essentially a loner's job. So I suppose it suits me for all that.
I enjoy company and I think I'm fairly amusing company.
I have been the new, independent me for only four years. With luck I'll have it sussed in a few years' time.
Am I loitering on the edge of life?
Actually, I think I threw myself into the deep end of it and I flounder a little at times.
When I've learned to swim more strongly I'll be OK though.

She sash-ayed off to the ball ....

2005-09-30T17:52:00.000+01:00

Here's the newly arrived sash and here's yours truly, Julie, wearing it ... I should have remembered to pull my tummy in! Darn.
I'm only taking pix in it, not staying for the do ... like Cinders, I'll before home before midnight. Well, probably before nine o'clock, actually!!!!
Zooooooooooommmmmmmm

I'm being serviced

2005-09-29T19:15:00.000+01:00

Well, not me personally, you understand - my bicycle! I confessed to the Bike Shop man ... I've renamed him the Bike Doctor ... that I bought second hand while I'm getting used to being back on the road and that a. I've broken my front reflector, b. I want mudguards (yeah, I'm a wimp) and c. I want a comfortable seat!
He found all the appropriate accessories for me then I had the bright idea of asking if he serviced bike. Yes, of course he does. I'm taking it in on Sunday and he's going to put all the bells and whistles on it (do I need a bell or could I just shout "OY, SHIFT" ) The Bike Doctor's going make sure the handle bars are at the correct height (maybe that'll fix my wobbling?) and fit the 'lady seat' and make sure it's at the correct height and angle. It's got a hole in for air flow - through, not out! and channeled 'for comfort of your soft tissue' - I just said 'my bits got numbed' .. he seemed to understand that well enough!
Went to do pix of the Community Volunteer Car Service Inagural Charity Golf Match presentation of awards at Sandilands Golf Club. Very kind, they were, I was invited to help myself to dinner from the buffet and had pudding brought through to me too!
Friendly guys - I got kisses goodbye! One was so nice I said "do it again!" (joking) and he did! He turned around to wave goodbye as we went in our separate directions when driving away. Hmmm.
I was asked if I'd consider giving 'my talk' to some elderly people by Derek, who is a member of the Sutton on Sea Gentleman's Club, The Old Fossils, to whom I gave my very first talk. Well, truth be told I've only given it twice .. the second time to the Louth Rotary Club!
Mind you, they did all stay awake. At least if the next audience falls asleep it may not necessarily be my talk which is to blame!

Exercise

2005-09-29T11:22:00.000+01:00

"If you're lacking a regular exercise routine in your life, dear Aquarius, today's a great day to turn that around." Russell Grant

I've just read this as the opener for my horoscope today. In fact I'm just back from cycling to (and from!) the leisure centre where I swam 40 lengths.

Looks like great minds think alike!

Had to jiggle around on the saddle a little .. definite bruising from my first little foray on the bike. I shall be investigating the 'lady saddles' later today!

Hell!

2005-09-29T00:16:00.000+01:00

I absolutely refute the bad bits! But maybe they're right on the lustful bit. Thanks to GW where I found this quiz.

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Second Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Moderate
Level 2 (Lustful)	High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Moderate
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	High
Level 7 (Violent)	High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	High
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Moderate

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test

Where now?

2005-09-28T23:23:00.000+01:00

This lovely lady is called Grayson Perry . He is a Turner prizewinning artist. Sculpture is his main media but he also uses embroidery and photography to express himself .. and some ironwork. He has an exhibition at The Collection, in Lincoln, next February.
He was wearing a simply lovely dress with a beautiful white petticoat. It just coincidentally matched the MG, well, blended at the very least.
He was really cool. I asked if he was still a size 14 ... pushing it a bit but he is.
I was really nervous about this shoot.
The Usher Gallery in Lincoln ... now called The Collection, had organised the cars. The car owners had been told their cars were to feature on the front page of the magazine. Nobody actually mentioned why or who with. I gently explained there was more than just the cars ... that a Turner prize Winner was to be featured, too. And he would be wearing a dress and oh, by the way,he's here. cough.
Grayson's female, umm, ego? is Claire. She's very nice. I rather liked his response to what his wife thinks about his obsession (in a TV interview) .... "Obsession? Well, as far as it goes, it's better than football."
I was really bouyant having done this job today. I'd been nervous, did a little homework before I left, refreshing myself on Grayson, hoping to help him feel comfortable with me ... he's cool anyway, I needn't have worried .... then I got back to Louth to find this week's edition of the paper was totally shitty!
9 pictures of mine this week. That's no more than £76 for a week. OK, the commissioned other pix will be invoiced anyway but what a bummer it is to NOT see the work you've knocked yourself out to produce?
Good job I have the magazines, too and the occasional private job!
I may see fit to delete all this tomorrow when I'm not gurgling still with wine (girlfriend came around tonight) but at the moment I'm pretty pissed off and wondering whether I should do yet another change of career, or go back to the old one ..... nooooooooooooooooooo.

The charity calendar will be delivered on Friday and it's sorta odd that at this point when, if the media picks up on female photographer doing naked guy calendar, that I may just get some exposure (scuse me) that I'm thinking maybe I should go back to being a secretary when my heart and defective technical skills lie in taking pictures.
Oh piffle.
If you know anyone who wants 'a me' - do tell ... them or me! Ta.