Just a quick line or two. I couldn't resist the opportunity to sneak on here and have a little look! Lisa has I see, run true to form and posted some good stuff while I have been here in London having fun. The photo of Piccadilly Circus was taken from inside a bus and only on my phone, then mailed to her from the phone....I am amazed it ever arrived, let alone the fact that it bears some resemblance to the place. See, I told you Nokia are good!
We have had a hectic but much fun-filled time down here in the South, we have barely stopped to take a breath, have filled every moment and have had a great time with my parents. Sadly all that remains of our holiday now is one sleep, breakfast and then it's back on the road for the 400 miles home. We will stop en-route at my sisters to spend a few hours with her and my nieces in the midlands and then it's a late night drive up the A1 and over the border back into Scotland. The upside to the end of our visit is that the cats will be waiting for us, having been collected earlier in the day by a friend and deposited at home.
I hate the goodbye bit and I hate that the time here always goes by so fast but it's been a lovely few days.....I'll post more of the specifics when I get home but for now I have a massive cappuccino, with a very decadent a layer of Belgian chocolate flakes adorning the top, that requires my attention. My father having just slaved over the machine to produce it, I'm off to give it the deserved attention!
Catch you in Scotland soon..... and thank you Lisa, very much, for doing such a wonderful babysitting job! :o)
Friday, 18 March 2005
Thursday, 17 March 2005
St. Patrick's Day
In the US, as I'm sure in other parts of the world, St. Patrick's Day is a day for partaking in tradition. The tradition includes eating corned beef and cabbage and drinking it up a the local pub.
My mom used to make a big deal of St. Patrick's Day.. maybe she still does. She turned dinner green with food coloring, she made green jello, etc.
The funny thing is that my dad can't stand green food. When he was a child, he contracted food poisoning due to some green food he ate. Rather than develop an aversion to the particular food he ate, he developed one toward the color of the food.
That's an Engineer for ya. They're a wierd bunch.
Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?
My mom used to make a big deal of St. Patrick's Day.. maybe she still does. She turned dinner green with food coloring, she made green jello, etc.
The funny thing is that my dad can't stand green food. When he was a child, he contracted food poisoning due to some green food he ate. Rather than develop an aversion to the particular food he ate, he developed one toward the color of the food.
That's an Engineer for ya. They're a wierd bunch.
Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?
Wednesday, 16 March 2005
Burns Night, a day late and a dollar short
In attempting to come up with an appropriate post for the day, I accidentally landed on a website regarding “Burns Night”. As I read through the “traditional festivities” for Burns Night, I thought in the back of my head, “We would never do anything like this in the US.” That is not a bad thing. It is something that a long history gives you a chance to do, develop transitions that go far beyond the modern era, long before the first President of the United States was born.
From what I can tell from the website, this is the time to roll out the traditional Haggis. Just how popular is Haggis? And how many people eat it with neeps and tatties? (or, in other words “turnips and potatoes”) I am thinking Haggis is a thing they would have on Fear Factor, but you tell me:
Traditional Haggis (from Evelyn Hlabse, esh2@po.CWRU.Edu)
1 sheep's pluck (stomach bag)
2 lb.. dry oatmeal
1 lb. suet
1 lb. lamb's liver
2 1/2 cups stock
1 large chopped onion
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper,
Jamaica pepper and salt
Scotland is somehow becoming a frightening place for me now. :) However, Gem, I do want you to know that there IS vegetarian Haggis for those a little put off by lamb’s liver and a sheep stomach.
Back to my story, though. Haggis "is typically served on Burns Night, January 25, when Scotland celebrates the birth of its greatest poet, Robert Burns, who was born in Ayrshire on that date in 1759. During the celebration, Burns poems are read, and the haggis is addressed by a member of the party, ceremonially, in the form of verses from Burns' poem, 'Address to a Haggis.' A typical meal for Burns Night would include Cock-a-Leekie, Haggis with Tatties-an'-Neeps, Roastit Beef, Tipsy Laird, and Dunlop Cheese."
I am not really sorry that I somehow missed Burns Night, taking the Haggis into consideration, however, I do admire the tradition.
Have a nice day people.
Lisa
From what I can tell from the website, this is the time to roll out the traditional Haggis. Just how popular is Haggis? And how many people eat it with neeps and tatties? (or, in other words “turnips and potatoes”) I am thinking Haggis is a thing they would have on Fear Factor, but you tell me:
Traditional Haggis (from Evelyn Hlabse, esh2@po.CWRU.Edu)
1 sheep's pluck (stomach bag)
2 lb.. dry oatmeal
1 lb. suet
1 lb. lamb's liver
2 1/2 cups stock
1 large chopped onion
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper,
Jamaica pepper and salt
Scotland is somehow becoming a frightening place for me now. :) However, Gem, I do want you to know that there IS vegetarian Haggis for those a little put off by lamb’s liver and a sheep stomach.
Back to my story, though. Haggis "is typically served on Burns Night, January 25, when Scotland celebrates the birth of its greatest poet, Robert Burns, who was born in Ayrshire on that date in 1759. During the celebration, Burns poems are read, and the haggis is addressed by a member of the party, ceremonially, in the form of verses from Burns' poem, 'Address to a Haggis.' A typical meal for Burns Night would include Cock-a-Leekie, Haggis with Tatties-an'-Neeps, Roastit Beef, Tipsy Laird, and Dunlop Cheese."
I am not really sorry that I somehow missed Burns Night, taking the Haggis into consideration, however, I do admire the tradition.
Have a nice day people.
Lisa
Tuesday, 15 March 2005
We got here at last!
We finally made it. Things carried on in the same vein, planning was shot to hell! En-route to deliver two noisy and rather annoyed cats to their holiday home my car ran true to recent form and developed a fault! Grrrr. I can't believe this car is still substantially less than four years old!
A suitable detour was hastily made to a dealership in search of a friendly mechanic who informed us that it was an alternator problem, he couldn't fix it there and then as was quite obvious but with luck, it was his considered opinion we would make the journey without incident. At any rate it was not a danger, the worse scenario would be we would come to a grinding halt at the side of the road and have to call on the services of a rescue company. We took the chance.
Cats where duly deposited in their temporary abode, looking none to impressed and hissing and grumbling intermittently to register their lack of pleasure.
We hit the road and thankfully the journey was incident free. Our luck seemed to have changed, not one accident or traffic jam did we encounter and we arrive in 6 hours flat.....a record for a journey that has on occasion taken up to nine hours.
And that's it for now, we chatted, ate and drank into the small hours, fell into bed at stupid o'clock and there I remained until gone nine this morning....I never do that, I am always up by six.....what a treat.
Retail therapy beckons, it cannot be resisted, real shops and lots them, in close proximity, not to be missed by those such as we who normally have to travel 80 miles for such modern convenience!
I have plastic in hand, things are looking good..........
A suitable detour was hastily made to a dealership in search of a friendly mechanic who informed us that it was an alternator problem, he couldn't fix it there and then as was quite obvious but with luck, it was his considered opinion we would make the journey without incident. At any rate it was not a danger, the worse scenario would be we would come to a grinding halt at the side of the road and have to call on the services of a rescue company. We took the chance.
Cats where duly deposited in their temporary abode, looking none to impressed and hissing and grumbling intermittently to register their lack of pleasure.
We hit the road and thankfully the journey was incident free. Our luck seemed to have changed, not one accident or traffic jam did we encounter and we arrive in 6 hours flat.....a record for a journey that has on occasion taken up to nine hours.
And that's it for now, we chatted, ate and drank into the small hours, fell into bed at stupid o'clock and there I remained until gone nine this morning....I never do that, I am always up by six.....what a treat.
Retail therapy beckons, it cannot be resisted, real shops and lots them, in close proximity, not to be missed by those such as we who normally have to travel 80 miles for such modern convenience!
I have plastic in hand, things are looking good..........
Monday, 14 March 2005
The best laid plans......
....what is it they say about those?
Yesterday, another 13th, a fact that crept up on me slowly, ran true to form. This time it was PG who suffered, he damaged his knee, would you believe it, his foot slipped off the clutch changing gear! No injury was apparent, in fact the incident was all but forgotten until later when he began sporting a rapidly expanding limb that now appears akin to a grapefruit in dimensions. Many cold compresses, an elevated leg and all manner of other cures have been to no avail.
Proceedings for the impending journey have not been helped by this event, he cannot walk with any efficiency let alone drive, so it would appear the honour of the 400 miles will be mine alone...... while he reads the paper, plays on the laptop and snoozes for the duration! I am not unsympathetic, it is hurting him like hell, just why now?? Gah!
Finally, the packing is done, the myriad last minute 'things to remember' have been crossed off the 'don't forget' list and the cats are about to be pushed forcibly into their carriers for their journey to the, er.... holiday home, they do not enter these 'cages' voluntarily, unless of course it is for a homeward journey from the vets. There is a distinct possibility that this task could be a feat in itself as we race around the premises after them and attempt to extricate one or other from tight spaces under various pieces of furniture!
And that's it, we are on our way.....point me at London and tell me when we are there!
I will of course do my best to get a post here every day, as my resolution dictates, whilst I am away. I have almost mastered posting via email from my phone but the technology seems to be lacking a little in reliability. No matter, I leave you in the more than capable hands of my friend, the HTML wizard(ess), Lisa, who has kindly agreed to 'babysit' this patch for the duration....one or other of us should make it here most days.
Have a good week....I'm gone!
Yesterday, another 13th, a fact that crept up on me slowly, ran true to form. This time it was PG who suffered, he damaged his knee, would you believe it, his foot slipped off the clutch changing gear! No injury was apparent, in fact the incident was all but forgotten until later when he began sporting a rapidly expanding limb that now appears akin to a grapefruit in dimensions. Many cold compresses, an elevated leg and all manner of other cures have been to no avail.
Proceedings for the impending journey have not been helped by this event, he cannot walk with any efficiency let alone drive, so it would appear the honour of the 400 miles will be mine alone...... while he reads the paper, plays on the laptop and snoozes for the duration! I am not unsympathetic, it is hurting him like hell, just why now?? Gah!
Finally, the packing is done, the myriad last minute 'things to remember' have been crossed off the 'don't forget' list and the cats are about to be pushed forcibly into their carriers for their journey to the, er.... holiday home, they do not enter these 'cages' voluntarily, unless of course it is for a homeward journey from the vets. There is a distinct possibility that this task could be a feat in itself as we race around the premises after them and attempt to extricate one or other from tight spaces under various pieces of furniture!
And that's it, we are on our way.....point me at London and tell me when we are there!
I will of course do my best to get a post here every day, as my resolution dictates, whilst I am away. I have almost mastered posting via email from my phone but the technology seems to be lacking a little in reliability. No matter, I leave you in the more than capable hands of my friend, the HTML wizard(ess), Lisa, who has kindly agreed to 'babysit' this patch for the duration....one or other of us should make it here most days.
Have a good week....I'm gone!
Sunday, 13 March 2005
Ouch!
All teeth and claws.....a game of 'catch the foot', a regular favourite. What a gentle and demure creature Ditto is....not. Heh!
PG and Ditto!
PG and Ditto!
Saturday, 12 March 2005
Pear shaped?
From now until Sunday night I give you prior warning that things in gemmaks-ville may well go a little pear shaped!
Between now and then I have to wash and pack for our trip South, I have to work all day today and Sunday and attend a meeting after the close of business on Sunday evening.....how convenient! I did attempt to extricate myself from said meeting to give myself a little more time but my request, whilst being met with almost the right words by my employer, was accompanied by a 'not amused' look on the face!
PG of course, as is the way of the male of the species, isunlikely likely to be a great aide in this endeavor, assuming as men do, that to shift two cats and two adults for five days takes precisely no organisation or fore-thought!
And so, as I rush about, stress mounting, if you mail me or comment and I appear to ignore you it is not my intent, rather that I am short of a few hours in the next few days to squash everything in! My apologies in advance.
Yayyy.....only two more sleeps to go.......
Between now and then I have to wash and pack for our trip South, I have to work all day today and Sunday and attend a meeting after the close of business on Sunday evening.....how convenient! I did attempt to extricate myself from said meeting to give myself a little more time but my request, whilst being met with almost the right words by my employer, was accompanied by a 'not amused' look on the face!
PG of course, as is the way of the male of the species, is
And so, as I rush about, stress mounting, if you mail me or comment and I appear to ignore you it is not my intent, rather that I am short of a few hours in the next few days to squash everything in! My apologies in advance.
Yayyy.....only two more sleeps to go.......
Friday, 11 March 2005
Friday's feast (39)
Appetizer - Where do you go when you want to relax?
Home, nowhere relaxes me like just being in my own patch.
Soup - Tell about something that made you laugh this week.
The picture Yorkshire snowman posted today (see link on previous post)
Salad - What is your favorite texture?
To the touch - a cats coat, aesthetically-wood.
Main Course - If you were to publish your autobiography, what would the first sentence be?
"At ages 5 I thought I had my life mapped out, at age thirty five the compass point was spinning wildly"
Dessert - Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day? If so, how?
I don't.
Home, nowhere relaxes me like just being in my own patch.
Soup - Tell about something that made you laugh this week.
The picture Yorkshire snowman posted today (see link on previous post)
Salad - What is your favorite texture?
To the touch - a cats coat, aesthetically-wood.
Main Course - If you were to publish your autobiography, what would the first sentence be?
"At ages 5 I thought I had my life mapped out, at age thirty five the compass point was spinning wildly"
Dessert - Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day? If so, how?
I don't.
Do you have red nose?
For those of you not in the UK or who have slept for the last month today is 'Red Nose Day' or to give it it's correct name, Comic Relief. Over the years I have done all the daft stuff, joined in, dressed up, raised money, etc. etc. but these days it kinda passes me by, aside from a donation here and there.
Not so 'Snowbabies', one half of who, the Yorkshire Snowman, has done his own bit in the blogosphere for the day and provided us with what has to be one of the bravest and most amusing pictures of a blogger of all time.....go here to see. It has to be worth a bob or two! :o)
Not so 'Snowbabies', one half of who, the Yorkshire Snowman, has done his own bit in the blogosphere for the day and provided us with what has to be one of the bravest and most amusing pictures of a blogger of all time.....go here to see. It has to be worth a bob or two! :o)
The annual prescription debate
Again in April of this year UK prescription charges are set to rise by the princely sum of 10p, without doubt this will again cause the annual round of complaints from those who consider the rise either too steep, the overall cost too high or that pharmaceuticals should be a free for all situation.
This has long been a bug-bear of mine and a situation who's opponents arguments have always left me somewhat confused. Yes, I agree that this is yet another area where the same section of the population seem to be the ones bearing the brunt of the cost. Those of us who work for a living and struggle to keep our heads above the financial waterline without resorting to claiming benefits of one kind or another, seem always to have to pay up and look happy in this life. The majority of those receiving benefits are entirely entitled to them of course but there is a section of that number who play the system, take little or no responsibility for their own lives and live off the backs of the rest of us.
Why should all prescriptions be free? We pay national insurance contributions certainly but that does not mean that everything should be given to us completely gratis. The NHS struggles as we know only too well, we might have feelings as to how and why that is but in the main it is a matter of underfunding. A large section of the population already receive all drugs free, children, pregnant women, those on benefits or low pay, the elderly and individuals with life threatening illness who rely on their drugs to survive. I appreciate that the list of 'life threatening' conditions could perhaps be revised, I am one of those affected by that particular question but none of the arguments address what I see as the two most fundamental aspects of this situation.
Firstly the NHS does no have a bottomless pit of money whether we like it or not, with modern medical practices and technology becoming so advanced the cost of treatment has risen phenomenally and we all want access to those treatments, somehow the money has to be raised. If we financed the NHS sufficiently to give everyone absolutely everything something else would suffer, in the real world the money has to be sourced somewhere. Secondly, are those who moan so vocally about paying £6.50 per item aware of the true cost of those drugs in most instances? Our doctors and pharmacists have become much improved at prescribing or recommending generic or cheaper alternatives but for in the vast majority of cases the prescription charge is only a fraction of the true cost.
I do not speak without some experience of this situation. I require every month at least four items, one of which could arguably be considered suitable for the list of life saving drugs that should maybe be exempt from charge. My monthly bill for these items is £26 and that assumes I don't need anything extra such as antibiotics for a one off illness. The £26 is not a cost to be sniffed at perhaps but if I were asked to pay the true cost of these items my bill would be over £200 every month! I for one know which option I prefer.
Whilst some may think the NHS charge is too high, if my having to pay what amounts to a small percentage of the true cost helps enable someone else to have for instance life saving surgery, or a child to have the drugs it needs and genuinely can't afford then I'm happy to pay.
We in the UK are luckier than many, we have access to what in the main are excellent medical facilities and yet we do nothing but complain, try telling a family in the third world how hard done by we are! The NHS system does have many inherent problems but would we want the alternative? This is reality and ultimately nothing is free. Go take a look at private medical insurance costs, check out the exclusion clauses or the shortfalls in that system and then tell me that the NHS is a complete failure!
This has long been a bug-bear of mine and a situation who's opponents arguments have always left me somewhat confused. Yes, I agree that this is yet another area where the same section of the population seem to be the ones bearing the brunt of the cost. Those of us who work for a living and struggle to keep our heads above the financial waterline without resorting to claiming benefits of one kind or another, seem always to have to pay up and look happy in this life. The majority of those receiving benefits are entirely entitled to them of course but there is a section of that number who play the system, take little or no responsibility for their own lives and live off the backs of the rest of us.
Why should all prescriptions be free? We pay national insurance contributions certainly but that does not mean that everything should be given to us completely gratis. The NHS struggles as we know only too well, we might have feelings as to how and why that is but in the main it is a matter of underfunding. A large section of the population already receive all drugs free, children, pregnant women, those on benefits or low pay, the elderly and individuals with life threatening illness who rely on their drugs to survive. I appreciate that the list of 'life threatening' conditions could perhaps be revised, I am one of those affected by that particular question but none of the arguments address what I see as the two most fundamental aspects of this situation.
Firstly the NHS does no have a bottomless pit of money whether we like it or not, with modern medical practices and technology becoming so advanced the cost of treatment has risen phenomenally and we all want access to those treatments, somehow the money has to be raised. If we financed the NHS sufficiently to give everyone absolutely everything something else would suffer, in the real world the money has to be sourced somewhere. Secondly, are those who moan so vocally about paying £6.50 per item aware of the true cost of those drugs in most instances? Our doctors and pharmacists have become much improved at prescribing or recommending generic or cheaper alternatives but for in the vast majority of cases the prescription charge is only a fraction of the true cost.
I do not speak without some experience of this situation. I require every month at least four items, one of which could arguably be considered suitable for the list of life saving drugs that should maybe be exempt from charge. My monthly bill for these items is £26 and that assumes I don't need anything extra such as antibiotics for a one off illness. The £26 is not a cost to be sniffed at perhaps but if I were asked to pay the true cost of these items my bill would be over £200 every month! I for one know which option I prefer.
Whilst some may think the NHS charge is too high, if my having to pay what amounts to a small percentage of the true cost helps enable someone else to have for instance life saving surgery, or a child to have the drugs it needs and genuinely can't afford then I'm happy to pay.
We in the UK are luckier than many, we have access to what in the main are excellent medical facilities and yet we do nothing but complain, try telling a family in the third world how hard done by we are! The NHS system does have many inherent problems but would we want the alternative? This is reality and ultimately nothing is free. Go take a look at private medical insurance costs, check out the exclusion clauses or the shortfalls in that system and then tell me that the NHS is a complete failure!
Thursday, 10 March 2005
Be careful what you wish for.......
......was the advice uttered recently in my direction by I think Jenny, of Demob happy teacher, in reference to my constant wishing for a heavy snowfall over recent weeks.
Well it seems her advice was some I should have perhaps heeded, for here I am in temperatures well above freezing, my thoughts of snow diminishing and actually looking forward to spring, the first narcissus of the year has poked it's little head out of the frozen soil in a pot by our front door when what happens? The weather forecast is predicting heavy snowfall for Monday. This would normally be a cause for me to celebrate but as sods law would have it Monday is the designated day for our 400 mile drive South and prior to that we have to navigate the tiny local roads to the cattery and deliver the cats to their holiday destination.
One of two things is going to happen, I just know it. We will either get the journey complete without incident but I will miss possibly the heaviest snowfall this year ......... or we will be unable to travel.
Neither is good.
Be careful what you wish for indeed!
Well it seems her advice was some I should have perhaps heeded, for here I am in temperatures well above freezing, my thoughts of snow diminishing and actually looking forward to spring, the first narcissus of the year has poked it's little head out of the frozen soil in a pot by our front door when what happens? The weather forecast is predicting heavy snowfall for Monday. This would normally be a cause for me to celebrate but as sods law would have it Monday is the designated day for our 400 mile drive South and prior to that we have to navigate the tiny local roads to the cattery and deliver the cats to their holiday destination.
One of two things is going to happen, I just know it. We will either get the journey complete without incident but I will miss possibly the heaviest snowfall this year ......... or we will be unable to travel.
Neither is good.
Be careful what you wish for indeed!
Wednesday, 9 March 2005
Tales of Tupperware and otherware
© Anne Summers.
Most of us of a certain age will recall without delight the heady days of the late 1970's and '80's when all one needed to do to become the perfect wife and domestic host was hold a successful Tupperware party! Oh the joy and utter domestic pride in having one's friends attend such a function at your home. The complete satisfaction at earning your free plastic item of uselessness as a result of your little soiree making a small fortune for the Tupperware Gods. For a small fortune it was, considering we are only talking here of plastic receptacles for the left over items of food no one wants to eat! Tupperware did the job on us, we were a generation of Tupperware snobs, there was no Ikea (can you imagine) and any house wife worth her salt would not stoop lower than the 'original and best'.
How did we ever survive all those evenings of 'plastic pottery' and the unending blether from the representative, clad of course in the obligatory twin set and pearls? I ran the gamut of such exciting evenings, I was once even persuaded to host my own, though mine was slightly different to what was prescribed as the acceptable format. My Tupperware party was a 'cream cakes and wine only' affair, where those in attendance, stuffed their faces with massive portions of fresh cream and quickly got drunk on half decent wine. All other fare was disallowed! Twenty or so women, faces over-full with cake, inebriated and giggling uncontrollably, did not make for a happy Tupperware lady', we purchased little and talked a lot, I was never asked again, I fear I found my way onto the Tupperware blacklist, or some such. Oh despair!
Things have come on a pace since those days, still I seem to be invited to a steady round of sales 'gatherings' only now, in the 21st century they all appear to be for 'Anne Summers'. This corner of Scotland appears to be undergoing an Anne Summers revolution just now. I lived through similar in London a few years back and now be damned, I have to go through it all again. The very slightly risque party games, the silly prizes and dressing up in 'items for sale' over one's outerwear. Just how ridiculous do we look with a basque over our 501's.......and what on earth is the 'vibrator on the nose' thing all about? Yes, I know, our noses are reported to have a similar number of nerve endings as the 'other departments' but hell......somehow it just doesn't give a close rendition of what to expect!
I have to admit, an Anne Summers bash of today is preferable to the good old Tupperware 'do's' of yesteryear, if such events have to be attended at all but in all good will and in every effort at an, er.... 'exciting life', there are only so many sets of useless lingerie and adult toys one can have time for.......at least Tupperware could be used by the whole family on a daily basis and didn't carry a 'careful hand wash only' label, or require batteries!
One other thought, whilst we are expected to happily (not) parade around dressed as nurses, french maids and the like, have you ever manged to get your guy into the fireman's uniform.....because I know what response I would get and the second word would likely be 'off'.
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