Paws-ing. Ditto.
Sunday, 3 April 2005
Saturday, 2 April 2005
Getting old
A friend landed this in my inbox recently with an addendum of 'how true!'
'How true' indeed....I just had to blog it.
According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 60's, 70's and early 80's probably shouldn't have survived, because our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based paint which was promptly chewed and licked. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or cabinets and it was fine to play with pans.
When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just
flip-flops and fluorescent 'spokey dokey's' on our wheels. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or airbags - riding in the passenger seat was a treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle and it tasted the same.
We ate chips, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy juice with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.
We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no-one actually died from this.
We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went top speed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We would leave home in the morning and could play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us and no one minded.
We did not have Play stations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. No 99 channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no DVDs, no Internet chat rooms.
We had friends - we went outside and found them.
We played elastics and rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt!
We fell out of trees, got cut, and broke bones but there were no law suits.
We had full on fist fights but no prosecution followed from other parents.
We played chap-the-door-run-away and were actually afraid of the owners catching us.
We walked to friends' homes.
We also, believe it or not, WALKED to school; we
didn't rely on mummy or daddy to drive us to school, which was just around the corner.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls.
We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood.
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of...They actually sided with the law.
This generation has produced some of the best
risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.
And you're one of them. Congratulations!
Pass this on to others who have had the luck to grow as real kids, before lawyers and government regulated our lives, for our own good.
For those of you who aren't old enough, thought you might like to read about us.
This my friends, is surprisingly frightening......and it might put a smile on your face:
The majority of students in universities today were born in 1986........They are called youth.
They have never heard of We are the World, We are the children, and the Uptown Girl they know is by Westlife not BillyJoel.
They have never heard of Rick Astley, Bananarama, Nena Cherry or Belinda Carlisle
For them, there has always been only one Germany and one Vietnam.
AIDS has existed since they were born. CD's have
existed since they were born.
Michael Jackson has always been white.
To them John Travolta has always been round in shape and they can't imagine how this fat guy could be a god of dance.
They believe that Charlie's Angels and Mission
Impossible are films from last year.
They can never imagine life before computers.
They'll never have pretended to be the A Team, RedHand Gang or the Famous Five.
They'll never have applied to be on Jim'll Fix It or Why Don't You.
They can't believe a black and white television ever existed. And they will never understand how we could leave the house without a mobile phone.
Now let's check if we're getting old...
1. You understand what was written above and you
smile.
2. You need to sleep more, usually until the
afternoon, after a night out.
3. Your friends are getting married/already married.
4. You are always surprised to see small children playing comfortably with computers.
5. When you see teenagers with mobile phones, you shake your head.
6. You remember watching Dirty Den in EastEnders the first time around.
7. You meet your friends from time to time, talking about the good Old days, repeating again all the funny things you have
experienced together.
8. Having read this , you are thinking of
showing it to some other friends because you think they will like it too...
Yes, you're getting old!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow."
Mahatma Gandhi
'How true' indeed....I just had to blog it.
According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 60's, 70's and early 80's probably shouldn't have survived, because our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based paint which was promptly chewed and licked. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or cabinets and it was fine to play with pans.
When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just
flip-flops and fluorescent 'spokey dokey's' on our wheels. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or airbags - riding in the passenger seat was a treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle and it tasted the same.
We ate chips, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy juice with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.
We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no-one actually died from this.
We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went top speed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We would leave home in the morning and could play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us and no one minded.
We did not have Play stations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. No 99 channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no DVDs, no Internet chat rooms.
We had friends - we went outside and found them.
We played elastics and rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt!
We fell out of trees, got cut, and broke bones but there were no law suits.
We had full on fist fights but no prosecution followed from other parents.
We played chap-the-door-run-away and were actually afraid of the owners catching us.
We walked to friends' homes.
We also, believe it or not, WALKED to school; we
didn't rely on mummy or daddy to drive us to school, which was just around the corner.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls.
We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood.
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of...They actually sided with the law.
This generation has produced some of the best
risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.
And you're one of them. Congratulations!
Pass this on to others who have had the luck to grow as real kids, before lawyers and government regulated our lives, for our own good.
For those of you who aren't old enough, thought you might like to read about us.
This my friends, is surprisingly frightening......and it might put a smile on your face:
The majority of students in universities today were born in 1986........They are called youth.
They have never heard of We are the World, We are the children, and the Uptown Girl they know is by Westlife not BillyJoel.
They have never heard of Rick Astley, Bananarama, Nena Cherry or Belinda Carlisle
For them, there has always been only one Germany and one Vietnam.
AIDS has existed since they were born. CD's have
existed since they were born.
Michael Jackson has always been white.
To them John Travolta has always been round in shape and they can't imagine how this fat guy could be a god of dance.
They believe that Charlie's Angels and Mission
Impossible are films from last year.
They can never imagine life before computers.
They'll never have pretended to be the A Team, RedHand Gang or the Famous Five.
They'll never have applied to be on Jim'll Fix It or Why Don't You.
They can't believe a black and white television ever existed. And they will never understand how we could leave the house without a mobile phone.
Now let's check if we're getting old...
1. You understand what was written above and you
smile.
2. You need to sleep more, usually until the
afternoon, after a night out.
3. Your friends are getting married/already married.
4. You are always surprised to see small children playing comfortably with computers.
5. When you see teenagers with mobile phones, you shake your head.
6. You remember watching Dirty Den in EastEnders the first time around.
7. You meet your friends from time to time, talking about the good Old days, repeating again all the funny things you have
experienced together.
8. Having read this , you are thinking of
showing it to some other friends because you think they will like it too...
Yes, you're getting old!!
"Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow."
Mahatma Gandhi
Friday, 1 April 2005
Commentathon ~ last chance
Greg Hammond lost his wife and his children's mother to breast cancer a year ago today. He is holding a commentathon on their blog today to raise money to fight this disease, which will affect the lives of one in twelve women at some point in their lives.
If you haven't done so already please pop over HERE to 'California Hammonds' and leave a comment. It won't cost you a penny but each comment received on today's date will raise money for breast cancer research.... so go on...do it NOW, time is running out.
If you haven't done so already please pop over HERE to 'California Hammonds' and leave a comment. It won't cost you a penny but each comment received on today's date will raise money for breast cancer research.... so go on...do it NOW, time is running out.
Friday's feast (41)
Appetizer - Describe your week in one word.
Crap!
Soup - Tell about a funny practical joke that you've played on someone (or that was played on you!).
The words 'practical joke' and 'funny' don't rest easy in one sentence for me so I haven't played one and I don't recall one being played on me. They usually seem to result in 'a laugh' at someone else's expense. Sorry, is that boring?
Salad - Name someone you had a crush on when you were a kid.
Fantasy land ~ David Cassidy, yes really, sorry! Real world ~ a guy called Robert, he took me on a date at age 14, my world was complete..... and then broke my heart by taking my friend out almost immediately after! Hey, I was 14, we were star crossed lovers, marriage any day, the full bit! heh. I carried a torch for that guy for years and should he read this (God forbid) he would know who he is!
Main Course - If you were a member of royalty, what would your title be?
Er....Her royal highness??
Dessert - What colors are the clothes you are wearing today?
Grey and cream
Crap!
Soup - Tell about a funny practical joke that you've played on someone (or that was played on you!).
The words 'practical joke' and 'funny' don't rest easy in one sentence for me so I haven't played one and I don't recall one being played on me. They usually seem to result in 'a laugh' at someone else's expense. Sorry, is that boring?
Salad - Name someone you had a crush on when you were a kid.
Fantasy land ~ David Cassidy, yes really, sorry! Real world ~ a guy called Robert, he took me on a date at age 14, my world was complete..... and then broke my heart by taking my friend out almost immediately after! Hey, I was 14, we were star crossed lovers, marriage any day, the full bit! heh. I carried a torch for that guy for years and should he read this (God forbid) he would know who he is!
Main Course - If you were a member of royalty, what would your title be?
Er....Her royal highness??
Dessert - What colors are the clothes you are wearing today?
Grey and cream
Thursday, 31 March 2005
Cast your mind back.......
.....if you can, to let's say three years ago, when if you where lucky your, state of the art, pc boasted a Pentium 3, 700mhz processor, 128 SDR, a 32 meg graphics card and a hard drive that at 20 gig you felt you couldn't possibly manage to fill!
Cast your mind back too, are you still with me?, and recall too what accompanied these er.... stunning machines....... the dialup, oh wonderful thing that it was. Those who were lucky connected at something over 45kbps those that were not so lucky envied such a speed, email was restricted to small files, or interminable waiting times, a single music track took 15 minutes to download, assuming of course you could maintain a connection long enough, lag was a pain in th butt and IRC and I.M conversations were cut instantly, always at an inappropriate moment, short by being 'booted' courtesy of the 2 hour obligatory cutting of the connection.
Remember all of those delights do you, cringe at the memory?
Welcome to my world!
Yes, living in our beautifully idyllic field, surrounded by all that nature has to offer, may have it's positive side but it certainly has one big negative to those of us very slightly addicted to the internet...... no broadband! Three years we have waited, three whole, slow years, we have entertained satellite connections, download only connections, various bits of useless software all to no avail, we are still stuck with a dialup, and I might add, one that rarely connects above 42 kbps! It has been a trial, we have even considered moving. Gradually every town an village within the vicinity had acquired the magical connection but no, not us! We in our field have been just out of range each time.
So in the days when the average pc is boasting a Pentium 4, 3000mhz processor, 512 DDR, 128mb graphics and at least an 80 gig hardrive, yours truly is still suffering the archaic 42 kbps, the booting and the half hour waits when some kind soul forgets...... and sends a 4 meg mail.
At last things are set to change, our three year wait is nearly at it's end, ok, so maybe I am a little premature in my celebrations but we have but 10 weeks (er...not that we are counting) left before we finally join the rest of civilisation and can enjoy the high speed connections that most now take for granted. 10 weeks, just 10 weeks! Yayyyyyy.
PG I think, will any day now begin counting the days on a graph, modems will be ordered doubtless well in advance, the laptop will be networked in readiness for the end of the 'who can have the connection'fight discussion and hey, we will even have a viable phone line once more. On second thoughts maybe that's a down side, we hold a 24/7 dialup, we never get hassled with phone calls.....no one can get through! Yes of course there are our cell phones but double glazing sales teams don't call those :o)
So it's ten weeks and counting......and counting........
:o))
Cast your mind back too, are you still with me?, and recall too what accompanied these er.... stunning machines....... the dialup, oh wonderful thing that it was. Those who were lucky connected at something over 45kbps those that were not so lucky envied such a speed, email was restricted to small files, or interminable waiting times, a single music track took 15 minutes to download, assuming of course you could maintain a connection long enough, lag was a pain in th butt and IRC and I.M conversations were cut instantly, always at an inappropriate moment, short by being 'booted' courtesy of the 2 hour obligatory cutting of the connection.
Remember all of those delights do you, cringe at the memory?
Welcome to my world!
Yes, living in our beautifully idyllic field, surrounded by all that nature has to offer, may have it's positive side but it certainly has one big negative to those of us very slightly addicted to the internet...... no broadband! Three years we have waited, three whole, slow years, we have entertained satellite connections, download only connections, various bits of useless software all to no avail, we are still stuck with a dialup, and I might add, one that rarely connects above 42 kbps! It has been a trial, we have even considered moving. Gradually every town an village within the vicinity had acquired the magical connection but no, not us! We in our field have been just out of range each time.
So in the days when the average pc is boasting a Pentium 4, 3000mhz processor, 512 DDR, 128mb graphics and at least an 80 gig hardrive, yours truly is still suffering the archaic 42 kbps, the booting and the half hour waits when some kind soul forgets...... and sends a 4 meg mail.
At last things are set to change, our three year wait is nearly at it's end, ok, so maybe I am a little premature in my celebrations but we have but 10 weeks (er...not that we are counting) left before we finally join the rest of civilisation and can enjoy the high speed connections that most now take for granted. 10 weeks, just 10 weeks! Yayyyyyy.
PG I think, will any day now begin counting the days on a graph, modems will be ordered doubtless well in advance, the laptop will be networked in readiness for the end of the 'who can have the connection'
So it's ten weeks and counting......and counting........
:o))
Wednesday, 30 March 2005
Meet Jaydon
Jaydon & PG 30.03.05
Meet the new arrival, Jaydon, two days old, nicely un-wrinkled and extremely cuddly!
This afternoon we visited the proud parents and sister for the first time. I am amazed, as one who has never been through all this 'baby business' how cool 'Mum' is. Believe me, only a day after a reasonably difficult birth I would be 'convalescing' and in a state of complete disarray.......not this mum, nope, she is looking good, things are back to normal, the house is tidy, and the baby is contented. Barely a murmer did he utter.
PG was worryingly taken with this "wee man" and barely did I have him in my arms (after a little persuasion....well they are so small and seemingly breakable when one is unused to them) than he had snatched him away and was happily cooing in a corner at him.....and this is the guy who says he doesn't want kids! Hmmmmm.
In memory of Karine
Myself and Karine's good friend Charmaine have decided that we would like to send flowers for Karine's funeral as a small show of our sympathy and we wondered if any other of her 'blog friends' would like to be included. We are for various reasons unable to attend in person but would like to do something to show our support to her family and in her memory.
I am currently making the necessary arrangements. We will send a bouquet, something reasonably bright, Karine would not have wanted anything sombre.
I do not want for anyone to feel pressured and therefore ask that if you would like to make a donation and be included that you email me from the link below rather than leave a comment. You can of course leave a comment if you wish.
Mailto: say-it@gemmak.co.uk
I am currently making the necessary arrangements. We will send a bouquet, something reasonably bright, Karine would not have wanted anything sombre.
I do not want for anyone to feel pressured and therefore ask that if you would like to make a donation and be included that you email me from the link below rather than leave a comment. You can of course leave a comment if you wish.
Mailto: say-it@gemmak.co.uk
Tuesday, 29 March 2005
"No"
Why is it that in the face of certain situations and certain people I am so pathetically un-assertive?
Work called me earlier today asking me to help them out and work tomorrow, my line manager has been taken into hospital and they are short of bodies. I hate that, I know I have a right to a life, as it happens PG and I have a day off together and have plans for the day, but no, instead of just saying "sorry I can't," what do I do? Turn into a gibbering idiot is what I do! I have a horrible habit of rambling on making my excuses in an attempt to justify something I know I shouldn't feel it necessary to justify in the first place.....and doubtless sounding crap into the bargain! All I am doing is providing an opening for persuasion and argument!
Why can't I just say 'no' and be done with it....I know the rules of assertiveness....Goddamn I have to learn to apply them and subsequently not sit here feeling guilty for having a life!
Must practice "NO", must practice "NO"..........
Work called me earlier today asking me to help them out and work tomorrow, my line manager has been taken into hospital and they are short of bodies. I hate that, I know I have a right to a life, as it happens PG and I have a day off together and have plans for the day, but no, instead of just saying "sorry I can't," what do I do? Turn into a gibbering idiot is what I do! I have a horrible habit of rambling on making my excuses in an attempt to justify something I know I shouldn't feel it necessary to justify in the first place.....and doubtless sounding crap into the bargain! All I am doing is providing an opening for persuasion and argument!
Why can't I just say 'no' and be done with it....I know the rules of assertiveness....Goddamn I have to learn to apply them and subsequently not sit here feeling guilty for having a life!
Must practice "NO", must practice "NO"..........
A happy event
At 17.10 yesterday our close friends D&W became parents again for the second time and provided their daughter, the light of PG's life, with a baby brother!
'Jayden' finally wieghed in at 8lbs 1oz, having taken his time somewhat, in deciding to enter the world.
Mother and child are both doing well........more after we visit the hospital this evening.
~ Congratulations to D&W, the proud new parents ~
'Jayden' finally wieghed in at 8lbs 1oz, having taken his time somewhat, in deciding to enter the world.
Mother and child are both doing well........more after we visit the hospital this evening.
Monday, 28 March 2005
A typical bank holiday
Statiticians and those that have the dubious task of providing us with all those odd facts and figures on how we live our lives never tire of telling us that in the UK at least, shopping is the single biggest leisure activity, a situation that I find quite worrying and sad but regardless it is a fact.
Sad it maybe that we have become a nation so obsessed with the great Gods that are money and possession but is it any wonder perhaps when I look out the window on yet another typical bank holiday Monday. It is cold, the rain is coming down like 'stair rods' and at 7.30am it is still relatively dark. I know that is in part due to the shift to British summer time (there's an irony if ever there was one) but it is unusually dark. The birds are twittering their displeasure, huddled and bedraggled on overhead cables and under eaves and everything looks set for a dismal day, meteorologically at least!
PG has hobbled off to work, leg strapped up and looking none too fit for the job to be honest and I'm about to do the same. My day at work should be a reasonable one and pass quickly. The weather will at least ensure that Joe public will not defy the statiticians and find something interesting to do but will run true to form and hit the shops with vigour, making my day a busy one that is over in a flash.
Every cloud has a silver lining as they say :o)
Sad it maybe that we have become a nation so obsessed with the great Gods that are money and possession but is it any wonder perhaps when I look out the window on yet another typical bank holiday Monday. It is cold, the rain is coming down like 'stair rods' and at 7.30am it is still relatively dark. I know that is in part due to the shift to British summer time (there's an irony if ever there was one) but it is unusually dark. The birds are twittering their displeasure, huddled and bedraggled on overhead cables and under eaves and everything looks set for a dismal day, meteorologically at least!
PG has hobbled off to work, leg strapped up and looking none too fit for the job to be honest and I'm about to do the same. My day at work should be a reasonable one and pass quickly. The weather will at least ensure that Joe public will not defy the statiticians and find something interesting to do but will run true to form and hit the shops with vigour, making my day a busy one that is over in a flash.
Every cloud has a silver lining as they say :o)
Sunday, 27 March 2005
Where did today go?
What happened to today then? Can anyone tell me where it went?
One minute I was looking forward to it and the next it is almost over! What makes it worse is I have done nothing, absolutely nothing to speak of. I fiddled with a little HTML for someone, made a loaf of bread and that was about it.....and I might add that the bread making exercise is not what it seems, all it involved was tipping a few bits into a machine and pressing the 'on' button.
I was thrown at the first fence, we staggered into bed at about 4 am this morning which resulted in my over-sleeping, I never wake late but today it was 9.30 before I saw daylight and then horror of horrors, my first, yes really, realisation that we had hit BST at some point and I had lost another hour. As if 9.30 was not bad enough 10.30 was most certainly not good! Had I been due to work I would have been woken by someone telling me in no uncertain terms that I was late.
I never quite recovered, I always have a 'thing' about losing that hour, I want it back, it's mine!! Why can't the clocks go forward one hour in the middle of a Monday afternoon I wonder....... that would far more civil.
And so the day passed me by somehow, I admit to returning to my bed for a small siesta but where the remainder of it disappeared too I have no idea!
One minute I was looking forward to it and the next it is almost over! What makes it worse is I have done nothing, absolutely nothing to speak of. I fiddled with a little HTML for someone, made a loaf of bread and that was about it.....and I might add that the bread making exercise is not what it seems, all it involved was tipping a few bits into a machine and pressing the 'on' button.
I was thrown at the first fence, we staggered into bed at about 4 am this morning which resulted in my over-sleeping, I never wake late but today it was 9.30 before I saw daylight and then horror of horrors, my first, yes really, realisation that we had hit BST at some point and I had lost another hour. As if 9.30 was not bad enough 10.30 was most certainly not good! Had I been due to work I would have been woken by someone telling me in no uncertain terms that I was late.
I never quite recovered, I always have a 'thing' about losing that hour, I want it back, it's mine!! Why can't the clocks go forward one hour in the middle of a Monday afternoon I wonder....... that would far more civil.
And so the day passed me by somehow, I admit to returning to my bed for a small siesta but where the remainder of it disappeared too I have no idea!
Happy Easter
Easter, like Christmas has a way of making me feel kinda guilty, though I admit only slightly. I am not a religious individual, at least not in the traditional sense. In the past I considered myself to be atheist, as I have got older I would have to say I am an agnostic if I had to categorize myself on the question of my faith or lack of it. I suppose I feel there must be 'something' greater and more powerful than ourselves but whether that is a God in the traditional sense I just don't know.
It is as a consequence of these thoughts that I feel a little guilt for celebrating events in the Christian calendar such as Easter and Christmas but along with most others, celebrate them I do. I detest hypocrisy in any form and I suppose I feel a little hypocritical myself in my enjoyment of festivals that in reality are not about giving presents and over indulgence but about something so much more important to so many people.
Despite all this Christmas and Easter are special though for me in maybe a less profound manner. They are days when I hope we have time to think of those we love and can spend at least one day relaxing and enjoying their company, being with family maybe, with friends or in the community doing something in some small way for those who are less fortunate.
My Easter? Well for me, very selfishly, it is special in that it is the only day in the year that the law forbids my place of work to open and hence the only day I am guaranteed to be able to refuse to work. Many years the store still runs a shift for those that want to work but it has to remain closed to the public. This year my boss has amazingly decided against even that, so the pressure one usually feels from above to *have* to work is not there. ......yayyyy for the boss.
Add to that, every cloud has a silver lining, PG, still suffering with his leg (though it is improving) is still off work so this will be the very first Easter day we have had off together since the beginning of 'gemmak and PG'. I doubt we will do anything special, the weather is it's normal damp, yukky English Easter self and we didn't hit bed until very stupid o'clock this morning but we will at least get to spend it together chilling.
So, whatever today means to you.....have a very happy Easter.
Saturday, 26 March 2005
The bag anti-meme!
In a weak moment I promised to join in this 'anti-meme' on 'Elephants and Dragonflies'. Last time I did this I was only required to list the contents of my bag....this time I have to photograph the bag, it's contents and list them! Eekkkk.
Here goes:
The bag: A tula, boring and black but I love it, it was a 40th birthday present.
It's contents:
Purse.
Locker key for work.
Lighter.
Inhaler.......perhaps I shouldn't have listed that directly after the inhaler :o/
Keys.
Swiss army knife.
Maglight.
PDA.
A blue er....frog? from a cracker I pulled with my mother on new years eve!
An acorn, picked up out walking with my parents last year sometime.
My right arm......no sorry that's my cell phone.
Pen.
Breath fresheners.
'Tums'.
Driving licence.
Misc. underground tickets from days out....I always keep em.
RAC membership card.
Lip gloss.
Body shop lip salve.
There ya go, make what you will of that lot, heh.
Here goes:
The bag: A tula, boring and black but I love it, it was a 40th birthday present.
It's contents:
Purse.
Locker key for work.
Lighter.
Inhaler.......perhaps I shouldn't have listed that directly after the inhaler :o/
Keys.
Swiss army knife.
Maglight.
PDA.
A blue er....frog? from a cracker I pulled with my mother on new years eve!
An acorn, picked up out walking with my parents last year sometime.
Pen.
Breath fresheners.
'Tums'.
Driving licence.
Misc. underground tickets from days out....I always keep em.
RAC membership card.
Lip gloss.
Body shop lip salve.
There ya go, make what you will of that lot, heh.
Sharp perspective
This week has been one of the most horrible I remember for a long time, I'm not easily reduced to an all pervading feeling of negativity but since Monday, each day seemed to bring yet more difficulties or upset.
It began with PG further injuring his leg, having just the day before seen the doctor and been told it would take a while to heal completely, he fell on it again and rendered it useless. It has since begun to repair itself yet again but he has been in a deal of pain and been unable to go to work. Work was the next problem, on Wednesday it was looking like he would lose his job, thankfully that disaster seems to have been averted though we are not yet 'counting our chickens'. Thursday passed without incident but yesterday felt like the final straw.
I had barely been in work for half an hour when the next un-wonderful incident occurred by way of it now being my turn to injure myself. Please don't laugh, for in retrospect the scenario seems quite funny! Ok.....well laugh then, after the last few days anything funny is better than misery.
There I was, minding my own business in the process of pushing a heavily laden shopping cart to the opposite end of the store to deposit it's contents, when suddenly, quite literally without warning this trolley caught a wheel, upended itself at speed and catapulted me at high velocity into the air, depositing me finally in an ungainly heap on the floor some distance away and with what had been it's contents of something brick-like ontop of me! Feeling utterly stupid I gathered myself up from under the rubble and hobbled inelegantly to find a first aider.
It could have been a lot worse, I was lucky, my injuries are superficial but I too now have a leg that does not wish to be walked on and an array of bumps, bruises and cuts that hurt like hell. I wonder what the mathematical probability is that PG and I should both be hobbling and both have injured the same leg at the same time? What a pair, the two of us together don't amount to one operational individual right now as we limp slowly around wincing when bits hurt!
I limped on at work for a few hours and then was dispatched home to rest my leg. My arrival home bought the terribly sad news of my friend Karine's death. The positive me gave up at that point and I sat like a fool unable to stop snivelling. We knew of course that we would lose Karine but I had not expected it to be quite so soon and I had not expected it to hit me quite so hard.
This morning the positive me is creeping back, it is not my feelings I should be selfishly considering but those of her husband and son whose loss is so infinitely more acute than mine. She taught me to put my life into sharper perspective and to make the most of it, she retained her humour and pleasure in life throughout and to complain and winge at my current troubles is to do her a dis-service....... I am humbled greatly, my problems are nothing!
And so, it's back to work today for me, hobbling maybe but with my positive head back on and a smile on my face. Yes I am of course very sad, I could happily cry all day but that is most certainly not making the most of my life and nor is it a fitting way to remember or honour a lady who showed such massive courage and strength in the face of real adversity.
"Be happy Karine, you made such a difference to so many."
It began with PG further injuring his leg, having just the day before seen the doctor and been told it would take a while to heal completely, he fell on it again and rendered it useless. It has since begun to repair itself yet again but he has been in a deal of pain and been unable to go to work. Work was the next problem, on Wednesday it was looking like he would lose his job, thankfully that disaster seems to have been averted though we are not yet 'counting our chickens'. Thursday passed without incident but yesterday felt like the final straw.
I had barely been in work for half an hour when the next un-wonderful incident occurred by way of it now being my turn to injure myself. Please don't laugh, for in retrospect the scenario seems quite funny! Ok.....well laugh then, after the last few days anything funny is better than misery.
There I was, minding my own business in the process of pushing a heavily laden shopping cart to the opposite end of the store to deposit it's contents, when suddenly, quite literally without warning this trolley caught a wheel, upended itself at speed and catapulted me at high velocity into the air, depositing me finally in an ungainly heap on the floor some distance away and with what had been it's contents of something brick-like ontop of me! Feeling utterly stupid I gathered myself up from under the rubble and hobbled inelegantly to find a first aider.
It could have been a lot worse, I was lucky, my injuries are superficial but I too now have a leg that does not wish to be walked on and an array of bumps, bruises and cuts that hurt like hell. I wonder what the mathematical probability is that PG and I should both be hobbling and both have injured the same leg at the same time? What a pair, the two of us together don't amount to one operational individual right now as we limp slowly around wincing when bits hurt!
I limped on at work for a few hours and then was dispatched home to rest my leg. My arrival home bought the terribly sad news of my friend Karine's death. The positive me gave up at that point and I sat like a fool unable to stop snivelling. We knew of course that we would lose Karine but I had not expected it to be quite so soon and I had not expected it to hit me quite so hard.
This morning the positive me is creeping back, it is not my feelings I should be selfishly considering but those of her husband and son whose loss is so infinitely more acute than mine. She taught me to put my life into sharper perspective and to make the most of it, she retained her humour and pleasure in life throughout and to complain and winge at my current troubles is to do her a dis-service....... I am humbled greatly, my problems are nothing!
And so, it's back to work today for me, hobbling maybe but with my positive head back on and a smile on my face. Yes I am of course very sad, I could happily cry all day but that is most certainly not making the most of my life and nor is it a fitting way to remember or honour a lady who showed such massive courage and strength in the face of real adversity.
"Be happy Karine, you made such a difference to so many."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
