Design buttons

If you have a link button on your site that looks like either of these:




please could you email me and let me know.

Since DAB closed someone has taken over the URL and redirected it to a porn site, the above buttons carry that link. I have mailed everyone I can find with the offer to remove/replace it but if I missed you I'm sorry, I only keep records for six months and I am sure I haven't been able to trace everyone affected.

If you mail me I will remove the button for you or replace it with the correct one, or if you prefer, supply you with the appropriate code.

Thank you and my apologies for any inconvenience or embarrassment.

Going south

I will eventually get to post a little at least, about our short holiday in London, but for now, as I rush off for my first day back at work, these pictures might give you an indication of what the journey headed south was like!

Gemmak Designs.....

...seems to be fixed and back to normal thankfully but I'm not holding my breath just yet....the button will stay down until I'm sure, though with a little luck that's one problem solved! :o)

A better perspective

Life seems to have a habit of forcing us into seeing things more clearly at times.

By lunch time today I was so stressed and harassed about Gemmak Designs and DAB being hacked and whether or not I could keep it all going somehow that I fled the flat and escaped to the beach for a while...but I didn't ever get there. En-route I had one or two errands I decided I ought to attend too and called into work where I learned that another colleague and friend died this morning, leaving a wife and two sons.

He was diagnosed with an apparently treatable form of cancer just a few weeks ago but something, somewhere was obviously not as first thought.

Just kinda makes hacking and all that malarky seem considerably less important doesn't it.

I'm back......and hijacked!

...and with a massive thank you to Fletch for his stoic efforts in keeping gemmak's-ville up and running and getting a post here every day in my absence! I had intended to try and filter in the odd effort of my own from London but each time I popped in you all were having such a good time I made the most of the break and decided not to interrupt!

The holiday was fab but more on that later, for it seems I have arrived home to to a new problem on the blog front. As if Gemmak Designs and it's predecessor had not been problematic enough of late now I discover that both the old URL for DAB and my new one have been 'hijacked' by some smart ass bastard who has placed a redirect on the URL's to a porn site! GAH!!!

I have absolutely no idea how to resolve this at the moment, I have contacted blogger but thus far have had no response so all I can do for now is wait and see and apologise profusely for the fact that if you carry one of my buttons it will most definitely not take you to me! Please, feel free to remove it from your site completely if you wish, or to contact me to do it for you if you need help.

At the moment I can't post on Gemmak Designs, it just won't let me so if any of you out there know anyone with the button I would appreciate it if you would alert them.

Oh happy days, seems like my last days holiday is going to be taken up with trying to sort this debacle out! Grrrrrr.

The Last Post

The Last Post, thank God for that I hear you all cry, well I'm releaved to... :o)

So what have I learnt from this whole 'Blog Sitting' experience...

Well it has illustrated to me that I Blog when I have something to say, something I need to get out my system and because I'm usually a stable(ish) guy that means I'm an infrequent poster... My Blog is all about me and my needs... Selfish as it sounds...

But 'Blog Sitting' has shown me it's a dam hard commitment to make, 'having' to post every day (and I only had to do it for four!!!). You've lost your freedom to just say, "F**k It" I'm off down the Pub, or when you really have nothing to say you just can keep quiet, you have that responsibility and pressure to your 'Readers' to post.

So I think as a passing farewell, I'd like to salute in a massive way Gem and all the rest of you avid bloggers out there that can be 'bothered' to keep it going relentlessly, I couldn't do it...

Hat of to you all... :o)

Yeah Yeah OK , shes back tomorrow :o)

So to the Gemmak Posse, it's farewell from me and thanx, it's been emotional... :o)

Ciao Ciao
Fletch
Confused from Chichester
I BLOG There4 I Am

PS. Wot No Anti-Cat Gag... Na, consider youselves lucky, I was going to post my favourite Thai recipe for sweet and sour pussy but thought I'd be nice to all you sad cat lovers instead... (Easy there Tigar !!! ;o) )

Gems Latest Holiday Photo

Gem's latest Holiday Snap... Why couldn't she let PG Drive !!!

Oh... if you zoom in over the womans right shoulder, I think you can make out a wee ginger moggy being brutally savaged by a Big Hound !!! ;o)

Hey, penultamate post here... I know, your relief must be massive, mine is !!!

Ciao Ciao
Fletch
Confused From Chichester
I BLOG There4 I am

PS. OK OK so its not really her !!!

The Devil... Is he all bad?

So then you lot, it's past mid-night so this counts as a tomorrow post...

You want some humour then do you? Hey it is usually lacking from this Blog, unless you count a Dum cat chasing it's tail... ;-) (Oh if u haven't noticed, I'm in the chair for making as many subtle anti-cat gags as possible this week... ;o) )

OK here's a funny little Scratching I came across via the old Tinternet/Email thingy...These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services,'Thank God' for church ladies with typewriters :o) (What! It's the cleanest funny thing I could find!)


1. The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

2. The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."

3. Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

4. Don't let worry kill you off, let the Church help.

5. For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

6. Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

7. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.

8. Scouts are saving aluminium cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

9. Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.

10. The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

11. This evening at 7pm there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

12. Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10am. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the BS is done.

13. Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7pm. Please use the back door.

14. The primary 7's will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7pm. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

15. Weight Watchers will meet at 7pm at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.


Well they made me laugh anyway... :o)

Yeah I know what your thinking, but no, she's not bloody back yet! ;o)

Ciao for now people...
Fletch
Confused From Chichester
I BLOG There4 I Am

Where, what and why?

Has she gone yet... ? Kool :o)

And what does she mean 'No expense spared'... I'm cheap, ask any of the girls I know!!

Right, this is Fletch and as you’ve probably gathered Gems on Holiday, but to accomplish her promise of getting at least one Post to her Blog each day, she’s conjured up a scheme for letting me Guest post to it for a few days whilst she has no net access, therefore ‘technically’ she’s fulfilled her posting promise. I know it sounds like very suspect solution to me to aswell, but then again shes got previous for this already, I mean just sticking a picture of some mangy cat up surely can only be clasified as a very loose post at best... But on the up side it will be a very pleasant change to have a Cat Free Zone for a while... Yippee :o)

So then, what going down? Well I thought I would start with a sensible post today and see whether or not that works for us all :o) If it doesn't then for my future entries I will stoop down to my usually level of cheap T&A jokes and profanity etc.

So here goes.

At present personal reasons have brought to my mind the very serious option of getting out the loop, just selling up to ‘walk the earth’ for a few years travelling, maybe write a book etc. (Just the usual escapist ideas to avoid reality). So what I thought might be an interesting question to pose the Gemmak Posse in the name of personal research that is, if you could visit one place and one place only anywhere in the world no expense spared, where or what would it be and why?

No pressure to add your answers in the comments, but if no quality thoughts emerge then I get Cart Blanche in future posts to write whatever I like without trying to be sensible on this Blog again and trust me, that’s probably not a good idea, if only because Gem might loose some of her valued reader’s :o) (Hey and we all know she’s a ‘Hit/Comments’ Junky ;o) )

Your missing her already aren't you...? hehehe :o)

Ciao Ciao
Fletch
Confused from Chichester
I BLOG There4 I Am

PS I'm open to Bribes for changing the BLOG layout aswell... (Now, what ever did happen to the title image with the suspect nipples showing... LOL :o) )

Meet your host for the week

Even while I am away on holiday you don't get to escape this little patch of the blogosphere, after all, it was some of your number that challenged me again to complete another year without missing a single days posting!

To that end, and the rules dictating that it doesn't matter how I get a post here, just that I do, I would like you to give a big hand and a very warm welcome to my guest blogger for the week. Yes, be assured there has been no expense spared in my search for a replacement, I bring you the one and only, the famous (or should that be infamous), the utterly entertaining, the inimitable *insert drum roll*........... Fletch, he of 'Answers aren't at the back' fame.

Yes, for the duration of my holiday your host at gemmak'-s-ville will be my good friend and buddy Fletch. Ok, so maybe I have taken my blog's life in my hands in this decision, anything could happen and probably will, but hey life's a risk!

So that's me out of here for a few days, if I can I'll try and interject occasionally from London but until then I leave you in the very dangerous capable hands of my blog-sitter.

Please be gentle with him....at least until he settles in!


Cheers Fletch, you're a star ;o)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The promised snow has arrived, a little later than originally forecast and thus only a dusting so far though it's beginning to look like it has the possibility of becoming pretty grim out there. Were gonna hit the road earlier than we had planned in the hope that we can out run it south, fingers crossed we don't get stuck at about Newcastle!

I'm gone.......have a good week guys and I'll look in when I can. :o)

Oh how utterly typical!

Call it sod's law, call it God's punishment, call it what you like but it seems that gemmak is about to get her comeuppance in typically inconvenient style!

Just how many times have I wished, nay almost prayed for snow, how many forecasts and weather models have I scoured for a sign of the white stuff and just how many times have I wittered on about it here?

Well, it would seem that today, on this one occasion, the weather is doing exactly as the met. office models predicted it would, it could only be this one time they get it right couldn't it! It has just started snowing lightly and our forecast is for up to 15cm overnight, everything looks set as it should be for the prediction to become reality!

Just great, fab, utterly typically marvelous, the one day in the whole winter we have to leave at the crack of dawn to drive the 400 miles to my parents!

One way and another actually getting to this little holiday seems to have been fraught with difficulties in and it looks like the next problem may well be on the very heavily clouded horizon!

Ppfftttt.

Saturday silliness

How typically 'cat'!

I really want need me.....

...one of THESE! ;o)

Tilly and the terrifying machine!

Un-domesticated as I am in culinary affairs it seems the bread machine (if you can call a bread machine 'culinary' in the first place) that loiters in the corner of the kitchen, has not been pressed into service for sometime but a sudden realisation that we were breadless meant it was forced to spring into action. Tilly has never encountered this terrifying device before and it's long period of inactivity has caused it to develop a rather hideous squeak into the bargain......madam was not impressed.

The 'new noise' required much tentative investigation, caused a deal of nervousness......

Tilly and the terrifying machine
Video sent by gemmak

and finally, when she found her courage it came under attack.....

Attack!
Video sent by gemmak

Apologies for the quality, my father might have been in the business all his life but a camera-man/woman I am not!