Back in the 'Saddle'

After a good few years of 'temperance' this weekend has involved quite a treat for me. On top of all the recent divine happenings in my life, today has seen my return to the adrenalin fuelled exhilaration that is motorcycling....

Gemmak is back in the Saddle !!!!


This morning, after hooking up with Fletch I went for a 'Spin' on his Africa Twin (Eloisa), riding pillion of course (my feet were eight inches off the ground!).

The weather may have been wet and windy and I may not have been on two wheels for many years, but it was fab and as the saying goes 'It's just like riding a bike'... you never forget how or the buzz riding gives you, once a biker, always a biker... :o)

Maybe there is a God after all!

I can't belive it, this moring in the space of ten minutes I feel as though my life has turned around completely and it's a long long time since I felt so happy.

The reasons?

When the official receiver decided to sieze my car I appealed against the decision, filled in the paperwork, provided letters from professionals in support of my case and crossed my fingers....I just heard that the decision has been reversed, I get to keep my car!!!

Five minutes later the phone rang, it was the lady who was to become Tilly's step mum.......she has changed her mind on the grounds that her current cat is very nervous and would be likely too fazed by an 'interloper'....so whilst I still have to find her a new home, for now we get to stay happily together at least for a little while longer!!!!

Yaaaayyyyyyyy :o))))

It's been a long time since I danced around the room like a fool, full of glee or shed a happy tear, I feel like I've just had the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders, I had no idea until now just how miserable I had been feeling and for however long it lasts it's fab!

Yipeeeeeeeeee, yayyyyyyyyyy, hurahhhhhhhh!!!!! :o))))

Something for the weekend

I have a feeling that in my 'dotage' I may have blogged this before, my memory fails me....but it's worthy of a second showing in any case! heh.

Oh how we cat parents know just how much this sums up 'cattitude'. :o)

Loser!

So guys, that little amusement behind us and it's onto the weekend, we made it to another friday at last and the weekend bekons, this one holds promise, hey weekends are always good..... I'm gone, have yourselves a fab one. :o)

A happy day

It's been kind of an odd day today, all bits and pieces, a little stressful but a happy day and happy days are something one can never have too many of. Maybe, just maybe this is the start of a change of fortune in gemmak's-ville.... but I won't start counting my chickens just yet!

So what made my day a happy one?

Firstly, massive 'CONGRATULATIONS' to a friend who today 'made the grade' in style, and with determination achieved an important goal. Hey...very well done you, you know who you are.

Secondly, Poppy cat would have been 18 years old today ....happy memories of a happy cat.

Thirdly, there has been a small hiccup in the business of Tilly's rehoming (more another day perhaps but don't get too excited, she still has to go) which means I get to keep her for another 10 days. :o) I'm not sure that having geared myself up and stressed myself out so severely for her departure tomorrow, that I want to go all through it again but in the immediacy, if 10 days is all I can get then for now it's a bonus and I'll take it thankyouverymuch!

...and finally, my day began at approx. 5am (thankyou not Tilly), by reading this post which raised my spirits immediately and which if you can spare a few moments to read is well worth the time :o)

Fat cat!

Tilly has become something of a handful of late now and again, it's inherent in her colouring, tortoiseshell and white cats are renowned for being feisty and 'madam' is no exception.

This has manifested itself in her apparent enjoyment at taking more than the odd 'swipe' in the direction of any passing individual, usually my mother, the result being a too frequent drawing of blood! Now whilst my mother is a patient woman this 'amusing Tilly activity' has worn a little thin and so under advice from the vet we decided to clip the very end off her claws. I have done this many times before to Gemma and Poppy, both of whom were furniture destroyers, I foresaw no problem, indeed Tilly had it done a few times in her early days when she became a little over zealous with Ditto.


Things were not to work out as I had planned, Tilly was having none of it and despite the best attempts at everything from kind, gentle words of encouragement to the more necessary arm and hand protection for both myself in the 'trimming' position and my father in 'holding' position, the only result was one angry cat and more blood drawn!

And so...this evening I ventured to the vets to have the job done professionally, having warned the attending physician in advance of Tilly's somewhat lively temperament....you know what happened of course, not a sound did she utter, not one attempt at an escape from the clutches of the vet, no howling, no spitting, the picture of perfect cat sat there on the table as good as gold and had all twenty toes attended too without so much as a murmur in no more than an instant!!

Never work with children or animals eh?

However, things were not to go without a very minor hitch for her. Whilst she was there the vet decided to give her a 'once over' and declared, having completed the poking and prodding procedures (to a still remarkably well behaved Tilly)....that she is too fat and needs to begin some pussy weight watching activities!!

Thus it was that home we went, having been issued with a special bag of diet feline food and with our tails ever so slightly between our legs.......there is going to be one fat small cat more than a little disgruntled at tea time, when her favourite menu, in it's usual portion size, fails to appear!

Brighton ~ A day of escape

So Friday the 13th promised to run to form when my previously mentioned two hour journey became extended to almost four, this time not courtesy, as usual, of the M25 but of my brakes choosing to present with a problem I thought had been rectified many months back. Brake calipers just aren't intended to remain in the 'on' position permanently, mine have a habit of doing so on occasion though, requiring frequent 'cooling down' stops and hence the extended journey time!

Oh, and on the subject of the 13th, I had a rather scary peculiar 'run in' with a very odd guy in a cafe en route but I won't go into that, suffice to say I think 'care in the community' is probably an appropriate phrase here...why do they always pick me to hit on??

But I digress, it is Saturday that is of note. Saturday it was decided on impulse would be a day out to Brighton,

a place that I have long had an affection for. A town of eclectic and diverse experiences, a place always it seems of relaxation, of escaping, of feeling at one with life.

This town on the south coast has everything, the vibrance of London, beautiful regency architecture, a very cosmopolitan ambiance, a place where one is allowed to be oneself, whatever

that may be and enjoy anything from the grand sight of the Royal Pavillion, to a stroll on the traditional and twinkling light festooned pier with it's constant ringing of fruit machines and music, to a relaxing meander around 'The lanes' with their heady mix of alternative retail, equally alternative inhabitants and on an unusually warm October Saturday, a pavement cafe culture one could happily lose a whole day immersed in.

Lunch was Yaki Soba (That's Japanese fried noodles to you and me)at E-Kagen, dinner at a 60's American diner and the interim time spent just wandering and drinking good coffee, enjoying the atmosphere and reveling in a day of utter escapism.

Oh and for added interest I found the perfect job, 'fudge maker'
(I'm sure there must be a technical term but I'm damned if I know it)


at Roly's fudge, yes, this guy really spends all day making this stuff....and I ran (not literally) into Zoe Ball for those who like to spot the not so famous!

A fabulous day, one I will remember for a long, long time to come, the trials and tribulations of my day to day life seemed a million miles away..... and should I win the lottery, Brighton would have to be about number one on my list of places I would like to live in the UK.

What is it....

....about cats and boxes?!



(Clickable)

Doing the rounds.....

'Borrowed' from Justitia....I won't tag anyone, just steal it if you wanna.

ARE YOU:
1. A Cuddler? Yes
2. A morning person? NO!
3. Are you a perfectionist? YES :(
4. An only child? No, I have two younger siblings.
5. Catholic: No
6. In your pajamas? I don't own any pyjamas.
7. Currently suffering from a broken heart? Nope.
8. Okay styling other people's hair? Not something I indulge in often enough to know.
9. Left handed? Yes.
10. Addicted to MySpace? WTF is Myspace?
11. Shy around the opposite gender? No.
12. Loud? Yes.

DO YOU:
12. Bite your nails? Nooooo!
13. Get paranoid at times? Ummm I wouldn't call it paranoid, more insecure!
14. Currently regret something that you have said/done? No regrets.
15. Curse frequently when you get mad? Yes, a bad habit.
16. Enjoy country music? Nooooo.
17. Enjoy jazz music? Kinda, wouldn't be my first choice though.
18. Enjoy smoothies? No...don't they involve fruit or some other healthy ingredient?? :o/
19. Enjoy talking on the phone? Yes :o)
20. Have a lot to learn? An enormous amount.
21. Have a pet? Don't go there :o(
22. Have a tendency to fall for the "wrong" person? No comment!
23. Have all your grandparents died? Yes.
24. Have at least one sibling? Yes.
25. Have been told that you are smart? Yes. I think they were clinically delusional though.
26. Have had a broken bone? No....famous last words!
27. Have Caller I.D. on your phone? Yes.

HAVE YOU:
28. Changed a diaper? Um....once or twice.
29. Changed a lot over the past year? Yup!
30. Had friends who have never seen your natural hair color? Yes...but my hair is it's natural colour...it just has the grey bits covered up! ;o)
31. Had surgery? Yes.
32. Killed anyone? No.
33. Had your haircut within the last week? Yes.

LAST PERSON WHO:
1. Slept in the bed beside you? My pussy :o)
2. Saw you cry? Ummmm.....
3. Went to the movies with you? My mum.
4. You went to the mall with? I go on my own.
5. You went to dinner with? Ummmm.....
6. You talked to on the phone? My ex-bank!
7. Said 'I love you' to you and meant it? I only say it when I mean it.
8. Broke your heart? Ok....best I don't answer this one.
9. Made you laugh? Tilly

WOULD YOU RATHER?
1. Pierce your nose or tongue? Neither but if I had too then my nose....like I'de have to!?
2. Be serious or be funny? Funny.
3. Drink whole or skim milk? Skim.
4. Die in a fire or drown? FFS...nice question (not)....Fire I suppose though un-surprisingly neither would be my preference!!!
5. Spend time with your parents or enemies? Parents.

ABOUT YOU!
1. What time is it? 23.46
2 Name? Lol...'gemmak'
3. Nickname(s)? Don't have any.
4. Where were you born? Near London.
5. What is your birthdate? April 61 (shurrup Fletch) ;o)
6 What do you want? Love, contentment and chocolate.
7. Where do you want to live? Anywhere..... with the right person.
8. How many kids do you want? Pass...bit late for all that malarky now!

I'm not superstitious but.....

..... it is Friday the 13th


and lets face it good luck hasn't been high on my list of events lately, a degree of paranoia is threatening somewhere in the back of my small mind and I am fighting a strong urge to hide away in my bed until midnight! That said I was woken way too early by one small cat shredding the bedroom carpet and to find that something appears to have twisted my neck overnight into an unacceptable position rendering it painfully inactive...... so perhaps the bedroom is best avoided.

On my agenda this 13th is the submission of my appeal to the courts in an effort to save my car and a relatively long drive (while I still have a car to drive at all) involving the much and rightly maligned M25, where on a good day my projected two hour journey more frequently expands to over four hours....hey,what could possibly go wrong? ;o)

But on the positive side, any Friday has to be good, it has to be better than the Monday to Thursday stuff, it's Friday, Friday's are sacrosanct, Fridays hold the promise of the weekend and weekends are good.

Really, I'm not superstitious!

Coronation Street still exists!

My parents are away in the Midlands this week taking care of my sister who underwent surgery on Monday and as a consequence Tilly and I have this whole house to ourselves.

Three floors of freedom to do as we wish, no one else to consider, no creeping up and down stairs in the wee small hours trying to miss the floor board that always creaks outside my slumbering parents bedroom door, eat when we like and what we like, sit on the computer unendingly and generally 'revert to type'.

Don't get me wrong living with my parents has it's benefits and it's kinda lonely and quiet by ourselves but a few days of 'living my way' is also a nice change.

The strangest thing is this: When everyone is here in situ I never watch television, I mean never and yet each evening since I have been here alone, when the hands of the clock hit 7.30 I seem to automatically gravitate to the television to watch Coronation Street....and then stay glued to the infernal machine for the rest of the evening, books and computer abandoned in favour of staring transfixed by the moving wallpaper in a state of apparently minimal consciousness!

I can't say I haven't enjoyed this lazy pursuit, it is kind of relaxing and how I lived (ok, apparently very easily) without knowing the most recent traumas in Corrie for so many months is a mystery but what on earth is it about television that
turns one back into that strange state of lobotomised idiocy in an instant?!

Oh, and apparently Nigella was doing her stuff on a different
channel last night, I do hope you guys didn't miss that treat! ;o)

.........ok, I must employ a little self discipline this evening and discover where I left my book!

Happy oblivion

'Someone' is happily oblivious of her impending change of circumstance and the furore and trauma surrounding it.

Oh to be a cat!




(Clickable)

Friday the 13th came early....

......the official receiver just took my car off me! :o(

Well in actual fact it hasn't been removed yet but it will be.

I was grilled by a hard faced bitch civil servant for well over an hour and having satisfird herself that I own nothing else she decreed the car will be siezed......unless of course, and if there is anything remotely sadistic amusing about this it is this....I buy it back off them at a price decided by their valuers!!

Yup, I can buy my own car back with money I don't have.

If I could afford a car would I have rendered myself bankrupt I wonder?

F*ck!

Oh bugger and damn!

It has just been pointed out to me that this Friday is a Friday the 13th!!!

On past form I DO NOT need a Friday the 13th right now!

Anyone got any effective avoidance techniques? ;o)

A 'Monday' kinda Monday

Monday's are never good but I'm having 'one of those days', a very 'Monday' kinda Monday, call it pathetic, call it feeling sorry for myself call it what you will but it's not one of my better days, in fact it's pretty crap. It's one of those days when you just want to hide away somewhere quietly until the black cloud lifts a little, when you wish wishes really came true and when a cuddle would be good.

The reality is that tomorrow I have my interview with the official receiver, the 'day of judgment' when I will learn if I am to lose my car and it's getting way too close now to the day of Tilly's departure to her new home. If ever there was a wish I wanted to come true it was the 'save Tilly' wish but it seems it's not going to happen, we have less than a fortnight left together now and it just seems to be getting harder.

On the up side there has been one small light on today's grim horizon....I managed to open a new bank account despite my recent bankruptcy. Yup, Barclays Bank were prepared to take the risk. It's not much of a risk I grant you, the only account I am allowed as an undischarged bankrupt is very limited but it does mean I can at least get paid a salary (when I earn one) and pay my bills via direct debit, the lack of a direct debit facility in my life was beginning to cause me real problems so at least it's one less thing to worry about.

So, yayyy for Barclays ( I never thought I would say that about a bank) for giving me something of a second chance, it may be a very small step but in my recent financial life it's about the most positive thing that's happened in a long long time. For a few minutes this morning when the application was granted I almost felt 'normal', it made such a nice change to have something work out right among the melee that is my current situation.

Oh....and I had another small 'hairdressers incident' today, I might go into that another time but for now I'de rather ignore it, today probably wasn't a good day to choose to have my hair cut!