Sunday, 14 October 2007
Saturday, 13 October 2007
Ultimate madness?
Ok....so I was almost as interested in the location having recently ridden these roads on the Europe trip and that part being one of my most favourite, but all of that aside THIS is completely amazing!
Can I have a turn now please?
Can I have a turn now please?
Thursday, 11 October 2007
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Whaaaat????
This has to be one of the most ridiculous and unbelievable things I've heard in a long time:
My boss, lets call him 'Mr Financially Retentive' has surpassed himself in the stupidity stakes today. His business, the very same I drive the white van from hell for, is a sandwich delivery business and by definition that means we need sandwiches. These are not sourced from outside, we make them, all shapes and sizes from 6am for two hours, four of us, every day, prior to hitting the road. We use electric knives, cheap ones, Mr F.R. wouldn't dream of paying for the 'commercial use' version!
So we battle on with low power knives, designed only for domestic use.....and they break, with regular monotony. What does he expect?
This morning, in the space of half an hour two of the four died a sudden death, one of them was mine. I approached Mr F.R. wielding said dead knife (please, don't tempt me) and informed him of my plight, to which he rather confusingly replied (and I kid you not)........
......."it's your own bloody fault, you girls all use them for making sandwiches"!!!!!!
Uh, run that by me again????
I'm still speechless!
....and knife-less.
My boss, lets call him 'Mr Financially Retentive' has surpassed himself in the stupidity stakes today. His business, the very same I drive the white van from hell for, is a sandwich delivery business and by definition that means we need sandwiches. These are not sourced from outside, we make them, all shapes and sizes from 6am for two hours, four of us, every day, prior to hitting the road. We use electric knives, cheap ones, Mr F.R. wouldn't dream of paying for the 'commercial use' version!
So we battle on with low power knives, designed only for domestic use.....and they break, with regular monotony. What does he expect?
This morning, in the space of half an hour two of the four died a sudden death, one of them was mine. I approached Mr F.R. wielding said dead knife (please, don't tempt me) and informed him of my plight, to which he rather confusingly replied (and I kid you not)........
......."it's your own bloody fault, you girls all use them for making sandwiches"!!!!!!
Uh, run that by me again????
I'm still speechless!
....and knife-less.
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
I know it's a sin to covet!
Isn't it odd how a bad day can turn unexpectedly into a good one!
My day didn't start too well, I was tired, it was a dull morning and the rain was falling in stair rods from the word go. By mid morning on my sandwich run I was wet through to the skin, cold and fed up, my mind was full of one worry and another that I couldn't shift and I was thoroughly disgruntled.
And then two things happened out of the blue. Firstly someone bought me a present, a Jasper Conran handbag
I have long coveted,(yes I know it's a sin to covet but what the hell) I 'do' handbags, well with size 2-3 feet I can hardly do the standard shoe thing can I, children's shoes don't too often have the glamorous touch!
Secondly, on returning from the shops with my much prized gift clutched in hand I bumped into an old friend whom I haven't seen for over a year, and then only briefly. We managed a few minutes gossip before the risk of overstaying our parking tickets forced us to leave but it was good to see her again and we parted with a promise to make a date to catch up properly.
So....my soggy, miserable day was unexpectedly transformed and this evening my frowny face has turned to a smiley face.
Thank you guys, you know who you are :o)
My day didn't start too well, I was tired, it was a dull morning and the rain was falling in stair rods from the word go. By mid morning on my sandwich run I was wet through to the skin, cold and fed up, my mind was full of one worry and another that I couldn't shift and I was thoroughly disgruntled.
And then two things happened out of the blue. Firstly someone bought me a present, a Jasper Conran handbag
I have long coveted,(yes I know it's a sin to covet but what the hell) I 'do' handbags, well with size 2-3 feet I can hardly do the standard shoe thing can I, children's shoes don't too often have the glamorous touch!
Secondly, on returning from the shops with my much prized gift clutched in hand I bumped into an old friend whom I haven't seen for over a year, and then only briefly. We managed a few minutes gossip before the risk of overstaying our parking tickets forced us to leave but it was good to see her again and we parted with a promise to make a date to catch up properly.
So....my soggy, miserable day was unexpectedly transformed and this evening my frowny face has turned to a smiley face.
Thank you guys, you know who you are :o)
Monday, 8 October 2007
Unbelievable!
Do you ever get that odd feeling, the one that no matter how hard you try to imagine otherwise, something persists in feeling unbelievable, despite your knowing it happened?!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As a teenager I long harboured dreams of one day just packing a rucksack, taking myself off to Heathrow, buying the first ticket I could and heading off into the big wide world indefinitely. I never did of course, the closest I ever got was
dropping someone off for a flight or picking them up on their return but even that filled me with dreams and excitement and I would stand by the gate imagining what it must be like to actually go somewhere. I would look at those returning from far flung destinations and try to conjure up images of where they had been,it didn't really matter to me whether it was Ibiza or China or anywhere in between, just the mere fact that it was a possibility filled me with wonder.
But in over forty years I never went anywhere outside of England, save for one trip to France aged five. I'm not sure why really, a combination of factors I suppose, other priorities, lack of funds, lack of anyone to go with etc. etc. etc.
I had never even flown!
And then it all changed and in a little over a year not only have I have flown, I have sailed and I have visited ten countries....and still at times it remains completely unbelievable to me! Often I sit here with my laptop in front of me and just gaze in open mouthed amazement at photographs of the places I have visited and in an instant I am almost back among those sights, those people, those experiences, lost in the wonder of it all, the diversity of the geography, the geology, the climates the cultures, the sounds and the smells, it is everything I ever imagined , even standing in a queue at an airport still holds excitement for me!
I couldn't choose a favourite place, be it riding accross the Alps seeing real glaciers, eating pizza in Tuscany, standing on the Ponte Vecchio, walking through the beautiful city streets of Prague at night or lying in the Andalucian sun every moment was wonderful and no matter how hard I look at the pictures or how hard I try to imagine I still find it completely unbelievable that it was actually me that went to those places, that I was lucky enough, not only to visit one country but ten....sometimes it just seems all too amazing to be true! :o))
As a teenager I long harboured dreams of one day just packing a rucksack, taking myself off to Heathrow, buying the first ticket I could and heading off into the big wide world indefinitely. I never did of course, the closest I ever got was
dropping someone off for a flight or picking them up on their return but even that filled me with dreams and excitement and I would stand by the gate imagining what it must be like to actually go somewhere. I would look at those returning from far flung destinations and try to conjure up images of where they had been,it didn't really matter to me whether it was Ibiza or China or anywhere in between, just the mere fact that it was a possibility filled me with wonder.But in over forty years I never went anywhere outside of England, save for one trip to France aged five. I'm not sure why really, a combination of factors I suppose, other priorities, lack of funds, lack of anyone to go with etc. etc. etc.
I had never even flown!
And then it all changed and in a little over a year not only have I have flown, I have sailed and I have visited ten countries....and still at times it remains completely unbelievable to me! Often I sit here with my laptop in front of me and just gaze in open mouthed amazement at photographs of the places I have visited and in an instant I am almost back among those sights, those people, those experiences, lost in the wonder of it all, the diversity of the geography, the geology, the climates the cultures, the sounds and the smells, it is everything I ever imagined , even standing in a queue at an airport still holds excitement for me!
I couldn't choose a favourite place, be it riding accross the Alps seeing real glaciers, eating pizza in Tuscany, standing on the Ponte Vecchio, walking through the beautiful city streets of Prague at night or lying in the Andalucian sun every moment was wonderful and no matter how hard I look at the pictures or how hard I try to imagine I still find it completely unbelievable that it was actually me that went to those places, that I was lucky enough, not only to visit one country but ten....sometimes it just seems all too amazing to be true! :o))
Saturday, 6 October 2007
Shoplifting seagull!
This came to me in three emails yesterday from different corners of the world....I have no idea how true it is but the 'lottery' sign is definitely a UK thing and it's very funny! :o)
"A seagull in Scotland has developed the habit of stealing chips from a neighbourhood shop. The seagull waits until the shopkeeper isn't looking and then walks into the store and grabs a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos Once outside, the bag gets ripped open and shared by other birds!
The seagulls shoplifting started early this month when he first swooped into the store in Aberdeen, Scotland and helped himself to a bag of chips..Since then, he's become a regular. He always takes the same type of chips and customers have begun paying for the stolen bags because they think it's so funny".
"A seagull in Scotland has developed the habit of stealing chips from a neighbourhood shop. The seagull waits until the shopkeeper isn't looking and then walks into the store and grabs a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos Once outside, the bag gets ripped open and shared by other birds!
The seagulls shoplifting started early this month when he first swooped into the store in Aberdeen, Scotland and helped himself to a bag of chips..Since then, he's become a regular. He always takes the same type of chips and customers have begun paying for the stolen bags because they think it's so funny".
Friday, 5 October 2007
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
Untitled
Long awaited, sun-rays spill from darkened sky,
golden, fragile, the burnished hues of happiness,
reflecting, dancing, light of heart of hope.
Deafening, deadening cacophony, unheard,
transformed to gentle salving lullaby,
Tar black, blood red, a steely fluid rainbow,
Unleashed colours, bright and shadow free.
Raindrops tracking, diamond glistening trails,
A thousand faces, unseen, unseeing, unknown,
Of dreams of daydreams, of silent glowing,
A single song, a single soul, a single goal.
One world, renewed in faith, in life,
darkness drifting, lifting, light of mind,
A moment, a day, downy soft and silken touch,
White light, white noise, white mind.
golden, fragile, the burnished hues of happiness,
reflecting, dancing, light of heart of hope.
Deafening, deadening cacophony, unheard,
transformed to gentle salving lullaby,
Tar black, blood red, a steely fluid rainbow,
Unleashed colours, bright and shadow free.
Raindrops tracking, diamond glistening trails,
A thousand faces, unseen, unseeing, unknown,
Of dreams of daydreams, of silent glowing,
A single song, a single soul, a single goal.
One world, renewed in faith, in life,
darkness drifting, lifting, light of mind,
A moment, a day, downy soft and silken touch,
White light, white noise, white mind.
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Nice legs leg?
So, whilst Britney Spears has lost her custody battle for her children another more obscure custody battle has been raging elsewhere.....that of an amputated leg!
I kid you not!....read more here.
I kid you not!....read more here.
Sunday, 30 September 2007
The new drink driving
SMOKING!!!
Yes, it seems that smoking, whilst it has long been unpopular with do-gooders and the nanny state has, since it was banned completely in public places in the U.K.
become the latest trend with those that love to hate and smokers have become more than ever the butt of much more dislike and hatred. I am a smoker, I wish I wasn't but I am and I am sick to death (no pun intended) of being treated as though I have
no idea of the dangers to myself or others.
I am aware, probably more aware than the damned pious group of people who keep ramming it down my neck, I live with it, I know how my body feels! And maybe they assume that if despite that I keep on doing it then I must be stupid and in that they may have a point but when they have lived my life and when they are perfect they can judge me....please not before!
I am utterly in agreement that I shouldn't inflict my 'habit' or it's effects on others and I don't, I don't like that there is nowhere I can go in this country and relax with a smoke but I do accept that it is for the good of all and I do adhere to it, in fact I have adhered to it for years before the nanny state imposed it on me!
And now the final straw, another stick to beat we smokers with, another bandwagon to be jumped on with glee by the faultless masses The new Highway Code was published yesterday and in it smoking is now considered a possible reason for the police to have to stop me and issue me with a fine! So, even my own car is no longer a place I can smoke in peace and yes, I can see it as a distraction, particularly if I were to drop the offending item whilst driving but as I have only done that twice in almost 30 years of driving it seems a very small risk.
So two questions: Are those who fiddle with C.D's etc. also risking a ticket and are the police not already so overrun with work that they have time to deal with this too? It seems to me that to enforce this also our constabulary personnel are going to have to sprout multiple pairs of hands or be treated to much swollen ranks!
Finally a few possible ideas for those concerned with distractions whilst driving:
1. Chris Evans on the Radio... (Period, no if nor buts!)
2. Mothers attempting to change nappies/feed/ entertain their child whilst the vehicle is in motion.
3. Amusing Bumper stickers... (Laughing means your not concentrating!)
4. Cyclists using mobile phones? What's that all about then?
5. Kids waving in a friendly fashion out the rear window... (Stop aggravating me and pick on your parents, its their fault!)
6. Women drivers that have their seat set at the point furthest forward and their chin resting on the top of the steering wheel... (Why??? didn't you try sitting in the car before you bought it?)
7. Attractive women/men (according to your preference)......Obviously! No Day Dreaming while driving please!
8. Unattractive middle aged women/men driving flash rag tops... (They build your excitement up as you approach, then just disappoint...)
9. Highways Agency drivers who like to think they're real cops...
10. People that suddenly reduce their speed by 10mph less than the limit when approaching a speed camera... (WHY!!!!!!!)
Sorry, I don't really wish to be facetious but jeez.....leave us smokers a little peace and go hassle someone who can fight back. I know I'm weak, I smoke, I can't thus far give up but I am not an Al-Quaeda bomber, I am not running around a school with an AK47 and I am not an utterly bad person. Hell fire, if I were addicted to heroin I'd be on the receiving end of a little understanding so go check out the medical and physiological details of addiction to nicotine then get back to us heinous smokers.
Angry, p*ssed off....who me? Sorry guys but I'm gonna keep smoking in my car, the need for nicotine, particularly on a long journey, would be way more of a distraction to me than the act of smoking and just for once I'm going to dig my heels in so beat me if you wish, give me a ticket....I'm sure I'll go straight to hell!
*Cough*
Yes, it seems that smoking, whilst it has long been unpopular with do-gooders and the nanny state has, since it was banned completely in public places in the U.K.
become the latest trend with those that love to hate and smokers have become more than ever the butt of much more dislike and hatred. I am a smoker, I wish I wasn't but I am and I am sick to death (no pun intended) of being treated as though I have
no idea of the dangers to myself or others.
I am aware, probably more aware than the damned pious group of people who keep ramming it down my neck, I live with it, I know how my body feels! And maybe they assume that if despite that I keep on doing it then I must be stupid and in that they may have a point but when they have lived my life and when they are perfect they can judge me....please not before!
I am utterly in agreement that I shouldn't inflict my 'habit' or it's effects on others and I don't, I don't like that there is nowhere I can go in this country and relax with a smoke but I do accept that it is for the good of all and I do adhere to it, in fact I have adhered to it for years before the nanny state imposed it on me!
And now the final straw, another stick to beat we smokers with, another bandwagon to be jumped on with glee by the faultless masses The new Highway Code was published yesterday and in it smoking is now considered a possible reason for the police to have to stop me and issue me with a fine! So, even my own car is no longer a place I can smoke in peace and yes, I can see it as a distraction, particularly if I were to drop the offending item whilst driving but as I have only done that twice in almost 30 years of driving it seems a very small risk.
So two questions: Are those who fiddle with C.D's etc. also risking a ticket and are the police not already so overrun with work that they have time to deal with this too? It seems to me that to enforce this also our constabulary personnel are going to have to sprout multiple pairs of hands or be treated to much swollen ranks!
Finally a few possible ideas for those concerned with distractions whilst driving:
1. Chris Evans on the Radio... (Period, no if nor buts!)
2. Mothers attempting to change nappies/feed/ entertain their child whilst the vehicle is in motion.
3. Amusing Bumper stickers... (Laughing means your not concentrating!)
4. Cyclists using mobile phones? What's that all about then?
5. Kids waving in a friendly fashion out the rear window... (Stop aggravating me and pick on your parents, its their fault!)
6. Women drivers that have their seat set at the point furthest forward and their chin resting on the top of the steering wheel... (Why??? didn't you try sitting in the car before you bought it?)
7. Attractive women/men (according to your preference)......Obviously! No Day Dreaming while driving please!
8. Unattractive middle aged women/men driving flash rag tops... (They build your excitement up as you approach, then just disappoint...)
9. Highways Agency drivers who like to think they're real cops...
10. People that suddenly reduce their speed by 10mph less than the limit when approaching a speed camera... (WHY!!!!!!!)
Sorry, I don't really wish to be facetious but jeez.....leave us smokers a little peace and go hassle someone who can fight back. I know I'm weak, I smoke, I can't thus far give up but I am not an Al-Quaeda bomber, I am not running around a school with an AK47 and I am not an utterly bad person. Hell fire, if I were addicted to heroin I'd be on the receiving end of a little understanding so go check out the medical and physiological details of addiction to nicotine then get back to us heinous smokers.
Angry, p*ssed off....who me? Sorry guys but I'm gonna keep smoking in my car, the need for nicotine, particularly on a long journey, would be way more of a distraction to me than the act of smoking and just for once I'm going to dig my heels in so beat me if you wish, give me a ticket....I'm sure I'll go straight to hell!
*Cough*
Saturday, 29 September 2007
Arm-less!
I can type! Yipeeee! At last!
Heaven knows what I did to myself last week but from Monday I have functioned (well kinda) with one arm, the other was all but useless and my shoulder was about as painful as anything I have experienced thus far in my life....no, correction, the most painful thing I have ever experienced! :o(
My right shoulder just wouldn't do it's stuff and no amount of painkillers rendered it tolerable even if I kept it completely immobile. After two nights with no sleep I headed for the quacks where a more powerful remedy was prescribed along with 'plenty of hot baths' .....apparently no one told her we currently still have no bathroom whilst a new one is in the process of being installed.
Time off work was not an option, my employer was having none of it and was forthcoming with even less sympathy so for three days I drove one handed, very slowly and without a seat belt (I couldn't reach it), any movement of any part of my body rendered my shoulder horribly hurting, and I hoped for the best, my theory being that having never driven belt-less or arm-less before, surely even at this, my less than lucky stage of life, I wouldn't get nicked or have an accident. For once the God's smiled on me!
Finally on Thursday morning in the wee small hours I moved my shoulder a tiny bit in error, an horrendous crack was heard, excruciating pain shot through it and it seemed to slot back into place.......and it was mended! Ok, it's still painful but every day it's getting less so and at least I can function now. Just a few more days at this rate and hopefully things will be back to normal.
I always considered I was pretty good at coping with physical pain but either I have been luck enough previously never to have been faced with it....or I was wrong and I'm no good at it at all! ;o)
Heaven knows what I did to myself last week but from Monday I have functioned (well kinda) with one arm, the other was all but useless and my shoulder was about as painful as anything I have experienced thus far in my life....no, correction, the most painful thing I have ever experienced! :o(
My right shoulder just wouldn't do it's stuff and no amount of painkillers rendered it tolerable even if I kept it completely immobile. After two nights with no sleep I headed for the quacks where a more powerful remedy was prescribed along with 'plenty of hot baths' .....apparently no one told her we currently still have no bathroom whilst a new one is in the process of being installed.
Time off work was not an option, my employer was having none of it and was forthcoming with even less sympathy so for three days I drove one handed, very slowly and without a seat belt (I couldn't reach it), any movement of any part of my body rendered my shoulder horribly hurting, and I hoped for the best, my theory being that having never driven belt-less or arm-less before, surely even at this, my less than lucky stage of life, I wouldn't get nicked or have an accident. For once the God's smiled on me!
Finally on Thursday morning in the wee small hours I moved my shoulder a tiny bit in error, an horrendous crack was heard, excruciating pain shot through it and it seemed to slot back into place.......and it was mended! Ok, it's still painful but every day it's getting less so and at least I can function now. Just a few more days at this rate and hopefully things will be back to normal.
I always considered I was pretty good at coping with physical pain but either I have been luck enough previously never to have been faced with it....or I was wrong and I'm no good at it at all! ;o)
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
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