who deserves a very 'Happy birthday' and lots of birthday cake this year for many reasons, but particularly from my point of view, for always being there despite everything.
Have a really, really fab one girl! :o)
Monday, 21 July 2008
Happy birthday Lisa!
For Lisa, my best friend......
who deserves a very 'Happy birthday' and lots of birthday cake this year for many reasons, but particularly from my point of view, for always being there despite everything.
Have a really, really fab one girl! :o)
who deserves a very 'Happy birthday' and lots of birthday cake this year for many reasons, but particularly from my point of view, for always being there despite everything.
Have a really, really fab one girl! :o)
I just did it!
The running thing that is...and as proof of just how un-fit I have become, I have suffered ever since. No great surprise there!
I didn't run far I have to say, more proof of my sadly lacking fitness, but I did come home and add to my run a 30 minute pretty heavy duty workout, none of your 'Thursday evening in a village hall stuff', this was a scaled down version of the warm up I did a million and one times in the days of my gymnastic career. That probably wasn't my best move, and I suspect has more to do with my current degree of painful decrepitude than the run itself! On the positive side however I did discover I can still 'spilt' after all these years.
Jeez....I had almost forgotten where exactly my abs were located but right now, each time I laugh or cough or move almost at all, I am painfully reminded!
I gave it a rest over the weekend to let my long since knackered (thanks to the gymnastics in the first place) and hypermobile joints recover a little, and then it's back to it again today.
....and they say this is good for us?? ;o)
I didn't run far I have to say, more proof of my sadly lacking fitness, but I did come home and add to my run a 30 minute pretty heavy duty workout, none of your 'Thursday evening in a village hall stuff', this was a scaled down version of the warm up I did a million and one times in the days of my gymnastic career. That probably wasn't my best move, and I suspect has more to do with my current degree of painful decrepitude than the run itself! On the positive side however I did discover I can still 'spilt' after all these years.
Jeez....I had almost forgotten where exactly my abs were located but right now, each time I laugh or cough or move almost at all, I am painfully reminded!
I gave it a rest over the weekend to let my long since knackered (thanks to the gymnastics in the first place) and hypermobile joints recover a little, and then it's back to it again today.
....and they say this is good for us?? ;o)
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Does this page load slowly?
I seem to be getting reports that this page takes forever to load for some people since I 'went pink'..... and thus far I am at a loss to know why.
If it loads slowly for you I would appreciate a comment to say just how slowly and if this is a new phenomenon! A few clues as to your browser etc. might help too.
So far my guesses as to why I have gone slow don't seem to have fixed it but I'll keep trying.
If it loads slowly for you I would appreciate a comment to say just how slowly and if this is a new phenomenon! A few clues as to your browser etc. might help too.
So far my guesses as to why I have gone slow don't seem to have fixed it but I'll keep trying.
River dance drums
There are worse places to live than where this ensemble floats by your window on a Saturday morning and then disembarks to continue the cheerfulness on the quay! :o) Sound on.
Saturday, 19 July 2008
Saturday sojourn
At last...a weekend with absolutely nothing planned. Heaven! :o)
We can do exactly as we please for two whole days.... or do nothing at all.
Phones off, music, DVDs and books at the ready.
A chocolate filled weekend of shameless, lazy, indulgent debauchery is in order!
We can do exactly as we please for two whole days.... or do nothing at all.
Phones off, music, DVDs and books at the ready.
A chocolate filled weekend of shameless, lazy, indulgent debauchery is in order!
Friday, 18 July 2008
Just do it!
Sometimes I wonder at why I say some of the things I do....you know the kind of things, the ideas that sound good at the time they are uttered with enthusiasm but that you just know you will regret almost as soon as you hear the words leaving your mouth!
Over the last few months, as a result of my lack of gainful employment, I have turned slowly into something of a mouse potato, my general level of fitness and strength have diminished accordingly and I spend my nights frustrated, bored and sleepless because I'm never properly tired.
Don't misunderstand me, as a child and teenager I was a competitive gymnast and I was always extremely fit but once all that stopped, the umpteen years in a gym was enough for me to consider that exercise wasn't something I was about to do for fun any longer! Subsequently I mostly did physical jobs which maintained my strength (hey, how many 7.5 stone women do you know who can lift 40kg routinely all day long in the course of their work?) and I considered that was enough to prevent me turning into a sloth.....not for me the weekly work outs and all that Lycra malarkey!
But then came the mouse potato era of late and I stupidly mentioned to himself that perhaps I should 'do something' to keep myself a little fitter, the only other thing I had excelled at in my formative years was distance running and in one of those 'I'm feeling unusually positive' moments I very stupidly mentioned that perhaps I could start jogging. Mistake!
A while later mention was made of why I wasn't running yet? I needed a suitable excuse...and fast. One came in the form of a lack of running shoes and lack of money right now for spending on such luxuries. Money was put in my hand. Damnation! I duly attended the local shoe shops....nothing decent was to be found, least of all in a size 3. Phew! The whole shoe thing is a nightmare at the best of times with tiny feet and what's more, the whole running thing might have seemed like a good idea at the time but the status of mouse potato has it's attractions and the motivation to actually do anything about it, had long since disappeared.
I was safe, no shoes, no running! Wrong.
Two days later a courier knocked on the door with a parcel for me, inside of which was to be found a pristine pair of Nike running shoes...it seems himself had taken matters into his own hands having listened too long to my excuses and instead scoured the web for appropriate, decent quality, children's sized foot garb..... my by now increasingly vain efforts at avoidance were foiled yet again when they also fitted like a glove! Goddamn.
A final and desperate excuse for maintaining my mouse potato lifestyle also failed me dismally. The argument I presented, that my lovely new shoes were far too nice and white and cute to get muddy and yukky and nasty, was scorned and derided and met with mirth!
Any day now it would seem I am off pounding the pavements and river banks!
Please let it rain......what? you can run in rain??
Over the last few months, as a result of my lack of gainful employment, I have turned slowly into something of a mouse potato, my general level of fitness and strength have diminished accordingly and I spend my nights frustrated, bored and sleepless because I'm never properly tired.
Don't misunderstand me, as a child and teenager I was a competitive gymnast and I was always extremely fit but once all that stopped, the umpteen years in a gym was enough for me to consider that exercise wasn't something I was about to do for fun any longer! Subsequently I mostly did physical jobs which maintained my strength (hey, how many 7.5 stone women do you know who can lift 40kg routinely all day long in the course of their work?) and I considered that was enough to prevent me turning into a sloth.....not for me the weekly work outs and all that Lycra malarkey!
But then came the mouse potato era of late and I stupidly mentioned to himself that perhaps I should 'do something' to keep myself a little fitter, the only other thing I had excelled at in my formative years was distance running and in one of those 'I'm feeling unusually positive' moments I very stupidly mentioned that perhaps I could start jogging. Mistake!
A while later mention was made of why I wasn't running yet? I needed a suitable excuse...and fast. One came in the form of a lack of running shoes and lack of money right now for spending on such luxuries. Money was put in my hand. Damnation! I duly attended the local shoe shops....nothing decent was to be found, least of all in a size 3. Phew! The whole shoe thing is a nightmare at the best of times with tiny feet and what's more, the whole running thing might have seemed like a good idea at the time but the status of mouse potato has it's attractions and the motivation to actually do anything about it, had long since disappeared.
I was safe, no shoes, no running! Wrong.
Two days later a courier knocked on the door with a parcel for me, inside of which was to be found a pristine pair of Nike running shoes...it seems himself had taken matters into his own hands having listened too long to my excuses and instead scoured the web for appropriate, decent quality, children's sized foot garb..... my by now increasingly vain efforts at avoidance were foiled yet again when they also fitted like a glove! Goddamn.A final and desperate excuse for maintaining my mouse potato lifestyle also failed me dismally. The argument I presented, that my lovely new shoes were far too nice and white and cute to get muddy and yukky and nasty, was scorned and derided and met with mirth!
Any day now it would seem I am off pounding the pavements and river banks!
Please let it rain......what? you can run in rain??
Thursday, 17 July 2008
Don't you just hate it....
....when you manage, with a stunning degree of excellence, with prove yourself wrong!
Last night I decidedin my wisdom that in my efforts to give Hammy as much free space as possible to exercise, that not only would I allow her time in the hallway, that has been proven to have no hamster sized escape holes, but to expand her playground to include the kitchen.
I had checked it thoroughly for possible escape routes and had found only one, but having considered her increasing girth, upon further investigation I disregarded it as now way too small.
Fletch begged to differ and when I flounced out of the living room to the new and expanded play area with hammy in hand, it was to the sound of his voice ringing in my ears saying 'you'll be sorry'.
Ppfftt...does he think I'm stupid I thought as I gleefully placed one small critter on the floor.
You know of course what happened next don't you?!
Within seconds she had found the little hole under the cooker that I had deemed too small...It would appear I had seriously underestimated her ability to squish herself into a tiny place by 'playing flat'!!
Bugger! In an instant all I could see of her was her rear end, I made a grab for her....and then all I could see was one back foot! Oh no! Disaster!
This was not a time for pride! In a something less than calm manner I shrieked to Fletch that I needed help, I had images of my little hamster lost forever in the labyrinth that is this 140 year old, 8 story building, worse still a local cat might be significantly intrigued by this new variation on a mouse.
Fletch duly 'attended' to find me scrabbling around on the floor trying to find a way to coax out said lost critter in something of a panic. He poked at the little foot while I panicked some more, extracted a treat from the bag nearby, held it near to her and in just a few seconds she was out. It seems I had also underestimated the power of hamster treats!
He didn't actually utter the words 'I told you so' but there was the definite hint of a smirk on his face as he left me to put madam (complete with attached post adventure cobweb) firmly back in her cage with my tail between my legs!
Last night I decided
I had checked it thoroughly for possible escape routes and had found only one, but having considered her increasing girth, upon further investigation I disregarded it as now way too small.
Fletch begged to differ and when I flounced out of the living room to the new and expanded play area with hammy in hand, it was to the sound of his voice ringing in my ears saying 'you'll be sorry'.
Ppfftt...does he think I'm stupid I thought as I gleefully placed one small critter on the floor.
You know of course what happened next don't you?!
Within seconds she had found the little hole under the cooker that I had deemed too small...It would appear I had seriously underestimated her ability to squish herself into a tiny place by 'playing flat'!!
Bugger! In an instant all I could see of her was her rear end, I made a grab for her....and then all I could see was one back foot! Oh no! Disaster!
This was not a time for pride! In a something less than calm manner I shrieked to Fletch that I needed help, I had images of my little hamster lost forever in the labyrinth that is this 140 year old, 8 story building, worse still a local cat might be significantly intrigued by this new variation on a mouse.
Fletch duly 'attended' to find me scrabbling around on the floor trying to find a way to coax out said lost critter in something of a panic. He poked at the little foot while I panicked some more, extracted a treat from the bag nearby, held it near to her and in just a few seconds she was out. It seems I had also underestimated the power of hamster treats!
He didn't actually utter the words 'I told you so' but there was the definite hint of a smirk on his face as he left me to put madam (complete with attached post adventure cobweb) firmly back in her cage with my tail between my legs!
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
Simon Toefield's 'TV dinner'
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
Monday, 14 July 2008
Twenty happy things
Inspired by Lisa who is trying to start a trend! All you have to do is think of twenty happy things in your life...it's a good exercise in positivity!
In no particular order....
1. I slept straight through for the last three nights! This might not be too astounding but it's the first time in five months.
2. I have 'outlaws' who I would choose as friends. One of the few positive things about my marital/divorce history is that I got to ditch the bad ones along with the husbands!
3. The sound of swans taking off and landing on the river.
4. However much I still miss Tilly I know she is very happy where she is.
5. I think I am winning a personal battle with a long standing difficulty.
6. I love and am loved.
7. TP continues to do marvellously.
8. 'Hammy' is learning that I am not scary.
9. I don't own a house... I never thought that would be a good thing but in the current political/financial climate I consider it a very good thing!
10. Losing almost all of anything I ever owned has taught me just how unimportant 'things' actually are.
11. Being broke makes even the tiny treats such a pleasure.
12. I have two baby blue tits on my bird feeder :o)
13. The sun is shining.
14. The man I love is also the person I respect most in the world. Don't assume the two always go together!
15. I have a Costa within two minutes walking distance!
16. I can eat any amount of chocolate without putting on weight.
17. Living on a river bank is fab. (unless you try to get home insurance!)
18. I was gifted a beautiful seriously pink orchid at the weekend.
19. I have a roof over my head and food in my tummy.
20. I get cuddles every day.
I'm not going to tag anyone...if you wanna do it, do it.
In no particular order....
1. I slept straight through for the last three nights! This might not be too astounding but it's the first time in five months.
2. I have 'outlaws' who I would choose as friends. One of the few positive things about my marital/divorce history is that I got to ditch the bad ones along with the husbands!
3. The sound of swans taking off and landing on the river.
4. However much I still miss Tilly I know she is very happy where she is.
5. I think I am winning a personal battle with a long standing difficulty.
6. I love and am loved.
7. TP continues to do marvellously.
8. 'Hammy' is learning that I am not scary.
9. I don't own a house... I never thought that would be a good thing but in the current political/financial climate I consider it a very good thing!
10. Losing almost all of anything I ever owned has taught me just how unimportant 'things' actually are.
11. Being broke makes even the tiny treats such a pleasure.
12. I have two baby blue tits on my bird feeder :o)
13. The sun is shining.
14. The man I love is also the person I respect most in the world. Don't assume the two always go together!
15. I have a Costa within two minutes walking distance!
16. I can eat any amount of chocolate without putting on weight.
17. Living on a river bank is fab. (unless you try to get home insurance!)
18. I was gifted a beautiful seriously pink orchid at the weekend.
19. I have a roof over my head and food in my tummy.
20. I get cuddles every day.
I'm not going to tag anyone...if you wanna do it, do it.
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Joe Cocker...then and now!
This will send chills down your spine....well it did mine anyways! Amazing.
Saturday, 12 July 2008
Friday, 11 July 2008
Sun, sea and sleep?
I wish! .....the reality is probably rain, rough seas and re-boots!
We are off for the weekend again, I say 'again' because whilst I enjoy the current seemingly constant visiting of folk, the idea of a few weekends just doing damn all at home, is becoming more attractive as the weeks go by. This time our destination is to the south coast and the 'outlaws', who's computer has died a very significant death and requires some heavy duty resurrection. Consequently instead of suncream and surfboards our weekend's packing includes Fletch's ever ready 'geek box' of miscellaneous hardware items (which as sod's law dictates will contain everything but the one item we desperately need to get the machine up and running), software and the statutory tool kit!
Hey....the weather forecast is dismal anyways and the sleep, well I'm still having major sleep issues (i.e. I don't) but at least I can wander a different house in the wee small hours, as always, enjoy the company....and there is Sophie the cat! :o)
We are off for the weekend again, I say 'again' because whilst I enjoy the current seemingly constant visiting of folk, the idea of a few weekends just doing damn all at home, is becoming more attractive as the weeks go by. This time our destination is to the south coast and the 'outlaws', who's computer has died a very significant death and requires some heavy duty resurrection. Consequently instead of suncream and surfboards our weekend's packing includes Fletch's ever ready 'geek box' of miscellaneous hardware items (which as sod's law dictates will contain everything but the one item we desperately need to get the machine up and running), software and the statutory tool kit!
Hey....the weather forecast is dismal anyways and the sleep, well I'm still having major sleep issues (i.e. I don't) but at least I can wander a different house in the wee small hours, as always, enjoy the company....and there is Sophie the cat! :o)
Thursday, 10 July 2008
Mother needs police check to escort son!
A mother from Wales is required to have a CRB check before escorting her own severely epileptic son to school!!!
He is liable to have a seizure whilst travelling in the taxi provided by the local authority and his mother is qualified to administer the necessary medication, she would not come into contact with any other child than her own!
The full story is HERE.
Are the powers that be in the UK now completely demented?!! The more of this kind of idiocy I hear the more I begin to really dislike my own country. Are those holding positions of authority no longer able to make individual judgements because the nanny has state has rendered them completely witless and unable to rationalise anything at all?
Best I say no more for fear of a long line of expletives being the only likely result!
He is liable to have a seizure whilst travelling in the taxi provided by the local authority and his mother is qualified to administer the necessary medication, she would not come into contact with any other child than her own!
The full story is HERE.
Are the powers that be in the UK now completely demented?!! The more of this kind of idiocy I hear the more I begin to really dislike my own country. Are those holding positions of authority no longer able to make individual judgements because the nanny has state has rendered them completely witless and unable to rationalise anything at all?
Best I say no more for fear of a long line of expletives being the only likely result!
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