The perfect home!

Forget ocean views, spa rooms, swimming pools and bijou loft conversions this is the perfect home! It's in Japan, it's beautiful, it's completely feline friendly and I want it!

I would of course need a cat or three to put in it......

More HERE.

I've been tagged...

...by The Pink Jellybaby

Here are the Rules:
1. Link to the person that tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Let your tagger know when your entry is up

Ok...here we go, my six bits of info you just can't live without knowing! ;o)

1. I am obsessed with handbags.

2. I don't much like wearing clothes.....if God (ok, so I'm atheist but you know where I'm coming from on this) had intended us to wear clothes he would have made them fit!

3. I love any medical TV programme, the more detailed the better, strange considering I hate the sight of blood in real life.

4. I have to use a 10x magnification mirror to pluck my eyebrows these days! :o/

5. I have one big secret! Nope, I'm not gonna tell you.

6. I'm short enough that I can lay completely flat in the bath....and float!

And the six um, lucky people I am going to tag are:

Lisa
Daffy
Trac
Mr Nighttime
Daisy the curly cat
Tash

Joe Plumber and Jane Doe

I will confess before I even begin this post that I know almost nothing about American politics, or at least I know little enough that I couldn't begin to defend what I am about to say with any degree of real knowledge, hell I struggle with the minutiae of my own countries governmental carrying's-on let alone that of another but, as I haven't been able to turn on the news or open a paper without coming face to face with Obama or McCain for months, I feel I have some small entitlement to have an opinion, albeit poorly formed in the eyes of anyone politically savvy.

So, feel free to shoot me down in flames but know that I can't argue back with any alacrity, I am not 'Joe Plumber' (incidentally check out this amusing little faux pas) but I am Jane Doe and as such my limited knowledge is probably not unusual, there are alot of Jane Does out there, most of them have a vote (you might argue they shouldn't but they do) and as a consequence they will vote on issues probably not up there at the top of the political pundits' lists.

My vote if I had one, Obama, no contest! My reasons? The man is charismatic, bright and extremely clever, he is forward thinking, appears to live on the same planet as the rest of us, he is on the opposite side to the current administration, which for me can only to be a good thing, if for no other reason than the Iraq debacle, he hasn't bought in an Alaskan bimbo with a twitch in her at eye to try and inject some interest into his campaign at the last moment and he is black.....and it is long overdue that a western power had a black president!

So...my opinion, as is evident, might not be based in heavy duty politics but it is an opinion and probably many with a vote know little more than I do and will place their cross on the basis of a only few, perhaps emotionally motivated points.

If in November Barack Obama becomes the first black president of the United States I for one will be cheering loudly at the outcome of the first American presidential race that has held any interest for me whatsoever and I will be hoping that just maybe, whilst it doesn't go the whole way, it is a step in the right direction and that even Dr Martin Luther King might just be raising a small smile!

I can haz pissed off?

Cats and swimming....hmmmm!

Some Friday fun

Firstly...

The Mandelboat virus from BOFH at The Reg. :o)

and secondly....


An ISP that doesn’t require Internet access? Ummm.... :o)

In memory of Adrian

Today at two o'clock Adrian Sudbury's memorial service will take place in Sheffield Cathedral.

Adrian, a journalist with the Huddersfield Examiner, died in August aged only twenty seven, having fought a long battle with not one, but two types of leukemia. It was a battle that it appeared he was winning, but sadly, ultimately it was not to be and he spent his last three months not only coping with his illness but also working tirelessly to promote a better understanding of bone marrow donation, a campaign that ultimately saw him rubbing shoulders with the Prime Minister and succeeding in inflating the numbers of registered bone marrow donors very significantly.

This was a man who made a real difference, who's courage and fortitude in the face of such personal adversity inspired people around the world and a man who leaves behind him a legacy that whilst he knew his own couldn't be saved, will ultimately save the lives of many others.

My thoughts are with his parents Kay and Keith, his sister Carrie, his family and friends and all those who loved him and will be in Sheffield today to celebrate the life of this very special man. It had been my intention to be there with them but unfortunately it was not to be, though I will be very much there in spirit, I will be represented in a small way and I will be watching the service online, which the BBC is to broadcast live.

Adrian Sudbury; a true modern day hero. May he rest in peace and eat Haribos forever.......

Bugs and begging

I'm having one of those days and it's hardly begun! Winter it seems is on it's way, it's dismal and damp and the weather forecast shows 'promise' of temperatures plummeting somewhere way tooooo close to zero as the weekend approaches.

I just don't seem to be able to get my head together today, I'm drifting around like a lost soul, gazing into nowhere and harbouring the beginnings of the autumn lurgy. This little 'bug with boots on' is courtesy of himself, who has deemed it necessary to share his man flu with me, thankyouverymuch! I don't even have the prospect of being able to whinge about it, for he, in a most unlike 'man with man flu way', has been the personification of stoicism and barely murmured a word of complaint among his coughing and spluttering! Are you impressed? ;o)

Ah, but there is always an up side and my upside this gloomy morning is that 'gemmak designs' has it's first two customers already!! Ok....two hundred would be nice but two and a few enquiries isn't a bad start for day one.

Which brings me to a small bit of begging request....if any of you out there feel kind enough to carry my ever-so discreet and neat little advertising button in your sidebar somewhere I would be most appreciative and love you forever!

I even made it easy for you, all you need to do is copy and paste the code below wherever you want it, I'll even do it for you should you wish me too..... and if you put it in this week and let me know, I'll give you 10% off should you become a customer anytime in the next three months.

It's just over there -------> near the top of my sidebar (minus the scrolling bit) if you want to know what it will look like.....and I thank you in anticipation.

<center><a href="http://gemmakdesigns.blogspot.com"><img src="http://www.gemmak.co.uk/gemmakdesign/stealbutton.jpg" /></a><br /><b style="color:black;background-color:#a0ffff"><p>Steal this button <a href="http://gemmakdesigns.blogspot.com/2008/10/steal-my-button.html">HERE!</b></a></center>

Quote of the day

Quote of the day (from a City Trader):

"This is worse than a divorce. I've lost half my net worth and I still have a wife."

From the BBC site.

gemmak designs is back!

'gemmak designs' is back in business!

After a period of closure due to unforseen circumstances gemmak designs is today re-opening it's virtual doors for business.

The principle is simple, if you fancy a blog makeover all of your own, without any of the hassle and hair tearing, I'll do it for you....for a small fee of course! I will plan and build a personalised design specifically for you, that I guarantee not to repeat, so you can have your very own blog identity!

You can have as little or as much input along the way as you would like, be it wild and wacky, elegant and understated or whatever you feel reflects you, colours, layout, images or text are all variable and I will do all the fiddly bits and installation required to get it up and running for you in double quick time.

Prices start at an introductory offer of just £30 and the first two requests for a full redesign will get an extra £10 reduction.

For full pricing details and the few rules I have to adhere to so I can maintain my low prices please click HERE.

The sidebar details how the service works but if you have any questions I haven't covered please feel free to ask me by clicking HERE or on the link in the sidebar.

I look forward to making your blog dreams come true!

Summers end

The view....

...from the other side of the pond and just down the road!

Here and here and here.....and more to come :o)

Carrots and sticks and stuff

Today feels kind of weird, I feel slightly lost in an odd way. I'll try to explain.

I have been very lucky the last few months, among the usual day to day crap, life has been pretty good and since the early part of the summer I have had much to look forward to, firstly there was the holiday and the wedding and then the highlight of Lisa's visit to the UK.

And all those things were fantastic and everything I had hoped for and looked forward too but now they are over...and thereby hangs the wierd-ness.

'He who thinks he knows everything' has a philosophy that we live life by the 'carrot principle'...that is, we deal with the day to day mundaneties by having things to look forward to, it's the carrots on sticks just up ahead of us that help keep us focused and positive in the duller moments....the trouble is I have eaten all my bloody carrots, scoffed them down with fervor and enjoyed every last bite but I am consequently now very carrot-less and after such a good few months I feel a little lost and with nothing to focus on.

I don't mean to sound spoilt or ungrateful, I am not, I am very grateful and thankful for the times I have enjoyed over the summer, they have been some of the absolute best but contrarily, because these particular carrots were such big ones, the sudden realisation that they are gone is unsettling and I find my mind scratching around trying to look for something new to look forward too, just one of those small pre-packed carrot 'baton' things would suffice for now, I don't need the big ones, little ones are just fine... but there seems to be a distinct shortage!

I'm sure in a day or two I will re-adjust my expectations somewhat and cheer up, life can't all be about the amazing stuff I know, but I have some pretty tough realities to address over the next few months and I do need a new carrot dangling tantalisingly on a stick somewhere ahead of me....best I set about looking harder I think! :o)

"Don't mention the 'F' Word"

Lisa, Ian and I managed to meet up again yesterday for an afternoon of chattering, laughter and a quick trip to the local Costa to indulge in various delights. Unfortunately Fletch had to be at work, though he did manage to escape the clutches of the office a little earlier than usual and make it home for a short while before they had to leave.

"Don't mention the 'F' word" became the phrase of the day among the hilarity and gossiping, not for any sudden (and ok, unlikely) wish to adhere to the obscenity laws but because the day was tinged with a sadness we were trying to ignore, that it was Lisa's last in the UK and we were doing our very best to make the most of it and not mention her fl***t home today....see, not the 'F' word you were expecting was it, you have such a low opinion of me! ;o)

We had a lovely afternoon together but the time just whizzed by and all too soon it was time for them to leave..... and I will admit, that among all the hugs and promises of finding a way to get together again as soon as possible, my previously strong resolve not to shed a tear, deserted me completely. Ack!

So, the week we had all looked forward to so much and for so long is over and it passed by in an absolute flash, I can hardly believe that this time last week I was sitting tracking her inbound fl***t, it seems like only hours ago but it was one of the very best and special times and full of very special memories....those are the things we are going to try to concentrate on today (aren't we Lisa?!) instead of feeling sad..... and the plotting and planning to get her back again soon has already begun!

Don't anyone mention the 'F' word!

*Sniffle*

Hellish hamsters!

Since the advent of Hammy in my life one thing has become very apparent, contrary to popular belief these little creatures are not always easy, cute and fluffy they might be but cuddly they are not, or at least in some cases.

Any information will tell you they aren't always easy to handle, they have a penchant for grumpy-ness, are very fast, adept at making good their escape and maintaining their liberty and most significantly of all have a set of teeth from hell....which they are way too fond of utilising!

I had never had a hamster before, as a child I had guinea pigs and mice, both of which by comparison are a push over. When I was told that hamsters should be chosen with a view to being treated as fish i.e. for looking at not cuddling, I was sceptical....how can something so small be so difficult? The answer is simple, they are fast, very squirmy and bite like the devil when they chose too, as Lisa will testify having spent a half hour stopping the copiously bleeding when Hammy decided to greet her with teeth!

They are in many cases pretty hard to tame, despite months of doing all the stuff recommended and with a degree of patience that is unusual for me, Hammy still will not tolerate being picked up, though we have progressed to being allowed a small stroke once in a while!

It wasn't long into my hamster 'parenting' experience that I began to say that I found it strange that these little animals are so often owned by small children, their behaviour just doesn't seem to be conducive, even as an adult I am far more wary of the lightening speed of the biting end than I am of any cat or dog!.....and now my thoughts seem to be echoed in this article in the Guardian, not only do they have the teeth from hell but they are also considered unsuitable for children from a health point of view!

Ok, so like many of these articles it is probably a little OTT, let's face it, if we listened to all the health advice that is bandied around in the press we would do nothing but it is interesting to me to read that the apparently cute little hamster is 'officially' not quite as cute as it would have us believe.

All that said, Hammy is lovely if treated with a reasonably high degree of respect, she follows me around the flat, she is very amusing, she will always come to greet me and she does look very cute....she is however never, I suspect, ever going to be a cuddly creature.