Blood, rain and work.

PG had barely walked through the door last night, 'post golf' before he managed to cut his finger quite significantly, attempting to open a packet of something frozen. One moment I was peacefully watching TV and the next was assailed by a high volume string of expletives issuing from the kitchen. Let me tell you here I do not 'do' blood' ! In this case I had no choice. There was some discussion as to whether the injury required stitching but given that the digit in question still operates fine and he has no care if his finger retains a scar it was decided by himself that it did not, makeshift steri-strips and a dressing where duly applied and that was the end of it as far as he is concerned..... I wonder how much of that decision was based on the 80 mile round trip to A&E??. Arghhhh, This guy works with the severely disabled, one of which has MRSA and I would be happier had he seen a professional but he knows what he's doing (apparently) so I bow to his judgment! Hmmmmm.

So role of Florence Nightingale over It's back to work for me today and I can barely imagine how I will wind myself up again to take on the inevitable onslaught!

For those reading this who haven't seen what's gone before, I only work two or three days a week and the less I do the harder it seems to become to get back into 'the groove'. My life is two extremes, at home most of the week I have this wonderful laid back lifestyle where I barely need to know what day it is and on the weekend I have to fire on all cylinders for 9 hours at a time.

The summer it appears was brief, the temperature dropped significantly overnight and it rained yet again ( well this is Scotland!) tho 'oregon Scientific' promises better to come! I would not be without this little gadget, I have used it for years and it really works. On the up side, with the arrival of the rain came the departure of the flies.

Suffice to say don't expect too much here until Monday! I really don't know how those bloggers among us who work full time manage to fit this in.....well, with the exception of those lucky souls who can blog from work!

Bugs, bugs and more bugs

My 'back garden'

So summer it seems has finally dragged it's self kicking and screaming north of the border. I hasten to add this is not the summer that memories are made of and we still of course have a 'stiff breeze' but the sun has shone all day and we attained a maximum of 21 degrees earlier this afternoon. That may not seem so impressive to some of you but believe me it is not to be sniffed at in these parts!

Of course every silver lining has it's cloud and along with the sun have arrived the bugs. Scotland is infamous for its flies apparently and my bit of Scotland seems to be no different. The sun would be a treat if I could actually venture out in it without becoming covered in thousands of the minute black creatures. They tickle like hell, crawl in your ears, eyes, mouth and up your nose! Damnable things. By later tonight these things will have mustered their troops to such as degree that it will be impossible to keep a window open. They are in such numbers that they require vacuuming off the windowsills at least 3 times a day and will, by late night, have congregated in such numbers on the windows that on a bad night it will be barely possible, quite literally, to see outside!

So I will go now and enjoy my summers evening, shut inside with Big Brother.......
itch, scratch, itch!

Computer cat

Ditto, who unlike Poppy has not yet had many 'holidays,' returned last week from the cattery somewhat insecure. Not for her the salubrious surroundings and oft bestowed attentions of her hotelier, she cares not that we travel many miles to allow her to have her every whim catered for and pay through the nose for the privilege.......she just wants to be home in her familiar surroundings and with her quarry to attend to!

On this occasion we arranged a 'twin' room for her, in the hope that the familiar company of the more laid back Poppy would help. Apparently it did not, she seemed to dislike the whole carry on with the same vengeance as ever, went again on self imposed hunger strike and into the bargain ran Poppy ragged!

On her return home she was not easily convinced that she would not be 'abandoned' again and chose to stay at close proximity to the flat for the first day or two. She did though venture, on one occasion, enough distance to 'obtain' two mice to be subsequently bestowed upon us in proof of her pleasure at being home.

Her behavior is still unusually affectionate, this cat is not one to normally wear her heart on her cat sleeve but for now she sleeps adhered to my feet, scent marks my legs at every opportunity and has decided that she will only allow me minimal space on my computer chair while she languishes on the remainder!


I'm comfortable!

I've got mail!

Gmail

Well to be more precise I've got 'Gmail'!

The very kind chap from 'More a way of life' offered me an invition yesterday, gratis to boot, and so never one to miss an opportunity I graciously accepted. I'm not sure I actually want this service but you know how it is, there has been so much hoo ha about it and others seem to be falling over themselves to acquire an account I just had to take up the offer and find out for myself!! Like I need yet another email account! Hmmm.

So that I did and thus far I'm not entirely sure what I should be so impressed with, Yes it has 1000mb of storage, but outlook is unlimited. It looks a remarkably similar format to Yahoo mail, but to be fair I think Yahoo changed there's in a response to the launch of Gmail and it has all the much discussed privacy issues, tho I doubt I will ever send a mail of significance where that's concerned!

The one thing I attempted to do with it was to 'import contacts'.I duly created my c.s.v file as instructed and full of excitement attempted to import it..........the necessary window just wouldn't open, a complete non starter! Hey ho, it is a beta version after all so I'll give it a chance on that one.

On the up side I love the way it opens each mail in a format similar to an I.M. window, a very helpful inclusion for someone such as myself who frequently runs 'email conversations' and then forgets what was said previously!!

So I'll keep an open mind and for now persevere, tho I have no intention of abandoning outlook at this stage in the game!!

My blog doesn't own me!

37.5 %

My weblog owns 37.5 % of me.
Does your weblog own you?

I just knew.....

....you couldn't resist! :o)


Typogenerated again!

An unexpected reminder

Diana.

It's strange the things that trigger memories. I had no intention of posting on this subject until I saw a photograph on beFrank this morning and was unexpectedly reminded of one of the few times I was witness to such scenes, albeit on a much larger scale in this instance. The occasion was a sad one, the death of the Princess of Wales.

I'm not going to discuss here the conspiracy theories, the causes, the paparazzi or the Royal Family,I will leave that to those more qualified, this is merely my experience. With the benefit of hindsight I'm not sure I would have joined the furor that surrounded her untimely death and I'm not entirely sure what prompted such a massive display of public sadness, it now seems something akin to mass hysteria but at the time it felt truly genuine. I recall being very concerned that if I went to the funeral it should be for the right reasons and I did a considerable amount of heart searching before I made the decision to go.

Like many people I remember exactly what I was doing the moment I heard first of Diana's involvement in a traffic accident. I was at friends, it was late at night and we had turned on the TV for a weather report, we were planning a day out motorcycling and only wanted to know if we were likely to get caught in inclement weather! We caught the tail end of the BBC's bulletin reporting the accident and subsequently remained glued to the news all night in disbelief.

The following day there was a tangible sadness wherever we went, we continued with our day out but no one's heart was really in it. My ex had always been fond of Diana and wanted to go to Kensington Palace that evening. Again it seems slightly strange now but at the moment it happened it felt like a genuine need to pay our respects at the only place we could think of. This is the point that I was reminded of by the photograph on beFrank's blog. Kensington was a media frenzy, there were literally hundreds of media trucks lining every possible curbside. For a Jane Doe such as myself the sight of all this hardware with massive antenna extended and satellite dishes pointing to the heavens was staggering. We take media coverage for granted but despite my father spending his life working at the BBC I somehow had never considered exactly how we attain and broadcast all that coverage. If I'm entirely honest I could have watched this display of technical wizardry all night but felt guilty for even considering it at such a time.

We made our way in the dark across the park to the gates of the palace, at that point the gates already seemed laden with flowers, candles and messages of sympathy but it was nothing in comparison to what was to come. We stood in silence for a few minutes among the few hundred already there and then rode home through a strangely austere London.

Amid reports of central London being closed on the day of the funeral and public transport being questionable, we rode into town the night before, along with the couple we had been with on the night Diana died, parked the bike where we could and made our way to Whitehall where we spent the night. Many have said that the camaraderie on the streets that night was unbelievable and indeed it was like nothing I have experienced before or since. Many people had arrived with little or no preparation for a cold night on tarmac. We in our leathers were luckier than many but by the early hours cold and hunger had set in and we and those in our immediate vicinity, organized ourselves into a rota to walk the considerable distance to a 24 hour Mc Donalds in Leicester Square, returning laden with as much food and drink as we could carry on each journey, to share among us. Street vendors had not been allowed to propagate this sad event.

One of the most surreal moments in my life was being woken the following morning , cold and stiff on the pavement outside Downing Street, by the sound of Big Ben Chiming only a very short distance away!

The time before the funeral commenced was a time of odd and somehow very opposed happenings. Among the thousands of people congregated in sombre contemplation was all the frenzy of organizing such an unprecedented event. Media personnel and vehicles rushing to and fro, scaffold platforms being erected, the security services beetling about suited and booted wearing solemn expressions and the police doing their utmost to keep the ever growing crowds in some sort of order. I never saw reported if there had been instances of crime but I doubt there were many, the majority seemed only too happy to wait patiently and the job of the police 'on the ground' seemed for the most part to be maintaining our safety.

So the procession began and we, a distance away, were only aware because an unbroken grapevine, the length of the route gradually fed its whispered information down to us, aided I think by police radio.

As the coffin in all its regalia approached us with the family walking slowly behind, heads bowed stoically, the atmosphere was something I doubt I will encounter again and I will be amazed for as long as I live by the young Prince's courage in maintaining their composure. Yes they have 'the training' and the background but none the less these were two young boys who had just lost their mother in horrific circumstances and were having to grieve under the glare of a very harsh spotlight.

The funeral service was relayed to the thousands on the streets via a massive speaker system and we all listened in silence. Two moments stood out starkly. Earl Spencer delivered his carefully chosen words, as he finished a round of applause erupted spontaneously outside the Abbey and as people further and further away joined in, the sound of clapping rushed up Whitehall like a tidal wave, at first faint and then gradually more deafening. Shortly afterwards Elton John performed his tribute 'Goodbye England's Rose' and I doubt London will ever be as silent again. Thousand upon thousand of individuals stood in absolute silence broken only by the sound of those overwhelmed sobbing quietly. Directly infront of me was a young police officer who, as his duty dictated, had stood straight and still with his back to the proceedings facing the crowd for hours, he now stood in the very same position with tears streaming down his cheeks.

Immediately after the funeral we were prevented from leaving the centre of London for perhaps 2 hours while all those involved tried to make their way out. Gradually as the crowds began to filter away, we made our way in relative quiet to the bike and set off for home. What occurred next was for me probably more surreal than anything else. We had genuinely not considered that it could happen, we had not thought beyond the end of the funeral and having been kept in the city for so long did not anticipate it. We lived maybe 25 miles north of London and set off to the M1. Bikes of course don't get stuck in traffic and within a few miles of hitting the motorway we could see ahead of us maybe 300 motorcycles. Slightly confused we carried on. Had I had the wit or the forethought I should have realised we should not have taken that route. The bikes we saw in the distance, when we caught up with them, where behind a line of police vehicles, perhaps a hundred yards behind the cortege escorting the coffin on its final journey. I just hadn't thought about the route it would take to Northampton or the slow speed at which it would travel and felt terrible to be stuck in a situation that felt like 'rubber necking' despite it being in all innocence.

As we moved slowly up the motorway every bridge and slip road was dececked with flowers and held people throwing bouquets among the cortege. I had great admiration for the police outriders who had to maintain control of their vehicles at slow speed and under a rain of well meant missiles....they had many more miles to cover. One of my enduring memories though of such a strange and sad day, will remain the sight of hundreds of motorcyclists attempting to keep their machines upright, on a bed of extremely slippery flowers with unchecked tears coursing down their faces.

Tuesday amusement

Typogenerated

A nifty little toy for Tuesday amusement. I like this one :o)

'Thieved' with thanks from 3rd Daughter

I just know you're gonna go there Retroguy!

Domestic annoyances

Little improvement since!

We live in an age of technology, or so we are led to believe, where exploration into the outer reaches of the universe is almost customary, we communicate at the speed of light via many and various gadgets, what used to be major surgery is now relegated to a day procedure and 'in home' entertainment now exceeds anything our forefathers could ever have imagined.

Why then I wonder, do the basic and long accepted as necessary,domestic appliances residing with apparent innocence in my kitchen suffer from something bordering on bi-polar disorder? Each one seemingly has it's own peculiarities and foibles, I have a washing machine (barely a year old) that has to have it's door prodded in a very specific manner to encourage it to spring into action (something the manufacturer considers 'normal' incidentally......what I wonder is the definition of 'normal' in this case?). I have a fridge freezer that hums something less soothing than 'Pie Jesu' at night unless I change the temperature setting and the piece de resistance, that has prompted this outpouring of annoyance, a vacuum cleaner that despite much investigation won't perform a task as inherently important as create a vacuum and suck!

This wonder of domestic engineering is a Dyson look-alike, a handsome and very efficient looking bit of kit and to give it it's due it was,for maybe 3 months impressively efficient, at which point, despite constant emptying, cleaning of filters and battles with the belt drive it's suck degenerated to something closer to a blow. No lurid jokes here please this is serious stuff!

So yesterday I had reached the end of my well tested patience with this apparently Heath Robinson contraption and as is my way (I'm too impatient to take it back and go through the inevitable returns battle with DRG) took it out into my field and began dismantling it in an endeavor to discover why it just won't damn well do the job. And discover I did. Please bear in mind here I am not an engineer and I don't have to hand the correct terminology.

In the top of the main housing I found a filter, this has a helpful little device attached called rather uninspiringly a 'filter wipe', a trigger like affair that when rotated should clean said filter.........it patently doesn't! This filter, a contraption with fins similar to a fan, was completely blocked with now solidified dust and debris. Having, on further investigation, discovered that the offending part refused to be removed I mustered the appropriate female tools,a nail file and crochet hook (I 'do' tools, but nothing traditional seemed suitable) and set about cleaning activities. This thing has, it would seem, a massive capacity for storage, two hours later, hot, somewhat miffed and looking like I had been dusted unsubtly with grey icing sugar the task was complete, the object of my annoyance reassembled and the moment of truth upon me.

Plugged in and ready to go the excitement was almost palpable if a little underwhelming........

My battle was won...........my handsome but formerly useless domestic delight could suck a golf ball though a hose pipe!!!!

All this begs the question........who on earth conjured up an appliance with such an inherently basic design fault?? I could go there but I won't....for now!

Looking through a lens

So before I stop harping on about my holiday I thought I would bore you with a few photographs!

In the past I have been 'into' photography... dark room, bag full of expensive gear blah,blah,blah but the fact that I seemed to spend my life looking through a lens missing what was really going on began to bug me and so I abandoned all that in favour of the standard digi-cam. I was crap anyway, anyone can be taught the technicalities but not everyone has a 'good eye'.... I fall into that category!!

So here they are, just snaps but snaps that remind me of a good time and 'my London'
(Click to enlarge)


'Eros'


From Trafalgar Square


Leicester Square


Cops (sorry 'anon' I just couldn't resist! :o)


Gallery


Men in uniform!

Yet more 'five questions'

Another brave volunteer for the five questions game has now posted his responses, read here

Cheers Leif.

If anyone else fancies playing just leave a comment or mail me :o)

Culture and coffee.

Sara Shamma. Title: Self-portrait
oil on canvas © The Artist

Since the age of 20, with the exception of approximately 5 years, I have lived at least 200 miles from my family. As a consequence the 'holidays home' have been a regular and much looked forward to event and over the years have somehow evolved naturally and now tend to follow a similar pattern on each occasion.

The itinerary tends to include a couple of days just chilling, chatting and indulging in retail therapy, an evening or two with friends or my brother and his family,dinner out here and there and at least one day in the centre of London doing the tourist thing and/or trying to take in a little culture at galleries and museums etc.

This holiday followed the now tried and tested format but also included an unexpected visit from a far flung family friend who none of us had seen for at least 25 years. Hell....... the aforementioned friend was accompanied by her son, a man of now 37 who I last saw at about age 3 and who's older brother was my first crush and my first kiss........ how old did I feel?!!

That over with.... don't get me wrong the reminiscing was fun if a little lost on PG...... we made our way into town on Thursday on what must have been the hottest day so far this summer (not good squashed on the tube believe me) to visit the National Portrait Gallery. Art is a small passion of mine and although I don't profess to understand most of it I could spend my life in galleries gazing in wonder at the ability of others and tying my head in knots in an attempt to understand what the artist is trying to say.

On this visit the BP Portrait Award 2004 and the much commented on Sam Taylor-Wood installation 'David' were the notable exhibitions. I had expected to view Ms. Taylor-Wood's work, an hour and seven minutes of video showing David Beckham sleeping, with a degree of boredom and skepticism but in the event it was strangely serene and against my better judgment I found it quite riveting! I have to make a banal comment at this point and admit that DB, when stripped of all the hype is a stunning looking man, something else I had not expected.

The BP Portraits were all incredible,if not my taste. I won't do them the injustice of making any comment, my personal favorite was the self portrait (shown above) by Sara Shamma (how can one woman be so beautiful and talented?!) that attained 4th place, just goes to show how little I know!

The remainder of the day was taken up wandering around Trafalgar Square in the heat, watching the Changing of the Guard, which we came upon by default at the appropriate time and sitting outside 'Starbucks' Leicester Square ( this particular Starbucks has a history for me but I won't go there now) simultaneously eating ice cream and drinking coffee!

A round of applause please......

...for Francesca Gray who has just completed 24 hours non stop blogging for charity!!

A stoic performance...... well done :o)

22 hours and still going!!

Francesca is still blogging bravely on and still coming up with interesting posts despite being at it for 22 hours non stop.... two hours and she can get some well earned sleep.

Go girl!

How very 'tourist'

Changing the guard

So our holiday is over and as ever I'm heard, post holiday, procrastinating about the fact that it only seems like a day or two since we left….....I'm reliably informed that it is age that does that but I beg to differ!

We had a wonderful time and as is always the case have arrived home needing a break to recover! The opportunity close at hand of so many things to do and be fitted into a short space of time necessitates that we sleep little!

The best aspect of our forays South is that I get to see my parents and a large proportion of our time is spent 'catching up' and gossiping, we do of course keep in regular contact via the various forms of technology available on a day to day basis but face to face is just so much nicer.

We were lucky on this occasion with our traveling, the journeys both North and Southbound where reasonably uneventful save for one overturned lorry on the M1 and a rather 'interesting' moment when PG, attempting to take evasive action to avoid an incident in front of us, managed a four wheel lock and a rather inelegant sashay sideways across three lanes accompanied by the less than musical sound of 2000 miles being scraped from my tyres in a nanosecond! It was of course the others guy's fault! Hmmmm.

We managed through my fathers military standard organizational skills (you have to know him to hear the family *groan* in that statement) to fit many things into our few days. I of course made the most of the opportunity for some serious retail therapy, contrary to what one is led to believe most things are cheaper in the South than they are up here in Scotland and one just has to 'make hay while the sun shines'! A holiday staying with relatives is supposed to be less financially challenging than most holidays but somehow it never seems to be the case!

We have in PG a wonderful excuse to 'do' all the tourist things that we did years ago all over again!. Despite living in London for two years in his early 20’s he didn't do anything more than work and live the 'Men Behaving Badly' lifestyle and so now loves to see the sights etc. For my part there is nowhere like London, I could wander the streets just taking in the sounds, smells and atmosphere for days on end. There is nowhere as diverse or cosmopolitan and even the Tube has it attractions ......though I could have lived without rush hour in 28 degrees.

I will bore you with a rough itinerary of the week in a later post but for now I have to make some semblance of order of the 300 or so photographs I came back with answer some emails and get to the washing machine etc!

'Project Blog'

A fellow blogger, Francesca Gray, is blogging every half hour for 24 hours from 13.00hrs GMT today until 13.00 tomorrow (Sunday) in aid of 'Depression Alliance'. If you would like to lend your support visit her blog here.

More 'five questions'

Blackrat, another brave volunteer for the five questions game now has his answers posted. Well in actual fact they have been posted for days but I wasn't here!

Interesting reading..... go look here.

Reporting for duty.

I managed two hours back home before I logged back on.......I consider that quite a feat having spent the last week with only the allocated half hour a day internet time my father considers appropriate! :o)

It seems I have a lot of reading to do to catch up so I'm off to do just that before I attempt an early-ish night. A week of trundling around London, incessant chattering, good food and wine and a 400 mile drive seem to have left me somewhat less than 'bright eyed and bushy tailed'

More on the holiday after some sleep :o)

London here I come.

Well that's it......I'm done at last. Without doubt I will have forgotten to pack something of utmost importance but given that we're not off to outer Mongolia who cares, we can live without it or buy it!

Poppy is already on 'red alert', she knows something is afoot and isn't best pleased, she is currently jammed under the bed, a place she doesn't generally see fit to inhabit. Why she does that is beyond me, she likes the cattery unlike Ditto, who for lack of experience is still blissfully unaware that for the next six days she is going to be incarcerated. She no doubt, if she runs true to form, will go on a self imposed hunger strike for the duration.

Leaving the cats behind is the bit I don't like despite the 'holiday accommodation' being a beautiful and well run establishment. Poppy ia a well traveled cat and used to accompany me whenever I visited my parents from Manchester. She was also my sole companion for the never ending drives alone to and from Scotland to visit PG in the early days. The addition though of Ditto is another matter, she is an unreliable traveler who shows an aptitude for escape and is too much for my father, who doesn't share my enthusiasm for things feline!!

So that's it, car packed, (mine I might add!) cats to cat holiday camp at first light and then only the A1/M1 and 8 hours of likely frustration between us and London at last. I'll do my best to not totally abandon this for the week (how will I cope?) but you know how it is.......don't hold your breath! :o)

Oh, one last thing.........congratulations to Demob Happy Teacher on her 'great escape' this coming week.


Laters.

Five answers.

Two of the bloggers who bravely offered to be 'interviewed' for the 5 questions game now have their answers posted.

If you wanna go see look here:

Demob Happy Teacher

The Kaptain Kobold Blog
 
The answers are interesting and amusing in equal part.

Monster raindrops

photo courtesy Gregory Thompson

So here I am.....the first day of my holiday and the first Saturday I have had off work this year to the best of my memory, perhaps the second but it's a rare occurrence and adds to my 'holiday feeling'. The human psyche is a strange thing. The majority of my adult life I have worked weekends, yet still Saturdays remain special and continue to promote in me the same feeling of  excitement  they did in my school days, when the arrival of a Saturday meant two whole days of freedom!
 
Unsurprisingly this 'special Saturday' is marked ominously by being woken (at 7.30, very late for me) by the sound of torrential rain beating against the windows. I can't help but think that the meterologists reporting today on the  discovery of 'monster raindrops' have made an error in their geographical location and are in fact lurking somewhere in the Scottish Borders!
 
My plans for the day have  been somewhat thwarted by my own stupidity. I assumed naively that all the washing that still requires doing, pre-packing, would dry nicely on the line and I could amuse myself happily here......it seems instead I will be beating a trail between the washing machine and tumble drier for hours!
 
PG, intrepid as ever where golf is concerned, has duly set off, very attractively clad in various items of waterproof fashion for his day of competition. He doubtless will return, full of joy or woe, to litter the place with wet, grass encrusted golf weaponry and clothing, at precisely the moment I complete today's 'domestic goddessery'  and the packing!
 
Oh..... and I'm not keen on this new blogger, has anyone noticed that it doesn't allow cut and copy ? Arghhhhhhh.

Oh!

I only leave this contraption for a few hours and on my return I find blogger has gone all posh!
 
All sorts of new fangled fiddly bits..............very nice if it worked, which it doesn't seem to be doing with efficiency right now!!
 
It does at least have an option for a smaller font.........maybe if  I use that, those poor souls among you  who read this will be spared RSI from so much scrolling down as I ramble uncontrollably! :o)

If........

....Ahmed doesn't get kicked out of the Big Brother house this evening there is no justice in the world!!!

Happy days!

Well that's it............ my last day at work for almost a fortnight..... over with! It was a bad one, I was on the road for 05.30, after something in the region of 3 hours sleep and 'Joe Public' was at his/her absolute best all day. I am still sometimes amazed at a minorities ability to be so rude and demanding and to consider that those of us at the sharp end deserve absolutely no respect or common decency! 18 years in the business....I should be somewhat wiser!
 
Rant over.......I'm in holiday mood now and  impatient to get to London and my parents. Despite my age and the fact that I'm not off on a 'round the world jaunt' or some such, I still get 'that holiday' feeling, the one I used to get as a child when we all trundled off on the annual family adventure.
 
I am slightly concerned however, about one aspect of this holiday that seems to be looming. PG suggested last night that we take his car......this I hasten to add, is not the newest or most reliable of vehicles. When the suggestion was made I was slightly confused as to why he should want to risk turning an already painful drive into a complete debacle by having to be towed any distance by the RAC.......this evening things are becoming clearer! I arrived home from work to find him already in situ at the pc trawling through 'Auto Trader' and the like, trying his damnedest to convince me that a new car would be cheaper  'down South'.
 
Strangely he has a point.....they are considerably cheaper, perhaps because here there is so little competition but whatever, the thought of spending our holiday fending off over zealous Arthur Dailey types and tolerating all the other rigmarole involved in buying a new car is not what I had in mind!
 
Be rest assured........he has 36 holes of golf lined up for tomorrow, I will be packing and loading the car..........it will be my car!

The trouble with work......

....is that when you're lucky enough (as I am) not to have to go too often it gets harder and harder to go at all! You kinda get out of the habit and lazy about it.

I have this evening and tomorrow left to do and then it's off to London (well nearby) to my parents, at the crack of dawn on Sunday. Yipeeeee!!

I can't wait, it seems so long since I saw them :o(

Play 'Five Questions'

I joined in this game when I found it on Menina's blog. Seems quite fun :o)

If you want to play too, here are the rules:
1. Leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed.
2. I will respond; I'll ask you five questions.
3. You'll update your website with my five questions, and your five answers.
4. You'll include this explanation.
5. You'll ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed.

Here are the 5 questions Menina asked me and my answers:

1. What is it about cats that you love so much?
A. Everything...... with the exception of the litter tray! Their elegance, aloofness, independence, affection and ability to take charge of their humans!

2. How did you meet PG and how long have you been together?
A. I knew someone was gonna ask me that one one day. It's not a story I'm proud of but I'm very glad it happened so i'll be honest!
I was reasonably new to computers and a friend dared me to go into a chat room...... something that because of all the media attention seemed quite scary to a newcomer.... I became temporarily 'hooked.' Late one night, a few months later, PG came from nowhere and started chatting to me, we both knew within days we had to be together. We had two problems in that. 1. We were 400 miles apart and 2. I was married :o/
We did all the 'fighting it' stuff, not going online etc. the guilt and soul searching but it didn't work. It was a nightmare time in the lives of all involved. I couldn't deal with meeting him face to face while still with my husband (perhaps that's a strange kind if morality) so 3 months later I left.
PG and I met 5 days later under Marble Arch at 6 in the morning. My 'groundhog' day.
I moved to Scotland 2 months later...... and the rest as they say is history.

We met online in October 2001 and in London 31/01/02 so have been together about 2 and a half years.


3. What did you used to spend time on before the Internet? (gosh, I ask myself that too!!)
A. I worked full time, did the 'bike thang' and slept at night!

4. Which was the best holiday you've ever had in your life?
A. I don't really 'do' holidays but I do have a special place I have visited many times called Trebarwith Strand on the North Cornish coast. A rugged, wild, solitary place with phenomenal tides and massive seas. I love to just sit on the rocks for hours and watch and listen to the ocean. Now my best holidays are when I get to go 'home' and see my family.

5. Did you find out any more details about that local murder back in June?
A. Yes, but I must add it is mostly local gossip, the trial has yet to take place.
The murdered man was apparently a relocated, registered pedophile who two local lads took exception too after a nights drinking. He was beaten to death. The perpetrators are both only teenagers and are currently in custody awaiting trial. A very sad situation.

Big Brother

ok....I admit it. Despite my best attempts otherwise I am again, this year, becoming addicted to Big Brother.

Am I the only one thought beginning to feel somewhat voyeuristic where Ahmed is concerned? It seems somehow unkind to be watching an individual for entertainment, who is rapidly sliding towards being our first, live televised incident of a psychotic episode.

Following on very loosely!

Chelsea Bridge.

At the age of 17 I acquired a fascination with bikes, not the healthy pedal models the very large petrol (or something more interesting) propelled type..... and a small but obsessive biker was born. I add hurriedly here,I was never the long haired, greasy, tattooed, with multiple piercing breed, more the 'bum up head down' speed freak type, though of course safety dictated I wore leathers and consequently 'Joe public' has a tendency to stereotype us all.

At 8 stone and 5 foot tall whilst I could and did ride, I generally chose to pillion given that anything worth riding was far too much of a handful for me. For those of you who have never experienced the thrill of 170 mph or the low end torque believe me you need to have some considerable upper body strength! Though I say so myself I was a good pillion, my size dictated that the rider hardly knew I was there, I was fearless and I was the only person I knew who could 'get my knee down' on the back of a ZXR9.

It was perhaps my one 'anti establishment' stand. Day to day I have always been and will always be a democracy believing, law abiding citizen and somehow biking was among other things a small escape from that.

I did all the 'biker' things...... reunion rides to Brighton, Saturday and Sundays riding everywhere and anywhere, holidays touring and all the shows, Birmingham NEC, Crystal palace etc, my second wedding took place in leathers and on a bike.
One of the 'must do's at the time was Friday night at 'Chelsea Bridge', it was probably also the stupidest. For those of you who are not unfortunate enough to live near Chelsea Bridge or stupid enough to have been involved in this ritual I will expand.

On a Friday nights bikers from allover the South East and London converge on Chelsea bridge having 'screamed' their respective routes via the likes of 'The Ace Cafe' and other 'biker friendly' establishments.



Having arrived, those who are the most stupid race the bridge and perform many and various hair raising stunts, whilst the remaining hundreds look on. This of course is not an 'official' or 'approved' meeting and it goes without saying is extremely dangerous. If those involved wish to risk their lives that is their choice but to risk the lives of the public is another matter entirely. It does of course attract the attention of the police and in latter years (this has gone on since the late 60's)has largely been well controlled by them.

I say this now from a point of disapproval. At the time I was involved I disapproved and agreed with all the arguments against it, the danger, the cost of policing etc. but strangely and conversely at the time I loved it. I knew I shouldn't and I constantly argued with myself over it but I loved it none the less. Perhaps it was my one attempt at rebelling......whatever I am glad to be out of it now.

You may be wondering from the title of this post what it is following on from? At the end of Chelsea Bridge road is a service station which made a good living on Friday nights. It was the only place close at hand, late at night, offering coffee, food and lavatorial facilities. One such night, freezing cold and wind worn,trying to force my hands to work well enough to hold onto a hot drink and paying no attention to what was going on around me, I bowled headlong into some poor shopper trying to control two children and buy a few necessities. I spectacularly emptied my drink over him and at the same time trod squarely on his feet with my none too feminine boots. I looked up in horror, full of apology and embarrassment at the voice uttering expletives in my direction to see that the individual I had assaulted was Bob Geldof!

Probably not the introduction to one of my hero's I would have wished for!

No blog day

Have I missed an announcement of earth shattering proportions, has something happened that only I don't know about?

I'm relatively new to this blogging malarky so perhaps this happens now and again and I just haven't been aware of it until today.

For some inexplicable reason today seems to be a 'slow blog day', or in some cases a 'no blog day.' Not only am I struggling to make more than a couple of posts but so it seems is everyone else I read. In fact, a few who can always be relied upon are completely absent thus far, and although I'm not up there in the 'impressive list' where hits are concerned, those too are much declined.

These kind of coincidences always fascinate me...............or should I just start with the paranoia?? :o)

'Feed the world'

Live Aid

Suddenly I feel old!

Mostly my age doesn’t overly concern me despite remembering Vietnam (just) Watergate and John Noakes presenting Blue Peter. This mornings discovery that ‘Live Aid’ hit the worlds airwaves and broadcasting satellites 19 years ago today has for some inexplicable reason changed that at least for a few minutes! It just can’t be 19 years since Sir Bob did his thing….it just can’t be! I remember it as if it were yesterday!

I along with millions of others was riveted to my TV. I lived in Manchester at the time but coincidentally was at my parents quite close to Wembley for a few days. Out on the street there was a palpable feeling of excitement and of ‘something happening’. The shops where unusually quiet and it seemed that on this hot summer’s day it was the only topic of conversation.

Today such an event would perhaps not seem so significant, current teenagers I doubt even know who Bob Geldof is but in 1985 this was the first gig of that magnitude and the technicalities and logistics involved where unprecedented.

The politics and arguments surrounding it at the time did nothing to dampen its popularity or the fact that it raised a figure in excess of 30million for its cause, the victims of famine in Ethiopia. Yes, I have no doubt that those involved could have quietly put their hand into their collective pocket and donated the same sum without generating the publicity but whatever the rights of wrongs the world doesn’t work like that.

For me at least, Live Aid will remain a high spot in my memories and Sir Bob a modern day hero….. but it still makes me feel old!

Come on girls...lets be honest here.

I was reading somewhere recently about a guy who's partner/wife was giving him grief for that age old pastime of discreet 'talent spotting'. Whatever you care to call it you know the one, you're driving/walking/sitting in a bar/wherever and you catch your 'Mr' surreptitiously admiring a stunning blonde with legs to die for out of the corner of his eye. He adjusts his position very slightly to get a better view or doesn't quite look you in the eye as you try to hold a conversation, instead his gaze is targeted just over your shoulder at the 20 something with 'Jordan breasts' and his conversational skills fall apart despite his best attempts to appear engrossed in what you are saying. The movements have been perfected throughout evolution so as to be barely perceptible, or at least that's the theory, in fact we rarely miss it!!

And why, I wonder do some women react like a 'screaming banshee' or at the very least aim a vicious elbow into the ribs of the perpetrator. I know in all seriousness there are individuals with self esteem, self image or security issues and I don't wish to detract from the importance of those feelings, but in the main this is just normal behavior. I for one would be far more concerned if my partner showed no interest in a pretty woman.

I am not talking here of the fool we all unfortunately know so well, 'white van man,' who leers out of his vehicle shouting 'nice arse darlin' at anything with a pulse and possibly couldn't get laid if he were the last man on earth. He shows a complete lack of education and respect and deserves to be humiliated where possible.

But come on, lets be honest here girls and give the guys a break...... we all do it, do we not? Show me a woman under 80 who can honestly say, hand on heart, she has never looked! This is not a male only foible, it's natural, we are not the shy, retiring, anorgasmic creatures our grandmothers had to be, or at least pretend to be. I certainly don't pass an Adonis look-alike without noticing and nor would I want to,.... ok so maybe we are slightly more discreet about it and perhaps we are slightly more selective but we still do it!!

You don't have to be part of the (unpleasant) 'ladette culture' to appreciate a nice body or a sexy smile and because you adore Van Gogh it doesn't follow that you can't appreciate Klimt!

Home at last

At last....only two working days left until we go to my parents on holiday. This time next week we will be there, I cant wait. We have only managed to visit them once so far this year, which is not enough. I'm sure there are many who would count that as a blessing but not me. Having lived previously in Manchester for 15 years we are all used to not living on each others doorstep but the logistics from Scotland seem always to be fraught with difficulties.

The negative aspects of living here in our field are few, I could count them on one hand and they mostly concern the lack of facilities. No M&S food store, no cinemas, no pizza deliveries and no clubs, bars etc. The most significant drawback for me is to be so far from my family, my parents and brother are 20 miles outside of London and my sister in the Midlands. On a world scale 400 miles is no distance but in a practical sense it might as well be much further.

It seems to be a task of Herculean proportions for PG and myself to manage to secure more than two days leave from work together and on the rare occasion we do achieve it we then have to find places in a cattery, which are as rare as hens teeth here, for Poppy and Ditto. It always seems to be in the 'lap of the Gods' as to whether we actually make it at all.

Having navigated those hurdles we then have the interminable drive South. The A1, which constitutes 30% of the journey and is supposed to be the main route south, is subject to 50 and 60mph speed restrictions and what seems like a speed camera every 200 yards. Add to that it seems to be littered with the slow moving HGV population of the UK. The remainder of the journey is on the unmentionable M1, the prospect of which is only bearable by reminding oneself that we escape 5 miles before the M25 so it could be worse!!

We could of course fly but I won't even go there. Ok.....yes I will. The airlines only offer cheap flights for those lucky enough to have employers that allow them to make arrangements 6 months or so before they wish to travel....that does not include us, and by the time we have made it to Edinburgh or Newcastle and then from Luton, Stanstead or Heathrow at the other end we might as well forget it. It takes as long as the drive and costs three times as much.

Getting from the States would probably be less hassle and less traumatic!

Anyway.......all that said I still can't wait, 6 days with my parents, two with my sister and my nieces and all that London has to offer!

More on that another time.

A waiting game

Well nothing happened, absolutely nothing............I'm not sure if I should be relieved or worried.

The manager it turned out was off today and his deputy was pleasantness personified but a strange, almost unnerving atmosphere pervaded the place. Everyone appeared normal on the surface but were to be found hidden away in little huddles, endlessly discussing the situation and expressing their anger, thoughts and concerns.

For my part I decided that for once in my life it was wisest to keep my countenance. If I'm going to have to face the music on this one I don't want my opinions passed on through the grapevine and to become 'modified' as would be inevitable.

So I'm still none the wiser and I'm left playing a waiting game, something I dislike intensely.

Into the breach.

Today is my first day back to work since all the furor began and I can't say I relish the prospect. I'm not sure at this stage if this blog has been found by my superiors or the address given to them. My tracking seems to suggest that is the case but I can't be certain. I dislike like the fact that I don't know if I will be 'walking straight into the lions mouth' or if it will be a day like any other.

To add to my misgivings I have woken feeling ill and muddle headed and despite having made the decision to go this route, I know that confrontation is not my forte. I will normally do anything for a quiet life but on this occasion I couldn't.

I suppose this is the bit where I have to really have the courage of my convictions and stand up for something I truly believe. My boss knows me quite well, knows my 'Achilles heel' and doubtless will make use of it.

Hey ho,into the breach and all that......

Deleted comment

When I began this I made the decision that any comment that was left on a post would remain whether it was good or bad. The only exception would be comment spam or anything particularly offensive.

So on the off chance that anyone noticed I deleted a comment last night from a post on the 7th July, it was at the posters request. The individual concerned mailed me, still in support of the post but asking that I remove it. I fully understand that persons fears but the wider picture is kinda scary don't you think?

A Scottish summer?

I can't remember the last time it didn't rain here. It seems to have been perpetual. Sometime in early May it began to look like summer was preparing to show its face and then it ran off again 'quick smart' Since then and particularly in the last two weeks we have been subject to a rotation of torrential rain, strong winds, hail, thunder or a mixed assortment of all of those.

Bart walking has become dictated, where possible, by a short break in the threatening cloud and I am fast learning points of shelter along our various routes. He for his part seems to thoroughly enjoy the naturally provided paddling pools and I have learned that it is not appropriate to don ones cleanest, most expensive jeans on these journeys!

I don't think it has been much different in any other part of the U.K. but surely at some point the temperature must struggle above 9 degrees c and it will be possible to at last turn the heating off and assign heavy duty fleece clothing to the wardrobe for a time.

I won't hold my breath.....

Draw your own conclusion....#3

The story, in part in least, made the front page of the local paper this morning.
I also have an unusual upturn in hits which are crying out to be traced.

(Click picture to enlage)

Report 08/07/04

On a happier note...

.... I came across 'Someone else's life' on my meanderings recently. This blog is worthy of a good read at the very least. On a return visit this morning I found this picture. It must be the best and most amusing cat photograph I have seen for a long time and it brightened my somewhat dismal day.
:o)

Thanks for permission to BLACKRAT

Yawn!

Coincidence?.....I doubt it.

It seems that my employer is trying to get hold of my website address,suddenly I keep getting warnings from many and various sources.

Strange, they were never interested before! Hmmmmm...

Draw your own conclusion...... #2

So a few people read my posting yesterday and the input I received was mostly positive. I'm not the most read blogger to put it mildly (827 hits in approx. 2 months as opposed to Non-girlfriend who I happened upon this morning and has managed 1430 in July alone!....how does she do that?) but I did manage one or two comments, emails and IRC conversations on the subject.

Among these I began to get the feeling that one or two individuals where 'warning me off', nothing heavy (as yet) but the usual 'don't get involved, it's not your fight' sort of warnings.

I'm sorry but once in a while a situation is just too important to me. It may not be directly my fight, I may end up unpopular in some quarters, make one or two enemies or perhaps worse but is prejudice, of any kind, not morally a battle we should all fight???

This particular incident may or may not be proven, it may or may not even 'go the distance' but is not even the suggestion of prejudice worthy of investigation and support?

If I over simplify this case two things 'hit me right between the eyes'.

1. If the individual concerned was sacked for 'not being up to standard', as has been suggested to me by one colleague, why was that not the reason given?

2. The perpetrator of the alleged homophobic incident is still employed.....the victim of it is not! My understanding is that homophobic behavior is contrary to our laws........wild hairstyles are not. There seems to be some discrepancy here to me, perhaps I'm missing something?

I am no angel, I am as selfish as the next person but I just can't stand by and say or do nothing in some instances. I wish sometimes that I could but I can't.

'Man excuses'

What is it about men?? They have an uncanny knack of coming up with an excuse for all situations.

3 o'clock this morning saw us woken abruptly by the none too pleasant sound of Poppy throwing up, almost certainly in the most inappropriate spot somewhere. She always chooses the white rug or the bathroom so that in the unlikely event that we miss the actual event there is a nasty surprise waiting as one of us pads, barefoot and bleary eyed first thing in the morning.

Now, the clearing up operation normally falls to me, how lucky do I feel? I'm not sure why it falls to me other than PG isn't keen.........er.....hello? this doesn't rate as one of my favorite pastimes! So the normal conversation began,

'you do it' (in my best pathetic voice)
PG 'no'
'please' (a better quality of whining this time)
PG 'no'
'pretty please'? (bring on the sad and pathetic tone)
PG 'NO...I have to get up earlier than you'
and? (the 'so wot' tone comes into play)
PG 'you know I can't deal with that stuff'

At this point I must add he works with severely disabled adults who require 100% care.

'Go on, please, just this once' (more pathetic)
PG 'NO, you do it'
Why should I do it?
PG 'you always do it'

Not his best excuse from where I was lying!

'So why can't you this time'?
PG 'because I do it all day every day and you know I don't do cat puke'

Hmmmmm........so you deal with the less pleasant aspects of your job but not cat puke....somehow that struck me as a 'man excuse' so I dug my heels in....

'NO' (tempers fraying at this point)
PG 'expletives deleted'

Amazing, he gave in, got up and duly completed the task amid much crashing, banging and colourful language.

And guess what, 10 minutes later he arrived back in bed, still alive and none the worse for wear........strange that! :o)

As for Poppy...she was by now fast asleep on the end of the bed and ignoring the fact that this had anything whatsoever to do with her! :o)

Draw your own conclusion………

I am incensed at the lack of tolerance and understanding that still exists in some quarters.

We are in the UK are considered to be a reasonably well educated, forward thinking nation, we have had laws in place for many years now to combat various forms of prejudice and are lucky enough not to suffer all the difficulties and degradations suffered by the third world and politically repressed countries, in theory at least!

Am I being naïve then to feel horror and abhorrence when incidents of prejudice still blight our lives in areas where I would have considered those in power had the necessary education not to allow themselves to behave in such a manner?

I accept that one cannot legislate against bigotry and small mindedness and that education fails some but I cannot accept that in this country and in the year 2004 there are people who still at least don’t keep those feelings to themselves.

And what has caused this outburst? Well on the scale of world famine a relatively small incident but one that makes me realise how much is still wrong when it can happen in a large and respected organisation.

On Monday a colleague of mine was sacked, not so unusual you might think but it is the reasons surrounding this incident that horrify me. The individual concerned was as far as I could see very personable, hard working, of good integrity and popular with many of his colleagues and customers.

So what was he sacked for……… dying a coloured stripe in his hair! I do understand that in these days of ‘corporate image’ it is many not be quite what the boss was looking for but I also think we are individuals and the balance is difficult. What I cannot accept however, is the reasoning in this particular case. Lets face it hair grows and this mans hair is very short so it was never going to be a life long situation. Apparently the company felt that the stripe was offensive but that he could avoid having his contract terminated by choosing to follow one of two courses of action, shaving his head ( is that not more intimidating and offensive to some) or dying it all over. If he chose the latter option they would accept if the all over shade was ………….you guessed it…………..the same colour as the stripe! I somehow don’t see that as an improvement if the concern was the god, ‘corporate image’

The individual concerned argued that some others within the companies employ sport unusual hair styles and colours, piercings, tattoos etc. but was met with replies that where either non committal or blatantly untrue. He was on a loser as they say….. the deal was already done in truth.

And so having hit an apparent corporate brick wall the individual in question chose to be stand by his principals and was duly dismissed.

I have tried hard to see this situation from both sides but the inherent differences in the treatment of other colleagues and the handling of this case causes me the greatest anger and concern.

Ok………so nothing too strange you may think in this sad story, nothing earth shattering and the individual concerned perhaps should have realised that even in the 21st century economically motivated business is still very conservative and it’s leaders run scared. It all perhaps seems like a mountain out of the proverbial molehill, with little perspective on both sides and one party or the other should perhaps have accepted the others view.

It may become more concerning however when I tell you that the man in question is gay and has recently been the subject of homophobic treatment from another colleague, his complaint about which seemed to instigate a sudden closing of ranks and ‘playing down’ by management.

I leave you to draw your own conclusion………………

I have for obvious reasons never identified my employer or individuals concerned but I wonder, should this blog ever come to the attention of my employer what my future might be? I have held a life long belief in the British sense of fair play that has gradually, over the years, been eroded, incidents of prejudice like this only serve to convince me I was naïve.I truly never believed I would see this happen again and feel very let down that it can be bought about by an institution that I had respect for. I am not alone among my colleagues in these feelings and the damage done goes far deeper than that caused by any hair colour!

A change in routine!

My normal routine, that's the one where I sit fiddling with one thing or another on here for most of the day, has been disrupted of late and today I barely made it here at all until now!! :o/

This change in habit it in most part due to attending my poorly neighbour, who from now on I will refer to as 'E'. She was sent home on Sunday night in a taxi, something I was unaware of until she arrived, which duly cost her nearly £50. I'm not sure who I think should be paying for that in these days of a cash strapped NHS but it seems a bit harsh for her, as a pensioner to have to, anyway, I digress. Bart was beside himself with excitement on her return and has been glued to her side ever since, only allowing himself to be taken on short walks for fear that she may not be again when he returns.

'E' for her part is marginally better. There seems to be some confusion about her diagnosis, the G.P. still insists she has acute angina, the hospital disagree but can't say what they think is wrong with her heart. She is none the less 'up and about' but can't as yet leave the flat for more than a few minutes.............that's where I come in!

The last two days have been a round of helping with her household chores, getting her shopping done and Bart walking. I'm no longer used to having to do things to a specific time on the days I'm not at work (ah....this idyllic country lifestyle) and have resorted to setting my mobile alarm to sound every 2 hours for worry that I might miss a walk!! This morning on the early walk call 'E' said she had a fancy for a bread making machine, a badly concealed hint that I might like to make the 40 mile trip to 'Argos' to fetch her one....... which of course I duly did. This evening I am 'invited' to teach her how to use it before I take Bart out for his last hike of the day!!!! Damnation...........for once there was something I wanted to watch on T.V. Yes, I know I have a VCR, I just know that for some inexplicable reason I won't ever get to watch it if I record it. I don't know why that it, I just know it's always the case.

One her return on Sunday I told her in no uncertain terms that if she wants me to take responsibility for Bart etc. in any future emergency then I need to be slightly better organised and be furnished with one or two contact numbers. Lol...... she fully understood, gave me a list of numbers for her relatives in Germany and unbeknownst to me did the reverse...........I now seem to be trying to field various emails..........all in German!!! aarrgghhhhhhh. Anyone know a good piece of translation s/w! lol

On an entirely different subject, while I was 'blog surfing' last night I found this photograph on 'Mutual Misunderstanding'........... brilliant!

My Grandmother

My paternal grandmother died 5 years ago today, two days before her 89th birthday and on my parent’s 40th wedding anniversary.

It was not, in many ways, as terrible as it first sounds; in fact it was on her part immaculate timing and an exit, that for those of us that loved her was perfect.

Yes, of course we were deeply sadden and I still miss her greatly but she always had what I suppose is a common fear of dying alone and being found by a stranger. In the event we had all spent the day and evening at a lovely hotel eating good food and drinking good wine with all my parents’ closest family and friends. My grandmother had made a speech and was surrounded by those important to her. She had for a time become maybe a little ‘tired of life’ on occasion and could, on her bad days, be ‘hard work’ but had a wonderful happy day that day.

She died very quickly the following night with my parents at her side.

I couldn’t help but imagine she had planned it, that she purposely made it to that important day and then decided enough was enough.

Don’t misunderstand me, this lady was for her age reasonably fit and in full control of her faculties, I just think she had had enough by then.

Many many of my childhood memories include my Grandmother. We often spent holidays in Gateshead with my grandparents and they are still some of my favourite memories. She was a stoic Geordie lady who only left her beloved Gateshead to escape the smog (she was asthmatic) and to be near us. My father is an only child and so we were all the close family she had. Sadly only about a year after the move my Grandfather died, still only in his late 50’s. In some ways I don’t think she ever got over that loss but she made the best of it. She took on various part time jobs, made friends, took in a lodger who ultimately stayed for years and years and took holidays back in the North East with her old friends.

I was lucky to spend the last few years of her life close to her. I moved at 20 years old, miles from home but returned and lived within half a mile for her last 5 years. We always had a tendency as she got older to try and protect her from some of life’s less pleasant aspects, where they affected us but she was nobodies fool and always knew what was going on! When my 1st marriage disintegrated she was brilliant, we spent a lot of time together and her support of me was unwavering. Despite her advancing years we did some mad things together and had an absolute blast. I’m not sure what she would have thought about the demise of my 2nd marriage, or the way I handled it but I know ultimately she would have supported me and would have been ‘over the moon’ that by strange coincidence I ended up living in ‘her North East’ and with a Geordie!

So yes, to lose her was very sad but we were lucky to have her so long and her departure, given that we all have to make one at some time, was perfect for her. I’m not religious or particularly spiritual but I still hear her laugh occasionally like she’s really here, still see her pulling funny faces and in an odd way feel she is never far away keeping and eye on me.


Gateshead, approx.1935

Sod's law

I generally only work two days a week at the moment, those two days being Saturday and Sunday and so as 'sod's law' would dictate it was yesterday, while I was out at work that my previously mentioned neighbour (mother of 'Bart') should suddenly be taken very ill.

Thankfully PG was off work ill himself and stepped into the breach. An ambulance duly attended poste haste, a paramedic did his stuff and off she went to our local hospital.........40 miles away!

All this left us not only worried but with one or two difficulties, the first being a very confused Bart, the second, that the lady in question only has one relative in the UK, a son who she has no contact with and all other relatives scattered around Germany, we speak no German and they no English. With that in mind we decided temporarily to abandon ideas of attempting to contact someone and wait until we had some news from the hospital.......we would cross that bridge if we got to it.

So Bart was our next problem. Given that as nice as he is, he would happily have our cats for a small snack, we couldn't take him home with us so we began a rota of feeding, walking and dog sitting. All this sounds quite simple but I suddenly discovered that never having kept a dog I was slightly at loss as to exactly they require. Added to that, despite turning the place upside down we could find no 'Bart food' and by now ( I did'nt get in from work until 21.00) the shops had shut. I also had no idea how long he would tolerate being on his own before he would get stressed.

The feeding problem was temporarily alleviated by the discovery of a large packet of dog treats and the second by the introduction of the 'keeping Bart company' rota!!!

I phoned the hospital later at night and after some difficulty finding her and convincing them she has no one else in the UK they overlooked that I am just a neighbour and informed me she was 'comfortable'.........what the hell does 'comfortable' mean in a medical sense? I decided in the absence of any more detailed information that it at least meant she was in no imminent danger and finally got to bed.

06.30 this morning and it was dog walking in the rain before work.....oh joy.... and then more 'doggy treats' to keep him going until I could get home from work with something more appropriate in the dog menu line.

I worried all day, spent my lunch time trying to choose between the dog diets on display in the local shop, well aware that if I chose something he took offence too it would be me cleaning it up, and raced home at 17.00 for another walk in the rain.

Having fed and walked a now slightly miserable Bart I phoned the hospital again to discover his 'mum' was one her way home *sigh of relief* but apparently with a problem with her heart that as yet can't be identified *sigh*

Somehow I think Bart and his 'mum' are going to become more of a feature in my life for a while to come.

The thoughts of Lion Kimbro

Still bleary eyed and on my first cup of coffee this morning an article about a 26 year old American geek, Lion Kimbro popped into my sights. This guy has for reasons know best to himself spent 3 months writing down every single thought in his head. Why would anyone want to do that?? He does try to explain his reasons but I'll be damned if I can see it. For that matter I'm not sure if I could, that I would want to make myself consciously aware of all my thoughts let alone offer the written document for free public download!!!

I can't imagine it makes stunning reading but I might just go and have a little look. :o)

Rally night

Well I got to see the first night at least this year.........woooooooooooo, stunning!


Rally 1

Rally

Jim Clarke Memorial Rally

This village has at least one famous individual in it's past, Jim Clarke the 1960's F1 driver.
He was born in Fife but lived most of his relatively short life here. The only things to suggest the link are a small sign on the road into the village and a museum commemorating his achievements....... that is until one weekend every summer when the Jim Clarke Memorial Rally takes place on the roads and lanes of the area and everywhere goes mad with high powered rally cars screaming at break-neck speeds.

The village takes on a new life for 2 days, stuffed to the gills with spectators lining the roads, the pubs (all 2 of them) busy and the corner shop doing a roaring trade!

This year it kicks off this evening 50 yards from our door. As yet I have not managed to see it,(work commitments, grrrr) only to hear it through the night stages but hopefully this time I will have a grandstand view at least for tonight.


Jim Clarke

Camoflage cat.

So this is where she hides when I'm trying to get her in!


Camoflage cat!

Introducing 'Bart'

Given that this dog duty thing seems to be becoming something of a regular occurrence I thought it was about time I introduced the dog in question...........so meet 'Bart'.

We have just completed the second drag of the day and as ever he has me sussed. Not content with his usual carrying-ons, today I couldn't shift him out of the house with out this multi coloured encumbrance. Try as I might to persuade him it might get lost/muddy/stolen or mislaid, down went the rear end, paws instantly embedded in the carpet and he was not for moving.
So off we went, multi colured encumbrance firmly lodged in mouth. As I had suspected that was not to remain the case. Each time a cat, bird or other more interesting subject appeared the encumbrance was abandoned for me to pick up!

All this and still no 'rear end action'!! Bah............. he just knows I'm gonna keep taking him out as long as he keeps this up!


This must come too!

Ugh.

I've had one of those nights, you know the ones. I didn't get to bed until 1.30 and was still tossing and turning at 4.00. That was hotly pursued by PG waking me at 5.30 feeling unwell. Having dealt with that I couldn't get back to sleep despite feeling like someone had jumped on my head and now, oh joy, I remember I am on an entire day of dog dragging duties! Ugh!

Yes, I'm a pariah.

So here's one that never fails to induce strong emotion and opinion in people.....and I'm no different!

I noticed in the news yesterday that our current 'illustrious leaders' have (stage) managed another 'document leak'..... this time concerning their intent to ban smoking in public places should they be victorious at the next election. No surprise there then, that yet another piece of intended legislation appears conveniently pre election. Forgive my sceptisism but might this just be intended to win over more of the 'politically correct' vote!

As a smoker I am ever aggravated at some non smokers and the authorities ability to assume that because I was stupid, misguided or weak enough to begin this hateful addiction in the first place , it must therefore follow that I also don't have the mental capacity to understand the effects of smoking and passive smoking!!

I would not smoke in the vicinity of others, particularly children and am only too well aware of the effects it has. I do not for one moment doubt the medical evidence and I respect the choice of others to live in a safe environment. What the hell though, has happened to my choices. There are already very few places I can smoke, I have two options, not to frequent a particular establishment or to stand out side like a pariah in all weathers,shamefully feeding my addiction. The reality of the situation for me is that I do the standing outside on frequent occasions, quite pleasant in the summer.....not so in the winter!

I am only too happy as the minority, to be the one secreted away in another room with a massive air conditioning unit for company or to be stood outside. I don't want to endanger other peoples health but I do want a little more understanding from those 'holier than thou' individuals who feel they have the right to judge me for my weakness.

I hate me for smoking, it scares something unmentionable out of me, it frustrates me beyond belief, that as yet it still controls me, I don't control it. Do those people really think I want to die an agonising death??... Well just incase there is any doubt on that one I don't.

These individuals mostly defend their opinions by being 'right' and for 'caring'.....well yes I know they are right but what, tell me is so bloody right or caring about letting elderly hospital inpatients, post operatively, stagger through the catacombs of a hospital, I.V. carts trailing in their wake to stand outside in sleet to have a smoke??? I sure don't see the care in that but believe me, I have seen the scenario, or one similar, many times.

If I was a 'crack head', an alcoholic or indeed suffered almost any other addiction there would be systems in place to help and support me. Not so for the smoker. Yes there are pharmaceutical producs to assist but not the moral or practical support. Yet many professionals believe that nicotine to be as addictive as many other abused substances.

So for those on that particular band wagon, please don't make assumptions and judgments so readily. When you have dealt with a personal addiction, become professionally qualified to treat one, know every individuals life circumstances or attain perfection in your own lives let me know.......... Until then save it eh?

......and for anyone who has beaten this thing..........well done, I have great admiration for you and feel free to beat me up for not managing to be one of your number. :o)

Technology.....Pah!

I'm sure if I obtained the appropriate education on the subject all this would become clear..........or maybe not!
Every day this infernal machine reminds me just how little I really understand. It has a life all of it's own. I'm convinced little gremlins reside happily along with my motherboard, graphics card and hard drive etc. ready to give me the finger at every opportunity!

Take yesterday for instance, I was trying to mail a friend, just a few lines, nothing earth shattering, one address after another failed to either send or receive. I switched to my laptop in aggravation to find the same problem, but with different addresses..............and does anyone actually understand all those error messages??? I checked my settings, all fine, nothing changed, so I set about deciphering some of the errors.That in itself requires a few free hours and generally results in my being none the wiser. I did discover however that in this instance it was the old chestnut 'server problems. This time my personal family of gremlins where not to be blamed. That said, and given the number of different addresses I was attempting to use to carry out this great email sending feat .............was yesterday 'international server rest day' or some such event?? Grrrrrrr.

My other ongoing annoyance is certainly due to my lack of knowledge. No hard drive residing gremlins to lay the blame with on this one! I know other bloggers etc. can track me, my movements on their site, where I have come from, what country I live in etc. etc. How do they get such detailed information? Granted my site stats app. is a freebie so I can't expect miracles. It does provide me with some of the aforementioned 'spy tactics' but by no means all.......... will someone out there please make my day and enlighten me?

My final grumble is closer to home..........PG! Why does he feel it so necessary to fiddle here to such an extent that he sends 'Windows' crashing to the ground in thousands of minute pieces with regular monotony! Ok I hear you say, my fault for using Windows in the first place, but gimme a break, I can't take in a new o/s as well just now! Granted, he picks it up and puts it all back together for me but hey.......I can live without it!

Rant over :o)