Walkers Cheese MixUps – Our Themed Party Snack Of Choice

After three emotional days, preparations for our “Leaving Party” have started with robust vigour – the chosen theme, after much debate, being 10,000BC,  with a dress code of cavemen or dinosaurs (and yes, Mr D we know dinosaurs weren’t actually around in caveman times, but to quote the song …… “It’s our party and we’ll have dinosaurs if we want to!” – we have much to organise – in particular what comestible snacks to serve our honoured guests……..

……. and so up for our considered consideration Darrell bought home some new Walkers MixUps to try  ……..

……. which, should we go down that aforementioned comestible snack route, would offer our guests the choice of cheesy Wotsits, Doritos, Monster Munch and French Fries all in one bag (or dish, naturally when served properly) and thus save us an awful lot of shopping!  How very brilliant is that? 

There is something to please everyone, and with Monster Munch included, one of our very favourite snacks of choice and oft found in our lunch boxes ….. they also go with our dinosaur theme, by reason of dinosaurs being sort of monsters!

Anyway, we sampled said MixUps with much unbridled enthusiasm, and felt that a score of 100 decibels on our ever changing Richter Scale of Noms was very acceptable, and as such, Walker’s MixUps have passed our discerning palate test and will therefore be served to our caveman and dinosaur guests!!!! 

Nigel Delivers His Notice

With Darrell and my notice having been given in and accepted, it was all down to Nigel to erm …… deliver the final blow to the kitchen!

 

Let’s just say he made quite an emotional meal of it, but who were we  to tell him to be anything otherwise, this was his moment, visiting each part of the kitchen that held a special place in his heart, like the Slushie Machines, which he had one day hoped to be promoted too, to dispense the Cosmic Cola and Vimto with a deft and professional elegance!!!

This was followed by the mystical and mahooooooooosive cooking range where The Cook Lady could, if she wanted, have twelve separate things cooking all at the same time, but Nigel had never been witness to such an wonderful occasion ….. and now he probably never would!

The introduction of the Biological Biometric Cashless Society Tills which work at the touch of the purchasers fingertip had been a very exciting innovation for all of us  ……. and though something to aspire to, Nigel knew that he would never have been put in charge of ……. not unless Cook Lady chose to send him away to university for millions of years  to do a professorship or something equally brainy!

And then there were The Cook Lady’s super sized spice jars from which Nigel would watch, across a bustling kitchen, her romantically sprinkle, with great Cook Lady knowledge into many of her signature dishes.  Not even Greg Wallace has spice jars as big as Cook Lady, as Nigel constantly tells us when we watch Masterchef!

Things were now getting a little tooooooooo personal and close to home for Nigel ……the hot beverage machine, scene of many a celebratory hot chocolate ……. and the ice cream fridge, the very start of Nigel’s interest in a kitchen career …….

Nigel knew that it was now time for him to deliver his letter …….

……. perhaps not most opportune of timing, as Cook Lady was in the middle of a chow mein, but, with a preoccupied Cook Lady, Nigel had banked on, with her hands otherwise full, there would be no risk of any physical exchange of an emotional type nature  …… a cuddle that smelt of pizza and deep fat fryers was what he wanted more than anything else in the world ……. but at that moment, he just couldn’t bear it ……..

……. especially with the thought that someone else could be in charge of his sauce rotation,  in a few weeks time and not him!There are times when Nigel is best left alone …..

…… and this was one of them!

In A Manner Of A Very Business Type Nature!

This morning it was my turn to hand in my notice to Sarah our boss. After Darrell spoke to her yesterday, I don’t think my appearance was a particular surprise and I think she was sort of expecting me …….

……. as I happened to notice a new box of tissues had appeared on her desk, probably because Darrell had decimated the contents of her last one.  But I was my usual stoic self and said, when offered, that I didn’t think I needed one, so Sarah used it instead!

We chatted a while about our Evesham plans, shook hands ….. and then it was back to business as usual, which I thought was very mature of us, especially as no cake (or biscuits) were involved either.

I did however take a longish, whimsical look through at my Prospect Coaches 2015 calendar, and though a little sad ……

I don’t think I am too heartbroken at the prospect of not having to book another bus again  ……!!!

I think Nigel is planning his private moment with Cook Lady tomorrow and I know I will need to gird my lions loins for the aftermath, as I think I can predict that it will be emotional. I just hope Nigel has timed it for after he’s sorted out his sauce rotation, and not before, because  I can foresee,  in a Derek Acorah type way, that it will be  a non-condimented lunch sitting if it isn’t!!!

Darrell Gives In His Notice.

Darrell decided to be the first of us to bite the bullet and after asking if he could have a word with Sarah, our boss, he handed in his notice ………….. he put on his bravest, most positive, smiley face …….

……. but when Sarah opened the letter, read it quietly and then said “Oh no Darrell …… what am I going to do without you? You are my ray of sunshine in this office ….. no one can shred confidential documents like you, and when I hear you singing Updown Funk and see you wiggle as you shred, I know all is well in the world!  Darrell, can I refuse your notice?”

And at that, the tissues came out and the tears flowed …..  Sarah’s  as well as Darrell’s …….. but Darrell, between loud nose blows, explained his/our reasons and Sarah said she was devastated but understood…….

…… and gave him a little bossly cuddle.

…… and decided as these were exceptional circumstances she would break open the coffee break cupcakes a little earlier than usual!

A Sad, But Tinged With Bittersweet Joy, Sunday

As robustly planned during the week, this morning we all sat down at the  table to write our letters of resignation from work, drawing a close to an epic era for us.

I knew it would be emotional, so I took the liberty of issuing everyone with a man-size tissue, (should they need it), as well as a pen and paper, and then we all retreated into our own world of memories and suchlike to compose said letters.

Nigel finished his letter first, the words coming straight from his heart ……….

…… and then Darrell and I allowed him the dignity to let his sobs, tears, and rather a lot of snot flow unfettered and for as long as it took.

Darrell was more stoic, until he read his letter back and then he too gave in to his emotion.

I didn’t think I would need my hankie, but I suppose the  mood of the others was contagious …… and as I signed my letter I embraced the moment too.

And although sad, especially knowing that we now have to go through the raw emotion of presenting of our letters to our respective bosses in the coming week   ….. our decision has been made, the die has been cast  ….. and we know that we have sooooo much to look forward to and plan for the future ………

…….. including …… dare we say ……a leaving party!!!!!

Eurovision Song Contest 2015 – Our Dream Bubble A Bit Popped!!!

You may have noticed that we have now added a countdown clock to the Eurovision Song Contest, our televisual highlight of the year, to our blog and that we have been alluding, in the past week or so, that something “may” have been afoot re: our Eurovision dreams …… however, things have been going for quite a bit longer, but such was our abject disappointment that it is only now that we feel able to reveal them to you.

For …….. this year, we had set our hearts on actually going to the contest in Vienna in real life …….. we had even (pre Evesham decision) booked a day off from work in order to facilitate our outbound flight to said Vienna ….. but sadly it was not to be ……..

We found out when the tickets were to go on sale……

……. and Darrell got up at the of crack dawn, with a flask of hot tea and a packet of BelVita biscuits in order to attempt to secure three said tickets …….

……. but even though he was on hold, when he eventually got through, nothing was left…. everything sold out in less than twenty minutes!! It was Darrell against all the rest of Europe ….. let’s just say it was emotional!

But then we heard that there was a second wave of tickets and Darrell, bless him, did it all over again, but alas, with the same devastating results.

At that, we decided to have a robust and frank family debate at the utility room table ….. there were tickets available during the preceding week for the semi finals etc. but did we really want to do that  (bearing in mind, that at the time, we thought that we would be still at work) …….

…….. and so we all came to the conclusion that perhaps it wasn’t a path we wanted to follow, we would be there, but it wouldn’t be quite the same as the real thing!

We could also consider, Darrell suggested,  the “secondary market” but the prices had already reached astrological proportions, for one night embracing the pleasures of Eurovision  we could have a week’s Greek Odyssey, it was a slightly sadness tinged no brainer

So, we decided that as we have always been very happy watching the contest at home for all these years, to quote Johnny Logan, Eurovision winner in 1980,  “What’s Another Year”   ….. and now, this year we will be sharing it with Hugh at his Worcester Pile, chez Le Chic-kin Coup …… so again no contest!!!!!!

Embracing The Treasures of Nature Chez Castle Greysquirrel

I don’t think I have ever seen ………
…… the small tree at the front of Castle Greysquirrel, …….
……. that we have always referred to as “The Singing Ringing Tree” ……

……. look as abundant, radiant and romantic as it does this year, it has even had a baby, which has suddenly appeared and is now blooming against our portals …… perhaps it’s said abundance is a Derek Acorah premonition of other abundances that may be coming our way!!!!!  Hmmmmmmmmm

I Know What He’s Thinking ….

We are all now back at work after the Easter break and yesterday, half way through the morning I found Nigel looking whimsically at the school photo in the foyer …..

…… and I knew exactly what he was thinking …… in a few days time we have all planned to sit down at the table in our utility for matters of great import  ...... and  Nigel (along with Darrell and I) will put pen to paper to write his notice to The Cook Lady …… I know there will be tears!

The Easter Bunny Has Been …… Again!!!

There was much robust joy Chez Greysquirrel yesterday when we all got in from work because ………. the Transatlantic Easter Bunny had been!The Bunny really being our very special friend Dianne who live in sunny Florida …… she had alluded that a parcel might be on it’s way, but could possibly be late, when on Easter morning we hadn’t woken up to a little something from her ……. the Easter Bunny being, perhaps, delayed in customs!!!!

….. but having Easter all over again was just doubly exciting for us …… making it last longer.

There was an Easter card with an note inside, written in the most romantic loopy writing from Dianne, hinting of what lay inside …………… including  a smorgasbord of very comestible Eastery chocolaty treats,  which we shall very much enjoy partaking of, during our evenings of shared televisual viewing.

There was also a wonderful iced sugar egg for each of us, with a little festive scene inside, we had one last year, but we, not even Nigel, didn’t dare take the tiniest nibble, these are for treasuring, and will be put away safe, to be taken out each year and stories told!

And then there were two delicately tissue wrapped presents for Nigel …….

…….. his little face was a picture, because they contained two Easter t-shirts …. a most welcome gift, as he had only just changed out of the one Dianne sent him last year, which he had insisted on wearing all over the holiday and to be honest, it almost walked to the washer on its own.

I don’t usually encourage acts of nakedness at the utility table, but for once I made an exception, and now Nigel is a pretty cool and much more fragrant bunny!

There was a little book for me, that Dianne said was to note down events of great import during our Greek Odyssey Mark 2, which I shall now put in the passport drawer so I don’t forget it ……..

And finally,  there was a real life Dreamcatcher to catch or let all our dreams pass through …… and we certainly have a lots of those at the moment that we need to pass through …….

…… so Darrell took Nigel upstairs and made sure that it was fastened securely to our bedpost …..

……. to make sure that the Dreamcatcher Legend continues within the bedroom portals of Castle Greysquirrel and our dreams do come true!

What can we say, but “THANK YOU” Dianne, you are a very, very, very special friend xxxx And “Thank You” for making Easter last a little longer for all of us too xxxxxx