Hello one and all....thanks so much for yet another classic Big Night Out last Thursday, it was brilliant! A fantastic turnout (Gerard much missed but skiing was an acceptable excuse, even if it was just down the runway at Gatwick!) and everyone totally Up For It... we even got a rendition of Yellow Bird I seem to recall!!!!!! CLASSIC.
Anyways, as you know I was self-elected Police Constable Williams, ably assisted by Sgt Irving, D I Reason and CSI Davis, purely on the strength of locating a Police Style Notebook in that dodgy chemists on Wood Street - what an emporium that place is........totally recommended for a lunchtime browse......quote of the experience being:
Jo: Oh my god Rachel look, they have Iron On Trouser Pockets! Have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous? (much laughter)
Rach: Oooh really? I need some of those for Harry!
Anyways, I have as promised revealed the Full Evidence captured in the Police Style Notebook on the occasion of Thursday 10th April 2008:
Location: The Victoria, Victoria Street
Time: 16:30
Offence: Cost of vodka - exorbitant!
Reported by: PC Williams
Time : 17:20
Offence: Sgt Irving declared she would be in work and ok tomorrow. Yeah right!
Reported by: PC Williams
(NOTE: Sgt Irving did indeed appear in work the next day.....investigations are underway as this is such an unusual event we believe she must have a secret twin....)
Time: 17:23
Offence: Daylight on leaving The Victoria, many people assumed it would be dark
Reported by: PC Williams
Location: Longs Bar, Victoria Street
Time: 17:35
Offence: Crime against fashion: Raymondo
Reported by: Sgt Irving
Time: 17:36
Offence: PC Williams assaulted by DI Reason
Reported by: PC Williams
Time: 17:50
Offence: Raymondo accused PC Williams of resembling Dimitar Berbabtov, Bulgarian International and Tottenham Hotspur striker.
Reported by: PC Williams
(NOTE: Witness statements are being sought to confirm or deny this allegation - please follow this link to see images of Berbabtov.....the victim is VERY UPSET and thus anyone agreeing with the accusation will be excluded from Independance Day celebrations on 4th July..... you have been warned! http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&rlz=1T4GGLR_enGB268GB268&resnum=0&q=Berbatov&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi )
Time: 18:50
Offence: Suspect Beadle claimed PC Williams 'never said no'
Reported by: PC Williams
Time: 19:15
Offence: Suspect Raymondo complained about his seat on the table plan 'big time'
Reported by: PC Williams
Time: 22:40
Offence: DI Reason stole the iron-on trouser pockets from Sgt Irving
Reported by: PC Williams
Time: 22:55
Occurence: Sally Davis confirmed in role as CSI Davis and promoted to Leadership Team, but won't attend Leadership Team Meetings
That concludes the evidence recorded. What a great night! Here's to the next one....sooner rather than later eh!
Cheers ears PC Williams xxxxxxxxxxx
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Hurly Burly Life
Hello all! Again I cannot believe I have not posted anything since 17th Feb, that is terrible! In fact I have just looked up 17th Feb in my diary and it is interesting, life certainly got a bit hectic after that - was working 23 hours a day for Roland Rat; buried my aunt; realised life was too short to have complete mental pygmies like Roland Rat in it; fell out with Roland Rat; attempted reconciliation with Roland Rat (failed); had no job to do; requested voluntary redundancy; stressed over whether they would give me voluntary redundancy; hurrah! they did; oh-my-god-what-have-I-done-taking-voluntary-redundancy; oh-my-god-i-can't-wait-to-get-out-of-this-place - etcetera etcetera etcetera! So, I am now not surprised I have not posted anything in hindsight!
So, here I am some six weeks later and boy has my life changed again (this does seem to be a recurring theme eh). I am now waiting til 14th April when I get served my three months' notice, so have been job hunting for the past few weeks. There seems to be alot of work out there but in my seven year stint with this place I have forgottenwhat a ballsache job hunting is! In that you have to apply for 75 jobs to get 6 interviews out of which you may get 1 call back... I have however redone my CV (according to some online guru who charged me a tenner to say my original one was crap, I was initially high affronted but re-did the thing anyway, then submitted it under a false name and my next tenner returned me the statement 'your cv looks very good' so hopefully I got something right!) and as of this week have started selecting decent local companies I would like to work for and will start sending them my details on spec as of next week.
I have also got back into Running (thanks to Di M) and have done two races in ten days! Both 5 milers, really enjoyed them to the extent I have possibly gone completely mad and entered the Chippenham Half Marathon on 14th September!!! So hopefully Ger will be offering showers and lunch and maybe we can all together on the evening of 14th to celebrate our (hopeful!) race completion and my birthday which is as you all know on 19th.... let me know your thoughts.
My social life has also improved, I have been out 3 times in recent weeks and we have a big works do tomorrow night for the 20 people who have already left, at the Club so I am very excited to be Spending An Evening at the Workingmens Club! Another first...
So, despite all the ups and downs and the threat of no job in 12 weeks, I am happy! The cats are fine and dandy too, growing like mad and have acquired the not-so-delightful habit of bringing me gifts regularly of dead birds which I am not encouraging but they do seem to be very good at this sport! We started off with a blue tit, then went straight up through the ranks to a pigeon, and have now settled on blackbirds as the breed of choice. (It is quite amazing just how much blood a blackbird contains). Bless em.
The garden is looking good too, I have planted honeysuckles, lavendars, saxifrages, hydrangeas, mallow, herbs, rhododendron, buddleia and heathers as well as made my top front lawn circular, so a real Charlie Dimmock in the making (chest aside) (and hair).
I have also been awarded my annual bonus (nice one!) which I have spent approximately 1.25 times (I spent all of it in 2007, cleared all debts and have since treated myself to a new sofa and some new clothes, I deserved SOMETHING this year !!)... and what the hell, you only get made redundant once (she says hopefully!).
So.....a mixed bag but 80% good stuff I think. Hope the same for you lot! I can't wait for next Thursday and our Big Night Out, please bring your diaries so we can get the date set for my Swindon Leaving Do in July (week one). My Stanlow Leaving Do will be week two of course! Take care have great weekends and 'see you next week' ! Love me xxxx
So, here I am some six weeks later and boy has my life changed again (this does seem to be a recurring theme eh). I am now waiting til 14th April when I get served my three months' notice, so have been job hunting for the past few weeks. There seems to be alot of work out there but in my seven year stint with this place I have forgottenwhat a ballsache job hunting is! In that you have to apply for 75 jobs to get 6 interviews out of which you may get 1 call back... I have however redone my CV (according to some online guru who charged me a tenner to say my original one was crap, I was initially high affronted but re-did the thing anyway, then submitted it under a false name and my next tenner returned me the statement 'your cv looks very good' so hopefully I got something right!) and as of this week have started selecting decent local companies I would like to work for and will start sending them my details on spec as of next week.
I have also got back into Running (thanks to Di M) and have done two races in ten days! Both 5 milers, really enjoyed them to the extent I have possibly gone completely mad and entered the Chippenham Half Marathon on 14th September!!! So hopefully Ger will be offering showers and lunch and maybe we can all together on the evening of 14th to celebrate our (hopeful!) race completion and my birthday which is as you all know on 19th.... let me know your thoughts.
My social life has also improved, I have been out 3 times in recent weeks and we have a big works do tomorrow night for the 20 people who have already left, at the Club so I am very excited to be Spending An Evening at the Workingmens Club! Another first...
So, despite all the ups and downs and the threat of no job in 12 weeks, I am happy! The cats are fine and dandy too, growing like mad and have acquired the not-so-delightful habit of bringing me gifts regularly of dead birds which I am not encouraging but they do seem to be very good at this sport! We started off with a blue tit, then went straight up through the ranks to a pigeon, and have now settled on blackbirds as the breed of choice. (It is quite amazing just how much blood a blackbird contains). Bless em.
The garden is looking good too, I have planted honeysuckles, lavendars, saxifrages, hydrangeas, mallow, herbs, rhododendron, buddleia and heathers as well as made my top front lawn circular, so a real Charlie Dimmock in the making (chest aside) (and hair).
I have also been awarded my annual bonus (nice one!) which I have spent approximately 1.25 times (I spent all of it in 2007, cleared all debts and have since treated myself to a new sofa and some new clothes, I deserved SOMETHING this year !!)... and what the hell, you only get made redundant once (she says hopefully!).
So.....a mixed bag but 80% good stuff I think. Hope the same for you lot! I can't wait for next Thursday and our Big Night Out, please bring your diaries so we can get the date set for my Swindon Leaving Do in July (week one). My Stanlow Leaving Do will be week two of course! Take care have great weekends and 'see you next week' ! Love me xxxx
Sunday, February 17, 2008
A Relaxing Day in the Garden
Greetings friends. It is Sunday, late afternoon, and we have had the best weather this weekend for yonks - glorious sunny days coupled with savagely cold nights so you wake up to sunlight on hoar frost, just gorgeous! So gorgeous in fact I gleefully abandoned all 'indoor' jobs (indoor = any location not outside - house, Sainsburys, Independant Financial Advisors, etc etc etc) and Took To The Garden. Now for those of you lucky people who have been to my house, you will know that although I don't own acres, I do have three gardens - 2 terraces at the front and a yard at the back. (NB the back yard was described as a 'split level paved patio area featuring displays of natural stone, with full-size shed' in the Estate Agents brochures...ok, it has some patio slabs and a bit of blue slate, there is a step and yes, I do indeed have a shed that is acually bigger than the back yard, but other that that, it is basically a yard!). Therefore I spent much time drinking tea standing alternately on the back step and the front step, pondering my land and wondering what I could do (that wouldn't cost a fortune) and which I would tackle first.
Well, Dylan and Thomas decided the priority area as we are now on Week 3 of co-habiting and if they don't start Going Outside More Often (to poop as well as burn off energy) we shall not be co-habiting for much longer. So, Tunnel Training #2 took place whilst I attacked the dodgy 'raised bed' area of the back yard which someone had basically built up (mostly out of broken paving slabs I discovered) around the v expensive and v nice yukka tree thing, stuck some log edging (have never been a fan but it does look ok when combined with slate), and then ruined by (a) covering it with white gravel (now so old it is tinged green) and (b) not planting anything in the raised bed bar one solitary daffodil which struggled its way through the perma-crust of green tinged gravel only to be annihalated by the cats! So this is now gravel free (added nicely to my aggregate garage area), has had some compost added and is now proudly playing host to a lavendar, rosemary, thyme and hebe plants! (And some cat poop which although sounds gross initially, believe you me the quicker they Do Their Business outside and not in a hideous litter tray the better, I am very Over Litter Tray Emptying, it is the worst form of lucky dip activity EVER!). So, vast improvement out back.
By this time it was 2pm on Sat and enthused by my success I tore round to the Front Garden and decided to Dig a Border in front of the house. This had four (of the obviously Bulk Purchase) paving slabs dug in on which the former owner stored her recycling bins, which I never understood cos this meant she had to trail through the house from the kitchen out the front door and half way across the lawn to put her empty wine bottle in the bin. Then every other Monday night she had to lug said recycling bin bacl across the lawn, and down 8 fairly massive steps in order for the recclying people to empty crack of dawn Tuesday. (To be fair it only seems to happen at the crack of dawn when I have forgotten to put them out Monday night. Every time i get organised they turn up about midday). I have since relocated bins to back yard and installed an inside temporary receptacle which saves all requirement to take rubbish outside (apart from once every other week when I drag wet bin in from outside, empty inside collection into it, and stagger down the 8 massive steps......!!). So, the paving slabs are suplus to requirements.
I casually bent down and tried to get a finger under the first slab - not happening. She had for once seemingly done a proper job and dug them in. So I returned with my garden fork and inserted a tine under the slab and casually lent on handle of fork. Nothing. No movement. So I lent a bit harder - nada. Finally, applying all my weight to the handle I finally achieved movement - the tine bent! 10 very cross minutes spent locating suitable hammer and banging tine vaguely back into line and I finally managed to heave the first slab out of the hole by inserting all four tines under it at once (lightbulb moment!). However, the minute I removed weight from fork the slab fell neatly nack into its slot. THis went on for some minutes until I managed to refine a complex manoeuvre in which I had to lift-then-push-forward-whilst-transferring-weight-from-both-legs-to-one-and-shoving-freed-foot-rapidly-under-raised-slab. Needless to say it was only by the fourth slab removal that I got the hang of just how high to raise the slab so as to avoid crushing injury to foot once fork released!
I now had a very uninspiring rectangle of mud with three sides of grass, four paving slabs that weighed a ton on my front step and many many pulled muscles. My neighbour at this appeared with a spindly ancient rusted cobwebby Mail Order type 'collasible trolley' contraption that she thought I could use to move the slabs. This seemed like a good idea until in my attemts to unfold the 'trolley' I managed to bend the main spar at least 45 degrees out of shape just by applying some slight pressure with my toe, I decided it probably wouldn't be up to the job, and hence I have what I am trying to persuade myself will be a nice 'plant step' on my front step (ie) a stack of four paving slabs. (However I am less concerned about this now as I have studied a number of front steps in the locality and this is a very common phenomenon. That was obviously some Bulk Purchase deal they had going a few years back!)
Gaining my second wind I attacked the mud and bits of grass with my fork and it turned over beautifully, it is lovely soil and I was instantly all enthused again - this is what gardening is all about, a few steps back are always offset by several more forward! So I decided I would cut out a path next to my new border crossing my lawn to accommodate the postman. Now I know this sounds a little bizarre, but our postman has perfected running across the top of all our lawns whilst flinging our mail vaguely in the direction of the letter box. This is obviously something he has been working on for many years because he has pretty much worn his own path across my lawn (now I understand why everyone else has gone for gravel) akin to an ancient badger trail. So I figured it would not be too much hassle to cut and roll the turf off a section prior to putting some slate down (I am now In To Slate - if you can't beat them and all that). So I started attacking the lawn. Needless to say the first two feet came up beautifully and I could have used the turf rolls in an turf roll advert. The next 45 feet were the hardest, stoniest, frozen-ist I could have encountered (the type of ground where your powerful thrust of shovel hits buried paving slab, jarring your wrists, forearms, elbows, upper arms, shoulders, teeth and skull simultaneously, and just as you are about to let rip loudly with a very choice swear word your elderly neighboiur pops back out to 'see how you are doing' so all you can is weakly gasp) and I eventually reached The Other Side about 2 hours later, sweating despite the sub-zero temperature, exhausted, covered in mud and grass and that peculiar sand stuff that buried paving slabs can turn into if struck often enough with a blunt shovel, and then all I had to do was manually transfer the apparent 10 tonne of turf 'bits' (gave up roll attempts about foot three) the measly strip of land I had cleared round to the back of my garage where my neighbour asked me to lay it so as to create a nice green area... have you ever moved turf bits? It weighs about 6 times more than its size would lead you to think...I started off filling a bucket but that was going to take hours, so I had the bright idea of dragging my wheelie bin round and using that as a tranfer vehicle. This was inspired - all 10 tonne thrown into bin in about 5 mins flat - until I came to move the bin - it was like the whole paving slab scenario re-bloody-visited!
I eventually dumped half the load back on the lawn, and did two runs with the wheelie bin (which interestingly each time I dragged it laden down the road, not a person was about, but each time I wheeld it back round empty and weightless the local gym kicked out and I was surrounded by burly men looking to help a damsel in distress. Typical) and then spent an aimless 40 minutes trying to piece together the bits into some sort of lawn. This was like knitting with grass, or completing a jigsaw with grass I guess - very hard to do but overly satisfying when you got a bit right! And it does look groovy behind the garage, although the minute I laid it it went straight back to looking like a few measly inches of lawn as oppose to the football field size it felt like to remove!
By this time it was dark, properly freezing and I was so tired I could barely put one foot in front of another. I put everything away, fed the cats (who had spent the whole afternoon sleeping off the tiring affect of their Morning Outside experience and were recharged to spend the night playing atg at 100mph round the house again, oh joy) and had the longest hottest bath which was of course agony as due to the sub zero temperatures I had inflicted many many injuries to my hands, feet, ankles, shins and thighs without apparently noticing, until that moment where you lower yourself into a steaming bath when it feels like you are being flayed alive with barbed wire - oooooouch! A substantial supper later (starving after all that work!) I retired to bed about 8.30 feeling as if I had gone 12 rounds with Ricky the Hit Man Hatton - so much for the gentle relaxing pasttime of gardening!
Needless to say I drove myself to Return To The Scene today and I have levelled-ish the path, laid 4 bags of plum slate (just 2 more needed!) and dug over the border again, so it is almost finished and does look much much better. If I ever get the enthusiasm to get the extra 2 bags of slate and lay them it will of course be a miracle, I now understand why the majority of slate paths/areas are a tad bare - the stuff weighs a ton and by the time you have got to the whole slate-laying activity, you are on your knees with exhaustion from the nightmare preparation of the area to be slated, and you frankly couldn't give a damn if it does have bare patches!!!
I am now off to have yet another bath to ease the aches of today's exertions before eating another substantial meal (weight loss through physical activity is not a feature of my genetic make up sadly) and falling into my bed at about 830 again no doubt! But it has been nice to put a little bit of me into my garden (my blood, my sweat, my tears, my flesh....) and the raised bed thing in the back yard looks fab from my kitchen window....however if that poxy postman doesn't use his new path I'll kill him! Love, a knackered gardener xxxxxxx
Well, Dylan and Thomas decided the priority area as we are now on Week 3 of co-habiting and if they don't start Going Outside More Often (to poop as well as burn off energy) we shall not be co-habiting for much longer. So, Tunnel Training #2 took place whilst I attacked the dodgy 'raised bed' area of the back yard which someone had basically built up (mostly out of broken paving slabs I discovered) around the v expensive and v nice yukka tree thing, stuck some log edging (have never been a fan but it does look ok when combined with slate), and then ruined by (a) covering it with white gravel (now so old it is tinged green) and (b) not planting anything in the raised bed bar one solitary daffodil which struggled its way through the perma-crust of green tinged gravel only to be annihalated by the cats! So this is now gravel free (added nicely to my aggregate garage area), has had some compost added and is now proudly playing host to a lavendar, rosemary, thyme and hebe plants! (And some cat poop which although sounds gross initially, believe you me the quicker they Do Their Business outside and not in a hideous litter tray the better, I am very Over Litter Tray Emptying, it is the worst form of lucky dip activity EVER!). So, vast improvement out back.
By this time it was 2pm on Sat and enthused by my success I tore round to the Front Garden and decided to Dig a Border in front of the house. This had four (of the obviously Bulk Purchase) paving slabs dug in on which the former owner stored her recycling bins, which I never understood cos this meant she had to trail through the house from the kitchen out the front door and half way across the lawn to put her empty wine bottle in the bin. Then every other Monday night she had to lug said recycling bin bacl across the lawn, and down 8 fairly massive steps in order for the recclying people to empty crack of dawn Tuesday. (To be fair it only seems to happen at the crack of dawn when I have forgotten to put them out Monday night. Every time i get organised they turn up about midday). I have since relocated bins to back yard and installed an inside temporary receptacle which saves all requirement to take rubbish outside (apart from once every other week when I drag wet bin in from outside, empty inside collection into it, and stagger down the 8 massive steps......!!). So, the paving slabs are suplus to requirements.
I casually bent down and tried to get a finger under the first slab - not happening. She had for once seemingly done a proper job and dug them in. So I returned with my garden fork and inserted a tine under the slab and casually lent on handle of fork. Nothing. No movement. So I lent a bit harder - nada. Finally, applying all my weight to the handle I finally achieved movement - the tine bent! 10 very cross minutes spent locating suitable hammer and banging tine vaguely back into line and I finally managed to heave the first slab out of the hole by inserting all four tines under it at once (lightbulb moment!). However, the minute I removed weight from fork the slab fell neatly nack into its slot. THis went on for some minutes until I managed to refine a complex manoeuvre in which I had to lift-then-push-forward-whilst-transferring-weight-from-both-legs-to-one-and-shoving-freed-foot-rapidly-under-raised-slab. Needless to say it was only by the fourth slab removal that I got the hang of just how high to raise the slab so as to avoid crushing injury to foot once fork released!
I now had a very uninspiring rectangle of mud with three sides of grass, four paving slabs that weighed a ton on my front step and many many pulled muscles. My neighbour at this appeared with a spindly ancient rusted cobwebby Mail Order type 'collasible trolley' contraption that she thought I could use to move the slabs. This seemed like a good idea until in my attemts to unfold the 'trolley' I managed to bend the main spar at least 45 degrees out of shape just by applying some slight pressure with my toe, I decided it probably wouldn't be up to the job, and hence I have what I am trying to persuade myself will be a nice 'plant step' on my front step (ie) a stack of four paving slabs. (However I am less concerned about this now as I have studied a number of front steps in the locality and this is a very common phenomenon. That was obviously some Bulk Purchase deal they had going a few years back!)
Gaining my second wind I attacked the mud and bits of grass with my fork and it turned over beautifully, it is lovely soil and I was instantly all enthused again - this is what gardening is all about, a few steps back are always offset by several more forward! So I decided I would cut out a path next to my new border crossing my lawn to accommodate the postman. Now I know this sounds a little bizarre, but our postman has perfected running across the top of all our lawns whilst flinging our mail vaguely in the direction of the letter box. This is obviously something he has been working on for many years because he has pretty much worn his own path across my lawn (now I understand why everyone else has gone for gravel) akin to an ancient badger trail. So I figured it would not be too much hassle to cut and roll the turf off a section prior to putting some slate down (I am now In To Slate - if you can't beat them and all that). So I started attacking the lawn. Needless to say the first two feet came up beautifully and I could have used the turf rolls in an turf roll advert. The next 45 feet were the hardest, stoniest, frozen-ist I could have encountered (the type of ground where your powerful thrust of shovel hits buried paving slab, jarring your wrists, forearms, elbows, upper arms, shoulders, teeth and skull simultaneously, and just as you are about to let rip loudly with a very choice swear word your elderly neighboiur pops back out to 'see how you are doing' so all you can is weakly gasp) and I eventually reached The Other Side about 2 hours later, sweating despite the sub-zero temperature, exhausted, covered in mud and grass and that peculiar sand stuff that buried paving slabs can turn into if struck often enough with a blunt shovel, and then all I had to do was manually transfer the apparent 10 tonne of turf 'bits' (gave up roll attempts about foot three) the measly strip of land I had cleared round to the back of my garage where my neighbour asked me to lay it so as to create a nice green area... have you ever moved turf bits? It weighs about 6 times more than its size would lead you to think...I started off filling a bucket but that was going to take hours, so I had the bright idea of dragging my wheelie bin round and using that as a tranfer vehicle. This was inspired - all 10 tonne thrown into bin in about 5 mins flat - until I came to move the bin - it was like the whole paving slab scenario re-bloody-visited!
I eventually dumped half the load back on the lawn, and did two runs with the wheelie bin (which interestingly each time I dragged it laden down the road, not a person was about, but each time I wheeld it back round empty and weightless the local gym kicked out and I was surrounded by burly men looking to help a damsel in distress. Typical) and then spent an aimless 40 minutes trying to piece together the bits into some sort of lawn. This was like knitting with grass, or completing a jigsaw with grass I guess - very hard to do but overly satisfying when you got a bit right! And it does look groovy behind the garage, although the minute I laid it it went straight back to looking like a few measly inches of lawn as oppose to the football field size it felt like to remove!
By this time it was dark, properly freezing and I was so tired I could barely put one foot in front of another. I put everything away, fed the cats (who had spent the whole afternoon sleeping off the tiring affect of their Morning Outside experience and were recharged to spend the night playing atg at 100mph round the house again, oh joy) and had the longest hottest bath which was of course agony as due to the sub zero temperatures I had inflicted many many injuries to my hands, feet, ankles, shins and thighs without apparently noticing, until that moment where you lower yourself into a steaming bath when it feels like you are being flayed alive with barbed wire - oooooouch! A substantial supper later (starving after all that work!) I retired to bed about 8.30 feeling as if I had gone 12 rounds with Ricky the Hit Man Hatton - so much for the gentle relaxing pasttime of gardening!
Needless to say I drove myself to Return To The Scene today and I have levelled-ish the path, laid 4 bags of plum slate (just 2 more needed!) and dug over the border again, so it is almost finished and does look much much better. If I ever get the enthusiasm to get the extra 2 bags of slate and lay them it will of course be a miracle, I now understand why the majority of slate paths/areas are a tad bare - the stuff weighs a ton and by the time you have got to the whole slate-laying activity, you are on your knees with exhaustion from the nightmare preparation of the area to be slated, and you frankly couldn't give a damn if it does have bare patches!!!
I am now off to have yet another bath to ease the aches of today's exertions before eating another substantial meal (weight loss through physical activity is not a feature of my genetic make up sadly) and falling into my bed at about 830 again no doubt! But it has been nice to put a little bit of me into my garden (my blood, my sweat, my tears, my flesh....) and the raised bed thing in the back yard looks fab from my kitchen window....however if that poxy postman doesn't use his new path I'll kill him! Love, a knackered gardener xxxxxxx
Friday, February 8, 2008
Uncomfortable Shoes
Hello all, apologies for leaving it almost a month between posts! Not sure what happened to the last 4 weeks (echos of last post ' what happened to the past 10 days' I know) but somehow they have passed in a flash....one weekend of course taken up with ChesterFest which was Absolutely Superb, thank you so much for making it a real Weekend To Remember! I have not laughed so much before or since for a long while, it was just the coolest. Can't wait for LiverFest now!!
Plus my two new housemates, Dylan and Thomas, moved in, who are of the feline species and who are as we speak playing 'tag' up and down the stairs at 100mph which will end any minute in a punch up which Thomas will win, but then he will be beset by guilt at hurting Dylan and will retreat into the sofa for the next 2 hours ... just like children! They are very groovy and make me laugh lots and I would not be without them now, even though they have only been here 2 weeks. And despite the fact they are costing me a small fortune in Felix and Hills Science Diet food. Not to mention the £200 investment in the world's most advanced Cat Tunnel that I had to have installed through my kitchen wall so they stand a small chance of surviving at least their first foray Outside! Which incidentally is planned for tomorrow. I am half looking forward to them being 'natural cats' and being able to entertain themsleves by slaying small animals and socialising with the local felines, and equally terrifiedthey will get squashed within about 3 mins of being let out in which case I shall (a) be distraught and (b) unable to face Gina ever again!
As soon as I have mastered the art of digital photos I will try and put some on here for you. Not that I harbour any desires to become 'please look at these pictures of my cats' (because from that point you are literally one step away from wearing Comfortable Shoes and thus may as well have a sign outside your house saying 'I have no friends, am socially inadeqaute and bat for the other side'), but because they are a fine looking pair and it will be nice for you all to see them just once. (If I do start to Go On about them it is your duty as my friends to put a stop to it)!
No other news really, work is craaaaaaazy at the mo, I unoffically-officially start the new job Monday, officially start sometime in April I think! By which time I will either have vaguely mastered the basics and be ok, or I will have totally collapsed under the pressure of trying to even vaguely master the basics in which case I'll be watching lots of daytime tv... No, it should be good, it is just a bit of a major learning curve - character building as my Dad would say!
On which note I am going to sign off as it is Friday and thus the weekend, yippee! Time for a celebratory glass of vino. Have fun all and I wil try my hardest to post something more interesting in the next few days as oppose to weeks......
Plus my two new housemates, Dylan and Thomas, moved in, who are of the feline species and who are as we speak playing 'tag' up and down the stairs at 100mph which will end any minute in a punch up which Thomas will win, but then he will be beset by guilt at hurting Dylan and will retreat into the sofa for the next 2 hours ... just like children! They are very groovy and make me laugh lots and I would not be without them now, even though they have only been here 2 weeks. And despite the fact they are costing me a small fortune in Felix and Hills Science Diet food. Not to mention the £200 investment in the world's most advanced Cat Tunnel that I had to have installed through my kitchen wall so they stand a small chance of surviving at least their first foray Outside! Which incidentally is planned for tomorrow. I am half looking forward to them being 'natural cats' and being able to entertain themsleves by slaying small animals and socialising with the local felines, and equally terrifiedthey will get squashed within about 3 mins of being let out in which case I shall (a) be distraught and (b) unable to face Gina ever again!
As soon as I have mastered the art of digital photos I will try and put some on here for you. Not that I harbour any desires to become 'please look at these pictures of my cats' (because from that point you are literally one step away from wearing Comfortable Shoes and thus may as well have a sign outside your house saying 'I have no friends, am socially inadeqaute and bat for the other side'), but because they are a fine looking pair and it will be nice for you all to see them just once. (If I do start to Go On about them it is your duty as my friends to put a stop to it)!
No other news really, work is craaaaaaazy at the mo, I unoffically-officially start the new job Monday, officially start sometime in April I think! By which time I will either have vaguely mastered the basics and be ok, or I will have totally collapsed under the pressure of trying to even vaguely master the basics in which case I'll be watching lots of daytime tv... No, it should be good, it is just a bit of a major learning curve - character building as my Dad would say!
On which note I am going to sign off as it is Friday and thus the weekend, yippee! Time for a celebratory glass of vino. Have fun all and I wil try my hardest to post something more interesting in the next few days as oppose to weeks......
Thursday, January 10, 2008
How the hell can it be January 10th already?
Hello all, Happy New Year!
I know it is a bit late to be wishing you that but I just do not know where the last 3 weeks have gone! I cannot believe it is the 10th already, not helped by the fact I spent all day thinking it was only the 9th. This old age lark can really take its toll!
I so can't wait for it to be Friday tomorrow, this first 5 day week (for some 5 weeks for me) has been A Killer. I am exhausted! And don't seem to have actually achieved much in work beyond got more and more terrified at the amount of work I have to do, very soon! I seem to have lost the ability to actually DO something, I just seem to spend all day thinking that I must do this and I must do that, then before you know it is is 4pm and home time! (How I love Supplyc Chain - 9-5? No thank you!)
I have however Been Brave and Looked At My Finances, which completely finished any idea of Going On The Wagon - too depressing by far to handle sober! I knew I had been a bit reckless with the old cash recently but what I had failed to consider was the Very Real Fact that my two year fixed interest rate on my mortgage expires in March, meaning I move from 4.65% to 7.295!!! Ouch. This is going to hurt a bit I fear. I may even have to cancel my Bupa membership to fund my wine habit! (There are limits. I refuse to abstain from alcohol purely for financial reasons, that is just ridiculous).
So, one belt being tightened as we speak. Though for those attending ChesterFest, fear not, I am allowed One Big Weekend every two-three months and this one is it! Plus luckily I won the Bonus Ball two weeks on the trot so I can even run to A New Top. Very exciting! (I know I bought loads in Vegas but they were Day Wear tops, not night. I have checked.)
I have just read my Vegas posts actually and had already forgotten lots of the stupid little things that made me laugh, so I am really glad I have this to refer back to, especially as I have been wholly unsuccessful in getting access to any of the photos the other 20 people took!
I had better go as my battery is about to go and I cannot be arsed to go upstairs to get the power lead - sorry! Can't WAIT for next weekend (being ChesterFest), someone please bring a camera and please email me the photos after! Have good weekends all and see you next weekend!
Lots of love, me xxxx
I know it is a bit late to be wishing you that but I just do not know where the last 3 weeks have gone! I cannot believe it is the 10th already, not helped by the fact I spent all day thinking it was only the 9th. This old age lark can really take its toll!
I so can't wait for it to be Friday tomorrow, this first 5 day week (for some 5 weeks for me) has been A Killer. I am exhausted! And don't seem to have actually achieved much in work beyond got more and more terrified at the amount of work I have to do, very soon! I seem to have lost the ability to actually DO something, I just seem to spend all day thinking that I must do this and I must do that, then before you know it is is 4pm and home time! (How I love Supplyc Chain - 9-5? No thank you!)
I have however Been Brave and Looked At My Finances, which completely finished any idea of Going On The Wagon - too depressing by far to handle sober! I knew I had been a bit reckless with the old cash recently but what I had failed to consider was the Very Real Fact that my two year fixed interest rate on my mortgage expires in March, meaning I move from 4.65% to 7.295!!! Ouch. This is going to hurt a bit I fear. I may even have to cancel my Bupa membership to fund my wine habit! (There are limits. I refuse to abstain from alcohol purely for financial reasons, that is just ridiculous).
So, one belt being tightened as we speak. Though for those attending ChesterFest, fear not, I am allowed One Big Weekend every two-three months and this one is it! Plus luckily I won the Bonus Ball two weeks on the trot so I can even run to A New Top. Very exciting! (I know I bought loads in Vegas but they were Day Wear tops, not night. I have checked.)
I have just read my Vegas posts actually and had already forgotten lots of the stupid little things that made me laugh, so I am really glad I have this to refer back to, especially as I have been wholly unsuccessful in getting access to any of the photos the other 20 people took!
I had better go as my battery is about to go and I cannot be arsed to go upstairs to get the power lead - sorry! Can't WAIT for next weekend (being ChesterFest), someone please bring a camera and please email me the photos after! Have good weekends all and see you next weekend!
Lots of love, me xxxx
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Sunday 16th December - Homeward Bound
Wow! That was my week's holiday that just flew past at 100 mph! Time here is so weird. When everyone left last night I felt really homesick and just wanted to get out of Vegas asap. However now I am confronted with doing just that (flight is in 1.5 hrs) I don't want to go home! Not so much because I love Vegas - it has been BRILLIANT but I don't need to be coming back - more so that I don't want to step back into my everyday life just yet! I guess the fact it is Christmas in 9 days has escaped me - looking out at Vegas Strip with the mountains as a backdrop bathed in glorious sunlight beneath a perfect cloudless clue sky does make the idea of an English Christmas seem fairly out of reach!
I managed to get all my 'extras' into my suitcase bar by Nikes so was pretty chuffed. Especially as Colby managed to avoid taking her Birthday Jacqueline Lantern (plastic pumpkin to you and I) home so I had to take the contents of that too (which includes a baseball cap signed by three World Champion Bull Riders from the rodeo. Unfortunately none of us have heard of them or know which one is which). Steph will be furious as she stole the said Jacqueline out the back of a truck on the way to the In and Out Burger and was kind of aware Colby did not really want it as every attempt made to leave it with her throughout the week failed!
After my marathon hike to Stratosphere yesterday I was dead but after an hour of packing I walked back to Margaritaville and met Colby, Steve, Laura and Emma where we drank some beers and watched the rodeo finals in a bar that was wall-to-wall cowboys. Thenwe called in at Coyote Ugly bar which was crap initially then 2 beers later became excellent. Then a brisk march back to the Luxor where they got their bags and left for Philly leaving me half drunk and no one to party with! As it turned out I needed to extra time to repack (swipe 2) and ended up dead to the world about 10pm - that walk certainly tired me out! Colby and Co did lunch at the Wynn which would have been fun but expensive and I am Officially Broke now. I found Macys on the way to Stratosphere so finally was able to get my cheap Levis, $30 each! Bargain.
Right, some screaming kids behind me who had better not be on my flight else I will kill them. I'll worry about no money when I get home, right after I worry about no petrol eh! We are already planning where to have the next Big Birthday, being my 40th. Amsterdam was suggested by many of the Yanks.....we will just have to see. Wherever we go it will be hard to beat this trip I must say.
Right, I have finished the vegas blog you will be glad to know. Next stop - the Old Biddy Christmas Lunch Blog !!!!! See you Thursday, can't wait. I will be the one in Pradas!! Love me xx
I managed to get all my 'extras' into my suitcase bar by Nikes so was pretty chuffed. Especially as Colby managed to avoid taking her Birthday Jacqueline Lantern (plastic pumpkin to you and I) home so I had to take the contents of that too (which includes a baseball cap signed by three World Champion Bull Riders from the rodeo. Unfortunately none of us have heard of them or know which one is which). Steph will be furious as she stole the said Jacqueline out the back of a truck on the way to the In and Out Burger and was kind of aware Colby did not really want it as every attempt made to leave it with her throughout the week failed!
After my marathon hike to Stratosphere yesterday I was dead but after an hour of packing I walked back to Margaritaville and met Colby, Steve, Laura and Emma where we drank some beers and watched the rodeo finals in a bar that was wall-to-wall cowboys. Thenwe called in at Coyote Ugly bar which was crap initially then 2 beers later became excellent. Then a brisk march back to the Luxor where they got their bags and left for Philly leaving me half drunk and no one to party with! As it turned out I needed to extra time to repack (swipe 2) and ended up dead to the world about 10pm - that walk certainly tired me out! Colby and Co did lunch at the Wynn which would have been fun but expensive and I am Officially Broke now. I found Macys on the way to Stratosphere so finally was able to get my cheap Levis, $30 each! Bargain.
Right, some screaming kids behind me who had better not be on my flight else I will kill them. I'll worry about no money when I get home, right after I worry about no petrol eh! We are already planning where to have the next Big Birthday, being my 40th. Amsterdam was suggested by many of the Yanks.....we will just have to see. Wherever we go it will be hard to beat this trip I must say.
Right, I have finished the vegas blog you will be glad to know. Next stop - the Old Biddy Christmas Lunch Blog !!!!! See you Thursday, can't wait. I will be the one in Pradas!! Love me xx
Saturday 15th December - The Party Finishes
10'20 am - Steph just left! I am so sad to see her go, she has been a Total LA Legend this week. We did the Strip yesterday, her in flip flops and ass-skimming skirt invoking 99% of men we passed to stop and quite literally stare open-mouthed at this vision of youth and beauty (the wives of said men doing the standard 'David/Roger/Andrew - STOP dribbling and come away, you are old enough to be her father' !), then we bumped into Ronnie (a native New Yorker with the driest sense of humour ever) so we did the Moving Statues show in the Forum. Luckily we were early so we armed ourselves with very large vodka tonics (Steph wanting a foot long one with 32 shots in it but alas lacking the $40 required to buy it!). We quaffed our drinks, were taking the mickey out of everyone walking by when we heard 'thunder' and started shouting 'the show is starting', only to realise the 'thunder' was in fact the noise of a large btrash bin being wheeled past us. Needless to say the large drinks had hit the mark and we quite literally were crying with laughter. The security guard was not impressed and kept glowering at us, had it not been for Ronnie's unique 'I am from NY and don't take me on' aura we would have been chucked out no probs.
Last night we all did Fremont Street on the bus. Steph and I were hungry when we got there so had a sneaky McDonalds, only to locate everyone 2 mins later in an Italian which was apparently where we had all agreed to have dinner. Steph and I had no recollection of thisbut in fear of being abused again for not remembering stuff we did not confess the McDonalds and proceeded to eat a 2 course meal. Talk about stuffed! Then we kicked about the local casinos (Golden Nugget etc) and we had ourselves a foor long drink each finally. We called Charlie to leave her a message on her mobile (no one has been able to contact her since she left for NZ in October) only to discover she was on the end of the phone!! So we had a long and involved three way conversation with her and I cried when we said goodbye (But she IS my niece and I DO love her so it is ok!).
Wed night we did Cirque du Soleil which was fab, unfortunately we'd been drinking since midday so I have only a vague recollection. Apparently we went to Mirage casino after which I hotly contested the next day only to be shown a photo of me at Mirage. Damn these cameras! We had an In and Out Burger which was delicious, it was on the freeway though so we jaywalked there which was a tad scary and took forever. I insisted we got a cab back which embarrassingly took about 3 mins!!!! One unhappy cabbie.
Colby's birthday we ate at the House of Blues (21 of us, one large table of fun) and then did LAX nightclub (owned by Nicky Hilton and some tosser called Kriss Angel who is a magician who is based at our hotel and who films his show every night and barges past everyone who gets in his way - one of whom was me hence my extreme hatred). Will thought he met two Aussie guys he had made friends with the night before called Andrew and Luke (he was v drunk), only to discover half way through the conversation they were in fact Dutch. 'Wait a minute, you're not Australian! Ok, no matter - you can be Andrew and you can be Luke'. The look of complete confusedness on their faces was brilliant. Steph and I once again crying with laughter. Am sure this does not come across as hilarious now but honestly, it was one of the classic moments.
We went to Wynns hotel which is my new favourite - fab. We got lost in the Venetian for ages (ventured into the Anti-Ageing Convention at one point) (I joke not) and then got mesmerised by the Gondolas. I thought the Gondoliers were wax works but Colby threw a sweet at one and it moved and swore at her so we guessed they were poor humans instead! (Such is the standard of wax out here that people look worse than the waxworks).
We had breakfast in Tropicana one day after Will and Steph had done 30 hours of drinking. The Tropicana is dead old and very green in decor, so green in fact that Steph fell asleep at the table. then went home and threw up in the foyer of the hotel!! Nothing to do with alcolhol or lack of sleep or the stack of terrible spicy food she ate for breakfast, it was the awful decor that was responsible....
Endless photos were taken at every opportunity (Steph has most of them), we had a fashio show in a our room waiting for the rest of the gang to arrive Wed (they got in at midnight so we were wasted by then as you can imagine), Steph trashed my room so I had to leave an apologetic note for Elsa the cleaner which they all thought was just hilarious, I also made my bed every day which again caused much mickey to be taken from me. None of them have ever been hotel cleaners, they have no idea!!
Julia (wife of Ronnie the NYorker) fell in love with a $4250 Oscar de la Renta dress, and last I heard had nearly persuaded Ronnie to buy it for her. This is a particularly amazing fact as Ronnie had a fit at the $6 Starbucks bill on day one. Julia retalitated by having a $200 facial which he has yet to find out about! So getting him to even CONSIDER spending all that money on a dress was some feat! I must find out if she got it....
I have withdrawn cash from every ATM on the Strip I think. The bank have helpfully cancelled my main card so I am holding my breath every time I withdraw on my other one hoping it does not run out! This place is sooooooo expensive.
Will was going home Thursday night at which Colby had a fit so he paid $100 to put his flight back 8 hours and then she didn't even see him as she spent time with everyone else! Will not amused. Steph and I very amused!
So, we have had wall to wall fun and I have aching cheeks from laughing all the time. I have spent a fortune, barely slept, drank my body weight in vodka every day and just loved every minute of it! However now the party is over and I am on day 6 of being in Vegas, I have had enough and am looking forward to going home. This place is amazing but I think it is a clear 'been there done it' place myself.
I am off to walk the 4 miles to Stratosphere and back to (a) see the whole city from 800ft up, and (b) to waste the rest of the day. Will catch up with everyone else this evening before they all fly out tonight (as Steph left I realised I do not have Colby or anyone elses' mobile numbers so cannot get in touch with any of them today! Doh). Homeward bound tomorrow. Yippee. Goodbye Las Vegas, it's been an absolute party! Love me xxxx
Last night we all did Fremont Street on the bus. Steph and I were hungry when we got there so had a sneaky McDonalds, only to locate everyone 2 mins later in an Italian which was apparently where we had all agreed to have dinner. Steph and I had no recollection of thisbut in fear of being abused again for not remembering stuff we did not confess the McDonalds and proceeded to eat a 2 course meal. Talk about stuffed! Then we kicked about the local casinos (Golden Nugget etc) and we had ourselves a foor long drink each finally. We called Charlie to leave her a message on her mobile (no one has been able to contact her since she left for NZ in October) only to discover she was on the end of the phone!! So we had a long and involved three way conversation with her and I cried when we said goodbye (But she IS my niece and I DO love her so it is ok!).
Wed night we did Cirque du Soleil which was fab, unfortunately we'd been drinking since midday so I have only a vague recollection. Apparently we went to Mirage casino after which I hotly contested the next day only to be shown a photo of me at Mirage. Damn these cameras! We had an In and Out Burger which was delicious, it was on the freeway though so we jaywalked there which was a tad scary and took forever. I insisted we got a cab back which embarrassingly took about 3 mins!!!! One unhappy cabbie.
Colby's birthday we ate at the House of Blues (21 of us, one large table of fun) and then did LAX nightclub (owned by Nicky Hilton and some tosser called Kriss Angel who is a magician who is based at our hotel and who films his show every night and barges past everyone who gets in his way - one of whom was me hence my extreme hatred). Will thought he met two Aussie guys he had made friends with the night before called Andrew and Luke (he was v drunk), only to discover half way through the conversation they were in fact Dutch. 'Wait a minute, you're not Australian! Ok, no matter - you can be Andrew and you can be Luke'. The look of complete confusedness on their faces was brilliant. Steph and I once again crying with laughter. Am sure this does not come across as hilarious now but honestly, it was one of the classic moments.
We went to Wynns hotel which is my new favourite - fab. We got lost in the Venetian for ages (ventured into the Anti-Ageing Convention at one point) (I joke not) and then got mesmerised by the Gondolas. I thought the Gondoliers were wax works but Colby threw a sweet at one and it moved and swore at her so we guessed they were poor humans instead! (Such is the standard of wax out here that people look worse than the waxworks).
We had breakfast in Tropicana one day after Will and Steph had done 30 hours of drinking. The Tropicana is dead old and very green in decor, so green in fact that Steph fell asleep at the table. then went home and threw up in the foyer of the hotel!! Nothing to do with alcolhol or lack of sleep or the stack of terrible spicy food she ate for breakfast, it was the awful decor that was responsible....
Endless photos were taken at every opportunity (Steph has most of them), we had a fashio show in a our room waiting for the rest of the gang to arrive Wed (they got in at midnight so we were wasted by then as you can imagine), Steph trashed my room so I had to leave an apologetic note for Elsa the cleaner which they all thought was just hilarious, I also made my bed every day which again caused much mickey to be taken from me. None of them have ever been hotel cleaners, they have no idea!!
Julia (wife of Ronnie the NYorker) fell in love with a $4250 Oscar de la Renta dress, and last I heard had nearly persuaded Ronnie to buy it for her. This is a particularly amazing fact as Ronnie had a fit at the $6 Starbucks bill on day one. Julia retalitated by having a $200 facial which he has yet to find out about! So getting him to even CONSIDER spending all that money on a dress was some feat! I must find out if she got it....
I have withdrawn cash from every ATM on the Strip I think. The bank have helpfully cancelled my main card so I am holding my breath every time I withdraw on my other one hoping it does not run out! This place is sooooooo expensive.
Will was going home Thursday night at which Colby had a fit so he paid $100 to put his flight back 8 hours and then she didn't even see him as she spent time with everyone else! Will not amused. Steph and I very amused!
So, we have had wall to wall fun and I have aching cheeks from laughing all the time. I have spent a fortune, barely slept, drank my body weight in vodka every day and just loved every minute of it! However now the party is over and I am on day 6 of being in Vegas, I have had enough and am looking forward to going home. This place is amazing but I think it is a clear 'been there done it' place myself.
I am off to walk the 4 miles to Stratosphere and back to (a) see the whole city from 800ft up, and (b) to waste the rest of the day. Will catch up with everyone else this evening before they all fly out tonight (as Steph left I realised I do not have Colby or anyone elses' mobile numbers so cannot get in touch with any of them today! Doh). Homeward bound tomorrow. Yippee. Goodbye Las Vegas, it's been an absolute party! Love me xxxx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)