sticky indulgences

The boy done good!

2007-09-11T13:21:00.000+01:00

Last weekend saw me in sunny Stockp*rt. Dog collar was finally to ditch his L plates and live up to his blog name (the first bit anyway!). The ordination service was great and I think all of us got moist eyed at some point. I can't remember the last time I saw so many clergy together in one place!
The church was full as was the church hall next door, a fitting testimony to the fact he is a great guy. I sat just in front of George, Jo, Smiley, Jane, and Liz S - Martin was up front in robes to be official and lay on hands at the requisite point. "Aunty" Liz swanned in and took her reserved seat having cut her holiday short and driven all the way up from Dartmo* r that morning (what friends will do for each other) ingnoring all us relegated to the rear pews and public seating... she did acknowledge our presence later and we all refrained from the temptation to throw in a random "Meercat moment" during the proceedings.
I was then blessed to enjoy the hospitality of K&S & family that night along with Smiley & Jane. Hannah even gave up her bed for me (such a nice child). By staying over I also got to go to church to see Stu do his first "official" service. Only another 6 days until his next days work...
A quick cuppa later, I was back on my bike and heading down the motorway to Lond*n.
A great weekend with great people.

Meercat Moment!

2007-09-06T13:40:00.000+01:00

Follow the link...

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/news/article2395285.ece

Bristol - Coppellia

2007-07-30T13:19:00.000+01:00

Strange isn't it how some things don't initially connect... As some of you may know, we (me, wife & kids) all do ballet (some better than others, all better than me!). Anyway, we have been rehearsing for a performance at the R*edgrave Theatre in Bristol for a while and drove up on Friday night so as to be fresh for the "rigours" of Saturday. Despite friendly hotel staff giving us directions that sent us in completely the wrong direction, we did get there in the end.
Just as we approached by a very nice piece of open land, Claire suddenly explained that was very similar to where our friend C lived to which I replied that she was correct as we were just passing her block of flats to the left! How could we have overlooked the local connection?
A quick phone call later established that C was familiar with the venue in question and might have space in her social diary that afternoon.
We therefore had the pleasure of her company in the audience that afternoon. The fact she was still there at the end indicated that hopefully we weren't too bad and the sight of me in tights was not too off putting!!

The Porsche is dead....

2007-04-30T13:57:00.000+01:00

Yes dear friends, the yellow peril is no more. It played up once too often and so it has been got rid of by the company (boo hiss). It has been replaced however, but unfortunately not by another Porsche. The new version is a Mercedes SLK350 in silver. Still 2 door, 2 seats, but with a floding metal roof as opposed to a rag top.
I haven't got my gruby little mitts on it yet (all a matter of time), but the general consensus in the office is that it doesn't have the same image. More hairdresser than devil may care.

Amnaesia cured!

2007-04-25T17:56:00.000+01:00

It was a little disconcerting that I was unable to access my blog today and then had to sign on to "new blogger" - new and improved no doubt. At least I have remembered where it lives.
Anyway, just to reassure all you out there that I am still alive, functioning and able to type. Of late I have been busy at home and on the allotment - Bayleaf the gardener has nothing on me! Yes, I know that shows my age but why deny it.
I recently was able to spend a couple of night away with my wife but without children. We met up with our GB friends during the day and then retired to a local inn for the night and very pleasant it was too. The only drawback was the ceiling height of our room...
It was an old inn with the bib beam across the centre of the room and them the smaller beams running across and plaster in between those. When I say my head touched the plaster... If I stood next to the main beam it literally was touching my shoulder! I only nutted it twice, but that was maybe aided by the bottle of champagne...

Elvis Lives!

2006-11-23T13:37:00.000Z

If only I could work out how to add pictures... Anyway dear reader, this year my company celebrates its 30th anniversary and the Chairman decided that this year's office Christmas party was going to be one to remember. As a result, 109 of us are flying off to Las Vegas for 3 days at the beginning of December!
Not to miss a good opportunity, this indulgent trip is being linked with charity fund raising and a world record breaking attempt.
At Gatwick Airport on the 3rd December, we will attempt to break the world record for Elvis inpersonators in one place when all 109 of us, in apppropriate costume sing "Suspicious Minds". The current record stands at 72!
We then board the plane and will carry out a sponsored relay air walk between Gatwick and Las Vegas to raise funds for Rainbow Trust, a charity providing support and other services to famileies with a child who is terminally ill or has a life threatening condition . We set ourselves a target of £50,000 and we should break that - hurrah! However every little helps and if any of you want to sponsor me, please go to:
http://www.justgiving.com/PaulDowning-MarisSponsoredAirWalktoLasVegas
follow the link and I am lurking in the background of the picture!
I just have to memorise the words... Caught in a trap, can't hold out...

Dilemma

2006-10-25T13:34:00.000+01:00

To be honest, life has been a tad frustrating of late. Not ably assisted by the occasional intransigent attitude of my eldest daughter (Bless).
I was tempted to vent my spleen via this medium of blogiverse, but having read the recent entries of some of my friends, I am now of a different mind.
At the risk of sounding either smug, patronising of any other holier than thou attitude which is entirely not what I am trying to do, I have realised that my issues are really insignificant when compared with what other people and their friends are going through. One of my work colleagues has a 4 year old daughter in hospital with pneumonia and a skin/blood disorder. Not to mention the lovely C and scrumptious L neither of whom have been having a good time of it.
The fact that my daughter was driving me up the wall isn't a major issue in the larger scheme of things - just a niggle (albeit a bloody big one at the time).
I am going to see (hopefully) both C & L, plus S and a whole host of others this weekend and want to Bless them all with a smile, a hug and a distraction. Don't worry, I promise not to drop my trousers! Though that would be a distraction....
I will have something yellow with me though... just don't tell Claire, she doesn't know yet!

Unimpressed

2006-10-09T13:38:00.000+01:00

I know, doesn't blog for age and then two in one day....
Recent changes in legislation has left my younger daughter distinctly unimpressed. Having gleefully dispensed with her booster seat last year, we had to go out and buy her a new one as she falls in to the sub 12 years old and below 113 cm or whatever the designated height is. The situation was not helped by the fact that she is a tad on the dinky side the majority of her friends are over the limit. She considers it most undignified and is not impressed by the fact she is also now barred from travelling in the front of the car - a facet I din't initially catch on to initially either.
The reason it came to mind is that we told her that it would also mean that whenever I had the Porsche she wouldn't be allowed to go out in it as there were no rear seats for her to sit in! All things considered, she took it very well.
Needless to say, both she and her booster seat went out for a ride (or two) over the weekend and her grin was a joy to behold. The Bose sound system also took a bit of a pasting!

Fear & Trepidation

2006-10-09T13:18:00.000+01:00

Don't get the wrong idea, I love my wife but the proposed combination did cause me some degree of concern. Although I never got round to blogging it, the last time I had posession of the Porsche for the weekend, it died on me resulting in not just an 8 hour wait for the AA to finally relay me home (which reminds me, they never sent the apology cheque), but a new engine. It has a bit of a chequered history: 1 prang, 1 new engine, the handbreak switch failed so the roof couldn't be raised on another weeked resulting in the Chief Exec getting increasingly annoyed over each successive "problem".
Having won the car this weekend, I was just slightly paranoid in case anything else went wrong. My beloved was also very keen to get behind the wheel as she is now covered on the company insurance... Lady driver + Porsche + nervous husband = potential conflict.
It was with some concern - not over her capabilities, but just my future should anything happen whilst she was driving that we went out for a drive.
Suffice to say, she did very well (patronising, moi?) and found it a really fun experience - BIG GRIN! I managed to relax (a bit) and would go so far to say that I would allow her to drive me again. I did draw the line at her going out without me though!

Deep Breath - I'm Stick, who are you?

2006-06-21T13:46:00.000+01:00

Well, rising to Liz's challenge from Jude's challenge...

01. Who are you?
02. Are we friends?
03. When and how did we meet?
04. Do/Did you have a crush on me?
05. Would you kiss me?
06. Describe me in one word.
07. What was your first impression?
08. Do you still think that way about me now?
09. What reminds you of me?
10. If you could give me anything what would it be?
11. How well do you know me?
12. When’s the last time you saw me?
13. Ever wanted to tell me something but couldn’t?
14. Are you going to put this on your blog/journal and see what I say about you?

End of an era

2006-05-08T13:47:00.000+01:00

Well, it had to happen at some point. Claire's grandmother (94) has died. She is the last of that generation, and follows my grandmother (96) and Claire's paternal grandfather (94) last year, Great Uncle Paul (92) the year before and my 101 year old Uncle.
The Funeral is next week (Tues) and suprisingly, the girls both want to come. We will see nearer the time....
At the end, it was quick and peaceful. She had suffered a series of heart attacks and having being admitted to hospital 10 days ago, they said she wouldn't be coming home...
She loved watching the sun rise and on the day of her death, it was a beautiful sunrise and she commented to the nurses on how nice it was. She went back to sleep and didn't wake up.
Naomi's comment was that the sunrise was God telling her he was coming to take her home.
Sounds good to me.

Initial Reactions

2006-03-06T09:14:00.000Z

Esther (8) - Its SO Wicked!
Naomi (11) - Its SO Hectic!
Philip (14) - Adopted me as his father for the weeked
Sarah, Christine and Barry all had a go,
Claire and I had a blast.
Me, I've still just got this silly grin all over my face!

All in all, a good time was had by all.

MMM

2006-02-28T22:26:00.000Z

It is indeed sad that I am roused, if that is the correct word, to blog by a car. Not just any car mind you, but a 3.2 litre Porsche Boxster S in Speed Yellow (with Tiptronic gearbox, carbon effect interior, grey leather seats blah blah blah).
If I am truthful, I have been meaning to write for a while, it being a some time since I have written anything. I have just not got round to it. Sorry.
Life is predominantly good. I am employed at the same company and they like me, I like them and my storming out of our area into the Chief Executive's office for an unplanned, initially heated yet ultimately beneficial discussion last week seems to have cleared the air with my line manager and done me no damage with the Chief Exec either. Thinking about it, that would have made a good blog entry...
Here's a laugh, the guy who replaced me at my last company emailed me this week to see if I was interested in talking to him about a position as he was so impressed with the quality of work I had done there... I have yet to respond, as I haven't quite fine tuned my response.
Back to the Porsche. I admit it, I am obviously just plain shallow. As an incentive, the company bought the aforementioned vehicle to give to the most successful sales person (on a weekly basis) to take home for the weekend. First qualifying week - who wins?
I really didn't think I would get that worked up about it, but I can't wait to get my little mitts on it come Friday. Shame it's only a 2 seater, had to ditch the kids so I can take Claire out to play so there are compensations!
I'll let you know how it went.

Swan Lake

2005-12-20T13:48:00.000Z

Well, that's over with for another year. Last week saw frenzied activity with technical rehursals, dress rehursals and performances on Saturday (2) and Sunday (1), not to mention 2 evenings worth of carol concerts with the girls singing in the choir.
Anyway, the ballet went above expectation and whilst it is the most ambitious and difficult production we have ever done, we did it justice and despite the complaints beforehand, after it was all over, we sat round at the after-show party wanting to go out and do it all over again. I put in a creditable perfomance as Benno valet/servant to the Prince. For all you northern types, there's a viscious rumour that we might be performing in Manchester next year... get your therapy booked now.
Only disaster was that I laddered my tights on the final performance! I am distraught.
Apologies for lack of photos, don't think I could inflict such images on a public site.

Magical Mystery parade

2005-12-12T13:36:00.000Z

Spent a very pleasant afternoon on Sunday with a couple of hundred other people. It's always interesting when you see signs warning of a "Religious Procession" and wonder what people are expecting.
The local churches decided to do something different this year. Some of us gathered in Hanwell (where we live) dressed as shepherds (or similar). We then set off down the Uxbridge Road singing Carols until we met up with the next group of Angels half a mile down the road and the final group of wise men (women and children) joined us for the final leg past all the Ealing Broadway shops before arriving at Haven Green. A small stage was set up with a variety of entertainment for all us walkers, singers and anybody else passing by including mince pies, whilst we waited for the arrival of the mystery guest. Even the local shops joined in with one distributing free cups of hot chocolate. The Bishop of Willseden was in attendance and it was a pleasant, if cold way of spending a Sunday afternoon. The mystery guest failed to appear, but a lady called Mary did give birth on a nearby bus as there was no room at any of the local hotels... As a different way of presenting the Christmas story, it was great. As a way of bringing the local churches together it was fantastic. A small of group of carol singers is one thing, but a couple of hundred walking down the main street is something else. Also, it was my first Christmas event as I have been too involved to give it a second thought and I appreciated the wake-up call. After all, it's only a few days away... Better start doing some shopping.

"Responsible" thinking

2005-10-06T13:28:00.000+01:00

Its strange. I went to a party on saturday down by Battersea Bridge. It was held on a boat, well four boats actually, houseboats to be precise. One of the boats had a gazebo affair on the top deck which was their version of mainstage and during the evening four bands played without, fortunately incurring the wrath of local residents and the subsequent arrival of police to break up the festivities (as has happened in the past). Apparently the noise factor demonstrates just how well sound travels over water as the compaints gernerally come from the flats on the opposite side of the Thames... Not sure what the db level was, but you could still carry on a conversation. Anyway, I digress. So , you have band one one boat, partygoers on decks of boats 2,3 & 4. I stand on boat 2, enjoying the music and musing that the venue provided a natural "pit" facility between the boats which did not need to be stewarded as any attempt to get in meant a 20' downwards journey into the mud (soft landing though). Whilst it would have given Doggit a night off, there were a lack of signs warning of aforementioned drop. I was tempted to ask about risk assessments but thought it was taking things a bit far!
I had a very pleasant time, drank wine and port, made sure the ladies got home safely afterwards and slept like a log.

Wahay!

2005-10-05T13:31:00.000+01:00

I have just rediscovered an long lost pleasure, that of being given a pay slip at the end of the month with the accompanying credit balance being placed into the bank account. Yes folks, I've survived a whole month in the new job.
Apologies for the lack of blogging, I know the dearth of information will not have suprised many of you.
I joined M*a*r*i*s who are speclialists (have to say that now am a loyal staff member) in office interior design and build. Yes, they got me as opposed to the furniture side.
I now have a desk computer, phone and a database for me to trawl through seeking out hapless victims... Sorry, tenderly and empathically calling companies considering change and encouraging them to consider using our services.
Have already had some sucsess and generally, people seem happy with me and what I'm doing. Long may that continue.

By Jove, He's Got It!

2005-08-12T10:06:00.000+01:00

Quick fanfare of trumpets, noisy unrolling of scroll etc etc.
Your Royal Highnesses, Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen (well, you never know who reads these blogs do you?)
It is with no small degree of pleasure (and lashings of relief) that I announce that on Tuesday 30th August I start work at my new job (wild cheering!).
Some of you may be saying "about bloody time" and it is indeed. Its been a long and on occasions traumatic 9 months and I just want to thank all of my friends who have supported and encouraged me through this time.

Brief Encounter

2005-08-09T11:21:00.000+01:00

As I was in town yesterday for the interview I popped into the GB office to see if I could be of any assistance for a few hours - it was a positive response, so I got to spend the rest of the day in the company of those lovely ladies (plus Paul and Naeve - sorry if spelling's wrong).
It was Management Meeting evening so also got to see Liz briefly which was fab. Spoke to DC who having made it as faar as Blackfriars had to abort the journey as his back decided not to play ball any longer. Please pray for him, it is not a comfortable time for him at present to say the least. Not a happy bunny.

It's a small world

2005-08-09T11:10:00.000+01:00

I went for an interview last Thursday to a company based in Waterloo who sell office furniture. I sat down, tom and I exchanged pleasantries as you do and then he came up with the phrase "I went to the same school as you." It turns out he lived in Hare Street, a small village just up the road from Buntingford (centre of the universe) and we both attended Ward Freman School (now Freman College) although he was about 3 years below me. If that wasn't stange enough, he then tells me that one of his work colleagues (based in Farnham) has told him I have a brother called Ian and a sister called Jill (but he can't remember what the dog was called). It transpires he and this colleague discovered their Buntingford mutuality a while ago and when he saw the same word on my CV mentioned it to Adam. Adam then revealed these added details and when I realised who he was talking about, his sister and mine used to be best freinds, our two families used to spend reasonable amounts of time together and I think it must be 25 years since I last saw him! They moved away to Thetford and when his mother was killed in a car crash his father didn't keep up contact and my parents eventually lost touch. Anyway the interview went well and I left feeling hopeful.
The next day I get a all from a chap I used to work with at Pacific who runs the sales section for the fit-out division of the same company. he had heard I had been in and also wanted to see me to talk about working with him! I went yesterday and bumped into my ex- Pacific MD who is also working woth them as a Consultant Project Manager.
Following yesterday's interview I got the distinct feeling that the job was mine if I wanted it as they want me to feed back in 48 hours if I want to take it further. I now just have to find out if the other side also want me and then - aargh!! it's like buses, you wait for ages and then two come along at once. Decisions, decisions

Slow Start

2005-07-30T11:38:00.000+01:00

It's Saturday, it's 11.40 am and we have just finished breakfast. Tonight is the last night of the girl's show and then we can start to get back into a normal regime... My only main task for the day is to complete my talk for tomorrow morning on "Thou Shalt not Murder" an interesting topic given recent events.
On a differect note, I have just spend three lovely days in the Greenbelt office helping out with bits and pieces of admin type stuff and would make public my admiration and appreciation at the quality of the Greenbelt staff. They work long hours, often there until 7pm, remain mostly good humoured, have mountains of work to plough through and are very patient with mildly ham fisted temp workers who occasionally mess up the system.... Never again will I silently think unkind thoughts when I get the answerphone, it really is frequently manic there what with bookings being called in, artists being sorted out, purchases being made/ confirmed as well as all the normal day to day running of an organisation. Quite how they managed before online booking was invented I will never know!
Laura, Sarah, Beki, Catherine and Gill, not forgetting Paul - I think you are all wonderful.

Proud Parents if frazzled

2005-07-27T23:35:00.000+01:00

This is going to be quite a week as it is the week of the girl's ballet school show. Sunday technical rehursal, Monday competition, Tuesday dress rehursal, performances Weds, Thurs, Fri and Sat! This means they will be getting to bed at about 11pm for the whole week - not a recipie for peace and harmonious relationships.
Went to see the show tonight with both my parents and Claire's and biased though I may be, my daughters both looked beautiful and did themselves proud. Esther was a little Chinese girl and Naomi a Flower (Nutcracker Act III). Esther had originally been down to carry a parasol, but this was swapped during rehursals for a fan when it was found that only her feet could be seen!
Naomi was entered for the competition on Monday and although we didn't have much preparation time, she still managed to come second in her class.
I'm such a proud parent!

Not an Acknowledgement

2005-07-25T23:26:00.000+01:00

Monday I spent the day in the Greenbelt office helping out. There had been a slight hiccup with the ticket run and amongst those assisting was the lovely Steve Foster. I am now (apparently) in his debt, but only on the condition that I do not acknowledge publicly on my blog not just that he made me a cup of tea, but that it tasted very nice to boot.
Apparently he feels that were it to become public knowledge, he may get a new role at the Festival with people like Liz taking advantage of him (as if).
So I'm afraid you will all have to remain in blissful ignorance.

Giselle again

2005-07-24T23:42:00.000+01:00

Well, another performance over with. Chelsea Ballet did two shows today at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and audience attendance was reasonable.
I was again in dual mode, Wilfred in Act I and Stage Manager the rest of the time. The only point where the two roles nearly conflicted was when I had to drag Albrect off at the end of Act I and then dash to my post in time to close the curtains - a close run thing!
At the end of Act I, Claire didn't find it difficult to act upset at the death of Giselle given the news that morning , in fact it was all a bit too close and the tears fell for real.
Next week sees us starting rehursals for the Christmas production which is to be Swan Lake.

Another one bites the dust

2005-07-24T23:30:00.000+01:00

No sooner are the girls getting over the loss of one great grandparent, but they lose another. Claire's grandfather passed away on Friday following a stay in hospital. It was not unexpected as he had cancer and had suffered a stroke, but it was upsetting nevertheless.
Esther turned tearfully to me and asked why was everybody dying...

Devastation, but life goes on

2005-07-08T10:38:00.000+01:00

One of the few blessings with being unemployed is that you are less likely to be in the capital when some nutter (technical term) decides to let loose a bomb or four! Unfortunately it was going to happen one day and no amount of intelligence, police work etc would be able to stop some group finally managing it. Struck by the comment of one chap who was on a tube train that the people who perpatrated the explosion should be pitied...

We didn't even know about it until nearly lunchtime as we only put the radio on on our way back from Tesco's (what an exciting life I hear you cry) to find Classic FM's programmes 'interrupted'. On our arrival home I got a panic call from my Mum en route back to Devon worried about my sister who works in St Katharine's Dock, not far from Aldgate East.. I duly managed to track her down and ascertain she was undamaged, but not looking forward to the journey home. She was however relieved that someone had finally checked up on her. It would seem she was almost the only person in the office not to have had a call from the majority of her close and not so close family members, plus various acquaintances. I rung Mum back to pass on reassurances etc and then sent an email to my brother in Plymouth who I later found out had the attitude that it would take more than a bombing campaign in London to damage Jill!
Warm feelings engendered later by Stuart Traffic who rang to check we were all ok. It's so nice to know people care.
Annoyingly, ballet got cancelled due to the lack of transport facilities, but I did ride into Victoria to rescue a friend who had managed to walk from Charing Cross to Victoria, but was unable to get any further (destination Acton - another 5 miles on) due to foot problems. She called me her "knight in shining leathers" - aah!

Great Mother, 95 all out

2005-07-07T08:43:00.000+01:00

On Monday I got a call from my Mum to say that they were staying up in Surrey because the Doctor's thought that Great Mother had had a stroke over the weekend and it was not looking good. My Aunt had also been recalled early from her honeymoon in France.
I decided to go down on Tuesday and visit as it might be my last chance... On arriving at the hospital I found not only my parents but my Uncle and Aunt ( Mum's brother and sister) and the curtains drawn round the bed. They had had a call from the hospital at 07.40 that morning calling them in...
Perversely, the final treatment on Monday to clear her lungs worked perfectly and she was now able to breath without supplementary oxygen for the first time since being admitted! Unfortunately, everything else was starting to shut down.
Never one to give up without a fight, GreatMother doggedly hung on and the medical staff put her on morphine to make her as comfortable as they could.
Our prayers were that she would gently slip away with dignity and that it would not be a prolonged process.
Mercifully, at 03.15 on Wednesday morning she just stopped breathing.
A wonderful woman with great strength of will and vitality, also a bit of a dragon, but we loved her dearly. On one of my previous visits had derided me over the fact that I had still failed to take for a promised ride on my motorbike! She had also decided on which outfit she wanted to wear for my Aunt's wedding in September which even included one of my Aunt's hats.
She will be missed.

more of the same

2005-06-30T09:11:00.000+01:00

Scarey! I've just realised that it's over a month since my last blog. Doesn't time fly when you're doing not a lot.
Still no job, although still having interviews
Granny still in hospital, not doing too well
Still getting incredibly fed up, frustrated, etc etc etc with lack of official employment. The only job that was looking really positive ended up not being such a good company after all - I went out with one of their people and got a slightly different "reality check" as they say.
On the positive side, just found out that my friends who read my blog aren't ignoring me, the blog has decided not to accept comments - don't know why or how, but there you go. Will have a rummage insetings and see if I can't screw the whole thing up completely!!
Even more positive am meeting up with a whole bunck this weekend for Greenbelt planning - something to take my mind off normal life.

Interview Time

2005-05-31T17:45:00.000+01:00

Got an interview for the plant job at 09.30 tomorrow morning...Is this the one? Please please please

Star Wars III - Shame about the gore

2005-05-30T17:46:00.000+01:00

My kids love the Star Wars movies, but Esther (7) won't be seeing it at the cinema and having just been there myself, not when it comes out on video/ DVD either! Star Wars III is a 12A, unlike Chapters I & II which are PG and IV, V, & VI which were U.
I thought, based on the past films that it would be safe to take Naomi (10) & we enjoyed the film right up to nearly the end when George Lucas decided that we really needed to see in full technicolour and hear in Dolby surround sound just why Darth Vader needed that kinky black cover-all outfit with the asthmatic breathing and the discomfort (understatement) he was in at the time just prior to acquiring it.
It was an unnecessarily graphic gory indulgence that spoilt the film for my daughter ( I didn't quite get my hands over her eyes in time) and means that a large percentage of the younger audience will be excluded from knowing how the story ties together. It would have been very easy to allude or allow the imagination to gauge the degree of injury without actually having to watch Darth Vader catch fire, writhe, scream and subsequently ooze gently on the screen in full view.
Family viewing it ain't and I very much doubt they'll cut that sceen before it comes out on DVD. Shame.

Hurrah!

2005-05-23T09:33:00.000+01:00

They've done it! Yesterday afternoon my Grandmother finally got her operation and despite all the cautoinary comments and veiled preparations for a potentially terminal outcome, Granny has sailed through so far. She came back from theatre smiling and waving and when the Ward Sister came in to check on Granny's nebulizer to find her busy lifting it out of the way in order to munch on a strawberry, she had to walk away as she was laughing so much.
My Mum rang this morning to enquire how Granny was to be told "Wonderful". She has yet to get up and stand/ walk, that is the next crucial step (no pun intended), but so far, things are looking good.
Praise God!

Excuses, Excuses

2005-05-21T00:17:00.000+01:00

Back in East Surrey Hospital today to see my Grandmother and took Naomi. Those of you with experience of the NHS will not be suprised to hear that they have yet to get round to operating on her. She was, once again "Nil by Mouth" and following the anaesthatist's visit we had confirmation that once again, they would be looking to operate...
No real suprise that they (again) ran out of operating time so they now say tomorrow afternoon, barring any emergencies that may appear. At least Granny's (apparently) on the top of the list so should go down first. The nurses on the ward are getting a bit miffed with it too, but are very good at ensuring she gets food and drink as soon as they are told that she's not going down.
My parents are up from Devon to see her and my sister turned up too - a nice little family get together really, especially when my Uncle and his wife also dropped by. Fortunately the nurses are happy to be flexible on the "only 3 visitors per bed rule".
Amusing part of the afternoon was seeing my parents trying to work their new mobile phone. Mum mislaid the last one and they are not the most technically minded as was evidenced when they came back mystified that it wouldn't make a call but kept saying "message sent". I explained that they were sending my Aunt blank texts and tought them how to scroll down to the contacts page. I also had to write down a step by step guide to finding and then dialing a number. At least if I get a blank text message, I'll know who it's from!

Possibility..

2005-05-20T00:11:00.000+01:00

Found some online job sites and have been merrily posting my CV to any that look promising. Has generated results as had a meeting today with an agency - there's a possibility of a job (don't cheer just yet, been here before). Its selling again, still to office occupiers etc, this time it's plants. All those lovely displays of potted plants that make an office look more attractive, inprove the atmosphere. Someone has to sell them and someone has to buy them together with the maintenance contract. Time will tell.

95 not out

2005-05-17T09:04:00.000+01:00

I spent yesterday in East Surrey Hospital visiting my grandmother. She is 95 years old and although blind in one eye and going deaf still has the vast majority of her marbles. I hope that if I reach that age I can still remember all my great grandchildren's birthdays - I have enough trouble with just the two offspring, let alone the 26 granchildren and great grandchildren she can rattle off. Quite a remarkable woman!
Being advanced in years, she is also quite frail and took a tumble resulting in her cracking her hip which requires an operation to sort it out. Not a complete hip replacement a la Queen Mother, but some sort of a patch up job to get her back on her feet.
She says she is just getting over a 'chest infection' which turns out to be pneumonia (again! - that's 3 times in the last 18 months) so her constitution remains formidable although these bouts are taking their toll. They were due to operate yesterday so she was nil by mouth and quite chatty although the oxygen she's on does make her focus wander occasionally. We had the anaesthatist up, a fresh heart check thing, more blood, more consultation to see if they felt she was up to the op and finally a green light, all systems go, she'll be taken down at 3.30.
At 4.30 she was still there and when my Aunt checked, found that they had run out of operating time so not today after all. It's not as if this is the first time either, this must be about the third. Oh well, we'll have to see if they get round to it tomorrow. It is a risky procedure down to her age allied with her physical condition and I hadn't realised (never having undergone major surgery) that they ask about should anything go wrong, if you want to be resuscitated... Sobering, but verging on the comedic when you are having a consultation behind the curtains in private and have to end up virtually shouting "If anything goes wrong and your heart stops, do you want to be brought back" allowing the whole ward to participate! Her response of "I'm not going to die" whilst reassuring, wasn't quite what we were looking for. My Aunt's arrival allowed any residual confusion to be cleared up. Granny didn't appreciate what she termed their preoccupation with her death and later on suddenly came out with "Well its up to Jesus anyway. If he wants me home then it's up to him." Who can argue with that.

Move over Billy Elliot!

2005-05-12T09:19:00.000+01:00

New sensation in the dance world! Last week I am picking women up, this week I am dropped in the deep end so to speak. We (www.chelsea-ballet.com) have a show coming up in June featuring a piece named the Bracelet which is danced to some of Bartok's music. I had volunteered to be part of the chorus for this performance but on arriving at rehursal on Tuesday, Ross asked me if I would dance his part which is one of the main roles as he wanted to do more of the direction and choreography without having to do the dance bit. You could have knocked me down with a feather! It's not technically difficult (for me to dance it has to be simple!) but even so it is a bit daunting. Just got to lift Katrina up twice without dropping her now...

Found it!

2005-05-10T09:35:00.000+01:00

I knew it was there somewhere lurking outside the back door and sure enough, it was. You know those archealogical digs where entrepid explorers follow a tale of a lost city, hack their way through dense undergrowth, confront dangerous beasts and finally achieve their goal and emerge grimy but victorious? Well it wasn't quite like that.
I had it on good authority (Claire) that somewhere under the piles of bricks, wood, rubble and plaster lay the remains of our back garden.
A skip was duly delivered and the expedition was mounted to try and discover the lost garden of the Downings. You will be pleased to hear that local lore was right (as if the wife could ever be wrong) and indeed, by the end of a long and arduous day, we had found what was definitely the remains of our back garden, with the emphasis on the word 'remains'.
Dangerous beasts there were too. Claire had seen a rat the day before - fortunately I did not and moving a pile of insulation proved more difficult due to the bumblebees building a nest in it. They, plus a small amount of insulation ended up in a broken orange plastic bucket which now lives in a nettle patch just over the back fence in the allotments.
Now if they could just hurry up and take the skip away, I could park outside my house again...

Superman!

2005-05-09T16:14:00.000+01:00

It is not often I suprise myself, but last Tuesday was one of those days. As many (?) of my dear readers will know, I took up the gentle art of ballet a couple of years ago (no sniggering at the back - or front) and all comments relating to tights will be studiously ignored. Anyway, we had a pas de deux (dancing with a partner) masterclass last week which was geat fun if a little strenuous.
I am not known for my physique, rather the lack of it and would not consider strength to be one of my main assets. As a consequence, I had never thought that I could lift a fully grown woman in a graceful manner and return her to the ground afterwards without the aid of a crane, a truss or both! But I did (cheers, cheers) and entirely unassisted by the aforementioned aids. Mind you, my thighs were killing me for the next couple of days.

Stress Relief

2005-04-27T10:14:00.000+01:00

What a wonder a change of air and general surroundings make. The Ops meeting last Saturday was great fun - not only to see what "interesting times" we will have making this year's site work, but also just seeing a unique group of people whom I love dearly. I came back feeling much more positive in myself, so thanks to all of you.

I had previously discovered the cathartic benefits of demolishing brickwork with a sledgehammer, but this is limited to having a suitable wall to attack. You will appreciate that having spent the last 6 months rebuilding, I am loathe to pursue this avenue further. I have however, found a new outlet. It is called mowing the allotment. We have allotments immediately behind our house and have been fortunate enough to secure the one at the end of our garden. As it has been "fallow" for the last few years, fresh tilled brown soil is not in evidence. We have decided to dig as we need and just try to keep the rest looking reasonable, hence the mowing. Spending Sunday afternoon out in the fresh air encouraging our electric flymo to cope with 6"+ long grass was just what the doctor ordered.

I am still alive!

2005-04-19T19:46:00.000+01:00

I have just got my pc back from the menders and it seems to be working. I now have web access again for the first time in a few weeks. Doesn't explain the whole span since my last blog, but there you go. Life goes on, as does unemployment. Some light at the end of the tunnel in respect of potential employment, but still in the tunnel. Bit if a bummer really. Unfortunately succumbed to a spot of apathy and couldn't be botheredness, but think that is passing - I'm writing this, so hopefully that is a good sign. At least I have had time to work on the house, if not much money to pay for it! The most scarey thing is how quickly the time goes - before you know it, another month has passed with not much to show for it. Actually built the steps up to the back door - one project completed, several to go. Am seeing a load of friends this Saturday and looking forward to it - diversionary tactics maybe, but also for a general really looking forward to seeinng them sort of thing.

Retrospective 2

2005-01-09T13:27:00.000Z

For New Years Eve, we were invited out to friends who we know through Chelsea Ballet. It was decided to be a 'posh' evening so I duly donned a dj (borrowed from my brother) and Claire and he girls put on a nice frocks. They all looked lovely. It ended up with about 10 of us, all staying the night so no problems with drink vs driving. I discovered a Cosmopolitan which comprised of vodka, triple sec and a hint of cranberry - yum! No-one got really drunk although the kareoke machine did get a bit of a hammering and I finally hit the sheets at about 3.15am. The following morning 'the 4 lads' (yes, I can do impersonations) went down the pub to watch the Chelsea vs Liverpool match as Barry is an avid fan. Yes, they were robbed and ended up losing.
We stayed there longer than anticipated (5 hours) and omitted to eat... As you have probably guessed, not a good combination with Gary and Barry ending up completely trollied. Claire collected us and on arriving back at the house, Barry disappeared into the Sauna swiftly losing conciousness and Gary soon made a swift, if unsteady exit into the back garden to eject excess alcohol via the facial orifice. Unfortunately this coincided with him losing control over his limbs, ending up lying in the mud and the aforementioned. I hauled him up, got him upstairs and left it to his girlfriend to clean him up and then also managed to get Barry out of the Sauna and up to his room to sleep it off. Never a dull moment. It only remained to gather up my brood and head for home ourselves. Roll on 2005.

Retrospective 1

2005-01-07T21:46:00.000Z

Christmas was a fun time! We headed merrily off to Devon on the 23rd and suprisingy found the roads largely uncongested with just the one rta to impede our progress. Stayed with my parents and my sister also joined the merry throng. It was the first Christmas in their new house so an extra buzz and finally got the girls off to sleep Christmas Eve so Santa could deliver the stockings (at 3am so Santa was not v. Impressed!). The mince pie and carrot were also duly dispatched to add proof positive of said visitation.
Christmas Day was uncoordinated and we generally drifted through opening presents, going to church and eating when all the food was finally cooked. Mum's oven decided that whatever the thermostat indicated would only be an arbitrary figure resulting in a cooked turkey and everything else still raw - still, they do recommend you allow meat to stand before carving...
Went walking on Dartmoor, played Uno extreme, watched Shrek 1 & 2 (girls got 2 on DVD) plus one evening my sister and I escaped to watch my new Bill Bailey DVD on her laptop as didn't feel the parents would enjoy - we did though!
A pleasant afternoon and evenings sodjurn to Plymouth to see my brother and his wife who had been in Wales with her family and then it was time to head home to London.
All in all a good time was had by all.

Lazarus revisited...

2005-01-05T22:40:00.000Z

Well, I can't claim to have been dead, but from the amount of blogging activity of late, I might as well have been! Apologies for any of you out there that have missed my ramblings, it's amazing how a change of circumstances completely throws established routines out of the window. As a quick update, still no job (bummer).
The builders are still going, no change there then, but good progress is being made. Knocked the back wall out on New Years Eve, for which my back was none too pleased, then hauling a drunk on New Years Day made it even more unhappy. Thank God for Voltarol, Mega Ibuprofen, Co-Proxamol and Valium! Still, its well on the mend and means that I will take a back seat on Saturday when the supporting steel gets installed where the back door used to be and we then lose those design features of accro props.
Don't want to peak too soon, so will post further updates on recent events soon.

Weird or What

2004-11-25T16:30:00.000Z

Went back into work today to tie up loose ends, hands things over etc. It's strange, but normally in Sales, you get escorted to the door and not allowed access to the computer etc just in case you want to steal information or just cause trouble by deleting files. Me, I was one of the last people to leave the office last night, had complete unsupervised access to the system today and I still have my keys and swipe card. I will hand them in when I go back again tomorrow just to check they are happy with the way I have left things. I even had a 25 minute conversation with a prospective client (who rang me) this morning and ended up booking a meeting for the Directors to go and see him - I can't as I won't be there anymore. I take it as a compliment that they trust me not to take advantage and that I am seen as a man of my word. Maybe I am a bit too soft after all. I mean it's not normal to help an employer who's just made you redundant is it? But I couldn't just walk away and leave it all in a mess, it's not me...

Jinxed or what!

2004-11-24T21:41:00.000Z

I approach this blog with a strange sense of inevitability. I mean it had to happen, after all, it's that time of year. Greenbelt Ops weekend has just finished, so it is only appropriate that I get made redundant (again). Mind you, it's been three years since the last time, so the track record has improved... It's weird, but I don't feel bad. I suppose in a way I was execting it, what with the ("illegal") events of that August meeting, but having won a contract, generated several good opportunities, it was not on my immediate agenda. Fortunately I have been looking, but nothing as yet. Trouble is, I'm not sure I want to carry on doing the same thing. Even more trouble, I don't really know what I do want to do. I've never been one of those people who decide at three months they want to be a Vet (or whatever) and then that's it. My career path has been a bit more vague. So if anyone knows of a good job for a personable, articulate, customer friendly and presentable chap with good IT and phone skills, let me know.

And they're off!

2004-11-16T14:19:00.000Z

Alan turned up on Monday complete with Kango drill to start attacking the concrete plinth behind the house ready for the foundations to be dug at the weekend. After a hard days graft, the skip is full of concrete and we have an outline ready for diggers to start excavating at the weekend. The back garden looks a bit like a bomb site already so by the time we get back from Yorkshire will resemble a WW1 scene even more with real live trenches! Just hope Boris (cat) avoids falling in...
So glad works have started, who wants to open the bidding that they will finish by Christmas?

A life less exciting...

2004-11-16T13:56:00.000Z

Whilst waiting for the builders to arrive on Sunday I took the opportunity to review our church's website, one of the many tasks on my "to do" list. I was missing church, so why not do some church business. I looked at all the links and have decided that a large proportion of them we can do without! There are some to add including a certain annual Festival occuring over August Bank Holiday... I have also been reminded just how awful my photo is on there and I need to make it a priority to get it replaced pdq! Result was that got review done (only one who did so by Oversight meeting Mon eve - smug, moi?) and even started loading rubble into the skip until back started to complain. Then rang builders to find out they weren't coming after all. Highlighted one of the disadvantages of being x-directory; work have decided I don't need a mobile so cut it off and Alan only had that number. Afternoon was thrilling visit to Tesco's - can it get any better I hear you cry? Well, if you call tackling the ironing in the evening, then the answer has to be in the affirmative! This week is shaping up as busy, only out every evening with meetings and the off on Friday to Yorkshire - hurrah! A weekend with fab friends, a modicum of alcohol and no kids!! Bring it on.

Saturday Life

2004-11-16T13:32:00.000Z

Well, what has my fascinating life held since last I shared it with you... Not a huge amount to be perfectly honest. The weekend was expensive - went out on Saturday and bought carpet for the loft rooms (ouch!) even going for the "economically priced" one. Found a neutral slightly mottled type that shouldn't show the marks that the girls will leave all over it with felt tip pens, make-up, squash etc etc. Toddled round Currys (next door to Carpet place) looking at fridge freezers for the kitchen and laughing at some of the vast double door types that are becoming more popular (not in our house) which seem to be anti-tardis ie huge on the outside and small on the inside! Coped with wilting daughter who was not feeling well and went back to bed when we got home, our bed mind you - I'm sure the fact we have a TV had nothing to do with her choice. Must go as work calls. More later!

And Again!

2004-11-08T14:21:00.000Z

Timewarp time! Reading this blog it is actually chronologically correct even though entered in reverse... Anyway, before too much time passes, I couldn't not mention Friday 5th November famous for countrywide celebrations with fireworks, bonfires and general merriment all on the day Claire was born. Coincidence I hear you ask? Surely not and I've never hear of that Fawkes chappie.
For her birthday Claire had said that she just wanted a rear extension (got planning permission - hurrah!) but I wanted something just for her.
Discovered a shop local to my work called Lush. Smelt it on several occasions, but never ventured within it's portals. For the uninitiated of you, its an small emporium selling bathroom pampering paraphenalia with an emphasis on the female of the species. Bath bombs with glitter in, bubble bath cubes and all manner of other items jam packed with essential oils and organic ingredients. Evocative names like Two Timing Tart (couldn't resist that one). Anyway, I came away with a selection of stuff which the girls gave her together with a birthday card they had insisted on buying her several weeks previous featuring Aragorn (Lord of the Rings fame). They toyed with Legolas, but decided in the end she would prefer Aragorn (they were probably right).
Claire duly luxuriated in a bath which the ball had fizzed about violently in dispensing its glitter and essential oils and we all went out for a meal at the local Indian (Spice of Hanwell) which went down well. Had the usual giggles from the girls over the desert menu as on our first visit Esther had taken one look at the picture of the Indian doughnts and proclaimed in a loud voice that they looked just like buttocks! I can see where she was coming from.
Anyway back to the the bath which regrettably was not rinsed out in as comprehensive manner as I would have liked following the 'bomb' episode with the result that having had a bath Saturday morning ready for the wedding, I had to explain why I was lightly coated with glitter... My own fault I suppose.

If this is Cheltenham...

2004-11-08T13:56:00.000Z

Had a weird experience on Saturday - yes I know I've just done Sunday, but quite frankly, I don't care. You wanted updates after all! Anyway, we went through Cheltenham which was very confusing because having got there, I had to tun left signposted Gloucester when all my instincts were trying to get me to turn right to the Racecourse. Fortunately, I resisted the inner voices and ended up in the fair if drizzly City of Gloucester which was our intended destination. Friends of ours were getting married and I just love a good wedding. I was not disappointed. The bride was radiant, the service in the local methodist church (by the Cathedral) was great with a good combination of old and new songs. I always get a little emotional during the vows and hold my beautiful wife's hand thinking back to 14 years ago, when she was the radiant bride whereas now she's just radiant. We even managed to persuade Naomi and Esther that their Tamagotchi's (electronic pets) would survive the service without expiring so they didn't need to keep hold of them. The drizzle stopped for the photos in the Cathedral grounds, so a good day all round. Whilst we drove home in the wet, the bride and groom were getting ready to fly off to Madeira on honeymoon.

Alright already!

2004-11-08T13:40:00.000Z

I don't know, it's like having your mother checking up on you (from a concerned point of view, not generationally speaking).... Actually, if I'm honest, it's nice that people miss you when you don't blog. So what's been going on in my little world? A combination of Gentle Lavender, Sexy Pink and Violet White plus Sunrise, Kinsela and some lurid yellow gloss colour. Yes, you guessed it, we've been painting the loft! Esther chose the yellows (get the sunglasses out!) and I have a concern that people with either think there has been radiation fallout or our eyes will melt. She however, is ecstatic (that's ok then). We've moved onto Naomi's choice and spent most of Sunday slapping Sexy Pink all over the front room in the loft. Naomi had a friend over and they had great fun "helping" paint the walls - well, most of it went on the walls, some on the floor, on them, just glad the cat kept well away.
Good piece of news is that we have finally got planning permission for the rear extension (omit the does my bum look big in this jokes). Work should start in the next few days and the plan is that it will be finished by Christmas (like DC's blog, I'm not quoting a year). Bad news is that it's going to start costing money again. Ho hum, easy come, easy go as they say.

Keep the carrot, give me a sledgehammer!

2004-10-28T21:54:00.000+01:00

Some people use carrots to relieve stress... I have found that a sledgehammer is a far more satisfying method! The lean-to aka utility room and conservatory had to go as a) we want to build an extension and b) we've used all our permitted development allocation for the loft. Having carefully (ish) removed the various glass bits and rotten wood holding the glass in place (I jest not), the remaining brick walls needed to be reduced into a more manageable size for either loading onto a skip or used as hardcore. Enter Stick with a 12lb sledgehammer (I've been working out!). There's something strangely satisfying and therapeutic about reducing a wall to a pile of rubble. The only trouble is, you can't induge over often or you run out of house. Alas, it was over all too briefly; but it was GREAT FUN!!

I'm knackered!

2004-10-28T21:45:00.000+01:00

'Tis only 21:43 on a Thursday evening, but I have had to stop before I fall off my scaffold board! This week has comprised of filling, rubbing down, painting and then more filing etc etc. In my spare time I have also demolished the lean-to and filled a skip (more of this on another blog). Suffice to say progress is being made. teh council chap came round for what was hopefuly the final inspection to inform us we needed an electric extract fan in the loft bathroom - why they couldn't have told us that before when we still could have installed it easily heavens knows. When questioned why we needed one, he said to get rid of condensation when showering - I opened the window, but he wasn't to be moved. I even protested that it wasn't on the plans to which he replied you used "* & *" and they often miss things off the plans! Have you ever tried threading a collapsible tube from the outside of a facia board over the top of two layers of insulating board to a hole cut in the ceiling that is not over the bath? It undoes all the good engendered by the sledgehammer...

Sorry...

2004-10-25T17:56:00.000+01:00

to all you avid fans of my exploits that they have been a tad more sporadic of late. I haven't even been reading yours (sharp intake of breath and cries of "Shame on you!"). I am on a week's vacation as it is half term and so therefore as I am not sat at a desk infront of a screen all day, the lure of the internet fades. I am however chastened and will remedy matters (probably). I have also caught up with your respective blogs, well Caroline at least as I can't seem to access anyone else's. Don't you just love technology?

Its been a while

2004-10-18T13:50:00.000+01:00

Panic! Suddenly realised that it's been over a week since my last blog - I'll be branded with the same brush as DC if I'm not careful.
Got a haircut on Friday and I think he may have gone a bit far. Put it like this, I think I was wearing short tousers at Sunday School the last time my hair was this short.
Update on lofty issues are that the builders have basically gone. We have now to do "a bit" of filling, rubbing down and then decorate. Claire is, as we speak, up a ladder being mysterious with a paintbrush. She really has the bit between her teeth on this, spending most of Saturday up there getting as much dust on her as possible it seemed. She looked like one of those sponge cakes all dusted with icing sugar.
I contented myself with 3 loads of washing, some tidying up and a trip to Homebase hunting for colour swatches.
Sunday found us popping (!) over to Talywain, near Pontypool for a Christening. Friends of Claire are now the proud parent of a bouncing baby boy. Total travelling time about 5 hours, time spent in Talywain 3.5 hours. Naomi chose to wear a short red dress with black boots and it was scarey - only 9 years old and a total stunner. Esther just looks cute and cheeky. Claire as always looked gorgeous.
Nearly made it back for my 8pm oversight meeting, got there at 8.30 to find they had waited for me before starting. Bless.
Got home to do some ironing before collapsing to bed around midnight.
Claire has borrowed the book "Eats, shoots and leaves" about punctuation faux-pas which she is chortling over in bed so I will peruse that when she's finished with it.

Things you'd love to say but...

2004-10-08T10:23:00.000+01:00

Following my friend Liz's experience with an "individual" at work - found these comments to be used at your discretion (or otherwise):
1. I can see your point, but I still think you're full of s**t.
2. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.
3. How about never? Is never good for you?
4. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
5. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to worship me.
6. I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.
7. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...
8. I don't work here. I'm a consultant.
9. It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying.
10. Ahhh...I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again...
11. I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.
12. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.
13. I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don't give a damn.
14. I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.
15. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.
16. Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.
17. The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.
18. Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
19. What am I? Flypaper for freaks!?
20. I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.
21. It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off.
22. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
23. And your cry-baby whiny-assed opinion would be...?
24. Do I look like a people person?
25. This isn't an office. It's Hell with fluorescent lighting.
26. I started out with nothing & still have most of it left.
27. Sarcasm is just one more service we offer.
28. If I throw a stick, will you leave?
29. Errors have been made. Others will be blamed.
- (Heard daily at the IRS, Enron, Ford and Firestone)
30. Whatever kind of look you were going for, you missed.
31. I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.
32. A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.
33. Can I trade this job for what's behind door #1?
34. Too many freaks, not enough circuses.
35. Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
36. Chaos, panic, & disorder - my work here is done.
37. How do I set a laser printer to stun?

An Inspector Calls

2004-10-05T13:43:00.000+01:00

Big day today. Planning Inspector from the Council is coming round to have a look re our planning application for the rear extension. Just hope all goes ok. The loft is coming on. Minor concerns re the lake that forms on the flat roof when it rains... Doesn't leak which is good, just sits there on the front (by the ridge tiles) when should run down off the back. Plaster board should all be up today and there are three electricians 'doing their thing' so we should have power by tonight along with a swish new fuse board downstairs.

One to avoid

2004-09-30T21:53:00.000+01:00

Having just read my friend Liz's film review, I thought I would recommend one to avoid like the plague (slightly different genre though to Collateral). Thunderbirds is absolute pants (in my book it has an equal basement rating with Charlies Angels - first movie - which couldn't even be saved by Drew Barrymore's cleavage). If there had been any strings the actors would have been hung from them and rightly so. I think even I could have done a better job. Ford obviously contributed most of the budget given the blatant product placement (maybe they were the only company who could bear to be associated with it?). Didn't help that the actor who plays Jeff Tracey has a very distictive voice. It was driving me potty, hearing the voice but not being able to place him. Claire came to my rescue and nailed him. He played the spineless secondhand car salesman come pseudo spy in True Lies. Sorry all you intellectuals out there, I actually like that film - its so ridiculous! Just couldn't accept him as a hero type as the alter ego kept on encroaching. Maybe the next one will be better... Charlies Angels second attempt was...

180! (nearly)

2004-09-30T14:21:00.000+01:00

Building Inspector came round this morning and apart from wanting a 50mm air gap between the front roof and the insulation, he's happy with everything. Even better, he signed it all off saying he trusted us to get the gap put in. Builder busy adding extra batons to drop insulation down and make requisite space as we speak/type/blog. Next stop plasterboarding and tomorrow, we should get the radiators in, the electrics wired up and the new fuse box in.

Stand by your beds!

2004-09-29T13:05:00.000+01:00

It's inspection time for the loft space... Hopefully all the works will be approved and matters can then continue. It's strange to think that it was only 6 weeks ago that the scaffolding went up and they are hoping to be finished in another couple. Its a sci-fi world up there with all this foil faced insulation glinting at you from walls and ceiling. A bit like Space 1999 without the hairdo's - and yes, the back garden does resemble the lunar landscape at the moment! We even have the vacuum, but that's to get rid of the dust...

There's a good reason for that...

2004-09-28T18:30:00.000+01:00

Claire was an angel today and finished off painting the back of the house. However, she berated me about leaving the bottom right hand side of the wall unpainted meaning she had to sit on a scaffold pole feeling not overly secure and why couldn't I have done it. I pointed out that the area in question didn't need to be painted as it would be below the new roof line for the rear extension, an aspect she had overlooked. Regarding Phase II, planning permission is in and we wait for the Council to get round to rubber stamping it - 8 weeks is the current going rate I'm told.

Hmmm, textured flooring

2004-09-26T21:21:00.000+01:00

Well, we moved back in on Saturday morning, couldn't face it Friday night and were confronted with the job of finding the hall/ stairs/ landing carpet from underneath the layer of dust, grit, plaster and accumulated debris. Plan A was to leave Claire to do this whilst I painted the back of the house - why have a scaffold and not use it? - but rain stopped play and started housework. Never mind, got to paint most of it on Sunday (the back of the house, not the carpet!), succeeding in getting the majority of the paint where it should have been (on the wall) and not on me. Rounded off the weekend with an oversight meeting. Ah well.

Don't panic!

2004-09-24T13:15:00.000+01:00

Further to the trauma of damaging one of the few pieces of furniture that we have ever bought new, I am pleased to report that with care and judicious application of 'no more nails' our bedroom wardrobes are now back in place and in one piece - no, the doors aren't stuck together, but the carcass is again whole and structurally sound (as much as laminated chipboard can ever be). Even better, the heating and hot water are working following the successful installation of the new boiler (how sad am I to be telling you this?). Walls are going up in the loft and its quite exciting to finally see the reality as opposed to just drawings or a big empy box. The friction between builder and plumber continues and as it's the last day for the plumber to be on site, hopefully he will survive without getting a chisel embedded between his shoulder blades! Watch this space or the News at 10!

Don't try this at home

2004-09-22T23:59:00.000+01:00

There are a number of activities that it is inadvisable to indulge in, especially on your own, in the bedroom and at 10pm. Specifically what I am referring to, of course, is dismantling wardrobes. As part and parcel the the organised mayhem that is our house, the central heating boiler is being replaced - the existing one is 26 ish years old, in the front room and sounds like a spitfire cranking up which is not condusive to a peaceful night in front of the telly. The new one will be in the loft bathroom, well out of the way. Unfortunately, the pipes and pump run under our bedroom floor, directly underneath the wardrobes (what joy!) and need to be capped off. After discovering just how many pairs of shoes, boots, sandals, trainers, flip-flops, slippers etc there actually are in the bottom of Claire's wardrobe I removed the end section and decided just to slide the remaining double out. Bad move. My language was not the approved version and I decided to leave at that point.

I'm sure it was there this morning...

2004-09-21T13:11:00.000+01:00

Strange, when I went to work yesterday, the house was looking relatively normal. When I returned later, someone had nicked the landing ceiling and dumped a partially constructed staircase in the hall! Transpired that yesterday was not a good day for our builder. The staircase was late arriving (4pm does not equate to first thing in his book) which threw all his schedules out. Mind you at least it did arrive. At one point the suppliers seemed unsure and totally ambivalent as to when it might put in an appearance. Today he is much happier. I have just spoken to my lovely spouse to get a lunchtime update and the staircase is mainly up, the electrician is busy changing fuse boards and leaving wires all over the place, and the plumber has turned the water off prior to fitting the new boiler in the loft which he couldn't do until the stairs were up as it weighs a ton (nearly). Suffice to say, we are not resident at the moment and retire gracefully to a friends flat to sleep. Have to remember to give Naomi the good news that she has successfully named a friends hamsters as it will make her day.

2004-09-18T23:20:00.000+01:00

Well, the girls are happy bunnies now. it may have been a Saturday, but Alan (our builder) came nevertheless and they now have a window that fits instead of a sheet of ply.. Shame he didn't arrive 15 mins earlier this morning, he could have helped me unload the 30 sheets of 8'x4' plasterboard. Still, it was fun watching him carry them upstairs and heave them into the loft! This afternoon was great fun - a family picnic in Gunnersbury Park cum birthday party for one of Naomi's friends. Forget playstation, DVD's, computers et al and get out there with a ball, bat, frisbee and a bunch of friends and run about like loonies! I think the grown ups had more fun than the kids. Indian take-away tonight and then bed time for tired childres, followed not too long after by equally tired parents. Night night all.

Deep Breath

2004-09-17T17:44:00.000+01:00

How strange to be on the cusp and about to enter a brave new world. A couple of months ago, I had no knowledge of blogs until a friend sent me a link to one of hers. I then found one, then two and now five other people I know who also have blog sites - its obviously catching!
Even stranger that I should now be logging my first ever blog. Time will tell as to the frequency I make of this facility.
Oh well, must away home as loads to do this weekend clearing and packing. The builders are in and the new staircase is being installed next week along with the new central heating boiler - what fun, what mess! No wonder we're moving out and leaving them to it.
The girls would settle for a new bedroom window to replace the large sheet of ply. Bit of a boo boo there, they took the old window out and then found they had incorrectly measured the window... yep, you guessed it, the new one didn't fit. Ah well.