The boy done good!

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!

Follow the link...

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

Bristol - Coppellia

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....

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!

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!

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

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!