So, it's 2011 (twenty eleven or the BBC approved 'two thousand eleven' - which is way too American for me)?
It's all still shit.
I have been 'Cinderella' and 'the driver' for 2 weeks now. So I find myself at almost 2am, doing 'catch-up' drinking with everybody else in bed either asleep and snoring, or awake and trying to watch DVDs. I suppose anything is preferable to an evening in the company of little old me.
'Come Dine With Me' is looking good, though I'd be quite happy to watch re-runs of 'Deal or No Deal' given the circumstances. Jeez - the biddy has started singing songs from 'My Fair Lady'.... Time to a) go to bed) b) mute the telly, c) drink more and/or d) all of the above....
Happy New Year....
x x
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Well, that sums it all up, really.....
In my efforts to restrain the cat, I inadvertently fell into the CD tower and sent the items on top of it flying in all directions. I would not usually be bothered by this, but in this particular case my one and only broadcasting trophy was flung wildly to the ground and shattered into at least 5 parts.
You'd think that this incident in itself would be easily remedied / rectified (2 words I dislike having now typed them), however, the same trophy met a similar fate the day after I officially accepted it.
I am pleased (in some warped parallel universe) to say that the main 3 breaks coincide with the previous breaks, but now I have 2 more, which makes reassembly a tad more difficult.
I fear I may also have irreparably damaged the air freshener during my fall - it smells lovely, but won't do the 'pffffft' thing any more....
Where should I start???
You'd think that this incident in itself would be easily remedied / rectified (2 words I dislike having now typed them), however, the same trophy met a similar fate the day after I officially accepted it.
I am pleased (in some warped parallel universe) to say that the main 3 breaks coincide with the previous breaks, but now I have 2 more, which makes reassembly a tad more difficult.
I fear I may also have irreparably damaged the air freshener during my fall - it smells lovely, but won't do the 'pffffft' thing any more....
Where should I start???
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Quite angry today.....
I have been unemployed for 10 months and 2 days today, and no matter what people have told me, time does NOT make it all better; I still do not know what I did that was so wrong that I was deemed 'redundant' - the Company made a good profit, month on month, the entire time I was there. I managed several massive bank accounts, huge monthly billing, the payroll, personnel files, holiday and sick day monitoring, viability studies, database integrity checks... the list goes on. Oh, and bad debt management (which was incredibly effective). Maybe I just knew too much about the workings of this great Company that is wasn't viable for the new owner to keep me on?
I will never know - and maybe that's why I can't move on..... I can't even ask for a reference - after all, how do you explain to a prospective employer that the last company you worked for didn't seem to need an FD?
It makes no sense - none of it.
I am off to play ker-plunk with the cutlery on my draining board - it makes more sense to me than this - at least I can apply the laws of physics.....
x
I will never know - and maybe that's why I can't move on..... I can't even ask for a reference - after all, how do you explain to a prospective employer that the last company you worked for didn't seem to need an FD?
It makes no sense - none of it.
I am off to play ker-plunk with the cutlery on my draining board - it makes more sense to me than this - at least I can apply the laws of physics.....
x
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
I don't know where the time goes...
So, the rest of the holiday was a washout. Got back, got bored, got depressed, signed on online in July (see, I didn't even have to get dressed this time).
It's now mid August and there is NO sign of any work at all. It's calamitous really. My accounting spreadsheet has more red on it than a Labour party banner, there's a horrible weather system bringing temperatures up near 100ºF, and there's no respite in sight.
There was a small upside recently when the Music Man secured 11 nights of work at an Irish bar of all places. He did very well, depsite losing his voice 3 nights in. Thanks to friends and family helping out, he made it through and boosted our cash balance. The downside of this was the dangling of a carrot in the shape of 'one night a week after you've done the 11 nights cover stint' - which has come to nothing now. The chap he was covering for has decided to carry on working 7 nights a week for the foreseeable future to 'save up'. We need money to eat, pal, let alone save. Disillusionment is the word of the day now, but it's not his fault, I guess, though I'd have preferred honesty from the off if you knew you were going to get our hopes up only to dash them.
On the diet front, I've now lost a total of 8 kilos; one friend says 'that's enough - don't lose any more' - has she seen our food budget?
Oh, and we have a rescued kitten. Cole was a mere 2 weeks old when we acquired him from the building site at the end of the terrace. He's around 12 weeks now, as fit as an ox and a little bugger a lot of the time, though that's most likely due to the fact he's a baby, and an only kitten. With VERY sharp teeth.
Premier League started with an away draw for the Blues - not bad, all things considered, though the Magpie's fortunes were vastly different, with a 3 nil pummeling at Old Trafford. First home games this weekend (which we have back on our satellite system, despite my reducing the subscription down to the bare minimum this week).
I suppose (in all honesty) it's not all doom and gloom for the immediate future, but if something doesn't come up soon, it will be. It's just a shame the Magpie thinks it'll 'all be ok' - does he have a money tree I don't know about?
It's now mid August and there is NO sign of any work at all. It's calamitous really. My accounting spreadsheet has more red on it than a Labour party banner, there's a horrible weather system bringing temperatures up near 100ºF, and there's no respite in sight.
There was a small upside recently when the Music Man secured 11 nights of work at an Irish bar of all places. He did very well, depsite losing his voice 3 nights in. Thanks to friends and family helping out, he made it through and boosted our cash balance. The downside of this was the dangling of a carrot in the shape of 'one night a week after you've done the 11 nights cover stint' - which has come to nothing now. The chap he was covering for has decided to carry on working 7 nights a week for the foreseeable future to 'save up'. We need money to eat, pal, let alone save. Disillusionment is the word of the day now, but it's not his fault, I guess, though I'd have preferred honesty from the off if you knew you were going to get our hopes up only to dash them.
On the diet front, I've now lost a total of 8 kilos; one friend says 'that's enough - don't lose any more' - has she seen our food budget?
Oh, and we have a rescued kitten. Cole was a mere 2 weeks old when we acquired him from the building site at the end of the terrace. He's around 12 weeks now, as fit as an ox and a little bugger a lot of the time, though that's most likely due to the fact he's a baby, and an only kitten. With VERY sharp teeth.
Premier League started with an away draw for the Blues - not bad, all things considered, though the Magpie's fortunes were vastly different, with a 3 nil pummeling at Old Trafford. First home games this weekend (which we have back on our satellite system, despite my reducing the subscription down to the bare minimum this week).
I suppose (in all honesty) it's not all doom and gloom for the immediate future, but if something doesn't come up soon, it will be. It's just a shame the Magpie thinks it'll 'all be ok' - does he have a money tree I don't know about?
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Friday, May 14th - here comes the rain again!
Jesus bloody Christ on a bike in a Sou’wester! That was some thunderstorm! It’s pissing down, and shows no sign of relenting any time soon. I want to hibernate and never come back out. Blah blah! Like that’s a possibility. Breakfast is poached eggs on toast with left over sausages. The double yolk count now reaches 11 out of the 12 eggs we bought. I am vaguely disappointed that the 2 eggs from the new batch are single yolks (sub-standard by my reckoning). So, a dreary day – what to do? I decide to stay at home with mum whilst the intrepid trekkers go to Mahon to visit something or other. They get rained off, part way through the trip and are promised re-entry at a later date. I screw up a Sudoku or two.
We are supposed to be going to the opening night of a bar in Cala’n Porter. It’s a bar that’s been there years (and reminds me of our holiday in 1986 when mum and dad were unable to come due to dad’s first heart attack, so we came with college friends and girlfriends / boyfriends and had a whale of a time), but is reopening with new owners. The owners of the Casino have apparently taken the deeds as payment of a debt, and Tollo (Bartolomo) is to be the new manager. In his fifties, he’s none too pleased about being in charge of a night venue, but I guess the owners’ idea is that he can take some of the Casino custom with him to boost sales in the early days. It opens in an hour, but it’s still pissing down, and shows no sign of relenting. If all else fails, we have a fridge full of (too much) meat for tomorrow’s post F.A. Cup final barbecue.
We are supposed to be going to the opening night of a bar in Cala’n Porter. It’s a bar that’s been there years (and reminds me of our holiday in 1986 when mum and dad were unable to come due to dad’s first heart attack, so we came with college friends and girlfriends / boyfriends and had a whale of a time), but is reopening with new owners. The owners of the Casino have apparently taken the deeds as payment of a debt, and Tollo (Bartolomo) is to be the new manager. In his fifties, he’s none too pleased about being in charge of a night venue, but I guess the owners’ idea is that he can take some of the Casino custom with him to boost sales in the early days. It opens in an hour, but it’s still pissing down, and shows no sign of relenting. If all else fails, we have a fridge full of (too much) meat for tomorrow’s post F.A. Cup final barbecue.
Thursday, May 13th - Mussels at the Casino
I was unable to write up last night’s dinner experience, mostly due to being extremely tired, but I have to admit, at least partly due to the entire bottle of white wine I had consumed. We were treated to roast lamb, pork and chicken, with a smaller selection of starters and desserts than in previous visits, but I must say that at 20€ a head it was truly sublime. It was quite strange in many ways; we were the only people dining there, they had laid on a great spread, we sat in the ‘family’ part of the house, the bar was closed, the music consisted mostly of pop songs from around 1997. However, we all agreed that despite the differences, it was a night to remember. Mike has been out of the UK for decades, and is pondering ‘retirement viewing’. He has never seen the Two Ronnies, and has recently been inducted into the Only Fools and Horses fan club. We suggested Fawlty Towers, only to be told that he had seen an episode and dismissed it as ‘too close to the truth to be funny’. Several skits later and he promises he will have a second look. We retire late, full, and very content.
Thursday morning brings with it the usual shopping trip for the daily bread (plus lottery tickets and a trip to the bank with mum), and thoughts of where we should eat this evening. Sa Païssa has only been on our agenda once (mainly due to the excellent food and service that Nelsons has provided), as has the Casino. Nobody can choose. In the end, the mussels have it, and we head to the Casino (very much touched by the sun today, I can assure you). Great food, despite the quietness of the establishment. I am in bed at 10.20pm. Goodnight!
Thursday morning brings with it the usual shopping trip for the daily bread (plus lottery tickets and a trip to the bank with mum), and thoughts of where we should eat this evening. Sa Païssa has only been on our agenda once (mainly due to the excellent food and service that Nelsons has provided), as has the Casino. Nobody can choose. In the end, the mussels have it, and we head to the Casino (very much touched by the sun today, I can assure you). Great food, despite the quietness of the establishment. I am in bed at 10.20pm. Goodnight!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Wednesday, May 12th. Too hot (I know, it's stupid to complain!)
This is the first day I have not been one of the shopping party. The sun is out and I am going to get some kind of tan if it kills me. Less than an hour later and I’m boiling over, and have to cover up. Then the sun fades, and the clouds cover the sky; time for sweatshirt and tracky bottoms. All of a sudden it’s lunchtime and I revert to three Ryvita, low fat cheese and some scrumptious cherry tomatoes (at 4.75€ a kilo, I’d expect nothing less). Book, swinging sofa and a siesta are in order, after Wolfie has been fed (for the second time today; I think he may have recently come out of hibernation and is trying to build himself up into some kind of super-tortoise).
Tonight’s meal is at the former ‘real farmhouse carvery’ that is El Sereno. The owner, Mike, has decided that the time has come for him to retire from his business of over 40 years. We have always visited him at least once for the most sumptuous roast meats with a huge selection of mostly home grown vegetables. Making the call on Monday to reserve a ‘whatever’ for our ‘reunion’, I am left wondering what is in store for us. Mike was very vague as to what this will entail; will there be meat, a choice, or even any food at all? What will we pay? He says ‘I might throw some meat on, and it will be less than usual’ (what – less meat or a lower cost? I am befuddled). Time will tell. We are to arrive soon after eight’……
Tonight’s meal is at the former ‘real farmhouse carvery’ that is El Sereno. The owner, Mike, has decided that the time has come for him to retire from his business of over 40 years. We have always visited him at least once for the most sumptuous roast meats with a huge selection of mostly home grown vegetables. Making the call on Monday to reserve a ‘whatever’ for our ‘reunion’, I am left wondering what is in store for us. Mike was very vague as to what this will entail; will there be meat, a choice, or even any food at all? What will we pay? He says ‘I might throw some meat on, and it will be less than usual’ (what – less meat or a lower cost? I am befuddled). Time will tell. We are to arrive soon after eight’……
Tuesday, May 11th. The tortoise is back!
The tortoise is spotted (not literally). I’ve not seen ‘Wolfie’ for a number of years, and was beginning to wonder if he had met some sad demise. Fortunately this is not the case, and the first sign we have is a mound in the middle of the road as we drive to the shops for supplies. I remark that there may be a hedgehog in the road, but further investigations reveal it to be a small, rather startled tortoise. I pick him up and take him out to the pool front for safety. Upon returning from the shops (carrot bought), I find he has pootled off again and is nowhere to be seen. Our next indication that he is about is a gentle ‘thunk, thunk’ on the driveway wall. He’s obviously been for a wander and is returning to find food, and is lacking a particularly good sense of his immediate surroundings. He’s a hungry little chap and devours much lettuce and carrot, oblivious to the fact that his table manners leave a lot to be desired.
Dinner tonight is provided by Nelson’s Bar; they have a Thai red curry speciality tonight, and three of the party choose this. Mum has a jacket spud (light dinner) and I have my first ever Chilli that was not made by us or close friends; it’s very piquant and extremely good, served with basmati rice (?) and cheese covered Doritos. Yum, but what of the diet? Ah well, I’ve been good so far, avoiding chips, crisps and Cheddar for the vast majority of the last two and a half months, so I reckon ‘what the heck’ and dig in. Also I should say that today was a ‘day without alcohol’ so have managed to bank some foody calories for this dinner.
It’s too early to go straight to bed, so we play a card game based on ‘Monopoly’ which is a bugger to understand at first, but very good once we get the hang of it. I win the first game by completing 3 full sets of properties (and maintaining a healthy bank balance into the deal), but the second game goes very poorly for me; I have been dealt not a single property card and am stuck just paying out rents until I have nought left but a sad face and huge debts. Bedtime, methinks.
Dinner tonight is provided by Nelson’s Bar; they have a Thai red curry speciality tonight, and three of the party choose this. Mum has a jacket spud (light dinner) and I have my first ever Chilli that was not made by us or close friends; it’s very piquant and extremely good, served with basmati rice (?) and cheese covered Doritos. Yum, but what of the diet? Ah well, I’ve been good so far, avoiding chips, crisps and Cheddar for the vast majority of the last two and a half months, so I reckon ‘what the heck’ and dig in. Also I should say that today was a ‘day without alcohol’ so have managed to bank some foody calories for this dinner.
It’s too early to go straight to bed, so we play a card game based on ‘Monopoly’ which is a bugger to understand at first, but very good once we get the hang of it. I win the first game by completing 3 full sets of properties (and maintaining a healthy bank balance into the deal), but the second game goes very poorly for me; I have been dealt not a single property card and am stuck just paying out rents until I have nought left but a sad face and huge debts. Bedtime, methinks.
Monday, May 10th. Barbecue Day
Sleep disturbed by worrying about the apartment situation. Off to the Casino to check emails etc and I find that in the space of 15 minutes, I have sent or received 12 emails, all on the same topic. Finally, it’s sorted and I can resume holiday mode. Barbecue tonight, which seems rather implausible given the weather conditions today; sporadic showers and minimal sunny spells. Loads of chicken and sausages, two bags of potatoes, bottles of wine etc later, and we’re back at the villa, willing the sun to come out. It refuses, point blank. I am trying to explain to whoever is in charge of the sunshine here that Tom is with us, and wherever Tom goes, the sun follows. Nobody listens. It’s almost enough to warrant a tear, but I refrain.
The barbecue is a resounding success, due not in a small part to the heat the fire produces. All are fed and watered.
The barbecue is a resounding success, due not in a small part to the heat the fire produces. All are fed and watered.
Sunday, May 9th. Cala Torret and some apartment worries...
Woo hoo! Sun’s out again! Our friends Tom and Denise are due today at – well – I’m not sure actually. All I know is that it should be in time for lunch, and is a Monarch flight from Manchester. Damn Volcanic Ash Cloud is causing disruption again, so it’s off to the AENA website to check what’s going on. Aha! Due at 11.05, already in the air. Glad I booked for dinner for five then!
Time presses on and our friends arrive, tired after an early start, but ready to go out and attack the three course special (with drinks) for 13.50€ - see, Village Pub – THREE COURSES AND DRINKS for 13.50€. The place is packed – no surprises there, then. Great lunch then off to the Village pub for a pint of tap water and the last day of the Premier League season. Enough about that then. Blues lose (that’s only the 2nd club that’s had 6 points off us this season – I hate to say that other than Bolton, only the Villa managed it – it makes me sick to even type that).
Back home at a sensible hour and ready for tea, which is our usual ‘home’ food; bread, ham, cheese, salad and baby boiled potatoes. I seriously want to take a field full of these home with me; they are truly scrumptious (apologies to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for nicking a leading character). Oh no! Wine crisis! Ah well, bed early and that’s yer lot for today. I’ll not even enter into the phone call I get regarding an apartment double booking on the Rock….
Time presses on and our friends arrive, tired after an early start, but ready to go out and attack the three course special (with drinks) for 13.50€ - see, Village Pub – THREE COURSES AND DRINKS for 13.50€. The place is packed – no surprises there, then. Great lunch then off to the Village pub for a pint of tap water and the last day of the Premier League season. Enough about that then. Blues lose (that’s only the 2nd club that’s had 6 points off us this season – I hate to say that other than Bolton, only the Villa managed it – it makes me sick to even type that).
Back home at a sensible hour and ready for tea, which is our usual ‘home’ food; bread, ham, cheese, salad and baby boiled potatoes. I seriously want to take a field full of these home with me; they are truly scrumptious (apologies to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for nicking a leading character). Oh no! Wine crisis! Ah well, bed early and that’s yer lot for today. I’ll not even enter into the phone call I get regarding an apartment double booking on the Rock….
Friday, May 7th. Sun at last!
Up, bright as a button at 9am. Finally, I have this hour difference sorted. Breakfast (albeit toast) done and dusted by 9.45 and we’re off to do the shopping; oh no, wait! His Lordship has to have a shower. Blimey, that was quick. And we’re off! Newspapers bought, and finally the internet is working in the local bar, so I can check upon the rest of the world whilst Menorca sleeps. Not much happening that couldn’t have been predicted yesterday to be honest. Hung parliament, Gordon Brown doing his utmost to suck up to anyone who’ll have him (chances of him forming a government: slim to none).
Then, miracle of miracles; the sun comes out! Hurrah, yippee and other such exclamations. It’s still a wee bit cold though, so I opt to stay on the verandah doing Sudoku and generally bumming about.
Dinner is pork loin (part roasted, part grilled as the oven is sh&te!) boiled baby potatoes and peas. Nice! Now it’s time to settle down to Clarkson and the radio, and ponder life’s, err, ponderings. Night all!
Then, miracle of miracles; the sun comes out! Hurrah, yippee and other such exclamations. It’s still a wee bit cold though, so I opt to stay on the verandah doing Sudoku and generally bumming about.
Dinner is pork loin (part roasted, part grilled as the oven is sh&te!) boiled baby potatoes and peas. Nice! Now it’s time to settle down to Clarkson and the radio, and ponder life’s, err, ponderings. Night all!
Saturday, May 7th. A real c&%t of a day!!!
The sun is out nice and early, but sadly I’m a little bit burned on the shins from yesterday (not sure how that happened, but I am blaming Jeremy Clarkson). It’s the final day of Leagues 1 and 2 in English football and it couldn’t be tighter at the top of League 1. Any one of 5 teams can clinch the automatic promotion spot: Leeds, Millwall, Swindon, Charlton or Huddersfield. Very few points separate the five, and at a sensible time, we plod off to the Village Pub to see what’s afoot. Without actually having a live game on the telly, I can honestly say it’s the most exciting 2 hours I’ve encountered. Charlton go 2 up and sneak the place, as Leeds go one behind. Millwall are actually playing Swindon, so a result for either team there will send them up. Millwall take the lead, and it’s all roses, particularly as Leeds are down to ten men as well. Then the second half brings 4 changes of second place in a period of five minutes. Charlton have it, Millwall sneak it, then Leeds go level (still not enough) then Leeds go ahead. Mental (but far calming a prospect than the potential play off final between Millwall and Leeds, which was a distinct possibility at one point - for about 30 seconds anyway).
Then comes the bill; 31.10€ - what the heck? I wasn’t warned that I would need to finance my afternoon. Bloody good job we didn’t have food. Looking at the menu I see toad in the hole priced at 11.95€, pork loin dinner at the same price, and – horror of horrors – omelettes at 9.95€ - that’s just eggs for f&%k’s sake! Jacket potatoes at 7.75€ and toasties at 4.25€. Daylight robbery – no wonder nobody’s eating.
There is one man, who although not eating, seems to be drinking for England. He can’t seem to string a sentence together without every third word being the ‘f’ word. I’ve never in my life heard anything like it. I am totally flabbergasted, and even more so when he decides to call me a ‘c%&t’ without attempting to reason why. I am also called a sycophant, and then he mumbles to the world that he’s embarrassed to be English – so am I mate, if that’s how you behave. He carries on chuntering to what I can only assume (due to my reduced view of the bar) is the barman. I then realise that the barman is outside, so he’s swearing at the straws, the beer pump, or possibly even the furniture. I tell you something, if that had been my local, his drink would have been taken off him, and he’d be on a quick hike down the road. The barman does nothing except intimate that he may close the bar in an attempt to remove the offending person. We leave.
Dinner that evening is at Nelsons – a great place we rediscovered last year after an absence of many decades in my case. Billed as a ‘gastro pub’ Nelson’s has a very small but excellent menu. We meet up with friends, have a fabulous meal, and then play – err – bingo! I know, I know, it’s not really me, but we have a go. Between the five of us, we win – a bottle of bubbly (line – Magpie man), an electronic tape measure (two lines – Sam), 5.50€ (line – Magpie Man), 22.50€ (full house – Nish), and a bottle of wine (lucky dip – mum). Maybe I should reword that and say that the other 4 won 5 prizes. I won bugger all – story of my day really…..
Home and bed by 11. Still can’t comprehend why Captain Sweary wasn’t removed from the bar, and how someone can charge 12 quid for a bit of pork……
Then comes the bill; 31.10€ - what the heck? I wasn’t warned that I would need to finance my afternoon. Bloody good job we didn’t have food. Looking at the menu I see toad in the hole priced at 11.95€, pork loin dinner at the same price, and – horror of horrors – omelettes at 9.95€ - that’s just eggs for f&%k’s sake! Jacket potatoes at 7.75€ and toasties at 4.25€. Daylight robbery – no wonder nobody’s eating.
There is one man, who although not eating, seems to be drinking for England. He can’t seem to string a sentence together without every third word being the ‘f’ word. I’ve never in my life heard anything like it. I am totally flabbergasted, and even more so when he decides to call me a ‘c%&t’ without attempting to reason why. I am also called a sycophant, and then he mumbles to the world that he’s embarrassed to be English – so am I mate, if that’s how you behave. He carries on chuntering to what I can only assume (due to my reduced view of the bar) is the barman. I then realise that the barman is outside, so he’s swearing at the straws, the beer pump, or possibly even the furniture. I tell you something, if that had been my local, his drink would have been taken off him, and he’d be on a quick hike down the road. The barman does nothing except intimate that he may close the bar in an attempt to remove the offending person. We leave.
Dinner that evening is at Nelsons – a great place we rediscovered last year after an absence of many decades in my case. Billed as a ‘gastro pub’ Nelson’s has a very small but excellent menu. We meet up with friends, have a fabulous meal, and then play – err – bingo! I know, I know, it’s not really me, but we have a go. Between the five of us, we win – a bottle of bubbly (line – Magpie man), an electronic tape measure (two lines – Sam), 5.50€ (line – Magpie Man), 22.50€ (full house – Nish), and a bottle of wine (lucky dip – mum). Maybe I should reword that and say that the other 4 won 5 prizes. I won bugger all – story of my day really…..
Home and bed by 11. Still can’t comprehend why Captain Sweary wasn’t removed from the bar, and how someone can charge 12 quid for a bit of pork……
Thursday, May 6th. Election Day
I woke at 5.25am after having a terrible nightmare, the events of which I simply can’t remember; all I know is that I couldn’t get back to sleep for over an hour. Eventually waking at 9.50am (oops), I get up to make the breakfast. Poached eggs on toast. I crack open the first egg – it has a double yolk – never seen one before. I crack open the second egg – it has a double yolk – I’ve only ever seen one of those before!
The weather is grey and dismal, rather like my hair looks today. I have a terrible case of bed head so a wash is in order. One thing I love (out of many) about the villa is that each of the three bathrooms has its own massive hot water tank, so I am in for a mammoth shower. Hot too…. Very hot. Nice.
Off to buy the papers; it’s Election Day in the UK. I am ineligible to vote, but can see that whatever happens, it’s not going to be good for UK citizens. Who in their right mind would actively seek to lead a country that has been run into the ground? There is no hope of a miracle cure, and whoever gets the job (with or without the assistance of an arch rival in the highly likely event of a hung parliament), will be vilified and blamed for everything that went on before. The only occasion in which this blame will be justified is if the unelected PM is miraculously elected to office. I can’t see it happening to be honest. It wouldn’t usually bother me, all this UK politics stuff, but as we are seriously contemplating a return to Blighty, this may well have a massive effect on us, or even on our decision to move.
So, here I sit, in the rain, on Election Day wondering ‘what will tomorrow bring?’ – a ray of sunshine, I hope (in more ways than one).
The weather is grey and dismal, rather like my hair looks today. I have a terrible case of bed head so a wash is in order. One thing I love (out of many) about the villa is that each of the three bathrooms has its own massive hot water tank, so I am in for a mammoth shower. Hot too…. Very hot. Nice.
Off to buy the papers; it’s Election Day in the UK. I am ineligible to vote, but can see that whatever happens, it’s not going to be good for UK citizens. Who in their right mind would actively seek to lead a country that has been run into the ground? There is no hope of a miracle cure, and whoever gets the job (with or without the assistance of an arch rival in the highly likely event of a hung parliament), will be vilified and blamed for everything that went on before. The only occasion in which this blame will be justified is if the unelected PM is miraculously elected to office. I can’t see it happening to be honest. It wouldn’t usually bother me, all this UK politics stuff, but as we are seriously contemplating a return to Blighty, this may well have a massive effect on us, or even on our decision to move.
So, here I sit, in the rain, on Election Day wondering ‘what will tomorrow bring?’ – a ray of sunshine, I hope (in more ways than one).
Wednesday, May 5th. Where has the sun gone?
I never quite get the hang of the hour’s difference between home and Menorca; I woke at silly o’clock (around 6am – 5am Rock time), and decided that was just too early so sank back into my toastie slumbers.
Second wake up at 9.45am – a far more sociable hour for holidays and stuck the kettle on. Teas, coffees and getting ready for the mammoth task that is getting breakfast outside on the table. The weather looks to have improved somewhat, so we may be in for a nicer day than yesterday. My initial predictions are soon confounded when the rain starts to fall, heavily, again.
The shopping trip is somewhat of a washout too. I can’t believe how expensive things have become over here; as an example, we pay 1.90€ for a 250g tub of Country Life Spreadable at home – here it’s 2.75€. And the stuff travels half the distance from the factory to get here. The monopoly that the local supermarket has here is squarely to blame. Everybody (and I mean everybody) shops here. The nearest other option is in Cala’n Porter where the same tub of fake butter is 3.10€ - Jesus! It’s enough to give you a coronary (the price, not the cholesterol contained therein).
After having had such a late breakfast, we have time on our hands. It’s not going to be sunbathing weather that’s for sure, so we all pop out in the car for a recce. First stop is the port at Mahon. One of our favourite eateries is closed; not closed as in ‘not open yet’ but closed as in ‘will never open again’. So there’s our first casualty, and it’s a surprising one too; Roma was always a buzzing hive of activity, but sadly no more. We return home feeling somewhat dejected and disappointed. Surely the whole island can’t be the same? He and I decide to try again but it’s depressing news; almost everywhere is closed down, not yet open for the summer, or open 3 days a week only. Virtually the whole of Cala’n Porter is closed; I think we saw abut 5 people the whole time, 3 of whom were staff at Sa Païssa.
Off to Son Vitamina next to check if the recently rediscovered Bar Nelson has fallen victim to the recession. There are 5 or 6 cars outside, but it looks distinctly closed. Upon further inspection I see it’s a bustling hub of the community; everybody is here, eating, drinking and having a jolly good lunchtime. It pleases me that at least one place is surviving. Matt the owner tells us that he’s only opened for the season the previous Saturday, and is very happy with his turnout so far. I’d be inclined to agree; several diners, even more drinkers, and a very jolly atmosphere. I am sure we’ll be dining here on more than one occasion, particularly after the sad demise of Roma.
Returning to the villa at 3.50pm having had too much conversation and wine in the Nelson to feel as apologetic as we maybe should, lunch is served. My liquid diet has not impressed Captain Cliché, and I am ordered to eat. I select 3 Ryvita, a tomato and some green pepper; that’ll keep him happy for a while.
After the late lunch, two of the party decide to go for a ‘siesta’. I am surprised the villa’s foundations didn’t collapse under the vibrations emanating from two World Snoring Championship contenders and yes, I DO have proof on video!
Seeing as Roma is closed, we opt to go to Sa Païssa for dinner. The menu there has been decimated, but there is still a good selection of food. I am now very hungry, so choose roast chicken. I forget to order ‘only salad’ and end up with chips for the second time in as many days – naughty Maggie!
Another early night is on the cards, more so that we can get warm than get off to sleep. Our good friend Sam brought round an electric radiator, an electric fan, a gas fire (which we can’t persuade to function) and two hot water bottles earlier. I get the distinct feeling that these won’t be enough, but we’ll see.
Second wake up at 9.45am – a far more sociable hour for holidays and stuck the kettle on. Teas, coffees and getting ready for the mammoth task that is getting breakfast outside on the table. The weather looks to have improved somewhat, so we may be in for a nicer day than yesterday. My initial predictions are soon confounded when the rain starts to fall, heavily, again.
The shopping trip is somewhat of a washout too. I can’t believe how expensive things have become over here; as an example, we pay 1.90€ for a 250g tub of Country Life Spreadable at home – here it’s 2.75€. And the stuff travels half the distance from the factory to get here. The monopoly that the local supermarket has here is squarely to blame. Everybody (and I mean everybody) shops here. The nearest other option is in Cala’n Porter where the same tub of fake butter is 3.10€ - Jesus! It’s enough to give you a coronary (the price, not the cholesterol contained therein).
After having had such a late breakfast, we have time on our hands. It’s not going to be sunbathing weather that’s for sure, so we all pop out in the car for a recce. First stop is the port at Mahon. One of our favourite eateries is closed; not closed as in ‘not open yet’ but closed as in ‘will never open again’. So there’s our first casualty, and it’s a surprising one too; Roma was always a buzzing hive of activity, but sadly no more. We return home feeling somewhat dejected and disappointed. Surely the whole island can’t be the same? He and I decide to try again but it’s depressing news; almost everywhere is closed down, not yet open for the summer, or open 3 days a week only. Virtually the whole of Cala’n Porter is closed; I think we saw abut 5 people the whole time, 3 of whom were staff at Sa Païssa.
Off to Son Vitamina next to check if the recently rediscovered Bar Nelson has fallen victim to the recession. There are 5 or 6 cars outside, but it looks distinctly closed. Upon further inspection I see it’s a bustling hub of the community; everybody is here, eating, drinking and having a jolly good lunchtime. It pleases me that at least one place is surviving. Matt the owner tells us that he’s only opened for the season the previous Saturday, and is very happy with his turnout so far. I’d be inclined to agree; several diners, even more drinkers, and a very jolly atmosphere. I am sure we’ll be dining here on more than one occasion, particularly after the sad demise of Roma.
Returning to the villa at 3.50pm having had too much conversation and wine in the Nelson to feel as apologetic as we maybe should, lunch is served. My liquid diet has not impressed Captain Cliché, and I am ordered to eat. I select 3 Ryvita, a tomato and some green pepper; that’ll keep him happy for a while.
After the late lunch, two of the party decide to go for a ‘siesta’. I am surprised the villa’s foundations didn’t collapse under the vibrations emanating from two World Snoring Championship contenders and yes, I DO have proof on video!
Seeing as Roma is closed, we opt to go to Sa Païssa for dinner. The menu there has been decimated, but there is still a good selection of food. I am now very hungry, so choose roast chicken. I forget to order ‘only salad’ and end up with chips for the second time in as many days – naughty Maggie!
Another early night is on the cards, more so that we can get warm than get off to sleep. Our good friend Sam brought round an electric radiator, an electric fan, a gas fire (which we can’t persuade to function) and two hot water bottles earlier. I get the distinct feeling that these won’t be enough, but we’ll see.
Tuesday, May 4th. Arrival to rain - now that's not right, surely!
The coffee at the airport café (the only thing open this side of Las Americas) was excellent, or so I am told. I had a nice cuppa (Eastenders cure-all). Then the girl started baking the croissants etc for the morning stint (still 5 hours away by my reckoning). Smelled lovely, but I resisted.
Arrival at Madrid Barajas around 6.10am (local time). We would usually head straight for McDonald’s and feast on a quarter pounder meal, but refrained this year, mostly due to the fact that I was stone cold sober at the time. So instead we had a wander around the terminal and ended up, a full 20 minutes later, at McDonald’s. 2.85€ for a sausage and egg McMuffin and coffee satisfied my chaperone, and I was torn between the full quarter pounder meal, the Happy Meal or almost anything else on the menu (and lots of it!). I settled on a 1€ salad and a 1€ chicken thing that has a sachet of spicy stuff to shake over it. Nice, but I was still hungry. I ate no more.
Madrid to Menorca; a horrible little plane that was more like a bus (50 seater, driver at the front, 2 x 2 in the rows. God I hate small planes. However, a little over an hour later we arrived to rain, cloud, and just the 12ºC – we had left temperatures of 29ºC.
I have always maintained that if we wanted sun, we’d stay put. The whole point of this break is to relax, chill out and …well..that’s all really. This year is the first one where I have not left work to go on holiday, nor shall I be returning to work the next day after returning. It’s very very strange, and I’m not sure if it will affect my entire perception of the holiday itself; we’ll have to wait and see.
Picked up the car and drove to the villa; it feels great to even be stepping on the driveway, so maybe my perceptions are more about myself than the location I find myself in. Unpacked (3 minutes, some kind of record, I’m sure), then off out to buy food. I was, by this time, absolutely famished (if indeed I can even vaguely relate to what it feels like not to have eaten for at least 6 hours). We ended up at the bar next door to the supermarket. I am yet to find a white wine there that I can tolerate, ho hum. It was, in fact, this very same bar where I decided to drink beer for the first time (several years ago), due to the dire quality and taste of the wines on offer; I should have remembered this, but somehow I failed.
We eventually got back to the villa, with 3 hours to spare until mum arrived. Most sensible people would have had a rest, a nap, a siesta; not us - we wandered about, read the newspapers, and boiled some very small potatoes (and ate them - yummy). All this whilst the weather could not decide whether it was supposed to be sunny, cloudy or downright pissing down so it did all 3! Then we decided that as mum was arriving on time, we’d have a bath / shower. I don’t think I’ve had a bath in over a year – it was very relaxing indeed, although I somehow resisted the temptation to fall asleep in there.
Up and dried, we see it’s 5.35pm – mum’s due arrival time (and time to set off for the pick up). A quick check on t’interweb informs us that she landed a full 20 minutes early – I bloody wish they’d have said that she was due early instead of displaying ‘on time’ until the very last minute! So, we get there and mum is waiting – oops! Still, saves on the car park fees (is that a bad thing to say?).
Then it’s a case (ha ha) of getting mum unpacked and going out for tea. Casino San Climent is the elected eatery and off we pop……
Once we were fed and watered (or wined in my case) we returned to the (by now) very cold villa, added extra blankets to the beds (that’s two, doubled over on each bed) and finally settled down to sleep.
Arrival at Madrid Barajas around 6.10am (local time). We would usually head straight for McDonald’s and feast on a quarter pounder meal, but refrained this year, mostly due to the fact that I was stone cold sober at the time. So instead we had a wander around the terminal and ended up, a full 20 minutes later, at McDonald’s. 2.85€ for a sausage and egg McMuffin and coffee satisfied my chaperone, and I was torn between the full quarter pounder meal, the Happy Meal or almost anything else on the menu (and lots of it!). I settled on a 1€ salad and a 1€ chicken thing that has a sachet of spicy stuff to shake over it. Nice, but I was still hungry. I ate no more.
Madrid to Menorca; a horrible little plane that was more like a bus (50 seater, driver at the front, 2 x 2 in the rows. God I hate small planes. However, a little over an hour later we arrived to rain, cloud, and just the 12ºC – we had left temperatures of 29ºC.
I have always maintained that if we wanted sun, we’d stay put. The whole point of this break is to relax, chill out and …well..that’s all really. This year is the first one where I have not left work to go on holiday, nor shall I be returning to work the next day after returning. It’s very very strange, and I’m not sure if it will affect my entire perception of the holiday itself; we’ll have to wait and see.
Picked up the car and drove to the villa; it feels great to even be stepping on the driveway, so maybe my perceptions are more about myself than the location I find myself in. Unpacked (3 minutes, some kind of record, I’m sure), then off out to buy food. I was, by this time, absolutely famished (if indeed I can even vaguely relate to what it feels like not to have eaten for at least 6 hours). We ended up at the bar next door to the supermarket. I am yet to find a white wine there that I can tolerate, ho hum. It was, in fact, this very same bar where I decided to drink beer for the first time (several years ago), due to the dire quality and taste of the wines on offer; I should have remembered this, but somehow I failed.
We eventually got back to the villa, with 3 hours to spare until mum arrived. Most sensible people would have had a rest, a nap, a siesta; not us - we wandered about, read the newspapers, and boiled some very small potatoes (and ate them - yummy). All this whilst the weather could not decide whether it was supposed to be sunny, cloudy or downright pissing down so it did all 3! Then we decided that as mum was arriving on time, we’d have a bath / shower. I don’t think I’ve had a bath in over a year – it was very relaxing indeed, although I somehow resisted the temptation to fall asleep in there.
Up and dried, we see it’s 5.35pm – mum’s due arrival time (and time to set off for the pick up). A quick check on t’interweb informs us that she landed a full 20 minutes early – I bloody wish they’d have said that she was due early instead of displaying ‘on time’ until the very last minute! So, we get there and mum is waiting – oops! Still, saves on the car park fees (is that a bad thing to say?).
Then it’s a case (ha ha) of getting mum unpacked and going out for tea. Casino San Climent is the elected eatery and off we pop……
Once we were fed and watered (or wined in my case) we returned to the (by now) very cold villa, added extra blankets to the beds (that’s two, doubled over on each bed) and finally settled down to sleep.
Monday, May 3rd. Holidays - yippee!
Got up at a silly time (9am), considering we won’t be sleeping in anything remotely resembling a bed tonight. Had breakfast (more eggs for his Lordship; that’s 4 in 3 days now – God help the other passengers when we board). Bought cigarettes for us and family, went to the pub, just for something different to do, you understand; I mean, we are on holiday ‘officially’ now, all things considered.
Sat about at home for what seemed like half a lifetime before deciding to go to the airport about midnight (flight at 2.45am).
Sat about at home for what seemed like half a lifetime before deciding to go to the airport about midnight (flight at 2.45am).
Friday, April 30, 2010
It's turning into a long day, this!
Rudely awoken at 08h15 by the bloody builders who seem hell bent on giving me a migraine every day. They bang and clatter about, then start drilling, only to stop the noise at about 09h15. Then it all goes quiet. My question is this: why can't they do the quiet bits of work early on and the noisy bits once everyone is up? Makes sense to me...
Friday is usually a 'pub' day, as in we potter about a bit then eventually look at each other and say the word 'pub?' We'd be there now were it not for the fact that we have been invited to a show this evening. It's the local British school's annual musical production. This year 'Guys and Dolls' gets the treatment. I must say I know nothing about this production, so am looking forward to something different. It's amazing what a high level the kids perfom to, particularly given that they're from any number of countries, and with very varied levels of English. That sentence has just made me think; isn't it the same pretty much everywhere now? I've been here too long.....
I may have a nap now, but I'm sure that if I do, the bloody drills will start again....
Ah, well.
Friday is usually a 'pub' day, as in we potter about a bit then eventually look at each other and say the word 'pub?' We'd be there now were it not for the fact that we have been invited to a show this evening. It's the local British school's annual musical production. This year 'Guys and Dolls' gets the treatment. I must say I know nothing about this production, so am looking forward to something different. It's amazing what a high level the kids perfom to, particularly given that they're from any number of countries, and with very varied levels of English. That sentence has just made me think; isn't it the same pretty much everywhere now? I've been here too long.....
I may have a nap now, but I'm sure that if I do, the bloody drills will start again....
Ah, well.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
I've won the lottery!
Yeah, right!
I was pressganged into buying a 'Bono Loto' ticket for 150% of its face value by a chap who obviously thinks it's OK to buy a load of tickets and then con people out of cash so he can make a 'living' whilst saving we poor mortals the expense (physical) of actually walking to the lottery shop. But I won - a Euro (the actual face value of the ticket) and still have to go to the shop to collect my 'fortune'. Ha! I won't be doing that again (well, at least until I go up to hospital again and get forced to buy an overpriced ticket for the privilege of parking my car).
Unemployment is getting a bit wearing on my patience and sanity. I 'signed on' on Monday for the first time since being made redundant (I have settled on this termonology for now). I handed my paper into the security guard who wandered inside with it and returned with a new one approximately 6 minutes later. No signing, no interview, no nothing. Does this mean they're going to keep giving me money? I have to go back and repeat the process in three more months.
I've been to the UK for 12 days (but don't tell the dole office - well, actually you can, because I was on a job seeking mission). Saw the family, which was great, and some friends, as well as having the 'interview'. Not holding out too much hope as the timeline is not feasible. Ah well, at least I tried.
The prospect of a permanent move back to the UK is becoming more appealing as time goes on; only a great job opportunity here would change my mind now, and with the Rock as it is, I hold out little to no hope of that happening. Problem now is the sale of the apartment. We're in a recession (I don't care hw many bods say we're coming out of it) so the value of the flat is at quite a low point. In the meantime, house prices in the (Y)UK have apparently risen by 10% very recently. This would price us out of the market to buy, unless we were to take on a repo and an overhaul project. But there's always renting; however we would still have to sell here to free up capital, pay off the mortgage, car etc.
It's all rather daunting. What do you take with you, and what do you sell? Particularly when 3D TV is approaching fast. I think we're resigned to the fact that a 3D TV is a must have, even over a sofa it appears.... I must admit that if all this goes ahead, I am relishing the thought of shopping for furniture, gadgets etc. I see adverts for almost constant sales on beds, sofas and the like, and I've never really had the exerience of furnishing somewhere all in one go. Bring it on!
Ah well, I'm definitely at a low-ish ebb so wil pootle off for now.
Have fun!
I was pressganged into buying a 'Bono Loto' ticket for 150% of its face value by a chap who obviously thinks it's OK to buy a load of tickets and then con people out of cash so he can make a 'living' whilst saving we poor mortals the expense (physical) of actually walking to the lottery shop. But I won - a Euro (the actual face value of the ticket) and still have to go to the shop to collect my 'fortune'. Ha! I won't be doing that again (well, at least until I go up to hospital again and get forced to buy an overpriced ticket for the privilege of parking my car).
Unemployment is getting a bit wearing on my patience and sanity. I 'signed on' on Monday for the first time since being made redundant (I have settled on this termonology for now). I handed my paper into the security guard who wandered inside with it and returned with a new one approximately 6 minutes later. No signing, no interview, no nothing. Does this mean they're going to keep giving me money? I have to go back and repeat the process in three more months.
I've been to the UK for 12 days (but don't tell the dole office - well, actually you can, because I was on a job seeking mission). Saw the family, which was great, and some friends, as well as having the 'interview'. Not holding out too much hope as the timeline is not feasible. Ah well, at least I tried.
The prospect of a permanent move back to the UK is becoming more appealing as time goes on; only a great job opportunity here would change my mind now, and with the Rock as it is, I hold out little to no hope of that happening. Problem now is the sale of the apartment. We're in a recession (I don't care hw many bods say we're coming out of it) so the value of the flat is at quite a low point. In the meantime, house prices in the (Y)UK have apparently risen by 10% very recently. This would price us out of the market to buy, unless we were to take on a repo and an overhaul project. But there's always renting; however we would still have to sell here to free up capital, pay off the mortgage, car etc.
It's all rather daunting. What do you take with you, and what do you sell? Particularly when 3D TV is approaching fast. I think we're resigned to the fact that a 3D TV is a must have, even over a sofa it appears.... I must admit that if all this goes ahead, I am relishing the thought of shopping for furniture, gadgets etc. I see adverts for almost constant sales on beds, sofas and the like, and I've never really had the exerience of furnishing somewhere all in one go. Bring it on!
Ah well, I'm definitely at a low-ish ebb so wil pootle off for now.
Have fun!
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Why...?....
Do I do this?
I wonder (quite a lot) why I would bother to put down some of my innermost feelings on a blog which is basically private (I write, I read, nobody else can see it).
Then I think to myself 'I need an outlet, so I will put it all down somewhere'.
And here it is.
I should add more, but in all honesty - how many people actually have something interesting / important / pertinent / amusing to say every day? I know I don't... so many days just pass unobserved, unnoticed, and uninteresting. In fact I almost looked up words beginning with 'un' just to have something to put on here today..... Unfunny sprang to mind... but that was just ..... underachieving....
x x x
I wonder (quite a lot) why I would bother to put down some of my innermost feelings on a blog which is basically private (I write, I read, nobody else can see it).
Then I think to myself 'I need an outlet, so I will put it all down somewhere'.
And here it is.
I should add more, but in all honesty - how many people actually have something interesting / important / pertinent / amusing to say every day? I know I don't... so many days just pass unobserved, unnoticed, and uninteresting. In fact I almost looked up words beginning with 'un' just to have something to put on here today..... Unfunny sprang to mind... but that was just ..... underachieving....
x x x
Friday, April 02, 2010
Too much crap to post all at once....
November last year to April 2010 (is that twenty ten or two thousand ten?)
Been fired - which was nice (not) but a HUGE relief! Maybe I should say 'made redundant' but that implies I was surplus to requirements - how can a company manage without an FD? I feel it maybe cannot, but that remains to be seen.
Onwards and Upwards - these are my watchwords at the moment; because when you've given your all (health, sanity, marriage etc), there is nowhere else to go, other than down, and that is just NOT an option.
I hope the company survives; it was built most carefully by a man with a vision, and has been bought (sort of) by a man with greed, These two are similar, but SO different. I'd rather work for a tyrant with whom I know where I am than a laid back 'dude' who doesn't even appreciate what he's got - and that means the products as well as the team making it all happen!
I am currently on sabbatical - Hebrew for 'a ceasing' or 'a break' - it is neither. I am discovering what I am, who I am and even WHY I am...... and I quite like it (the break, not the discovering). Relaxing it is not, enlightening - definitely.
I may be back soon - if I can remember to schedule time to write.
In reference to previous posts - I have lost 6 kilos (all cheese and beer) in 6 weeks. It fills me with pride and a longing for beer and cheese (and chips).
Err....yeah.... Salad for breakfast tomorrow? Highly likely....
Been fired - which was nice (not) but a HUGE relief! Maybe I should say 'made redundant' but that implies I was surplus to requirements - how can a company manage without an FD? I feel it maybe cannot, but that remains to be seen.
Onwards and Upwards - these are my watchwords at the moment; because when you've given your all (health, sanity, marriage etc), there is nowhere else to go, other than down, and that is just NOT an option.
I hope the company survives; it was built most carefully by a man with a vision, and has been bought (sort of) by a man with greed, These two are similar, but SO different. I'd rather work for a tyrant with whom I know where I am than a laid back 'dude' who doesn't even appreciate what he's got - and that means the products as well as the team making it all happen!
I am currently on sabbatical - Hebrew for 'a ceasing' or 'a break' - it is neither. I am discovering what I am, who I am and even WHY I am...... and I quite like it (the break, not the discovering). Relaxing it is not, enlightening - definitely.
I may be back soon - if I can remember to schedule time to write.
In reference to previous posts - I have lost 6 kilos (all cheese and beer) in 6 weeks. It fills me with pride and a longing for beer and cheese (and chips).
Err....yeah.... Salad for breakfast tomorrow? Highly likely....
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Where does the bloody time go?
November - No-bloody-vember!
Busy summer - lots of hospital visits, tests, 2 operations and time off work.
Starting to feel somewhet better now. This is evident due to my increasing boredom levels and willingness to log on to work emails from home. I've even gone so far as to get access to my work PC from home, and if all goes well, I shall be at the office for a while tomorrow... just don't tell my doctor!
Looking forward to the UK trip this month, though not too sure about flying on Friday 13th! However, once there we have lots to do - posh dinners in posh frocks and DJs, Eddie Izzard at the NIA, Wicked in London and a football match to boot (pardon the pun!).
Will be tweeting (just got hooked as Stephen Fry threatens to leave, does, then comes back on the other side of the Atlantic!).
So there we go, quick catch up done.
Pub? Yes, why not?!
Busy summer - lots of hospital visits, tests, 2 operations and time off work.
Starting to feel somewhet better now. This is evident due to my increasing boredom levels and willingness to log on to work emails from home. I've even gone so far as to get access to my work PC from home, and if all goes well, I shall be at the office for a while tomorrow... just don't tell my doctor!
Looking forward to the UK trip this month, though not too sure about flying on Friday 13th! However, once there we have lots to do - posh dinners in posh frocks and DJs, Eddie Izzard at the NIA, Wicked in London and a football match to boot (pardon the pun!).
Will be tweeting (just got hooked as Stephen Fry threatens to leave, does, then comes back on the other side of the Atlantic!).
So there we go, quick catch up done.
Pub? Yes, why not?!
Friday, February 20, 2009
I'm on holiday...and I haven't gone anywhere!
Ah, the joys of a few days off!
In a nutshell, my mum has arrived for a fortnight and so I decided to take a whole week off to spend time with her. It's day 2 and I'm still at home, having polished the wooden furniture, the front door etc.
I have seen her (obviously), and we had a lovely walk around town yesterday. We had decided on eating at El Cine but it was being refurbished - drill noise, paint pots, no sign of chicken wings anywhere (boo hoo). We missed this delightful place last year due mostly due to abject laziness and an overload of work pressures, and were hoping to have made it this year.
So we decided to pop to a tradiational tea shop with quiches, sandwiches and the like. I nearly died of heart failure - 4.00€ for a BLT sandwich? That's almost 4 quid! I can't have my pensioner mum and her friend paying that for a couple of bits of bread, some random salad and a bit of dead pig. So off up the hill we trudged and found a delightful pub we'd only been to once before (when our local was shut and there was a Newcastle game to be seen) and feasted on hot chicken and stuffing baguettes (mum and friend), hot lamb and mint baguette (the Newcastle fan) and hot beef and fried onion baguette (me). OK; we paid 3.50€ for the baguettes, but they were accompanied by a sizeable salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, carrot and sweetcorn) and a generous serving of potato crisps.That's value! Add on the fact that we were inside and it was piddling a little outside, and we were very happy bunnies.
And as we walked back to the car park, there was a potato delivery truck outside El Cine - they are reopening on Monday - my birthday! So we haven't missed it after all. Putting plans into place for a mini feast on the 23rd, plus a few other days out to relieve the inevitable boredom of being stuck here listening to the same 4 bars of music for an hour at a time......anyway......
Some strange feeling came over the car on the way back, and we inadvertently ended up at our local with beer at 1€ a pint. OOPS! Actually, we were very good. We had been up since 8am, and could see that the older members of the party were getting tired fast, so his Lordship (keeper of the car keys) drove them home about 6, leaving us for our best telly night and more beer. Result!
Today started with yet another inexplicable early wake up (I seem to wake up full of energy on the days when I'm NOT working), and the thought that if our visitors are going to be guests, the flat needed a clean. I've done the surfaces. The Muso has been working on a new track all day. It's now 2.30 pm on a Friday, and we must pop off soon to see the visitors.
Ironing first - aren't holidays wonderful?
Back (hopefully) soon.
xx
In a nutshell, my mum has arrived for a fortnight and so I decided to take a whole week off to spend time with her. It's day 2 and I'm still at home, having polished the wooden furniture, the front door etc.
I have seen her (obviously), and we had a lovely walk around town yesterday. We had decided on eating at El Cine but it was being refurbished - drill noise, paint pots, no sign of chicken wings anywhere (boo hoo). We missed this delightful place last year due mostly due to abject laziness and an overload of work pressures, and were hoping to have made it this year.
So we decided to pop to a tradiational tea shop with quiches, sandwiches and the like. I nearly died of heart failure - 4.00€ for a BLT sandwich? That's almost 4 quid! I can't have my pensioner mum and her friend paying that for a couple of bits of bread, some random salad and a bit of dead pig. So off up the hill we trudged and found a delightful pub we'd only been to once before (when our local was shut and there was a Newcastle game to be seen) and feasted on hot chicken and stuffing baguettes (mum and friend), hot lamb and mint baguette (the Newcastle fan) and hot beef and fried onion baguette (me). OK; we paid 3.50€ for the baguettes, but they were accompanied by a sizeable salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, carrot and sweetcorn) and a generous serving of potato crisps.That's value! Add on the fact that we were inside and it was piddling a little outside, and we were very happy bunnies.
And as we walked back to the car park, there was a potato delivery truck outside El Cine - they are reopening on Monday - my birthday! So we haven't missed it after all. Putting plans into place for a mini feast on the 23rd, plus a few other days out to relieve the inevitable boredom of being stuck here listening to the same 4 bars of music for an hour at a time......anyway......
Some strange feeling came over the car on the way back, and we inadvertently ended up at our local with beer at 1€ a pint. OOPS! Actually, we were very good. We had been up since 8am, and could see that the older members of the party were getting tired fast, so his Lordship (keeper of the car keys) drove them home about 6, leaving us for our best telly night and more beer. Result!
Today started with yet another inexplicable early wake up (I seem to wake up full of energy on the days when I'm NOT working), and the thought that if our visitors are going to be guests, the flat needed a clean. I've done the surfaces. The Muso has been working on a new track all day. It's now 2.30 pm on a Friday, and we must pop off soon to see the visitors.
Ironing first - aren't holidays wonderful?
Back (hopefully) soon.
xx
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Oh, for goodness' sake!
.....I seriously (SERIOUISLY) can't believe I haven't posted in over a year.
I got better, got into work, and hey! That's how a year disappears without any time for me.. well, not that much anyway.
I mean, I have had time for me, but I spent most of it watching House (drooling at Hugh - who actually bears a striking resemblance to the Man who won't buy a Newcastle Shirt!), catching up on sleep and getting into Eli Stone, Boston Legal and a certain Dr. Luka Kovac (Goran Visnjic - I beieve that may be an acceptable spelling). And getting some cysts in weird places.
I got a promotion to FD then backed out - Jeez, it was too much like hard work (and the job of 5 mere mortals at least - and I was already doing the work of 3). I bought a new car (basic, functional and lovely), and bought a Wii. I am going to write this properly, but "Oh my God!" I am addicted! I heard friends and colleagues (many of whom are the same person - that's how sad my social life is!) raving about this white box that makes you lose weight in a fun way and initially dismissed it all. Then I was invited to a Wii party. I obviously couldn't go without some training and attempted to rent one to try it out. They don't RENT Wiis!!!! You have to spend the best part of your Christmas bonus (yes, an FD can JUST ABOUT buy a Wii on the bonus I got with the company I work for), then get all sweaty and addicted to yoga. Saddest part is I got ill the day before the party and couldn't even attend!
That said I am now a professional penguin, ski jumper and slalom skiier, a muscle legend when it comes to abs and thighs, and I can also beat the old chap (who had a 6 handicap in the real world) at golf.
I must point out that this is VIRTUAL golf - God forbid I should ever try to take him on with real golf sticks, err... bats... err thingies, but I am bloody good at swinging that little white control and making my bizarrely disjointed hands / arms / get that little ball in the hole in fewer strokes than he.
OK, so he beats me at bowling, but he did that in the real world - and we never ever played tennis so I have no frame of reference (but yes, I do win that too).
But, I sit here with a BMI of under 23 at almost 44 years of age, body ravaged by gymnastics, steroids, cysts etc and am quite happy with myself.
If only I didn't have to work for a living.
My sister is doing the "Lighter Life" (don't eat anything, get counselling and starve yourself into the body you used to have and want back) program. I admire her strength. Another friend of mine lost, well, basically, the equivalent of me (53 kilos at the time we knew each other), and seems fine, apart from the 2 major surgeries to repair the flappy skin and the pacemaker they have had to fit because her heart kept stopping (yes, STOPPING!).
Is there not an easier way of getting your fitness back? I mean, I got out of shape, but nothing a quick blast on the Wii couldn't sort (albeit temporarily).
I love my sister; I love my friend, but seriously (SERIOUSLY).. is that what 21st Century women do now?
Take care
xxx
I got better, got into work, and hey! That's how a year disappears without any time for me.. well, not that much anyway.
I mean, I have had time for me, but I spent most of it watching House (drooling at Hugh - who actually bears a striking resemblance to the Man who won't buy a Newcastle Shirt!), catching up on sleep and getting into Eli Stone, Boston Legal and a certain Dr. Luka Kovac (Goran Visnjic - I beieve that may be an acceptable spelling). And getting some cysts in weird places.
I got a promotion to FD then backed out - Jeez, it was too much like hard work (and the job of 5 mere mortals at least - and I was already doing the work of 3). I bought a new car (basic, functional and lovely), and bought a Wii. I am going to write this properly, but "Oh my God!" I am addicted! I heard friends and colleagues (many of whom are the same person - that's how sad my social life is!) raving about this white box that makes you lose weight in a fun way and initially dismissed it all. Then I was invited to a Wii party. I obviously couldn't go without some training and attempted to rent one to try it out. They don't RENT Wiis!!!! You have to spend the best part of your Christmas bonus (yes, an FD can JUST ABOUT buy a Wii on the bonus I got with the company I work for), then get all sweaty and addicted to yoga. Saddest part is I got ill the day before the party and couldn't even attend!
That said I am now a professional penguin, ski jumper and slalom skiier, a muscle legend when it comes to abs and thighs, and I can also beat the old chap (who had a 6 handicap in the real world) at golf.
I must point out that this is VIRTUAL golf - God forbid I should ever try to take him on with real golf sticks, err... bats... err thingies, but I am bloody good at swinging that little white control and making my bizarrely disjointed hands / arms / get that little ball in the hole in fewer strokes than he.
OK, so he beats me at bowling, but he did that in the real world - and we never ever played tennis so I have no frame of reference (but yes, I do win that too).
But, I sit here with a BMI of under 23 at almost 44 years of age, body ravaged by gymnastics, steroids, cysts etc and am quite happy with myself.
If only I didn't have to work for a living.
My sister is doing the "Lighter Life" (don't eat anything, get counselling and starve yourself into the body you used to have and want back) program. I admire her strength. Another friend of mine lost, well, basically, the equivalent of me (53 kilos at the time we knew each other), and seems fine, apart from the 2 major surgeries to repair the flappy skin and the pacemaker they have had to fit because her heart kept stopping (yes, STOPPING!).
Is there not an easier way of getting your fitness back? I mean, I got out of shape, but nothing a quick blast on the Wii couldn't sort (albeit temporarily).
I love my sister; I love my friend, but seriously (SERIOUSLY).. is that what 21st Century women do now?
Take care
xxx
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Anything for the weekend.....?
I'm not quite sure how or why this happens, but from Monday to Friday, my body and brain have a severe aversion to waking and getting up. However, on Saturdays (for the last 2 weeks at any rate) I have been wide awake at eight, and making breakfast by ten past (two slices of cheese on toast today).
Then it's a quick look at the BBC news and sport websites to see if I've missed anything, and then by ten o'clock it feels like the football should be kicking off, and I should be in the pub ready to watch my team lose again.
It's the five hours between ten and three that really bug me. Should I do some washing (done), ironing (leave it until I have nothing but crumpled clothing left), clean the flat (not my job), go food shopping (did that Friday), go for a walk (too energetic), or invent some amazing product that will make me a millionaire? Talking of millionaires, better check the old Euromillions ticket now. Every week I try not to think about the 76 million to one odds against me winning, but the thought just creeps into the recesses of my brain - maybe that's why I wake up so early.....Planning how to spend my non-existent fortune.
Later today we (the depressed Magpie and I) are off to spend the weekend with friends. It's like having a holiday home ten minutes down the road. I love the break. We'll be going via the Indian supermarket to stock up on onion bhaji mix and Basmati rice, which we've both developed a taste for since Crohn's got bad.
On the subject of the illness, I'm doing quite well. I have some severe bone aches from time to time, and am still very tired. I was hoping my doctor would sign me back on to work this week, but she says I need another week to get back to full strength, and although I'm keen to get back into the swing of things, I'm inclined to agree about delaying the return. Just don't tell anyone I did 7 hours every day last week...!
Titchy, the kitten we have inherited, is growing at an amazing rate. He's still suckling, but now knows where our fridge is, and runs to it every time I come in from anywhere. He's a cheeky whatsit really, but he sits by the door as if to say "Well, come on, what are you waiting for? FEED ME!" I can't resist. So much so that we now have a basket of kitten goodies in the kitchen - sachets of yummy food (for cats at least), and He Who is Fixing an Old PC is going to make a scratch pole with a carpeted top. I can't wait to see the end result of THAT little project! Mind, if it's anything like the shelves in the laundry room he promised me when we moved in 17 years ago, I'll have a long wait!
Well, time to get the next load of washing in...
.... and we won! 11.31 Euro for 1 number and 2 stars!
Hasta la vista!
Then it's a quick look at the BBC news and sport websites to see if I've missed anything, and then by ten o'clock it feels like the football should be kicking off, and I should be in the pub ready to watch my team lose again.
It's the five hours between ten and three that really bug me. Should I do some washing (done), ironing (leave it until I have nothing but crumpled clothing left), clean the flat (not my job), go food shopping (did that Friday), go for a walk (too energetic), or invent some amazing product that will make me a millionaire? Talking of millionaires, better check the old Euromillions ticket now. Every week I try not to think about the 76 million to one odds against me winning, but the thought just creeps into the recesses of my brain - maybe that's why I wake up so early.....Planning how to spend my non-existent fortune.
Later today we (the depressed Magpie and I) are off to spend the weekend with friends. It's like having a holiday home ten minutes down the road. I love the break. We'll be going via the Indian supermarket to stock up on onion bhaji mix and Basmati rice, which we've both developed a taste for since Crohn's got bad.
On the subject of the illness, I'm doing quite well. I have some severe bone aches from time to time, and am still very tired. I was hoping my doctor would sign me back on to work this week, but she says I need another week to get back to full strength, and although I'm keen to get back into the swing of things, I'm inclined to agree about delaying the return. Just don't tell anyone I did 7 hours every day last week...!
Titchy, the kitten we have inherited, is growing at an amazing rate. He's still suckling, but now knows where our fridge is, and runs to it every time I come in from anywhere. He's a cheeky whatsit really, but he sits by the door as if to say "Well, come on, what are you waiting for? FEED ME!" I can't resist. So much so that we now have a basket of kitten goodies in the kitchen - sachets of yummy food (for cats at least), and He Who is Fixing an Old PC is going to make a scratch pole with a carpeted top. I can't wait to see the end result of THAT little project! Mind, if it's anything like the shelves in the laundry room he promised me when we moved in 17 years ago, I'll have a long wait!
Well, time to get the next load of washing in...
.... and we won! 11.31 Euro for 1 number and 2 stars!
Hasta la vista!
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Happy 2008!
So, another year passes, I'm a whole year older, the world is one year more weary, and Crohn's is back!
Felt a twinge in November, which developed into a full blown relapse thanks to a Barium Meal on December 11th. Now, here I sit, bloated on Prednisone and no food, feeling like absolute shit in a bucket.
That said, the power of positive thinking should be kicking in any day now, and I should be back to "normal" (whatever that is for me), and functioning in the Real World (whatever that is!).
Decided to be positive, take everything in moderation, and be a little more sensible this year. Then had a beer on January 1st and it all went a bit haywire!
His Lordship woke up today with an eye that simply won't open - can't say what caused it, but an anti histamine seemed to do the trick (a bit).
I woke up feeling absolutely fantastic - for about 3 hours. Then I got tired, lethargic, depressed and more tired. I actually went to the PUB to watch the football with the Magpie, but felt out of place and exhausted after the first half - believe me, it was nothing to do with the football!
Got home, took meds, made dinner and here I am. I shall try to make a better effort in posting this year, though if I rely on willpower alone, my next post will probably be in March (at the earliest!).
Ho hum, for a lottery win and a home in the Thousand Islands - like "Men in Trees" but not so cold..... fishing, writing, eating and relaxing. That's the life I want!
Happy New Year!
x x x
Felt a twinge in November, which developed into a full blown relapse thanks to a Barium Meal on December 11th. Now, here I sit, bloated on Prednisone and no food, feeling like absolute shit in a bucket.
That said, the power of positive thinking should be kicking in any day now, and I should be back to "normal" (whatever that is for me), and functioning in the Real World (whatever that is!).
Decided to be positive, take everything in moderation, and be a little more sensible this year. Then had a beer on January 1st and it all went a bit haywire!
His Lordship woke up today with an eye that simply won't open - can't say what caused it, but an anti histamine seemed to do the trick (a bit).
I woke up feeling absolutely fantastic - for about 3 hours. Then I got tired, lethargic, depressed and more tired. I actually went to the PUB to watch the football with the Magpie, but felt out of place and exhausted after the first half - believe me, it was nothing to do with the football!
Got home, took meds, made dinner and here I am. I shall try to make a better effort in posting this year, though if I rely on willpower alone, my next post will probably be in March (at the earliest!).
Ho hum, for a lottery win and a home in the Thousand Islands - like "Men in Trees" but not so cold..... fishing, writing, eating and relaxing. That's the life I want!
Happy New Year!
x x x
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Bless me, for I have sinned.......
.....it has been 4 days since my last confession.
OK, so.... my director is away and the phone lines all go wonky; not good for a telecommunications company, I'm sure you'll agree. We were getting anything from 5 to 25 seconds to take calls, collect caller IDs and a brief conversation before "SCHHHHHHKKKK!" dead line. Nice of the national operator to inform us they're replacing lines and cables! Engineer came out, changed a box, pissed off (allegedly to check the exchange), and never saw him again.
But of course, when the director goes away, our lifeline isn't the only thing that riles me. I'll try to enlighten you.
The Company has employed a "person" to do client liaison (ie telemarketing). This female is blessed with the following:
1. No intelligent thoughts or logic
2. No sense of direction
3. No volume control
4. No understanding of the task in hand
5. No idea how annoying she is, and
6. Bullimia Nervosa (but you can't hold that against a person, can you?)
If I had the authority, I would have fired her today. But that's another story. Talking of stories, we are now running a book on her latest excuse for being late. Here are a few...
"I was driving along the motorway and just as I came to the junction, the sun got in my eyes and I missed the turning. Have you ever done that?" (err, no)
"I've borrowed a car. It's an automatic and it got stuck in reverse while I was getting out of the driveway. When I got out of the car, the chickens flew into my hair." (chickens? CHICKENS?!)
"I cut my thumb. I fed the dogs and must have put the lid in my handbag by mistake. When I put my hand in my bag to get my keys, the lid sliced through my thumb" (huh?)
..and although it's sad, the image created was one to remember...
"My mum fell down the stairs and landed on my dad. They were stuck there for 2 days until someone found them, and I've only just found out." (they're fine now)
The Bullimia is a personal problem, but when there are clients in the office and all they can hear is barfing, it doesn't really add to an atmosphere conducive to a high standard of customer service now, does it?
Rant over. I can now cook (for cook read "reheat") a pizza for dinner.
Oh, and did I mention I turned my alarm off and woke up at 8.50am? No? Well, I did. Good for me that work is only 5 minutes' walk away and I was at my desk, albeit a little dishevelled, at 9am sharp.
3 weeks to holidays - God, give me strength.
Bye for now
xxx
OK, so.... my director is away and the phone lines all go wonky; not good for a telecommunications company, I'm sure you'll agree. We were getting anything from 5 to 25 seconds to take calls, collect caller IDs and a brief conversation before "SCHHHHHHKKKK!" dead line. Nice of the national operator to inform us they're replacing lines and cables! Engineer came out, changed a box, pissed off (allegedly to check the exchange), and never saw him again.
But of course, when the director goes away, our lifeline isn't the only thing that riles me. I'll try to enlighten you.
The Company has employed a "person" to do client liaison (ie telemarketing). This female is blessed with the following:
1. No intelligent thoughts or logic
2. No sense of direction
3. No volume control
4. No understanding of the task in hand
5. No idea how annoying she is, and
6. Bullimia Nervosa (but you can't hold that against a person, can you?)
If I had the authority, I would have fired her today. But that's another story. Talking of stories, we are now running a book on her latest excuse for being late. Here are a few...
"I was driving along the motorway and just as I came to the junction, the sun got in my eyes and I missed the turning. Have you ever done that?" (err, no)
"I've borrowed a car. It's an automatic and it got stuck in reverse while I was getting out of the driveway. When I got out of the car, the chickens flew into my hair." (chickens? CHICKENS?!)
"I cut my thumb. I fed the dogs and must have put the lid in my handbag by mistake. When I put my hand in my bag to get my keys, the lid sliced through my thumb" (huh?)
..and although it's sad, the image created was one to remember...
"My mum fell down the stairs and landed on my dad. They were stuck there for 2 days until someone found them, and I've only just found out." (they're fine now)
The Bullimia is a personal problem, but when there are clients in the office and all they can hear is barfing, it doesn't really add to an atmosphere conducive to a high standard of customer service now, does it?
Rant over. I can now cook (for cook read "reheat") a pizza for dinner.
Oh, and did I mention I turned my alarm off and woke up at 8.50am? No? Well, I did. Good for me that work is only 5 minutes' walk away and I was at my desk, albeit a little dishevelled, at 9am sharp.
3 weeks to holidays - God, give me strength.
Bye for now
xxx
Sunday, April 08, 2007
The Easter Bunny and other animals.......
Hmm......
Strolled across this shortcut in my internet favourites menu and suddenly remembered I have a Blog. I must say I'm rather surprised the web space hasn't been sold off to Roman Abramovich or something. That said, with the amount I've posted, the sum cost of the space would probably just about reach a centime or two (at a push).
Previous post was January 2006 unless I'm very much mistaken (or Alzheimer's has set in to the point where I can't even remember a number on a screen I was looking at immediately before this one). It's now April 2007 - Easter Sunday to be precise. There is a large Cadbury's Easter egg sitting on the side in the kitchen. It's very tempting; however, far more tempting is the aroma of a slow cooking Beef in Boddington's stew, complete with homemade dumplings. At this point, I must mention the revelation in the kitchen that is my husband. Around a year ago, whilst I was working days and he had secured a 6 nights a week gig, I tried to impress on him how difficult it was coming home from work at 5.45 pm and having to make a "proper" dinner every weekday evening before 7.30 (after which time, if he eats and then tries to sing, he explodes apparently). We even went shopping together to select "ingredients" and he turned out the most incredible cottage pie. I was a little miffed to be honest, as I've been making them for YEARS, and his first attempt by far exceeded my personal best!
The following week it was honey and mustard chicken with baked vegetables (another triumph), and then there was no stopping him. We invited our best friends round for dinner one evening. He made Beef & Guinness stew and homemade dumplings (honest!). I even took photos of him in various stages of preparation and cooking to impress our guests, who duly arrived and asked how I made everything and could they have the recipe, and did I make the dumplings, and if there was some left, could they take it home.....? At which point the photos were revealed. The look on their faces was, to coin a Mastercard slogan, "Priceless".
Chicken stew, a sublime Spaghetti Bolognese ("proper Italian recipe, you know"), complete with bay leaves and Parmesan on the pasta, layered potato bake, chicken and vegetable stir fry with rice later, and I find myself sitting here on Easter Sunday, having done bugger all, and looking forward to another culinary delight prepared by "the man who started cooking at the age of 53!"
He keeps threatening a Beef Wellington, but hasn't tried pastry yet - which reminds me - I finally managed to buy a replacement copy of an old cookery book I was given in 1988 by my ex mother-in-law. Maybe she thought I couldn't cook, but whatever her motives, I will be eternally grateful to Julia King for presenting me with "The Complete Farmhouse Cookbook". From the Yorkshire TV series of the same name, it contains the most delightful recipes and is where I learned that white sauce is easy, cakes can go from ingredients to finished product in under an hour, and that Mr.Warburton isn't the only person in the world who can make breakfast muffins! I made the mistake of lending the book to a friend who (surprise surprise) was so enamoured of its contents that I never got it back. He left the island some 12 years ago. With my book.
God, if only I'd had the sense to look on eBay - or more precisely, if only the man who invented eBay had done so 12 years ago, I'd still have been making creamy onion pie and cheesy flaps (don't ask) all these years!
This is turning into one of those foody blogs, so I'll change the subject for a while (difficult when all I can smell is the stew).
We have upgraded our "home entertainment" system recently. Which basically means we have a new telly (well, an LCD TV and hard-disk recorder to be precise). The equivalent of £900 has been spent on (in chronological order of acquisition) a Toshiba HDD/DVD thingy, and a Philips 32" LCD HD ready built in Freeview TV (yum). OK, so Freeview is pretty much non-existent in Tenerife (we have 4 channels that are also available on the satellite, and a radio station), but I was hoping this Sony Entertainment Television thing I have seen so much about might be part of it. It isn't (I just get the adverts saying how great it is). The HDD thing is a truly startling piece of equipment. Just like a VCR, it can record things while you're out - or at least it would if the satellite programmer would actually switch fully to the channel you selected at the right time, and not just play the sound over a black screen). It's like a PC without the mouse. You can record stuff onto DVD and let your mates borrow stuff (or not, if you don't want them to go the way of the cookbook). But the most amazing thing is the fact that you can PAUSE THE TELLY! Yes, pause the LIVE TV channel you're watching in case you have to go stir a stew, or something. My mind was well and truly boggled at this marvellous invention. So much so that I often go into "time slip" mode - for that's what it is called - and don't have to worry about dropping off in front of the TV (which I must admit has been happening a lot lately - I'm not sure if this is my age or the wine).
In other news, his Lordship has started a new job (well, a job he has done before, but in a different place). He's back in commercial production at a radio station. He's been there a week and they've already given him a shirt - this could be permanent then! He also keeps his hand in by doing one gig a week at a BBQ party night in a well known complex in San Eugenio. It's going rather well, even if he admits so himself. It has been a small financial struggle here and there, but things are looking up. I just hope he remembers to tell them we're off on holiday in 4 weeks, just 4 weeks into his CONTRACT! Yes, he actually has a work contract!
Speaking of holidays, Menorca is beckoning again. This year we have invited our former diving instructor and his wife. This will mean lots of blokey drinking and good food, conversation (mostly slurred on my part), and maybe even some diving. I've not done that for years, and am starting to think I've lost the knack. We'll see.
Family is all very well. We have a series of visitors planned for the summer. A bloody BIG series of visitors too. The timeline looks like this:
July 21st - arrival of our German friends
July 27th - arrival of my mum, sister and niece
August 3rd - return of my sister
August 10th - departure of my mum and niece
August 11th - arrival of my nephew
August 23rd - departure of our German friends
August 27th - departure of nephew
August 28th - arrival of friends from London
September 4th - departure of friends from London
So, that will mean days out, meals out, sunbathing round a pool full of screaming kids, more meals out, and visits to the only restaurant in the world where it takes longer to cook a steak than it takes to grow the cow. I'm not joking about that either. It's also the only restaurant in the world where you have to decide what you want to eat the day before you are scheduled to dine there. And even then they rip you off on the drinks bill. But why do we go there I hear you cry. Well, because in return for pre-ordering food, overpriced drinks and a kitchen that shuts at 8pm (8pm, I ask you), my family gets to stay at the apartment for FREE. Small hardship really.
In terms of my health (and I hope I am not tempting Fate here), I'm in exceedingly good shape, thanks for asking. No major ailments, injuries or anything to speak of. I had a surgical consult in January. I actually thought I was going to get my op. And I would have, if it hadn't been for my specialist pointing out that I'm really rather well, and "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Must admit I was a little peeved after having waited almost 4 years, but on reflection, I am feeling better than I have felt in decades, and am now inclined to agree with the killjoy doctor. I mean, there's nothing quite like complicated and serious surgery to bring out the sympathy in everyone around me, and I do love sympathy!
He who plays music and Spider Solitaire sadly has a bad knee. It's a long standing thing, and dates back to a near fatal bike crash almost 11 years ago. Apparently it is now so sensitive that he can predict the weather with it, but, if persuaded by the right Irish eyes, he can still dance an Irish jig on St. Patrick's Day. Actually, I think it's the jig that did it in this time. That'll be the Guinness again....but it was worth it for the comedy value. It just means I have to be the one doling out the sympathy, Ibuprofen and hot water bottles (yes, hot water bottles when it's 27 Celsius in the shade outside).
Ooh! I almost forgot - we won a charity bowls tournament a week ago today. Yes, I know it was April Fool's Day, and that was so appropriate it may have had a hand in our victory. It was, to be brutally honest, a novices tournament I have played in for the last 3 years, but this time I was on the team with last year's winner. He who dances on saints' days played for the first time (and I had only played 3 times before, each time being knocked out in the first round), so technically, we were novices. He played exceedingly well too. My "woods" (as that is what I am led to believe they are called) seemed to have a chronic aversion the the "jack" until we miraculously qualified for the final. And then it was as if it had telescopic, radar guided, military precision sights. Well, my very last wood clinched the title and the trophies, but I like to dream.
I am reading Jeremy Clarkson, wearing Lonsdale, and soon to be eating Beef in Boddingtons.
All is well with the world.....so...
Toodle pip, and don't eat too much chocolate!
x x x
Strolled across this shortcut in my internet favourites menu and suddenly remembered I have a Blog. I must say I'm rather surprised the web space hasn't been sold off to Roman Abramovich or something. That said, with the amount I've posted, the sum cost of the space would probably just about reach a centime or two (at a push).
Previous post was January 2006 unless I'm very much mistaken (or Alzheimer's has set in to the point where I can't even remember a number on a screen I was looking at immediately before this one). It's now April 2007 - Easter Sunday to be precise. There is a large Cadbury's Easter egg sitting on the side in the kitchen. It's very tempting; however, far more tempting is the aroma of a slow cooking Beef in Boddington's stew, complete with homemade dumplings. At this point, I must mention the revelation in the kitchen that is my husband. Around a year ago, whilst I was working days and he had secured a 6 nights a week gig, I tried to impress on him how difficult it was coming home from work at 5.45 pm and having to make a "proper" dinner every weekday evening before 7.30 (after which time, if he eats and then tries to sing, he explodes apparently). We even went shopping together to select "ingredients" and he turned out the most incredible cottage pie. I was a little miffed to be honest, as I've been making them for YEARS, and his first attempt by far exceeded my personal best!
The following week it was honey and mustard chicken with baked vegetables (another triumph), and then there was no stopping him. We invited our best friends round for dinner one evening. He made Beef & Guinness stew and homemade dumplings (honest!). I even took photos of him in various stages of preparation and cooking to impress our guests, who duly arrived and asked how I made everything and could they have the recipe, and did I make the dumplings, and if there was some left, could they take it home.....? At which point the photos were revealed. The look on their faces was, to coin a Mastercard slogan, "Priceless".
Chicken stew, a sublime Spaghetti Bolognese ("proper Italian recipe, you know"), complete with bay leaves and Parmesan on the pasta, layered potato bake, chicken and vegetable stir fry with rice later, and I find myself sitting here on Easter Sunday, having done bugger all, and looking forward to another culinary delight prepared by "the man who started cooking at the age of 53!"
He keeps threatening a Beef Wellington, but hasn't tried pastry yet - which reminds me - I finally managed to buy a replacement copy of an old cookery book I was given in 1988 by my ex mother-in-law. Maybe she thought I couldn't cook, but whatever her motives, I will be eternally grateful to Julia King for presenting me with "The Complete Farmhouse Cookbook". From the Yorkshire TV series of the same name, it contains the most delightful recipes and is where I learned that white sauce is easy, cakes can go from ingredients to finished product in under an hour, and that Mr.Warburton isn't the only person in the world who can make breakfast muffins! I made the mistake of lending the book to a friend who (surprise surprise) was so enamoured of its contents that I never got it back. He left the island some 12 years ago. With my book.
God, if only I'd had the sense to look on eBay - or more precisely, if only the man who invented eBay had done so 12 years ago, I'd still have been making creamy onion pie and cheesy flaps (don't ask) all these years!
This is turning into one of those foody blogs, so I'll change the subject for a while (difficult when all I can smell is the stew).
We have upgraded our "home entertainment" system recently. Which basically means we have a new telly (well, an LCD TV and hard-disk recorder to be precise). The equivalent of £900 has been spent on (in chronological order of acquisition) a Toshiba HDD/DVD thingy, and a Philips 32" LCD HD ready built in Freeview TV (yum). OK, so Freeview is pretty much non-existent in Tenerife (we have 4 channels that are also available on the satellite, and a radio station), but I was hoping this Sony Entertainment Television thing I have seen so much about might be part of it. It isn't (I just get the adverts saying how great it is). The HDD thing is a truly startling piece of equipment. Just like a VCR, it can record things while you're out - or at least it would if the satellite programmer would actually switch fully to the channel you selected at the right time, and not just play the sound over a black screen). It's like a PC without the mouse. You can record stuff onto DVD and let your mates borrow stuff (or not, if you don't want them to go the way of the cookbook). But the most amazing thing is the fact that you can PAUSE THE TELLY! Yes, pause the LIVE TV channel you're watching in case you have to go stir a stew, or something. My mind was well and truly boggled at this marvellous invention. So much so that I often go into "time slip" mode - for that's what it is called - and don't have to worry about dropping off in front of the TV (which I must admit has been happening a lot lately - I'm not sure if this is my age or the wine).
In other news, his Lordship has started a new job (well, a job he has done before, but in a different place). He's back in commercial production at a radio station. He's been there a week and they've already given him a shirt - this could be permanent then! He also keeps his hand in by doing one gig a week at a BBQ party night in a well known complex in San Eugenio. It's going rather well, even if he admits so himself. It has been a small financial struggle here and there, but things are looking up. I just hope he remembers to tell them we're off on holiday in 4 weeks, just 4 weeks into his CONTRACT! Yes, he actually has a work contract!
Speaking of holidays, Menorca is beckoning again. This year we have invited our former diving instructor and his wife. This will mean lots of blokey drinking and good food, conversation (mostly slurred on my part), and maybe even some diving. I've not done that for years, and am starting to think I've lost the knack. We'll see.
Family is all very well. We have a series of visitors planned for the summer. A bloody BIG series of visitors too. The timeline looks like this:
July 21st - arrival of our German friends
July 27th - arrival of my mum, sister and niece
August 3rd - return of my sister
August 10th - departure of my mum and niece
August 11th - arrival of my nephew
August 23rd - departure of our German friends
August 27th - departure of nephew
August 28th - arrival of friends from London
September 4th - departure of friends from London
So, that will mean days out, meals out, sunbathing round a pool full of screaming kids, more meals out, and visits to the only restaurant in the world where it takes longer to cook a steak than it takes to grow the cow. I'm not joking about that either. It's also the only restaurant in the world where you have to decide what you want to eat the day before you are scheduled to dine there. And even then they rip you off on the drinks bill. But why do we go there I hear you cry. Well, because in return for pre-ordering food, overpriced drinks and a kitchen that shuts at 8pm (8pm, I ask you), my family gets to stay at the apartment for FREE. Small hardship really.
In terms of my health (and I hope I am not tempting Fate here), I'm in exceedingly good shape, thanks for asking. No major ailments, injuries or anything to speak of. I had a surgical consult in January. I actually thought I was going to get my op. And I would have, if it hadn't been for my specialist pointing out that I'm really rather well, and "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Must admit I was a little peeved after having waited almost 4 years, but on reflection, I am feeling better than I have felt in decades, and am now inclined to agree with the killjoy doctor. I mean, there's nothing quite like complicated and serious surgery to bring out the sympathy in everyone around me, and I do love sympathy!
He who plays music and Spider Solitaire sadly has a bad knee. It's a long standing thing, and dates back to a near fatal bike crash almost 11 years ago. Apparently it is now so sensitive that he can predict the weather with it, but, if persuaded by the right Irish eyes, he can still dance an Irish jig on St. Patrick's Day. Actually, I think it's the jig that did it in this time. That'll be the Guinness again....but it was worth it for the comedy value. It just means I have to be the one doling out the sympathy, Ibuprofen and hot water bottles (yes, hot water bottles when it's 27 Celsius in the shade outside).
Ooh! I almost forgot - we won a charity bowls tournament a week ago today. Yes, I know it was April Fool's Day, and that was so appropriate it may have had a hand in our victory. It was, to be brutally honest, a novices tournament I have played in for the last 3 years, but this time I was on the team with last year's winner. He who dances on saints' days played for the first time (and I had only played 3 times before, each time being knocked out in the first round), so technically, we were novices. He played exceedingly well too. My "woods" (as that is what I am led to believe they are called) seemed to have a chronic aversion the the "jack" until we miraculously qualified for the final. And then it was as if it had telescopic, radar guided, military precision sights. Well, my very last wood clinched the title and the trophies, but I like to dream.
I am reading Jeremy Clarkson, wearing Lonsdale, and soon to be eating Beef in Boddingtons.
All is well with the world.....so...
Toodle pip, and don't eat too much chocolate!
x x x
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
One whole year? and a bit........
So... I'll probably come back to this at some point, but then, I might not....
I can't believe it's been so long, but then I have lots to tell, including new jobs and cars (2 new jobs, one new car).... I could, but shouldn't add to this when I am at work. OK, maybe I'll add at work...... (thnks - best send link and log in to work....)
I can't believe it's been so long, but then I have lots to tell, including new jobs and cars (2 new jobs, one new car).... I could, but shouldn't add to this when I am at work. OK, maybe I'll add at work...... (thnks - best send link and log in to work....)
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Flippin' 'eck! Where have I been so long?
So........
August came and went, ditto for September, October, and November. Rather uneventfully too. No broken bones, no dire emergencies, no family tragedies to speak of. Thought my luck had changed until December hit.... Allow me to explain if I may:
Got really skint so decided to remortgage the flat, knowing we have a fair bit of cash tied up in it, and what is equity for unless it can serve to de-stress me? (Answers on a postcard to Box 97, Hemel Hempstead). I didn't however, bank (ha ha) on how stressful actually securing a remortgage could be here with only one steady income. NOT like the UK really - all I wanted to do was reset the mortgage back to where is was three and a half years ago to release some wonga. Dutifully went to the bank to ask, and was told that it should be done and dusted in two weeks. All I had to do was provide my residencia, passport, statement of earnings, and Bob's your mum's live-in lover. So, here I am, seven weeks later, having JUST signed for the cash. You see, the Spanish like their fiesta days, and more of them in December and early January than any other time in the year. I could see my bank balance shrinking, then growing again but with a minus sign in front of the numbers. Very worrying, especially when you consider that I have no other means of getting my mits on any cash. Or an overdraft facility.
That said, I now have money to play with, but MUST remember to spend it wisely. I have already bought a new washing machine - the other one decided to wash everything at 95 degrees, which most of my now smudgy blue clothes didn't like one bit. I have also invested in a new printer and am committing the other one to the museum of broken down old technology thingies in Wolverhampton.
Oh, did I mention that the hot water tank (which conveniently sits above the now defunct washing machine) blew up last weekend? No? Well it did, and we had to borrow the cash to get it repaired. Fortunately we have a mate over who sprung us the dosh in return for free board while he is over here. Actually, it may be the fault of the tank that the washer packed up and boiled all my knickers......
And, umm..... Crohn's is back, and so are my daily steroid and folic acid doses, plus those ever so painful vitamin B12 injections. Still no sign of an operation date - I've been on the waiting list for almost 20 months now. But, I appreciate that as I don't have cancer, I am not considered as urgent.
Which brings me round to some more December tales of woe. My best mate's dad passed away from prostate cancer on December 20th, and my husband's ex boss died of throat cancer on the 27th. Then a mate from the UK hung himself on NewYear's Eve, and then it was 2005. So, another shitty year under our belts, and we are now ready to face the new one with dignity and a "devil may care" attitude. Or that would have been the case, had another friend not died of a burst stomach ulcer on January 7th. So many funerals, so little time. Sorry if I appear flippant, but I find nothing else seems to work these days.
And of course, there was the Tsunami. Enough has probably already been said - I find it impossible to begin to comprehend that so many people have lost their lives in one go. I try to imagine the Bernabeu full, twice over, and then see if I can imagine that all those people have just "gone." I still can't do it.
Work has plodded along, as it so often does. We have been fund raising like crazy and I have a couple of charity gigs coming up in the next few weeks. I may write about them, I may not.
In other news, my other half is starting to secure some gigs, but has 'flu and is struggling to remain upright, let alone sing and play guitar. I seem to have avoided it, except for a five week blast in uneventful October and November. Even my hair ached.
So, until next time I will bid myself adieu - which reminds me, I have started reading Shakespeare online, starting with the Taming of the Shrew. I don't think kids should be subjected to Shakespeare unless they have a very good teacher, but I am beginning to believe that all adults should be made to read at least one comedy and tragedy before they are 30....
Or is my life comedy and tragedy enough?
August came and went, ditto for September, October, and November. Rather uneventfully too. No broken bones, no dire emergencies, no family tragedies to speak of. Thought my luck had changed until December hit.... Allow me to explain if I may:
Got really skint so decided to remortgage the flat, knowing we have a fair bit of cash tied up in it, and what is equity for unless it can serve to de-stress me? (Answers on a postcard to Box 97, Hemel Hempstead). I didn't however, bank (ha ha) on how stressful actually securing a remortgage could be here with only one steady income. NOT like the UK really - all I wanted to do was reset the mortgage back to where is was three and a half years ago to release some wonga. Dutifully went to the bank to ask, and was told that it should be done and dusted in two weeks. All I had to do was provide my residencia, passport, statement of earnings, and Bob's your mum's live-in lover. So, here I am, seven weeks later, having JUST signed for the cash. You see, the Spanish like their fiesta days, and more of them in December and early January than any other time in the year. I could see my bank balance shrinking, then growing again but with a minus sign in front of the numbers. Very worrying, especially when you consider that I have no other means of getting my mits on any cash. Or an overdraft facility.
That said, I now have money to play with, but MUST remember to spend it wisely. I have already bought a new washing machine - the other one decided to wash everything at 95 degrees, which most of my now smudgy blue clothes didn't like one bit. I have also invested in a new printer and am committing the other one to the museum of broken down old technology thingies in Wolverhampton.
Oh, did I mention that the hot water tank (which conveniently sits above the now defunct washing machine) blew up last weekend? No? Well it did, and we had to borrow the cash to get it repaired. Fortunately we have a mate over who sprung us the dosh in return for free board while he is over here. Actually, it may be the fault of the tank that the washer packed up and boiled all my knickers......
And, umm..... Crohn's is back, and so are my daily steroid and folic acid doses, plus those ever so painful vitamin B12 injections. Still no sign of an operation date - I've been on the waiting list for almost 20 months now. But, I appreciate that as I don't have cancer, I am not considered as urgent.
Which brings me round to some more December tales of woe. My best mate's dad passed away from prostate cancer on December 20th, and my husband's ex boss died of throat cancer on the 27th. Then a mate from the UK hung himself on NewYear's Eve, and then it was 2005. So, another shitty year under our belts, and we are now ready to face the new one with dignity and a "devil may care" attitude. Or that would have been the case, had another friend not died of a burst stomach ulcer on January 7th. So many funerals, so little time. Sorry if I appear flippant, but I find nothing else seems to work these days.
And of course, there was the Tsunami. Enough has probably already been said - I find it impossible to begin to comprehend that so many people have lost their lives in one go. I try to imagine the Bernabeu full, twice over, and then see if I can imagine that all those people have just "gone." I still can't do it.
Work has plodded along, as it so often does. We have been fund raising like crazy and I have a couple of charity gigs coming up in the next few weeks. I may write about them, I may not.
In other news, my other half is starting to secure some gigs, but has 'flu and is struggling to remain upright, let alone sing and play guitar. I seem to have avoided it, except for a five week blast in uneventful October and November. Even my hair ached.
So, until next time I will bid myself adieu - which reminds me, I have started reading Shakespeare online, starting with the Taming of the Shrew. I don't think kids should be subjected to Shakespeare unless they have a very good teacher, but I am beginning to believe that all adults should be made to read at least one comedy and tragedy before they are 30....
Or is my life comedy and tragedy enough?
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Saturday, August 21, 2004
Long time, no brain
So,
I told you it might be a while between posts, and hey! I didn't let you down! So, almost a month since the last entry, and it's been a bit mad (again!).
I have had a visit from my sister and her 2 kids. It was exceedingly tiring, but totally worth it! It's great that family come over to visit, as I get to see them more than just the one October visit per year. I can't believe how much nephew has grown - I hadn't seen him or my niece since my dad's funeral in January of 2003. He is now taller than me, and his voice has broken. He still leaps into conversations and spends an awful lot of his time apologizing, but has a good heart. And God can he eat! My niece on the other hand, is becoming quite a little comedian. She does accents, tells jokes, and even launches into observational humour from time to time. ("There was this poodle being walked down the road, well, it wasn't a proper poodle, but was strutting about going 'Ooh! Look at my puffy tail!'"). She's nine!
Last night, "he who must be ignored's" elder daughter and her husband arrived. I am yet to meet them, but they are round for dinner tonight.
Hubby's job is going very well, he seems to be settling in nicely. The boss was in on Thursday (no, I don't mean me, although I was there too), and he really seemed to enjoy himself there, especially the impromptu acoustic songs and comedy stuff.
Work plods along, and there has been a music policy change, which seems to have bypassed head of music (me). So I'm not too happy about it, and it also means I am having to sneak in new artists, as there is no category on the playlist schedule for new songs that aren't on the A or B playlists. Ho hum!
The DJ after me is doing possibly one of the worst things ever on radio, but I have signed a confidentiality agreement, so I can't tell you. Suffice to say, people are tuning out in their droves.
One good thing to come out of all this though, is that I have my smush competition back after a 6 month break. Doubled the entries on the first day! Woo hoo!
So, Birmingham City playing Chelsea in an hour, so I'd better get my shirt on and send out for beers!
Speak again soon (ha ha ha).
I told you it might be a while between posts, and hey! I didn't let you down! So, almost a month since the last entry, and it's been a bit mad (again!).
I have had a visit from my sister and her 2 kids. It was exceedingly tiring, but totally worth it! It's great that family come over to visit, as I get to see them more than just the one October visit per year. I can't believe how much nephew has grown - I hadn't seen him or my niece since my dad's funeral in January of 2003. He is now taller than me, and his voice has broken. He still leaps into conversations and spends an awful lot of his time apologizing, but has a good heart. And God can he eat! My niece on the other hand, is becoming quite a little comedian. She does accents, tells jokes, and even launches into observational humour from time to time. ("There was this poodle being walked down the road, well, it wasn't a proper poodle, but was strutting about going 'Ooh! Look at my puffy tail!'"). She's nine!
Last night, "he who must be ignored's" elder daughter and her husband arrived. I am yet to meet them, but they are round for dinner tonight.
Hubby's job is going very well, he seems to be settling in nicely. The boss was in on Thursday (no, I don't mean me, although I was there too), and he really seemed to enjoy himself there, especially the impromptu acoustic songs and comedy stuff.
Work plods along, and there has been a music policy change, which seems to have bypassed head of music (me). So I'm not too happy about it, and it also means I am having to sneak in new artists, as there is no category on the playlist schedule for new songs that aren't on the A or B playlists. Ho hum!
The DJ after me is doing possibly one of the worst things ever on radio, but I have signed a confidentiality agreement, so I can't tell you. Suffice to say, people are tuning out in their droves.
One good thing to come out of all this though, is that I have my smush competition back after a 6 month break. Doubled the entries on the first day! Woo hoo!
So, Birmingham City playing Chelsea in an hour, so I'd better get my shirt on and send out for beers!
Speak again soon (ha ha ha).
Friday, July 30, 2004
Hop skip and a .......... OUCH!
It never rains, it pours! Or at least that's how the old saying goes (as I am led to believe).
So..... The 'flu eventually disappears, but then the Calima arrives (really hot dry weather, winds from the WSW). It's like living at the business end of a hairdryer. 102 Fahrenheit at 6am..... I ask you! And of course, the aircon unit at the station decides to pack up as it hits 106. Who does the lunchtime (hottest part of the day) show? Aye, you've guessed, it's little old me. I mean, I wouldn't mind so much if the lights could actually give me a tan at the same time as overheating me and gently cooking the CD player heads, but sadly, this has yet to be invented - note to self - invent workplace lighting that can give you a tan but not melanomas.
So in truth, no rain at all...... but I was speaking figuratively..... allow me to explain.
There was Sunday night. Ah, Sunday night!
I get the odd offer of night work (steady! - I do occasional compere work), and a stint of four nights commenced last Sunday. Husband is also working now, and seems to be doing well. I digress. Out the front door, off to the car, and who (in her unfeasibly high platforms) slips off the first of six steps? Right again - me! Left ankle twists, I totter quite elegantly (if tottering can indeed be considered elegant), down the remaining steps, very impressed that I managed not to go headlong and smash my face in, only to twist my right ankle (inwards) upon arriving on the kerbside. A nasty "crack" is heard (or at the very least felt) by me, and I hop about, dramatically increasing the chances of re-twisting my left ankle in the process. Luckily I don't.
Too late to cancel work, and as I told you before, an unsympathetic husband..... so I drive him to work (ouch), then manage to get myself to work (double ouch with a side order of eek), cry rather a lot and have a great night. And I drive home somehow too, and cry some more. I feel such a wimp sometimes.
Monday morning, and I succeed in persuading husband to drive me to work. At 2pm (end of my working day - what a lucky bitch I am!), I beg someone to drive me to hospital - the bruising and swelling is quite a sight to behold by now. I seem to remember someone telling me that if an injury goes very red in the centre and immediately black/purple round the outside, it indicates a fracture. Well, most of my right foot is now like this. I had an elbow like it once, but that's a whole other story.....
Two hours waiting at the hospital with people fainting from the heat, and only one other person with a visible injury like mine, and then finally I am called (by my middle name, but I am sure I will go into the reasons for this soon enough). Off into the furthest cubicle away from the waiting room (not easy), and five minutes with a very nice lady doctor, who tells me I must have an X-ray - You don't say!
Off to the basement for the X-ray, where the technician is sublimely skilled in the art of hurting the bit that really hurts even more whilst arranging my increasingly swollen lower right leg on the plates. Back up to waiting room, and a mere five minutes later, I am informed I have broken my ankle. Did I mention they rammed me into the lift door on the way down? No? Well, you know now.
Now call me stupid, but, although I was pretty sure this was more than my usual "oh, you've done your ligaments" thing, the last thing I expected was to be shoved in a back cast for God only knows how long.
So, since Monday afternoon, I have been hopping around on crutches (bought after a previous injury - the Spanish health service don't give you ANYTHING they don't have to), with a broken bone in my foot. It quite made me laugh when they told me I had broken my "Maleolo Perone." I promptly asked what football team in Italy he plays for, and, more to the point, what he is doing in my right leg. Upon further investigation (the Spanish health service also fails to have a sense of humour, I am finding out at my expense), I see that the "Maleolo Perone" is, in fact the lateral malleous, or the lower extremity of the fibula, or, in my terms, "the bobbly bit on the outside of my ankle."
So, no 'flu, a broken bone, a heatwave whilst in a cast, and husband waiting on me hand and foot. Maybe that's why I'm so bloody thirsty and hungry........... And I have to inject myself in my belly every day to stop thrombosis. That really is NOT NICE!
So..... The 'flu eventually disappears, but then the Calima arrives (really hot dry weather, winds from the WSW). It's like living at the business end of a hairdryer. 102 Fahrenheit at 6am..... I ask you! And of course, the aircon unit at the station decides to pack up as it hits 106. Who does the lunchtime (hottest part of the day) show? Aye, you've guessed, it's little old me. I mean, I wouldn't mind so much if the lights could actually give me a tan at the same time as overheating me and gently cooking the CD player heads, but sadly, this has yet to be invented - note to self - invent workplace lighting that can give you a tan but not melanomas.
So in truth, no rain at all...... but I was speaking figuratively..... allow me to explain.
There was Sunday night. Ah, Sunday night!
I get the odd offer of night work (steady! - I do occasional compere work), and a stint of four nights commenced last Sunday. Husband is also working now, and seems to be doing well. I digress. Out the front door, off to the car, and who (in her unfeasibly high platforms) slips off the first of six steps? Right again - me! Left ankle twists, I totter quite elegantly (if tottering can indeed be considered elegant), down the remaining steps, very impressed that I managed not to go headlong and smash my face in, only to twist my right ankle (inwards) upon arriving on the kerbside. A nasty "crack" is heard (or at the very least felt) by me, and I hop about, dramatically increasing the chances of re-twisting my left ankle in the process. Luckily I don't.
Too late to cancel work, and as I told you before, an unsympathetic husband..... so I drive him to work (ouch), then manage to get myself to work (double ouch with a side order of eek), cry rather a lot and have a great night. And I drive home somehow too, and cry some more. I feel such a wimp sometimes.
Monday morning, and I succeed in persuading husband to drive me to work. At 2pm (end of my working day - what a lucky bitch I am!), I beg someone to drive me to hospital - the bruising and swelling is quite a sight to behold by now. I seem to remember someone telling me that if an injury goes very red in the centre and immediately black/purple round the outside, it indicates a fracture. Well, most of my right foot is now like this. I had an elbow like it once, but that's a whole other story.....
Two hours waiting at the hospital with people fainting from the heat, and only one other person with a visible injury like mine, and then finally I am called (by my middle name, but I am sure I will go into the reasons for this soon enough). Off into the furthest cubicle away from the waiting room (not easy), and five minutes with a very nice lady doctor, who tells me I must have an X-ray - You don't say!
Off to the basement for the X-ray, where the technician is sublimely skilled in the art of hurting the bit that really hurts even more whilst arranging my increasingly swollen lower right leg on the plates. Back up to waiting room, and a mere five minutes later, I am informed I have broken my ankle. Did I mention they rammed me into the lift door on the way down? No? Well, you know now.
Now call me stupid, but, although I was pretty sure this was more than my usual "oh, you've done your ligaments" thing, the last thing I expected was to be shoved in a back cast for God only knows how long.
So, since Monday afternoon, I have been hopping around on crutches (bought after a previous injury - the Spanish health service don't give you ANYTHING they don't have to), with a broken bone in my foot. It quite made me laugh when they told me I had broken my "Maleolo Perone." I promptly asked what football team in Italy he plays for, and, more to the point, what he is doing in my right leg. Upon further investigation (the Spanish health service also fails to have a sense of humour, I am finding out at my expense), I see that the "Maleolo Perone" is, in fact the lateral malleous, or the lower extremity of the fibula, or, in my terms, "the bobbly bit on the outside of my ankle."
So, no 'flu, a broken bone, a heatwave whilst in a cast, and husband waiting on me hand and foot. Maybe that's why I'm so bloody thirsty and hungry........... And I have to inject myself in my belly every day to stop thrombosis. That really is NOT NICE!
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
So, OK I went away for a bit.....
It's now much later, and I realized I had started a blog. Since my last (first) post, I have been poorly - no surprises there, as I am always whingeing about something. This time it was a horrible 'flu that left even my hair aching - you know the feeling? I had absolutely no energy at all, but still had to complete homecare tasks, as if I didn't, then I would be living in a pigsty by now.
Dog was quite sympathetic - she even stopped barking at the clouds for an hour or two each night. Husband? - he doesn't do sympathy unfortunately. Or breakfasts in bed, or hot soup at teatime. Or washing. Or washing up. Just music mostly. And loud.
My sister has confirmed that she will be popping over for a week next month with her two kids. That'll be great, but the day they leave, my elder stepdaughter will be arriving with her husband for a week. And that week will be expensive. Still, hubby starts a new job tomorrow, and I have four nights' work this weekend, so if we save, we can do Chinese banquet complete with half a duck each (I hate fighting over duck meat, so I usually order my own!).
My wine should be nicely chilled by now (as indeed will I be after the first glass or two).
Back whenever.......
Dog was quite sympathetic - she even stopped barking at the clouds for an hour or two each night. Husband? - he doesn't do sympathy unfortunately. Or breakfasts in bed, or hot soup at teatime. Or washing. Or washing up. Just music mostly. And loud.
My sister has confirmed that she will be popping over for a week next month with her two kids. That'll be great, but the day they leave, my elder stepdaughter will be arriving with her husband for a week. And that week will be expensive. Still, hubby starts a new job tomorrow, and I have four nights' work this weekend, so if we save, we can do Chinese banquet complete with half a duck each (I hate fighting over duck meat, so I usually order my own!).
My wine should be nicely chilled by now (as indeed will I be after the first glass or two).
Back whenever.......
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
First post (is that what they play when a soldier is born? And if so, how do they know he is going to be a soldier?).
So, tempted by reading blogs when either really really bored or uncommunicative, I have decided to make my own. I have the required sticky backed plastic, squeezy bottle and a pair of Val's old knickers. Now, where did I put the coathangers?
Ah, they'd be here, in the recesses of my little brain (brian, as it may well be known, or erroneously typed from time to time).
FYI (hate acronyms, but can't spell them), I was born when the Kinks' "Tired of Waiting for You" was number one in the UK singles chart (narrows it down), am female at the last look, and married too.
I work in media, and have slipped between euphoria and deep depression for much of my almost adult life. Born in a little house, stayed in the Priory, hence the name of the blog.
I am a middle child, so if you're a psychologist, yes, I am a typical middle child, older sister, younger brother.
I can't have kids.
I love music.
I drink, sometimes water, most times wine. White wine. Cheap white wine at that.
I hope I can remember where I put my blog or this might well be it.
Ah, they'd be here, in the recesses of my little brain (brian, as it may well be known, or erroneously typed from time to time).
FYI (hate acronyms, but can't spell them), I was born when the Kinks' "Tired of Waiting for You" was number one in the UK singles chart (narrows it down), am female at the last look, and married too.
I work in media, and have slipped between euphoria and deep depression for much of my almost adult life. Born in a little house, stayed in the Priory, hence the name of the blog.
I am a middle child, so if you're a psychologist, yes, I am a typical middle child, older sister, younger brother.
I can't have kids.
I love music.
I drink, sometimes water, most times wine. White wine. Cheap white wine at that.
I hope I can remember where I put my blog or this might well be it.
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