Any good humour from a weekend away quickly deserted us when we arrived home.
We pulled up on the drive and established that not only was my driver's side car door open, some scummy thieving miscreant (words fail me, and there is one in the English language that I will NOT use) had stolen my Parrot bluetooth, my cd's, some sunglasses and an old mobile phone out of the glove compartment.
I was stupid enough to leave the car unlocked, but it was not deliberate complacency, the central locking is very temperamental and without checking the door handle you can never be sure it has locked by the remote. Unfortunately with all the hassle on Thursday evening (I didn't leave work until 4.50 - despite having been adamant that I absolutely had to leave on time that day) so we were rushing around as we wanted to get on the road pretty promptly.
The fact that some horrible little cretinous scum has decided that not only does he have the god given right (and I have a pretty good idea who it was) to trespass on our property (car was on OUR drive) , but he can help himself to anything he likes in MY car is absolutely infuriating. I hope that his extremities rot and fall off and that he comes out in a permanent case of acne which will torment him for the rest of his days.
To add insult to injury, the gangrenous little cockroach left the car door ajar which meant my battery is completely flat!!!
Just give me five minutes with the scummy, skanky little fuckwit. In the mean time, until I have the pleasure of meeting the moronic sophomoric entity, I will be cursing him with an affliction of Montezuma's revenge and projectile vomiting.
Where's my voodoo dolls.....
Sunday, 13 June 2010
We Survived!
After feeding the ducks, we departed from the site and now we have stopped at Mark's dads for a cuppa before facing the Sunday traffic.
All present and correct, no limbs lost or injuries inflicted, pretty good going!
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All present and correct, no limbs lost or injuries inflicted, pretty good going!
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Location:Horningsham,United Kingdom
Peace and Calm....
...is restored :-)
Thankfully the rain stopped after a very short outburst and by the time we were ready to pack up, the sun was out and blazing down, drying everything that needed to be dried!
We have returned the tent to it's storage bag in a relatively prompt fashion, all that remains is to return it to it's rightfully owner!
Many thanks to Tom who entrusted us with his property in good faith that it would be returned in the same condition, your faith has not been unfounded.
Time for a cup of coffee!
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Thankfully the rain stopped after a very short outburst and by the time we were ready to pack up, the sun was out and blazing down, drying everything that needed to be dried!
We have returned the tent to it's storage bag in a relatively prompt fashion, all that remains is to return it to it's rightfully owner!
Many thanks to Tom who entrusted us with his property in good faith that it would be returned in the same condition, your faith has not been unfounded.
Time for a cup of coffee!
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Location:North Bradley,United Kingdom
Mute button please
And said child from four pitches down is whingeing again...
What is it about camping that makes some parents think it's ok for their little darlings to be disturbing other people's rest?
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What is it about camping that makes some parents think it's ok for their little darlings to be disturbing other people's rest?
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Seattle?
Take one sleeping area in a tent without an airbed.
Add one screaming child about four pitches away who would not be consoled.
Add a duck down pillow which evades your head and then turns into an object with the thickness of an A3 bit of paper.
Add two duvets spread out under you which are as flat as pancakes.
Add a section of ground upon which the tent is set up which is as soft as concrete.
Add an occupant in the tent next door (number 47) who is snoring.
Add a slight spattering of rain at silly o clock this morning.
Add a group of birds (feathered) who had not been told that dawn chorus is cancelled at the weekends.
Take all of the above items, add them together and you have got an alternative location for the film "Sleepless in Seattle"
I have come to the conclusion that I like the bathroom and bedroom to be in the same establishment, especially when my body dictates it needs the bathroom at six am and it is wet outside.
And somehow we have to get this tent down in a way which will minimise it being damp packed and be off the campsite by 11am.
Not quite sure the logistics of that are going to tie up somehow. And after having a lousy night's sleep, I'm not sure I care.
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Add one screaming child about four pitches away who would not be consoled.
Add a duck down pillow which evades your head and then turns into an object with the thickness of an A3 bit of paper.
Add two duvets spread out under you which are as flat as pancakes.
Add a section of ground upon which the tent is set up which is as soft as concrete.
Add an occupant in the tent next door (number 47) who is snoring.
Add a slight spattering of rain at silly o clock this morning.
Add a group of birds (feathered) who had not been told that dawn chorus is cancelled at the weekends.
Take all of the above items, add them together and you have got an alternative location for the film "Sleepless in Seattle"
I have come to the conclusion that I like the bathroom and bedroom to be in the same establishment, especially when my body dictates it needs the bathroom at six am and it is wet outside.
And somehow we have to get this tent down in a way which will minimise it being damp packed and be off the campsite by 11am.
Not quite sure the logistics of that are going to tie up somehow. And after having a lousy night's sleep, I'm not sure I care.
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Steep
Fifteen pounds for two jacket potatoes and a bottle of water is a bit much, in fact it's bordering on daylight robbery when they charge you extra for salad to go with it!
Longleat itself was lovely, but regardless of where you are and how much it is the norm, no one appreciates being ripped off for food!
Should you got to Longleat, take a picnic with you.
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Longleat itself was lovely, but regardless of where you are and how much it is the norm, no one appreciates being ripped off for food!
Should you got to Longleat, take a picnic with you.
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Saturday, 12 June 2010
Survival
Andy and Ann duly arrived and erected their tent without any issues. After chilling out for a while we all headed for The Full Moon, which is a nice country inn/pub/restaurant about a mile for Brokers Wood.
As you can see, dinner was duly
consumed and enjoyed!
Can't say that the bed was the most comfortable, but then I lay on my side and I have bony hips, so now doubt going to be covered in bruises this week.
We have had breakfast and are finishing off the round of showers. Facilities here are pretty good, not quite home from home but pretty good. If they could just provide mute buttons for the screaming children in nearby tents, it would be five star.
Heading over to Longleat shortly. Weather is a bit mixed at the
moment, it's supposed to be nice today, fingers crossed the weathermen have got it right for once.
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As you can see, dinner was duly
consumed and enjoyed!
Can't say that the bed was the most comfortable, but then I lay on my side and I have bony hips, so now doubt going to be covered in bruises this week.
We have had breakfast and are finishing off the round of showers. Facilities here are pretty good, not quite home from home but pretty good. If they could just provide mute buttons for the screaming children in nearby tents, it would be five star.
Heading over to Longleat shortly. Weather is a bit mixed at the
moment, it's supposed to be nice today, fingers crossed the weathermen have got it right for once.
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Location:North Bradley,United Kingdom
Friday, 11 June 2010
Hi de hi campers!
We started setting up the tent about twelve pm
and by quarter past we had the canvas relatively in place as you can see!
It did take another hour to get everything settled, guide ropes etc, but by 1.30pm we were all sorted.
As you can see, its the size of a small house!
When I said I was bringing a first aid kit (old habits die hard!) Mark rolled his eyes in that long suffering exaggerated patience style that men have perfected over the years since caveman was around. He was thankful of my precaution when a plaster was readily available after he cut his finger on a knife a short while ago mind!
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and by quarter past we had the canvas relatively in place as you can see!
It did take another hour to get everything settled, guide ropes etc, but by 1.30pm we were all sorted.
As you can see, its the size of a small house!
When I said I was bringing a first aid kit (old habits die hard!) Mark rolled his eyes in that long suffering exaggerated patience style that men have perfected over the years since caveman was around. He was thankful of my precaution when a plaster was readily available after he cut his finger on a knife a short while ago mind!
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Location:North Bradley,United Kingdom
Moment of truth
Having stayed at Marks' brothers, we are now heading over to Mark's Dad's for a quick brew before getting some groceries to take to the campsite :-s
The weather isn't looking too promising at the moment, hope we won't be putting the tent up in the rain...
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The weather isn't looking too promising at the moment, hope we won't be putting the tent up in the rain...
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Thursday, 10 June 2010
Day of Reckoning...
...is virtually upon us!
We are in the car, driving down to lovely Somerset. Or to be exact, Mark is driving and I'm sitting as a passenger, blogging.
We are in possession of a tent which has been kindly loaned to us. I'm not sure that "tent" is an accurate description as I have been advised that it resembles a small house in stature! It has an area in the middle which could be used as a cooking area and it has bedrooms, which gives you an idea of it's size.
I suppose the bigger it is, the less likely we will get washed away...I have been too scared to check the weather reports, choosing instead to carry on ignorant bliss, though I have packed for wet n cold as well as warm weather, preferring to have plan B in place. Plan C will be sleeping in the car!
Watch this space...
We are in the car, driving down to lovely Somerset. Or to be exact, Mark is driving and I'm sitting as a passenger, blogging.
We are in possession of a tent which has been kindly loaned to us. I'm not sure that "tent" is an accurate description as I have been advised that it resembles a small house in stature! It has an area in the middle which could be used as a cooking area and it has bedrooms, which gives you an idea of it's size.
I suppose the bigger it is, the less likely we will get washed away...I have been too scared to check the weather reports, choosing instead to carry on ignorant bliss, though I have packed for wet n cold as well as warm weather, preferring to have plan B in place. Plan C will be sleeping in the car!
Watch this space...
Monday, 7 June 2010
Camping Countdown
There have been a couple of changes to the well laid plans (!) for our outdoor adventure.
To start with, the tent that we were intending to borrow (as opposed to purchasing and therefore using regularly) has been found to be in a less than healthy condition by it's owner, to the extent that it's canvas was not in one piece and neither were three of it's poles.
The next line of thought (guess where/who that came from!) resulting from the tent's demise was that we should purchase one. My objections to this bright idea were swift and outright. Not wanting to need to use a tent on a regular basis in order to justify the initial outlay was my foremost objection, finding somewhere to store the damn thing afterwards was another reason.
However, not seeing another alternative (not one that would be acceptable for all parties anyway!) I was resigned to the inevitable, we were buying a tent.
As luck would have it (depending on how you view it) another tent was volunteered for us to borrow. So now we just have to hope that said tent will be remembered tomorrow.
The other variation is that we are going down on Thursday evening and staying at Mark's brothers, then going to the campsite Friday morning.
To start with, the tent that we were intending to borrow (as opposed to purchasing and therefore using regularly) has been found to be in a less than healthy condition by it's owner, to the extent that it's canvas was not in one piece and neither were three of it's poles.
The next line of thought (guess where/who that came from!) resulting from the tent's demise was that we should purchase one. My objections to this bright idea were swift and outright. Not wanting to need to use a tent on a regular basis in order to justify the initial outlay was my foremost objection, finding somewhere to store the damn thing afterwards was another reason.
However, not seeing another alternative (not one that would be acceptable for all parties anyway!) I was resigned to the inevitable, we were buying a tent.
As luck would have it (depending on how you view it) another tent was volunteered for us to borrow. So now we just have to hope that said tent will be remembered tomorrow.
The other variation is that we are going down on Thursday evening and staying at Mark's brothers, then going to the campsite Friday morning.
Daytime TV
One of the things I am absolutely, positively dreading when I have my knee done is the wonderful selection of tv programmes that are available during the day.
A good example is Jeremy Kyle - where all the scroats who are signing on and don't want to work for a living, air their personal lives and all the horrific promiscuity and pettiness that goes with it.
I have suffered it for half an hour in my lunch break in our canteen as the other occupant was watching it. In that time it has raised my hackles and irritated me more than a hedgehog scrubbing brush. I could not tolerate it for an hour, let alone three or four weeks!
It is my intention to stock up on DVDs and episodes of the series that I choose to watch normally, so that I do not have to suffer the horrendous intricacies and soap drama like details of the lives of those who bare their souls for reality tv.
A good example is Jeremy Kyle - where all the scroats who are signing on and don't want to work for a living, air their personal lives and all the horrific promiscuity and pettiness that goes with it.
I have suffered it for half an hour in my lunch break in our canteen as the other occupant was watching it. In that time it has raised my hackles and irritated me more than a hedgehog scrubbing brush. I could not tolerate it for an hour, let alone three or four weeks!
It is my intention to stock up on DVDs and episodes of the series that I choose to watch normally, so that I do not have to suffer the horrendous intricacies and soap drama like details of the lives of those who bare their souls for reality tv.
Sunday, 6 June 2010
Braving The Great Outdoors
In recent months I seem to be prone to either coming up with some rather silly ideas, or giving into someone’s else’s rather silly ideas. The incident with the hairbrush was one such silly idea. Another one was when Mark said about going camping next weekend down in Somerset. As in, pitch a tent and stay in it for a weekend. For two whole nights.
The last time I stayed in a tent was about five years ago. That was also for a weekend, but we had access to my mum and dad’s caravan, so it wasn’t too bad. Prior to that it was when I was a lot younger and used to go on holiday with my mum and dad.
However, nothing about these previous experiences has made me inclined to rush down to Halfords, Millets or somewhere like World of Camping to invest in a tent and some camping equipment. The logic behind the reluctance is that if we purchase the camping equipment ourselves rather than borrow on this occasion, we would then have to use it regularly to ensure it wasn’t a waste of money.
Anyway, in a moment of madness I agreed to us going camping for a weekend, with Mark’s cousin, his cousin’s wife and their little girl. The little girl happens to be really sweet and easy to get on with, so despite my general aversion to/phobia of children, I can cope with that. It’s the sleeping in a tent and coping with the back to basics rather than having all the amenities of home from home like you would have in a caravan, or a hotel that is going to cause the stress.
Somerset here we come!
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
House Elves
After waking up at seven on Saturday and spring cleaning the entire house from top to bottom, I decided that the carpet in our room and the landing could do with cleaning. In the shadowy depths of my brain I recalled that my mum owned a vax carpet cleaner. I procured this on Sunday, with a view to returning the carpets to a nice pristine condition with less effort than would be required with a scrubbing brush and bowl of cleaning fluid.
Because THAT was a bright idea! I don’t know what on earth led me to think that using a vax would be easier, but I won’t be making that mistake again! It doesn’t spray the water and foam out evenly, and in order to entice the machine to suck up the dirty water from the carpet, you have to press down on the front of the vax, while trying to push it. After fifteen minutes of battling with our carpet I was sweating profusely and had begun to resemble a human pretzel.
Recognising that my limited patience was being tested to its very limits and that it would soon be found wanting, I packed the offending carpet cleaner away, before I gave in to the temptation to throw it down the stairs. I will be purchasing a can of Vanish for carpets and hopefully using considerably less elbow grease with the landing carpet by using a scrubbing brush!
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Because THAT was a bright idea! I don’t know what on earth led me to think that using a vax would be easier, but I won’t be making that mistake again! It doesn’t spray the water and foam out evenly, and in order to entice the machine to suck up the dirty water from the carpet, you have to press down on the front of the vax, while trying to push it. After fifteen minutes of battling with our carpet I was sweating profusely and had begun to resemble a human pretzel.
Recognising that my limited patience was being tested to its very limits and that it would soon be found wanting, I packed the offending carpet cleaner away, before I gave in to the temptation to throw it down the stairs. I will be purchasing a can of Vanish for carpets and hopefully using considerably less elbow grease with the landing carpet by using a scrubbing brush!
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Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Stupid Things
There has to be a Top Ten of Stupid Things Not To Do. The list would stem from the fact that the Stupid Things are either life threatening, or at the least, very painful. In that list, you could expect to see the following: not crossing motorways on foot and stripping wallpaper with a steamer next to a live plug socket. Today, I’ve found a new one. Not wrapping your hair round a styling brush!
It wasn’t deliberate, it wasn’t one of those “What happens if I do this” ideas, it was a “Trying to add body to my hair and not having the first clue as to how to go about it" idea.
If you have seen Harry Potter then the description "Devils Snare" would be very apt! The end result was a very sore scalp derived from needing my beloved partner to help me extricate the brush from it's entanglement. Mark was as gentle as possible (bless him!) but trying to remove a hair brush from a web of hair is not a gentle exercise, no matter how hard you try.
So rather than heading to work with a neat well styled head of hair, I went to work with the front of my hair tied back as I could not face the hassle and torture of styling for any longer, nor did I have the time for it.
This week seems to be hell bent on challenging me for sure, and its only Tuesday! Referring to a previous post on the subject of having my knee reconstructed and the waiting time for the surgery, I was very shocked to get a phone call from the hospital yesterday.
The reason for the shock, was that they have informed me that my paperwork is being passed over to the treatment centre (which didn't mean a thing to me) I should be hearing about a pre assessment in the next couple of weeks and they intend to have me treated in the next eight weeks or so.
Just to clarify in case there is any confusion, "Treated" as in "operated on"!
So, there was me thinking that I had at least four months to get my staff trained up, and instead I will be lucky to have three months at the most.
On the upside it will get it over with, but it's scary because it's a damn sight closer than I thought. And I am scared. I know it's a routine operation, but touch wood I have been quite healthy, only stayed in hospital once overnight and that was when I had my arthroscopy done in 2003.
Still, I should be thankful for small mercies, I just need ideas of the silver lining to counteract the "Omfg, eight weeks!" sensation I'm still feeling!
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It wasn’t deliberate, it wasn’t one of those “What happens if I do this” ideas, it was a “Trying to add body to my hair and not having the first clue as to how to go about it" idea.
If you have seen Harry Potter then the description "Devils Snare" would be very apt! The end result was a very sore scalp derived from needing my beloved partner to help me extricate the brush from it's entanglement. Mark was as gentle as possible (bless him!) but trying to remove a hair brush from a web of hair is not a gentle exercise, no matter how hard you try.
So rather than heading to work with a neat well styled head of hair, I went to work with the front of my hair tied back as I could not face the hassle and torture of styling for any longer, nor did I have the time for it.
This week seems to be hell bent on challenging me for sure, and its only Tuesday! Referring to a previous post on the subject of having my knee reconstructed and the waiting time for the surgery, I was very shocked to get a phone call from the hospital yesterday.
The reason for the shock, was that they have informed me that my paperwork is being passed over to the treatment centre (which didn't mean a thing to me) I should be hearing about a pre assessment in the next couple of weeks and they intend to have me treated in the next eight weeks or so.
Just to clarify in case there is any confusion, "Treated" as in "operated on"!
So, there was me thinking that I had at least four months to get my staff trained up, and instead I will be lucky to have three months at the most.
On the upside it will get it over with, but it's scary because it's a damn sight closer than I thought. And I am scared. I know it's a routine operation, but touch wood I have been quite healthy, only stayed in hospital once overnight and that was when I had my arthroscopy done in 2003.
Still, I should be thankful for small mercies, I just need ideas of the silver lining to counteract the "Omfg, eight weeks!" sensation I'm still feeling!
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Saturday, 22 May 2010
Ouch
Ouch! It hurts!
Did 30 minutes of Davina yesterday morning, which as I said previously, didn’t expect to find too difficult, as it looked relatively easy. Did the bums and legs section as that is where I need to focus my attention, though I will be working through the whole lot, 30 minutes a morning.
Got to be said, my legs are sore today! I haven’t done any as yet today, but I will do at some point, going to add some pilates to the mix as well, as my pilates dvd has arrived this morning, yay!
I used to hate the idea of working out at home, but needs must. It stems from not being able to play netball (which I love) and not enjoying going to the gym unless it is class based, which is a little difficult because I have to be careful of my knee. My mentality is that if I’m not giving it 100%, then I’m cheating, and holding back because of my knee (to me) still constitutes cheating.
Perverse as this may sound, I’m pleased that my legs are sore today. To me that means I have exercised properly, and I’m used to the “burn” from when I used to do dancing, and our teachers really used to put us through it (which I loved) I never felt fitter than when we were working towards a dance show, because the training we used to do was fantastic.
Anway, going to crack on with the rest of my day. The sun is out, and it’s absolutely glorious, so will blog ya’ later!
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Did 30 minutes of Davina yesterday morning, which as I said previously, didn’t expect to find too difficult, as it looked relatively easy. Did the bums and legs section as that is where I need to focus my attention, though I will be working through the whole lot, 30 minutes a morning.
Got to be said, my legs are sore today! I haven’t done any as yet today, but I will do at some point, going to add some pilates to the mix as well, as my pilates dvd has arrived this morning, yay!
I used to hate the idea of working out at home, but needs must. It stems from not being able to play netball (which I love) and not enjoying going to the gym unless it is class based, which is a little difficult because I have to be careful of my knee. My mentality is that if I’m not giving it 100%, then I’m cheating, and holding back because of my knee (to me) still constitutes cheating.
Perverse as this may sound, I’m pleased that my legs are sore today. To me that means I have exercised properly, and I’m used to the “burn” from when I used to do dancing, and our teachers really used to put us through it (which I loved) I never felt fitter than when we were working towards a dance show, because the training we used to do was fantastic.
Anway, going to crack on with the rest of my day. The sun is out, and it’s absolutely glorious, so will blog ya’ later!
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Q I With a Twist!
Ever woken up one morning and thought "What the hell was THAT about?!"?
Well that was my exact state of mind a short while ago after I woke up and realised that I was not only able to recall my dream, but the content was a tad peculiar.
Quite how we got there, only the Sandman would know, but we were on a plane in France shortly before it was due to depart, and Stephen Fry was sitting on there in handcuffs. There were a number of strange characters on the plane and we were told that he would only be released once the plane landed in the UK.
For some reason we then got off the plane and left poor Stephen to it (sorry Stephen!) and we watched as the plane made it's rather unsteady ascent.
As if that wasn't odd enough, the plane then experienced difficulties and started to circle, like you would expect a piece of paper to float if thrown up into the air.
At this point we had concerns for our safety as we were standing on the runway (told you it was peculiar!) and hid beneath a piece of scaffolding that just happened to be there.
The plane landed without incident (!) and when we went to check on the occupants, poor Stephen was still sitting there very patiently in handcuffs, and the others were bemoaning the fact they would have to wait for another departure slot!
I do not in any way claim to be a psychic, see-er of events, or anything along those lines. My only reason for blogging this was because it felt so god damned strange!
My weekend has only just started, so heaven knows what the rest will bring!
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Well that was my exact state of mind a short while ago after I woke up and realised that I was not only able to recall my dream, but the content was a tad peculiar.
Quite how we got there, only the Sandman would know, but we were on a plane in France shortly before it was due to depart, and Stephen Fry was sitting on there in handcuffs. There were a number of strange characters on the plane and we were told that he would only be released once the plane landed in the UK.
For some reason we then got off the plane and left poor Stephen to it (sorry Stephen!) and we watched as the plane made it's rather unsteady ascent.
As if that wasn't odd enough, the plane then experienced difficulties and started to circle, like you would expect a piece of paper to float if thrown up into the air.
At this point we had concerns for our safety as we were standing on the runway (told you it was peculiar!) and hid beneath a piece of scaffolding that just happened to be there.
The plane landed without incident (!) and when we went to check on the occupants, poor Stephen was still sitting there very patiently in handcuffs, and the others were bemoaning the fact they would have to wait for another departure slot!
I do not in any way claim to be a psychic, see-er of events, or anything along those lines. My only reason for blogging this was because it felt so god damned strange!
My weekend has only just started, so heaven knows what the rest will bring!
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TFIF!!
Hallelujah and praise all things fun and enjoyable, it’s Friday at last! What is it about Fridays that makes even waking up and getting ready for work easier to handle?
It’s day five of healthy eating and I’m still managing to consume at least three of my five a day. The complete change in my eating habits has not sent my body into total shutdown, which is a good sign. The unbelievable thing is that I’m actually enjoying the fruit consumption. I NEVER thought I would hear myself say THAT!
In a bid to get myself fit, I ordered Davina Fit on dvd and a Pilates dvd. The Davina Fit arrived yesterday and I cracked on with one of the sections this morning, which is about 30 minutes long. It’s funny, when you watch these dvd’s it’s easy to think “That doesn’t look too energetic” Heck was I wrong! I was sweating by the bucket load!
It could be an indication of my general lack of fitness as the amount of exercise I have undertaken in recent months has reduced drastically due to my knee deteriorating. Netball has been ruled out indefinitely, I don’t enjoy swimming (plus it makes me hungry) and there aren’t many forms of exercise (bar one!) which keep knee impact to a minute level, and minimal impact on knees is what I need as mine is wrecked. You should have seen the mri scan!
I collected my hot brush from the Royal Mail office this morning (yay!), so I will be testing that out and doing some practicing with it in order to get the most out of my shorter hair style. Due to serious lack of time this morning (twenty minutes to get dressed, dry hair and style it!) I reverted back to hair dryer and hair brush. It was largely due to lack of time, and also due to lack of patience, but “practice makes perfect” as they say, so I will keep trying.
This weekend is a fairly quiet one (I hope), just the odds and sods of general housework etc to deal with. I seriously need to get my ironing under control, at the moment it glares menacingly at me like a grotesquely overgrown evil toad, but if the weather is going to be as lovely as they predict, the toad may have to wait a bit longer.
Next weekend we will be attending my friend’s engagement party. Her fiancé proposed on May Bank Holiday weekend in front of her family and friends. Got to hand it to him, he did it properly, and she was thrilled to bits. She has been married previously (which didn’t work out, obviously) and was hurt emotionally. The idiot didn’t appreciate what he had until he had thrown it away (which he did in a most spectacular fashion, and that’s putting it VERY nicely) consequently he lost her.
Luckily this guy seems to be intent on making my friend happy for the rest of their days on this earth together, and I hope he continues that, as she is a lovely girl. I think it is great that, despite her bad experiences, she still has faith in marriage as an institution and loves him enough to take that chance; a large number of divorcees are more inclined to be a little cynical about taking the vows again. Good on them, I hope they will be very happy together.
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It’s day five of healthy eating and I’m still managing to consume at least three of my five a day. The complete change in my eating habits has not sent my body into total shutdown, which is a good sign. The unbelievable thing is that I’m actually enjoying the fruit consumption. I NEVER thought I would hear myself say THAT!
In a bid to get myself fit, I ordered Davina Fit on dvd and a Pilates dvd. The Davina Fit arrived yesterday and I cracked on with one of the sections this morning, which is about 30 minutes long. It’s funny, when you watch these dvd’s it’s easy to think “That doesn’t look too energetic” Heck was I wrong! I was sweating by the bucket load!
It could be an indication of my general lack of fitness as the amount of exercise I have undertaken in recent months has reduced drastically due to my knee deteriorating. Netball has been ruled out indefinitely, I don’t enjoy swimming (plus it makes me hungry) and there aren’t many forms of exercise (bar one!) which keep knee impact to a minute level, and minimal impact on knees is what I need as mine is wrecked. You should have seen the mri scan!
I collected my hot brush from the Royal Mail office this morning (yay!), so I will be testing that out and doing some practicing with it in order to get the most out of my shorter hair style. Due to serious lack of time this morning (twenty minutes to get dressed, dry hair and style it!) I reverted back to hair dryer and hair brush. It was largely due to lack of time, and also due to lack of patience, but “practice makes perfect” as they say, so I will keep trying.
This weekend is a fairly quiet one (I hope), just the odds and sods of general housework etc to deal with. I seriously need to get my ironing under control, at the moment it glares menacingly at me like a grotesquely overgrown evil toad, but if the weather is going to be as lovely as they predict, the toad may have to wait a bit longer.
Next weekend we will be attending my friend’s engagement party. Her fiancé proposed on May Bank Holiday weekend in front of her family and friends. Got to hand it to him, he did it properly, and she was thrilled to bits. She has been married previously (which didn’t work out, obviously) and was hurt emotionally. The idiot didn’t appreciate what he had until he had thrown it away (which he did in a most spectacular fashion, and that’s putting it VERY nicely) consequently he lost her.
Luckily this guy seems to be intent on making my friend happy for the rest of their days on this earth together, and I hope he continues that, as she is a lovely girl. I think it is great that, despite her bad experiences, she still has faith in marriage as an institution and loves him enough to take that chance; a large number of divorcees are more inclined to be a little cynical about taking the vows again. Good on them, I hope they will be very happy together.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, 20 May 2010
Eldapoint
In addition to moaning about weekend warriors, spanners at petrol stations and enjoying my man’s cooking, working full time and Twittering, I also run a netball team called Eldapoint B. We are in Division 5 (newly promoted from Division 6 as Winners for Winter Season) of the league run by South Essex Thurrock Netball Association, and there are 72 teams in total.
Eldapoint B was formerly Island Wedding. We changed our name at the end of last season to join up with another team as their ‘B’ team. The idea was to provide them with a pool of players to play up if needed (they always struggle to get a team out) and to give my players additional game and higher division experience, which I felt would benefit the team.
At the halfway mark we were in second place, which was very good, considering we have only just gone up! However, we have lost a number of games since then due to negativity on court and struggling to put a team out. Even with eleven players signed up, we have struggled! Still, while I would love for the team to be placed in the top two, if we finish mid division I would be equally happy as well.
In future any blogs for the team and the games they play will be on http://eldapointb.blogspot.com/ You can also follow Eldapoint B on Twitter @eldapointb
Anyone who runs a team of any kind will tell you, it is incredibly frustrating, stressful and hard work. They will also tell you, there are random moments which, however minor to others, also make it rewarding and worth it. One of these moments, however small, can wipe out months of stress and frustration.
Eldapoint B played K O Engineering A last night. They had a rough game, the team they played was very aggressive and there was a lot of contact and late interceptions, which bordered on dangerous, but we did expect that. It wasn’t a nasty or bitchy game, just really rough.
This picture was taken last night. It’s funny because in the photos I have taken of the team before the games they look like they are being lined up to be shot, but in the interval team photos they look a lot happier, despite being hot, sweaty and out of breath!
Unfortunately they lost last night, but I was really pleased with the game and the team. Two reasons. One, the team played as a team and there was no negativity or criticism of each other, of which there has been a lot in recent times, and it is so destructive! Secondly, the umpires awarded player of the match to a player who hasn’t had a lot of game time over the last two seasons and is very inexperienced. This is one of those random moments I mentioned earlier.
This player is always there, but unfortunately because of the number of players available and the types of teams we have played (lot of rough teams!), I have hesitated about putting her on court a lot, which I freely admit (and do regret), has not been fair to her.
Running a team is an absolute headache at times, no matter what you do, it always puts someone’s nose out of joint. In order to ensure we have had enough players, I have signed up more, and then you end up with players spare, and I have lost a player over it, who wanted to play 24/7. The problem with that was, she wanted guaranteed full on game time, but wasn’t prepared to commit herself. Commitment works both ways unfortunately, in everything. You get what you give.
Anyway, returning to the Player of The Match last night. Despite all that she has put up with over the last two seasons and the criticism I don’t doubt she has been subjected to by other players on court (even on a netball court, girls/ladies/women still find time to be bitchy!), she doesn’t complain and she is a lovely natured lady, who, when she plays, gives it everything she can and does not give up. She has had two full games in a row, there is so much improvement, it’s fantastic, and it is lovely to watch.
I’ll give you some examples. Last week, she went in for a loose ball against her opponent, and got a toss-up out of it, because she followed through and didn’t give up. This week, she was calling for passes and the rest of the team were making use of her. Getting that confidence from other players is a difficult thing, as I know from my own experience.
In those few moments before she got that toss-up, she finally tapped into the competitive spirit she needed to move forward, and because of it, she is getting immersed in the game and the basics are falling into place more easily for her. Footwork doesn’t come easy to her when it comes to passing and some of the passes the rest of the team use are a bit brutal for her at the moment, but it will come with time.
There was a photo I took last night of this player, which regrettably wasn’t very good quality, really blurred, and I won’t post it on here. However, it clearly identifies her, and you could see her determination in it, it is written in her expression, her posture, everything. They say a picture paints a thousand words, and clichéd though that is, my word it is true.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Eldapoint B was formerly Island Wedding. We changed our name at the end of last season to join up with another team as their ‘B’ team. The idea was to provide them with a pool of players to play up if needed (they always struggle to get a team out) and to give my players additional game and higher division experience, which I felt would benefit the team.
At the halfway mark we were in second place, which was very good, considering we have only just gone up! However, we have lost a number of games since then due to negativity on court and struggling to put a team out. Even with eleven players signed up, we have struggled! Still, while I would love for the team to be placed in the top two, if we finish mid division I would be equally happy as well.
In future any blogs for the team and the games they play will be on http://eldapointb.blogspot.com/ You can also follow Eldapoint B on Twitter @eldapointb
Anyone who runs a team of any kind will tell you, it is incredibly frustrating, stressful and hard work. They will also tell you, there are random moments which, however minor to others, also make it rewarding and worth it. One of these moments, however small, can wipe out months of stress and frustration.
Eldapoint B played K O Engineering A last night. They had a rough game, the team they played was very aggressive and there was a lot of contact and late interceptions, which bordered on dangerous, but we did expect that. It wasn’t a nasty or bitchy game, just really rough.
This picture was taken last night. It’s funny because in the photos I have taken of the team before the games they look like they are being lined up to be shot, but in the interval team photos they look a lot happier, despite being hot, sweaty and out of breath!
Unfortunately they lost last night, but I was really pleased with the game and the team. Two reasons. One, the team played as a team and there was no negativity or criticism of each other, of which there has been a lot in recent times, and it is so destructive! Secondly, the umpires awarded player of the match to a player who hasn’t had a lot of game time over the last two seasons and is very inexperienced. This is one of those random moments I mentioned earlier.
This player is always there, but unfortunately because of the number of players available and the types of teams we have played (lot of rough teams!), I have hesitated about putting her on court a lot, which I freely admit (and do regret), has not been fair to her.
Running a team is an absolute headache at times, no matter what you do, it always puts someone’s nose out of joint. In order to ensure we have had enough players, I have signed up more, and then you end up with players spare, and I have lost a player over it, who wanted to play 24/7. The problem with that was, she wanted guaranteed full on game time, but wasn’t prepared to commit herself. Commitment works both ways unfortunately, in everything. You get what you give.
Anyway, returning to the Player of The Match last night. Despite all that she has put up with over the last two seasons and the criticism I don’t doubt she has been subjected to by other players on court (even on a netball court, girls/ladies/women still find time to be bitchy!), she doesn’t complain and she is a lovely natured lady, who, when she plays, gives it everything she can and does not give up. She has had two full games in a row, there is so much improvement, it’s fantastic, and it is lovely to watch.
I’ll give you some examples. Last week, she went in for a loose ball against her opponent, and got a toss-up out of it, because she followed through and didn’t give up. This week, she was calling for passes and the rest of the team were making use of her. Getting that confidence from other players is a difficult thing, as I know from my own experience.
In those few moments before she got that toss-up, she finally tapped into the competitive spirit she needed to move forward, and because of it, she is getting immersed in the game and the basics are falling into place more easily for her. Footwork doesn’t come easy to her when it comes to passing and some of the passes the rest of the team use are a bit brutal for her at the moment, but it will come with time.
There was a photo I took last night of this player, which regrettably wasn’t very good quality, really blurred, and I won’t post it on here. However, it clearly identifies her, and you could see her determination in it, it is written in her expression, her posture, everything. They say a picture paints a thousand words, and clichéd though that is, my word it is true.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Hot n Bothered!
It’s only been five days since I got my hair cut, and I cannot wait for my hot brush to arrive!
Already I am beginning to comprehend the logistics of shorter hair. The fact that I can’t just go “f*ck it, can’t be bothered to wash it, will put it up today” has already added to my morning routine, which wasn’t exactly short and speedy to begin with.
The other problem is, I have purchased a hairdryer/brush/thingy but I am finding it a challenge getting to grips with it. I expect to be able to do things first time (regardless of difficulty) and not being able to master this product is driving me nuts, even though I have only had it two days.
Realistically, I should expect it to take a while as I have not had shorter hair since I was 18/19 years of age (not going to tell you how long ago THAT was!) but patience is not exactly my strong point.
Under no circumstances will I be buying a set of straighteners! Luckily enough, my hair is straight anyway, and very little persuasion from a hair brush and hairdryer keeps it that way.
When you look at some articles, they cite shorter hair as being easy to manage and requiring less time to style etc. I don’t think these articles take into account women (like me!) who haven’t had shorter hair for a long, long time, and therefore need a fair bit of practice to figure out what to do with it, other than wash it and style it.
Changing the subject! Little tip for anyone who, when they fancy something sweet, heads for the chocolate or biscuit tin. Get a whole pineapple, cut it up into chunks and store them in batches in containers in the fridge. Then when you fancy something sweet, work your way through a small container of pineapple.
I come home from watching my netball team play last night and really fancied something sweet to eat. Normally I would have located the nearest bit of chocolate, or nutella, but I’m determined not to give in (at the moment!) so I had some pineapple instead. It wasn’t quite the same, but it stopped me eating chocolate!
Already I am beginning to comprehend the logistics of shorter hair. The fact that I can’t just go “f*ck it, can’t be bothered to wash it, will put it up today” has already added to my morning routine, which wasn’t exactly short and speedy to begin with.
The other problem is, I have purchased a hairdryer/brush/thingy but I am finding it a challenge getting to grips with it. I expect to be able to do things first time (regardless of difficulty) and not being able to master this product is driving me nuts, even though I have only had it two days.
Realistically, I should expect it to take a while as I have not had shorter hair since I was 18/19 years of age (not going to tell you how long ago THAT was!) but patience is not exactly my strong point.
Under no circumstances will I be buying a set of straighteners! Luckily enough, my hair is straight anyway, and very little persuasion from a hair brush and hairdryer keeps it that way.
When you look at some articles, they cite shorter hair as being easy to manage and requiring less time to style etc. I don’t think these articles take into account women (like me!) who haven’t had shorter hair for a long, long time, and therefore need a fair bit of practice to figure out what to do with it, other than wash it and style it.
Changing the subject! Little tip for anyone who, when they fancy something sweet, heads for the chocolate or biscuit tin. Get a whole pineapple, cut it up into chunks and store them in batches in containers in the fridge. Then when you fancy something sweet, work your way through a small container of pineapple.
I come home from watching my netball team play last night and really fancied something sweet to eat. Normally I would have located the nearest bit of chocolate, or nutella, but I’m determined not to give in (at the moment!) so I had some pineapple instead. It wasn’t quite the same, but it stopped me eating chocolate!
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