Blogalicious!

Some of the ways I celebrated my 50th...

2008-10-10T16:17:00.004Z

A girls weekend in Edinburgh in May 2008...

...A 'themed' party on my birthday in June 2008...

... A holiday in Sao Miguel in the Azores in September 2008...

...where I swam with wild dolphins, a life-long ambition (thank you, Steve!)

About time...

2007-11-01T15:20:00.000Z

...I posted again, although who can still be bothered to read my semi-senile soliloquies is anybody's guess. It's about time I re-wrote my profile too as time spent 'surfing, blogging, texting, emailing' has completely gorn for a burton - unless you count mulitudinous (and tedious) work related mail.

So what has happened since July? - Well most signifcant stuff has been:

Major refurbishment works starting on the house - new room in roof, new central heating, complete re-wiring, new kitchen, new bathroom. We lived with builders for over 3 months, any pretence of glamour on my part being completely undermined by Pete, Dud (Pete and Dud! I kid you not!) Adam, Robin and Doug witnessing my sticky-up hair, mascara-smeared eyes and skanky PJ's every morning. Builders are now gone but there is still decorating the ENTIRE house to complete, which my long-suffering S.O. has to fit in at evenings and weekends. We've got a long way to go and it gets us down, to be honest - the garden has been completely neglected and we are still very much camping out - with our stuff (who knew we had so much STUFF) bleedin' everywhere. STILL...I'm sure it will look splendid when its finished, just before we put it on the market!

Changing my job in August (I am now 'Access Manager (Technical) rather than part-time 'Disability Support Officer' 3 days a week) which I'm still coming to grips with, very full-on but v. interesting starting and culminating each day with frantic 1 hour drive to and from the office in my cute Smartarse at breakneck speed - its mad! Now I aint exactly a slowcoach these days but a lot of drivers seem to take exception to being overtaken by (or left at the lights, or even just being behind) me and Cherry, so I usually end up having to compensate for their small-dickness.

Holidaying in Provence on a hired 750 Triumph Bonneville in September (S.O.'s 50th birthday present from yours truly...a fabulous time was had, apart from EasyJet losing my luggage - including my crash helmet - ON THE WAY OUT - and no, it has never been returned!) Will try and post some pics some time.

...and that's pretty much it, apart from the usual social stuff which is same-old same-old (apart from more sober these days as I'm usually driving) and not worth boring you with...eh!

Sometimes it's Paris...

2007-07-13T09:46:00.000Z

...and sometimes a 'girly' weekend involves travelling to Llangollen in Wales (one of my favourite places) and staying in a local pub with...

... this view, and drinking copious amounts of vino collapso at a restaurant with...

...this view, the night before putting on...

...these stylish and supremely flattering outfits to go gorge walking for an entire (exhausting but exhilarating) day in Snowdonia, one of the most beautiful places in the UK, if not the whole world!

Edit

2007-07-02T07:39:00.000Z

I feel duty bound to inform you that 40th weekend in Paris was not for me alas, although I DID have a birthday in June, its been (gulp) 9 years since I was that age! (Yup, it's the big five-ohmigod next year!)

Another 40th birthday weekend (May 2007)...

2007-06-28T09:44:00.000Z

...Here..

...where this lot went to...

...(hmmm!)...

...at the Moulin Rouge

...and also to see some dead people (Jim Morrison for one) at Pere Lachaise

to be continued...

You reckon???

2007-04-01T11:23:00.000Z

Stolen from APJ's blog

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who have a split personality - cold as ice on the outside but hot as fire in the heart.

Well I'm a Gemini and we're supposed to have 'split personalities' and apparently can get bored with most other signs - as lovers - and yes the S.O. is another Gemini (not that I knew that when I first met him I was just attracted to the layer of permafrost! :)

In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored.

See Above

You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring.

Oyyy! I AM stylish and alluring!

You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please.

Oh please! Who ISN'T 'emotional, moody and difficult' sometimes...keeps you, and them! on your toes!

Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with.

Absofuckinglutely. 27 years so far, and many more to come...I hope!

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

Well so far so good, but 'zero' is a pretty unrelenting number! As for breaking a commitment...I'm currently feeling a tad guilty about ducking out of a surprise party at the last minute!

You think of marriage something you've always wanted... though you haven't really thought about it.

Even as a little girl I never dreamed of 'marriage' in the traditional sense. Have always wanted to find my soul-mate, my immortal beloved. Finding that person was the important thing. Marrying him seemed (and has proved, thus far) uneccesary!

In this moment, you think of love as something you can get or discard anytime. You're feeling self centered.

Complete and utter poppycock.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

Waterfalls

2007-03-29T13:57:00.000Z

At last, I have all my post editing buttons back! (having first downloaded Gorillaz Fireybox, or whatever its called) So pics of a girls weekend in the Brecon Beacons in South Wales can finally be displayed.

Now although I love spending time communing with nature, I'm not usually one for pushing myself physically these days. However, confronted with the tour de force that is new chum M (pictured below) the concept of driving as close as possible to the nearest beauty spot, a gentle stroll, followed by a spot of lunch and possibly a bit of retail therapy was dead in the water.

SO after an entertaining evening in the pub (half-mile walk in torrential rain) and an appalling nights sleep in our spartan 4-bunk room at the local Youth Hostel we were up at 7.30 for breakfast, and had driven through the mountains to our 'start point' by 9 a.m.

What followed was a 6-and-half-hour tough, muddy, slippy, scrambly, scary, exhilarating and stunningly beautiful circular walk through the waterfall area of the National Park. MOSTLY IN SUNSHINE too! Wales is notorious for being reliably wet throughout the year, but one upside of this are the beautiful waterfalls and rivers, some of which are pictured below.

M in front of a waterfall which we subsequently...
...walked behind! (That's S2, me and S in the photo, all with big grins on our faces!)
Another waterfall...
And another...
...S2, me and S modelling the latest thing in hill-walking couture... (not)

Sorry...

2007-03-23T10:38:00.000Z

Sorry, sorry, sorry, to you lovely people who actually care about what happens on this blog. I'm really touched that you stop by to check on how I'm doing, and can't believe that its been over 2 months since I last posted anything!

There are a few reasons for this (well, more than a few, but I won't bore you with the entire list!)

A) I started a part-time job (3 days a week) to supplement my dwindling consultancy work, from which I return home exhausted a 7p.m. unable to do more than sip a G&T and stare mindlessly at the TV (on the nights that I'm not out, that is)

B) I have switched (Oh how I rue the day!)to accessing my blog via a Google account...cos 'Blogger' told me to...and ever since have had a whole heap of aggro trying to sign on to my blog, upload any pictures or create any links (Can't. DO.It!!!) or even comment on all your blogs

C) My social life has gone a bit crazy since the start of the year with weekends being booked well into June, and additional nights out occurring at least twice a week. I'm not complaining (really, I'm not) but sometimes it all seems a bit full-on and occasionally one yearns for a spot of spontaneity -or even more time to sip a G&T and stare mindlessly at the TV!

(I would actually like to fully appraise you of a couple of splendid weekends away, but without photies their appeal might be a little thin. Suffice (for the time being) to say that one was a weekend in a converted coach house in Shropshire with my S.O. and another couple and the other was a walking weekend in the Brecon Beacons in Wales with 3 girlfriends. Both stunning parts of the UK, with the most astonishing waterfalls in Wales...wish I could show the the photos!!)

D) We have the builders in, converting the garage into a studio space for the S.O. and me (Hence all the stuff usually stored in a garage is distributed around the rest of our small and scruffy bungalow. Its akin to living in a warehouse, only not as warm. Or as well decorated) Builders drink an inordinate amount of tea. On an hourly basis

E) I am trying to organise both a surprise party and a surprise holiday for my S.O. who is (gulp) 50 later this year. Obviously I have to do this when he is not around, and as he works from home (and I now work away from home 3 days a week) it is proving somewhat of a challenge.

F) I am doing some consultancy work, all of which seems to involve getting up at the crack of fart to travel half way across the country

So...having said I would not bore you with my entire stock of excuses and proceeding to do so willy-nilly...

I hope you will forgive my absence and continue to come visit. I will try and post something more exciting soon, promise!

Cats....

2007-01-19T18:05:00.000Z

...who'd have 'em, eh? All they do is sleep, eat, dribble, and leave muddy paw prints on the window sill. and in Frank's case go and get themselves run over and killed while you're away enjoying yourself at New Year. Its been 2 weeks since we got home from our holiday...and he wasn't there, waiting on the window sill. Two weeks since we phoned all the cat shelters and checked with the cat-sitter and the neighbours, then discovered from the local vet that he'd been found and brought in . Stupid fucking cat had half an acre of garden to roam in but preferrred to go visit his cat mates up and down the street. Stupid, stupid black cat crossing the road at night with no fucking road sense. Stupid, I'M Stupid, should have kept him in, kept him safe. And Stupid can't bring herself to clean away the paw prints from the window, and the dribble from the sofa. Stupid fucking cat, you've broken my heart.

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and...

2006-12-30T08:31:00.000Z

Happy New Year everyone!

I'll be seeing in 2007 in a cottage in Somerset, 3 miles from mysterious Glastonbury site (alledgedly) of the Isle of Avalon, King Arthur's final resting place. I'll be there with my beloved, brother, sister-in-law, nephew and niece and lots of booze, so we'll be having a 'spiritual' time (ahem)

Oh! And I finally got to see my other beloved in Casino Royale on Wednesday so I'm a pretty happy bunny all round!

"Those were the days...

2006-12-09T15:20:00.000Z

my friend, I thought they'd never end..."

My dear friend K was having a trawl through his photie collection recently and emailed this one from our combined dim and distant past (taken about 20 years and 20lbs ago!)

The story behind this picture (and the tat) is here

K, as well as being a talented photographer, is also a gifted musician, and I urge you to visit his recently created MySpace site here and listen to his stuff right now! (please)

Another chum has also taken the trouble to email me some pics, despite having a really bad/sad time at the moment, and a selection are here... I defy you not to say awwww! :)

AWWWWWWWW!!!!

Still recovering...

2006-11-30T14:07:00.000Z

...this time from a 40th birthday 'girls' weekend in Dublin and Belfast. Same crew as Hamsterjam, only a bit (ahem) wilder this time. Were supposed to go and see Casino Royale as part of the jollies, only we ran out of time... so STILL haven't seen my lovely Daniel...grrrrr!!

I'm so excited

2006-11-16T15:40:00.000Z

...and I just can't hide it, I'm about to lose control and I think I like it!

Ahem. To whit the above exhortation you might ask?

Well tomorrow is the 17 November from whence I shall be able to feast me mince pies on my beloved Daniel in his undercrackers...

Hmmm...along with millions of other women :(

Well, hands OFF you fickle fly-by-night floozies! I saw him first! ('Our Friends in the North' BBC2 January 1996) and have remained devoted for over a decade!

Time for my tablet now, I think (nod and smile, nod and smile)

What does it MEAN???

2006-11-10T12:34:00.000Z

I know I've not been around for a while, and I don't expect peeps to keep visiting when I don't return the compliment, BUT, according to my stats counter, I quite often get several 'multiple visits' in one day. Now I'm cetainly not assuming I have a huge but secret fan base (alas)
But can anyone explain to me what this*(typically occuring several times) means???

*Returning Visits:116
Location:England, London, United Kingdom
Hostname: cache-los-ab03.proxy.aol.com (195.93.21.35)
Entry Page:Blogalicious!
Exit Page:Blogalicious!
Referring URL:No referring link

Sorry

2006-10-17T21:27:00.000Z

...I haven't been commenting on your blogs, especially as you are so kind and loyal and good enough to bother with mine...gawd bless you all! Life's gorn a bit mad lately. I've started a new part-time job as Disability Support Officer at my old university (the teeny tiny pic above - can't get it to upload any larger! - is me and some fellow architectural students in our first year back in 1979) to supplement my dwindling consultancy/training work. Of course part-time (2.5 day a week) is actually 3 days a week, and my own work has picked up since I took the post, so I'm bleedin' knackered! Was in Belfast last week, Manchester the week before and am off to the Isle of Man tomorrow. In between I've managed to fit in a hen weekend in Windsor and a 40th weekend in Amsterdam (see previous post) a wedding (NOT mine) an all night birthday celebration, oh and my poor dad has had another stroke and is back in hospital, so trying to visit him at least once a week as well. Ah, and we're supposed to be doing up the bungalow we bought as a 'project' nearly 9 months ago. Its 10.40 in the evening now and I still haven't cooked dinner for packed or my trip to the Isle of Man or prepared for the meeting I've got in London tomorrow morning. Excuse me a moment...

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGHHHHHH!!!!

Thats better!

Ahem! 'Girls' weekend, Amsterdam

2006-10-09T22:47:00.000Z

Place Marker

2006-09-16T12:20:00.000Z

I know,I know, I've not posted or visited in ages, for which my 'umble apologies. One of my newer blogchums who goes by the fabulous monniker of Lacquer, Semi-Gloss Lacquer implored "Please write something, dear, anything will do... A shopping list, a half written song..." (SO amusing!) but I think I can do slightly better... i.e.

Famous people I resemble!
71% similar to Eva Longoira and Beyonce!
74% like K D Lang and Giselle Bundchen! (eh?)
83% like Julia Roberts!
60% like Claude Debussey!!
58% like Ang Lee!

And also a whole bunch of male and female Japanese actors who I've never heard of (but who are all very attractive...of course!)

How do I know? Cos this site - which I found it via the lovely Freiya - tells me so.

Try it, its addictive! You'll get different results depending on the photo you upload...its SUCH a hoot!And let me know who YOU look like!

Apologies...

2006-09-02T17:25:00.000Z

...to Lime, Lushlyme, Cosima and Sunny Delight for not returning comments to your blogs after you were kind enough to visit my HNT! I did try, but in the case of Lime, Lush and Cosima Blogger just wouldn't let me upload my comments, and in SD's case it wouldn't even let me download the comment box! Bah! Anyway, this is to say I DO appreciate you stopping by very much indeed, every visit is precious as I'm not exactly Miss Popular on the HNT carousel...and if anyone else reading this knows the aforementioned, please let them know that this apology is here!

Cheers!

More Spanish HNT

2006-08-31T14:39:00.000Z

Spain 1982 (with very bad perm!)

Spain 2006

Another way of reducing chins is to look upwards at the camera! :)

Happy HNT!

HNT

2006-08-24T11:11:00.000Z

Had Nice Time in Spain (Costa Blanca) but probably wouldn't go to that region again, its pretty over developed along the coast, and not 'Spainsh enough' if you know what I mean! (Photos in previous post show 'best bits' including spending 10 days in the wonderful company of my younger brother and his family) The last time we were in the area was 24 years (half a lifetime!)ago, when were students. We travelled on motorbikes with two friends to stay in a small house in a Spanish mountain village .
THat particular story was the basis of another HNT which you can read (should you so desire!) here . Anyhoo we were at said friends for dinner a couple of nights ago, and they dug out some old photographs. K was studying phtography at the time and often used his wife J and me as models. I've used other shots of his in posts here and here , but I haven't seen this shot since it was taken in 1982 when I still had a jawline! (I'm on the left, J is on the right. She still looks the same, darn her!)

These days I edit photos to ensure that my multiple chins don't put in an appearance, or, as in this shot taken in Spain a couple of weeks ago, carefully position my neice to disguise 'em!

Happy HNT!

Spain

2006-08-19T16:41:00.000Z

Sorry...

2006-08-02T12:03:00.000Z

for being, like, rilly, rilly busy and not posting for, like, aeons yah? Anyhoo, won't be posting for at least another week as off to stay in a private villa in the mountains near here tomorrow...

to spend some quality time with my gorgeous man, my lovely brother and his wonderful family.
We haven't all been away together since New Year so I'm looking forward to it immensely!

Will you miss me? Be counting the hours til I return?? ;) Well, this might help!

Boi boi, bloggy-chums...boi boi!

Edit: Ooo, by the way...this is my 100th post!

Feel the fear

2006-07-19T09:25:00.000Z

WDKY recently posted about doing stuff that scares you, or at least make one feel somewhat trepidacious! Which was rather pertinent to moi, as last night I too did something, the thought of which has been giving me the willies for quite some time (Easy now!)

Although I passed my driving test 18 years ago (and even then I put it off til I was 30) I haven't driven AT ALL for 16 years. Never thought I would again, to be honest. This didn't impact on my life when I lived slap bang in the middle of a city, walking distance from pubs (nearest was 30 seconds away), clubs (nearest was 1 minute away), restaurants (nearest - Wagamamma's and Carluccio's - 2 minutes away) the station and the taxi-rank. And the S.O. was always happy to drive when it was needed, being a much better driver than passenger.

Regular readers will know, however, that we moved t'country at the end of January. Now we're walking distance from the village hall, the general store and the doctor's surgery...very useful, but not great for a happenin' night out! And the nearest station is a good 20 minutes drive away. So I bit the bullet and took some refresher lessons, and bought this little cutie which I've named 'Cherry Delight'.

So far so good...except that the only way I felt confident driving was if I had someone with me. If I was having a night out with the girls (which is at least a weekly occurrence) my long-suffering S.O. would have to drive me into the city and then pick me up later...that's 45 minutes each way...twice.

Until last night. Last night I drove myself into town. On my own. All. By.My.Self. For the first time in 16 years. AND back again. In the dark. Down winding country lanes with no street lights. Took me nearer an hour each way, but you know what? It was OK.

In fact the most difficult part of the evening was staying sober...something else I'll have to get used to!...particularly as I was spending the evening with this lot!

S, M, L and Lelly on a fairly standard night out!

So, my next challenge is to start riding this. [I've loved driving motorbikes since I was 21 well, until this happened ]

2006-07-18T02:28:00.000Z

Part of my work involves looking at this kind of stuff...can you guess what I do?

Recent photos from the garden

2006-07-11T10:26:00.000Z

Baby Jay in the woods

Dragonfly

Don't know what this is, but aint it luvverly!

Chive flower

Eh??

2006-07-06T16:00:00.000Z

This complete load of drivel is all APj's fault...she knows I can't resist this kind of twaddle! :)
Bad AJp, naughty AJp...IN your basket!!

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Lelly!

California is the biggest exporter of Lelly in the world.
Lelly was the first Tsar of Russia.
People used to believe that dressing their male children as Lelly would protect them from evil spirits.
Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are Lelly!
Humans share over 98 percent of their DNA with Lelly.
While performing her duties as queen, Cleopatra sometimes dressed up as Lelly!
Over half of Americans are officially Lelly!
The water in oceans is four times less salty than the water in Lelly.
Over 2000 people have now climbed Lelly, with roughly ten percent dying on the way down!
Lellyolatry is the mindless worship of Lelly.

I must say that I DO object to the word 'mindless' in number 10 (how VERY dare you) ... worship of moi can only equate to a higher mental state of bliss, doncha know!

Sigh

2006-07-01T18:11:00.000Z

My blog is worth $7,339.02.
How much is your blog worth?

Thanks to Rob for this on the sad day which saw England knocked out of the World Cup on penalties.

HNT

2006-06-29T09:15:00.000Z

For the first time in ages I've actually taken a photo especially for HNT...so I thought I'd muck abaht wiv me thrupennies a bit.

Happy Half-Nekkidness!

Me Best China*

2006-06-27T11:31:00.000Z

(china plates = mates)
So, the weekend after my birthday (can you spot me new togs?) I headed oop North with my favourite girlfies, S, L and M. I met this lot 20 years ago, via my closest chum S (they were all at school together) and I'm happy to say that they welcomed me to their variously-sized bosoms, despite me being somewhat older than their soon-to-be-40 years. S, L and I flew up to Edinburgh where we met M who'd flown over from Northern Ireland, and then the 4 of us drove to Berwick-upon-Tweed to stay with another of their school chums - the lovely A - and her new husband (are you keeping up at the back there??!)

She had a whole weekend of activities planned for us. On Saturday we went into Newcastle...

This is me, M, L and S standing on Newcastle's Millenium Bridge we had lunch in the building behind us, a converted flour mill. The restaurant is a glass box on the top floor, fabulous for views (but not so great if you if you have a fear of heights...as L does!)

On Sunday we crossed the causeway at low tide to Lindisfarne "one of the holiest sites in England" where we visited the Castle and...

here we all are in the priory (hostess with the mostest, A, is in the middle) We also visited the church, at the invitation of the local priest who bumped into us as we were leaving and was positively flirtatious! Perhaps we should have taken the opportunity to atone for the abuse our livers we subjected to on...

Friday night and...

Saturday night...

Oh...and Sunday night as well!!

H.N.T.

2006-06-22T00:39:00.000Z

Have New Togs

So I turned 48 recently, and I thought I'd spend a bit of me birthday money some new clothes. Nothing fancy mind, just a few little numbers to wear during our all-too-fleeting summer!

HAPPY HNT!

Six wierd things about Lelly

2006-06-17T17:13:00.000Z

I was tagged by the lovely KF ages ago to write "Six weird facts/habits about yourself".
The Rules:-- Post six weird facts/habits about yourself. These cannot be used against you later on! At the end of the post name the six people you will tag next. Leave them a comment to let them know they've been tagged and to read your blog. And away we go...

1. I cannot bear polystyrene. I can't touch, let alone unwrap anything that has been packaged in it. If someone else is handling it I have to leave the room or stick my fingers in my ears and screw my eyes shut tight. It's texture and squeakiness make my hackles rise...arghhh!

2. Although I'm pretty untidy generally I have to have towels folded absolutely square on the towel rail, with the seam at the bottom and the label out of sight at the back. I don't care if they're not ironed though!

3. If walking with a companion I feel really uncomfortable if I'm not positioned on their right.

4. Although I've only recently started driving, (having passed my test 18 years ago) I already have a habit of regularly taking one hand off the wheel and touching my chin . Both my brothers (who have been driving for years) do this too. I didn't even notice I was doing it until the S.O. pointed it out. I never did this as a passenger!

5. If I eat a boiled sweet I cannot suck it, but must crunch it up immediately.

6. I have never wanted children of my own. A LOT of people think this is wierd!

So... I shall tag Rob APJ (cos I know she likes this kinda thing!) Jade (ditto) Freiya Hotboy and Susie. Let me know if you play!

Edit: (for Susie and other confused non-brits) a bolied sweet is ummm....hard candy??? like errr gobstoppers?? That any help???

When you you're bored with knitting sweaters...

2006-06-07T11:08:00.001Z

...perhaps you could try something like this??

(*Alert!...Alert!...Hoary old joke warning!*)

"My mother made me a homosexual"

" If I give her the wool will she knit me one as well?"

I thang yew!

(Sorry! trifle pissed on birthday breakfast bucks fizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!)

HNT

2006-06-01T12:21:00.000Z

This denim jacket was my favourite birthday present last year.

And I've only gorn and lorst it!

Bah!

HAPPY

Our Wood

2006-05-30T17:29:00.000Z

Weekend was good, despite the weather. Had friends to stay on Friday, bunch of us went clay-pigeon shooting on Saturday, had more friends over for dinner, and on Sunday we spent a few hours doing stuff in our wood *big grin*

Anniversary plus 1 month

2006-05-29T10:00:00.000Z

Doh! Missed my own anniversary!! It's been 13 months since I started blogging (would have been a year on 21 April - when I was laid up in bed with a septic throat and a temperature of 102) So I thought I'd do a little recap of the year...an idea shamelessly stolen from Freiya

April 2005 - I wrote about my introduction to blogging via long-lost cousin Lecram, books, my 15 minutes of 'fame', nicknames and being boring

May 2005 was all about heartthrobs, family, cats and mad night out with gbf - one of my very favourite posts

June 2005 featured nude yoga, my 47th birthday party and Corsica

July 2005 was about the bombings in London on 7/7 and my reasons for staying positive about life, this being another of my favourites

August 2005 was a little soppy and quite a lot nekkid, with my first three HNT posts

September 2005 saw a lot more (half) nekkidness including my highest hit count so far, the one and only 'Dorky Tuesday' , a dead cat, a see-through loo and my first 'tag'

October 2005 was obviously a busy month, as outside of my HNT's there was only the stupendous news that my lovely Daniel was to be the new James Bond!

November 2005 highlights included mate's 3-day-30th-birthday-rave-in-Wales, my unique exercise regime and recap of all the trips I'd made during the year, including Valentine's Day in Rome

December 2005 featured my most revealing HNT (and highest comment count) ever and a girls weekend in Barcelona

January 2006 introduced my lovely book club buddies and banged on about New Year in Norfolk

February 2006 was the big move

March 2006 had a nostalgic flavour with posts about my 18th birthday and 'outdoor fun' in my 30's

April 2006 saw joy, pain and my first Meme

May 2006 has fun with letters and lips

Not a bad bakers dozen, eh! Almost looks like I have a life! :)

HNT

2006-05-25T10:27:00.000Z

A march through time. Most recent pic was taken a couple of mornings ago. All the others have featured before and were taken in 1981, 1994, 1995 and 1997. Can you guess which is which?

HAPPY

The Letter Game

2006-05-23T07:40:00.001Z

Firstly thank you to all who commented on my HNT (I barely scrape into the 20's most weeks so I value every one!) and I'm sorry if I didn't return the compliment to you all, but I've been away for a few days. Will try and visit soon!

Got this from over at Susie's place (who didn't visit my HNT last week *sob*) I commented on her post of the same title and she gave me an 'L'

(This is how it works: Comment on this entry and I will give you a letter. Write ten words beginning with that letter in your journal, including an explanation of what the word means to you and why, and then pass out letters to those who want to play along. Of course If you want to comment but not be assigned a letter, that's an option too. So I'll only assign letters to those who specifically ask for them)

So, here goes:

1. Lelly is the name my youngest manhole cover gave me when he was a baby, because he couldn't pronounce his esses. he never calls me that now, which is a shame because I think its a much sweeter (softer) version of my real name. In fact I've preferred all of my nick-names to my real name...sorry Mum!!

2. London is my favourite city. I lived on its outskirts (SE25) when I first left home in 1977. My three flatmates and I were all on a Government trainee scheme for architectural technicians. We had to do our first year in Croydon before chosing a placement from the vast selection of drawing offices on offer. They all selected...Croydon! (a 10 minute commute from our flat) I chose what was then called the Department of Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings in 'proper' London near Green Park SW1, and I could see this

(Wellington Arch in the middle of Hyde Park Corner )
From my office window.
In 1979 I went to Brighton to study Architecture full time. But as soon as I qualified in 1985 I was commuting back up to London, working variously in:
Covent Garden, right opposite the Opera House;
London Bridge near to Southwark Catherdral and the river;
London Bridge again, near to Guys Hospital;
Oxford Circus;
Waterloo, close to the Young Vic;
and finally...
Butlers Wharf close to Tower Bridge and the river again...
Before giving up 13 years (off and on) of commuting in 2000 to work from home.

3. Llangollen. Throughout much of my 30's I regularly went away to an Activity Centre based in this lovely part of Wales with my bezzie mate. We would spend weekends driving for up to 7 hours (each way) so that we could try out - with varying degrees of failure -

Horse-riding
Rock-climbing
Abseiling
Canoeing (placid and white-water)
Orienteering
Dingy sailing*
Moutain biking*
Hill walking
Wind-surfing*
Paragliding
Assualt Course...err...ing
Archery
Gorge Walking
(* activities I was particularly crap at)

The Centre was full of terribly earnest types who could barely conceal their amusement/scorn at our paltry and frankly inappropriate selection of activity apparel, which always included a little number for going dahn the pub. ("Does one fancy a drink?? I think not, gels...my body is a temple blah de blah-blah-blah")
We somehow seemed to end up doing our second day with crippling hangovers, which might have had some impact on our success rate!
We would inevitably drive home with aching muscles and sore heads, but with huge grins on our faces, working out how soon we could return to abuse ourselves some more.
The last time we went was about 8 years ago, just after Shani had her first child. The Centre closed down shortly after, but we have vowed to take her children to experience the place - and the 'activities' - when they are older.

4. Lawnmower. now that we have a proper garden our tiny £30 Flymo just doesn't cut the mustard...err...I mean grass. Derided by gardener friend Caff , she claims it 'hacks' rather than cuts (v. bad for grass, apparently) and suggested that we need a 'cylinder mower with roller' rather than a rotary (Wake up, at the back!) and recommended 'Mountfield' or 'Hayter' but....as they are HUGE, and EXPENSIVE and need feeding regularly with petrol... we ignored her and bought a nice little electric one instead. Sorry Caff! But it IS a cylindery rollery thingy!

5. Loquacious. A term that has been levelled at me. And not always kindly!. Hurrumph!

6. Lady-lumps. Got 'em. Love (most of) 'em. Nuff said.

7. Limes. I am strangely drawn to them. Will buy them and then find stuff to do with 'em. And then regret mutilating their perfect ovoid little bodies. Ahem.

8. Left-handed. Some of the world's best tennis players are left-handed, alledgedly. I've never taken up the sport as my P.E. teacher at school forced me to play with my right hand ('Sinister' indeed!) So I was crap. When I coulda bin a contendah!! I have a theory that us lefties are beset with difficulties in every aspect of our lives, cos, like, if 90% of people are right-handed, then most manufactured items are going to be subtly but intrinsically geared for right-handed people. See?? Nevertheless I enjoy being a southpaw, it's like a belonging to an exclusive club! If you check out Susie's place you'll see that she bangs on about it quite a bit too!

9. Lamentable*. The DaVinci Code. Saw the film with five of me book-club buddies last night. Best bit was the ad for the new Bond film featuring a near nekkid Daniel Craig . Nearly choked on my pick-and-mix! (*minority view, btw!)

10. Lymphocyte. [noun] "a white blood cell that is present in large numbers in lymph and blood and defends the body by immunological responses to invading or foreign matter. "
Ya don't say?? I thought is was a place where mobility-impaired sex-maniacs gathered!

Anniversary HNT!

2006-05-18T11:00:00.000Z

So, as decreed by Osbasso instigator of HNT this anniversary posting consists of my very first HNT pics (which you can read all about here should you be so inclined!)

9.5 INCH! (not cm) scar on right knee...

between the arrows...see?

PLUS my ' celebration pic'

which is me 'celebrating' another anniversary - my birthday last year.
Happy Anniversary Everyone!!!

Eh??

2006-05-12T15:20:00.000Z

Who Should Paint You: Alfred Gockel

All American yet funky, you inspire an artist's imagination
And while not everyone will understand your portrait, you will!

What Artist Should Paint Your Portrait?

Found this over at K's place . It's an intersting if rather baffling result, as not only am I not 'All American' I'm not 'all' anything! So I did it again (changing my answers slightly, obviously!) and got this...

Who Should Paint You: Andy Warhol

You've got an interested edge that would be reflected in any portrait
You don't need any fancy paint techniques to stand out from the crowd!

What Artist Should Paint Your Portrait?

Which is far more like it! ;) In fact my profile pic is quite similar to the image above, doncha think? [and was done using a similar sort of technique. BF turned a b/w photo into a pen and ink drawing and then photocopied it onto photographic paper. The sepia background happened accidentally when I took a pic of the image with my mobile (cell) phone]

The Manhole Covers

2006-05-08T11:20:00.000Z

Left to right:J - aged 37; T - aged 46; L - aged 47 .
My gawd! Look at the family 'Paddington hard stare' inherited from Pa, LOL!

All these photographs were taken last year. Despite our uniformly dour vizogs I am proud to be skin and blister to these two. Always thought I looked like my middle brother, but these pics show that he and my younger 'manhole cover' are far more alike (and look just like Pa...sorry boys!!)

P.S. T does not usually sport spotted (or any sort of) bandanas...ee woz muckin' abaht!

HNT

2006-05-04T00:45:00.000Z

Half Nekkid on the beach June 2005

(with 'film grain' effect courtesy of Picasa)

HAPPY

TMI?

2006-04-30T11:02:00.000Z

Got this 'meme'* from over at APj's place she reckoned I'd do it, and who am I to disappoint!
(*although I don't actually know what a 'meme' is. What does that mean?? literally 'ME, ME'? How is it pronounced...mimi, meem, mem-mee?)

1. When was the last time you had sex?
This morning, and of course I timed answering this so I could say that! :)

2. How do you flush the toilet in public?
I never flush the toilet in public...I shut the door first! Tsk!

3. Do you wear your seatbelt in the car?
Where else would I wear it?

4. Do you have a crush on someone?
Not for a while, apart from Daniel Craig who has been giving me the vapours for 10 years now(i.e. NOT just since he's become James Bond!)

5. Name one thing that you start to get tense about if you are close to running out of it?
Bog roll

6. What famous person do you (or other people*) think you resemble?
*Kate Bush ( when we were in our late teens/early 20's. Like to think I have the edge on Ms Bush now, judging feom her latest vid...sorry Kate!!)
* Catherine Zeta-Jones-Douglas-whatever (by dear but daft and obviously myopic friend!)
* Eartha Kitt!!! (private and not-very-funny-at-all joke...hrrumph!)

7. What is your favorite pizza topping?
The most memorable was Porcini mushrooms (Valentine's day in Rome last year) Otherwise Spinach and mozzarella

9. Do you crack your knuckles?
No! Arrgh!

10. What song do you hate the most when it gets stuck in your head?
Any of the turgid dross James (soon-to-be-a-new-form-of-rhyming-slang) Blunt spews forth.

11. Did just mentioning that song make it get stuck in your head?
" You're beautiful, you're beautiful..." AAAArgh!

12. What are your super powers?
I can read minds...you're thinking " You're beautiful, you're beautiful..." arn't you, eh? eh??

13. What is the hardest thing you have faced?
My father's mental and physical deterioation

14. Where are your car keys?
Dunno, somewhere...the point is I HAVE car keys! Haven't driven (a car) for over 14 years (lost my nerve...long story) and have not needed to really, when living in the centre of town. But now that we've moved t'country I have -as of 2 days ago - a CAR! Fully automatic, suitable for scaredy-cats, cute as a cute-thing Smart Car she's red, and her name is Cherry Delight!

15. Whose answers to this questionnaire do you want to hear?
Anyone who stops by (let me know if you do play!) but would be interesting to see newer blog chums WKDY, Keda, Suze and Barefoot Mistresses answers

16. What's your most annoying habit?
I snore really loudly! (Look, I have sinus problems OK??)

17. Where did you go on your last vacation?
Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen...long weekend with the girls last month.

18. If you could punch one person in the nose and get away with it who would it be?
Nope, can't think of anyone.

19. What is your best physical feature?
My mouth, apparently! Although I'm rather proud of my chest, too!

20. What CD is closest to you right now?
Literally? A CD of 'Cladding details and Door and Ironmongery Schedules' of a building design Im assessing.

21. What three things can always be found in your refrigerator?
Yakult. Cheese. Wine.

22. What superstition do you believe/practice?
Not many. Touch wood, 2 for joy magpie thing.

25. Do you talk on your cell phone when you drive?
Absolutely not! Apart form it being illegal I'm still trying to master the actual driving bit! (see 14, above)

26. What would your name have been if you'd been born the opposite gender? If you don't know what your parents would've chosen, what name would you choose for your other-gendered self?
Well my middle brother is only 15 months younger than me and is called Anthony Frederick. I would chose Daniel *sigh*

27. What song(s) do you sing most often in the shower?
I never sing in the shower.

28. If you could go back or forward in time would you and where would you go?
Back...to the swinging sixties, maaan!

29. What is your favorite Harrison Ford movie?
The first and original 'Star Wars'. Saw it when it first came out, and it's the only film I've ever been to see - at the cinema - more than once (4 times, in fact)

30. What CD is in your stereo?
Dandy Warhols '13 Tales...'

31. What OCD qualities do you have?
I like the towels to be perfectly folded and all squared up on the towelrail...other than that I'm pretty much a slob!

32. How many kids do you want to have?
None. Succeeded so far. (48 in a couple of months, so suspect the battery has conked out in the ol' biological clock!)

33. If you could kiss anyone famous who would it be?
See question 4!

34.Would you really want to kiss someone you didn't know, even if they are famous?
Are you kidding? Did you see those pics on his bio??

35. What do you do when no one is watching?
The list is too huge...

36. If they made a movie about your life, what actor/actress would be the best for this job?
A young(er) Elizabeth Taylor?? Angelina Jolie??? :) There arn't many Eurasian actresses around that I know of. Definitely not CZJD.

37. Would you rather die in a blaze of glory or peacefully in your sleep?
Peacefully in my sleep...a long, long time from now.

38. What candy, from when you were a kid, do you miss the most?
Sherbet pips.

39. What is your favorite kid's movie?
Brother Bear? (last film I went to see with niece)

40. Favorite musician(s)/bands you've seen in concert?
I hardly ever go to gigs! Of the few that I have been to I guess Led Zepplin and The Pixies stand out.

41. Have you ever been in love?
Four times. Been with No.4 for 25 years...so far.

42. Do you talk to yourself?
Its the only way I get any intelligent conversation (OLD joke...sorry!)

43. Is there anybody you just wish would fall off the face of the earth?
Who I know? Maybe my dad, but only if it means gently falling into a better place for him.
(Edit: this is something my father wishes for himself, 'to go away'...the massive stroke he survived 3 years ago having robbed him, amongst many other things, of his ability to communicate with his former lucidity and precision. It hasn't removed his awareness of his 'condition'...he is all too aware of that. I would like a miracle...my former difficult, scary ol' pa back)

HNT

2006-04-27T11:01:00.000Z

Now this really is an archive shot! Had some old friends round for dinner recently, and after a few bevvies we started reminiscing (as you do). Back in *cough* 1981 the four of us decided to travel to a mountain village in Spain for a holiday. We didn't know anything about the place apart from the villa on offer belonged to a friend, and was therefore cheap.

Being skint students, we thought the cheapest way of getting there would be to spend a couple of days travelling overland on motorbikes, with an overnight stop in France (staying at the sister-of-another-friend's place - really cheaply - i.e. for free) Steve already having a motorbike, see.

What we didn't plan on was our friends motorbike - which of course they bought on the cheap - catching fire in Rouen, (approx 30 miles into our overland adventure). The 'bike had shorted out due to the fact that it didn't have a fuse (previous owner having used the cheaper option of a bit of silver paper) Several hours later Steve managed to fix the melted wiring loom really cheaply with some insulation tape 'borrowed' from passing French bikers, stuck a fuse in and we were back on the road. Briefly.

Over the next 48 hours the bike's electric-start gave up the ghost, then the kick-start failed (fixed cheaply for a while with a bit of Coke can) and it ran out of oil - in the middle of the mountains at 3 a.m. - ( the dip-stick was too long, thereby giving a false reading) causing the engine to overheat. However when we stopped at the side of the road to give it a chance to cool down the machine-gun toting Guarda Civil who suddenly appeared were pretty insistant that we 'moved on' - immediately. We limped on for a few more hours, the 'bike finally seizing-up all together at 6 a.m. in a tiny Spanish village, a couple of hundred miles away from our destination.

There was no choice but for Steve to leave us girls there while he took Ken to the nearest city (about 100 miles away) to use the travel insurance to hire a car. We finally got to our 'villa' (terraced mountain village house with no garden, no air-conditioning and definitely no pool) three long days after leaving the UK (and with only one nights sleep)

Being cheap travel insurance we only had use of the car for 24 hours, so for the rest of the 3 week holiday Steve would use his 'bike to ferry us back and forth to the nearest beach 5 miles away, taking me and Jan 3-up, and then going back for Ken.

In the evenings we would drink cheap Spanish booze on the roof-terrace (where the photo below was taken) listen to 'Rip Rig and Panic' and watch the sun set.

It was one of the best holidays we've ever been on.

HAPPY

Crap Rap (Apologies in advance!)

2006-04-26T09:38:00.000Z

I've been laid up with a septic throat so damn sore
That I avoided swa-llow-ing...at all.
So drinking lots of fluids to bring my fever low
Was a proper non-starter, a real no go.
My temperature was so high my face went bright red
I was covered in cold towels, in my sick-bed.
Then I got an allergic rash over legs and arms and more
Which left my face all flaky and so damn sore.
Sure, the liquid penicillin has been the dogs nuts
But there's litres of the the stuff and it fucks with my guts.
So I aint too pretty for my next HNT
It's gonna have to be an archive shot (again!) for me!

2006-04-18T20:49:00.000Z

Your 2005 Song Is

Feel Good Inc by Gorillaz

"Love forever love is free.
Let's turn forever you and me."

In 2005, you were loving life and feeling no pain.

What Hit Song of 2005 Are You?

Oooo, not bad! 2005 WAS pretty good, as you can read here

Joy

2006-04-11T17:03:00.000Z

It's been over two months now since we moved from the
the centre of the known universe [where I went to study architecture in 1979, met my beloved, and where we had lived together since (gulp) 1980] to the 'back of beyond' (comparatively!)

It's been somewhat of a minor culture-shock - despite being only a 40 minute drive from our previous home - but mainly in a good way, and as the weather gets sunnier and warmer, our wonderful garden - with its multitude of plants and flowers, squirrels, bunnies, huge number of different birds (i.e. not just seagulls!)...including a pheasant and his two wives...and our woodland (I love saying that! Our woodland! OUR woodland!) with its oaks and hornbeams and tiny stream - is an increasing source of enormous, simple JOY.

I feel priviledged to have time to stand and stare ...and to have something worth staring at.

Photo doesn't do it justice...there's nearly half and acre of wood down there!

H.N.T.

2006-04-06T11:52:00.000Z

Have Narsty Teeth

I had tonsilitis a lot as a child so was frequently given antiboitics. As a result my front teeth are slightly discoloured. It didn't really bother me for years, but my dentist keeps suggesting I should get them bleached...should I bother, do you think? They don't look too bad in this pic, (in the Corsican sunshine last year...yes I know, again!) but flash photography is a lot less kind!

Happy

BORED!

2006-04-03T14:08:00.000Z

Found this site over at Binsk's where you can turn your name into a slogan! Well, that kept me amused for 5 minutes...what shall I do now? (Work?? Decorating??? Tax Invoice??? Pah!!) Ah yes, the table-mats need re-fringing...

You'll Look a Little Lovelier Each Day with Fabulous Pink Lelly

Live in Your Lelly, Play in Ours

The Ultimate Lelly Machine

The Dirt says Hot, The Label says Lelly

H.N.T. Happy New Toy!

2006-03-29T16:43:00.000Z

Moving to the 'arse end of nowhere' (as Bezzie Mate might put it eh, Shani!) from the centre of the known universe has resulted in a significant increase in petrol costs. So we just had to go out and buy this delightful wee toy...which does 65mpg (alledgedly) S.O. is used to much bigger 'tools' (ahem!) but fuel consumption doesn't justify a larger machine. Anyway this little cutie is small enough for me to ride (cough!)...that's if I can get my nerve back, haven't driven a sickle since my accident 10 years ago, the resultant scar, incidentally, being the source of my first...

2006-03-28T17:54:00.003Z

HNT

2006-03-22T18:11:00.000Z

Waterfall, Corsica, June 2005

HAPPY

EDIT:
OOOo! I've just realised that as my lovely long-lost cousin Lecram has linked me in his (non) HNT post today, I might get more visitors than usual...so here's a 'bonus' shot (or...not!)

Sea, Corsica, 2005

Be honest...this was taken 9 months ago, and I'm 48 this year...not too bad for a wine-guzzling couch potato??

Our traumatic weekend...

2006-03-20T11:52:00.000Z

These people invaded our home at the weekend...

The latter two stayed the night and forced us to play poker and drink large quantities of alcohol.
The following morning we were subjected to a yomp across the countryside to a forbidding institution administering beer and cheesey-chips. We only survived because their cohorts

Baz (who will lull you into a false sense of well-being by licking your head)

Anna (who terrorizes people with her beauty...and hideously bitten nails) and

Tone (master of the death-stare, who keeps insisting he's my brother)

Were on missions elsewhere.

It was terrible, TERRIBLE!! But we are slowly recovering with the aid of black coffee and paracetamol!

H.N.T....

2006-03-16T13:24:00.000Z

Hands Not Tits this week...

...hope you can contain your disappointment! :-)

Happy HNT!

Oh!... and a green version, as requested by the Osbasso, the Grand Master of HNT

Happy St Patrick's Day too, if it matters to you!

HNT? HNT? Wassat then?? Well, see that blue rectangle on the right?( no, down a bit...thats it!) Well click it, numpty, and you'll find out!

HNT

2006-03-09T10:54:00.000Z

Posing for this shot, I didn't half ...

...feel a right tit*! (Oh yes I did!...the photo is a mirror image)

*In the UK the term 'a right tit' is common vernacular for silly/daft/twit/twat/wanker/tosser etc etc etc

Happy HNT! (Half Nekkid Tit)

Clicking the blue button on the side bar might explain why I'm doing this

From the dusty depths of my archives...

2006-03-07T15:18:00.000Z

...emerged this photo taken at my 18th birthday party (nearly 30 years ago). The theme was 'tarts and tramps' I think...almost impossible for an 18 year old to look either, even if trying! (We just look...young! SO young!)
I can only name a handful of the people here now...and am still in (very sporadic) touch with only four (Claire, 3rd from left, Alison and Martin on the right and Carole in the middle with the black dress on) Other names I recall are Cindy (3rd from right) Lesley (hiding behind Cindy) Phil (with the hat and neckerchief) Jeremy (behind Carole) and Mick (in the middle with the brown flares)
If you recognise yourself, DO leave a comment...actually, leave a comment even if you DON'T recognise yourself!!

I'm the one with long dark hair and the red flower, by the way!

There was a time...

2006-03-01T23:14:00.000Z

...when me and me bezzie mate used to regularly head off to North Wales to spend weekends doing stuff like this (i.e before she had her lovely kids )

I'm back row 2nd from right, Shani is front row 2nd from right

We softy-southern city-slickers tried everything from horse-riding to para-gliding, canoeing to cross-country skiing, rock-climbing to orienteering (when we were awarded MINUS 100 points in our first - and last - competition)

I believe this particular activity was called 'Gorge walking'. It was cold, it was wet (very, VERY wet) and it was run by an ex-army sadist who we nick-named Colonel Custard (cos it rhymed with Bustard...see?)

We spend our weekends away in far more sophisticated haunts these days (Barcelona recently...Copenhagen imminently)

But I sometimes really miss those 'adventure breaks'...we were crap at most of 'em, but by 'eck, we had a laff! (or maybe I'm just yearning for the flattering outfits we got to wear!)

This Belated HNT...

2006-02-17T11:57:00.000Z

Is dedicated to the one I love ...Valentine's Day was our 25th anniversary of unmarried togetherness...and I was away for work for 3 days!

Hope
Never
To

...be without you, my darling!

The photos below were taken on holiday in Corsica last June.

How can you not love a man who will tolerate my expressing our union in sand on his back!

Not too scabby for pushing 50, eh!

Belated Happy HNT to any of you stopping by!

[Click the blue button if you want to find out what 'HNT' is all about!]

HNT

2006-02-09T13:38:00.000Z

The story behind this pic (which I've 'modified' to protect the innocent!) is here.
A friend found an archive copy of the 1985 5th anniversay edition of 'The Face' magazine (now sadly defunct) where this ad for 'The Kooky Shop' (also sadly defunct) featured. It was also the image used as the poster referred to in aforementioned post!

I'm (not yet) defunct but oh, how I'd love to still look like this! Ah well, something to amuse the the great-nephews and neices with one day!

Sorry in advance if I don't get to visit many of your HNT's but my house move means I only have dial-up connection to the internet for a while...and I've already tied up the phone line for over three hours!

HAPPY HNT eveyone! Click dat dere blue button on the side if you dunno wot its all abaht!

I'm Back...but in a different place

2006-02-08T11:59:00.000Z

Firstly thanks to you lovely peeps who wished me luck...very much appreciated! It went pretty smoothly (low spot was 3.30 a.m. the morning of the move and it seemed like we would never finish the packing - where does all that stuff come from?!!)
Removal guys were very efficient - and good-looking to boot! Took 'em about 3 hours to load the truck and less than one-and-a-half to unload - the advantage of living in a one storey bungalow as opposed to a three storey town house I guess - and a couple of good friends Jeff and Caff helped us with the last bits of packing/cleaning and moving the final bits and pieces (i.e. kettle, tea, mugs, wine, corkscrew, computers...oh, and the cats!)

Didn't sob when we finally closed the door of our old home, suprisingly, although Frank (one of our cats) kicked up a hell of a fuss at being in the car for 45 minutes...what a wussy pussy!

Transition has been helped enourmously by visits/cards/texts/presents from our scrummy chums...and the neighbours coming over to say hello. The local pub however...!!! (will write more of that in future posts)

New home is very scruffy (probably hasn't been decorated for over 30 years...the general theme could be described as snot-green with [more than] a hint of nicotine...luvverly!) so we've got our work cut out...but it does have a wonderful...

garden. This photo doesn't do it justice. The wood at the end there is about half-an-acre and backs onto a field full of sheep. This is quite a contrast to our previous back yard which was 65 feet long (actually huge for a city centre house) and backed onto a derelict pigeon sanctuary (formerly a bingo hall).

Only on dial-up at the moment though, so my surfing/emailing/blogging has to be limited (oh the pain!) until we can broadband installed. Maybe I'll actually get some work done though, eh!

A Moving Story

2006-01-29T15:35:00.000Z

Well after 26 years living in the heart of here 18 of them literally around the corner from
here...

and here...

2 minutes from here...

and 5 minutes from here

We are leaving our 3 storey terraced town house (tomorrow!) to move to a scruffy little bungalow (which we are going to develop) with its huge garden (and in the England half an acre is huge to a cramped city dweller) in 'the country' 45 minutes drive from all our friends and the city we love. Why?? Well right at this moment, sitting amongst the detritis and memories of the past 18 years, feeling sad and scared...I really couldn't tell you!

As soon as we're back on line I hope I'll be telling a more positive story!

Until then!

HNT

2006-01-26T18:07:00.000Z

Lawks! I'm sooo busy, in the throes packing (moving house on Tuesday- from city to country after 18 years) that I COMPLETELY FORGOT IT WAS THURSDAY!
A friend sent me this today for no discernible reason (and no, he isn't an HNT aficionado) apart from a tenuous 'humourous' comment about me and the S.O. frolicking nekkid in the woods - yes, we have woods! - of our new home. I mean...

...Imagine!

(I do think I have a nicer bum than Yoko though...a little 'rounder'...S.O. calls it a peach!)

Baffled? Perplexed?? Discomnocerated??? Click that lil ol' blue button on the side bar to find out more!

Belated HHNT!

Norfolk

2006-01-24T11:45:00.000Z

We spent the week either side of New Year in a cottage in Norfolk in a tiny village called Langham. It should have been a straightforward 4 hour journey, but we managed to get lost, somehow ( about half an hour from our destination!) and ended up trying to negotiate the pitch black, poorly sign-posted and icy country roads for a additional 2 hours! (I blame the driver...he, very unreasonably I feel, blamed the navigator)

We were sharing the cottage with my brother and his family, who having the technological advantage of satellite navigation (as opposed to torch, road atlas with miniscule print and navigator with long-sight and a short temper) arrived calm and unruffled 3 hours before us. Still, by the time we joined them they'd worked out how to switch the heating on, which was just as well as it had started to snow quite heavily.

Now for those of us who live in the South 'proper' snow is quite a novelty and by the following day there was enough of it around to indulge in 'traditional' winter pursuits that we don't usually get to enjoy. Such as building a snowman...

Brother and family with 'Snowy'
Dressing up in flattering winter outfits...

Brother

Nephew and Sis-in-law

Nephew, Significant Other and Niece
We're a good-looking lot, eh!!

I'm sure that the 'tradition' in places where snow is not quite so rare is to stay indoors!!

When the snow started to melt we had to find other ways of amusing ourselves.

Rachel, my lovely niece, came up with this. (That's a monkey by the way)
Although entertaining it was fairly limited in scope, so we also decided on that other
great British tradition a 'bracing walk on the beach'
(with hangover - adults, and very inappropriate footwear - children...for maximum authenticity)

Me and Rachel...I think!
This is Holkham Beach...

Brother and the Missus
hideously crowded on New Year's Day, as you can see!

All in all we had a marvelous, relaxing time and were quite sad to leave Langham, our lovely temporary home and...

The remains of Snowy!

H.N.T. Had No Time!

2006-01-19T13:16:00.000Z

(Did you see what I did there...eh?...eh? Used the acronym for, like, a completely different set of words...???)

Gor blimey luv a duck, its Thursday again... and it only seems like seven days since my last HNT! Well I'm sorry to disappoint my enormous fan base (28 at the last count - and dwindling every week! Sob! - AND two of them were from katiefeldmom who accidentally commented twice...gawd bless 'er!) but as I've been working away in Shrewsbury for the last 3 days I 've not had time to take an HNT pic! (I feel your pain, really, I do).

But for anyone who stumbles by (that'll be my talented and very popular cousin and fellow HNT-er Lecram at least!) I have found this archive pic...

...which has a mildly interesting story behind it. 21 years ago when I was still a student (and yes I was still a student at 26...architecture course takes years!) my boyfriend and a couple of chums earned no money (NOT the original intention!) but a bit of mild notoriety by producing the mail-order catalogue for a now defunct establishment called 'The Kooky Shop', which sold funky leather/pvc/and-frankly-quite-bonkers clothing.
Between the four of us we did the all photos, graphics, make-up and modeling. The reason we didn't get any money was that the owner of the shop was so delighted with our efforts that he decided to spend a fortune using some of the images as ads in the coolest 'style bibles' of the time (1985) such as The Face and i-D Magazine.

I was in a bar about a year later when I spotted a poster advertising a the launch of new 'fetish' club with a picture of me from the magazine on it! (a slightly saucier image than the one above!)
I was mortified! Although I'd enjoyed dressing up and posing for the photos originally (I'd been amongst friends after all...and they were all pretty 'tasteful') the clothing was rather ummm...'odd', so I hadn't exactly broadcast the fact. Now here I was posted up all over town! No-one ever said they'd recognised me though...

Happy HNT! Click that blue button on the right if you want to find out what 'HNT' really means!

HNT 2006 #1

2006-01-12T02:45:00.000Z

Sunbathing Corsica 2005...
just after 47th birthday...lying down hides a multitude of sins!

Belated Happy Happy New Year! Roll on Summer!

'HNT'...you wot?? Well push the blue button on the side bar and all will be revealed! (ha!)

The Book Club

2006-01-11T17:52:00.001Z

I have been a founder member of a monthly book club for over two years now. The 'membership' has fluctuated a bit over that time but the hard-core are pictured here. There are 10 of us, some single, some married, some divorced, some 'living in sin' (yay!) some with kids, some without, all women, all fabulous!

We usually meet once a month on a Thursday, drink wine, order in a curry, oh yes!...and discuss a book - heatedly. We take it in turns to choose and our tastes are as diverse as our backgrounds. Past choices have included:

The Blind Assassin
The Lovely Bones
The Alchemist
The Buddha of Suburbia
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Puffball
Fingersmith
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Sons and Lovers
and (cringe!) The Da Vinci Code

Sometimes not all of us get the chance to finish (or even start!) the designated tome. But we'll still pitch up. Because getting together is never just about the book....(there's the wine and the food...:-)

The photos were taken at our Xmas party. Getting a restaurant to suit our variety of dietary/mobility requirements was too much of a headache, so we each brought festive (wheat-free, dairy-free, meat-free) dishes, lots of alcohol and a lucky-dip present (to cost no more than a £1) Shani, on the left is modelling her selection - a variety of tasteful hair scrunchies. Still, a better choice than Suzanne's, who picked a bag of sprouts! (It was beautifully gift-wrapped!)

We had ourselves a ball (and didn't discuss a single book!)

So Happy New Year! Alison, Jane, Gail, Rachel, Melissa, Pennie, Suzanne, Vanessa and Shani (ranged anti-clockwise in second photo) long may the book club continue!

2005-12-24T11:38:00.000Z

Seasons Greetings to one and all!

Barcelona!

2005-12-17T16:42:00.000Z

So, last weekend I went to Barcelona with three girlfriends. We rented an apartment in the city centre, overlooking the pedestrianised Place d'Angel (probably spelt incorrectly!) and

This was the view from our balcony. In the distance, on the left-hand side, is the hotel where my man and I stayed when we visited the city 5 years ago. The proximity was coincidental, and it made me miss him! (I don't usually!)
We were close to the Gothic Quarter and went exploring, coming across places like

This and

This and

This at every turn. My posse

Gail, Shani and Sunita had not been to Barcelona before so I showed them around a bit. We went to see

Gaudi's Casa Mila an amazing and eccentric apartment building which has

These bonkers chimneys and air-vents on the roof. It also had

These decorative embellishments (har har)!

Of course we also went to see Gaudi's on-going project the Sagrada Familia (Chuch of the Holy Family) which is still not complete, despite his death in 1926.

This is representative of Gaudi's original design and

This is indicative of the more modern interpretation to the newer parts of the church.

One thing I didn't do when I last visited, was go on

This, a cable car which swings across the sea from one side of the city to the other. Now I'm not great with heights, and I was very aware whilst we were waiting to take our turn that I'd forgotten to take out any holiday insurance! However views like

This kinda made up for it!

(I apologise for the quality of the photographs...I left my camera at home so had to use my 'phone!)

Adios, mi amigos!

HNT...ear we go, ear we go, ear we go!

2005-12-15T12:13:00.000Z

My father would not allow me to have my ears pierced when I was young. He said I could do what I liked when I turned 18, but not before.

My 18th birthday was in 1976...in the midst of the punk explosion in the UK. Multiple piercings were not a common occurrence before then.

I went out the week after my 18th and had each ear pierced three times. Would scarcely raise a (pierced) eyebrow now...but it was pretty radical for a middle-class gel 29 years ago!

I used to love finding unusual earrings to adorn my lobes, but haven't worn the full complement for y[ears]

Was glad to see that I still could for the photo taken today. These are my only piercings, and a reminder of my [very slightly] mis-spent youth! It's in sepia by the way, because the effort of getting the earrings in made my ear turn a rather unsightly shade of puce!
[If you're brave enough to click on it you'll get a slightly larger version of my really quite disturbingly elephantine orofice!]

Ears to you all this HNT*!

[*Click the blue button on the sidebar if you want to find out what its all about!]

Aitch Enn Tea!

2005-12-08T15:35:00.000Z

Well, my man thinks I'm a peach!

('J - Juicy' - first word that sprang to mind!...see previous post - inspired me!)

Click the button to join in with the fun! I'll be checking y'all out next week...I'm off to Barcelona with the girls for the weekend...HAPPY HNT!

Alphabeticize Me!

2005-12-06T13:25:00.000Z

TIRED (so tired!) of seeing that pic of my back...time for a new post, methinks! Seen this on a number of other blogs, but can't remember whose, so 'sorry' if it was your idea and I've not given you credit! Its terribly egotistical - naturellement - I keep a blog! - but fills a gap and might be fun!

It's a quick one-word summation of oneself using the letters of the alphabet seriatim (doncha know!)

(and without using a dictionary - except for 'D'...[specifically, not generally]!)

A - architect
B - bonny
C - cuddly
D - daft (note to Mike: The English Dictionary defines daft as "silly, foolish..." but I prefer "silly, possibly slightly eccentric, knows how to 'ave a larf"...so definitely a good thing!)
E - erudite
F - free
G - grumpy
H - hmmm...
I - inert
J- juicy
K - kissable
L - left-handed
M - mmm...
N - nonchalant
O - opinionated
P - perceptive
Q - quizzical
R - realistic
S - sombre
T -tentative
U - untidy
V - vivacious
W - witty
X - X-ray
Y - youthful
Z - zzzzzz (bored now!)

Crikey...thats harder than it looks! Give it a try...and let me know if you do! (Shoulda made my 'B' - bossy, eh!)

hAPpY hNT!

2005-12-01T13:06:00.000Z

I used to love my back. Now I don't love it quite so much...but I do

... love Picasa!

Happy HNT y'all! And if you're new and want to know what the HECK this is all about click the link to Osbasso the man behind it all!

Taking Stock

2005-11-29T10:47:00.000Z

My New Year's resolution for this year was to try and get away on holiday somewhere every month...even if it was for just one night. So thought I'd check back and see how I'd done...

JANUARY: eight of us (3 couples, two kids) spent New Year week in a cottage in a remote part of Norfolk...our favourite way of spending the holiday, lots of open fires, brisk(ish) walks, games, food and booze...and no signal on your phone!

JANUARYagain: Long weekend with the gals (Shani and Loo) in Bangor, Northern Ireland, to visit 4th member of the gang - Mel - who'd moved there after getting married.
Our favourite way of spending time together...drinking, laughing, drinking, being loud and obnoxious and umm, drinking (well, apart from Shani who was preggers at the time...only stopped her drinking though)! Time to ourselves together all the more treasured since Shani/Loo/Mel have procreated (7 between them at the time, and another on the way)

FEBRUARY: Valentine's weekend (our 'anniversary') with my bidey-in in Rome - what a wonderful city! - I'll leave it to your imagination to work out what our favourite way of spending time together might be! We also did a lot of walking. This place,

the Trevi Fountain, was less than a minute from our hotel, and not far away was

The Pantheon and lots of sqaures like this. A bit further afield was

St Peters and the Coliseum and loads of other ancient stuff

MARCH: Weekend in London with bezzie mate Shani. Two days and nights for our favourite way of spending time together, shopping, eating, shopping, more eating and more shopping [not (much) drinking, alas! As Shani still preggers at the time] We also went to see the harrowing and sobering Holocaust Exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. I strongly recommend it.

APRIL: Three days in North Wales with my man, my brother, his wife and kids. ...our favourite way of spending time together being? Well, as ite was freezing cold and pissing with rain naturally Steve, brother, nephew and I decided to go rock climbing!

[ Thats me on the rocks...it was a lot harder than it looks , believe me! ]

Sis-in-law and neice very sensibly to stay at the hotel and try out the indoor, HEATED pool (the wusses!) We did all go and visit a slate mine - almost compulsory if you're visiting North Wales!

[Steve, me and the nephew and neice in the spacious train that takes you into the mine...aint they cute? (kids are quite sweet as well har har!)]

MAY: Back to London again with bezzie mate, this time to see The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden (my birthday present to her) We were doubtful as to just how scary a two-handed play can really be?... very VERY scary is the answer! Thought Shani (now heavily pregnant) was going to go into premature labour!! We needed our long and scumptious dinner at Zaika to recuperate, before retiring to our hotel.

JUNE: "seven days in sunny June"...and it was in Corsica. Steve and I spent a week in a mountain villa with

This view and...

This view.

JULY: 5 days in depths of Cornwall, again with younger brother and his family. We spent eight-and-a-half hours on the road to go and stay

in this cute cottage. The photo belies the horrendous, torrential rain that we travelled in, and which stayed with us for most of our visit. The reason we travelled quite so far into Cornwall was my brother's desire to visit an old school-friend who had moved to nearby Porthleven . We asked him if his friend knew we coming, and Bro said he would call him when we arrived. Which he did. Only to find that his school-friend was on holiday. IN IRELAND.
Still, after giving stupid sibling a severe tongue-lashing, we managed to have a good time!
We visited the National Seal Sanctuary

[My brother and his lovely family ]
And

the Tate at St Ives which was closing as we arrived (of course!) so we played

Volleyball on the beach instead (when it stopped raining for a nano-second)
We also went to

Newquay where we queued for two hours to get into the SeaLife Centre (indoor activities being high on our list of priorities...in common with the several hundred-thousand other tourists in the area!)

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER: Nothing. Nada. Ziltch. Friends were away with their families for the school holidays, Steve was snowed under with work and bezzie-mate Shani had her hands full
with new baby

[Awww!]
Misty, sister to Izzie and Jack . So I had no-one to go away with! Still if you've got to spend time at home here aint a bad place to be!

OCTOBER: Long weekend of partying in beautiful

Pembrokeshire to celebrate friend Andy's 30th birthday, with good chums Baz and Anna, Splaff and brother Blown Tone...and about 43 other people!

AND THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR?: Well Shani, having had time to acclimatise to being a mother of three, is desperate to spend some quality time with the girlfies. So, in about 10 days, she'll be leaving the kids with dad and we're heading off to Barcelona for a long weekend with chums Sunita and Gail. We've rented an apartment in the gothic quarter in the city centre, so I'm hoping for some serious partying. However, as all my companions are tired mummies I expect some serious sleeping is more likely...ah well!

Happy HNT...

2005-11-24T11:54:00.000Z

...and Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate it.

New to HNT? (surely not!) push the button to find out more!

"How I got the body of a 20-year-old at 47"

2005-11-21T17:49:00.000Z

This was the strap-line on the cover of "Britain's No.1 Glossy...Every Week" and referred to the lovely Madonna (of whom I've been a fan since since her "Holiday" era). Now as Madge and I are the same age (well, I'm actually 2 months older) I had to find out more.

Apparently Mrs Ritchie has the bod of a someone half her age and can do

THIS sort of thing due to

"...over a year [of] diet and six different forms of exercise....Madonna's regime involves at least three hours exercise a day...a macrobiotic vegetable soup for breakfast...Lunch is Japanese-style steamed vegetables, tofu, pulses, lentils and beans. In her office she has a Stairmaster which she often uses while she takes calls..."

All I can say is Madonna...N0!! Life is too short! Listen doll, according to (one of the) comments I got on this post I, too, look like a gal in her twenties (cough).

I can see the sense in combining work with exercise, but I think my method is a tad more fun.

To illustrate, here I am at my 'work station' working-out. Now it may look like I'm stuffing my face with chocolate ( Crunchie - 190 calories) but look closer, I have Slendertone Max Flex wrapped round my waist, see?? I'm exploring a theory that having my stomach muscles violently contracted (using the 'Sports Pro' programme... for the more intensive workout) while eating chocolate immediately counteracts its calorific damage. An added advantage is the resistance training, incorporated when trying maintain hand/ chocolate/mouth coordination against the wild jerking motion that the belt produces...genius!

I'll be releasing the DVD shortly. It will be graded according to expertise. Beginners will start with a simple, unwrapped, fudge finger. Expert level will involve an entire (boxed) cream gateau.
I'll have the body of an 18-year-old in no time!

I'm bored...can you tell??

2005-11-21T13:28:00.000Z

Found a link to this site from APj's blog and couldn't help myself!

You Are Not Scary

Everyone loves you. Isn't that sweet?

How Scary Are You?

Bah! BUT ...

You Are 70% Weird

You're so weird, you think you're *totally* normal. Right?
But you wig out even the biggest of circus freaks!

How Weird Are You?

Heheheheheheh! THAT'S more like it!

Oh!...and I'm also

'SNOBBY, YET UBIQUITOUS...'

You Are French Food

Snobby yet ubiquitous.
People act like they understand you more than they actually do.

What Kind of Food Are You?

These quizzes are spookily insightful and accurate, aint they, huh?

Weird, snobby, BUT, not at all scary (And I pop up everywhere...I can seeee youuuu....mwhahahaha..ha!)..yup, s'me to a tee!

OMG...it's HALF NEKKID THURSDAY again!

2005-11-17T11:01:00.000Z

...and I've not posted anything since last HNT! Is my life really that busy? (No) So, another last minute attempt, taken this morning, on the phone camera, but this time It's after I've showered...which seems to have encouraged me to show a lot more flesh than I've ever exposed before! (aarrgh!)

Try not to be too afraid, I have used the wonders of 'Picasa' to 'soften the impact' (At my age the naked reality would be too cruel...for you and for me!)

Happy HNT! Want to join in? Click the button on the right to find out how!

Half Nekkid Thursday

2005-11-10T00:46:00.000Z

Well it's 50 minutes into Thursday here, but I bet I still won't be the first on
The Mighty Osbasso's list cos it's clearly still Wednesday is Obsland and he hasn't enabled it yet!

Pic below clearly not very recent, as it's sunny, outside and I am (very nearly) nekkid. The remarkable thing about this shot (apart from my single vampire fang) is that it was taken on a beach in the UK and I'm not wearing a cardi!

Happy HNT! Click the button on the right if you want to play too!

I love being tagged!

2005-11-07T23:43:00.000Z

My cousin over the water Lecram tagged me, so here goes!

1. Go into your archives.
2. Find your 23rd post.
3. Post the fifth sentence (or closest to it).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five other people to do the same thing.

23rd post was called (ironically, naturellement!) WORLD'S EASIEST QUIZ

and the fifth sentence was...

3) From which animal do we get catgut?

(How dull...sorry! Was very tempted to cheat, as you can imagine!)

So who to tag? Lets try some new(ish) blog friends

Addict
Femi-mommy
Quiet Man
Binsk
Ian

Sorry if this kind of stuff aint your thing...you don't have to play...but let me know if you do!

It can't just be about nekkidness...UPDATED

2005-11-01T17:36:00.000Z

...so I'm making an effort to post something outside of every (other) Thursday. Obviously I've been really busy, but can I think of anything scintillating to post??...hmmmm...
Oh yes! weekend before last!

Friend Andy's 30th birthday. he decides to rent 'somewhere' in the countryside large enough to accommodate 50 people, and remote enough not to have neighbours likely to be annoyed by 3 consecutive nights of bangin' tunes. Eventually finds a place in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

I, in full 'mother hen' mode ask him at least 103 times if the farmer who owns the hostel really understands what he's letting himself in for. Also ask, repeatedly, if I'll definitely be getting a proper bed as my days of clearing a space amongst the cigarette butts and beer cans to find a place to sleep are long gone.

On the Friday Steve and I, not without some trepidation, prepare for our weekend of partying. We load the car with warm clothing, duvets, ear-plugs and our equally trepidatious friends Baz and Anna. They also have clothes, bedding etc etc plus the brilliant addition of a kettle, tea and coffee. Bursting at the seams, our small but sturdy vehicle heads north out of

our home town.
A couple of mind and body-numbing hours later and we have left the hell that is the M25 (Andy's birthday weekend nicely coinciding with the start of the school half-term holiday, increasing the traffic volume to excruciatingly slow-moving levels) to encounter the only slightly less hellish

M4. And yes, of course we were travelling on the busy side! We inch along the motorway, eventually arriving at the beautiful

Severn Bridge which links Wales and England. We all perk up a bit...we're in Wales now, surely we must be nearly at our destination?! Despite having been there many times before we have of course forgotten, in typical 'ignorant southerner' mode, that Wales is not just an appendage to England but a vast, separate country...with very long and windy roads. A look a the map confirms it - we are barely half-way there. As if to punish us for our temerity Wales greets us with torrential rain and howling winds. But are we down-hearted?...well yes, actually. If Birthday Boy could have heard us taking his name in vain his (good) ear would have been burning!

Finally, after 7 and a half hours we arrive at the hostel. Fortunately we stopped for food and booze en route as it really was pretty remote. We were the second group to arrive, five rather bemused members of 'the Portmouth posse' having got there first. (Birthday Boy's disparate friends converging variously from Portsmouth, Bristol, Brighton and...err...Bognor)

The farmer-owner was already twitchy, telling us several times that no smoking was allowed anywhere inside (turned out that about 99% of the party-goers smoked) but he also told us that there was one four-bedded room with single beds instead of bunks so we claimed that straight away! Result! People kept arriving in dribs and drabs and By 10.30pm pretty much the full complement of revellers had arrived with decks, speakers, and enough beer to...ummm...well, enough beer! (and the very last to arrive? You got it...Birthday Boy!)

Brother Blown Tone kept the music coming and many shapes were thrown in between visits to the pitch dark fields for puffs on the old coffin nails. Pounding Drum and Bass occasionally relieved by Gorrilaz and The Prodigy. Laughin', chattin', drinking, smokin', dancin'. the hideous journey forgotten in the happy haze. By 3.30a.m. it was time to call time on 'day 1' and drift off to our beds.

We woke later to sunshine and blue skies and

this view.
The more intrepid of the bleary-eyed decided on a walk to the beach to clear their heads. Our band of four concurred that a trip to the nearest city for some therapy of the retail kind was more in order. Now when I say 'city' I'm talking about St Davids, which under normal circumstances would be a mere village, were it not home to this

magnificent cathedral, making it the smallest city in the UK.

Having visited the cathedral, imbibed a few coffees and found the perfect present for Birthday Boy (a china money-box in the shape of a VW camper van, with 'HIPPY' as the registration plate) the urge to attempt something slightly more physically challenging came upon us, so we headed for

Solva, a few miles south of St Davids, which has access up onto the beautiful Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. After a couple of hours of uppy-downy walking the sun was beginning to set, so we headed back to base.

Dinner was a cheery communal affair with about 26 people (the other 24 being housed in a separate hostel in the local village about a mile away) attempting to cook at the same time without getting on each others tits (or stepping on each others toes)
By the time everyone had re-convened for party #2 it was around 9.30, and pitch black again outside. Did this stop Blown Tone and Splaff from playing Frisbee? Did it cocoa! They managed to find a mini Maglite and taped it to the disc (without, somehow, undermining its flying ability too much) so that it could be seen in the dark. Fine. Except you couldn't see anything else, including Tone and Splaff. The only way they could pin-point each others location was aurally...i.e. either by thud or expletive as the much-heavier-than-usual Frisbee connected with soft, vunerable flesh. It was most amusing...for those of us watching, anyway! Even funnier when Birthday Boy, having witnessed said proceedings for some time, decided to pipe up and say that he had brought a glow-in-the-dark Frisbee with him! (good thing it was his birthday!)

Music this time was being overseen by members of the Portsmouth crew, and was a lot louder and harder than the previous night. This, coupled with everyone's good-natured intent on keeping to the 'no smoking indoors' rule meant that most of us were outside, most of the time...and it was cold, man! Beautiful, social, fun, but f-f-f-fuckin' f-f-f-freezing!
By 2.30 the music, the cold and the excesses of the previous night combined to send this ol' gal to her bed, followed fairly swiftly by my 3 roomies. We didn't want to be party-poopers, but I really don't think anyone was noticing! Apparently the 'young folk' (and my brother) continued partying til 8.00 in the morning, much to the distress of the ramblers staying at the main farmhouse, who were expecting a quiet weekend away-from-it-all in the country (oops!)
Farmer-owner had said that noise should be kept down after 1.00 (double oops!) But really, 50 people turning up for a 30th birthday party...what was he expecting...Abba's greatest hits and dad-dancing?

Oblivious to all the fuss we resurfaced after 8 hours sleep (aided by ear-plugs...an essential piece of kit that the ramblers obviously forgot to pack!) to a scene akin to 'Night of the Living Dead'...the poor lost souls kicked out of their beds from the 'other' hostel numbly stumbling, mumbling, and desperate for sleep.

Knowing our limits we'd already decided to head home and duck out of party night #3, thus releasing 4 beds for the 24 now homeless occupants of the other hostel to fight over.
We bade our fond farewells to Birthday Boy, congratulating him on what turned out to be a really memorable weekend - but in a good way, even for us old folk! - and wended our not-so-weary way home.

Half Nekkid Thursday

2005-10-20T10:41:00.000Z

Gawd! HNT seems to come around so quickly and I'm totally unprepared! So here is a last minute attempt, taken this morning, before I've showered, dressed or even brushed my hair. It's my half-nekkid face, sans make-up and slightly hung-over...it may not be pretty, but it's real, man!

Mornin'!

Oh, and for the sympathy vote, I am 47 you know! :-)

Wanna know more about HNT? Click the button on the right and join in, why doncha!

Eh, it's a larf aint it!

2005-10-18T12:01:00.000Z

Found this on Ian's Blog and thought I'd join in!

What you do:

Go to Google and click on the images link. Type in the following and post the first (or your favorite) picture the search engine finds for...

- The name of the town where you grew up
- The name of the town where you live now
- Your name
- Your Grandmother’s name (pick one)
- Your favorite food
- Your favorite drink
- Your favorite song
- Your favorite smell

Town where I grew up

Where I live now

My name (OK, I know it's not a proper motorbike but I just love the pink helmet and the pink leopard-print seat...used to have a swimsuit in that material years ago!)

My Grandmother's name

Favourite food

Favourite drink

Favourite song

Favourite smell

STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS!

2005-10-14T12:17:00.000Z

My enduring love (well, my other enduring love) Daniel Craig is to be the new James Bond!
'Who??' you might be asking, well click the link and find out...he's a gorgeous hunk of craggy...err... gorgeousness, a fabulous actor and he can string sentence together to boot!

So before he becomes global property, I want to make it known that I saw him first (in a wonderful BBC series called Our Friends In The North) and have been faithful since 1996...and he's mine, MINE I tell you!

Half Nekkid Thursday

2005-10-13T08:18:00.000Z

Inspired by Addict's HNT a few weeks ago, when she featured photos of her beautiful daughter, this week I have chosen to make use of family. As I don't have children I am posting a pic of my parents. They are 76 and 78 and have been married for 48 years.

Now you might think that posting images of half-nekkid septuagenarians is pushing the boundaries of HNT a tad too far...and you'd be right! I wouldn't do that to you (or Ma and Pa)!

This photo was taken in Malaysia, Mum's home country and my birthplace, not long before they were married. They were probably about 27 and 29 at the time.

My English father first went to Malaysia on active service as a soldier not long after the Second World War (it was the only way a working-class Birmingham boy would ever have travelled anywhere so exotic at the time).

He fell in love with the country, and later returned as a civilian Engineer, when he also fell in love with my Eurasian mother.

They left Malaysia for good in 1969, accompanied by my two younger brothers and me. I was 11, and moving from the Far East to rainy, cold England was quite a culture shock, despite my 'colonial' upbringing!

Mum and Dad have lived in leafy Surrey for the past 35 years, in the home my father designed and built. It's a lovely home in a very pretty part of the UK, but Dad still counts his time in Malaysia as the best years of his life.

Post HNT...umm...post!

2005-10-03T11:43:00.000Z

I was enormously gratified to have 48 comments on my last HNT...20 more than previous HNT posts submitted (but only 8 more than my Dorky Tuesday post ...hmmm!)

Clearly quite a few of you find legs (and mortar boards!) more note-worthy than bosoms...well in my case anyway! Personally I've always found my Bristols far more interesting than my Mystics ...but, eh up, there's nowt so queer as folk!

Thanks for all the kind comments...don't believe any of 'em but you cheered me up no end!

Half Nekkid Thursday UPDATED!

2005-09-29T10:18:00.000Z

My legs have never been a particularly favourite part of my anatomy, a little too short and chunky for my liking! But they've served me well, and its amazing what magic some fishnets and stillettos can weave! The eagle-eyed amongst you might notice that there is no scar evident so I admit it, this is an 'archive' shot. BUT...I'm hoping to post an up-to-date pic later for 'compare and contrast'... (eek!)

So, the update! The pic above was taken (and developed) by my man circa 1982 in a studio with a 35mm SLR. I was about 24 at the time. The one below was taken about half an hour ago, by my (the same) man in our hallway, using a 4 megapixel digital camera. I've gained about 28lbs and a 9 inch scar on my knee in that time, so please...be kind!

Legs 2005

Want to know more about HNT? Click the fancy schmancy button on the right and have yourself some fun!

Ciao Bella

2005-09-27T19:10:00.000Z

Today we had to have one of our cats put to sleep. She's been really ill for the past few days, and yesterday the vet told us there was no improvement, despite drips, drugs and special diet. Her kidneys were failing. We had her home for one last night and spoilt her as much as we could, but she just wanted to crawl away and hide. She was only about 10 years old. We got her from a cat shelter 2 and a half years ago and re-named her Bella because she was so beautiful. She was a fun-loving and sociable gal before she got ill, and we will miss her. Thankyou Bella, for enriching our lives. I hope you were happy with us.

Bella joining in the fun at my birthday party in June

And not only sultry and sweet, but also...

2005-09-24T10:48:00.000Z

You Are a Normal Girl

You are 40% Good and 60% Bad
Sure you've pulled some bad girl stunts in your past.
But these days, you're (mostly) a good girl.

Are You a Good Girl or a Bad Girl?

Bah! I'd rather be a Baaad Grrrrl! (but perhaps that's just my mood at the moment!)

My scent is...

2005-09-23T17:36:00.000Z

...Mango, apparently. "Sultry, sweet and enjoy every moment of life". Hmmmm. If you want to find out what yours is, go here.

Half Nekkid Thursday

2005-09-14T09:37:00.000Z

Half Nekkid Thursday is here Already! This week is a continuation of last week's theme which Mike rather wittily called 'breasts march through time'! Today it is brought (almost) up to date with pics taken in when I was 36, 39 and 45. The unintentionally sepia-tinted photo is a self-portrait (you can just see the remote in my right hand) the other two were taken by my man on holiday in the UK...specifically Snowdonia in North Wales. The remarkable thing about that being it was warm enough to wear a bikini on two separate occasions! Now I love Snowdonia it's one of my favourite places ever, but it has, like Scotland, a well-deserved reputation for rather high levels of rainfall, so to be able to take advantage of its beautiful beaches without having to wear a cagoule and wellies is a rare treat!

Left to right: 1997, 1994 and 2003

As you might notice time (and chocolate, and no exercise) have thickened my waist, and everything else! BUT the boobs have also got bigger! Hallelujah! This is a major bonus for yours truly who was the very last girl in her year at school to wear a bra (28AA) and didn't substitute her Speedo (straps tied back with ribbon to stop it going baggy) for a bikini until she was 16 (the barely-filled cups are in the B&W pic from last week's HNT). It almost compensates for being in Shakespeare's 'fifth age' of 'fair round belly'!

Happy HNT!

I've been tagged

2005-09-09T08:36:00.000Z

My cousin across the pond Lecram has tagged me (my first time!) and I've finally finished my response. Here goes:

10 years ago: I was working for an architectural practice in London that specialised in hotel design, although my project was a 2000 seat bingo club. The job was fast-track, very pressured, involved flying to the site in Liverpool every week, AND I was working without lunch breaks. I was doing 13 hour days getting to and from work, and either drinking with friends or falling asleep on the sofa in the evenings.
After its completion I was in desperate need of a holiday, so my man and I decided to spend a week on motorbikes trail-riding round the Highlands of Scotland. The short story is, I fell off my 'bike in the mountains, in the dark, on our first day, waited 3 and a half hours for mountain rescue, found out I'd broken my knee (top of the tib or fib...can't remember, which is the fat bone? I broke the fat one) had bone graft, pins and plates, and spent the next 2 weeks in Raigmore hospital Inverness 700 miles from home. (Resultant scar stories can be read here, here, and here.) I had never been in hospital before.

Those two weeks stuck in bed pretty much 24/7 were a bit of a revelation. I'd been with my man for 15 years by this time, and although we were rubbing along OK, we seemed to have lost our spark, and hardly spent any time together. Now, I was to be forcibly separated from him. For the remainder of our 'holiday' he checked into a B&B near the hospital and visited for hours every day. But we'd only planned a week's break and when it was up he had to go back...for work, the cats, the house...all the that day-to-day stuff that just can't be put on hold indefinitely. He promised to come back as soon as he could. Then he left to drive the 700 miles home.
I cried like my heart was breaking, I missed him so much. This man who I'd been taking for granted for years. I was surrounded by flowers and cards and presents from family and friends, but all I wanted was to have him with me. Every night I'd clutch the stupid fluffy toy he'd bought me and sob myself to sleep.
When I knew he was coming back it was like anticipating a first date. I wasn't yet able to use the showers but was quite capable of 'bed-bathing' every day. However washing my hair was impossible, so I begged the over-worked nurses to do it for me. I put on some make-up and my nicest PJ's and waited, my heart fit to burst. Suddenly he was there and he looked so handsome(he was wearing a suit and my man hates wearing suits, but knows I like him in them) and he hugged me so hard, and, guess what? I cried and cried. He could only stay a few days, and it can't have been a whole heap of fun for him, driving 700 miles each way to spend time either by his weepy girlfriend's bedside or mooching round a strange city on his own, but he was a ray of sunshine, not just for me but for the other (somewhat elderly) bed-ridden ladies on the orthopedic ward. And, although I'd never stopped loving him, I fell in love all over again.

5 year ago: I became self-employed. After 13 years of commuting to London every day, and all the time (and expense) that it entailed I decided to call it a day. I was anxious, because I enjoyed the interaction with work colleagues...and the regular salary!...and loved London.
Quite a difference to working from home, sharing office space with only my beloved! Now I 'commute' upstairs every morning (or afternoon, if I feel like it) Sometimes I take a few days off, somtimes I'll work all through the night to hit a deadline. Lately work has been a bit scarce, but I've found its much easier live cheaply if:
a) you don't have to pay to get to work
b) you don't have to pay for lunches at work
c) you don't compensate for the stress of getting up really early/commuting/dancing to someone else's tune by rewarding yourself with clothes/shoes/make-up/chocolate/cake/cocktails/ whatever, on a daily basis
d) Your innamorato, who has already been self-employed for years, sets you up with his 'spare' computer, already has a fax machine, and supplies of paper, pens, stamps, envelopes etc etc
e) You manage (thanks to a - d above) to save a little, to cushion the lean times
f) You have time to enjoy stuff that doesn't cost a bean
It's not all sweetness and light of course. I have to do all my own typing (I'm excrutiatingly slow, despite doing it on a daily basis!) accounts and filing, for example. And sometimes clients don't pay you for months, and I miss London and my London friends like Blithers who I used to see every day, and now don't see for weeks at a time. But I hope it continues. I have no great ambition to build an empire, just wanna pay my way with enough over to enjoy myself. After all, as someone much wittier than me once quipped "nobody says 'I wish I'd spent more time in the office' on their death bed"

1 year ago: My father was still in a rehab unit in the middle of nowhere (50 miles away) after a massive stroke. Because both me and my man were self-employed we were able to visit him at least once every week. My tough, harsh, demanding, scary dad was a shadow of his former self. He would weep and rage against what he had become. He also apologised to both of us for the way he had treated us over the years. I had never lived up to his expectations, (like burgeoning my way to the top of the corporate ladder) he had never 'approved' of our relationship, despite its longevity. He alone had been capable of reducing me to a frightened, insecure child with the sharpness of his tongue. He's at home now but still unable to walk, wash or dress himself and stuck in a wheelchair. He has difficulty saying much at all. But he always thanks us for visiting. And I'm no longer frightened of him. But I would give anything to have my scary bapa back.

Yesterday: Went to visit, for the third time, the converted gospel hall in the Sussex countryside that we have been thinking of buying. After 26 years living in the centre of Brighton 18 of them in the same house, we've decided to try a more 'rural' lifestyle. The third visit, this time with my best mate and commited townie, reluctantly persuaded me that this house (although fabulous, not being a 'house' at all) was just a bit too country. We walked the leafy lanes (tick) and enjoyed the local pub's huge beer garden (tick) and yummy home-cooked food (tick) BUT there were no shops in the immediate vicinity...at all...and no station, and no buses (and I don't drive) and the locals were, well just a bit too...wierd.

5 songs I know (almost!) all the words to: this is a toughie! ummm...'Summertime', 'I will Survive', 'Yesterday', errrr...'True Faith' and mmmm...oh yes! 'Ten Green Bottles'!

5 snacks: Easy peasy lemon squeezy! Crisps (potato chips) and dips, olives, sun-blush tomatoes, cheese and biscuits, Pot Noogle.

5 things I'd do with $100,000,000: Convert my parents home to fully wheelchair accessible and pay for their full-time carers. Buy my brother a house, buy my other brother a house in Scicily, Build us our 'dream home', take all our family and friends on a fantastic round the world trip (not necessarily together!)

5 places I'd run away to: Lapland in Winter, Paris in Spring, Snowdonia in Summer, Sienna in Autumn and Machu Picchu (the only one of the five I've never been to)

5 things I'd never wear: vetiginous high heels (unfortunately aforementioned busted knee won't let me!) American Tan tights, a maternity bra, fur and a fold-up plastic rain hat.

5 favourite TV shows: 'EastEnders', 'Coronation Street', 'Location, Location, Location', 'Big Brother' and 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'

5 greatest joys: My lover, my friends, my nephew/nieces/godchildren, holidays, that my boobs are still perky.

5 toys: My 'new' laptop, Murdo (toy gorilla) Dave Butterball (toy dog) my blender, my mobile (cell phone) before I dropped it in the bog (john)

5 people I'm tagging: Lawks! The hardest task of the lot! Blogging is not a regular thing to do amongst my chums, apart from Blithers, so I'll go for him and Blog chum Jayne over in Fresno and Blithers mate Blobb, over in Oz and ummm a couple of kind souls who comment on my HNT posts...lets see...Jenny cos she seems to like writing and uh...Big Dipper cos he's the only other UK HNT-er I've come across so far...hope you guys don't mind?

Half Nekkid Thursday

2005-09-08T17:09:00.000Z

As promised, no more scars! I was a tiny bit perturbed that my Dorky Tuesday post got far more hits than my HNT's so I thought I'd up the glamour quotient a bit! These span the first 27 years of my life, all pre-scars! (next week I'll bring 'em up to date!) In sequence order they were taken in Malaysia (back garden) UK (back garden) UK (beach) Spain (roof terrace) UK (studio shot for 'specialist clothing' shop's catalogue)

Pics taken in 1958, 1974, 1979, 1982 and 1985...can you guess which were taken when???
Happy Half Nekkid Thursday !

Dorky Tuesday

2005-09-05T11:16:00.000Z

Here it is, my claim to shame! I looked at the few childhood pics in my possession but they were really more cute than dorky. Then, in a dusty envelope in the darkest recess of the cupboard I came across...this! Yes it's my graduation photograph circa 1986, having finally completed 7 years training to become an architect. Be afraid...be very afraid!!

LOOK at that haircut! And those earrings!! And the mortar board which I am wearing the wrong way round!!! Oh, and that scroll in my hand isn't a lovingly hand-crafted record of my achievements, its a bit of rolled up photographic paper with a manky ribbon tied round it, which the photographer handed to each of us in turn.

My mother was so proud of this picture she sent it to her local newspaper...and they printed it!!!

As Osbasso the instigator of DT has decreed this to be a 'one-off' here is further evidence of my continued dorkiness into later life...

Circa 1990...I particularly like the flicked hair and the Morecombe/Python -esque shorts worn with tights...schmokin'!

Circa 2002...oh dear, oh dear! I'd like to say that we were being 'ironic' when we dressed like this for a friend's 70's themed 40th...but we actually thought we looked pretty cool...until we saw the photos that is! I'm the one who looks like she's died on the left. Nothing sadder than the middle-aged trying to recapture their youth!

Happy Dorky Tuesday!

Would YOU use it??

2005-09-05T09:34:00.000Z

More pics from my archives. These were doing the email rounds last year. If anyone knows where this 'facility' is located, please let me know!

Outside

Inside

How freaky??? On a nerdy note, take a another look at the outside. In my work I specialise in ways to improve the environment for people with disabilities. Imagine if you had any sort of visual impairment or learning disability and were approaching this!

And on the inside...well it'd be kill or cure for anyone with Shy Bladder Syndrome!

At a bit of a loose end...

2005-09-03T14:16:00.000Z

...today, so thought I'd browse around my new (well, secondhand) laptop and see what bits and pieces I can upload for your amusement and edification. Now, I have a new laptop because my poor old PC died recently, and, because bad Lelly hadn't backed-up for donkey's, LOTS of data was lost (fuck) My man very wisely did not say 'I told you so' even though he had told me so, on numerous occasions. The sweetie just wired up the new lappy, got me back on-line toot-sweet and loaded up the data from the last back-up disc (I don't do tech support, if you hadn't gathered that already!) ...sooo lets see what we've got...

Ah yes...here I am at my 'work station' (with aforemntioned deceased PC in the background) ...not working, but working-out. Huh? you might be saying, looks like she's stuffing her face with chocolate to me! Well yais, but look closer, I have Slendertone Max Flex wrapped round my waist, see?? I was exploring a theory that having my stomach muscles violently contracted (I was using the 'Sports Pro' programme... for the more intensive workout) while eating chocolate would immediately counteract its calorific damage.

Did it work? Well only in the sense that the muscle contractions are so intense it messes with your hand/mouth co-ordination. The plaster on my elbow resulted from the sharp jerking movement my arm made everytime they kicked in. Just glad I didn't spend £99 buying the bleedin' thing! (was given to me by a friend...she got it as a freebie cos she's a health journalist) Still, kept me amused for while!

Half Nekkid Thursday

2005-08-30T19:52:00.000Z

Okay, okay, this is the last Half Nekkid Thursday post to go on (and on...) about my 'bike accident, promise! Be kind, I don't have the fabulous assets the other HNT gals have to offer, so am forced to resort to scar stories!

Last week I posted pics of my X-ray, pins and plates . What it didn't show is all the little bits of bone they were holding in place in a bid to grow me a new knee. The bits of bone for the graft were taken from my
my Iliac crest See? (well no, you won't be able to 'see' cos it's under the skin...Doh!) .

The 4 inch scar is from the operation to remove bone from my hip...to put in my knee...crazy! I was offered an epidural for the op, but when they mentioned that although I wouldn't feel or see anything I'd hear quite a bit (sawing, chopping, drilling) I opted for total oblivion. Orthopedic surgeons arn't called 'carpenters' by other medics in the UK for nothing!

I'm hoping the bright red arrows (drawn with the help of my man...cos I can't see past my bosom properly)....uh, yes, I'm hoping the arrows will distract the eye from my rather 'rounded' belly (please, don't click for a bigger pic!)...but hey! I AM 'getting on a bit' (quite a bit!) AND pre-menstrual, and holding onto water like we gotta drought going on!

Happy HNT!

Half Nekkid Thursday

2005-08-24T13:06:00.000Z

Following on from last week's (late!) HNT here is a real 'inside view' of my knee...nice huh! Hope pics with skin and flesh 'removed' counts as 'half nekkid'? (I understand that if you click on the images you get a bigger version...should you so desire!)

'Pins' and plates in...

Post-op. Note basket of sweeties and trashy mags

'pins' and plates out. I've kept this stuff for 10 years now,
like the scar itself isn't enough of a reminder! :-)

The Answers!

2005-08-23T17:00:00.000Z

1) The Hundred Years War lasted 116 Years
2) Ecuador makes Panama hats
3) Catgut comes from sheep and horses
4) The Russians celebrate th October revolution in November (only one I got right!
5) A camel's hair brush is made of squirrel fur (you shoulda got that one SSM!)
6) The Canary Islands are named after dogs
7) King George VI's first name was Albert
8) A purple finch is crimson
9) Chinese gooseberries come from New Zealand
10)The black box in a commercial aeroplane is orange

WORLD'S EASIEST QUIZ...?

2005-08-22T11:07:00.000Z

I got ONE right (bah!)...can you do better?
No looking stuff up! Answers soon...

1) How long did the Hundred Years War last?
2) Which country makes Panama hats?
3) From which animal do we get catgut?
4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution?
5) What is a camel hair brush made of?
6) The Canary Islands in the Atlantic are named after what animal?
7) What was King George VI's first name?
8) What colour is a purple finch?
9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from?
10) What is the colour of the black box in a commercial aeroplane?

Enjoy!

Half Nekkid Thursday (ahem!)

2005-08-19T14:23:00.000Z

9.5 INCH! (not cm) scar on right knee...

between the arrows...see?

This is my first contribution to Half Nekkid Thursday. And yes, I know its late, this post was actually the one I was going to put on my site last week! The piece of trash masquerading as my computer has decided to keep logging me off the internet at will, yesterday (THURSDAY) it chose to deny me any access at all and today, as I type this addendum in a state of high anxiety (I just know the bastard is going to log me off any minute) its operating excrutiatingly slowly...it's driving me mad, MAD!!! So, I'm going to post today (fortunately quite a lot was written before the f**ker decided to have a hissy fit) ...hope this doesn't break any HNT rules!

I apologise for the quality of the photos. They were taken with my webcam AND I am left handed...and as you see from the second shot I'm trying to upload the pics using my right hand (and its a left-handed mouse) Lecram's Jimmy could have done a better job!
Anyway this is the story behind the scar:
About 10 years ago me and my man booked a last minute holiday. It was October and based on budget the choices were a week in Balearic isle of Mallorca (sun, sea, relaxation) or a week in the Highlands of Scotland doing a circuit tour on trail (motor)bikes on and off-road. I think you can probably guess which one we plumped for.
At the time Steve had been riding sickles for around 20 years (from 125cc to 1200cc)...and has the scars to prove it!...and had done a bit of off-road stuff. Me on the other hand had only been riding sporadically for 15 years, and never off-road. Largest bike I'd ever owned was a Yamaha XT350 single (which, ironically, happens to be a trail bike...a bike suitable for on and off road...but I bought it cos it looked pretty and made a nice thumpy noise)

me (aged 33) and ma hog circa 1991...wish I was still that slim...sob! Someone set fire to it a couple of years later, the only brand new bike I ever owned!

Anyway the company in Scotland which organised the trips graded their off-road routes and I sensibly selected a circuit which had mainly 'easy' and nothing more scary than 'moderate'. They also supplied the bikes and I chose, somewhat less sensibly (and against Steve's judgement) an XT 350...cos I used to own one, see?

Now, remember I told you I'd never ridden off road? Remember I told you I bought my bike cos it looked pretty and made a nice noise? What I didn't mention was the very high seat which I had to have lowered just so I could sit on it tippy-toe (I'm 5' 5'') I also didn't mention that its kinda heavy for a gal weighing (then!sigh!) around 130 lbs. Oh...and the bastard kick-start which would whack you in the ankle if you didn't judge it right...but hey! it looked suh-weet and it sounded gooood!

I think the picture's building nicely, eh?!

So...after a leisurely 2 day car-trip (the Scottish Highlands being about 700 miles from our home) we have 'bikes (Steve chose a nice light, handleable but very tall Kawasaki 250 something-or-other) we have map we have a week of freedom and the open road..Yay!
Our first stop was to be Fort Augustus about 200 miles by road, less if we used the trails. (There was always a road option)
The day started beautifully. The roads where empty, the scenery was stunning and its didn't rain - much! Amazing for Scotland in October.

The first two or three trails were 'easy', nice flat tracks through beautiful countryside...a rainbow completing the pastoral perfection. The next was a little hairier (also graded 'easy'...I DON'T think so!) as we had to travel across rough ground, through some marshy reedy stuff (where I got stuck) and across a stream...where I'm afraid I wimped out and got Steve to take my bike across.

It was getting late and the sun was setting over the glen as we approached our last off-road trail of the day...the 26 mile track through the Cairngorm mountains linking Laggan and Fort Augustus known as the Corrieyarick Pass.

This track was decribed as 'moderate' the first 3 miles being 'a bit bouldery'. Darkness was falling and we were tired and hungry. the road option to Fort Augustus meant back-tracking and then driving another 40 miles...what to do, what to do? 26 miles across the mountains or 40+ on a nice tarmacadam road? You know when you get that little voice in your head saying 'nooooo!' when you're saying 'yes'??? Well mine was screaming inside as my mouth flapped open and said
" Well, it doesn't look TOO difficult"...

The 'bouldery bit' had me in tears as I struggled to keep my bike upright. Finally it was over and the track smoothed out. We were approaching a stream bridged by a plank of wood. It looked a bit precarious so Steve said he'd go first to check it out. It looked OK so I prepared to cross. I was aware of the bike being a bit bogged down, so to help get out of the mud I sensibly twisted back the trottle AS FAR AS IT WOULD GO and dumped the clutch. The bike shot forward and hit the slippery plank of wood far too fast. Bike went over sideways, trapping my leg underneath it, with the handlebar turned into my knee. I screamed. Rather loudly.

Steve picked the bike off me and got me standing (on one leg) My clothes weren't even ripped and the shock had removed the pain, but I knew it was quite bad. Too bad to able to ride pillion with Steve.

It was now completely dark and we were literally miles from anywhere in the middle of the mountains. Steve managed to make one call on his mobile to raise the alarm before the signal went completely dead. I sat down next to the stream and Steve gave me his jacket and jumper to help keep me warm. Then it started to rain. Even worse I needed to pee. (My bashed-in knee was encased long-johns, tight jodhpurs, and waterproof trousers)

Three-and-a-half hours later...thats three-and-a-half hours later...and the urge to pee had overtaken the fear of causing more damage to my now football-sized knee (sitting by a stream was a REALLY good idea!)
Steve was just helping me fight my way through the layers of clothing so that I could piss where I sat when we saw headlights! Fantastic timing!

The lovely, lovely mountain rescue crew had found us! But lovely as they were there was no way I was going to let them touch my knee, let along shove it and the rest of me into the back of their Landrover.
Ah, but lovely, lovely mountain rescue boys had lovely cannister of gas-and-air, and while I sucked on that they got me splinted up and into the vehicle.

Memory of the journey back down the mountain to the nearest village is a bit fuzzy, but I remember laughing a lot, until the gas and air ran out. But no matter, soon after I was being scowled at by the village doc (they'd had to drag him out of the pub) who was admonishing us for our stupendous stupidity in tackling the track, whilst simultaneously pumping me full of Pethedine. Woooheee, that stuff was gooood! It lasted beyond the 100 mile ambulance journey to Inverness hospital and I was FLYIN'!

When the nurses wanted to cut my trousers off for the X-ray I waved the scissors away and just pulled those tight ol' trews right off!

Turned out I'd shattered that big bit at the top of the shin-bone, just below the knee-cap. Needed surgery for bone graft, pins and plates. Spent 2 weeks in a hospital 700 miles from home, then flew back and spent 3 months off work on crutches.Was 18 months before I was 'fully' recovered.
Never did get to see to see Fort Augustus!

A Moment

2005-08-13T12:23:00.000Z

I first wrote this in response to a post on Lecram's blog and he suggested I add it to my site. As my cuz was the one who got me into blogging in the first place, and I value his judgement, I've done as I've been told! (NOT a terribly common occurrence!)

"Talking of moments, here, as requested, is one of my favourite 'perfect' ones (before I start I should point out that Steve is not given to OTT public displays of affection although very good in private!):
Many years ago on Valentines Day (our 'anniversary') when I was still a poor student, I delivered a single red rose to the secretary at Steve's office for her to pass on to him 'anonymously'. The smirk on her face made me feel a bit daft so I quickly scuttled out of his office to the nearest bus-stop.
I was resignedly waiting for my bus, along with a whole bunch of other people, when I heard the sound of running feet and was suddenly lifted-in-the-air-and-swung-round-and-round-and-thoroughly-snogged-at-the-same-time IN FRONT OF ALL THESE PEOPLE.
Without a word Steve (yes, it was him!) then ran back to his office, leaving me(and the rest of the people at the bus-stop) with a great big silly grin all over my face...
Those few seconds still make me smile now, and are all the more precious because Steve's reaction to what might have been my embarrassing gesture
(he worked in an open-plan office full of 'lads' who probably would have ripped the piss out of him for having a flower delivered!) was so spontaneous and so lovely.
We went to Rome for Valentine's day this year, that was pretty perfect too...but as we're talking 'moments'... "

Blogalicious!

Some of the ways I celebrated my 50th...

About time...

Sometimes it's Paris...

Edit

Another 40th birthday weekend (May 2007)...

You reckon???

Waterfalls

Sorry...

Cats....

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and...

"Those were the days...

Still recovering...

I'm so excited

What does it MEAN???

Sorry

Ahem! 'Girls' weekend, Amsterdam

Place Marker

Apologies...

More Spanish HNT

HNT

Spain

Sorry...

Feel the fear

Recent photos from the garden

Eh??

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Lelly!

*Sigh*

HNT

Me Best China*

H.N.T.

Six wierd things about Lelly

When you you're bored with knitting sweaters...

HNT

Our Wood

Anniversary plus 1 month

HNT

The Letter Game

Anniversary HNT!

Eh??

The Manhole Covers

HNT

TMI?

HNT

Crap Rap (Apologies in advance!)

Joy

H.N.T.

BORED!

H.N.T. Happy New Toy!

HNT

Our traumatic weekend...

H.N.T....

HNT

From the dusty depths of my archives...

There was a time...

This Belated HNT...

HNT

I'm Back...but in a different place

A Moving Story

HNT

Norfolk

H.N.T. Had No Time!

HNT 2006 #1

The Book Club

Barcelona!

HNT...ear we go, ear we go, ear we go!

Aitch Enn Tea!

Alphabeticize Me!

hAPpY hNT!

Taking Stock

Happy HNT...

"How I got the body of a 20-year-old at 47"

I'm bored...can you tell??

OMG...it's HALF NEKKID THURSDAY again!

Half Nekkid Thursday

I love being tagged!

It can't just be about nekkidness...UPDATED

Half Nekkid Thursday

Eh, it's a larf aint it!

STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS! STOP PRESS!

Sigh