Now, I don't know if its me but I find that I don't like drinking around my family. Ever since going to university I feel like I'm a different person that myfamily don't really know. This is demonstrated by my parent's misinterpretation of me whenever we meet up and my unwillingness to get pissed around them.
When I was younger I was always the sensible one in the family (and to be honest I still am) and I guess I don't want to offend anyone with my drunken antics. Anyone who knows me now knows that I get incredibly insulting and rude when drunk and I'm not sure what my family would mae of it.
Last night at John's 50th was a bit of a revelation. My nan was...I don't want to say plastered as that will give the wrong impression...but she was VERY merry. To the extent that she forgot my name and birthday! Bridget burnt herself on the oven (although whether that was drink induced I'm not sure) and my mum thought it acceptable to throw white wine in my dad's lap just after someone suggested it was the best way to get rid of the red wine someone else had just spilled there!
Thankfully we didnt have to make the first move to leave as my brother was in attendance and working the next day so he had to leave early. This paved the way for Kath and I to get on the road. Lucy picked probably the rowdiest family get together to be introduced to everyone but she probably had a fairly good filter up given that she was still horrendously hung over form the night before. Her and my brother did the usual effort and persuading me and Kath to get a cat. Kath is very keen but I'm afraid there is no way! Pets and my nose do not mix!
Monday, May 30, 2005
Bank Holidays
Today started with the rain waking us up at about 6.30am. I rolled over and pointed this fact out to Kath. Our plans for today had included a picnic somewhere in the country and clearly the weather wasn't going to help.
We finally were both up at about 10.30 having fallen back to sleep after my weather announcement. Being asleep so late is unusual in our house as Kath is usually up at the crack of dawn but 2 very late nights in a row had conspired against us. The first was saturday night where we finally finshed off 24 with 4 episodes back to back! Fantastic end but I knew Mrs Ortega was going to shoot Stephen Saunders the moment she laid eyes on him!
Then we were at my uncle's 50th birthday over near Stamford. Didn't quite realise how far away that was until I was driving it at 11.30 last night!
In the end the sun came out today so we set off for Lavenham with a picnic ready. As we arrived at Lavenham a thnder storm broke out so we sat in the car and ate our sandwiches (see photo). After 30 mins still no sun so we came home! We had hoped to stop off at the Bonsai nursery but we couldn't find it!
We then decided to go into town to see Star Wars 3 but couldn't get a parking spot. We loitered in Waterstones for a good 30 minutes and I eventually put down the cookery books that I was lingering over. And then we came home!
Ok so this blog entry has turned more into a diary entry and probably is a little dull because of it.....can't think of anything else to type!
We finally were both up at about 10.30 having fallen back to sleep after my weather announcement. Being asleep so late is unusual in our house as Kath is usually up at the crack of dawn but 2 very late nights in a row had conspired against us. The first was saturday night where we finally finshed off 24 with 4 episodes back to back! Fantastic end but I knew Mrs Ortega was going to shoot Stephen Saunders the moment she laid eyes on him!
Then we were at my uncle's 50th birthday over near Stamford. Didn't quite realise how far away that was until I was driving it at 11.30 last night!
In the end the sun came out today so we set off for Lavenham with a picnic ready. As we arrived at Lavenham a thnder storm broke out so we sat in the car and ate our sandwiches (see photo). After 30 mins still no sun so we came home! We had hoped to stop off at the Bonsai nursery but we couldn't find it!
We then decided to go into town to see Star Wars 3 but couldn't get a parking spot. We loitered in Waterstones for a good 30 minutes and I eventually put down the cookery books that I was lingering over. And then we came home!
Ok so this blog entry has turned more into a diary entry and probably is a little dull because of it.....can't think of anything else to type!
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Rhubarb
It's definitely in season and I'm lovin it!
This is rhubarb ready to be roasted with sugar...yum! Turned this batch into a trifle as I recall and later today will be turning a new batch into Rhubarb sorbet.
I'm starting to get this whole seasonal foods malarkey. They do taste much better! Give me ripe british summer strawberries over the overblown tastless winter spanish jobbies any day! Although to be fair I'm not getting obsessed by it. I don't know how I'd cope without peppers on hand all year...they are a real staple in our household.
This is rhubarb ready to be roasted with sugar...yum! Turned this batch into a trifle as I recall and later today will be turning a new batch into Rhubarb sorbet.
I'm starting to get this whole seasonal foods malarkey. They do taste much better! Give me ripe british summer strawberries over the overblown tastless winter spanish jobbies any day! Although to be fair I'm not getting obsessed by it. I don't know how I'd cope without peppers on hand all year...they are a real staple in our household.
Does not compute....
Its a bank holiday weekend and the sun is shining! How bizarre is that? And I'm inside typing at a computer...phew, I thought the world had gone topsy turvy for a second there!
What I should be doing is sorting out my garden or cleaning my teeth. Either would be a better use of my time but since I haven't updated my blog in such a while this seems a reasonable activity too.
My plans for the weekend are fairly simple and should be easily achievable....
It seems odd that we're going to John's 50th birthday party. He was always the young uncle and thinking of him as fifty just makes me feel old. Its even more difficult to think what to get him. I've never bought John anything before in my life so find myself at a bit of a loss. My instinct would be an expensive bottle of champagne but I'm not sure how appropriate that wouold be given that he lost his sense of taste and smell in an accident a few years back. To be hoest he'd probably appreciate the thought anyway and champagne does have a touch aspect as well as being able to get you pissed. Hmm I'll have to ponder.
What I should be doing is sorting out my garden or cleaning my teeth. Either would be a better use of my time but since I haven't updated my blog in such a while this seems a reasonable activity too.
My plans for the weekend are fairly simple and should be easily achievable....
- Make rhubarb sorbet (see another blog entry for more about this)
- Do some gardening....this includes planting out some herbs and trying to fix the almost dead japanese maple
- Go to my Uncle John's 50th Birthday party. This is quite easy to do so should definitely get done
- Go shopping with wife
It seems odd that we're going to John's 50th birthday party. He was always the young uncle and thinking of him as fifty just makes me feel old. Its even more difficult to think what to get him. I've never bought John anything before in my life so find myself at a bit of a loss. My instinct would be an expensive bottle of champagne but I'm not sure how appropriate that wouold be given that he lost his sense of taste and smell in an accident a few years back. To be hoest he'd probably appreciate the thought anyway and champagne does have a touch aspect as well as being able to get you pissed. Hmm I'll have to ponder.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Watched pot....
Along with the old adage that a watched pot never boils I'd like to add that a watched washing machine never finishes its cycle!
I'm sat waiting to go to the supermarket but we have to wait for the washing machine to finish first...sigh!
This is so we can take advantage of the sunshine and hang the washing out....I don't trust the weather at the moment though...freak frosts have all but killed my Japanses maple and i don't know what to do to sort it out. Added to that I'm scared to plant my herbs in case they get killed as well...what to do?
Eurovision was again a debacle of political voting. I don't know why I expect anythign different. the UK entry was the best in years but we finished third from bottom, while weird euro tat romped home to victory...there's no justice!
I'm sat waiting to go to the supermarket but we have to wait for the washing machine to finish first...sigh!
This is so we can take advantage of the sunshine and hang the washing out....I don't trust the weather at the moment though...freak frosts have all but killed my Japanses maple and i don't know what to do to sort it out. Added to that I'm scared to plant my herbs in case they get killed as well...what to do?
Eurovision was again a debacle of political voting. I don't know why I expect anythign different. the UK entry was the best in years but we finished third from bottom, while weird euro tat romped home to victory...there's no justice!
Thursday, May 05, 2005
My democratic right
Ok, so I've done it....I went to the polling station and voted. We even walked there, its that close (although it would have taken less time if we'd gone the way I wanted to instead of Kath's!).
Two points of note, firstly I was a little disappointed with the choice of candidates. Our area has the fortune of having the county council elections on the same day as the general election and I hoping for a interesting read on the polling card. It seems only with the European Elections do you get hundreds of fringe candidates...does this tell us something about the validity of that parliament?
Secondly one of my cards was white and the other lilac. Now I don't know if I'm going slightly colourblind but they both looked like white to me! Fortunately the man in the polling station seemed to keep a beady eye on me when I posted them into the white and lilac slots so I must have done it right. So now just the 14 hour wait to see what effect my vote has had...oooh the excitement (yawn).
Two points of note, firstly I was a little disappointed with the choice of candidates. Our area has the fortune of having the county council elections on the same day as the general election and I hoping for a interesting read on the polling card. It seems only with the European Elections do you get hundreds of fringe candidates...does this tell us something about the validity of that parliament?
Secondly one of my cards was white and the other lilac. Now I don't know if I'm going slightly colourblind but they both looked like white to me! Fortunately the man in the polling station seemed to keep a beady eye on me when I posted them into the white and lilac slots so I must have done it right. So now just the 14 hour wait to see what effect my vote has had...oooh the excitement (yawn).
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Heroic
The computer game I have been playing for a while now includes a natty feature where you can take screenshots. This is a picture of my hero, 4th Dimension, just coming down from a leap.
Full details of the game can be found here.
Full details of the game can be found here.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Dedicated follower
When I was much younger I didn't really care for fashion, clothes, shoes etc. I don't know why really. I remember being the last one in class to discover jeans (tracksuit bottoms had been my leg wear of choice up until that point) and moon boots passed me totally by. It may be because my parents dressed me as if I were half of a twin even though I am 3 years older than my brother (although if you ask him its 2 years 9 months and 15 days) , who knows?
But now....well I seem to have a fixation for shoes. I complained at my wife for the amount of shoes she has but it appears I have 8 pairs that I regularly wear plus many others that just come out for special occasions! Now this may not seem like much but for me it is. I spent today trying not to try on shoes in almost every shop I went in (although I don't look great in Dorothy Perkins slingbacks). There are so many nice shoes out there its a shame I won't get to wear them all. I limited myself to the one pair today (Autograph range from M&S) and they are to replace the shoes I got married in. Quite expensive but the last pair lasted for ages and were very comfy and these new ones were very nice.
The shoe buying frenzy was prompted by the 3 weddings we're attending this year. 2 of them were expected and are friends but one is a family wedding and a little controversial. And what's wrong with Saturdays as a wedding day? 2 out of the 3 are on a Friday which is just a pain really.
I seem to have spent my recognition money already and don't really have anything to show for it (besides new shoes and a suit). I m still tempted by a new camera or perhaps a barometer. I need to accept that my garden isn't really big enough for a gas patio heater or a chiminea and stop pining for one!
But now....well I seem to have a fixation for shoes. I complained at my wife for the amount of shoes she has but it appears I have 8 pairs that I regularly wear plus many others that just come out for special occasions! Now this may not seem like much but for me it is. I spent today trying not to try on shoes in almost every shop I went in (although I don't look great in Dorothy Perkins slingbacks). There are so many nice shoes out there its a shame I won't get to wear them all. I limited myself to the one pair today (Autograph range from M&S) and they are to replace the shoes I got married in. Quite expensive but the last pair lasted for ages and were very comfy and these new ones were very nice.
The shoe buying frenzy was prompted by the 3 weddings we're attending this year. 2 of them were expected and are friends but one is a family wedding and a little controversial. And what's wrong with Saturdays as a wedding day? 2 out of the 3 are on a Friday which is just a pain really.
I seem to have spent my recognition money already and don't really have anything to show for it (besides new shoes and a suit). I m still tempted by a new camera or perhaps a barometer. I need to accept that my garden isn't really big enough for a gas patio heater or a chiminea and stop pining for one!
Sunday, May 01, 2005
The heat is on!
The weather has gone crazy! Suddenly 24 degrees from nowhere and my energy is sapped. Which is a bit of a bugger as I'm off for a week and want to have high energy to do stuff!
The conference went especially well at work this week. The welcome experience could have been better but the exit was great. No queues and everyone seemed to have had a good time. Even better was that the share proce fell so we didn't need to count pennies into a bag for 200 dividends!
The best part howver was getting recogniton for doing a good job this year! I got the annual prize and now have to work out what I'm going to spend £760 on! I couldn't believe it! Totally unexpected. Sensible things beckon like some new shoes and a suit and paying off some of my credit card but I also intend to splash out a little bit too!
The conference went especially well at work this week. The welcome experience could have been better but the exit was great. No queues and everyone seemed to have had a good time. Even better was that the share proce fell so we didn't need to count pennies into a bag for 200 dividends!
The best part howver was getting recogniton for doing a good job this year! I got the annual prize and now have to work out what I'm going to spend £760 on! I couldn't believe it! Totally unexpected. Sensible things beckon like some new shoes and a suit and paying off some of my credit card but I also intend to splash out a little bit too!
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