A long conversation with a special friend really cheered Friday up. We haven't seen each other for ages, so it was good to talk, about the bad things as well as the good. That's really what friends are for, to help you celebrate the good and to help you share the load when the going gets tough, or as usual, life just isn't fair, or simply to put you back on the right path when you've lost your focus or your sense.
I like having friends (many of you will be reading this and thinking - does he mean me?) - well yes the answer is I do. And if my readership expands out there in the blogsphere then I hope that they may become virtual friends through the comments page. Thanks by the way to those of you who have left comments. It's nice to know that I am not just on my own in a virtual void.
And just in case you misunderstood the bit above, it means I am happy to see the number of my friends expand, not my friends expand. The post Christmas and pre Lent period is really very short this year so no sooner have we stuffed all the left over bits from Christmas (still got an unopened box of shortbreads although the tin of Quality Street that was going into temporary storage has now gone into the boys) before we hit that manic - must have lots of what I am going to give up for Lent before I give it up for Lent. I know one for whom the craving for a chocolate egg by 00.01 on Easter morning is almost debilitating.
So, if you are thinking of things that need to go on the shopping list, I hope this has been a timely reminder that Shrove Tuesday (alright Pancake Day) is only a couple of weeks away.
Bird Tables
Christmas was very RSPB last year with two new bird tables, several hanging feeders and lots of birdie goodies since which time the healthy population of garden birds upped and offed never to be seen again. And then this morning a bird on the bird table!!!!! A pigeon had become wedged under the roof of the roofed table on the patio. It didn't seem to mind, even when another pigeon came and sat on the roof, and eventually squeezed out and flew off. Now that the trend is set I hope we can go back to lots of avian visitors.
Saturday, 26 January 2008
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Erratum
Heath, Keith, what's in a name - apologies to those with susceptible sensibilities around such things
Keith Ledger
So, Keith Ledger died yesterday and there are already over 500 in memoriam posts on Facebook. Not that I am unsympathetic or anything but I never did see Broke Back Mountain, nor have I any intention of doing so and I am unlikely to see the next Batman movie (well until the Christmas 2010 repeats anyway), so I fear, sad though it may be his passing is not likely to mean much to me.
Of much more importance was Spurs' stuffing of Arsenal last night. There had to be some justification for me sitting in a traffic jam for over an hour waiting to reach a road that the police promptly closed so that a 7 mile journey to Archway involved a diversion via Shoreditch and took over two hours! Even then I couldn't get into the university car park and had to abandon the car in a resident's only bay and trust that the police were busy watching the football. Am I the only one to find that bits of London move on dark wet nights and turn up in places you weren't expecting them just to try and get you lost? Spurs in the Carling Cup final, Palace in the play off zone and United topping the league, most of the family will be happy.
I have temporarily given up listening to Radio 4 as the news about the FTSE just makes me want to cry. 20% wiped off the family savings, pension plan in freefall (along with everyone else). I guess this is the government's answer to the baby boom and the looming pensions crisis. Make sure that we all remain economically dependant and have to continue working to 75 or even 80 and then conveniently drop dead to ease the burden on the NHS. Maybe I should invest in shares in funeral directors next time.
Of much more importance was Spurs' stuffing of Arsenal last night. There had to be some justification for me sitting in a traffic jam for over an hour waiting to reach a road that the police promptly closed so that a 7 mile journey to Archway involved a diversion via Shoreditch and took over two hours! Even then I couldn't get into the university car park and had to abandon the car in a resident's only bay and trust that the police were busy watching the football. Am I the only one to find that bits of London move on dark wet nights and turn up in places you weren't expecting them just to try and get you lost? Spurs in the Carling Cup final, Palace in the play off zone and United topping the league, most of the family will be happy.
I have temporarily given up listening to Radio 4 as the news about the FTSE just makes me want to cry. 20% wiped off the family savings, pension plan in freefall (along with everyone else). I guess this is the government's answer to the baby boom and the looming pensions crisis. Make sure that we all remain economically dependant and have to continue working to 75 or even 80 and then conveniently drop dead to ease the burden on the NHS. Maybe I should invest in shares in funeral directors next time.
Sunday, 20 January 2008
the story continues
If I thought the new job was too easy, I think I now know why. I was waiting for someone to tell me what I wasn't doing and what I should be doing and now they have! Nothing insurmountable or irretrievable but from now on I think my days are going to be more than full. That also encourages me to try to be a bit more disciplined about the blog so news should be more regular.
It always makes church interesting when the vicar announces he has had a crisis of faith (he was after all preaching on faith) but thankfully the emphasis was on HAD so he was able to share how he came through and the lessons for all in that process. A stirring and emotional sermon that will stay with us for a long time I am sure.
So what else has been happening in the electronic world of FabAl and his diaries?
Hugh (he's the one with four legs) is fully recovered from his surgery and back to his bouncy ways and streaking across the fields in pursuit of other dogs, rooks, seagulls, the occasional rabbit and his imagination. The egret has returned to the stream that runs along to boundary with the golf course and the peregrine is becoming more habituated to walkers although he still keeps just enough distance to ensure you never get quite the look at him that you want. It is to be hoped that skylarks will soon be in evidence again but the very waterlogged ground must be bad for them.
Talking of being water logged, the journey to work has been interesting over the last few days with the road flooded in several places and a broken water main in Sewardstone Road just for good measure.
The good news is that we now have a shower that works rather than trickles. Mr Plumber at B&Q was most helpful as opposed to Homebase "If you can't see it we don't sell it". The shower works so well that Tim managed to flood the bathroom floor to wading depth before coming down and telling everyone "the shower works". Clearing up doesn't seem to appear in his list of accredited skills.
Saturday also brought a trip to the dump. Very cathartic - until you rember just why you were keeping that thingumyjig in the first place. We are not a particularly IT literate house so I am not sure how three pc's managed to be included in the recylcing.
Speaking of which, Joanna now has a new second hand (if you see what I mean) pc and is live on the internet in her own right. No I am not going to give you her address just in case you sell it to 1 million mail order and direct advertising companies. I get quite enough viagra and Nigerian investment opportunities for both of us
Despite having so much to say, news is in short supply so that is it for this post but do keeping looking and something interesting may just turn up over the next few weeks
PS if anyone is any good at spreadsheets, particularly a sequence of seven linked spreadsheets with up to 90 formulae to each sheet please get in touch (illeterate of Edmonton)
It always makes church interesting when the vicar announces he has had a crisis of faith (he was after all preaching on faith) but thankfully the emphasis was on HAD so he was able to share how he came through and the lessons for all in that process. A stirring and emotional sermon that will stay with us for a long time I am sure.
So what else has been happening in the electronic world of FabAl and his diaries?
Hugh (he's the one with four legs) is fully recovered from his surgery and back to his bouncy ways and streaking across the fields in pursuit of other dogs, rooks, seagulls, the occasional rabbit and his imagination. The egret has returned to the stream that runs along to boundary with the golf course and the peregrine is becoming more habituated to walkers although he still keeps just enough distance to ensure you never get quite the look at him that you want. It is to be hoped that skylarks will soon be in evidence again but the very waterlogged ground must be bad for them.
Talking of being water logged, the journey to work has been interesting over the last few days with the road flooded in several places and a broken water main in Sewardstone Road just for good measure.
The good news is that we now have a shower that works rather than trickles. Mr Plumber at B&Q was most helpful as opposed to Homebase "If you can't see it we don't sell it". The shower works so well that Tim managed to flood the bathroom floor to wading depth before coming down and telling everyone "the shower works". Clearing up doesn't seem to appear in his list of accredited skills.
Saturday also brought a trip to the dump. Very cathartic - until you rember just why you were keeping that thingumyjig in the first place. We are not a particularly IT literate house so I am not sure how three pc's managed to be included in the recylcing.
Speaking of which, Joanna now has a new second hand (if you see what I mean) pc and is live on the internet in her own right. No I am not going to give you her address just in case you sell it to 1 million mail order and direct advertising companies. I get quite enough viagra and Nigerian investment opportunities for both of us
Despite having so much to say, news is in short supply so that is it for this post but do keeping looking and something interesting may just turn up over the next few weeks
PS if anyone is any good at spreadsheets, particularly a sequence of seven linked spreadsheets with up to 90 formulae to each sheet please get in touch (illeterate of Edmonton)
Wednesday, 9 January 2008
Hello and welcome back
"Or thanks for all the fish"
A couple of days have passed, one of which I remember. I regret that yesterday it was all I could do to struggle out of bed to watch St Trinians again. Did the boys notice that Dad was still in his pyjamas at 6.00pm - did they heck (and before you ask, no that is not my normal evening wear)
Better today so struggled into work - traffic being the cause of the trouble rather than health. The Christmas present of all the road works healing up seems to have been replaced by a rash of new and bigger ones everywhere. I went to work to attend a meeting that when I arrived they told me was cancelled but I did get quite a lot done including mending the photocopier so I suppose it was all worthwhile.
If you think this is rivetting wait until I run out of interesting things to say
enjoy
A couple of days have passed, one of which I remember. I regret that yesterday it was all I could do to struggle out of bed to watch St Trinians again. Did the boys notice that Dad was still in his pyjamas at 6.00pm - did they heck (and before you ask, no that is not my normal evening wear)
Better today so struggled into work - traffic being the cause of the trouble rather than health. The Christmas present of all the road works healing up seems to have been replaced by a rash of new and bigger ones everywhere. I went to work to attend a meeting that when I arrived they told me was cancelled but I did get quite a lot done including mending the photocopier so I suppose it was all worthwhile.
If you think this is rivetting wait until I run out of interesting things to say
enjoy
Sunday, 6 January 2008
Intro
This is the first effort in a bid to become technically literate and relevant in the brave new world of technology - watch this space it may well be the last- Despite being introduced by a good friend I can't make my facebook work and Friends United scares the living daylights out of me - so many "friends" who have done so well - its embarrassing.
So where does this all get me - new year, new job and the only resolution so far is to stop being rude to the vicar (and yes on day 6 I have still kept it up)
The dog (Hugh) is out of surgery, Joanna is contemplating a second visit to A&E this year and the boys are in bed. I am told that any attempt to wake them before 1 o'clock counts as sleep deprivation under the Geneva Convention and interferes with their human rights. Whatever happened to parents' rights I wonder.
It is a beautiful sunny day outside and I am indoors trying to be hip in a new pair of shoes that are nothing more than vanity exemplified but I expect I will get used to them
So what can you expect from this site?
Occasional diary notes and jottings, long periods of silence when i just can't be bothered or have forgotten how to find my own blog in the first place and just sometimes a pearl of wisdom that I know will benefit the whole of mankind
Joanna's coffee and Hugh's lunch now take priority so you will have to watch this space - perhaps for a long time - for any updates and even then you may not find it interesting but you will just have to persevere and who knows, one day you might be surprised, or even find yourself featuring in these pages.
Daily mail readers please note, Liz Jones I am not so don't expect vitriol or titilation
So where does this all get me - new year, new job and the only resolution so far is to stop being rude to the vicar (and yes on day 6 I have still kept it up)
The dog (Hugh) is out of surgery, Joanna is contemplating a second visit to A&E this year and the boys are in bed. I am told that any attempt to wake them before 1 o'clock counts as sleep deprivation under the Geneva Convention and interferes with their human rights. Whatever happened to parents' rights I wonder.
It is a beautiful sunny day outside and I am indoors trying to be hip in a new pair of shoes that are nothing more than vanity exemplified but I expect I will get used to them
So what can you expect from this site?
Occasional diary notes and jottings, long periods of silence when i just can't be bothered or have forgotten how to find my own blog in the first place and just sometimes a pearl of wisdom that I know will benefit the whole of mankind
Joanna's coffee and Hugh's lunch now take priority so you will have to watch this space - perhaps for a long time - for any updates and even then you may not find it interesting but you will just have to persevere and who knows, one day you might be surprised, or even find yourself featuring in these pages.
Daily mail readers please note, Liz Jones I am not so don't expect vitriol or titilation
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