Phew! What a week, I seem to have been working silly hours and silly days the last week or so. In ten days I had to go to London Four times. Two technical visits, a workshop to help host and then man a stand at the Mother and Baby show in Olympia! The last one was a real nightmare as it was a very long day, under hot studio type lights that gave me a mega migraine and I had to be sweet smiling nice for about fourteen hours Grrrr....!
On the way home I stopped at the most awful mototway service station in the western hemisphere to get refreshment and some guy tried to start up a conversation with me as I was still in corporate gear. I had no polite conversation left and wanted to tell him go take a hike, of course I did not! But hells bells he followed me to a table and sat at the next one and tried to carry on the chat!!!
The next day myself and several colleagues drove up to Manchester for a Road Show, it is real good fun but I was so tired and headachey that I did not enjoy it at all. They are all keen on alcoholic refreshment which is fine by me, but I don't care to drink much myself. They all get a bit silly and I feel like the odd one out. The worst thing was it was me with the headache (still) in the morning.
Migraine is the curse of my life! Thankfully not so often now as I get older, but it rears its very ugly and painful head at the most in-opportune times. Triggers include alcohol, chocolate, cheese, wine and over tiredness, oh and bright lights!
I must be the only one who can't look at the M&S advert for the chocolate puddings with the squidgy centres, it makes me feel physically sick at the sight of them, Migraine on a plate yuk!
I have had one or two funny experiences as well this week. I was shopping yesterday at Tesco's and looking at the bathroom cleaner 'cif' formerly known as 'jif' (why DID they change it) . I could not remember if I preferred the stuff in the yellow bottle or the white bottle. I know I thought I'll have a sniff. I carefully lifted the lid and put it up to my nose and ever so gently squeezed the bottle to lift the aroma.
I ended up with a large amount of bathroom cleaner up my nose and running down my chin! I tried to conceal my predicament by rubbing my hand over my face, have you ever tried cif as an exfoliant? Not good. I rummaged for a tissue, why can you never find one when you want one, and other times they are overflowing your bag and dripping out of sleeves and pockets. I ended up getting a pack of the shelf and opening it before getting to checkout. I had not reckoned on a do it yourself facial while shopping!
Today we popped down to the allotment for an 'hour' to put the beds to bed for the winter. I needed to plant a row of raspberry canes, I prepared the area and lined them up the regulation foot apart and set about planting. Half way through BJ came up and announced that my row was as straight as a donkeys hind leg and I was to pull 'em up and start again and he would put down some string to assist me.
Well, I tried to tell him it probably would not help but hey, let the guy try!
So... String line layed I started again, it started well but by the time I was half way along I was all over the show again, Bj just fell about laughing but as I told him he is an engineer which is a precise art, I train kids and dogs which is anything but.
The raspberries are very happy in their wibbly wobbly row, I lovingly top dressed them with some gorgeous rich manure and I even had a chat with them!! Barry said 'pardon' as he thought I was talking to him, when I said I was talking to the raspberries he truly thought I had lost it. Or trained at the 'Prince Charles school for mad gardeners'
Well raspberries happily esconsed in their new home we went shopping in Coventry, I parked the car in the usual multi story next to a very steamed up car! Well! I became shocked of Coventry! A couple where doing what does not come naturally at 2pm in the afternoon in broad daylight in a public car park especially when that couple were both MEN! I am quite happy to live and let live but this was totally out of order in such a public place. Guys, go rent a room next time!!
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Friday, October 21, 2005
You Are what You Eat
I have always whole heartedly agreed with this statement, if not always carrying it out for my own health. Although I do try most of the time.
Today I discovered that this is true of my funny little dog as well. True to the title of this blog I feed the pup on a good quality brand of food known in our household as 'Jimmy well Lovely,' although on the packet it is called 'James Wellbeloved!' I was fast running out of this excellent dinner favored by Ta-shi and as it is only available from pet shops I decided to try him on another brand from the supermarket.
I looked at and dismissed many options, I don't like a whole lot of processed additives so I won't feed the dog on it. I eventually settled on a brand hailing itself as 100% natural with chicken, rice and 15 different health giving herbs! Aha! This sounded great and it was a little cheaper than the 'Jimmy's'. I set off home to feed the pooch, I was sensible enough to give him one third new food mixed in with the old stuff, increasing it little by little so as not to upset my lad's tummy. All was well, until I got him onto 2/3rds new food and a little old food, then the trouble began.....
I don't know what the 15 herbs are in the recipe, but.... I have one wired dog on my hands! He tore about the house like a maniac this morning, dogs blankets, cat beds turned out and blankets frantically dragged around the house. He ran up the stairs, down the stairs, around the garden about 100 times. All the toys he possesses took a trip around the house one by one, as for the poor cats I may never see them again! He teased, yapped and chased them both until one begged to be allowed into a bedroom away from the manic furball terrorizing her, The other took her usual refuge on top of the freezer until the furry hurricane had run its course.
I eventually got him out for a walk, where he bounced along the road as high as a Kite, we played ball, chased ducks, raced a border collie and won! He was so HAPPY I might have some of his food for lunch!
I am off to the petshop this afternoon to buy a large stock of 'Jimmy Well Lovely'
Today I discovered that this is true of my funny little dog as well. True to the title of this blog I feed the pup on a good quality brand of food known in our household as 'Jimmy well Lovely,' although on the packet it is called 'James Wellbeloved!' I was fast running out of this excellent dinner favored by Ta-shi and as it is only available from pet shops I decided to try him on another brand from the supermarket.
I looked at and dismissed many options, I don't like a whole lot of processed additives so I won't feed the dog on it. I eventually settled on a brand hailing itself as 100% natural with chicken, rice and 15 different health giving herbs! Aha! This sounded great and it was a little cheaper than the 'Jimmy's'. I set off home to feed the pooch, I was sensible enough to give him one third new food mixed in with the old stuff, increasing it little by little so as not to upset my lad's tummy. All was well, until I got him onto 2/3rds new food and a little old food, then the trouble began.....
I don't know what the 15 herbs are in the recipe, but.... I have one wired dog on my hands! He tore about the house like a maniac this morning, dogs blankets, cat beds turned out and blankets frantically dragged around the house. He ran up the stairs, down the stairs, around the garden about 100 times. All the toys he possesses took a trip around the house one by one, as for the poor cats I may never see them again! He teased, yapped and chased them both until one begged to be allowed into a bedroom away from the manic furball terrorizing her, The other took her usual refuge on top of the freezer until the furry hurricane had run its course.
I eventually got him out for a walk, where he bounced along the road as high as a Kite, we played ball, chased ducks, raced a border collie and won! He was so HAPPY I might have some of his food for lunch!
I am off to the petshop this afternoon to buy a large stock of 'Jimmy Well Lovely'
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Alpha Male Alive and Well
I am going to be a little controversial now, please no one be offended, I am publishing my thoughts on a subject as I see it.
Religion! That and politics should not be discussed by a Lady! So my dear Father said. Here lies the problem.
For some time now I have been coming around to the idea that all religion on this Earth actively encourages and promotes male dominance.
When I think of religion and consider which faiths people choose to follow, it seems obvious that geography plays a very important part, rather than faith itself. The western World is predominately Christian and people follow one of many religions under that umbrella. Catholic, Protestant, Baptist.... And so on, why so many different ones though, I thought in Christianity 'One God Fits all!' If you are born in India or Pakistan you would probably follow Hinduism or be a Sikh, other areas maybe a Jew or a Muslim, I could go on. All I am sure very fine faiths to follow and probably with very similar values as our own Christianity. At the end of the day faith unifies a community.
I choose to follow Christian values and morality, which means I try to treat people as I would wish to be treated and try to be as kind and loving as I can to all I come in contact with. As a human however, I have been known to fail miserably at times. I don't beat myself up about it but try harder next time! I don't however feel able to be a full and complete Christian in the eyes of the church kind of dogma.
Now the biggest problem I have as I said earlier is this Male dominance thing, twice in the last week I have seen smack in the face examples of this. First the Scientology ethos on childbirth where crying out in pain or accepting pain relief is considered detrimental and traumatic for the child's future life. Who decided on this course of action, not I presume God, but the leader of the Cult. Now the best remedy to this is that the Father of the child is put into a vice for the duration of the birth and it should be tightened a notch at each contraction the Mother has. No crying out Guy's and no, you can't have a parachuting! I don't think most guy's would get past the third or fourth contraction before this rule was quickly abandoned!
Today I was talking to a lovely Indian girl, a Hindu, she was on a day of fasting from sunrise until the moon rises. I guessed wronly it was Ramadan but no! It is a religious day in her calendar where young married women fast completely in respect of their Husbands, and to give them long life. I asked when the day was when the Husbands did the same for their wives and guess what! There isn't one! Now I totally respect this girl as she took time to explain why she is happy to do it (her husband is very good to her, but I take it she is an excellent wife as well) she is very serene and has grown up in India with this being common practice. In fact it is a chance for young Indian women to gather at a house with friends and have the equivalent of a 'girlie day' as apparently they don't get out very much otherwise. Male Dominated!
As for young Muslim women covering themselves from head to toe in case they inflame passions, I can't even go down the road of what I feel for their oppression (read 'The bookseller of Kabul')
Even in our Christians religions it is very top heavy with male ethos, just look at the fight to get women priests, easier to become a priest if you are gay! (nothing wrong in that by the way)
I have been to three Baptist weddings in recent years, all people I love and respect dearly, my own beloved Sister was one of these. I did,however, have a problem with the reading and address which promoted wives deferring to their husbands at all times. I think the line goes 'wives submit to your husbands'. Now the problem I have with this is:
By the way I am not a man hater, my best freind is a very fine one, with on odd taste in jokes and his own made up langauge :-)
Religion! That and politics should not be discussed by a Lady! So my dear Father said. Here lies the problem.
For some time now I have been coming around to the idea that all religion on this Earth actively encourages and promotes male dominance.
When I think of religion and consider which faiths people choose to follow, it seems obvious that geography plays a very important part, rather than faith itself. The western World is predominately Christian and people follow one of many religions under that umbrella. Catholic, Protestant, Baptist.... And so on, why so many different ones though, I thought in Christianity 'One God Fits all!' If you are born in India or Pakistan you would probably follow Hinduism or be a Sikh, other areas maybe a Jew or a Muslim, I could go on. All I am sure very fine faiths to follow and probably with very similar values as our own Christianity. At the end of the day faith unifies a community.
I choose to follow Christian values and morality, which means I try to treat people as I would wish to be treated and try to be as kind and loving as I can to all I come in contact with. As a human however, I have been known to fail miserably at times. I don't beat myself up about it but try harder next time! I don't however feel able to be a full and complete Christian in the eyes of the church kind of dogma.
Now the biggest problem I have as I said earlier is this Male dominance thing, twice in the last week I have seen smack in the face examples of this. First the Scientology ethos on childbirth where crying out in pain or accepting pain relief is considered detrimental and traumatic for the child's future life. Who decided on this course of action, not I presume God, but the leader of the Cult. Now the best remedy to this is that the Father of the child is put into a vice for the duration of the birth and it should be tightened a notch at each contraction the Mother has. No crying out Guy's and no, you can't have a parachuting! I don't think most guy's would get past the third or fourth contraction before this rule was quickly abandoned!
Today I was talking to a lovely Indian girl, a Hindu, she was on a day of fasting from sunrise until the moon rises. I guessed wronly it was Ramadan but no! It is a religious day in her calendar where young married women fast completely in respect of their Husbands, and to give them long life. I asked when the day was when the Husbands did the same for their wives and guess what! There isn't one! Now I totally respect this girl as she took time to explain why she is happy to do it (her husband is very good to her, but I take it she is an excellent wife as well) she is very serene and has grown up in India with this being common practice. In fact it is a chance for young Indian women to gather at a house with friends and have the equivalent of a 'girlie day' as apparently they don't get out very much otherwise. Male Dominated!
As for young Muslim women covering themselves from head to toe in case they inflame passions, I can't even go down the road of what I feel for their oppression (read 'The bookseller of Kabul')
Even in our Christians religions it is very top heavy with male ethos, just look at the fight to get women priests, easier to become a priest if you are gay! (nothing wrong in that by the way)
I have been to three Baptist weddings in recent years, all people I love and respect dearly, my own beloved Sister was one of these. I did,however, have a problem with the reading and address which promoted wives deferring to their husbands at all times. I think the line goes 'wives submit to your husbands'. Now the problem I have with this is:
- Always read by a man
- Its 2005 guys!
Surely this day and age marriage is an equal partnership, all items should be up for discussion and a joint decision made. I am a voice of experince having been married for 32 years! My Sister chose to 'obey' in her service, which although I hold her decision in high regard I feel its what you get dogs to do not wives! I have had long discussions with her on this matter but we beg to differ. She is the best person in the World to have as a Sister and I think she is the most kind hearted and loyal friend, wife mother, sister any one can have! The very best thing is we can have these wonderful discussions, come to different conclusions and remain completely loyal to one another and go on and discuss the latest exploits of our offspring which is usually many and varied ( the exploits, not the offspring!)
So this is why I find religion a very strange thing, surely God see's us all as one, Ok I know he did not send his 'daughter' to save the World, but maybe he could have another think on that for the 'second coming' now he can see what men have done!By the way I am not a man hater, my best freind is a very fine one, with on odd taste in jokes and his own made up langauge :-)
Monday, October 17, 2005
Let them eat cake
I had to go into Coventry City centre today, something I avoid at all costs Unless really necessary. For those who don't know it, it is square, grey and very depressing. I know it once was a beautiful place until the Germans bombed it. Sadly the 6o's had many things going for them architecter was not one of them. The best thing that could be done is to evacuate the whole place knock it down and start again.
However I digress! I decided to get a bite of lunch, so headed for the food court where all the upmarket eaterie's lie, you have Macdonalds, Kentucky, and spuds are us or something like that. Tucked in the middle of all this is a little place called Healthy Choice where you get served by very polite young people who do not indulge in the language of grunt.
I was beside another Lady in the Queue who was of advancing years and fairly well rounded.
she ordered a black coffee, 'any sugar Madam?' she was asked, 'Oh no my dear I have to watch my weight'. We exchanged smiles as I ordered the homemade tomato and herb soup with a fresh orange juice.
'would you like a cake or Muffin with your coffee?' asked the girl. The Lady hesitated ever so slightly before saying 'oh go on then I'll have one of those' She pointed to a huge cherry and chocolate flapjack.
She turned to me and my soup and said 'might as well while I can, the papers say we will all be dead with chicken flu by Christmas!'
I took my soup which I had thought would be delicious but turned out to be really gloopy and not much more flavour than dish water (not that I try that to often) I looked over in envy at the elderly Lady thoroughly enjoying her humungous flapjack. She was dead right, St Peter is not going to say 'sorry you can't come in here you ate to much cake!' is he.
I then headed for Woolworths to purchase some fabric dye and some navy cotton, I took the items to a cash point where the Lady scanned the dye £4.25 then tried to scan the cotton, it would not go through. She asked if I would read her the bar code numbers as she did not have her glasses with her. After much rummaging in my handbag I found mine and read the numbers out.
'That will be £9.09 please' she triumphantly announced.
'Pardon' I asked '£9.09' she repeated. I asked the price of the reel of navy cotton. I was told it was over £4.00. 'Its a reel of cotton' I said sure she must have it wrong, 'yes but it is our supreme range'. I was told
'Supreme! I want it to self thread and hem automatically at that price' I retorted. 'I take it you don't want it then' she said 'funny' she added 'you are not the first person to complain about the price today'.
Maybe they should check it out, it MUST be wrongly priced.
However I digress! I decided to get a bite of lunch, so headed for the food court where all the upmarket eaterie's lie, you have Macdonalds, Kentucky, and spuds are us or something like that. Tucked in the middle of all this is a little place called Healthy Choice where you get served by very polite young people who do not indulge in the language of grunt.
I was beside another Lady in the Queue who was of advancing years and fairly well rounded.
she ordered a black coffee, 'any sugar Madam?' she was asked, 'Oh no my dear I have to watch my weight'. We exchanged smiles as I ordered the homemade tomato and herb soup with a fresh orange juice.
'would you like a cake or Muffin with your coffee?' asked the girl. The Lady hesitated ever so slightly before saying 'oh go on then I'll have one of those' She pointed to a huge cherry and chocolate flapjack.
She turned to me and my soup and said 'might as well while I can, the papers say we will all be dead with chicken flu by Christmas!'
I took my soup which I had thought would be delicious but turned out to be really gloopy and not much more flavour than dish water (not that I try that to often) I looked over in envy at the elderly Lady thoroughly enjoying her humungous flapjack. She was dead right, St Peter is not going to say 'sorry you can't come in here you ate to much cake!' is he.
I then headed for Woolworths to purchase some fabric dye and some navy cotton, I took the items to a cash point where the Lady scanned the dye £4.25 then tried to scan the cotton, it would not go through. She asked if I would read her the bar code numbers as she did not have her glasses with her. After much rummaging in my handbag I found mine and read the numbers out.
'That will be £9.09 please' she triumphantly announced.
'Pardon' I asked '£9.09' she repeated. I asked the price of the reel of navy cotton. I was told it was over £4.00. 'Its a reel of cotton' I said sure she must have it wrong, 'yes but it is our supreme range'. I was told
'Supreme! I want it to self thread and hem automatically at that price' I retorted. 'I take it you don't want it then' she said 'funny' she added 'you are not the first person to complain about the price today'.
Maybe they should check it out, it MUST be wrongly priced.
New Language invented!
My Husband not only has a wonderful technique for telling jokes but also has his own language! I was invited to 'Stretchulate my pedulators' the other day, I agreed to go for a walk with him. This new phrase has turned out to be a useful addition to the household, I can now announce that I am about to 'pedulate the puppy' without the dog immediately turning into a whirling dervish that always comes with the sentence with 'dog' and 'walk' in it.
Bj also rarely has a 'bath' but instead goes to 'spodulate' I know, don't ask!
This week has seen me do at least two 14 hour days, so I am quite tired today. I had to go to Esher on Thursday to do a technical visit, make sure all was running well and according to the programme. It was a real pleasure to see such a well run centre with enthusiastic staff and a committed franchised. I do realize that every-one is on their best behavior when I arrive and sit in the corner note book in hand observing, but I can now spot what happens regularly and what they have changed for the day in my honour!
The problem with this visit was that at one time on the M25 I took exactly one hour to travel the great distance of one mile! This luckily did not make me late in arriving as I had added on one extra hour to my estimated journey time.
Sunday and Myself and boss had to travel back to the same area of London to host another workshop (M25 running well). Another 5.45 alarm clock setting (anything with a 5 in it is totally wrong for a Sunday morning)
The workshop, I felt was a great success and went really well. A few really awkward customers who really don't want to embrace anything new and are totally negative but on the whole most of them were really great who felt they got a lot out of the day.
My pet hate is negativity! I hate the phrase from franchise's and there employees 'I am not trying that it won't work' I feel like saying to them, of course it won't work you have already decided it won't. Instead I try to convince them that as a team they have to work together support each other and give it a good try over at least a whole term, then tell us it does not work!
Most of these lack lustre people are the ones asking for help as the business is not doing as well as they want, they want a magic spell to get it back on track, but please no we don't want to actually change the way we work.
If you do what you always do, you will get what you have always got! So there!
M25 not so kind on the way home, M1 a no go area so had to come around M40 not so convenient for me as my car was at bosses house in Northampton, finally arrived home at 7pm to a really wonderful meal that BJ had cooked.
We went to see Pride and Prejudice on Saturday night, what a real treat of a film it was. Fabulous! The lighting was beautiful the scenery out of this world and the acting inspired. Brenda Blethyn was just great in her part of Mrs Bennett. Keira Knightly has looks to die for, no wonder the men adore her. I was not sure I liked Matthew Macfadyen as Darcy though. I felt he warmed to the part as the film went on. However I am a Colin Firth devotee!
Think maybe it is time to read the original book again.
I read this week a news report that Katie Holmes latest squeeze of Tom Cruise, has to give birth in complete silence and with no pain relief! This according to the rules of her newly found faith of Scientology. What is that all about. Giving birth is not called labour for nothing, I suggest she should sream, slap and bite her way through it with all the drugs modern medicine can provide! I know I did. Twice.
Well I am feeling the need of a little 'pedulation' I am trying to do 1000 steps on the days I am not sitting on the M25 I am doing really well with it and exceededthat amount on four days last week. The dog will soon look like a fluffy whippet! I live in hope that this owner will look just the same as her dog. In fact that will be a whippet with a permanent bad hair day!
Bj also rarely has a 'bath' but instead goes to 'spodulate' I know, don't ask!
This week has seen me do at least two 14 hour days, so I am quite tired today. I had to go to Esher on Thursday to do a technical visit, make sure all was running well and according to the programme. It was a real pleasure to see such a well run centre with enthusiastic staff and a committed franchised. I do realize that every-one is on their best behavior when I arrive and sit in the corner note book in hand observing, but I can now spot what happens regularly and what they have changed for the day in my honour!
The problem with this visit was that at one time on the M25 I took exactly one hour to travel the great distance of one mile! This luckily did not make me late in arriving as I had added on one extra hour to my estimated journey time.
Sunday and Myself and boss had to travel back to the same area of London to host another workshop (M25 running well). Another 5.45 alarm clock setting (anything with a 5 in it is totally wrong for a Sunday morning)
The workshop, I felt was a great success and went really well. A few really awkward customers who really don't want to embrace anything new and are totally negative but on the whole most of them were really great who felt they got a lot out of the day.
My pet hate is negativity! I hate the phrase from franchise's and there employees 'I am not trying that it won't work' I feel like saying to them, of course it won't work you have already decided it won't. Instead I try to convince them that as a team they have to work together support each other and give it a good try over at least a whole term, then tell us it does not work!
Most of these lack lustre people are the ones asking for help as the business is not doing as well as they want, they want a magic spell to get it back on track, but please no we don't want to actually change the way we work.
If you do what you always do, you will get what you have always got! So there!
M25 not so kind on the way home, M1 a no go area so had to come around M40 not so convenient for me as my car was at bosses house in Northampton, finally arrived home at 7pm to a really wonderful meal that BJ had cooked.
We went to see Pride and Prejudice on Saturday night, what a real treat of a film it was. Fabulous! The lighting was beautiful the scenery out of this world and the acting inspired. Brenda Blethyn was just great in her part of Mrs Bennett. Keira Knightly has looks to die for, no wonder the men adore her. I was not sure I liked Matthew Macfadyen as Darcy though. I felt he warmed to the part as the film went on. However I am a Colin Firth devotee!
Think maybe it is time to read the original book again.
I read this week a news report that Katie Holmes latest squeeze of Tom Cruise, has to give birth in complete silence and with no pain relief! This according to the rules of her newly found faith of Scientology. What is that all about. Giving birth is not called labour for nothing, I suggest she should sream, slap and bite her way through it with all the drugs modern medicine can provide! I know I did. Twice.
Well I am feeling the need of a little 'pedulation' I am trying to do 1000 steps on the days I am not sitting on the M25 I am doing really well with it and exceededthat amount on four days last week. The dog will soon look like a fluffy whippet! I live in hope that this owner will look just the same as her dog. In fact that will be a whippet with a permanent bad hair day!
Friday, October 07, 2005
Secret Squirrel
I have several daft pets in my possession in the shape of one now very elderly cat called Chloe who despite her age rules the 'youngsters' with no prisoners being taken. A quick swipe with her ever ready paw puts most infringements of her dignity into place. She is known by Ta-shi as 'The sharp cat' on account of her slaps being incredibly sharp.
Ta-shi, whose name means good luck is a mad little Lhaso Apso, his aim in life is to have as much fun as possible and to eat as many peanuts that he can beg steal or borrow from BJ!
Saffy is a big clumsy lump of a cat, she is a Blue Tabby Maine Coone a large American breed. She is very beautiful with long hair and Lynx like ears and enormous furry paws. This cat is built for comfort not speed and has the grace of a small elephant! She has made her home on top of our now extremely high fridge/freezer where she sits like The Queen on her throne watching what goes on in her Kingdom below.
I was upstairs one morning when I heard a terrible commotion in the garden, frantic barking and the sound of shrubs being rampaged through. This was unusual to say the least as Ta-shi has been taught that it is very bad to manners to bark for no good reason.
I dashed down to see what the problem was.
To my utter surprise a Squirrel was frantically tearing around the fence perimeter with Saffy in a rather wobbly hot pursuit and Ta-shi hacking around below giving encouragement to Saffy to catch this daring intruder.
Squirrel eventually ran onto the fence next door between the garden where two very bad mannered German Shepherds live. Saffy paused to look if the Barky dogs were out.
Squirrel turned to face Saffy, this was one mad Squirrel it puffed itself up as big as he could and twitched his tail in his most threatening manner and chattered squirrel expletives at the puzzled Saffy. She eventually edged forward and Squirrel took off again he then came to a dead end with only the wall of the house in front of him. He paused and ran up the wall only to fall to the ground (unhurt) . I had ran back upstairs and frantically called to Saffy to try and stop her chasing the poor creature. She stopped in her tracks and looked to see were I was, this gave Squirrel a chance to make his escape. Phew!
Saffy then sat for a good hour on top of our fence all senses a quiver, ready to protect her territory if the strange intruder returned.
Ta-shi sat up on a garden Chair ears all of a twitch also waiting, probably hoping for another frantic game of chase.
The Squirrel I think has much more sense than to visit our garden again.
Ta-shi, whose name means good luck is a mad little Lhaso Apso, his aim in life is to have as much fun as possible and to eat as many peanuts that he can beg steal or borrow from BJ!
Saffy is a big clumsy lump of a cat, she is a Blue Tabby Maine Coone a large American breed. She is very beautiful with long hair and Lynx like ears and enormous furry paws. This cat is built for comfort not speed and has the grace of a small elephant! She has made her home on top of our now extremely high fridge/freezer where she sits like The Queen on her throne watching what goes on in her Kingdom below.
I was upstairs one morning when I heard a terrible commotion in the garden, frantic barking and the sound of shrubs being rampaged through. This was unusual to say the least as Ta-shi has been taught that it is very bad to manners to bark for no good reason.
I dashed down to see what the problem was.
To my utter surprise a Squirrel was frantically tearing around the fence perimeter with Saffy in a rather wobbly hot pursuit and Ta-shi hacking around below giving encouragement to Saffy to catch this daring intruder.
Squirrel eventually ran onto the fence next door between the garden where two very bad mannered German Shepherds live. Saffy paused to look if the Barky dogs were out.
Squirrel turned to face Saffy, this was one mad Squirrel it puffed itself up as big as he could and twitched his tail in his most threatening manner and chattered squirrel expletives at the puzzled Saffy. She eventually edged forward and Squirrel took off again he then came to a dead end with only the wall of the house in front of him. He paused and ran up the wall only to fall to the ground (unhurt) . I had ran back upstairs and frantically called to Saffy to try and stop her chasing the poor creature. She stopped in her tracks and looked to see were I was, this gave Squirrel a chance to make his escape. Phew!
Saffy then sat for a good hour on top of our fence all senses a quiver, ready to protect her territory if the strange intruder returned.
Ta-shi sat up on a garden Chair ears all of a twitch also waiting, probably hoping for another frantic game of chase.
The Squirrel I think has much more sense than to visit our garden again.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Hit the ground running and don't stop!
Friday saw me in London helping host a stand at the 'Early Years Exhibition' a good day but a little quieter than expected. Most of the people attending were Students and our target was Nursery Managers!
We were duly entertained by a man on a stall opposite selling so called 'Educational' toys. He spent the whole day chatting up ladies and swinging some kind of wrinkled tube around his head making it emit a strange whirring sound. He was such a ladies man, you know the type, middle aged, paunchy and very flirty in a leery kind of way. Don't you just love 'em girls!
I told my colleagues that I really thought this poor bloke thought his 'toy' was an extension of his manhood! Anyway these things were flying of the stand at £2 a piece so he was obviously a good salesman. (No I did NOT buy one)
My boss told me the really good news that there had been a bit of a cock up over the caterer booked to do our Bristol workshop on Sunday! In so much as it had not been booked at all! So Saturday saw me flying around Tesco's catering for 25 people, a really great way of spending the afternoon! Mind you I like a challenge and this was certainly a good one. The food was Ok and everybody ate it all, and seemed to enjoy it, so that was OK.
We went to a concert on Saturday night at The Spa Threatre in Leamington, I sat for several hours on the most uncomfortable seats I have ever endured in a theatre. No wonder the place was only half full. The show was brilliant though, 'The Kings of Swing' we had front row seats so we could look straight up the vocalists noses :-( . There were Three vocalists with a rat pack theme going on, lots of banter and comedy and a fabulous orchestra. A Female vocalist came on periodically but she was a bit weak unfortunately.
One of the vocalist (Frank Sinatra look alike) was uncannily like my Father in his youth. I truly could not keep my eyes off of him. He even had the same twinkly blue eyes, the main difference being my dear lovely Dad could not sing a single note in tune. This guy sung 'I've got you under my skin' and I was singing it in my head all night even when I wanted to go to sleep. The funny thing was it was one of my Dad's favourite songs and he used to wail it to my Mum!
I had a very inspirational day doing my 'Leaps and Bounds' session in a Nursey school I visit once a week. I was coaching Three year olds to execute a forward roll from standing straddle, they were just brilliant. It has taken since Easter to get to this stage but they really trust me now and just adore the sessions we do. We used a Lita board to roll down ( a slope). I like to think I am doing my tiny bit to avoid childhood obesity!
I also introduced the concept of relay games (not allowed to call them races, don't even ask!! P.C gone mad) They were great, we got in a bit of a muddle the first time with kids running back to the wrong team or going for another turn instead of passing the ball to the next person. It was tremendous fun with lots of laughing and shouting. It really helps that I have two really enthusiastic Nursery staff to help me in the group, they are great fun and join in with humour and a great sense of fun as well. Real diamonds in a Nursery World.
A couple of days off now. BJ has plans for me at the weekend it involves a couple of ton of manure that has been delivered to our allotment, shovelling sh.. is what a I will be doing Saturday, any-one know a good rain dance!!!
We were duly entertained by a man on a stall opposite selling so called 'Educational' toys. He spent the whole day chatting up ladies and swinging some kind of wrinkled tube around his head making it emit a strange whirring sound. He was such a ladies man, you know the type, middle aged, paunchy and very flirty in a leery kind of way. Don't you just love 'em girls!
I told my colleagues that I really thought this poor bloke thought his 'toy' was an extension of his manhood! Anyway these things were flying of the stand at £2 a piece so he was obviously a good salesman. (No I did NOT buy one)
My boss told me the really good news that there had been a bit of a cock up over the caterer booked to do our Bristol workshop on Sunday! In so much as it had not been booked at all! So Saturday saw me flying around Tesco's catering for 25 people, a really great way of spending the afternoon! Mind you I like a challenge and this was certainly a good one. The food was Ok and everybody ate it all, and seemed to enjoy it, so that was OK.
We went to a concert on Saturday night at The Spa Threatre in Leamington, I sat for several hours on the most uncomfortable seats I have ever endured in a theatre. No wonder the place was only half full. The show was brilliant though, 'The Kings of Swing' we had front row seats so we could look straight up the vocalists noses :-( . There were Three vocalists with a rat pack theme going on, lots of banter and comedy and a fabulous orchestra. A Female vocalist came on periodically but she was a bit weak unfortunately.
One of the vocalist (Frank Sinatra look alike) was uncannily like my Father in his youth. I truly could not keep my eyes off of him. He even had the same twinkly blue eyes, the main difference being my dear lovely Dad could not sing a single note in tune. This guy sung 'I've got you under my skin' and I was singing it in my head all night even when I wanted to go to sleep. The funny thing was it was one of my Dad's favourite songs and he used to wail it to my Mum!
I had a very inspirational day doing my 'Leaps and Bounds' session in a Nursey school I visit once a week. I was coaching Three year olds to execute a forward roll from standing straddle, they were just brilliant. It has taken since Easter to get to this stage but they really trust me now and just adore the sessions we do. We used a Lita board to roll down ( a slope). I like to think I am doing my tiny bit to avoid childhood obesity!
I also introduced the concept of relay games (not allowed to call them races, don't even ask!! P.C gone mad) They were great, we got in a bit of a muddle the first time with kids running back to the wrong team or going for another turn instead of passing the ball to the next person. It was tremendous fun with lots of laughing and shouting. It really helps that I have two really enthusiastic Nursery staff to help me in the group, they are great fun and join in with humour and a great sense of fun as well. Real diamonds in a Nursery World.
A couple of days off now. BJ has plans for me at the weekend it involves a couple of ton of manure that has been delivered to our allotment, shovelling sh.. is what a I will be doing Saturday, any-one know a good rain dance!!!
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