Christmas is here!

Stopped by the supermarket to pick up some milk and bread and couldn't belive my eyes.

I blinked.

I pinched my arm.

I gasped.






I was greeted by a big display of... Chocolate advent calendars!!!

Learner Drivers

Driving 35-40 mph in a 60mph zone is not something I usually do, unless it is on a road where overtaking the car going at that slow speed in front is impossible.

Yesterday lunchtime I was driving from my place of work to 4 year olds school to pick him up (they only do part time for younger kids the first 3 months). The road I have to take is scenic, but I usually don’t have time to slow down to enjoy the journey as I need to get back to work after having picked up 4 year old at his school, had lunch and dropped him off at his nursery. The car in front was a learner driver and the only two places where the curves of the road would have allowed for overtaking, there were cars coming in the other direction. I arrived at 4 year olds school with no time to spare for reverse parking so had to just drop the car in the nearest available space.

Today I picked 4 year old up, we had lunch at the canal, I took him to nursery and headed back to work. Luckily my boss is not particular about being a few minutes late on the odd occasion as I was again stuck behind a car driving a max speed of 35 in the 60mph zone.

Being stuck behind a learner driver can be frustrating, but I guess they have to learn at some time, and lunchtime is not usually rush hour, so though I don’t like it, I have to accept it. Rather safe than sorry and all that.

But today I was not stuck behind a learner driver; I was stuck behind a taxi driver!!!

Hackney Carriage 1036, exp.15.08.2006

Speed

My company having recently been taken over by a big American company we get to go to a lot of communication meetings and road shows, all with complimentary breakfast, which is usually great.

Driving to the road show this morning I was listening to the news, hearing about how "Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond is stable but remains seriously ill in hospital after he crashed a jet-powered car during filming for the BBC show."

So it was rather ironic that one of the messages at todays roadshow was "Speed Builds!".

Comedy Act

About 6 months ago I got myself a work husband. I have had one of these before, but this relationship is more like a comedy act, according to the world of our colleagues.

He will start a sentence and I will finish it, like;

Work husband, "He's going to Brixton academy, in... [pause]"
Me, "Brixton"

What's funny about that?

Is it funny when I have to remind my work husband, from South Africa, that the big continent south of Europe is called Africa?

Maybe.

Answers

1. When Princess Diana died I was on holiday so I missed most of the events, but I have been to her memorial in Paris, which was plastered with flyers.

2. The World trade centre was hit by flight 11 I should have been asleep as I had been working a night shift, but as i couldn't sleep I flicked the TV on my way to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. An unusual film for that time in the morning, I was feeling groggy after days of little sleep, so it took me a few minutes to realise it was a live event.

3. When Trinity Cathedral in St.Petersburg burned down I was working and I didn't realise till several days had passed. Obviously not a main event in the modern world of death and terror.

Ref: Where where you when...

Bison Grass

EU member states are currently quarrelling over what raw materials should be allowed, with some countries saying any agricultural produce is acceptable and others arguing that real vodka is made only from grain or potato.

Though I am not sure about the "Vodka made from an old chair", surely we cannot get rid of such vodkas like Bison Grass vodka?

Somehow one gets the feeling the EU is either running out of things to argue about (some may say control), or they are just avoiding the real issues.

Someone should send them a box of vodka.
A drink might relax them.

The colour Green

Sainsbury’s as packing their food in compostable packs, but how about their plastic bags, which they offer for free to their customers?

Tesco is offering green Tesco Club Card points if you re-use your bags, but what about all the non Club Card holders? Shouldn’t they encourage all their customer to think green, and not just their fan-base?

And how exactly do you re-use your Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s Morrisons or any other bag and to add the green points to your Tesco Clubcard if you shop online and your shopping get’s delivered?

Last time I did online shopping I got twice as many ‘free bags’ as I would have used had I done my own shopping.

Hoarding

I'm a compulsive hoarder. Admitting the problem is half the solution they say.

My granmother was a hoarder, everyone says it was down to WWII when you wouldn't throw anything out as everything was precious and could be recycled.

I used to love roaming around my granmothers basement.

To Russia with Love

It’s a heartgripping story of how strangers can make a difference, but also a reminder to keep the focus on the little things in life, like letter writing.

So if you are reading about how "The launch of Sony's long-awaited PlayStation 3 games console in Europe has been delayed until March 2007."

Get your focus adjusted and read the story about the letter from Newbury to Russia.

"If the book, From Newbury With Love, evokes the lost worlds of the Cold War, it's also a reminder of an era when people wrote each other letters, rather than e-mails and texts."

Ready for retirement

I am not even half way to retirement, but I still have to think about sorting out my retirement plan, if you are to listen to the experts.

Though, if I am lucky, the world will have changed so many times that I won’t need to retire, and I won’t have to worry about it. But according to a survey 81 per cent plan to stop working when they reach their retirement age.

Meanwhile businesses are starting to worry about the loss of knowledge when the silver haired retires.

"To halt the rush to the trout stream, employers must offer flexible working, says Mark Cahill, managing director of Manpower UK. When people can expect to change careers at least three times in their lifetime, flexibility is at the front of employers’ and workers’ minds."

I am far from ready to retire. For one I have only changed career once…

I love my car

Train ticket: £2.00
Taxi from the station: £6.00
Getting to work: Priceless

Our car is at the garage for a service.