Champagne Going Down...

Feed me!

2007-02-16T12:12:00.000Z

What is more important than food?

"We Italians are experts at amore and I think this pizza will show that the way to a woman's heart is definitely through her stomach."

True, the way to anyones heart is through the stomach, which is why I once thought dating a chef was a great idea of mine... but have you ever dated a chef?

If they don't work all hours God sends you will find them cooking at home. Which is great, because you get a homecooked meal without setting foot in the kitchen... WRONG!

Chef's are notorious for using every pot and pan available, and leaving them piling up in the sink for the pot wash to deal with, and who do you think the pot wash is at home?

We're off to sunny Denmark to enjoy my Mom's home cooking!

Do it yourself

2007-02-13T19:48:00.000Z

One of my male colleagues and I stopped by his house on the way back from our lunchbreak. I've met his wife before, and she is no doormat, but...

If there is a sentence that rubs me up the wrong way it is when (usually women) say, “It’s just easier to do it yourself”

Surely it is easier to share responsibilities with your husband/partner than having to do everything yourself? Maybe on the short term doing it yourself is easier than take up the discussion, but surely you just need to do it once (or twice for the hard of hearing partners), and the job share makes it easier in the long term.

If you have to discuss it a third time, don’t. Just do like a lot of men does; do it badly on purpose, indicating it would be better if the woman does it. It works every time.

But then; life would be boring if we where all the same.

Winter!!!!

2007-02-08T10:20:00.001Z

4 y.o., “Mommy, does penguins eat people?”
Me, “No, they eat fish. You know that.”
4 y.o., “Can I have a penguin?”

Serves me right for telling him he couldn’t have a rhino because they where to big and too dangerous.

So I calmly explained that a penguin was not very practical to have in our end terrace house and small garden, as Penguins preferred cold climates.

So as the icing on the cake we woke up this morning with the world covered in several inches of snow (unusual for southern England). Snowball fights and snow man building soon distracted though and who needs a penguin when you can have real winter?!

I can’t wait till it all melts this afternoon and the frost sets back in tonight and covers the world in ice. Bring on rush hour! (don’t even get me started on peoples driving behaviours during slippery winter weather in this country!)

Controversal

2007-01-15T19:10:00.000Z

I went to the Turner Prize exhibition at Tate Britain on Friday. I have always been keeping up with what controversal pieces of art have taken part, and indeed won. Last years Shed, turned boat, turned back into a shed was an interesting concept. But this year was the first time I actually went to see for myself.

But how do you keep it fresh and interesting with the likes of Tracy Ermins unmade bed on previous lists? Or how about the room where the light switches on and off (or something like that)?

I guess you go completely nuts and let an actual painter win!

I know, it's almost un heard off; A painter winning the Turner Prize? Whatever next? Letting an actual scientist win the Nobel prize? Ok, that actually does happen.

Therapy

2007-01-12T18:30:00.000Z

After last weeks shopping (anti-) therapy I took the day off work and went to London for some proper therapy. London has always been like home to me.

"You can take the girl out of the city, but you cannot take the city out of the girl"

Last weekend I spend half a day in the sales trying to find myself a new suit (see previous post: For Sale) and found nothing but frustration. Today I went into my favourite shirt maker on The Strand and picked out a suit and a new shirt in 10 minutes. I spend the rest of the day doing the galleries.

Paperclips

2007-01-11T20:33:00.001Z

I had a job offer the other day, from the company who made me redundant as of end of this month. I'm guessing they didn't really want to make me redundant but they realised too late. Actually I knew this the day after I was given my redundancy notice which has given them about 3 months to come up with a way to make me stay and forfeit my redundancy bonus.

So why did they offer me to stay to pick up paperclips? Was that the best they could come up with? Someone is not paying attention.

They forgot to brief the guy who was told to interview me, so when I turned the insulting offer down and he was sent back to try and sell me the job yesterday, I got, "it's not about you, it's about what will work for the company".

For Sale

2007-01-08T10:31:00.000Z

It's months since I recieved my redundancy notes, but I haven't really started job hunting till after the new year. The problem with jobhunting is that you have to go to interviews, not that I have a problem with interviews as such, actually there is just one little details that is a problem...

What to wear!?

Ok, I know what to wear. Only my most recent jobs I didn't really take that serious when i went for the interviews so dresscode was more smart casual than business smart. However, a new year resolution, though in good new year resolution style I probably wont keep to it, I am planning to get a real job this time, and this is where the problem comes in...

What to wear!?

I went to the shops yesterday to find myself a new suit. Luckily the mad sale rush is starting to slow down, but come lunchtime I still hadn't found anything I liked which came in my size. Why is the only clothes available in January sales items? Why can't I get a full price suit till the sale is finished? I went to 7 different shops (incl.department stores) and actually found 3 different suites I liked. The first one the skirt fit but the only jacket available was two numbers too big. The next one the skirt was only available in a size 8 (= small. Enough said!) and the third one was £299 for the jacket alone and though it was ok, it was not Wow! I expect Wow! for £299 + £189 for a suit.

Maybe I should slow down my job hunting till I have found something to wear.

Full English

2007-01-01T12:38:00.000Z

Start as you mean to go on, or so they say, though I am not sure I plan to go on having hangovers every day in the new year, though the full english breakfast this morning did make a difference.

Eating breakfast at 10am with the sun shining through the window sounds like a perfectly lazy way to start the new year.

At some point I might get around to those new years resolutions I haven't actually decided on as yet... Join a gym? Stop smoking? Though I stopped smoking years ago.

...start smoking?

Happy New Year!

Chicken or egg

2006-12-29T14:07:00.000Z

Professor Brookfield said: "The first living thing which we could say unequivocally was a member of the species would be this first egg, so I would conclude that the egg came first."

Do we really want to know that the egg came before the chicken, or do we just enjoy the puzzle?

But now we can wonder what eggs and kangaroos have in common?

"If a kangaroo laid an egg from which an ostrich hatched, that would surely be an ostrich egg, not a kangaroo egg," he added.

Or maybe we just need to find our own favourite fact among "100 things we didn't know last year"

Bring on 2007!

Lost Toolbox

2006-12-28T12:37:00.000Z

You occasionally see the lost cat or lost dog, reward offered, notices stuck to trees or gateposts. However, on the 24th we drove through one of our local villages where a 'Lost Toolbox' sign was stuck to a post.

It was right on a bend so I didn't get to read the fine print, but it may have read something along the lines of:

Lost Toolbox
If found please call owner on xxxxxxxxx,
who is missing his toolbox very much.

Toolboxes, along with powertools are quite popular Christmas presents. Did anyone get a second hand toolbox?

Christmas shopping

2006-12-22T10:50:00.000Z

I bought a book for 99p... the history of herring.

As we finished most of our Christmas shopping in October/November I thought a book about herring was appropriate. After all, a lot of pickled herring is eaten where I come from at Christmas.

Red

2006-12-01T09:13:00.000Z

A lot of air

2006-11-13T15:58:00.000Z

Australian scientists have created a T-shirt that allows air guitarists to play real music - without resorting to a real guitar.

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

Poppy appeal

2006-11-11T19:22:00.000Z

This morning in Trafalgar Square, thousands of people gathered to observe the Two Minute Silence.

We where at the swimming pool.

Responsible adult

2006-11-10T18:58:00.000Z

Having spend most of his life in nursery, today was 4 year olds last day. Next week he starts full time at school and we have a childminder to pick him up. "Mommy, my childminder is my new safe adult".

A safe adult is someone who ensures you are always safe, and someone you can trust, but how about a responsible adult?

This morning we parked the car at the parade and walked to the school bus stop to wait the usuall few minutes for the bus. The bus arrived, 4 year old got on, I waited and waived, and headed back to the car to drive to work. It wasn't till I stuck my hand in my pocket on the way back to the car I realised the carkey was not in my pocket. Panic!

With the key in the ignition and my handbag in the front seat I had been away for about 10 minutes. Luckily noone else had noticed and I could get in to the car and drive to work with my handbag still in the front seat.

I don't know what I would do without my handbag. I need it to keep my carkey safe!

Italian toilet humour

2006-11-07T15:28:00.000Z

at the Bolzano Museum of Modern Art in Italy a toilet which flushes to the sound of Italy's national anthem has been impounded by police.

"The prosecution... argue the symbolism of playing the anthem while flushing a toilet is an offence to the nation..."

Surely if this is the case it would be an offence to the artwork if this is seen as an offence?

Time heals

2006-11-05T07:09:00.000Z

About ten years ago I got involved with the wrong man. In the beginning it was like any other new relationship. We had fun, he made romantic gestures, etc. He had bad days, but we all have bad days, and we can all have a short fuse from time to time.

The bad days got more and more frequent, and less and less like the bad days you and I have, but more and more like the bad days in a nightmare. It slowly, almost unnoticably, crept in on the relationship.

One day I woke up and I was in a violent relationship, and that is just half the story.

8 years on I still get sleepsless nights and nightmares.

Cuppa tea?

2006-11-02T15:56:00.000Z

Living in England I have learned that a cuppa will fix all ailments. Apparently this includes being made redundant.

Yesterday my entire department was served their redundancy notices so this morning we had tea tasting. One of my colleagues had brought in some Lapsang Souchong for everyone to enjoy. Though, if you have ever put your nose anywhere near a bag Lapsang Souchong you may disagree with the use of the word 'enjoy'.

Lapsang Souchong smells a little like an old wooden ship.

Anyone have a ships biscuit for dunking?

Grumpy old people

2006-11-01T18:44:00.000Z

We survived our week visiting the family. We had a great few days at the seaside, even though it was raining. Climbing around the sand dunes was great fun, and we came back with sand in our pockets.

Some of the family visits where quite pleasant, but I dreaded visiting my grandmother. When a few weeks earlier I had spoken to on the phone and mentioned we would like to come by and visit when we came to Denmark she clearly wasn't interested so I dropped the subject. About a week later my mother mentioned theat my grandmother had said she would love for us to come and visit her when we came to Denmark, as if I hadn't mentioned anything. I let it drop.

When I finally called her after we arrived in Denmark and suggested we drop by she said we could come by for morning coffee. I offered that we would pick up some cake on the way so she wouldn't have to go out especially, she refused.

So why did I have to listen to how inconvenient it was for her that she had had such short notice, otherwise she could have arranged lunch, etc etc? I know she is 87, but is that an excuse for being rude about us not inviting ourselves early enough for her inconvience?

Next time she can invite us.

How do you hate a nation?

2006-10-21T22:04:00.000+01:00

I mean, I can think of a few french people I cannot stand, and then there is the... but I don't hate France or all french, or any other nation that I can think of.

Anyway, this is far too serious a subject for a saturday night, and tomorrow we go on holiday!

See you soon!

Things we say

2006-10-18T19:52:00.000+01:00

Adults are sarcastic but kids are cheeky. Once in a while we are all just funny.

I had had a long day, was tired and when I picked up 4 year old from school he was in a cheeky mood. A little cheekyness is normally not a problem, because he knows when to stop. But that day I had a short fuse so I told him to "stick it".

Me, "Stick that attitude, I'm not in the mood"
4 y.o., "Anyway, I have nowhere to stick it"

My short fuse had just been extended.

Bad luck

2006-10-16T07:53:00.000+01:00

Friday the 13th came and went, but the flumes at Tate Modern are still open, as far as i know.

For those of you not within travel distance of Tate Modern, you will just have to imagine the ride. Me; this I have got to try!

Cats and dogs

2006-10-11T19:23:00.000+01:00

Work is miserable at the moment. Not worth getting out of bed for really, but I still do. It was never the most interesting of jobs, but it's a very social team I work with so we have a laugh.

When I came home from work last night I could quite happily have thrown in the towel, but I was saved by the bell so to speak.

I was woken at about 4am by loud thunder followed by rain and more thunder and lightning. The thunder, lightning and rain lasted all morning and the dark clouds didn't start clearing till about lunchtime.

They say the darker seasons make people more depressed... I love rain!

Modern protest

2006-10-04T13:11:00.000+01:00

The peacefull protests of the sixties with flowers and plackards has been replaced by internet savvy youngsters. If you want attention a whole new creativity is required. Which is what the 4Gatos in Spain has managed.

"We did this because we want the president of Spain to do something about poverty and for the rest of the politicians to follow him, regardless of political affiliation," the statement said.

See the video of their mock theft of the spanish PM's parlimentary chair on their blogpost; Why, why not?

No, no, no...

2006-10-02T07:35:00.000+01:00

"Since that little blue line appeared on the pregnancy test, blue cheese, soft cheese (some say all cheese) has been banned. So has shellfish - cooked or not, depending on who you speak to - too much caffeine, bagged salad, bought coleslaw, and sin of sins, cigarettes.
Add to this, alcohol - some say never, others say sometimes - flax seed (I'm now told), pate, liver, raw eggs, marlin, shark, hot baths and saunas.
Oh, and MUST take folic acid."

But it is not just pregnant women who shouldn't eat this or do that.

We are al bombarded with:
- Watch your colesterol!
- Eat more fruit and veg!
- Exercise more!

But do we all need to lower our colesterol?
- My family have a genetic history of high colesterol so I have been tested. My colesterol is spot on.

How much more fruit and veg is really good for us?
- Citrus fruit and too much apple juice makes feel sick.

Exercise?
- Ok, I bit more probably wouldn't do me any harm, but overdoing it is not healthy either.

All I know is that folic acid in any shape or form made me throw up when I was pregnant, and surely one should listen to ones body?

...that is if one is not to busy to listen... tsk!

Christmas is here!

2006-09-28T18:13:00.000+01:00

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

2006-09-27T19:15:00.000+01:00

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

2006-09-21T15:14:00.000+01:00

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

2006-09-18T18:19:00.000+01:00

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

2006-09-12T13:38:00.000+01:00

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

2006-09-11T12:53:00.000+01:00

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

2006-09-08T12:32:00.000+01:00

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

2006-09-06T21:19:00.000+01:00

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

2006-09-06T13:33:00.000+01:00

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

2006-09-04T18:35:00.000+01:00

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

2006-09-01T08:18:00.000+01:00

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

Our car is at the garage for a service.

Where where you when...

2006-08-30T18:55:00.000+01:00

...Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris?

...The World trade centre was hit by flight 11?

...Trinity Cathedral in St.Petersburg burned down?

I totally missed the news about the fire which burned down part of a historic landmark, which was on my list to see!

Why didn't anyone tell me?

Brand happiness?

2006-08-29T12:56:00.000+01:00

“From an early age, I have been taught that to be accepted, to be loveable, to be cool, one must have the right stuff. At junior school, I tried to make friends with the popular kids, only to be ridiculed for the lack of stripes on my trainers.”

Who would not dream of a life in brand happiness?

I now benefit and agree with the lesson learned as a kid; that I do not need something just because playground rules say a specific brand is required to belong. I even agreed as a kid, as my parents spend time explaining it to me. With parents working in advertising they had all the right tools to convince me that brands where just that, brands.

Am I better off for having learned this lesson at an early age? Maybe, but it took a huge chunk of happiness out of my childhood.

How far should we let our kids stay happily ignorant of the powers of the world?

Read the blog; Bonfire of the Brands

"Honk if Pluto is still a planet"

2006-08-25T12:37:00.000+01:00

We no longer live on a planet.

"...it is impossible and contrived to put a dividing line between dwarf planets and planets... One of the three criteria for planethood states that a planet must have "cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit". The largest objects in the Solar System will either aggregate material in their path or fling it out of the way with a gravitational swipe.

Pluto was disqualified because its highly elliptical orbit overlaps with that of Neptune.

But Dr Stern pointed out that Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Neptune have also not fully cleared their orbital zones. Earth orbits with 10,000 near-Earth asteroids."

Aparently "Eight (planets) is enough"

And in other news, "The UK population has broken through the 60 million barrier for the first time in history"

Sorry, 60mill is enough, you cannot be part of the UK population,

A spoon full of sugar...

2006-08-24T22:56:00.000+01:00

I had a couple of birthday cards and a present to my pregnant friend in Denmark which needed posting, so I went to the post office in my lunch break.

Normally I would pick up a freshly made sandwich from the café in our office, but since I was out and about it was easier to pick something up in town, and we all know what they say about a change being as good as a holiday.

I went to Boots and had a ‘Delicious Wrap’, and it was delicious. I had a bag of ‘Delicious lightly salted hand cooked vegetable crisps’, not so delicious, but ok. Normally I would just have water with my lunch, but since the Boots meal deal included a free drink I thought I would give their ‘Delicious Cranberry & Blueberry Still Hi Juice Drink’ a try.

The Delicious range promises to have been ‘Created by food lovers exclusively for Boots’. Since when do food lovers love chemicals? I don’t buy many soft drinks, otherwise I would have remembered to read the small print!

Ingredients: Spring water, Cranberry Juice from concentrate, Blueberry Juice from Concentrate, Flavourings, Stabiliser, Preservatives, Sweeteners, Antioxidants, Citric Acid.

I can live with the odd preservatives, stabilisers, flavourings and antioxidants, but sweetener is a complete no go. Sugar is like fat, it adds the flavour! So what happens when you take sugar (and fat) out of my food? You take away my flavours!

Don’t replace my sugar with sweetener! Foodlovers love sugar!

And don't forget; I was Recommended. Please visit and leave a comment. It would be rude not to.

Guinea Pig

2006-08-23T18:45:00.000+01:00

I was never allowed a pet when I was a kid, as my dad was allergic to all kinds of furry animals. I did have a baby rabbit for a while, but he got sick and died. I didn't get another pet.

Dogs have never been a great love of mine, though I think I could get attached to a cat. However I have always been attracted to fish, so this year for my birthday my better half bought me a fishtank and I got 3 goldfish.

So how did I get a guinea pig on my blog? I was Recommended. Please visit and leave a comment. It would be rude not to.

@Recommended, Thanks for being my guinea pig in the world of blog renting.
@Everyone else who bid, another offer will be coming soon.

Continental café culture

2006-08-22T18:24:00.000+01:00

"We Brits just can't get enough of European cities. We spend holidays in romantic Rome or alternative Amsterdam, and rave about the cafes... Our attitudes toward European cities, like so much else European, are conflicted. We hanker after European standards of city living, but these are expensive - and few are willing to pay Continental levels of tax for the privilege."

Since when did continental taxes pay for the continental café life? Is the argument here that the continent has the city planning to allow for the café spaces? I have been to several truly continental cafés in small backstreet houses on the continent. We have small backstreet houses in Britain.

What the Continent have but the brits don’t is the café culture. How do you change a country culture? By raising our taxes?

When life goes wrong

2006-08-21T19:42:00.000+01:00

One day, years ago, I woke up and found that my life had taken a completely wrong turn. I still had a job but I lived in a back room of a kebab shop with debts piling up all around me. I lived on toast and baked beans, and that was on a good day.

But did I turn to my family for help? Did I turn to my best friends for help? I turned to a stranger. Not because I didn't think my family or best friends would have rushed to my rescue, but because of pride I guess.

The stranger became my friend for a reason.

Friendships who come into your life for a REASON often comes to an end. Not making them less important friendships.

Other people comes into your life for a SEASON. They bring you an experience or make you laugh. It is real, but only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teaches us lifetime lessons to build on. You accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Whether a friend for a reason, season or a lifetime, thanks for being part of my life.

Who's negative?

2006-08-19T20:00:00.000+01:00

Human beings have an amazing knack for remembering the positive and suppressing the negative.

For example, when I think back to the year I spend in Norway after college do I remember the minus 30 degrees celcius in the winter? Do I remember how you couldn't buy anything but low alcohol beers in the one shop? Do I remember the prices you had to pay for a pint of lager at the pub? No, I remember the beautiful views, the parties, the skiing. Ok I didn't really do that much skiing, even though I lived in a skiing resort.

And when I was at school, I hated school, do I remember why I hated school? No I remember the few good times I had.

And don't even get my started on what the weather was like when I was a kid!

As our four year old puts it, "It is always sunny at my school" (He starts this September)

Pickle

2006-08-17T21:24:00.000+01:00

I'm a keen gardener, but I wouldn't say my garden take first priority, more like 15th. So even though the intention is there I realised early on in my gardening career that I needed plants that needed minimum maintenance.

Olive trees are such a plant. They will even survive outside in the mild winters of southern England, so no need to wrap up or bring inside.

But since I have a leftover gene from my ancestors which tells me to grow my own food i thought I would try and preserve the olives from my olive tree this year. Since my parents have a huge vegetable garden I thought I would ask them first about what they knew about home grown olives. My parents live in Denmark though, and the winters there don't really allow for Olives, so the olive tree is for decorative purposes only. So I went for a search online.

It was fairly easy to find a good, and what looks like a fairly easy recipe on "How to treat fresh Olives". Wash and soak in a solution of salt and water... for up to six months!!!????

Even with 4 year olds constant testing of my patience, I am not sure my patience will stretch for preserving my own olives.

Cold calling

2006-08-13T07:21:00.000+01:00

Before anyone asks, no, we don't have caller display on our landline phones, and yes, it is a deffinate possibility for the near future.

Thursday night I was waiting to hear if my other half would catch his flight back to Heathrow. Normally he would just text me on my mobile, but with no handluggage allowed through airport security, this was not an option.

The phone rings while I am just reading 4 year old his bedtime story so I drop the book and leg it down the stairs.

"Good evening...", already now I know it was a waisted journey down the stairs, "This is John from Kitchens Direct, we have a special offer," I cut him off, "We're renting so not in the market for a new kitchen", he cut's me off, "Oh!", and he hangs up.

Whatever happened to, "Sorry to disturb you"!?

I haven't posted for a while

2006-08-11T18:49:00.000+01:00

...but I guess you noticed that.

...no?

Is it Friday yet?

2006-07-24T19:31:00.000+01:00

The weekend was over before it had started, which is quite commen at the moment. 4 year olds Dad has been working away from home for months, but until recently he always managed to work from home at least one day a week, but we should have known that would be too good to last.

We get up at 4.30am Monday mornings to take Dad to the airport and then go home and have breakfast and play with LEGO till it is time to go to nursery and work. Come lunchtime I am still half asleep.

Today I must have been particularly tired, because my collegue went out and got me a Boost energy chocolate bar to brighten my day. Boost was a whole new experience. Not quite sure if I actually liked the taste, but then it might have been better if it had been stored chilled, rather than on a shelf in a luke warm cafe.

Did it give me a boost though? Who knows what I would have been like if I hadn't had it!

Boost; Red Bull in a bar!

Are we there yet?

2006-07-21T12:48:00.000+01:00

A maths professor has worked out an equation to calculate how long into a car journey it takes a child to ask: "Are we nearly there yet?"

I am guessing he doesn’t have kids, as we all know that kids are totally unpredictable. They can spend hours puzzling over an elastic band, but a colouring book can go out of fashion before it has even been opened.

Food and drink on the other hand can keep kids quiet for hours, provided you have enough of it. A new packet of ricecakes can keep our 4 year old entertained for hours, though a Hoover is required afterwards.

Does that mean we never get the “are we there yet?” question? No, but it is not so much dredded because of the nature of the actual question, but because of what follows.

“Are we there yet?”. Silence. “Are we there yet, are we ther yet, are we there yet, NOOO!!!! That’s what Donkey says in Shrek (2)”, followed by another replay of the whole scene with narratives about the onion they ride in, and on, and on, and on…

Whatever you do, don’t let your kids watch Shrek 2!

V-22 Osprey

2006-07-20T19:03:00.000+01:00

There is something to be said for the sleak style of the B-1B Lancer, though the F16 is much more interesting to watch with all it's stunts. However, I would never have thought that I would know what a V-22 Osprey was.

Working next to Farnborough Airport becomes an event for about 2 weeks a year every two years when the Farnborough Airshow arrives.

Last week we where watching fighter planes and helicopters practising stunts every day, and this week they have all been showing off, but non as much as the Red Arrows when they escorted the new Airbus 380 past the viewing building.

But what is the airshow really about? Is it about fancy stunts or is it all about trade?

If you work next to the airport it is about timing your going to and from work to avoid the queuing. The other day I queued 20 minutes just to get out of the car park!

Style

2006-07-14T12:53:00.000+01:00

The Chap Olympics - “The annual event is hosted by Chaps Magazine - the bible for traditional gentlemen who are against the vulgarity of modern culture. The opening ceremony includes the lighting of the Olympic pipe.”

"Why not make an effort?" they ask.

Surely making an effort for this kind of event would not just include dressing appropriately, but making an effort with the picnic?
Cigarettes should surely be in a silver cigarette case?
Drinks out of glasses, and not plastic cups?

And don’t get me started on the supermarket plastic food containers!

George killed the Dragon

2006-07-12T19:08:00.000+01:00

The Royal Pavilion in Brighton is a masterpiece in architecture. ....

You can get a guided tour, and last time we went we came across a few school classes on guided tours. We, being just the ordinary tourists settled for the audio tours. Having visited the Royal Pavilion several times I mainly just carried my audiostick. But bringing 4 year old (previously 3 year old) added great value.

4 year old insisted on having his own audiostick. Every room had a number displayed, which he would carefully enter into the audiostick and he would then walk around listening with a serious face, and the occasional nod.

We walked into the first room and got, "George killed the Dragon", with a straigh face while he continued listening. "This is another yellow room", followed by, "This room is blue, I'm not listening anymore". Half way through, "It's not George anymore, it's John".

I'm not sure who John is though.

Air conditioning

2006-07-04T18:24:00.000+01:00

Air conditioning is great. We loved the air conditioning in our car when we drove back from France a few weeks back. It was 35 Celcius (95 Fahrenheit) outside.

In my office we have an all year around temperature of 18 degrees, which , when it is 30 outside feels like winter. When you walk out of the office and into the heat of the summer, it is like stepping of the airplane when you go from Europe to Asia Pacific in February.

Yesterday we took my parents to Gatwick airport after spending a last day of their visit in Brighton, walking along the beach. A light sea breeze is just what you want when the weather is hot and the sun shines from a blue sky. What you don't want is spending any time in an airport without airconditioning! Remind me not to fly from Gatwick in the summer.

Anorak

2006-06-20T21:28:00.000+01:00

When I was a kid I had an anorak. I never did train spotting, and my collection of license plates was short lived. I love computers and I have worked in technical support, but I am far from you usuall impression of a computer nerd. I could never stay with something long enough to be called an anorak. I am more of a butterfly.

Before we went on holiday our neighbours where looking at building a low wall around their front garden, but as they are both perfectionists in each their way, they where struggling getting the right type of brick to match the house. That was until they found their way to the brick anoraks. I can't remember the name of the company, or I would have had to advertise it, but they send out a guy who took one look at the house and announced the name of the correct brick.

Now they are just waiting for the bricklayer.

Public toilets

2006-06-12T18:59:00.000+01:00

When I was a child my mother would always insist I went to the toilet before we went anywhere, to avoid having to head straight for the nearest public toilet. It never worked. No matter where we went I was always desperate for the toilet by the time we got their, so needless to say, my mom got quite good at finding nice public toilets.

When I was about 14 we went to Lake Garda, Italy on holiday. While there we took a daytrip to Venice. My Dad found a multistorey where a little cash bought us a space in an otherwise full car park, and as per usual I was desperate for the toilet, even though I had been 1hour(?) earlier when we left the hotel.
My Mom found a local bar where we could have coffee and I could borrow the toilet. However, I opened the door to the cubicle, took one look at a hole in the ground and turned on my heals. I would rather burst than go to use the whole in the ground as a toilet.

Years later, and having spend many holidays etc finding publicly availably toilets in the most interesting places, and of different and mysterious kinds, I have almost overcome my oversion to weird toilets. But the hole in the ground... tsk.

We have just come back from a all over wonderfull holiday in France with friends. We had a long drive, but motorway stops usually have toilets, and only once did we come across these being holes in the ground. Luckily the handicap toilet had a normal toilet.

Big Brother

2006-05-23T18:21:00.000+01:00

I don't watch big brother, but big brother is welcome to watch me. In fact, my entire childhood, he pretty much was.

In Denmark, everyone born on the 21st of December and those born on the 21st June are specially selected for extra registration for statistical purposes. But then I moved to the UK, and I guess they kind of lost track of me.

However, if Big Brother wants to watch me, feel free Big Brohter, I have nothing interesting to show. Not to say my life is boring. Would I blog if it was? But my life would not make for great entertainment (I used the term great loosely in this context), and I doubt I would make it very far in the Big Brother house on Channel 4.

Not that I actually watch Big Brother, so I guess I wouldn't know, but I listen to the news on the radio, and somehow what happens in the Big Brother house is national news?

In my book

2006-05-22T18:02:00.000+01:00

"I want everything cleared before you go home", was the message me and my colleage was given at 4pm. Does want get? Want doesn't get happy people, and since happy people are usually more productive, I guess want doesn't get.

After having worked really hard and putting in extra time whereever possible when needed, a command like that just makes me want to come in at 9am, ensure I take my entire lunch hour and leave 5.30pm, and not a minute later. If I was to include executive stress in my work day, I would want the benefits that comes with it, and somehow the title of administrator doesn't really say executive to me.

People managers without people skills should join the army. Though, I'm not sure 'want gets' in the modern army?

How was your day?

Car vs. junk

2006-05-08T06:16:00.000+01:00

I love our car. Which is off course why we, like so many other people, park our car in the drive while we fill the garage with junk.

The problem off course is, that if we where to park the car in the garage we would have to put the junk in the drive and how would we get the car out?

There is off course another problem with parking the car in the garage. It doesn't actually fit. That is, if we folded in the wing mirrors we could probably fit it in at a squeeze, but I wouldn't much fancy having to reverse the car out of a tight space with no wing mirrors. And more importantly, if there isn't even room for the wing mirrors, how would I open the doors to get out? Anyone fancy a climb through the boot?

When they buildt our garage, I think they had the old Mini Cooper in mind.

He loves me, he loves me not...

2006-05-04T21:08:00.000+01:00

They where talking about marriage on the radio, and the current theme at 3 year olds nursery is marriage and weddings. They are doing a role play wedding, and 3 year old is the groom.

"Do you think Daddy should marry Mommy?"
"yes, but Daddy doesn't like to marry anybody"

From the innocent children shall you hear the truth. I guess I might as well give up on ever getting married.

"You can marry me Mommy!"

And you can always rely on 3 year old to say the right thing to cheer me up.

Gadget graveyards

2006-04-28T12:58:00.000+01:00

I haven’t got an ice cream maker or a bread machine, it would just be cheating. Home made bread is only really home made if you have flour all over your clothes and floor to prove it, and as for home made ice cream… I just haven’t got room in the freezer.

According to the BBC, “This list of unused gadgets is a graveyard of good intentions. Gathering dust with the ice cream maker are the fondue set, the keep-fit video and foot spa.”

The article closes off with the, “ So unless there's some way of massaging the figures as well, steer clear of the ice cream gadgets and health machines.”

But off course, if you must have an ice cream maker, ensure you get the exercise bike with it, and when you use one, you use the other.

I have got an exercise bike.

The price of beef

2006-04-10T18:44:00.000+01:00

Would you pay £85 for an extremely fatty beef sandwich? Now you can, at Selfridges. Ok, so it contains foie gras & black truffle mayonnaise, but it is the densely marbled Wagyu beef that drives the price up.

What I find confusing is how it can be;

Food and catering director at Selfridges on Oxford Street, Ewan Venters, said: "Well it is definitely a very healthy, a very hearty sandwich.

As well as contain Wagyu beef with its dense marbling;

The marbling is so dense that the lean muscle to marbling ratio can reach 9:1, or 90% fat to 10% meat.

But then again, like Sushi, I never did claim to understand Japanese foods.

Horseshoes

2006-04-06T18:18:00.000+01:00

When I was younger I often had a sore back. I had my back X-rayed and it was establised my right leg was slightly shorter than the left, causing my spine to curve the vrong way. Apparently an inlay in my right shoe should fix this problem. I tried that.

Then I got my first job in catering I started walking, however many miles a waiter walks a day*, in shoes with heals, and hey presto, no more back ache. You could argue it was the walking which helped my posture, but I vote for the shoes.

For years I have worked desk jobs, but kept the high heals, and my back only ever aches if I, for whatever reason, do not wear heals for longer periods of time.

High healed shoes, are my lucky shoes. Maybe this is why they sound like horses when I walk on the pavement?

"Mommy, wear these (high heals). they sound like horses", 3 year old.

*an average waiter walks around 6-10 miles a day

Charity starts at home

2006-03-17T18:17:00.000Z

Charity might start at home, but where does it end up?

"Only a small proportion of the clothes that go to charity shops will be put on sale in this country. Most of them are bought by rag traders and sent to Africa where they are resold. So who wins from the arrangement?"

I donate my old clothes to charity who sells it on, making a profit, hopefully. I cannot see a problem

The company who buys the 2nd hand clothes from the charity makes a profit. Now hold on, I am donating to their profit?

Communities in Africa benefits from the trade. Give a man a fish and he will not be hungry for a day. Teach him to fish and he will not go hungry for a lifetime. Are we taking their industry away from them? Are we destroying their potential wealth?

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received this e-mail in error you must not copy, distribute or take any action in reliance on it. Please notify the sender by e-mail or telephone.
We utilise an anti-virus system and therefore any files sent via e-mail will have been checked for known viruses. You are however advised to run your own virus check before opening any attachments received as we will not in any event accept any liability whatsoever once an e-mail and/or any attachment is received. Any views expressed by an individual within this e-mail do not necessarily reflect the views of Systems Union Group plc or any of its subsidiary companies.

Lucky spider

2006-03-16T18:17:00.000Z

"Cleaning away the cobwebs; cleaning out the old, to make room for the new."

So when today, I found a spider spining it's web on the inside of my windscreen, on the drivers side, while I was driving to work this morning, it means what exactly?

Did someone clean out the old cobwebs to make room for the new?

Car valeting is not my forte. I usually end up with a quick run through the car wash, and a sweep with the wetwipes across the dashboard. Baby wipes where made for cleaning, and now that our son is all grown up (he will be 4 in June), the baby wipes are used for cleaning the car.

Maybe I should leave the lucky spider in the car. Though I would prefer it hanging from my rear view mirror.

Windmill

2006-03-09T12:38:00.000Z

Rising oil prices? Get your own windmill!

"Power to the people"

Trust me...

2006-03-03T18:18:00.000Z

Discussing the different things people have been giving up for lent, one of my colleagues suggested I have given up trust, but not just for lent.

I used to trust people at least as far as I could throw them, and working in hotel you get quite strong from lifting tables and barrels of beer around. However, not much of that trust is left.

My parents always used to say, that at the end of the day, you could always trust your family, like the unconditional love between a mother and her child. Then I grew up and learned the hard way that all trust can be broken, even the trust between parent and child.

I still love my parents, but I don't trust them.

Beginning of lent

2006-02-28T13:09:00.000Z

Do you celebrate Mardi Gras (fat tuesday), the Venice carnical, pancake day (sponsored by Jiff) or Fastalavn?

Living in the UK it is officially the day for pancakes with lemon juice. However, back in the country where I was brought up we had another way of getting rid of our excess flour, milk and eggs. We make fastalavnsboller, which is basically a bun with a custard centre. Not dissimilar to the American donut. Is it more than danish pastry which originated in Denmark. (Not that danish pastry actually originated in Denmark, but that is another story).

So if you don't fancy flipping pancakes onto your kitchen ceiling tonight, have a donut.

The war of the labels

2006-02-26T21:14:00.000Z

I am sure most people are aware of the war of labels such as Coca Cola and Pepsi, not to mention the big car labels, but those are not the labels I am thinking of, or is it?

The war of the food labels is all the hype in the UK at the moment. Will the governments recommendation of red, yellow, green, the traffic light code prejudice some foods? And would that be a bad thing?

If we look at the products of some of the food companies who object maybe we can understand better why they don't want the consumers to be able to easily identify which foods are good, and which are bad?

A spoonfull of sugar (might) help make the medicine go down...

The Pizza cure

2006-02-24T13:01:00.000Z

When I was a child I would eat minimal meals. Sending me to bed without dinner wasn’t actually much of a punishment for me. At school I would sell my sandwiches, and if I didn’t like what was being served for dinner I would just eat nothing.

Then we went on holiday to Switzerland, just across from the Italian border, and one day we went across to Italy for lunch at a pizzeria. I was about 12, and my parents was surprised when I finished a whole pizza. They almost fell of their chairs when I asked if I could have another pizza, and ate it. I have loved pizza ever since. When I turned 30 I had Pizza every day for a whole week.

Now I love food.

Diet season

2006-02-21T19:07:00.000Z

Like most people I have eaten more than my fair share for Christmas and New Year, and a holiday in January didn't help, but does that mean i have to rush to sign up at the gym or go on a crash diet? And what is worse, do I have to talk about it constantly?

I'm constantly on a diet. In December it was mainly a diet of cake and chocolate, mixed with a diet of over eating and little exercise. End of February and I am getting back to my usual diet of 5 fruit and veg a day and plenty of water, and even the odd occurrance of exercise.

What is this facination with talking about diets? I don't get it.

(Eating Disorders Awareness Week)

My stamp collection

2006-02-17T18:18:00.000Z

My aunt collected napkins when she was a child, at school we collected stickers, but I collected Coca Cola. Don't say I was ever influenced by marketing. I was. Still am. It's an educated choice. There is something about the Coca Cola logo that noone can beat... it's red for starters!
But I guess I was never much of a collecter. I still have my can's, bottles and glasses in a box somewhere in my parents basement (I think). I am glad I gave up my collecting mania. I was never any good anyway. Nothing like the CocaColaLoft.

Maybe I should have just collected stamps.

Famous danes

2006-02-16T19:09:00.000Z

Apart from being danish I have no claim to fame, what-so-ever, but then I am neither a cartoonist or an actor.

There are two danish famoush careers going at the moment;

1. Cartoon artist
2. James Bond Villain

But when did the Danes become the bad guys? (not mentioning the Vikings off course)

Emergency spending

2006-02-15T18:50:00.000Z

What do you need in an emergency?

Martian Anthropologist has a post about Katrina victims spending money on sex toys

Spending federal disaster money on a .45 caliber pistol could be seen as an emergency expense. However, I am sure I could also find an argument (far fetched, but nevertheless) for spending the funds on a diamond ring... diamonds are a girls best friend, and a best friend is always handy in an emergency.

Backseat driver

2006-02-08T18:36:00.000Z

When I first got my driving license my Dad used to always encourage me to drive if we where going somewhere, so I could get more driving experience. However, I refused to drive if he was in the car. When you are a new driver you don't need someone commenting on every little move you make, or don't make. He used to tell me (he called it advice) when to change gear. Usually just before I was going to do it anyway.

I have now had my license for many years, and have had several years of driving experience. I know when to follow the rules, and when it is safer to break a few (when driving in London eg). Even my dad lets me drive in peace on the rare occasion when he is a passenger in my car (he was never a very good passenger).

..then I got a 3 year old and it has started all over again. "You're over the line", "both hands on the steering wheel", "You're driving to fast", is lines I hear from the back seat all the time... from our 3 year old!

Freedom

2006-02-06T19:18:00.000Z

The power of cartoons (click link)

Restaurant review

2006-02-06T19:15:00.000Z

Having worked in the hotel and catering business for years when I was younger, it takes alot to impress me. Lobster and cavier? Smoked salmon? No thank you, I would rather have a cucumber sandwich. And I'm not even particularly fond of cucumber.

However, this weekend we had lunch at the Lion and Lamb Bistro in Farnham (UK)... What can I say, their mushroom and stilton soup was yummy. I should have ordered a double portion.

Is it essential to life?

2006-02-04T21:55:00.000Z

We have an old PS1 which hardly ever gets used. Ok, so we haven't got many games for it, and all the new games are made for PS 2, and the arguments for updating have been endless. But it is not for me to say what he spends his money on, though spending it on a toy that will spend most of it's life collecting dust, till PS3 comes out and it gets replaced, seems a little pointless to me.

He found an answer. How to prove that a new Playstation is needed? Use the old one more. Buy more games. It seems simple, and a game of Pong arrived. A classic, which I remember playing on TV as a kid (Yes, I am that old).

Nostalgia took over and now we are the proud owners of an Atary, and a box of games, including PacMania and OutRun.

If updating is too expense, downdate. A change is as good as a holiday.

Upper Crust

2006-02-04T16:51:00.000Z

We went to the monthly market in a local town nearby. Brick'a'brack, arts & craft, and olives and bread. Sampled the olives and bought an assortment, and went to the bread stall to purchase a loaf for lunch.

"Have you seen the footballers?", said the stall owner to our 3 year old, indicating the gingerbreadmen in football shirts. "Yes, but I have not seen the boats. There is water but no boats", was the reply.

When we walked towards the market we had to cross the creek and the white gazebos which the stalls where under, looked like sailing ships from a distance. The bread guy promised to bring sailing ships next time.

We didn't buy a gingerbread man, but got ourselves a medieval loaf, with the story of why we say the upper crust and why the bread is baked as a round bread with a smaller round bread on top, the upper crust.

"The bread was placed as a raw lump of dough, straight into the bread oven. With no bread tin, it just sits on the floor of the oven. The oven is heated by the adjacent fire and is very hot at the bottom. When the bread is done baking and taken out to cool, the base of the loaf is overcooked black and also dirty. The top of the loaf is done just right, and still clean. The bottom of the loaf is for the servants to eat, while the upper crust is for the master of the house."

Stick it

2006-02-02T18:38:00.000Z

Smoking has been on the decline for as long as I can remember. Non-smoking restaurants and pubs are becoming more commonplace by the day. But did we really smother our smoking habits, or did we just replace them with another habit? Chewing gum anyone?

Apparently chewing gum sales are up, especially among the 45-54 year olds. So previously we used to extinguish our cigarette buds with our stiletto heals, now we just spit out our gum, awaiting someone elses stilettos to step in it.
________________________________________

History of chewing gum: Short version / Long version

Home sick

2006-01-31T19:33:00.000Z

I have lived in England most of my adult life, so when I go home, I go to England. It took my family a while to get used to hearing me say, "I'm going home ...", when I was visiting them in Denmark. Home is where I hang my hat, and I can't say I have really missed my original country. I have missed family and friends, and I still wish my best friend wasn't so far away, but it was not till last week I realised there was one thing I missed about not living in Denmark. The weather.

Most of the year the weather in Denmark is pretty much the same as southern England, only a few degrees colder, but winter is different.

We have had snow. Big fluffy snowflakes falling from the sky, but melting almost as soon as they hit the ground, where as in Denmark we have just spend a week playing in the snow.

Showeling snow and icy roads is a small price to pay for being able to race down hills on sledges, building snowmen and having snowball fights.

I love snow!

A whale of a time...

2006-01-20T16:47:00.000Z

"You can take the girl out of the city, but you cannot take the city out of the girl". It's a well known quote, but I have no idea who said it, do you?

Nevertheless, a truer word could not be spoken of me. I was not born in a big city, and I do not live in a big city, but I am and will always be a city girl at heart.

Even the whales are flocking to London!

E85

2006-01-16T18:13:00.000Z

If you are a whiskey drinker you will appreciate this article about bio fuel.

"You drink the best and you drive the rest," quips Graham Hilton who works for Wessex Grain's bioethanol subsidiary Green Spirit Fuels.

Not only is this new fuel better for our environment, it also encourages whiskey drinking. The more Whiskey we drink, the more leftover grain there will be for fuel for our cars.

As long as it is done in the right order... drive before you drink.

Gourmet

2006-01-13T18:40:00.000Z

You can look at a persons car and it will say something about them, or how about their shoes? Shoes says alot about people. Mine says I need a butler so they can be polished. So I guess they also say I haven't got a butler. Which is why I have to do my own supermarket shopping.

I am not one of those odd creatures who actually enjoys supermarket shopping, but since it has to be done I try to not let it bother me.

So what is in everybody's shopping basket? Salmon or fish fingers? Who is single and lives on ready meals, and who has a large family on a budget? Who does their shopping influenced by the latest gourmet trends and who buys 2-for-1 offers?

What does you shopping say about you?

C'est bonne

2006-01-11T18:44:00.000Z

I don't really speak any french. I remember getting what was equivalent of a C in french at college, purely because my prenounciation sounded like I knew what I was saying.

Since then I have actually been to france, which always helps, but I would still be lost if someone tried to explain me the way to the nearest post office. Is internet cafe the same in french as in english?

In a couple of years I can get my 3 year old to translate for me. He is learning french at nursery. This morning when we whwre having breakfast he put his tumb up and pronounced, "C'est bonne!"

We want it all

2006-01-06T17:45:00.000Z

Don't we all want it all? Sure we do, but what is 'all'? We all know you can't have your cake and eat it. Unless you get two cakes and only eat one... or how does that work?

BBC's "How does women have it all" talk about how you, as a woman, can have a top career and a family, but is that having it all? Wouldn't having it all be 100% of you time to spend on your career, 100% for yourself and 100% for your family?

Talk about multi-tasking!

Living in a Robot age

2006-01-03T18:56:00.000Z

Went to Tesco to pick up washingup liquid. How much washingup liquid is needed when you have a dishwasher? Twice as much as normal, when it's Christmas and New Year it appears.

All their "quick tills"/"basket only", or whatever the name is at Tesco, where unattended, but it appeard this is the new trend. You have to scan out your own groceries!

Do you get a discount if you scan out your own groceries? Or is it just another plot to boost Tesco profits and increase staff cuts? In which case scanning out your own groceries would mean you support the expensive lifestyle of Tesco shareholders at the same time as supporting higher unemployment!?

Whatever happened to service?

Life is a fantasy

2006-01-02T22:06:00.000Z

No, I'm not about to start playing fantasy games, but with a 3 year old in the house life is sometimes like living in a fantasy world.

"this pig is flying"

So since pigs are flying, it's time to make those New Year resolutions nobody can even be bothered with anymore.

1. ...?

Now I just have to think of something to resolute.

Happy New Year!

2005-12-31T22:24:00.000Z

There is something to be said for the great british curry. It makes the no.1 spot on BBC's 100 Things list!

They even managed to get an "only in America..." in at no.23, followed closely by France and Canada at no.27. Subpoena a dog? Under 18s banned from using sunbeds?

There is statistics about how far parking attendants walk each day, how many minutes British passengers waited for delayed trains in 2004, and the hotter it is, the more difficult it is for aeroplanes to take off. So a little like the trains: The wrong type of heat, or snow, or leafs on the runway...

Happy New Year!

Hands up...

2005-12-30T18:23:00.000Z

...who got "The Annoying Thing" as a soft toy for Christmas?

I can't say I remember seeing the actual TV ad campaign, but there has been so many TV adverts since then. My favourite add of the year has got to be the Sony's 'Life as a bouncy ball'

But which ad is the true winner this year? Not anyone's personal favourite, (apart from the creators maybe?), but still a winner? M&S's food advert. The ad you love to hate is always memorable. So memorable indeed, that comedy caught onto it. It get's my vote.

It's art!

Waiting game

2005-12-25T22:04:00.000Z

Christmas day, and just sitting waiting for boxing day and the beginning of the sales.

With most of the presents opened last night, keeping 3 year old up till 10pm, and having a lie in this morning, we can waste the day away with eating and drinking.

So what makes most sense. Go to bed early on Christmas eve so you can get up early on Christmas day to open presents, or stay up late on Christmas eve and open presents, and have a lie in on Christmas day?

I'm not a morning person, and considering a lie in is 8.30am, imagine what an early morning would be!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Santa is in town

2005-12-22T07:05:00.000Z

I heard on the radio yesterday morning about parking Santa. Apparently he leaves a note and £30 whereever he sees a parkingticket on a car.

Not quite sure where it was, as I wasn't really paying attention to the radio at the time, but if £30 pays the fine it can't be London.

However, should Santa really be encouraging law breakers?

Golden Shoes

2005-12-19T19:34:00.000Z

A-Ha is back!? But do they still have the golden shoes?

4th Sunday in Advent

2005-12-18T19:47:00.000Z

Lollipops

2005-12-17T16:28:00.000Z

"i don't allow my children to have lollipops", from the mother who's kids stuff themselfes with crisps and sweets at any given oppertunity. She continued, "My oldest once came home with a lollipop from school, 'It was Girls birthday and all there was, was lollipops'".

Has she taught her children why they don't want to eat lollipops? Something to do with their teeth I am sure. The perfect Mom... ?

If it's a party or holiday, it's a party / holiday for everyone. Adults get to have wine and beer, and kids (1 x 3 year old) gets to have sweets and chocolate. He has learned his own limits. From last easter when he finally had enough chocolate. "You can have too much chocolate", to a few weekends ago when we went to Belgium, land of chocolate, and he was given an option between chocolate or lunch and he chose lunch.

I never understood the parents who would have the biggest ice cream on the chart and when they asked their kids which ice cream they wanted they told them, "no, you can have one of those", pointing at the smallest ones, and cheapest. A big ice cream soon taught our son there is a limit to how much he can eat of the sweet stuff.

I love ice cream and chocolate, but I also like lamb a nice pizza, pasta dish, lamb roast and raw carrots.

Big ice creams is not something to aspire to. Know your own limits.

Best friends

2005-12-16T18:03:00.000Z

Croaker thinks he is "not a good friend", an then he continues his post with describing how he holds his close friends really dear. Is that not a good friend?

Friends come and go, but some you keep forever, come rain come shine. I have a friend like that. She lives in another country, but she is still my best friend. She is there when I need a shoulder to cry on, or to share my happiness, and ditto for when she needs me.

She is a friend who would happily jump on a plane to come and see me if I asked her, and hopefully she knows I would do the same.

This year her and her other half is coming to stay for New Year!!! I am over the moon!!! 2006 is going to be a great year!

Seeing double

2005-12-14T18:17:00.000Z

"Mommy, that Lady doesn't have two faces?"

One of my work colleagues has two faces. You cannot see them. She is always nice to everyone, and everyone loves her. That is until you turn your back, and she cannot stand most people she works with.

It's the, "Hi! How are you!" with a big smile to someone she will spend hours criticising and back stabbing once the person is out of sight.

Be weary of people who are too friendly.

Cut off the old blog

2005-12-13T19:22:00.000Z

We have been cutting out christmas trees and stars and sticking on card to post before Christmas. I now know why we only have a small family.

But talk about cutting, I had my hair styled a couple of weekends ago. Well, a cut and blow dry, but they probably couldn't justify charging £38 for anything less but a hair styling.

When I first had my hair cut, sorry, styled, by Karl, I was charged noticeably less, but he was only a junior stylist then. Unfortunately he was rather good, so his prices has sky rocketed since then.

So what did I get for my money, apart from the fancy name and a haircut? A glass of redwine and a fit young guy at my beck-n-call for about 45 minutes? There is something to be said for having a young guy tell you how wonderfull your hair looks, even though he gets paid to say it.

A glass of wine and I'm anybody's. Time flies and my hair keeps growing, and the ends keeps splitting.

I want a Christmas tree

2005-12-12T18:53:00.000Z

Every year you hear about the mad rush of parents trying to get the toy of the year for their kids. I have no idea what the toy of the year is this year, but for the first time we are having our own little christmas present challenge.

From the kid, when asked what he wanted for Christmas, "I want a christmas tree", we got a "Letter for Father Christmas" courtesy of his nursery. He wants a space ship!

I'm guessing they didn't feel "lightsabre" was an appropriate wish for a 3 year old. Maybe letting him watch Star Wars was not such a good idea? Should we have let him watch Lord of the Rings instead? Do they do cuddly toy Golums?

Meanwhile... any ideas where you find a space ship fit for a 3 year old?

3rd Sunday in Advent

2005-12-10T18:18:00.000Z

Bread and butter

2005-12-08T13:26:00.000Z

Rumour has it, it has something to do with gravity, butter being heavier than most slices of toast. But does bread really always land butterside down?

If our toaster could butter the toast as well as toast the bread, our breakfast would have landed butterside down. When did the toast start flying out of the toaster? We need a new toaster.