Santa Claus is coming to town...

Merry Christmas one and all. (Is it me, or is Santa getting younger?)

There's an angel floating round this house

10th Oct 1959 - 18th Dec 2000: Justice for Kirsty

God save the queen

I had a day's leave on Wednesday, and my best friend V was off sick, so we had a nice long gossip on the phone. I had the telly on. Jeremy Kyle was finished so I channel hopped and found the opening of parliament. V and I were somewhat surprised to see, in amongst all the pomp amd ceremony - a woman proudly holding a santa hat on a stick.



Turns out it is actually the cap of maintenance. Clearly we learnt bugger all at our London convent school. Well, except the rhythm method (and no, that has NOTHING to do with music)

Walking in a winter wonderland

Today didn't quite pan out as expected. I expected the usual dull work day, although I was due to take Lauar to school as husband is in London...but then it snowed. Boy, did it snow. Up early, and tuned it local radio (who were doing a stonking job) and finally at 8.05am, like almost every other school in the area, the announcment came that laura's school was closed. She prompted got dressed,and raced outside to enjoy it to the full...




By 9.30 we had built a snowman, and had a snowball fight!





Laura declared this to be the best day in her life ever.

However, for this 5 year old it got even better. Look what happened later...



She lost her first tooth.

Make it magnificent tonight

Prompted by Scarlet's Jukebox Monday Blondie track, here are my two favourite tracks:



Not filmed by me....and be warned, the sound is shocking....but I was there. I'm one of the heads bopping up and down in about the third row, right in front of the stage.




And here is she is again.....I don't care what she injects into her face....this is one of the most beautiful women on the planet.

Living in a windmill in old Amsterdam

I moan about my job - don't we all - and quite often the moaning is justified. In fact, it is what keeps me (vaguely) sane. But sometimes...just sometimes...there is something that makes it almost bearable. Some folks envy the international travel, but you know....a boring meeting is a boring meeting whatever the timezone. Airports are crap....hotels are the same the world over.

However, this week, on a mundane trip to Leiden, one of the nice things happened. We entertained our guests by chartering a boat on the canals of Amsterdam. An hour and a half of cruising the beautifully lit waterways, while we were plied with strong drink and canapes. Then dropped at a very very nice restaurant, for dinner in a private room.

(I didn't take the picture below - foolishly forgot my camera - but you get the idea).

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow..

And it did....a bit...


(view from my bedroom window...sunday morning)

Life's what you make it

And here are some images of my life (well, my life as a mum) over the past few weeks.


We did baking during half-term, and as everyone knows, licking the bowl afterwards is the best bit.





Laura has joined Rainbows, and this is what she made at her first meeting.





We had a halloween party.



It was fun!

The phantom of the opera

I got all spontaneous last week (which is most unlike me - I am a control freak - out and proud!), and I went up t'opera. I had to go down south for a conference, more of which later, and hoped to meet up with a colleague of mine who is living in London temporarily. She is from the US, and is really making the most of her time in London. So she was going to the ROH to see Elektra, and suggested I joined her. I did. I got a very cheap seat, practically in the rafters, and off we went. And I have to say it was great.

Now, Opera isn't really my thing - I have only been to one live opera before, and I left at the interval. It was Gloriana, and I'm sorry - it was rubbish! I have only ever left a live performance early once before in my life - that was a musical version of Scrooge at the Opera House in Manchester. Both of these events were free tickets - I wonder if I would have stayed longer if I'd actually paid for the seats?

And....I had no idea you got subtitles at the Opera! What a brilliant idea. Could have done with those at Gloriana, and that was in bloody English....In posts passim I have mentioned that I am hearing impaired, and although I did actually have my hearing aid with me for a change...AND the Opera House loop system was working (not a given in public places, unfortunately)...I really loved having the subs.

Oh, and what a corking story....so much blood...so much emotion...so much wild dancing....so much falling down, overwhelmed. That was the performers, btw, not me. I was, however, actually, literally, on the edge of my seat.

I don't think I am now an opera convert. This was a particularly exciting show, and a particularly short show. One hour, 45 minutes, and no interval. However, the husband did (somewhat hopefully) leave a pile of Richard Strauss CDs in my study. I have put them back in his room....let's not go barmy!

But, having enjoyed this one...you never know...I might go to another one someday. Maybe some of my blogging friends might like to suggest some titles a still slightly opera-phobic might enjoy?

The evening was rounded off by dinner and beer at Belgo, which was nice....but being a Belgian beer aficionado, I was vaguely disappointed...dunno why...maybe I built it up to much much.

Champion the wonder horse

Or rather, Lizzie the champion librarian and internet geek....Scarlet...here is the version of White Horses you would not be embarrassed to have in your collection at any age...

You know, I really love t'internet

There's a long long trail a-winding.....

Philip Whiteley (at the back of the picture, with the moustache) born in Leeds in 1889, son of William and Mary Anne. Private 3/9126, 12th Bn., West Yorkshire Regiment. Died in France, 23rd March 1917, aged 28. Awarded the Victory Medal and the 1914 Star. His father, William Whiteley, who died in November 1943, is buried with Philip's medals.

We have loved him in life, let us not forget him in death.

Six random things

I've been tagged by Kevin to list six random things about me. Ho hum...

1) I have a moderate hearing loss. Hearing loss is graded as mild, moderate and severe. Trust me, it doesn't seem moderate when the DVD doesn't have subtitles, or the person you are trying to communicate with is mumbling, has a beard, or is simply looking the other way when they are talking to you. I have a hearing aid. I ought to have two, but I lost one..whoops! They are so uncomfortable I take them out when I don't need them. Then I forget where I have put them, and I lose them.

2) I have joint hypermobility. That's doubled jointed in layman's terms. It ain't that fancy. It's why I keep falling over and knackering my knees. But, on the positive side I can bend my thumbs and elbows into really obnoxious angles, and it really turns some people's stomachs! Also, I can clap with my feet - like a seal. Try it...stretch your legs straight, then try to turn your feet inwards, so you can clap the soles together. Great for dinner parties!

3) Despite working in libraries since I was 16, it was not my chosen career. Oh no. It was a future treading the boards for me. I was passionate about the theatre from an early age, exceled in drama at school, was in the school plays, studied Drama for two years on a sort of pre-Drama school foundation course, where we did dance, singing, speech, etc. I even have LAMDA medals....but I knew in my heart I wasn't good enough. I thought I'd do stage management instead - ideal for a perfectionist control freak, and I was the only one on my drama course who could change a plug. But I realised I would be destined for a life in the wings, disappointed that I hadn't been focused enough for the stage, and envying the ones who made it. Girls I was at college with ended up in Nanny, Emmerdale and Cracker.

4) I have a bodhran, but I can't play it. It is decorated. I got it for my 30th birthday. It used to be on my wall so I could just look at it, which filled me with joy.

5) I learnt the words to The Lion and Albert to impress a bloke. He was impressed, but it didn't get me anywhere.

6) I discovered Botero when I was in Colombia this year. Totally my sort of artist. Despite being married to a fella with a Fine Art degree, my taste is art is very low brow, I'm afraid.

So, I now have to tag six other folk, who need to link back to me.....and reveal six random things.....so, over to you Kate, Bev, TKW and all three members of the chasing sheep household.

Knowing me, knowing you....

Pinched from ...tea stains.

1. Where is your mobile? Upstairs, next to my bed. The work mobile is switched off - hurrah
2. Where is your significant other? Work
3. Your hair colour? Basically brown, with blonde and red bits...added, not natural.
4. Your mother? On her way to visit me, apparently.
5. Your father? Ditto
6. Your favorite thing? Reading in bed
7. Your dream last night? Chainsaws...
8. Your dream/goal? Success
9. The room you're in? Living room
10. Your hobby? Mostly sleeping
11. Your fear? Loss
12. Where do you want to be in six years? Up for discussion!
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. What you're not? Very well
15. One of your wish-list items? Thinness
16. Where you grew up? Heston.
17. The last thing you did? Got out of bed
18. What are you wearing? pyjamas
19. Your TV? Love it..
20. Your pets? Two cats
21. Your computer? Dell laptop...tiny...fits in a (large) handbag
22. Your mood? Feed up of being poorly
23. Missing someone? Katie - out of the country so no gossip!
24. Your car? Citroen Picasso
25. Something you're not wearing? Undies! I'm in my pjs
26. Favourite shop? Urban Outfitters at the mo...it'll change
27. Your summer? France
28. Love someone? My daughter
29. Your favorite color? Blue
30. When is the last time you laughed? This morning - at some Laura did I expect.
31. Last time you cried? Couple of weeks back

Have a go yourself......

So long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Adieu...

Goodbye to my tonsils. I go into hospital at midday tomorrow, and by tea time (that's dinner time for you soft southerners) tomorrow I will be less of woman than I was when I went in.

As I have regularly mentioned in this blog, I am an absolute martyr to my tonsils, with anywhere up to four bouts a year. Enough is enough, and they are coming out.

I am only in hospital over night, and then I am off on the sick for a minimum of two weeks. How flippin' brilliant is that? A doctor's note to say that I can switch off the laptop and mobile phone for 10 working days.

I have a stack of books, DVDs, mags, sewing and suduko puzzles, and I am going to jolly well enjoy myself. Well, once the anesthetic wears off and the pain relief drugs kick in.

I may blog...

Especially for you

These are for you, Kevin - to show how much fun it is to work in a public library...



1984/85...Open Day at Hounslow Library. We had moved to the other end of the High Street, into a bunch of pre-fabs, in a car park, next to the careers centre, while the old library was torn down and replaced with a new shopping centre, library and theatre. Guess what..visits and issues went down, so we held an open day to remind people where we were. This included staff dressing up as Postman Pat and Jess the Cat, walking up and down the High Street, handing out balloons and leaflets.



Next stop, Twickenham District Library, summer of 86, just before I migrate up north to do my librarianship degree. The Borough Children's Librarian actually sought me out specially to wear the Spot costume because somebody had spilled the beans that I was game for a laugh. I didn't even work in children's..heck..at that stage I ran the Twickenham Housebound Service. (Shows how seriously they took that service...I was the second most junior library assistant,age 20, and I was responsible for the book selection, and the management of the WRVS volunteers!). The highlight of the day was that access to the staffroom was via the reference library, which was quite a laugh as I came scooting through dressed as a dog. Actually, I'm not sure any of them noticed.




Then, my swansong. Summer of 88, just before my final year at Library School, I went back to Hounslow Library....still in the same pre-fabs, but this was the summer they moved back to the new library. Children's summer programme. The girl with the green hair is actually the assistant children's librarian. I'm the one in the basball cap. I think I was a punkesque clown.




And finally, this one really is for you, Kev. Back to 85 and the Open Day...what better to celebrate libraries than to have a BOOKSALE!! (And the tall lad is my brother, who by that stage was a saturday assistant in same library)

I believe in Father Christmas

OK...Mum, Dad, friends B & M...you win. I WILL start taking Laura to Church tomorrow.

"Mum..is Father Christmas always with us?"

"No, that's God."

"But, does Father Christmas watch over us?"

"No, that's God too."

"But is Father Christmas higher than God."

"No, trust me, Father Christmas is nothing to do with God."

It's just my imagination

So, we had Laura's parent/teacher meeting last week. She has two lovely teachers this year: Mrs B and Mrs L. Mrs B was actually her teacher last year too, so I'm pleased she moved up with the class. We didn't know Mrs L last year, but she is great - very approachable (but also young...I'm struggling with this "professionals in my life who are clearly younger then me" business, and it can only get worse as I age.

Laura is not as advanced as some of her classmates in reading and writing, but they have no concerns, She will apparently get there when she is ready. But, we are informed she is absolutely top of the class as far as her imagination goes. They encourage the children in storytelling, and Laura is so good she actually takes the rest of class along with her in her fantasies.

We are quite used to her vivid imagination at home, but it's nice to see something like this being acknolwedged as useful. Right now, she is downstairs driving to York. Earlier she told us all about the her secret other life as a vampire. Apparently there is a secret door in her bedroom wall. The door and the handle are painted the same colour as her wall, so that is why we haven't seen it. After we have both gone to bed she goes through the door, turns into a bat, and gets into her coffin. "OK" says I. "What's your vampire name?" says Peter. "Alice?" says Laura. "Not very likely" says I. "Vampirer" suggests P. "Rubbish" I say. " makes her sound like she is a vampire in a porn flick. And anyway, neither Dracula nor Orlok gave away their predilections in their name. No, it needs to be gothic. How about Anastasia?" Peter rolled his eyes (probably still thinking about the porn flick). Laura smiled...."Anastasia....yes".

Fame...I wanna live forever

So, my words of wit and wisdom are to be published in another professional journal. I get to be interviewed, by phone, and comment on l*br*ry M*n*gem*nt software. I need to comment on the industry in general, while getting in numerous plugs for the product I manage. This is an intimidating situation already. Usually I give the lovely marketing people a vague idea of what I would like to say, and they go away, craft a masterpiece, then it gets published with my name on it.

But that is not the worst of it. A photograph is required to accompany the article. Of me. Now, I try to avoid having my photo taken at the best of times. The photo I supply is going to have to make me look (in my opinion and in no particular order): intelligent, approachable, authoritative, honest, kind but firm, concerned, articulate, witty, supportive, attentive, friendly....but most of all, NOT FAT.

I'm thinking this one will not do....

God, give me strength

I haven't been circumspect enough about disguising who I am and where I work, which means I can't rant about my colleagues, managers and ...sad to say..customers. Suffice to say it has not been the best of days. I think I need an alternative blog...

Then, to cap it all, I pick up my precious daughter from after-school club, and she is all red faced, and has been tearful all afternoon. She doesn't like club, you see, and wants to be at home with her mummy. And today I found it quite difficult to remember why it is I work f/t....

Ho hum

Red, red wine

or rather, white, white wine. I'm drunk. it's shameful.. I apologise. It has been a bit o' of shite week.

Sitting...the final night

Oh, blimey, how did we get here without mention my third all nighter ...Mel Brooks films...with Blazing Saddles being the favourite. "Is Bismark a Herring?"

And no mention of Monty Python? Brian for choice. Holy Grail in second place, and Meaning of Life third, despite Mr Croesote "Fuck off...I'm full"

And no room for Audrey Tautou and Amelie?

No - the final movie has to be "It's a wonderful life". Too many wonderful moments to mention....but isn't his wife a librarian? Or does she only become that in the sad, no George version of her life?

And look at the image I found...collect your own Bedford Falls! It really is a wonderful life!

Sitting...Parts 10 and 11

Nearly there. Pure slush and feelgood....My Big Fat Greek Wedding.



Then, well, as mum of a small, you have to get used to watching the same movies over and over, day after day. The pentultimate movie in the festival is one I don't mind seeing frequently - Night at the Museum. A Ben Stiller movie, but, if possible, he is almost overshadowed by a supporting cast of Robin Williams, Dick van Dyke, Micky Rooney, Steve Coogan and Rick Gervais, amongst others. Just watch out for the monkey!

Sitting....parts 8 and 9

Thank you for the kind words of encouragement,Kevin, but it's all down hill from here.

You were warned. Next film will have me sat at the front, drooling over the lovely Mr Dafoe - sweaty, grubby and in a uniform! Yep, it's Platoon. Academy award winner, and the lovely Willem was a nominee. And to continue a bit of a theme, it was the first in Oliver Stone's Vietnam trilogy. More trivia - I've just discovered Johnny Depp was in it. Can't say he made much of an impression on me during the numerous viewings! Oh, and I had the poster on my wall all three years I was a student. And, of course, the beautiful Barber's Adagio for Strings.

Ninth day, and I'm giving you an easier ride now. Let's hear it for Pretty in Pink. Classic (or is that cliched) tale of girl from wrong side of the tracks meets boy from 'right' side. He dumps her through peer pressure, then finally finds the courage to get back with her. All this, an amazing 80's New Wave soundtrack and Harry Dean Stanton. Oh, it is a total nostalgia trip.

Sitting in the back row...part 6 & 7

Now, what film festival would be complete without a foreign movie or two? We're going for an allnighter with Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colours Trilogy. I treat this as one choice, but if pushed, I offere Blue as my favourite, and the first one I ever saw.



After that burst of colour, my next offering is decidedly not foreign. Back to England, and opp north, where, as we all know, it is grim. How about Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. And if any fancies another all night session, I'd press on with more gritty (ish) 60's stuff...A Taste of Honey, anyone? Alfie? Georgy Girl?

Whistle while you work

Or in my case, shove on the headphones and play 80's music at top volume. Bit of preparation required - all my phones (all?? Yes - homeworker has three - home phone, work mobile and personal mobile) have to be in my line of sight so I can "see" them ringing. Actually, it gets very complicated if one does ring, as I use headphones for two of the three phones, so I have to remove one set, and replace with another...which are invariably all tangled up with each other, so I end up struggling to stop something falling off the desk, while trying to answer the phone promptly and in a professional manner(!)

Anyone, the point of the post was to share with you the music I am currently listening to, on a daily basis. This will give Vronni a laugh......click here or here.

And the first person to mention Tranvision Vamp's version of "Tell that girl to shut up" gets a slap.

Sitting in the back row...parts 4 & 5

Every OK for popcorn and slush-puppies? Then I'll continue. We stay in black and white for a little while longer, and more husbandly influences. Hitchcock. Well, what can I say that hasn't already been said...how about, he went to the same school as my dad, but not at the same time. Our first Hitchcock movie of the festival is The Lodger - and it's the one with the Joby Talbot soundtrack. We were lucky enough to go to the premier at The South Bank several moons ago, alongside Terry Gilliam and Neil Hannon (not literally, but they were there as well). Anyway, extremely atmospheric and nothing like Psycho!


Then, onto another early Hitchcock, but a talky this time: Sabotage. Made in 1936, and based on Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent, I've just discovered (thank you Wikipedia). Gripping tale, gorgeous shots of 30's london, and an absolutely extraordinary, suspenseful bus trip....

Sitting in the back row...part 2 & 3

Now that we've softened you up, let's continue the horror theme with Nosferatu, directed by Murnau in 1922. Essentially it is Bram Stoker's Dracula with the names changed. As many of you know, I do moan (incessently some might say) about my husband's hobbies and interests. But, sometimes, when I get off my high horse for long enough, he does come up with some corking movies, and this is most certainly one of them. Normally, mention of a 1920's silent movie sends me running for the Carry On box set, but Max Shreck's Count Orlock (Dracula) is just so scary looking!

Part 3....Shadow of the Vampire...and the audience is looking at me in a puzzled manner..."Haven't we just seen this?" Well, sort of...Shadow of the Vampire is a movie about the making of Nosferatu, with the intriguing story that Max Shreck actually is a vampire. Also stars one of my all time favourite actors/idols/object of lust..Wilem Dafoe. We'll see more of him later in the festival (o, if only!)

Sitting in the back row of the movies...part 1

[very overdue with this....I was so intimidated...]

Oh horror. I have been invited by Uncle Kevin to select my 12 must see movies. Now the pressure is on to appear like an intellectual with an enormous knowledge and appreciation of obscure cinema. Bugger...and I was going to start with "Carry on up the Khyber".

Therefore, welcome to Librarylizzie's Film Festival: for those cinema viewers who want a bit of a laugh, a warm'n'fuzzy moment or two, and certainly don't want to have to concentrate when they are stuffing their faces with malteasers.

Day 1: let's start as we mean to go on, by lowering the tone immediately, and having a Carry On movie...Carry on Screaming I think.. A spoof of the Hammer Horror movies, and unique, I think, for featuring Harry H Corbet and Fenella Fielding, neither of whom appeared in any subsequent of the carry on series. I love these movies. Low-brow, vulgar, and harking bark to an era I'm frankly glad I didn't experience, where it is acceptable for old men to lech over young school girls, and were a fat woman is considered hilariously funny just for being fat...especially if she is attracted to a slim man, because, of course, who could possibly find a larger woman attractive! But off my soap box...I still enjoy the movies, and the typically british, seaside postcard humour, and of course, the word play and double entrendres. My favourite isn't actually in this movie. It is in Carry on Abroad, with Peter Butterworth as a Spanish hotel owner, and Kenneth Williams as the tour group leader. Kenneth is introducing himself to the owner: "Stuart Farquar"...."Stupid what?".....ha ha ha ...gets me everytime!

No doubt about it

And also in dire need of FOCUSING on my WORK. This is the downside of homeworking...way too easily distracted!

You Are 40% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird... But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

When irish eyes...

For something as beautiful as this I can even forgive "I'm a celebrity..."

I'm every woman

Thank christ for that...

You Would Make a Horrible 1930's Wife

You are way too non conformist, independent, and sassy to be an ideal retro wife. You may be so wild that you aren't even considering marriage! Good thing we don't live in the 1930s anymore!

Would You Have Been a Good Wife in the 1930s?

OK Computer

[I have a feeling that is an album title, rather than a song title, but ho hum]

So, Laura is quite clingy at the moment...has been for the last couple of months and it's driving me mad, but that is a story for another blog. Anyway, it means we have this ritual everynight where, when I'm kissing her goodnight in bed, she asks me where I'm going to be. Usually my answer is a sanitised version of "downstairs, slumped in front of the telly, with a large drink in my hand, arguing with yer dad". Tonight I told her I was going to be in my study, playing on my computer. She said "are you going into the internet?".....guess who started computer lessons last week? But she did make it sound much more interesting than just surfing other people's blogs, being jealous of their interesting lives...

The story of my life

Apparently this is the type of blogger I am....sadly, it would only be true if I actually blogged all the interesting and funny entries I write in my head when I can't sleep!

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary. If it happens, you blog it. And you make it as entertaining as possible. You may be guilty of over-sharing a bit on your blog, but you can't help it. Your life is truly an open book. Or in this case, an open blog!

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

We're going to hang out the washing on the Siegfried line

As I put some washing in the machine yesterday morning (one of the many advantages of working from home!)I realised...too late..that I should have taken a photo of the clothes Laura wore over the weekend, as they were a perfect summary of what we did...let me explain:

Splodges of green paint down the side of her top = we went pottery painting again. She painted a flower, I did a rainbow.

Brown marks on the collar and sleeves = we popped into Farrah's afterwards for a chocolate ice cream.

Large brown stains all down the front of the "Dorothy" dress = we made chocolate buns on Sunday.

I read the news today, oh boy

I'm not really sure this is news, is it?

Royal mix up over lager delivery

Old friends

or maybe some new friends, just waiting to be found. Have a go on this - it is marvelous...

London Pride has been handed down to us...

I come from Hounslow. Well, actually..do I? I was born in Queen Charlotte's Maternity Hospital, which is sort of Hammersmith/Shepherd's Bush. I was taken home to my parent's flat in Chiswick, and we moved to Heston in about 1970/71. Chiswick & Heston are both in the London Borough of Hounslow, so that will do for the purposes of this blog.

So, I've just finished one of my birthday books: Charles Hawtrey: the man who was Private Widdle, and, to my utter delight, I discovered that he came from Hounslow, and indeed, lived there for much of his Carry On career.

Mind you, we're not slackers when it comes to other famous folk you know: Jimmy Page (Heston), a page 3 girl who've name I've totally forgotten, Patsy Kensit, Phil Collins (I think..or was that Ealing), Elvis Costello, and Sanjeev Bhaskar.

Hounslow was the location for Bend it like Beckham. Heston Aerodrome was where Chamberlain waved his bit of paper. When I lived in Heston Johnny Ball and Hannah Gordon lived there....not together, I hasten to add. Finally, slightly more bizarrely, Hounslow is where Rene from Allo Allo (actor Gordon Kaye) was whacked in the head by a bit of masonery during the storms of '87, and chef Heston Blumenthal is named after the 'famous' services on the M4.

Row, row, row your boat...

We had an extra treat of a holiday given to us. Rob invited us to spend the Bank Holiday weekend on his boat. Doesn't that sound far more glam than "he invited us to stoke-on-trent".

So, we boated up and down this beautiful bit of english waterway.

All the photos are
here. Sorry about the 8 million pictures of Laura. I was trying to get a nice, atmospheric shot of her. The rather pained expression on her face is because she was singing!

And, an extra cheap laugh for Kate & Chris - the type of boat is a Wilderness Beaver...honest. Look...

He's on the beach

I've been reprimanded by Veronica for not mentioning the highlight of the holiday - the annual sunday trip to the beach, with chips from the chip man. I think this is because I had tried to erase the memory of being FORCED to stay on the beach, under the beach umbrella (kindly lent by the chip man) in the RAIN. I was wearing sweatshirt AND waterproof. Veronica "hitler" Woodward wouldn't let any of us off the beach. Finally, her family were brave enough to defy her, and went and skulked in the car. We stayed.....Still it rained. Her family drove off to look at trains (!). We stayed.....and....it stopped raining....and it actually got quite pleasant. All the beach photos in the previous Penderff blog are taken that very afternoon, after it stopped raining. You were right, V, and the others missed out!

We're off to see the wizard....

And we did see him twice...once on stage, and once at the stage door...what a sad pair of groupies we are! Peter actually wrote a note to Roy Hudd, saying how we'd love to meet him, and how he (Peter, not Roy) had seen him in a show on Clacton Pier in about 1847 or something.

Well, like the true professional he is (Roy, not Peter) he came down, signed our programme, and posed for photos. Laura got stagefright, as you can see. Me, I'm grinning like a grinning thing!

Kudos too, to Gary Wilmot (Lion), Hilton Mcrae (Tin Man) and Susannah Fellowes (Glinda & Auntie Em) for being so friendly, signing programmes, etc...

A fantastic afternoon. Wish I could recommend you all rush off to see it, but it finished its run at the weekend.

The streets of London

We're in London for the weekend, and I'm blogging on a Mac, which is confusing me.

Anyway, it's warm and sunny darn sarf......we may never come back.

We are off to the theatre this afternoon.  It will be Laura's first theatre trip, and at £125 for 3 tickets she better bloody well enjoy it.  We are going to the Festival Hall to see "The Wizard of Oz", which is her all time favourite movie.  In fact, she may enjoy the whole thing too much...she knows most of the words...songs and dialogue.  I fear I may be spending this afternoon with my hand clamped over her gob.

Full review to follow, but as it stars Roy Hudd and Gary Wilmot I suspect we are in for a cracking afternoon's entertainment.

Lost in France - Penderff 2008

So, a summary of our holiday. Another lovely lovely time in Brittany, and although Canada is defo. on for summer 2009, we are aiming for visit number 4 to Penderff in May.

This year we
*went to the medieval fete in Hennebont.

*entertained my stepson for a few days. Actually, bless 'im, he entertained Laura in his role as chief swing-pusher

*were saved from the smallest lasagne in the world and certain divorce by our wonderful friends (and landlords) Judith & Jeremy

*spent an enormous amount of time
here

*Went on the ponies - twice for Laura, once for me.

*Went to the Zoo with half of the Woodwards and one Pollington, then on to the Interceltic Festival.

*Went to the Oceanopolis Aquariam in Brest, but probably enjoyed the smaller one in Vannes more....along with the Butterfly House, and most importantly for Laura, a shop which sold Leily Kelly boots. Most importantly for mummy, the boots were half the price they are in England.

*Ate in all our favorite restaurants with our favourite people

*Shopped for handbags (me)

*Shopped for music and junk (Peter)

* Had a wonderful time, and agreed to go back next May!

All the photos can be viewed here, although those of a delicate disposition may wish to avoid the shots of my fat a**e getting off the pony.

What a wonderful world.

Here's why....

School's out forever

Well, we are back from our jollies. A full report and the obligatory 80 million photos will follow....shortly. But I had to share todays little smile....

Laura does like to pick her own clothes, so most of the time I just grit my teeth and let her get on with it. Frankly, it's not worth the argument. But today is a corker - she is apparently missing school, so is dressed in full school uniform, including socks, shoes and hairband. She really is several sandwiches sort of a picnic, and I cannot imagine where she gets it from. We are going to the library this afternoon, and what she doesn't yet realise is that there is no bloody way she going out of the house in that get up!

We're all going on a summer holiday...

We apologise for this break in service, but Team Robinson has naffed orf on holibags. Two weeks in Brittany again, but we are banking on a trip to Toronto next summer....so I hope your offer was serious, Kate'n'Chris! And I am looking forward to a bit o' traveling that doesn't involve airports or lugging a bloody great laptop with me. Actually husband is taking his laptop I think. Me, I've got a pile of trashy (seriously trashy) novels, a soduko book and my embroidery. Luxury.

Young at heart

Bit of a shock today when I went t'dentist. For the first time I was really aware of quite how young my dentist was...as in....obviously significantly younger than me.

Then my cyber-chum Kevin from Helminthedale publishes a post about a seventies children's programme and I am too young to remember it. Hurrah! I feel so much better now!

Mad World.....

Gosh, am I turning into an old tory? Because when I read stories like this I really feel this country is going to hell in a handcart.

Then I read
this and suddenly everything is a bit more bearable again.....

Or is it just me?

Mamma mia

OH MY GOD

I watched this documentary this evening. I watched it with open mouthed horror. I watched it wondering if I should phone Burnley Social Services. If you get a chance to watch it...do.

Please Mr Postman

Our post was not delivered until 5pm today. The Post Office are having a larf....aren't they?

Leaving on a jetplane..

or not. Stuck at Schiphol this time, waiting on a 9pm flight home, now scheduled to leave at 11.00pm. Never mind. Just enjoyed burger 'n' chips and two LARGE glasses of wine in the Irish pub with a colleague, so everything has a bit of a fuzzy glow to it! Off to spend money I haven't got on perfume I don't need.

I should be so lucky....

Nipped over to Leeds with my mother this a.m. She was on a mission at the request of my sister. Niece, who has just finished her first year at Leeds Met, is due to move into into a student house for her second year, after the utter luxury of her student apartment last year. Now, I was never "lucky" enough to be in a hall of residence when I was a stooodent, but frankly...these (privately built) places are posher than anywhere I have ever lived. She had an ensuite bathroom for goodness sake.

Anyway, she is moving into a house with 5 other girls..cue cat fights....and two girls actually moved in this week....so, in fact, cue panic about the awful house, the dirt, the mouse nest , etc etc.....

Mum & I were dispatched to report on the awful house in the rubbish area.....which turned about to be lovely house in vibrant Headingly......the worst we culd find wrong with it was a dodgy socket and some mucky lampshades. My neice had commented on the lack of cable TV and tumble dryer!

Honestly...what is the world coming to? This place was a palace compared to where I lived when I was a student. Mum kindly referred to my student house as a hovel, and, frankly, she was being generous. It was damp, filthy, cold, unsanitary, had things growing on the walls downstairs, had mice, slugs, and silverfish (under my mattress)...and we were happy....we expected nothing less. In fact, living in a dump may actually have been a condition of being awarded an honours degree. (and we got housing benefit!!!! Them were the days!

The windows of the world..

I'm in Sheffield, in a hotel, where the view from my window is most picturesque...the canal..complete with barges. 'cept it's p*****g down. And we are due to have a conference bar-b-q in an hour. I told our delegates from the US and South Africa not to get too excited.....

Yep -it's July - it must be our annual user conference. Two day event. So far so good. The only person I wanted to slap was a colleague not a customer, so that's OK.

Now, must remember to control drinking tonight......must remember......there are 40 + customers downstairs, include two from Salt Lake City...and my boss....must remember!

It's all about you...

I stole this from a couple of blogs I visit.....

What were you doing 10 years ago?
Working in Sales for the same company I now work for, albeit with a different name (the company, not me) (actually, that's not true. I had a different surname then)

Five things on your to-do list for today:
I'll cheat, and do tomorrow as it is late evening now -
1) Do presentation for conference on Wednesday
2) Wrap daughter's birthday pressies
3) Check she can have disco room at her party
4) Get her a birthday card
5) Pack to go to aforementioned conference

What are three of your bad habits?
1) Jumping to conclusions
2) Total lack of self confidence
3) Watching crap telly

What would you do if you were a billionaire?
Stop work, have another baby, and give loads of it away.

What are some snacks you enjoy?
Oh blimey....I am queen of snacks...
Popcorn
Chocolate
Crisps
Grapes

What were the last five books you read?
Hattie Biography of Hattie Jacques
Queuing for beginners Mass observation type stuff - brilliant
Two caravans by Marina Lewycka, not finished..finding it harder going than A short history of tractors in Ukranian
Promise me Perhaps this should actually be on my bad habits list. I love these real airport reading, american crime stories. But I read them in a day, so I spend a fortune on them.
Eating for England prose, rather than recipes, by Nigel Slater. Rather lazy book actually. Not as good as Toast.

What are five jobs you have had?
Saturday assistant in public library in London
Library assistant in different public library in London
Barmaid (and a right crap one at that. I kept being told to smile at the punters)
College librarian
Present - which has included sales, training and now product management.

Five places that you have lived?
London - with my parents, till I went to .....
Manchester - to do my library degree, after which I lived in...
Oldham - when I was married, then
Sale - when I ceased to be married, and then..
Sheffield - which I loved, and really didn't make the most of, and sometimes hanker for now.


So...now I am supposed to tag others to do this..so Kate , Kevin....or actually anyone....consider yourelf tagged.

When will I...will I be famous....

I've been published....kind of. In the bi-monthly journal-thing for our professional association they have a feature called "My week". The title is kind of self - explanatory. In 300 words, you write about your working week. And, you know, 300 words is not much. Anyway, it's there, and one who knows me well says she doesn't think it sounds like me...in that it doesn't reflect my warped sense of humour...but as I said, it was only 300 words, so something had to give. Paid up memebers of aforesaid association can judge for themselves!

We are the champions...

Laura had her first sports day a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately I was in London, listening to university librarians discuss the future of library management systems.......

I'm tired..

Tired of getting sick. I have tonsillitis for the second time in two months, and the 8 millionth time this year. (I exagerate, but not much). So, the doctor has agreed to refer me to the hospital to have 'em out. Knowing my luck, I'll get MRSA. But the upside is that I'm watching an ancient episode of Hill Street Blues, and I'm going to have a blog catch up....if I can find the cable to link my camera to the computer.

Working 9 - 5

Apparently, my employer has been voted one of the best places to work in IT, according to Computerworld. We are number 51 out of the top 100, zooming up 24 places from last year.

So, that's nice, isn't it?

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to...

My social life is pretty woeful at the best of times - except for a lovely, impromptu night out in Sheffield last week with katie and Jonathan....thank you for listening to my self-pitying rants, Katie (!)....but it is really being put in the shade by Laura at the moment. From this weekend till the end of term she is going to seven birthday parties, including her own. Thank goodness for a quick trip to the Tesco toy department when we were in Christchurch last weekend.

Actually....now that I think about it, I'm not really doing too badly myself. Aforementioned trip to Dorset to see Vronni & team included the obligatory bar-be-que in the gorgeous new garden. The past month has also included a night out in Leiden with colleagues...and I do mean OUT. We actually ate outside which made me and my other english colleague quite giddy with excitement. And, a very drunken evening at the PTA ball. So really I've nothing to moan about, and I'm sure there are some of you out there feeling pretty flippin' jealous right now!

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it...

Not me, I should point out. Laura. She slept with me last night, because Peter was getting up at the crack of sparrow fart to go to London. Anyway, she woke up when the alarm went off (result!), leapt on me, and proceeded to inform me why she was so excited:

1) she is starting packed lunches today. She is absolutely giddy about this. Her best friend, Christina, who is the benchmark for everything at the moment, has packed lunches, and for the summer term, so will Laura. I do feel a little guilty that she is so happy to take sandwiches. Mostly she has had school dinners since starting school because I can't be arsed to make her lunch....ho hum!

2) now this one is a massive working-mummy, guilt-trip jobby. She was beside herself with joy because i was taking her to school this morning. Not just dumped early in pre-school club, but actually taking her to the classroom, and helping her hang up her stuff on her peg. Actually, i enjoy it too. It's nice to see some of the other mums, and the weather was lovely this morning, so it was a very pleasant stroll back to the car. When I did a bit of pick up and collecting after I came back from South America I resolved to try to re-jig my working hours from time to time...y'know...do a long day one day so I can do the school run the next day. But it is difficult to be consistent - I'm off again for three days next week....

Jake the Peg

(Taking the lead from Kate, I am trying to continue my occasional theme of using song titles for my postings....we'll see how it goes)

So, the following morning my knee is swollen to the size..well, of a very swollen thing, and I can't put any weight on my leg. Having had practice when I knackered my knee last time I still manage to get a shower. Well, my hair was a mess and I wiffed of wine (see previous posting).

Luckily the time difference meant I could get travel insurance details from work, and was able to contact our *people* who told me which hospital to go to. It was called "Clinica Biblica" - yep that's Biblical Clinic. Conjures up some bizarre images, doesn't it. Anyway, the nice man in Urgencia (that's Emergency to you and me) got my x-rayed, and confirmed nothing was broken or dislocated, merely (!) strained. Basically I had damaged all the ligaments. And then he put me in plaster from thigh to ankle.....blue plaster!



Said I should keep it on for three weeks, and sent me off with my x-rays as a souvenir. OK - so then I ask the travel company to send me home, which was the point I discovered that you aren't allowed to fly in plaster, and would I mind staying in Costa Rica for three weeks!

So then the hunt begins for hospital who can fit me with a leg brace......more than 24 hours later, by which time I am gettting heartiliy sick of room service and costa rican TV, I am told to report to......Clinica Biblica. Actually, this time I am seeing the orthopedic specialist, who turns out to be a charming Colombian, who removes the plaster with one of those scary electric saw things, then announces I am fit to carry on my travels to Colombia (I think he was biased), but he writes me a note to say I must travel business class...heh heh heh! He also gives me a prescription which includes three injections that I have to administer to myself....injections...that is syringes....with needles!

Anyway, I did go to Colombia (business class), and it was lovely. What a beautiful country! And I discovered the way to jump all the queues at airports.....get wheelchair asistance! oh, except in America. That is still as crap as ever. They even make you get out of your wheelchair to go through the security thingie. Fine for me, but there were some proper disabled people....and they were the airport's own bloody wheelchairs.

So, I'm back now...obviously...still limping and a bit stiff in the knee area. Going to the hospital next week. Good old NHS. Back in this country 5 weeks after a serious knee injury, and have to wait all that time to check I haven't actually done any lasting damage to myself. What do you want to bet I have to wait anothr 5 weeks for the MRI?

Just for you, Kate!

And because I happen to have an hour or so to kill in the BUSINESS lounge at Atlanta Airport.

OK...so....I had to go to Central and South America for a couple of weeks. We have abunch of customers out there who are way overdue a visit. Plus, my new company has a division to manage the whle region, so we are working on some other stuff too.

Meeting in Costa Rica, then a 10+ day tour of Colombia. Got to admit, was not madly keen on the Colombia bit, but hey ho..it's a job...it pays the bills (just).

Anyway..I shoulda known it was going to be a bad trip when I split wine over myself at the beginning of an 11 hour flight. Then I managed to break my watch trying to adjust the time. When I finally arrived in Costa Rica my colleague was nowhere to be seen. My flight was an hour late...but even so....Turned out he had emailed me instructions, but as he has a Blackberry and I DON'T (that's another story) I was left at San Jose airport, not speaking the old lingo, and fending off eager taxi drivers to the best of my ability.

Anyway...eventually rolled up at the very nice Marriott San Jose. It's about 10.30pm by now. And then, about approximately 11pm, I trip over my laptop case, go down lack a sack o' potatoes....and an excrutiating pain in my knee. Who remembers my fateful pregnancy, and my dislocated knee at 6 months? Well, this is very similar! I am freaked, but realisingly it's not actually dislocated this time, I decide to go to bed (well, i'd been traveling for 24 hours plus at this stage), hoping it would all be fine in the morning.

What do you think? All better? No need to call the travel insurance company? WRONG!

And.....that's part 1, Kate. Tune in next week for more tales of our intrepid heroine as she intrepidly continues her travels against alal odds, and has to give herself injections...yes, injections...with a needle.

A taster....

Soon to come...a tale of woe in Costa Rica....highlights include a critique of the Costa Rican health care system....experiences in a plaster cast.....and how to jump the queue at airport scurity!! Those of you who read my facebook page as well as my blog have a head start....

It's all in the genes!

As many of my friends know, my main passion is family history. Oh I can bore for hours on the in and outs of family history research. As I sit in my little study I have two shelves full of research material.

I have been doing research on Peter's family as well as my own, and his has been so much more interesting and exciting. (That's interesting and exciting for a family historian, not normal people, btw) He has a couple of bigamist's, one who ran off with his step-daughter, a reasonably famous sculptor, and a couple of family rifts.

But now I am thrilled to announce scandal in my family tree. One family of the Leeds Irish bunch who emigrated to Boston - three sons in prison at the same time, for different crimes.

We have Samuel imprisoned for assault with intent to maim and disfigure (nice). Edward was imprisoned for larceny of property. He only got 6 months....so maybe it wasn't terribly valuable property?

Then we have my personal favourite (says she, on her third glass of wine and it is only 8.15pm)- James - arrested twice in 1900 (and they are his second and third arrests respectively.) On April 30,1900, at age 20, he was sentenced to a 3 dollar fine for Drunkenness and released on May 7. He was sentenced again only 8 days after his release, May 15, again for Drunkenness. This time he was sentenced to 30 days and was released on June 13. I also believe he was back in prison in 1910, and I'm waiting for the lovely archivist in Boston to tell me about that!

Month end catch up - fully illustrated!

Well, it has been another busy month chez Robinson, or chez this particular Robinson. I spent a aweek in The Netherlands, a week in Dublin, Ohio and then a week in bed with tonsilitis. Any connection, d'ya think?

Dublin was snowy. In fact, they'd had the worst snowfall since 1910 the weekend before I arrived. Anyway, usual round of looong meetings, but lovely company in the evenings. First pic of a fantastic evening at Jennifer and Scott's home, complete with homemade Missisippi Mud Pie in honour of Jenny's (not Jennifer the hostess) b'day.



The week ended on a bit of a frustrating note......the short version includes the clocks changing in Ohio, but not in Colombia, a videoconference, changing flights and the equipment breaking down. End result - an extra night in Dublin, but a visit to a lovely french restaurant! Bet you're intrigued now! HOme, and the afore mentioned bout of illness, and then.....it was Easter.


Laura's hair is now long enough to scrape (!) in to the world's tiniest pony tail. This makes her very happy:




We had an indoor easter egg hunt this year ( and yes, she is wearing shoes with her nightie. We bought them the day before.)



Mummy got a very big egg for Easter:



And it snowed:

Let it snow, let it snow....

Coloumbus, Ohio, has had the biggest snow fall since 1910 this weekend. Guess where I fly to tomorrow?

Can this much introspection be good for you?

So, according to a personality quiz on blogthings, this is me:

You Are An ISFJ

The Nurturer You have a strong need to belong, and you very loyal. A good listener, you excel at helping others in practical ways. In your spare time, you enjoy engaging your senses through art, cooking, and music. You find it easy to be devoted to one person, who you do special things for. In love, you express your emotions through actions. Taking care of someone is how you love them. And you do it well! At work, you do well in a structured environment. You complete tasks well and on time. You would make a good interior designer, chef, or child psychologist. How you see yourself: Competent, dependable, and detail oriented When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, dominant, and stuck in a rut

What's Your Personality Type?

***************************************************************************

Right now I am at this Hotel. I am on leadership training (!), and there have been a few of those "what style of ???? are you?" type tests. Apparently, I avoid conflict. I knew that. I didn't need to come here to find that out!

Also, I forgot to bring my little camera that was purchased for the express purpose of taking photos on my (frequent) trips away. So I can't show you that I have a seaview from my room.

Blogging on the go......

Or blogging at a complete standstill. I am at Leeds Bradford airport, where my flight to Amsterdam is delayed by 1 hour 40 minutes. For a flight that takes less than an hour flight time how does that work? And why did they only tell us 20 minutes before boarding? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.....very frustrated. Can you tell? At least I don't have a connection to make. Imagine how mad I'd be then!

All work and no play

<

...makes Jack a bad tempered old witch, if he is anything like me.

I just checked back in the blog, and I don't appear to have mentioned that I got a new job. Now, that's not as radical or life changing as it might sound. I still work for the same organisation that I have worked for since 1996.....I just got offered (and accepted) a different role in the organisation. Actually...that should read "additional" role. As is typical with my employer I am actually doing two jobs, same money, same hours, etc etc etc! (stay with me...there's a point to this...) So, as well as a management role in Sales, I am now a Product Manager. It's actually a great job, but involves a lot more travelling. So, below, courtesy of the new, tiny (and gloriously pink) camera Peter got me for christmas, are pictures from my travels in January:



This is the train station at Frankfurt airport.


This is to show that I did actually get outside the convention center in Philadelphia.

And this is a view of Chicago, in the snow, from the plane, as I head off to visit the mothership in Ohio.

And, yes, this was all in January. I have convinced myself that laura doesn't suffer from all this travelling I do. She doesn't *appear* to care, so long as she gets a present. My sanity on the other hand.......well, that's another post!

Just exactly how rubbish am I?

And that is a rhetorical question, btw.

So, further catching up is required.

Christmas was good. As it was to be the first year in the new house, with a room big enough to have a really big tree we stayed home and made peope come to us. We tried to make Tom come to us, but to get out of Christmas in the mad house he gave himself kidney stones and ended up in hospital over Christmas. Actually, he spent spent christmas in bed, drugged to his eyeballs, with people tending to his every need! (Note to self for next year.......!!) But seriously, it was a worrying couple of days for all concerned, and no picnic for Tom, either. But, he is 100% better now, and we will be celebrating a belated christmas in a couple of weekends, at the his mum's house...i.e. the first Mrs Robinson. (For those who don't know, Tom is my stepson)

Laura missed Tom very much, but still enjoyed christmas as only a four year old can, i.e. pointing out which presents Santa neglected to bring! No - she was an angel, loved having visitors, loved opening presents with people, etc.

We managed to entice Vronni and family up to the frozen north, which was lovely. They stayed till just after new year, and we were joined by jenny & richard on New Year's Eve...and we all stayed up pastt midnight. Amazing at our age.

Catch up 2007

So, where was I? K & J came to stay. We got a new fireplace. We got Margaret the lovely, ironing cleaner, who comes on a Friday morning....which means we have a clean and tidy house till almost Saturday morning.

Then it was December....oh, and I was in Munich...and it was very christmassy. Then, actually it got to be December, and Laura was in her Christmas Concert. It was all of key stage 1, and she was a star.

Rubbish

That's me, that is. But...not as rubbish as Primeval, which Peter ha sjust made me sit through for the first....and frankly the last....time. And I watched it while drinking an extremely strong margerita...and it was still utter crap.