October is here

October is going to be a good month. The start of November won't be too bad either


I've been on holiday with my sisters.


My whole family is getting together to celebrate my Dad's 65th birthday. 


Cass and I are celebrating our 30ths together.


I'm going to the 2nd blook club meeting - hopefully I'll have read the book by then.


O and I are going to Iceland - any recommendations gratefully received.


The O's family are getting together to celebrate his Mum's birthday.


Somehow all of this means I'm managing not to work a full week for the next six weeks. Woop!

Holiday break down

Do you know what really sucks at the start of your holiday? Having the car breakdown on the way to the airport at 3:45am. Waiting on the breakdown truck to arrive and poor #1's husband having to come and collect us. Delivering us to the airport 10 minutes after check in closed. Sprinting with #1 through the airport to make that flight, because we'd checked in online and could make it. Leaving #2 in the airport to change flights and deal with the large suitcase which was the reason we didn't all get to sprint through the airport. Waiting in Malaga airport for #2 to get there. Suffering the car hire guy bitching about us not taking their extra insurance. 

All of that sort of ruins the first day of your holiday. Do you know what makes it better?

Sunshine. Spending time with my sisters in almost complete silence because there was no need to make conversation. Reading our books, eating well and soaking up the sunshine. 

We've all some how managed to attach ourselves to men that can't sit still. Who need to do things while on holiday. So we holiday together and don't have to do anything.

Vehicular rubbish

There once was a time when I quite enjoyed watching Top Gear. I'm not an expert on cars or a petrol head by any stretch of the imagination. But I can identify cars by more than their colour and have an appreciation for the fast and sometimes stupid. Why else would we own a petrol guzzling sledge if not to appreciate its 0-60 speed (on a straight dry road do not appreciate the speed with which it goes sideyways on an icy/snow covered road).
However, either I, or Top Gear, have turned a corner. It makes me grumble and question in an old woman type way.
What on earth are they spending my licence fee on?
Why are they spending my licence fee on sending three presenters plus camera crews to countries, which are at war. Surely if the programme brief includes paying for a protection detail it isn't entertainment?
I don't really care how fast a car can go round your track when it costs well more than my home.
There are a lot more examples of programmes that have made me want to throw things at their smug little faces as they clutter up my tv. I do try to be out when O watches it and I could always leave the room.
Sometimes, just sometimes they have a story that reminds me they are human beings after all. At the end of the most recent series they ran a story about recovery amputee soldiers and their goal to take part in the Dakar rally. Soldiers who'd lost limbs in battle preparing to drive one of the world's hardest rallies. Where sand and sweat could damage their prostetics because the camaraderie is keeping their spirits up. A below the knee "scratch" being an affectionate nickname for a foot amputation.
So the point of this? I wish the soldiers well. I thank the BBC for bringing their goal to my attention. I ask that the BBC make more of these type stories and be more sensible with my licence fee from now on. Please and thank you.
Check out race2recovery for more information

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I was working in a government office as a holiday job, it was my last week in the job before the start of the next semester.
We only found out through an email letting us know our security levels had been raised. 
We had to continue to serve customers asking to look through their belongings as a precaution.
I went home and watched the coverage in stunned silence.
Late, late that night I got a message from a good university friend. She'd been at the top of the towers the day before. Her flight had left JFK that morning before everything was grounded.


Remembering those who were touched and continue to be effected by the events of September 11th 2001.

Blook Club

Did you notice my shiny new badge? Over there, there, down on the right hand side! I'm a member of blook club, organised by the clever and delightful Zoe from Conversation Pieces. 

I say that I'm a member, however I'm unfortunately having to miss the first one. Cannot wait to hear how it went and what everyone thought of the book: How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran.

Enough of me wittering check out Zoe's post. She is much better at explaining.

Toothpaste

My Dad came to stay on Tuesday night. I noticed on Wednesday night when I went to brush my teeth that our toothpaste tubes had been squeezed from the bottom to the top.

This makes me smile. A LOT

a short commute

A long week at work ended unpleasantly with a minor emergency at the end of Friday. I tramped across the car park in the slight drizzle. Plonked myself into the driving seat and threw my hand bag and lunch bag onto the passenger seat. I started the engine and turned the cd up loud and sang along. I was halfway home when I spotted a little girl in the arms of her grandfather, she was laughing and clapping as he blew raspberries on her cheeks. I was almost home when I spotted some students running and laughing with carrier bags over the heads to protect from the rain which was now falling. I couldn't help but smile and the stress lifted. Weekends or days away from work are precious things. 


Have a good weekend. 

Anniversary day out

We went to the zoo, zoo, zoo

How about you, you, you?

You should go too, too, too

We went to the zoo, zoo, zoo.

Ok so I changed the words slightly but you get the idea. 

We spent our very sunny one year wedding anniversary at Edinburgh Zoo

photos by me or O

Birthday Girls

(image via pinterest)

Cass, welcome to the birthday club. Seems to be ok so far.


It was only this morning that I put two and two together and realised it was Lisa Marie's birthday too. Somehow I'd managed to separate the two in my head.


Happy birthday to you both

Blog Birthday 2

(from pinterest but etsy originally)

I've made it through another year!

My sisters and my "real life" friends have moaned about not having the opportunity to make new friends. How it is hard to meet like minded people and start conversations with them.

Inside I'm screaming at them, start a blog, start a blog. You meet the most amazing people and if you are lucky they become truly wonderful friends.