White Out

All week I've been a blank. Literally. Where have I been? Perhaps that's a metaphor for my life?

What should have been a busy week wasn't.

Tuesday I went to tennis in the evening and played mixed doubles. Men hit balls really really hard. The man opposite (who is new to the club) hit a really fast ball at my feet and tried to slice it back to him and instead of the racquet ending up behind my right ear it ended up smacking really really hard into my mouth. The result? Spurting cartoon blood!! At first I thought I'd knocked my teeth out, but phew I'd only split my lip open (wide). So, I refused the offer from one of the tennis players who is a vet to sew me up from her kit she had in the car she keeps for roadside injuries, and was taken, bleeding profusely to the 'minor injuries clinic'. We waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, I was sewn up, without anathesia (as this would have made my lip swell more) and am just beginning to be able to drink from a cup now! Talk about a trout pout! It was worse than Leslie Ash! (just where IS Leslie Ash now?)

So, that was Tuesday out. Wednesday was my book club, which I didn't go to because I could neither drink, eat, laugh, nor grimace without splitting - so I gave that a miss.

Thursday, nothing.

Friday, I WAS going to meet my friend Sue in London but I cried off.

And tonight Andy and I have been invited out to dinner at a friends. But she phoned to say the other couple she'd invited had cancelled due to illness. So, I'm not sure if this is going to go ahead tonight or not.

Not a very successful week. But it could have been worse.

I DO hope this post publishes and I'm not a white blank!

ADDENDUM!

How could I have forgotton what I did on Thursday! But I did. See, my life is a blank!

I went to my new evening class! Painting and drawing.

I had no idea what this would involve (apart from painting and drawing). It was very technical, the teacher went on about stuff that I didn't understand. But anyway, I just got on with painting the pot that she'd placed there. She wanted us to paint it in such a way that it merged into it's background and was 'interesting'. I was reasonably pleased with the results. I will post a picture later when I can get near the family computer and upload my photo!

I've been Tagged

Well, first time I've ever been tagged! So thanks to Donna! Actually, it's quite fun - certainly makes you think!

Here are the instructions - The Rules: Each player of this game starts with "6 weird things about you". Each person who gets tagged needs to write a blog post of their own 6 weird things as well as clearly state this rule. After you state your 6 weird things, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you're tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog for information as to what it means.


Well, initially, I couldn't really think about what exactly made me weird, even though my children are constantly telling me I'm weird, my husband gives me askance looks and some of blog land think my watching of World Champion Darts is decidedly weird. But, after some consultation with those that know me here goes. Six things.

1. When I go to the cinema I am CONSTANTLY looking for errors of continuity. Particularly with regard to seasonal and botanical things.

2. I have a total and utter crush on Boyd from 'Waking the Dead'. (weird AND freudian)









3. I love shaking out our Super KingSize duvet - it gives me a tingle that verges on the sexual. Something about the weight of it!

4. I could weed or dig a garden all day without getting bored (knackered but never bored).

5. Sometimes if the mood catches me I could cry and cry and cry and then cry some more to 'Shine on You Crazy Diamond' by Pink Floyd or nearly ANY song in LES MISERABLES and ALWAYS to Christopher Plummer singing Edelweiss (in fact just thinking about these songs brings tears to my eyes).







6. Oh yes, I have Lettuce's husband 'm' to thank for reminding me that during the year I note which gardens have interesting Christmas foliage and then in December under cover of darkness I cut pieces of these gardens to decorate my home!

Now, I've started I'm finding it hard to stop!

I should now tag some people but quite honestly everyone I know in blog land has been done!

My week.

1. Travelling in a mini tornado is NOT good.

Poor Lettuce had to wait hours for me on Thursday as the train had to go slowly in case of trees lying across the track or something. On the way home the train journey took three hours instead of the usual one and the train was packed!

On the plus side though - I got a seat and spent my time doing the hard crossword in the paper. I managed half before I was forced to text my parents (who do it every day) and ask them for some help. The reply I got back from my dad was "Your mum is having a gin and tonic and doing the Sudoku, try later" Hmmm......

2. I like red wine far too much to give up. I'm a bit worried about my drinking. I've become quite good at red wine. We get ours delivered from a wine company and every bottle we get from them is so drinkable and never rough. They do say a couple of glasses a day is good for you. But could I stop? I have no desire to, yet I think I should - at least to see if I could.

3. I need to start painting again. Going to the Art Show on Thursday was so inspiring.

4. I love London. There's no place like it. I still feel like a Londoner. I lived there for
twenty years - half my life and I do miss it and need my fix every so often, but I don't want to move back (yet) - not until the kids are grown up. In an ideal world it would be nice to have a flat there and spend my days going to the theatre and art galleries in the winter and spending the summer in our villa (mwahaahahahaha AS IF!).


5. I need to get up earlier (it makes me feel more in control if I have more time in the
mornings).

6. I'd like to drop some hours so I have more time to play tennis.

7. Sometimes I feel like an outsider in this town.

8. But that's me not the town.

I have to share this website with the world

OK, so some people have been talking behind my back and some directly to my face about my newly discovered love of 'the arrows'. Well, worry not, I will not be revisiting any more darts matches (now that the World Championships are over) and, rest assured, nor will I be watching late night Snooker on BBC2 - heck I'm old but I'm not THAT old.

Anyway, forced (once again) to take the day off work because youngest just can't shake this awful cough she has I was browsing for pink reading lamps for her room - I googled and I found this website. Well, there are loads of websites like this around but the descriptions of some of the products just had me in hysterics...for example



Birdie Hot Water Bottles Lovely large softy knitted hotties with bird appliqué. Looks like you could have made it yourself if only you weren't working all hours to feed the bloody kids and pay the bastard mortage and you could knit and sew. Choose from brown/pink or green/coral£14.99
which?b/pg/c

and

Weirdest Doll Ever Doll with four different faces for four different moods. This is something that your child's psychiatrist probably has in his/her office so that your little bundle of neuroses can point out how they are feeling today without speaking because they are so traumatised by their upbringing they are completely mute. What's that? You'll take 5?£18.99

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

We have no house news. We went to see the much cheaper house twice. I tried and tried to like it. I dragged the girls round and made them imagine themselves there. The house was beautifully maintained with lovely decor but 'at the end of the day' it was just too small. Small, narrow corridors, bedrooms that would just hold a wardrobe and bed with no floor space for anything else (!!!) (yoga mats for example....tch...what were you thinking?)

We are waiting for the Dubai people to get back to us with their decision.

Tomorrow, I am off to the London Art Fair with Lettuce. I'm looking forward to it. I'll take me camera.

My Guilty Secret

I am an addict. I am addicted to Guitar Hero! If you are sad like me you should get this game! My youngest got this for Christmas but her MOTHER is the one who can't stop playing it! I'm now on EXPERT - which is no mean feat I can tell YOU!

My other guilty secret is that Andy and I watched WORLD CHAMPION SHIP DARTS today and actually got excited watching it! OMG OMG OMG!!! Andy said he was reverting to type - I think I was too! In our youth we both used to play and watch darts! (shameful isn't it!). However we watched today's darts with an ironic eye, laughing at the commentary and the guy shouting the numbers - 'let's play darts!'. Holly has a song on the ipod by the Long Blondes called 'Let's play darts!' - Hey I'm down with the kids!

STRANGE DREAM

Last night I had a very odd dream. I think it might have been because I'd had a chicken
Jalfrezi for dinner!

I dreamed I went to a party and spent the evening talking to Boris Johnson and Amy Winehouse. Boris Johnson fondled my boobs (over my top) and Amy Winehouse talked
boringly about cake baking.

The party wasn't a wild London party but a very countryfied affair in a village.
Amy Winehouse had a passion for baking and biscuit making and in real life was
really normal.

Boris Johnson by all accounts was himself!!! But in my dream he wasn't quite so
blonde, more ginger and slimmer and actually quite good looking! Oh dear, do I
need therapy? I mean dreaming about Boris Johnson is bad enough. And maybe
it's the mother in me wanting Amy Winehouse to be normal and settle down!


We have some news regarding houses (groan, say you all).

Over Christmas my friend Nicola told me about a friend of hers who moved to Dubai
last year and is renting out her lovely house to the BBC (whilst they make 'Jimmy's
farm' programmes - just thought I'd drop that in case you thought my name
dropping days were behind me). This woman came over for Christmas and stayed
with friends and during the Christmas festivities met up with Nicola at a party where
she told her they had decided to sell their house. Nicola told her about us, she was very interested, we went to see it twice - once while she was in the country and once when
she'd gone back and Callum the produced showed us in!! The cellar has been turned
into a room very nicely and the BBC were using it as an editing suite - screens
everywhere. Callum told us that Jimmy's cows had pneumonia and they'd to go film
them, he said it made good TV!!!!! So while we were examining the house all we could
hear were cows 'in extremis' mooing and groaning from the cellar.

Anyway (my rambling ways are not behind me either are they?), we like the house
but it's hugely expensive and in quite shoddy condition actually and now the interest
rate has gone up and is going to go up again. It's a bit worrying. Do we really need all
that space? We only have two children.

Anyway, we made an offer and the Dubai people are thinking about it. Meanwhile,
yesterday another house came on the market which is similar to the other one but
on a smaller scale without the cellar. It's much much cheaper and in excellent condition.
We're going to see it today in an hour and a half. I feel much happier about going for a
cheaper house. I think the dreams I had when I moved to Ipswich of living in an
enormous house have gone and I don't mind. I'm far too lazy to look after 'land' let alone
the cost of furnishing great big houses, or indeed heating them!


So there you are, you are all up to date. Same old same old eh?


Tonight we have a 'quiz' at the school where I work. We have formed a team with my workmates and by all accounts these nights are taken very seriously with the teachers
forming teams. The deputy head's team apparently wins every year by all accounts. I
(not we) intend to beat him! He's got very blue piercing eyes which he uses to intimidate children and other members of staff.


Right, I'm off.

Ah, it's nice to be back.

Bye.
xxx

Yoo Hoo! I'm back!

We had a lovely Christmas.







See the groaning table?














Groaning table - GONE!

















I have no idea just WHY people started wearing fancy dress? Could it have been the overimbibing of alcoholic beverages?

This is my sister after her botox has worn off!