My tales

I've been accepted for my thing. YES! YES! YES!

So I'm off exploring the world in August, meeting people, challenges, turtles (don't ask!!) with my tent in tow!

Am I Yes maybe, but I'm gonna be ier than ever!!!

Woo hoo!!

(mucho )

Hee, hee!!

Ever feel like you just stepped off the train ready to catch your connection?

That's how it is for me, only I've been waiting for my connection for a lot longer than I expected.

Had an absolutely amazing time in Harrogate this weekend, involving After Eight shooters, too many bottles of wine and lots of laughter!

It's a shame these things don't come round more often.

NB for those who don't know, Harrogate is in Yorkshire, which is in the North and full of lovely friendly northerners who are a rather well off bunch!

Anyways, whether nursing a hangover or not, one place in Harrogate that should be visited is Betty's Tea Rooms!

You walk in and the immaculately polished counters display row upon row of delicate cakes and patissseries, some burgeoning with cream, others with jam, or raisins, or some other sumptuous dried fruits.

The walls are lined with every tea and coffee under the sun, which you all want to take back with you (Dammit, I only brought a small rucksack! And that was full of maybe-I'll-wear-it-or-nots)

The room itself is amazing. The coffees and teas reach the ceiling, the decor is polished gold-looking and all quite 20's conservative style.

Then you realise that it's not just a fancy cake shop as towards the back is a short flight of stairs framed by a lady wearing a slight smile, a Victorian-like long dark skirt and holding menus to a growing queue of customers.

So off we curiously teetered downstairs, peering into our dining area, which was all wooden panels and pictures made from an assortment of wood (too much wood for my liking!). Having sat down, I ordered a Ceylon tea with a slice of lemon (not the usual dash of milk I'm used to) and a delicious (and not too pricey!) toasted raisin tea cake covered in butter (yuuuum!).

Even the waitresses seemed typically from a Victorian era. They were all painfully young (painful for me, as I'm not quite to jeune myself anymore!) and had that hunted, nervous, victimised look about them that is mostly likely as a result of strict enforcement of politeness and decorum when serving a customer!

On the whole, I have to say the experience was pleasant and it meant I killed a bit of time waiting for others to return from the French Property Exhibition.

But one to DEFINITELY check out is Milan's Cafe - it had 3 or 4 rooms with different styles - wrought iron intricately designed tables and chairs - an assortment of mismatching armchairs in another. The armchair one was my favourite with typical rugs, a muffled noise level (perfect for a hangover - yes, again!) and a soothing but unfortunately fake flickering oil lamp that you can occasionally stare at & lose yourself in your thoughts for a minute or so. The armchairs are so comfy especially when you spend 2 hours in there reading your book. (Albeit a bit of a badly written crappy one - 'A year in the Merde' - it would be great on a conversational blog, with short sentences, undeveloped ideas, but not as a published lierary work).

I really should be off now anyway, so cheers for now peeps.

This is my hypocritical confession:

My media diet today

Wife Swap (not even the UK one!)
My Family and Other Animals (not Gerald Durrell, but 5 wild kids and a rather 'given up hope' father!)
Women on a Revenge Mission

Why do I watch this cr*p? Just to remind me of my perfect self righteous-ness???!!!

Ah well, it's self-indulgent voyeurism I guess!

(IanRThorpe - not quite a justified rant, eh?!)

G'night All.

From a slightly merry me, having just drunk half a bottle of (Oh no, it's really crap wine).... Julio Gallo Merlot (Ouch - that hurt!!!) It WAS on offer, you know - at my local news agents. They know me all too well now; enough to leave the till as soon as I come in, cos they just know I'm going to stand for at least 15 mins in front of the wine selection. It's almost a daily trip. (No, I'm not an alcoholic, and I do share... occasionally!!)

Bonne Soirée à tous et toutes!

Erk!

For some reason the Student Loans Company in the UK decided to sell its debt (i.e. half my loans and other's loans too) to another company. This from my point of view is a pain in the rear.

I receive no deferment form from either company.

I call up the trusty original Student Loans Company and they say 'It's on its way Miss' (that's what I like to hear!!)

I call up the second company - Honour Student Loans 'Oh Miss, you have to send in and have your deferment application approved before the month is up if you don't want the first payment to be taken from your bank account this month'

'Oh, OK, and if I get the form back off to you filled in as soon as I receive it, how long will it take to process the form?'

'Oh, at least 4 to 5 weeks'

'So you're saying, even if I do what I'm supposed to, you still take payment, even though I'm entitled to a reasonable chance to defer my payments?'

'Uh, yes'

'And that also means everyone's in the same boat?'

'Uh, yes'

'I know I'm OK to let this one pass by, but what if others are in serious financial difficulty?'

'.....'

'You do realise that that is not fair? It's probably also a breach of compliance with FSA regulations'

'....'

'I realise this is a learning curve for the company and they would want to know to improve for next time, so do you have a name I can write to?'

'Uh, no'

'Fine, a project manager maybe?'

'Uh...I'll just put you on hold.........uh no'

'OK then YOU must have a boss?'

'Uh, no' (Eh? What...?)

'Look, this isn't a complaint about you, I just think it would be to the benefit of everyone if someone there was made aware of this appalling situation'

'There's nothing I can do'

No there isn't, you don't know how true that is.

Hey ho!

I just gave a suggestion to someone on a blog - it came out of good intentions.

Some people just want to write for their own purposes, but not for you to stick your oar in or something. But you don't find that out until they ignore you, or worse, insult you (no that hasn't happened - yet!!) Big whoops!

I'm sorry if I've offended anyone. I hate to see people going through tough times and want to help. But sometimes that's not what people want. I think I know the feeling.

A sheepish g'bye & send my apologies out to you!

The sun's out and it's Sunday.

Music:

In the Bath - Lemon Jelly
A tune for Jack - Lemon Jelly
His Majesty King Raam - Lemon Jelly
The Staunton Lick - Lemon Jelly (cos I'm learning to play the classic guitar)

Download it all, now, off your Kazaa, or whatever software you have. And play away!

ALL Mylo tunes
ALL Damien Rice songs
ALL Keane songs
MOST Beatles songs

I bought some BEAUTIFUL flowers today. They're just for me, a gift to myself to cheer me up!

There's a pic of them below for all to see!!

Today is Friday the 13th. And Oh, am i feeling it!

Bad luck occurence 1:
Got up this morning
Walked to car
Car already had smug look with a curl of the bumper to the driver's side (I should've seen it coming...)
Opened car door
Sat
Turned key
'Ug, ug, ug, uuuug', then NOTHING
The car was quite clearly on the piss last night & suffering for it (it should never do a school night, honestly, it should know by now..)
So, was late to work, incurred £50 for a battery and won't have car til Monday!

Bad luck thing 2:
Spilt milk everywhere at work (yes, hilarious, anonymous colleague who turns up at that precise moment... now b*gg%r off...)

Bad luck thing 3:
Work computer goes down (or is that good luck?!)

...not in good writing mood for now...

I'm doing that Gatwick to Brighton cycle ride for bullying and obesity charity (so if u want to sponsor us - www.huskyz.com/charity_ride.html) and already tired thinking about it!

Au revoir
X

I have been looking after mother's cat for week whilst she's in Kos.

It's a Devon Rex and UTTERLY off its head!! It should have been a skittle or even a bowling ball with claws and an incessant squeeker. My God, I'm glad my mother is coming back tonight.

It runs around the house for no apparent reason, skittling about to a silent version of Mission Impossible...AND...THE BATTING OF THE PENS...the thing has an obsession with pens. They're all gone! Never to be found again!! Oh.. and it's the same with lighters... is this cat a closet smoker?!

This THING, the devil incarnate, mieows and mieows and... you get the picture...AND it LEAP FROGS onto my back with its claws out... It's a friggin' MONKEY CAT I tell you.

Every time you shut it out, jesus mother of god, the penance lasts for hours...and it's not like it's encouraged to do that; no-one then takes pity on it and opens the door. It's the stupidest cat I've ever known!

Over and Out (of my mind...)

I have just read one of the most interesting novels of our times; Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres...

I really felt for Pelagia. de Bernieres' capturing of her relationship with her father, with Corelli, with the environment around her was enrapturing.

De Bernieres, I would suggest, has the ability to delve into a diversity of issues with great depth. The war with Carlo and Francesco was so poignant, it brought me to tears. And what Carlo did for Corelli, faced with the Nazi's...

De Bernieres made a lot of sharp insights into dictators, what they are like, what brings them to their decisions. I learnt a few things from this book.

You really could grasp what Kefalonia was like in those days. De Berniere has a profound appreciation of the surroundings, i.e. the coast of Kefalonia, that guy up Mt Aenus, the character of the pine marten...

I could go on! But this is just a short few words to say I enjoyed my journey through a harrowing war, one family, 2 or 3 soldiers and a goat.

Kalispera x
(Good Evening in Greek!)

Take care to all,

C

I've been reading cathead, tim's montonjon, plus other blogs. They are all amazing people!! I'm sort of blogged out after all that reading...

Ha, but I, yes unfit me, cycled 20 miles today and it isn't too good on the old posterior! I did 30 miles last weekend. I have to say this cycling malarkey isn't too bad. I looked into joining a cycle club, but they don't have provisions for people who want to do it for leisure, plus I have a mountain bike not a racer, nor the finances to spend buying the club 'colours' (Have you seen those sexy cycling outfits - yuck!!!)

THEN, when I got back from cycling, I helped dig a 15 foot pond. I deserve a pat on the back surely!!! But now I'm ...

Now melting into glass of Chianti DOCG too I'll have you know!!

By the way whoever did it, please don't invite me to an internet business thingy stay-at-home jobby wotsit - If you bothered to read below - that's exactly what I'm trying to get away from!!!

Bye for now

Good afternoon,

I read all the comments and they're really supportive. Thanks so much!!

I did option (d) and exercised my democratic right to vote. After all, the general election only happens every 4 years and my consituency was a marginal one. But still voter turnout isn't great. I think politics isn't considered as a priority for younger people. How on earth do you get them interested?! I think one way is through upbringing & involving children, maybe making it fun and following an election with them?! I'm sorry if I'm ing you, but it's not a bad idea.

It's hard to choose one party. It's whatevers best for the country at certain time and also giving the party a chance to see their policies through.

I dislike our consumer society and the way the UK is following the US re: green issues & junk food. Can we not concentrate on these issues that count? That make a difference to our future generations? There is so little sense of community in local areas, everyone is so selfish and self centred. I know that's a generalising way of looking at it. It may be that people are scared, people have been taken for a ride, people don't want to get hurt, so they aren't generous and helpful anymore. It's actually nice to be nice you know (and easier to be nasty...) I think we should be building the sense of 'local' back up. Perhaps disruptive local teenagers may feel a sense of accountability that way before they punch off people's wing mirrors, break car windows, etc, etc.

And the way everyone works long hours, affecting their time with their children, and their priorities. That's surely the symptom of an unregulated free market. Surely we need a sanity check to get back on track to what really matters in a balanced life, not one where you're owned by the corporation. Working in today's conditions it seems to be about pressure, pressure, stress, speed - erck! And if you do want a balanced life you're not suitable for the job!

Rant over for now!