Saturday 31 January 2009

Mud and Words

Bro has been down to lend moral support and start the remodelling of the back garden.

We have a bit of decking running through it and which is a tad dangerous in wet weather.  Think ice skating rink and picture moi scooting about on it in an unladylike manner!!  lol  So, garden is being levelled and altered,  Junior was his capable companion and was totting up how much we had spent on decking and 'nice' paving slabs, etc when we first moved in.   She reckons that 'Uncle" and she are going to transform the decking into wooden planters...to sell and this will be the start of our journey to 'millionairedom' and her quest for a plasma tv.  lol   Meanwhile, though, I have to contend with a muddy house....half of garden soil has ended up in here!!   Took me all morning to free the kitchen of this mud and I am pooped.   Junior is now well drilled in how to level soil, make a step and lay garden slabs.   Next lesson will be on how to erect and electrify a fence!  lol  

Anyway, Bro managed to cheer me up as I am now insured to drive his jeep.  Yay.....freedom from expensive public transport at last!!!!!  Yippee!  I, of course, did the usual celebratory 'Hit the road' journey.......and drove to Tesco and back.  lol

Son no 2 informed me that Grandchild of Min has uttered her first words:o)  'DaDa'.   He is beaming with pride.   She can now crawl and is whizzing around their flat at great speed.    She can also pull herself up to stand (sometimes using Son no2's trousers) and celebrates this fact by chewing on Daddy's leg:o)   Both parents are pooped with this new activity.  Have told them that they ain't seen nothing yet.  Just wait 'til she starts walking!!!...then they'll need eyes in the back of their heads!   Ahhhhhh....memories:o)))   

Tuesday 27 January 2009

Arghhhh!!!

I'm fed up.  See the feline schoolers blog.

Wy can't life just be simple?  Why do I always end up living next door to the 'strangeys?'   Why do they always encroach on my space?   I hate confrontation but I just flipped today..so did Junior.

Leave me alone and I'll leave you alone.

I'm totally peed off and want to go and emigrate to some island that is free of plonkers.  Does such a place exist?

I'm going to purchase some lottery tickets asap.....meanwhile.....

Arghhhh,




Sunday 25 January 2009

Tag Time

Tag Time!!

I've been tagged, courtesy of Gill  and have to let rip to the world eight random facts about myself.  

This is probably harder than it seems but, here goes....

1.  I can't swim.  Wish I could, but I can't.  As a small child (pre ever going near or knowing about swimming baths) I remember having a dream about being alone in a rowing boat, without oars,  in very deep water with not a sight of land, person or animal and it's always haunted me.  So, even nowadays, going near deep water gives me the shivers!   I've tried swimming lessons many times, but I can't get past the 'letting go of gripping the side of the pool' stage.  Anyway, you wouldn't want to see me in a swimming costume, trust me!!!

2.  I hate minimalism.  Boring.  I just don't get it...neither does Junior.    Atta girl:o)  I wish I was more organised, though.  I should try harder at that as I'm a tad forgetful and absent-minded of late.  lol

3.  Don't ever try and pin me down to a timetable or routine 'cos I'll get really ratty...which sort of contradicts the above wish.   'Tis the Gemini air sign in me.  You have no idea what a pain it can be sometimes, having this twin sign.  My sister is notoriously indecisive.  It once took her eighteen months to choose a sofa!!! 

4.  I met the love of my life when I was nine.  Sadly, he's not around physically but occupies a fair part of the old heart:o)

5.  I was saved from serious illness and possible death by  herbal and Traditional Chinese Medicine.   It was a scary time then, but the TCM practitioner told me to have faith in the 'medicine'.   People shouldn't poo poo it because 'alternative' medicine can work.

6.  I like hugs.  My parents weren't very tactile which maybe explains why I am!!

7.  When I passed my driving test, I immediately drove 100 miles up the motorway to tell my parents:o)  I figured that if I didn't do it there and then, then I would never find the courage again.  It was the best thing I did because I've driven all over the place since.    My sister passed her test before me and has never driven on any motorway,  just work and back...all of one mile. 

8.  I cry at the drop of a hat. Very embarassing. 
 

The Rules and who I tag.

1.  Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2.  People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3.  At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

4.  Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged and to read your blog.

5.  For the recipients, leave a comment for the person who tagged you, so they can go and read your answers.

 
Oooooo!  Who to tag?  All this people have caring hearts:o)




4.  Ruth 

5.  Brad - his blog is private at the mo I think. 


7. Debs



Friday 23 January 2009

Look Who Else Wants Bailing Out

In my quiet moments, when I'm tearing up old newspapers for the cat litters, I sometimes glance down and see if I've missed anything in the papers.  I spotted this this morning and it made me titter a bit.  Tittering is about as far as I get nowadays.

FINAL WORD

Your country's sex industry needs you

You would think it would be used to it by now, but apparently the sex industry finds itself in a difficult position.  Lovers around the world are so busy struggling through the recession that they have little time for...how can we put this politely?.....any of the little extras provided by sex shops and erotic magazines.  Now leaders of the sex industry in Germany and the US are demanding the same sort of government assistance that has been offered to banks and car manufacturers.

Such an idea must be resisted here at all costs.  It was bad enough when government took control of the banks.  The idea that Harriet Harman might seize the commanding heights of the British bedroom is too awful to contemplate.  It is true that she would ensure that all sections of society had full access to love-making facilities, but there would be absolutely no smoking afterwards.

People of Britain, our duty is clear.  The government simply cannot afford to bail out the sex industry, so we will just have to do it ourselves.  Lie back and think of the budget deficit.

Courtesy of the Times.

The Control Freaks are at it again

The control freaks have set up yet another consultation on home ed.  

We weren't advised of this.  Not even EO.  Very sneaky.  

It only runs for 4 weeks instead of the usual 12.     Even more control freaky.  Blink and you'll miss it, sort of thing.  Very, very naughty.

Closing date is 20th Feb.

There is one for the LAs.  They have 60 questions, we have 5!!..and all loaded in my opinion.   The word monitor comes up an awful lot in the LA one.  We get the Every Child Matters tosh a lot in ours.  Home edding is being linked with child abuse and forced marriages.  There is nothing to support this accusation, mind you.  It's just an excuse to try and control home edding.   If they are worried about forced marriages, why don't they confront those ethnic groups directly?  Nope.  Would cause too much of an Ooh Ahh.

The people responsible for this have a bad dose of OCD me thinks.  Intent on taking away our freedoms and rights.  Bloody Gah!!!!

The home edding parents that I know HE because they have their childrens' best interests at heart.  And, the kids are well and happy.  Can the same be said for those poor tikes who spend the daily 9 - 3.30 being brainwashed, told what to learn and think in that prison called school?

And what about all those kids who are injured in school.  Or those who are bullied and the kids who commit suicide because of it or the pressure of having to achieve?  Gah!!!! 

They'll be chipping  the kids the minute they're born next!!  

The 3rd consult is here.     Here are the Terms of Ref

The LA questions are here

Gill is, as usual, on the ball and her blog is the place to go for info.   There's an interview with Mike Fortune-Wood about this, too.

Thursday 22 January 2009

Recycling and Horse Drops

Woke up this morning to painful, swollen, iffy joints again, after having spent half the night coughing....blumming irritating thing is haunting me.   Doc says it's viral.  Nothing they can do.  Just keep taking the tablets, cough medicine and get plenty of bed rest!!    She can't give me anything for the arthritis, either.  Just keep taking non-steroidal stuff because the arthritis is in it's early stages!!  Bugger!!  But, she gave me some supplements, which are the size of horse drops.  lol    The annoying bits of arthritis,  like not being able to grip properly, craft for my supposed business,  OPEN jars and bottles... are doing my head in and slowing me down to sloth pace!!  I'm permanently knackered.     Doctor says that if the house is too cold then we should consider moving to a warmer one!!   Our flu virus will take longer to clear, too, otherwise.     Hmmm..is easier said than done, given my financial state.   So meanwhile, heating goes on and I'll try the Euro lottery tomorrow:o)  The energy company sent a letter the other day and now my monthly payment has quadrupled to what they orignally wanted earlier this year.  It's like a mortgage.  Wish I could get some solar panels up but councils don't seem to see sense to allow it...sigh..  Pity, 'cos I could electrify the fence lifter's panels for free!!  lol

We have a mountain of recycling stuff to be collected..surprise, surprise....mainly tins from cat food..and the odd bottle or two!! lol     Junior is into J2O's so if we see them on offer and we can afford, then into the shopping trolley they go. We have a pile of those now..and empty cough medicine bottles.

We don't recycle paper. We tend to tear it up and use for cat litter. Saves dosh..and the bin isn't as heavy. Come better weather I'll burn the 'done' litter in a metal bin and use the ashes as some form of fertiliser on non edible plants. I'm sure you must be able to, just have to read up on it!

Junior has been computing today...and baking.  Flapjacks.....recipe from a Sue Lawrence book.  She's into garlic bread at the mo, too.  Too much watching John Edward, maybe?  She thinks it's creepy but I think it's fascinating. Anyway, she has a Beanie bat.  He's kept on top of a tallboy unit.   Went into the bedroom today to find that he was on the floor.  Maybe he'd been trying out his wings?  lol 

We didn't go out today, as voted by Junior.  Too cold and rainy.  Not good for present health and continued dependency on Tena Lady.  lol   We had a natter about the weather.  It's going to be wet again tomorrow, apparently.  So, we talked about who is going to get what where weather-wise in the land.  North, South, East and West.  We got talking about Scotland and she asks which motorway exit Scotland is!  lol  Out with the road atlas tomorrow, me thinks:o) 

Tuesday 20 January 2009

Cough, Thank God for Tena Lady:o) and Why do I get all the Rude People

I have been ill and offline.  Poverty and illness...and harassment from 'Spawn of the Devil council tax collectors who have got it wrong' and I am too ill to fight..... not a jolly combination.    I understand why people jump off very high bridges, etc.

With the latter, I shall have to really, really practice at the hexing!!!  And, when the time comes,  not vote for the useless MP!!

I've had mad people banging at my front door and windows (when we were really ill).  Weirdo and Snitch...aka horrible neighbour has a habit of lifting up the fence panels in the back garden.  Why?  He is ODD.  Anyway, he let this mad couple come through on to my property via his fence-lifting activity.   They bang and bash on our back door and windows.  (we were still upstairs with orbiting, flu-ridden heads and bodies).  I rings the police.  What do they want? they ask.  I do not know, I reply.  I am ill and have a frightened child here but the bloke has trespassed on to my 'enclosed' back garden and is attacking my back door.  She sighs......OK, she will send someone round.   Blimey...don't put yourself out, will you, thinks me...with a bigger sigh.  I pay these people via my council tax, don't I?

I opens window and asks what the ***** hell they want.  Turns out they want 'their' cat.  

Sigh......bloody stupid idiots!!  Why would I want their cat?  I have enough of my own.

Anyway......What cat?

Her cat is, supposedly, sat on MY back bedroom window sill and has a yellow collar on.  

There is no yellow collar in this house on any cat and she needs her eyes testing, I tell her.

Oh yes there is, she retorts.

Rude bloke asks why I have a cat crate up against my back door?  You want to stop them getting out?

What business is it of yours? I ask.

 I tell him that you should not let cats out until they are six months old and spayed or neutered.

I get the sarcastic 'Oh really/as if/ whatever reply from him.

And you wonder why YOUR cat has gone missing?  7 months old, not neutered.  He is out doing what nature intended, you bloody idiot!!

I ask spineless, bastard, fence-lifting weirdo neighbour to confirm the cat is mine.  He says he hasn't seen it before, which is hard to believe, given his fence-lifting ways. 

Neighbour from other side is out by now.  She says maybe this woman is seeing things and going round the back of the house is extremely rude.  I nod in agreement.

The cat in question was Bart.  He of roof scaling fame.

He is my cat, I tell Rude Woman.

No he isn't, she and brain-dead boyfriend reply.

Meanwhile, PC Plodess arrives.  Talks to them and comes in to see me.  I tell her Bart is ours.  I have proof..pictures, DNA via his mother , father and siblings. and recent vet visit.   She sees Bart and proceeds to call him by the missing cat's name.  He ignores her, of course and continues to lick the place where his crown jewels once were.

PC Plodess goes out and informs the trespassers.  I carry Bart out and Rude Woman admits he is not her cat.  I tell her I know that.  He is mine...born on my bed!!    Bloke says he is going.  I give him a bollocking for his behaviour and for trespassing.  No apology came...from either of them.  

Plodess comes back in and 'suggests' that I give Bart to the woman (who had by now turned on the waterworks because of mising cat).

Why would I want to give her MY cat when she can't look after the one she had?  Well, says Plodess, It will make everyone happy!  
I refrain from asking her how she gets that and telling her where to go.  And say absolutely no way are they having any animal of mine, after the way they had barged in being extremely rude and aggressive.  Plus, they can't look after the one they had, I repeat.  She then tells me it's a civil matter if I want to take it further!!

I am spitting blood.  I am in possession of an orbiting, fuming head!!!

What should I do about freaky, weirdo neighbour?  Son no 2's best mate is threatening to go round and 'sort him'.  Junior is erring on the side of violence, too.  I, on the other hand, have a great wish to electrify the bloody fence.  Big Bro says he will come down from Up North and have 'words' with the guy.....and then electrify the fence!!  lol

'Scuse language.  Believe me, if I'd been able to blog it straight away it would be 'bleep' all the way!!