Pouring myself a cup of ambition

I’m off to do a bit of photography this afternoon. It was decided that in light of our upcoming inspection it would be nice to have some original framed pictures of our borough and our housing… it’s a lovely day for it, very nice light.

My mood is much better today as well. Could be something to do with getting a little perspective as well as belting out the best of Dolly Parton on my way to work… either way, I’ve already done lots this morning and I feel back in control or back in the saddle as our Dolly might say… (Still think I need a pay rise!)

So it’s confirmed, we’re off to see this house on Saturday in the wilds of Cornwall. We’re also going to check out a place in Devon which seems rather lovely. Although I suspect not as rural which puts me off. But you need to squeeze as much in as possible when you long-distance house hunt.

Today I sent my alarm later than normal and when I went down to the park with the dog, it was chocka with mutts. Most of who know Pluto so he went round with about 8 other dogs, happily sniffing and running around while I chatted to the neighbours. I got to speak to a nice guy who lives one street away – also a gayer; he has two terriers one of which hates Pluto. Absolutely hates him. He went for him twice today and we don’t know why. Of course, being a rescue he may have been attacked by a black dog, developed a pathological hatred, and you wouldn’t know anything about it, but it is so strange. P was very mellow about it. He barked and snarled back but didn’t attack or get upset. He’s so amazing! Anyway, it is a bit of a shame because this guy is lovely but he gets so embarrassed when his dog plays up. I say slap the little bugger with an ASBO and be done with it…

First it was a nice pub and now Sydenham is getting a bit carried away, because we have a brand new, decent coffee shop and deli called the Blue Mountain Café. I almost crashed the car when I saw it for the first time. It looks lovely and we will definitely be going very soon. Nice independent bookshop (service is a bit hit and miss, but what can you do), nice friendly pub, nice coffee shop… who do we think we are?! Dull-wich?

Happy Halloween!!

Going to hell on a swivel chair

My day started well, but somewhere along the way it's become a complete waste of makeup. I have lots of work. So do a lot of other people. Which is why I rarely spend time moaning about it, but today is the exception. Too much to do, too many stupid people in the workplace, and whilst I'm whinging it seems silly not to point out that I need better renumuration for what I do.

And I've just bitten into an unripe pear and frankly it was the last straw and made me a bit tearful.

New homes, new babies...

It’s a gorgeous crisp, bright autumn day in lovely London and all is well. Traffic was ok, the queue in the bank was ok, the croissants that M&S kindly sold me were super and now I’m at my desk…

We’re off to Cornwall to see a house this weekend. How crazy is that?! Still don’t want to go in to too much detail but by jiminy things are moving a-pace. That said, we may see said property and just think no, not for us, not this time… in some ways that would be so much easier! Because if we go OMG, yes, yes, bloody hell yes! We need to get uber organised uber quick.

Some new friends of ours have had a baby and we met him last night. His name is Henry, he is less than one-week old, and he is absolutely amazing. I was particularly taken by his ears and his finger nails. We want to start a family next year and it was lovely to be sat there with him sleeping in first my arms, then my partner’s… I think rugby is a career option (he’s big and tall, with long dextrous fingers), others thought he might be a lounge singer…

This evening we have to fix our old computer which will be tiresome. I can never get excited about techy computer things. I just want them to work and when they don’t I have an overwhelming desire to sulk. Maybe making a nice meal with a glass of wine will help…

Enjoy the sunshine!

PS. My colleague bought myself and another colleague a breast exam glove from Lloyds Pharmacy, they are only about a fiver. 1 in 9 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime and examining your breasts regularly is crucial. The glove apparently magnifies sensitivity and makes it easier to examine yourself. (There's even a DVD included.) Now I haven't used it yet, but anything that can help to ensure you catch breast cancer early - when it's easier to treat - has got to be a good thing. The question is not why don't you buy one, but why wouldn't you buy one?

No place like home

Ok, where to start (I'm excited so I may jump about a little). We visited the mortgage advisor on Saturday and she was great and more importantly it was good news: the amount we could borrow, repayments etc. So afterwards, excited at the possibilities, we went to Maggies cafe in Lewisham for breakfast (highly recommended: great service, tasty grub and with the breakfast, unlimited toast and tea or coffee. Lovely). Anyway we had a mooch around the shops afterwards, I bought two jumpers (both of which have to be taken back. I never ever try things on in store!) Next we went to Pets at Home in Greenwich primarily for dog chow (which didn't explain the toys and treats we bought as well...) and then headed home.

For the rest of the day I checked in and out of various property and land for sale websites in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset and occasionally shouted out randomly LET'S BUY A HOUSE! (It can't be easy living with me.) We saw a few places and sent off some emails. Then had a lovely dinner and watched Elizabeth on TV - great film but some real stomach churning scenes, I'll be trying to see the sequel at the cinema.

Anyway, I digress. Today I decided that because my knees are so sore I needed to take some drastic action i.e. spend the day in bed. Which sounds great, but I'm such a fidget I find resting very, very difficult. (My partner will say, have you rested? To which I reply, yes! I just happen to have done all the laundry, changed the bedding, done the washing up, hoovered the front room and walked the dog as well!)

So we've spent the morning looking for property (tucked up in bed with tea and listening to the rain, with the dog asleep besides us)- and we think we've found somewhere! Now I don't want to go into too much detail because we're right at the beginning of the process and it might not lead anywhere. But we can afford it, it's in a gorgeous location, and it's pretty much exactly what we want. If you're reading this, keep your fingers crossed for us. I think good advice for buying property is expect the worst, hope for the best...!

We're both being realistic, but can't help but feel very excited as well. Oh dear, let's hope they get back to our enquiry soon...

PS. The racist grafitti in our local park has been removed. Well done Lewisham Council.

Eating out and still landed with the washing up!

Last night we decided after being tired all week, we would go out for a meal. My partner choose a local – and highly recommended – Indian restaurant in Honor Oak Park called Babur. It was lovely! The service was excellent, the decor was fantastic and the food was very tasty. A bit more spicey than I’m used to (look, I’m a culinary wimp!) but really flavoursome. We both eshewed starters and I had chicken biriyani with the chicken and rice cooked together keeping everything moist, and a naan bread (In my world where I make the rules, you can’t have a curry without a naan. It’s just wrong.) My partner had a light pancake filled with a variety of vegetables. Apparently it was gorgeous and it was absolutely massive! We also had a side order of asparagus. Afterwards, I had a spicy bread and butter pudding and a coffee and my partner had a peppermint tea. It was just under £50 – we didn’t really have any alcohol except for one bottle of cobra (which was a pint bottle). We’ll definitely go back but we were so full when we got out of the restaurant we thought we might have to take it in turns to be rolled to the car.

We've also been collecting the Independent newspaper tokens - dine in a gastro pub for £10 - which we're hoping to do next week.

When we got in, we started looking online for land to buy. There were some promising leads in Cornwall and Devon so we sent a few enquiry emails. We have a mortgage appointment this Saturday so we should have a much better idea of how much we can borrow and also what the different repayment options are on varying amounts. We’re both quite excited – it means once we have this information we can start looking seriously. Although we would prefer to leave it till after the wedding, I also don’t want to miss out on a bargain just because we weren’t ‘quite’ ready.

Today I had to give in and buy Microsoft office at full price. We were hoping to buy it through work because it’s a lot cheaper and we use the laptop for work – me especially. However, it was taking so long to sort out: with no guarantee that we could purchase it through either of our workplaces, that I went to PC World and spent £99 on Microsoft ’07 this morning. Although for that amount of money I want someone to come round, install the bugger, walk the dog and do the washing up...

I would like to take a break now but the dog is insisting on a walk, the washing up remains stubbornly undone, there’s laundry everywhere and I still have lot of work to do. I may indulge in a cup of tea and put the heating on though – it’s really cold today!

Hate

Something very beautiful and something very ugly took place in our local park this morning. It’s a fairly non-descript day; not as cold but grey and damp and I set off to walk the dog just before 8. The park was quiet and I was enjoying the peace and spending time with Mr P who as usual was into everything…

I heard them before I saw them, the unmistakable honk of geese in flight. I looked up and saw a 6 of them flying overhead, very low, and I watched delighted as they honked off in to the distance. It was incredible how low they flew and it really was very beautiful.

As you round the top end of the park, there is large brick building – used by the police I believe – and the back of the building (which faces out onto the park) can be a magnet for taggers. Today there was something entirely more sinister than some 14-year-old’s initials. Someone with black paint had daubed swastikas, the SS insignia, the German word for Jew (Juden) and what looked like a stick figure being gassed. I was shocked and sickened. Previously we’ve had nothing more troublesome than “NFS” (which apparently stands for Neva Fully Sober, which is actually quite funny). I’ve just phoned Lewisham council about it and because it’s racist graffiti they should have someone out to clean it off within a couple of hours. Hate – not just race hate either – never really goes away. There’s always some scum that wants to hurt someone else for whatever reason, and if there is no good reason (and there never is) they’ll make something up. It could be your race, your sexuality, your sports team, because you’re a woman, or just because you’re in the way. Tomorrow, when we go for our walk, the graffiti will hopefully be gone, but the sentiment still remains. The slack jawed idiot that did it is still out there cranking up their badly damaged brains to occasionally spit out some nasty invective about someone or some group of people that they’ve decided they don’t like.

It’s not a beautiful park, in fact it’s quite plain but I much prefer it when I spot the robin that lives there, the woodpeckers that work high up in the trees, the parakeets that shriek and squawk, geese honking overhead, foxes that have their babies by the bowling green, the large mushrooms that colonise rotting and fallen trees, crunchy autumn leaves and the squirrels that drive all the dogs nuts as they dart from tree to tree… that’s beautiful. Humans being pig ignorant is not beautiful. There is no rhyme and reason for it, there are no excuses, it’s just plain wrong.

PS. Don't forget to get your poppy. It's not just to remember the dead (the same people who died to eradicate hate and bigotry and terror), it's to support the living.

Do clouds take teabreaks?

There was a small white van in front of me this morning – quite grubby (ironic because it turned out to be a cleaning company van) and someone had written in the grey dust “I love rhubarb and custard” which made me smile. So much more original than ‘clean me’ or the one that always makes me giggle ‘I wish my wife were as dirty as this van’.

We found it virtually impossible to get out of bed this morning. I was wondering what my motivation was when I realised that my nice wage and not losing my job were two quite motivating factors. So I rolled out of bed, into the shower and off Pluto and I headed for our morning constitutional…

We got to the park only to find half of it covered in mist and the other half not. It looked like a stratus cloud had stopped to take the weight off, ‘don’t mind me, just taking a breather and checking my map!’ It was, like all morning mist, quite beautiful and eerie, with the sun’s rays being diluted to a milky orange colour, not quite strong enough to reach the other side of this rather strange, roughly elliptical spot of mist.

The autumn colours looked lovely although already losing their crunchy appeal to 33 year olds that still think its fun to kick piles of them and dogs who like to snuffle. There was ice on the windscreen of my car and the air was damp and cold. But all in all it was a good walk with P running up to a complete stranger demanding a cuddle. He just stopped in front of her and leaned on her legs so she leant down and made a fuss until he moved on again rather like a chunky version of the littlest Hobo.

Traffic was ok. I’m listening to Kiss in the morning rather than Radio 1 which I much prefer. I had two home made muffins with butter and a travel cup of coffee and was all things considered, very happy.

A new day

I’ve decided I want to see more rugby – premiership rugby. My two favourite teams (for various reasons) are Bath and Wasps. So last night I booked two tickets for my partner and I (who sportingly has agreed to go and see her first proper rugby match!) to see Wasps vs. Falcons in November and today I bought two more tickets to see Wasps vs. Sharks in March of next year. I also bought a Wasps t-shirt. Well, you’ve got to look the part!

I’m not at all interested in football but I think you’re looking at about £40 a ticket, so £20 to see a top-flight rugby match is good value I think. We are trying to save money so sadly, I won’t be going week in, week out (who has the time anyway?!) but it means going three or four times a season – maybe more – is very doable.

I also emailed a friend to see if he wants to go down to Bath in January to watch them take on Gloucester at home.

Having lived overseas for so many years, I was always more interested in the national team because I didn’t ‘grow up’ with an area team such as Wasps or Bath, but rather chose them when I was in my mid-teens as the most interesting teams because (a) I was a Londoner and (b) I loved Bath (the place and the team) and Bath, let’s face it, are rugby royalty. Ok, so some fans would be cringing and saying that’s not enough! You choose one team – because of where you were born or because of family allegiance – and that’s it for life! But in my defence I’ve always loved my rugby, I’ve contributed a hell of a lot to rugby in the last five years and at least I’m getting out there to see a few games… (I’m also probably one of the VERY few people who have done a photoshoot at Twickenham!)

Like slowing down to see a car crash, I can’t help but read the acres of written discourse about the final, even though it makes me a bit depressed because in case any of you didn’t realise, we lost! Interesting how magnanimous England have been; praising the “better team”, accepting the referee’s decision in disallowing what was clearly a try… I think that’s part of who we are and it’s another thing that makes me proud. Shame some other teams couldn’t adopt that gracious in victory and defeat attitude.

Anyway, for those of you that don’t like rugby, I’m sure you’d like me to move on now. So it’s fair to say, England have left the building…

We had a lovely weekend with our friends, plying them with good food and booze (we don’t like guest to be hungry or sober!). We’re looking forward to them moving to London in a couple of weeks and are already planning dinner and a day-out.

My partner’s sponsored walk was a huge success and she alone has raised over £300. A fantastic achievement for a very worthy cause. (www.sidalidonations.net)

She was pretty tired on Sunday – mentally more than physically (she’s quite fit anyway) but then seeing as it was her idea and she did all the organising, it’s no surprise really. We had a lazy day and I surpassed myself in the kitchen – butternut squash, pine nuts, onions, black pepper and cheese in puff pastry parcels. Absolutely bloody gorgeous!

Still proud

A dream ended. Crushing disappointment. A disallowed try. I'm crying, but I'm very proud. So for the last time in this world cup COME ON ENGLAND, WE LOVE YOU!

Countdown...

We have friends staying the weekend, who we haven't seen since our hols in Scotland in June, so it was a lot of fun catching up last night over homemade stew, fresh homemade bread and ale!

Everyone apart from me had a big day today. Our friends are flathunting, whilst my partner is doing an 11 mile sponsored walk to raise funds for a friend's university fees (www.sidalidonations.net), so I have the house to myself. I got up extra early to make them all a nice breakfast: eggs, tomatoes, hash browns and toast; apple juice and coffee! (Now I've just got to do the washing up!)

I'm resting my knees which were so bad yesterday I had to cancel my trip to foal farm. Nice start, my first day and I can't even turn up!

It's been a day categorised by deliveries. I had to pick one up today, and then have been waiting in for another one to arrive (which did arrive 20 mins ago). At least I now have a great new pair of jeans (which will go very well with my England shirt!) to watch the match tonight.

Ah, the match... I'm so nervous I'm not sure how I can even bear to watch, but I will, of course. Let's hope the rugby beer I bought (specially brewed for the World Cup) will help calm my nerves...

So all that remains is to say COME ON ENGLAND, STUFF THE SAFFAS! Lol... hope everyone enjoys the match, whoever you're supporting.

We've come a long way baby

How exciting, I was driving to work this morning when a police saloon car with its blues and twos going, raced past, followed by another, and another, then a prison transport and then a police landrover! Who were they transporting?! Jack the Ripper himself…?

It looked like the officers were armed as well. Don’t know why it was exciting but it was…

Also I saw a tractor this morning which made me smile. You don’t often see a tractor in central London. It was green and yellow. Good colours for a tractor I think.

There is a real buzz in the office about the conference. I’m so delighted! I’ve been doing lots of thank you emails this morning – all heartfelt, I had some fantastic volunteers and facilitators. Good, reliable, enthusiastic volunteers are critical to the success of any event. Even some of the people that were moaning about having to go to a staff conference have admitted (grudingly, mind) that they had a good time and that it was useful.

But just as you think the hard work should be over, you realise it’s just beginning! Starting with a conference report for 400 members of staff… oh, and there’s the other 3 or 4 big projects I have on at the moment… lol!

Conference report

My conference was a huge success! I'm now totally exhausted but really pleased how it went... and I got two bottles of bubbly and some chocolate as a thank you for all my hard work!!

Penny Mallory (former world rally champion - the only woman to ever compete and win in the world championship, and TV presenter) was our inspirational speaker and she was awesome. A really powerful, interesting, articulate woman. Thoroughly recommend her for your conference / team building etc.

Anyway, I'm going to finish my beer and go to bed!

The caterpillar and the mouse

Yesterday I had my MRI scan on my knees. Now I’m not embarrassed or ashamed to admit I get frightened and stressed in hospitals and having medical treatment of any kind. I am also claustrophobic! I didn’t realise an MRI involved being in a tube, I thought for some reason that was CAT scans. So you can imagine my horror when I realised. I needed two scans laying on my back keeping very still and then several laying on my front with my knees being moved by the technician – a tracking scan. They did say I could refuse the scans, especially the second one where I would have to travel through the tube but I persevered. It really hurt having my knees forced into this position and that, but it only took about 30 minutes in the end and it is, arguably, all for a good cause! I was very glad to get out of that hospital though!

We went home and my partner cooked me a lovely meal and had bought me a huge bunch of sunflowers which now look gorgeous and dramatic in the front room.

Last night I had very symbolic dreams. Including walking down a narrow country lane and seeing – on a fence post – a caterpillar swallowing a mouse! The caterpillar then regurgitated the mouse who was still alive…! I don’t think we need Freud to deconstruct that particular dream…

It’s the day before the conference. I have so much to do that I’ve come to a complete standstill and now an important document has gone missing (for another project) so the only way to keep my sanity was to take a break, drink some chocolate milk and blog!

A good mechanic and a nice piece of cake

What a domesticated weekend! We made bread, muffins, cakes and scones. Had family over for tea (and lots of cake), started on the big garden winter clear up and did some housework! I also watched a lot of rugby (see previous entries).

We also got the laptop wirelessly connected to the Internet. Ok, I say we, what I really mean is my partner. She was great and basically did all the work, including phoning our broadband provider when there were a few problems. I sat next to her making sympathetic and supporting noises. A tough job but somebody’s got to do it…

As it all kicked into life – the laptop saying, hey I can pick up the internet, the internet saying hello, I’m the internet would you like to go out sometime – a list of all the providers popped up with the prompt, which one do you want to pick? So we saw all the providers for our neighbours, and as there were 10 different choices, not just the neighbours upstairs and either side either. Their was even one that was unsecured so we could, in theory, just use the net without paying and presumably (although as you may have gathered I’m no expert) be able to see all of that persons internet files?! Naturally, we didn’t dream of doing that, well, not for long and just clicked on our provider and voila! The laptop is now truly mobile.

We were supposed to go to the cycle show and see Slighty’s Witcomb Bikes stand, but we didn’t make it in the end what with unexpected guests and a list of chores as long as your average inner tube. Apparently it went well though. They now have a 6 month waiting list. How fantastic! As I said in a text, in the sort of disposable ‘want it NOW!’ world we live in, how wonderful that people appreciate craftsmanship and quality and are prepared to wait for it.

We sent an email to a woman in Somerset who is selling land, which makes it even more imperative we see a mortgage advisor ASAP. It may come to nothing but for those of you that know me, you will appreciate I am a belt and braces sort and like having things organised and ready for when we do want to make a move…

Unfortunately I start off the week a little lame. (Even more so than usual.)Whilst clearing the garden yesterday I fell and banged my knees quite badly. I stopped work immediately, my partner ran me a bath and I rested for the rest of the afternoon – even using a crutch to take the weight off. I took painkillers and slept well and I think all that did make a huge difference although I am still sore. Ironically, tonight is my MRI scan. I have to move my legs and then they scan me as I move to see how bad the damage is. Think I might not tell them that I was carrying heavy stuff (a big no-no) and then fell on my knees because I’m a clumsy bugger.

By the way, before I sign off and throw myself into my work, I should say that I used Beekay garage in Hammersmith (near Ravenscourt tube) to get the car fixed last week. And so far I am very impressed. I am now booking the car in for a service. I liked the way they kept me informed and were so polite and friendly. When I asked for a quote for a service they told me they couldn’t give me one… I was a little perplexed, until they explained they check the car over for free and then call you and say this needs doing, this doesn’t need doing and then they give you a price and ask whether they can go ahead. In other words, they don’t do (or charge) you for work that doesn’t need doing. This seems to be both sensible and practical.

If you want reviews of garages, I think there is a website called the good garage scheme where real customers post their comments about the service and quality of work. For someone like me with no frame of reference with regards to garages or the work they do, and so who has to rely on trust, it’s really important to hear what other people think and have found using a particular garage. I’ve only used Beekay once, but I am impressed so far and will be using them again.

Pumas out, Boks in...

Well it's not too much of a surprise I guess, although we rugby fans are a romantic lot; we like underdogs and we like upsets! Less than one week from today, the place I called home for seven years will take on my beloved England, the place where I was born, in the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final. Should be a fantastic, and emotional, match for everyone...

The finals!

What a game last night... it was ugly and grinding and frustrating but the England rugby team are in the finals! The team which everyone had written off, did it - they knocked out France! I shed a little tear (again!) and we opened a bottle of bubbly to celebrate. Can you imagine what I'm going to be like when we win?!

Viva la France.

Get some England!!

So glad it's Friday...

We’re off to Iqueer this evening after work – the challenge is to get in and out without (a) having an argument with my beloved (b) spending on average 7 times more than I had planned to. Watch this space…

It’s my work conference next week for 400 people and I have single-handedly organised it. So far the prep has gone well and liking things done a certain way, i.e. properly; I’m very glad I’ve been in charge. Although I suspect I may collapse in a heap at the end of it all, drinking too much free wine and inexplicably tearful. (I’ve chosen the wine as well so I know it’s good!)

I’m training my facilitators today and so went to M&S before work for goodies; cookies, fruit, pretzels, flapjack, fruit juice… I always think training is so much more effective with high sugar levels…

This weekend is a home weekend. We have to do a big autumn clear-up in the garden, I’m making a cake and some more bread (how Women’s Institute!) and of course in the evening, it’s the rugby. I also want to catch up on some sleep. I’ve been ridiculously tired this week. As next week is a fairly big week, I want to approach it with vim if not vigour.

Right now I need a coffee and to crack on. Have a wonderful weekend.

(Minor irritation and I hate to mention it really, but as someone who is a really big rugby fan, who used to play rugby, who knows quite a lot about yes, you guessed it, rugby, please save me from people who don’t understand rugby giving me their ill-informed opinions about, all together now, rugby! Learn how the game is played and we can talk. Sorry to be peevish. Thank you.)

WAAC

I don't like not knowing something so I decided to find out a little more about the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps. This is just a brief introduction and I might do some further reading because I bet the WAAC has a fascinating history and I know, for example, that women were vital in special ops during WWII...

"With heavy losses on the Western Front in 1916, the British Army became concerned by its reduced number of fighting soldiers. Lieutenant General Sir Henry Lawson suggested to Brigadier General Auckland Geddes, Director of Recruitment at the War Office, that far too many men were doing what he called "soft jobs". After talks with the government it was decided to use women to replace men doing certain administrative jobs in Britain and France. These men could then be sent to fight at the front.

In January 1917, the government announced the establishment of a new voluntary service, the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC). The plan was for these women to serve as clerks, telephonists, waitresses, cooks, and as instructors in the use of gas masks. It was decided that women would not be allowed to hold commissions and so that those in charge were given the ranks of controller and administrator. Helen Gwynne-Vaughan was chosen for the important job as the WAAC's Chief Controller (Overseas).

The WAAC uniform consisted of a small, tight-fitting khaki cap, khaki jackets and skirts. Regulations stated that the skirt had to be no more than twelve inches above the ground. To maintain a high standard of fitness, all members of the WAAC had to do physical exercises every day. This included morris dancing and hockey.

Women in the WAAC were not given full military status. The women enrolled rather than enlisted and were punished for breaches of discipline by civil rather than military courts. Women in the WAAC were divided into officials (officers), forewomen (sergeant), assistant forewomen (corporals) and workers (privates). Between January 1917 and the Armistice over 57,000 women served in the WAAC.

Newspapers in Britain began publishing stories claiming that the WAAC in France were becoming too friendly with the soldiers and large numbers were being sent home because they were pregnant. A senior member of the WAAC, Miss Tennyson Jesse, was asked to carry out an official investigation into these stories. In her report, Tennyson Jesse pointed out that between March 1917 to February 1918, of the 6,000 WAACs in France, only 21 became pregnant. Tennyson Jesse argued that this was a lower-rate than in most British villages. Tennyson Jesse proudly pointed out that of all the women serving in France only 37 had been sent home for incompetence or lack of discipline.

Although not on combat duties, members of the WAAC had to endure shelling from heavy artillery and bombing raids by German aircraft. During one attack in April, 1918, nine WAACs were killed at the Etaples Army Camp. British newspapers claimed that it was another example of a German atrocity but Helen Gwynne-Vaughan was quick to point out at a press conference that as the WAAC were in France as replacements for soldiers, the enemy was quite entitled to try and kill them."

Why kids and dogs are a good mix...

I was in slow moving traffic around Clapham Common this morning when eventually we stopped altogether, I opened the window and my eyes slid over to the park where there were some resilient – fog, what fog? – joggers and a woman pushing a young child in a pushchair. Their chocolate Labrador was walking beside them. The Lab suddenly spotted a branch that had fallen from a nearby tree and pounced on it shaking it, jumping up and down and running in circles with this massive branch – complete with leaves – in its mouth. This reduced the child to hysterics who was literally rocking in the pushchair, squealing and laughing at the antics of his mad pooch. The dog seemed to take a lot of pleasure in this favourable reaction and shook the branch even harder. The mum strolled on laughing and smiling and I thought what a wonderful way to start the day? Pluto does this; he does crocodile rolls and then squirms on his back, or he picks up a stick and runs in circles and it never fails to raise a smile – no matter how tired, how rushed or even how fed-up I might be. And if fact, complete strangers will often stop and smile as well. Dogs’ rock. Children – although I don’t have any – seem to rock too. Well done them.

I need Microsoft office for my laptop and we need to hook it up (although wirelessly) to t’internet. So I’m not really getting to use it very much, although I have changed my screensaver twice and my wallpaper three times. It’s still shiny and fantastic though.

Victor the Vectra is well. The patient made a full recovery. Apparently all he needed was a new relay and I picked her up yesterday morning. (Victor is gender gifted; sometimes a he, sometimes a she.)

After I picked up Vic I drove down Biggin Hill way to go a meet the general manager and chairperson of an animal sanctuary that I am hoping to become a volunteer / trustee with. They were really nice and they have all sorts of animals on the farm, which is fantastic. They seemed to think my skills would be most useful and I’m spending the day their next week. I’m hoping to take Mr. Pluto with me as well, who has never been let loose on a farm to our knowledge…!

As I drove back I stopped off at a nice pub we’ve been to several times before in the village of Downe. I ordered lunch and sat by the open fire and read my book. It was bliss!

There was an 88-year-old in their with his wife and friend and he was talking about his time in the army. He was in the Royal Artillery and had served in the last part of the war (not sure where) before he was posted to Germany after their surrender. I thought he sounded really interesting – unless of course, it’s a bit like Uncle Albert in Only Fools and Horses, the same stories over and over! – but more interestingly it became apparent his wife had also been in the army and I was suddenly much more curious about her story. She must have served after the war (because she seemed a little younger), when there was still a seperate woman’s army. Unfortunately she didn’t say as much and I realised I was eavesdropping which is never an attractive habit. So I returned with relish to my steak and ale pie. There must be thousands of women who served in the women’s army, but you never hear anything about them…

After lunch, I went and bought some new crockery that had caught my eye a week or so ago when I was shopping with my mum. They had chickens painted all over them and I thought they were quite fun. I regretted not buying them when I saw them the first time. So I went and got plates, side plates and bowls and some big serving dishes in preparation for Christmas! Eventually I got home, walked the dog again and settled down to some work with odd sojourn into Facebook. A good day by all accounts…

You don't have mail

You’ll remember I had quite strong opinions re. the tube strike, and now we’re in the midst of a postal strike. Extremely inconvenient when you’re awaiting 60 – odd wedding RSVP’s! I don’t think members of the public ever get the full story; there’s too much hyperbole, rhetoric and sabre rattling when it comes to public service strikes, but I must admit, asking the post office to be better is something a lot of people want! So there are some among us scratching our heads and wondering why the postal service is on strike for being asked to modernise and be more effective?

Now let me just state something before you think I’m a Thatcherite stooge, I’m pro-unions. Without unions most of us would still be working under appalling conditions for shocking pay. Think sweatshops and illegal factories and you have an idea of some of the working conditions of only a few decades ago. Even now, unions still have a crucial role in protecting women who have been victimised and sexually harassed, gay workers drummed out of the workplace and subjected to sick jokes, black workers denied promotion… And at the turn of the last century when tithe property was so much more common, you had men dismissed for no reason, or injured at work and no longer able to carry out their duties and who lost their home as it came as part of their job. Whole families homeless because workers had no status, no protection. Unions helped to change all that – valuing people and protecting their rights is never a bad thing. But from your ‘ordinary person on the street’ (although I feel I’m anything but ordinary, lol!) I can’t understand what the problem is in this case. When I was younger you had two deliveries a day. The morning delivery arrived before I left for school. We had the same postman who was fairly friendly and always looked smart and postman-like. He used his common sense when delivering things when we weren’t in – i.e., asking neighbours to look after the odd parcel.

Now we have different post men (all fairly pleasant!), some of whom use their common sense, some of whom don’t even bother to ring the doorbell when they have a parcel for us. (I have been in and the boys upstairs have been in and we’ve come down to find a ‘we tried to deliver a parcel’ card to which we’ve said to each other, did they ring your bell, because they didn’t ring ours?!) Uniforms have become more relaxed, so much so there is a young man that wears his shirt open because I suspect he’s rather proud of his chest. We have one delivery; it happens anytime between 10am and 3pm. More mail goes missing and is delayed than ever before…

Something has gone badly wrong, and I’m sorry to be a selfish little sod but whilst I don’t want anyone to lose their job – unless their useless – or be treated badly, I do want my RSVP’s (and a rugby t-shirt I ordered a week ago)!

The patient is with the doctor...

There’s a small electrical fault with the car. Intermittently the fan (that cools the engine) won’t switch off and runs the battery down. So I’ve taken her to a new garage. I wasn’t that impressed with the last one; Queens in Penge. For two reasons really, one was they never returned calls which infuriated me no end, the other being that there are two screws on the rocker gasket to keep the top in place, when the car was returned they hadn’t bother to replace them. Now it’s a small thing, a very small thing. But I think if they didn’t bother to do something that simple…

(When I told them about it, they lied and said, the car arrived like that. I know with 100% certainty that it arrived with the two screws intact.)

Anyway, the customer is always right apparently and so I’ve taken my business elsewhere. I’m always so anxious when the car goes in so I shall spend the day on or certainly near my tenterhooks, whatever the hell tenterhooks might be.

I never really followed up on our chimney sweep visit. As I think I mentioned before, I love real fires and am just generally not that keen on central heating – it dries everything out. We have a fireplace in the front room, our room and the spare room and took the decision to have the first two swept and tested to see if we could use them. We knew that if we couldn’t use them it would be £120 effectively up in smoke – if you pardon the pun – but I wanted to check anyway. And unfortunately it turned out that we can’t use either. Basically, the flue in the front room is smashed at some point so smoke leaks, and both chimney pots have been replaced by ‘vented cowls’. Although the bedroom fireplace is in perfect working order, without a proper pot, it’s too dangerous to use. Basically the cowls prevent a proper draw which means smoke can back up which is dangerous. At least we know now I suppose, but I do wish there had been a cheaper way to find out! We called out Mike Doyle a member of the Master Guild of Chimney sweeps – they cover all of London and we found him and his dad friendly and efficient and they kept everything really clean. They laid sheets everywhere and we didn’t find any soot or dirt as a result of their visit. (They were also very good about Pluto wanting to help them!)

Tomorrow is an exciting day for me. There is a place called Foal Farm in Kent; an animal sanctuary and they had a small piece in the local paper – I can’t even remember what about now. Anyway in my quest to (a) volunteer again (b) get animal – specifically large animal – experience, I dropped them an email to see if they wanted trustees or volunteers. A couple of weeks later I got a phone call and an email saying sorry for the delay, but they were very interested in my interesting skills! Tomorrow I’m going along to have a chat with the chairperson and general manager. I’m really looking forward to it. I shall let you know what happens!

The laptop has landed...

It's here and it's shiny! Unfortunately I'm too busy to have a play, but at least my laptop has arrived for when I can!!

Scotland match

I’m very sad that Scotland is out of the world cup – I am half Scottish after all. I thought Craig Smith’s bullocking run and Cussiter being brought on was the turning point, but it wasn’t to be sadly. The team did well, just not well enough. Parks was pretty good – fantastic penalty kick – but the confidence and brashness of Juan Martin Hernandez meant he was a shining star for the Pumas.

My laptop is arriving today. I’m very excited. Well, I’m being excited in a contained way because I have a horrible headache which is why I’m working from home. (If you're thinking, didn't she order that laptop ages ago? You're right. Except I ordered the wrong one! So that had to go back and I had to re-order the right one!)

Still got loads to do though, headache or no, so I’d better get on with it. Who knows, my next entry might be on the laptop!

GET SOME!

Hinger-land....

Wow. The best match I've seen in four years. I am of course referring to my beloved England (15-1 outsiders) who took on a very hungry Australia (3-1 favourites) in the quarter final that took place earlier today. Today generally has been a bit mad. Chimney sweep at 9am, visit from Best Man at 11am, take my mum to buy a new hoover at 12.30, make or break match for England 2pm...

I was commentating for a friend in India and got rather carried away giving him virtually a blow-by-blow account via text (not easy to do, let me tell you!) I won't do that on my blog, all you need to know is that England won 12-10. I will say however, that the pack was amazing and every player played out of his skin and now, millions of England fans are very, very happy.

I actually had a tear in my eye!

And now, the semis.. the chariot rumbles on...

Gary Barlow, now there's a surprise!

I was just reading the Guardian, nibbling on a sesame snap, minding my own, when my eye fell on the new M&S advert for menswear. Take That are the models and doesn't Gary Barlow look hot!? I mean, not hot enough for me to walk on the other side of the street, but I thought he was supposed to be, shall we say, the homely one of the band? Not sure it's worth blogging about (although when has that ever stopped me) but I feel some sort of congratulations are in order. I wonder how he would feel knowing that some random lesbian in SE26 thinks he scrubs up quite well. Quite tickled I would imagine...

Happy retirement mum!

My mum is retiring! Out of context this may not seem a very big deal, but for a very ill woman battling cancer, this is wonderful, fantastic, extraordinary news! I shall explain… St. Christopher’s hospice (yes I know, I went cold when I heard the words ‘hospice’ and ‘I have an appointment’) but my mum was quick to point out that it was nothing like that, they employ advisors that can help ill people (not just terminally ill people) and they worked out that she can afford to retire and that based on the consultant’s recommendations this should be done as soon as possible because her working was seriously impacting on her health and recovery. In the meantime, her hospital doctor has signed her off work (I think he must have said something akin to ‘now listen here missus, you are not well enough to work and if I have to confiscate your travel card and steal all your shoes you will bloody well rest!’)

I felt quite emotional when she told me last night. She actually sounded a little better already. Apparently she is going to be doing some volunteering and take a course. For some people, retirement is a frightening thing; a prelude to a rapid decline into old age and fragility, for my mum, I really do believe it will be the making of her! And of course, she will be healthier, simply because she is resting more.

I will be making a donation to St. Christopher’s hospice and I might take some flowers down because I have the names of the two women who have helped her so much. It is an amazing thing that there are people out there who by dint of their knowledge, understanding, patience and sheer determination can help people with the practicalities of life (benefits, pensions, housing, complimentary therapies) when they are at their most vulnerable. I hope they – and others like them – will always be there to help and make a real difference to people’s lives.

We have decided that when we get to Paris we will take her to a posh restaurant and order champagne and celebrate not just her birthday but her retirement too!

This is great for us as well (selfish gene alert) because it means when we have kids she can baby-sit more and look after our growing menagerie of animals (although the sea monkeys are fairly self sufficient). I may have to buy her a car though, it seems a bit mean making her take the bus, lol!

What is the cost of kindness?

£1 apparently! I was on my way to my photo shoot today via Lewisham because I wanted to pick some stuff up from Millets (the outdoor shop I always use, more of that later). I parked in a side street by a parking meter (next to a car park) only to discover the smallest I had was a fiver. Worse, traffic wardens were prowling… three of them, writing out tickets, losing a little bit more of their soul each time they slapped a ticket on a windscreen… I asked one of them whether they knew where I could get some change but got little more than a shrug in reply. Then I saw the guys that hand wash the cars in car parks and asked one of them if they could change my £5. He couldn’t so he gave me a £1 and said, give it to me when you can…

I raced back to the car, got a ticket and then went to the shops. I did get some change after I had done my shopping, and found him again to give him back his pound. I know it was only a pound, but I was really touched. He didn’t know me and certainly didn’t know whether he could trust me. Anyway, I felt that he was very wonderful for doing it.

I alway use Millets in Lewisham. A lot of people use Millets because their prices are quite good, but I always use them because the service is great. I have never had a bad experience in Lewisham Millets. They rock. We’ve bought boots, clothes, equipment, a £200 tent… and each time they’ve been really good.

So I told them that! (I’ve written to their head office before and my letter was published in the staff magazine that goes all over the country!) But today I told the woman who served me as well. She positively glowed and seemed really delighted that she was being appreciated!

The photo shoot was OK – but only three people turned up so we’ll have to do a follow up. The lunch was very nice though!

Will it be Dick Van Dyke?!

I put people first on my commute into work this morning. Letting people cross even if they weren’t at a zebra crossing or some other type of crossing. I got lots of nice smiles – especially when people had that resigned ‘I’m never going to get across!’ look on their face. Cars behind weren’t always best pleased but I kept looking ahead on the road and it was really slow moving, so I wasn’t holding people up because we weren’t really going anywhere – if anything I was marginally easing congestion because we weren’t all racing up to the point were traffic had stopped completely. Maybe I protest too much, but I see so many ignorant drivers nowadays but few ignorant pedestrians so I quite liked turning the tables.

Slightly has got a trade stand at the London cycle show (Earls Court, end of next week) with Witcomb Bikes. He called me last night and has offered me a couple of comps, which was a nice surprise. Now cycling is not really my thing but my partner is a very keen cyclist and so I was happy to accept. And I’m sure the show will be very interesting and fun – I’m actually looking forward to it! Don’t expect me to come out clad in lycra (not a nice thought) and with a £500 mountain bike attached to my arse, but I’m sure I’ll find something to spend my money on!

I bought doughnuts into the office today. I thought we needed a pick me up. I was thinking around 3pm when spirits and resolve are flagging but as an excellent example of how much work we have on at the moment, two have gone already…

Tomorrow I’m doing a photo shoot for the Southwark LGBT network. They want new publicity shots and so asked me whether I would take the job. I think it will be a fun project and I hope I achieve everything they want.

We’ve booked a chimney sweep to visit on the weekend. We have three fireplaces but they haven’t been tested and swept. I’m not keen on central heating but I do love real fires and so the sweep – a 40 year old man not a 6 year old ‘urchin’ by the way – is coming at the crack of sparrows on Saturday (well, 9am) to do the business. Our best man is also coming for brunch later on that day and then it’s the rugby! Hurrah!

Anyway, things to do… now where did I put those doughnuts?!

Baden-Powell vs. Kath and Kim

Commercial vehicles I’ve seen that have made me smile:

Bright pink lorry with ‘Caroline’s Effluent Service’ written down the side
The previously mentioned scaffolding company bearing the legend “Always a satisfying erection”
And finally, “White Van Gentleman; delivering with distinction”

Well done to all our winners. Caroline’s lorry in particular made me think of Kath and Kim –

Kim: I want to be effluent, mum, effluent!
Kath: You are effluent, Kim!

I’ve eaten my lunch again but a whole hour later than yesterday so I’m feeling quite pleased with myself. I suppose the answer would be not to make fresh homemade bread every couple of days and I might not be so tempted.

Slept well last night – making up for a lousy night’s sleep on Sunday and then my 5am start yesterday. I think I slept solidly for over 9 hours and feel much better for it.

My shoe-stretcher arrived today and my boot tidy should arrive tomorrow. Don’t worry, I don’t expect you to be excited or even pleased, they are small, fairly boring items not designed to set people alight with passion or enthusiasm.

I have two pairs of trainers that are centimentres too small – literally. So I thought I could throw them away (one pair is virtually brand new) or I could invest in a shoe stretcher and try and resolve the situation! (Being as I am, the kind of girl of whom Baden-Powell would approve.)

The boot tidy which so obsessed me all weekend is to tackle the growing amount of stuff in the boot, that threatens to spill out and take over the rest of the car. I like to be prepared (see previous Baden-Powell observation) but there’s no excuse for a messy boot.

The arrival of these two objects may be small and other people might question why I would even think them blog-worthy, but I believe they enable me to have some control in a world largely gone mad…

I've eaten all my lunch...

It’s 10:07am and I’ve eaten my lunch. Well, except for my yoghurt. I feel I’ve been on the go for hours, which seeing how early I got up, is true. Anyway, what am I going to do at midday, eat my dinner? It’s madness.

I thought my having a proper breakfast we would avoid all this unpleasantness. But no, despite eating mini weetabix with honey and nuts (nice, but like bullets – soak them overnight and you should be fine) and a thick slab of bread and cherry jam I still gave in and scarfed my sandwich at indecent speed.

Clearly someone needs to work on her self-control…

Toilet seats and ska

It’s been a very social weekend. On Friday after the match (COME ON ENGLAND!), a large pizza and four bottles of Hoegarden we jumped into a cab and went to a ska party in Dulwich… as you do. It was really good fun and the Dulwich Ukulele Club (DUC) were playing. Ukuleles and ska. It should be so wrong, but it was so right…

On Saturday I did far too much running around. Driving hither and thither doing errands and trying to find a boot tidy (don’t ask) so I felt a bit buggered by the evening, but it was off to another party, this time Balham way – my partner’s best friend who she had known since she was 9. Really nice pub – can’t remember the name, but when I do, I will post it because the service was good and by all accounts so was the ale (I was driving so all I can tell you is that they did a lovely glass of coke.) They also had the rugby on in the background (COME ON SCOTLAND!) but it was on mute, which I thought was quite civilised. Those that wanted to watch it could, but it didn’t dominate the bar and you could talk and listen to music. We met some great people and swapped emails and phone numbers. But again, we didn’t get back to the wee smalls.

Sunday was more relaxed and we stayed in bed for ages. But we ended up doing quite a bit again: ironing, fixing a new toilet seat, getting a new cupboard for the kitchen, laundry (always with the laundry) and making dinner. And a friend popped by for tea and biscuits and she brought us three books about Paris for our forthcoming trip.

I was in bed by 8.30 only to then spend most of the night awake… I had to be up by 5am to get to work uber early and feel as if I haven’t had any sleep at all. Although I am very pleased with the new toilet seat and I have a lovely lunch of fresh homemade bread and brie and cranberry sauce sandwiches. So really, one has to take the rough with the smooth…