Pink Phizz

Up, up and no way.

2007-09-19T10:56:00.000+01:00

A friend of ours offered to take both Krip and me up in his plane today. I politely said "Thanks, but no thanks" as I have already had that (ahem) pleasure once, and once was enough for me. I have been known to suffer from motion sickness from time to time - okay, I'll admit, I can get sea sick lying on top of a half-filled water bed or from riding a Merry-Go-Round if what I'm riding doesn't go up and down at the same time - so a time or two is putting it mildly. And the more I'm looking outside at the weather today in our little corner of Kent, the more I know I made the right choice.

Now, I'm wondering if Krip is still going to go ahead with his plans to fly in that very small plane. And does our friend's plane carry a barf bag (or two). Hope so.

Thank you, Krip.

2007-09-11T13:46:00.000+01:00

I am sick. So sick. My throat is raw. My chest hurts. I have a cough, which in turn hurts my chest even more when I cough. My hands are cold. My feet are cold. What can I say. I feel like shite.

And guess who gave it to me.

Last of the summer wine.

2007-09-09T19:39:00.000+01:00

I noticed for the first time today that our garden is looking a bit shabby. The leaves aren't as green as they were a month ago. The flowers not as spectacular. Even the grass barely needs cutting. Reminds me of what a nightclub looks like in the daytime. I guess no matter how warm the days have been lately, Autumn is just around the corner.

All creatures great and small.

2007-08-29T13:24:00.000+01:00

Like a lot of people, we feed the birds; we've planted bushes just to draw the butterflies. We also try to keep the squirrels off the bird table, mainly due to Barney going absolutely bonkers when he sees one. And I put out cookies in a cage for the little wood mice. We put their treats in there because they are able to get in and out. I even go out of my way to catch any and all insects that get in the house and put them outside - learned that from Krip.

However, there is one creature or creatures that I don't like in my garden. Rats. We now have a family coming into our garden at dusk; two youngsters and two adults.
Having a fish and chips shop, as well as a curry house nearby doesn't help.

Rats! Ugh.

Litter can make for strange bedfellows.

2007-08-22T11:11:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, when I took Barney to the wood, the bin trucks had just come and gone. In front of one of the houses, evidently a bag must have gotten ripped and a few things had toppled out. Lying on the sidewalk was a pair of old thongs and two hamburger buns laying side-by-side. It was quite comical to see - those two flattened buns still attached together next to those old pair of undies. What is our neighborhood coming to. (Side note: I would have been so embarrassed if that had been my pair of undies.) So this morning, I noticed the old thongs are still there, but the much battered buns have scuttled further away from them...even they didn't want any part of them.

Speechless.

2007-08-20T16:10:00.000+01:00

For awhile now, I have been getting up my nerve to approach the wife of one of Krip's childhood friends to see if she wanted to do something, just the two of us. We always get together as a couple, but never just her and me. So on Saturday night, at a party at their house, I took her aside and asked her if she would like to have a girls' day out and perhaps take the train to London.

"What the hell do you want to go to London for!!"

Reeling from her barking at me and wanting to melt into the furniture, the idea of perhaps lunch, and then a little shopping, or perhaps just visiting a museum was some of the things that popped into my head; however, I said nothing because I was, well just gobsmacked.

And that was it. Nothing else said. So much for sticking one's neck out.

Never again.

Richard the Third.

2007-08-19T17:37:00.001+01:00

For four days, our garden has been graced with little brown puddles. It took four days of boiled chicken, scrambled eggs, and rice, with a little dose of medicine to finally cure that problem. It took the two of us getting up at all hours for three nights in a row to make sure that those little brown puddles stayed outside in the garden and not inside the house. And those little brown puddles gave us an excuse for an early exit from a party that we both agreed was getting rather dull.

But, it's Sunday! And no more little brown puddles. I am pleased to announce that our dog, Barney, is finally better and now there is only one firm brown Richard the Third in our garden. Yes!

Nicked.

2007-08-18T10:12:00.000+01:00

A really strange thing happened this morning. Krip was taking Barney for a walk in the wood and came across a briefcase. He brought it home and told me about it. Being around 6:30 am, I didn't take much notice of what he was telling me. Anyway, when I finally dragged myself outta bed, I decided to investigate the contents of said case. Inside was a bunch of papers and lo and behold...a CV with all the information I needed on the owner of the briefcase.

I called the gentleman, and found out that his house had been broken into while they were sleeping and he had had quite a few things stolen. After a few phone calls, he came and collected his case. Not only had his house been burgled, but three other homes in the area last night met the same fate.

This is one thing we really don't have to worry about because if someone broke into our place, it would be to give us stuff...not take it away. Heh.

The most important question left unanswered.

2007-07-27T19:30:00.001+01:00

Tonight, while watching our nightly dose of brainwashing, gosh did I say that? I meant watching the 6:30 news on ITV, after the segment on China's lost children and something about gorillas somewhere in Africa, we were introduced to a gentleman who has traveled all the way from Greenland just to give a verbal protest over the expansion of Stansted Airport. He was maintaining that the expansion of said airport would contribute to the shrinking of his beloved Greenland; you know, the butterfly in the rain forest, etc. Anyway, the whole time this person is going on and on about the cause and effect of the expansion, all I could think of was just one question that I dearly wanted to hear from someone, anyone in the vicinity of said person...

"Sir, how in the hell did you get from Greenland to here in Essex?"

Fore!

2007-07-26T12:54:00.000+01:00

There are several types of sport that I wouldn't want to attempt today, especially near or on the southeast coast. One is golf and the other is perhaps, sailing. Guess what Krip is doing right now.

He's playing in a golf tournament.

Wonder if his wellies are interferring with his golf swing.

I haven't a clue.

2007-07-25T20:06:00.001+01:00

I've already started racking my brain to try to think of something to write about.

The weather and/or politics are boring. The weather and politics appear to be two entirely different subjects; however, think about it for a minute and you will note they tend to be very similiar. With our weather lately, nothing changes, except for the day, and nothing has really changed with the changing of the guard - different suits, same policies. We do appear to be in the grip of "The Great Global Warming" phase, brought on, in my most humble opinion by a lot of hot air caused, not by mankind, but by a tribe of blow-hards called politicians (led by Al Bore of all people).

So. Since I don't want to talk about the weather and/or politics, I suppose I will have to just bore you with a peek into our lives. Let's see, Krip is taking next week off so we (the two of us and my youngest darling daughter) are planning on taking on London, "The Great Moscow State Circus," and perhaps a walk or two around Kent's countryside.

That is of course, politics aside, if the weather decides to change it's tune. Perhaps we can get a few politicos to blow some of this weather we've been having out to sea. And use their hot air to our advantage.

If not, we'll just have to do a lot of "indoor" stuff.

Okay, I think I've really done it now.

2007-07-25T15:01:00.000+01:00

Well, I decided I didn't like my old template, so I latched onto a new one. However, as you can see, I also wound up with no links to anyone else in the outside world. I suppose that's my next exercise...going hunting for who I had...or making new friends.

Guess this means I need to start blogging again.

Doesn't feel any different.

2007-01-02T14:43:00.000Z

Goodbye to Christmas and 2006. Welcome to 2007 - hmmm, makes me another year older. Great, just great.

It's quiet here now. Yesterday, we put my darling youngest on the plane for her long flight back to the states. Summer break cannot come too soon. The countdown started today.

Have I mentioned how dull and quiet this day has been? Yeah, well, it is.

Been doing nothing but cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning. All day.

[sigh]

A few notes from home.

2006-12-13T14:01:00.000Z

As I am busily wrapping Christmas presents, I decided to tune into some live Christmas music on the Net. Would you believe it? I actually found a station from my hometown in Georgia playing tra-la-las. Feels weird to hear the adverts and such, but has put a little smile on my face. Makes me feel closer to my youngest.

Merry Christmas to me. Heh.

Pretty boy.

2006-12-13T13:51:00.000Z

I love magpies.

Never saw any, at least live ones, until I moved to England. I know that we have a pair that live somewhere very near to us because we see them from time to time and since they are known to be very shy birds, I get excited when I do see them. Anyway, lately one of them has been coming in to our yard - looking for a meal or two, I suppose. Today, I happened to look out our living room window and lo and behold! there was one on our feeder. He boldly chased all the doves and woodies off the tray to peck at the seeds. Later, I was very surprised to see him drinking water from the pond. Twice in one day! I consider myself lucky indeed.

'Tis the Season...Part II.

2006-12-12T14:46:00.000Z

Buying, writing, posting Christmas cards...who's idea was this anyway?! This is one Christmas chore, and yes, I consider it a chore that I dread every year. I mean, have you noticed you always seem to send cards to people that you see all the time anyway and will be in places that you can say "Merry Christmas, etc." all the time; to people that you never see nor probably ever want to see again; or to family...enough said. Heh.

That's why right now in our home there are box(s) of them sitting on the table with nothing written in them, along with envelopes with nothing written on them. We have until Saturday to get them off.

Right.

P.S. Still haven't gotten the tree yet.

'Tis the Season.

2006-12-08T10:14:00.000Z

Well, I finally got my act together and sent out all the goodies we bought for everyone in North Carolina. Whew! We've finished shopping for my youngest. Double-whew! And now all we have left is to get Christmas cards, write and send 'em off. Krip is digging deeper into his 'Bah Humbug' mode and he only sees the £££££/$$$$$ signs (which, I admit can be a bit overwhelming), so I'm beginning to wonder if we will even do the card bit this year.

Speaking of which, Christmas cards, I mean...yesterday we got our first one for Christmas 2006. It was very sweet, with Santa Claus (Father Christmas) on the front, distributing presents under the tree and such. Opening the said card, I promptly read:

'Season's Greetings and Happy New Year'

ACK!!! Season's Greetings and Happy New Year???!!! The PC goodie-two-shoes have really taken over and to make it official, I think someone, somewhere needs to come out with a "Season's Greetings" song. You know something like, "I'm dreaming of a White Season's Greetings?" Or how about "Rock'n 'round the Season's Greetings' Tree." Or even better, "So, this is Seasons Greetings..."

Jeff Randall in the Daily Telegraph today, has a great commentary about Christmas cards, et al, and if I could write as well as him, I'd be doing his job instead of sitting here writing on my blog. At any rate, here is a sample:

"The selection process is very precise. The discarded items have one thing in common: they are not Christmas cards at all, by which I mean, as well as having no Christian images, Nativity scenes etc, they don't even mention the "C" word. I'm afraid that "happy holidays" simply will not do."

Season's Greetings???!!! Flipping 'ell.

Just a bit of fun.

2006-12-07T09:56:00.001Z

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

I nicked this from Krip, who nicked it from b and God knows where she nicked it from. It's just a bit of fun; however, I am questioning the mental health part....is it telling me that I'm a bit barmy????!!!

Not in the mood.

2006-11-26T14:56:00.000Z

Christmas is coming, and of course I'm not even close to being ready. I have a package that needs to be sent to my oldest daughter and inside that package goodies need to be sent to my son-in-law in Iraq.

Have I wrapped the gifts I need to send?...No.

Have I gotten everything to be sent to my son-in-law?...No.

Have I located the incentive to do so yet?...No.

I'll let you know when I will.

Queen Elizabeth II opening Parliament today. Awesome.

2006-11-15T13:44:00.000Z

I just watched the Queen going up to Parliament for her speech to both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. I was fascinated by the Queen's person arriving at the House of Commons and getting the door slammed in his face, his beating on it to get admitted, and requesting the presence of that House to attend the Queen's audience. It was something to see the Prime Minister (Blair) having to stand at the back of the House of Lords' chamber with all others from the Commons. Hearing the speech the Queen gave, announcing what "my government" is going to proposed was interesting, even knowing that she didn't write the speech. Also, the keeping of a "hostage" from Parliament by the Queen only to be delivered back to Parliament once the Queen is back safely in her residence is a great tradition. Something tells me that the "hostage" and the Queen probably had a nice cup of tea and a little chin wag about the ceremony/speech before the "hostage" was return. At least, I'd like to think they did.

What I did find out today was that, even though the Queen has lost the majority of any power to govern, she signs the proposals by Parliament that makes them the law of the land. That I didn't know. So from this information, I am going to assume that if the Queen doesn't sign off, it doesn't become law. Interesting. She also can express her disapproval of proposals in private to the Prime Minister (and such), not that he needs to take note. This all surprised me. I thought the Queen was just a figurehead.

Anyway, as an American, perhaps I'm suppose to find this a bit much, but I think it's grand. And I hope it continues long into the future. I hope that every child in the UK has a chance to observe this tradition. It's living history. And if, nothing else, it's pretty awesome to watch.

Hello, again.

2006-11-15T11:03:00.000Z

Well, I'm back. In fact, it's now my really third day back. Funny thing is, is that I was able to get up fairly early (around seven-thirty, quarter to eight) on Monday and Tuesday morns, and yet I wound up sleeping in this am and feel worse for it!

I had a great time with my grandkids. Six, three, and 14 months. Boys. Not a sensitive one among them. Wonderful time. How I felt after being there for three weeks? Exhausted.

The house was kept in pretty good order considering it was being kept up by a man. Only problem that I find when I leave is my definition on how to get rid of dust and his definition is two different definitions. I say get rid of it, and he says no point in even trying, it'll just come back. Guess I'll keep him.

My youngest arrives on the 16th of December for Christmas and we can't wait. Of course that also means that we are going to have to plow through the crowds and start our Christmas shopping. Keeping Krip from going bananas is a chore every year. He just hates the commercial aspect of Christmas (don't we all) and becomes such a grouch, muttering under his breath everytime a commercial comes on the televison.

I guess that's all I've got for my really first wade back into blogging. Now all I have to do is get back in the habit of looking and commenting on everyone else's blogs.

Taking to the skies...again.

2006-11-11T16:20:00.000Z

Well, I'm flying out this evening, on my way back to Mr. K , Barney the dog, and England. I'll be back tomorrow morning. I've had a wonderful time with my daughter(s) and grandboys. You wouldn't believe how exhausted I am. Looking forward to my own bed; to seeing my honey; and to seeing our lovable flea-bag; AND I'm looking forward to, um, I can I put this delicately....quiet.

See you soon!

2006-11-11T16:17:00.000Z

I lurve Autumn.

2006-11-04T16:31:00.000Z

Aaarrrggghhh! See what I've been missing since I'm in North Carolina? Not that it's not beautiful here, but I want to be there! I have one more week, then not only will I be back with Mr. K, but finally, I'll shake my lazy self free and actually start writing something.

Stay tuned....

Hot, hot, hot!

2006-07-19T10:29:00.000+01:00

Damn, it's been hot here lately.

"There is a 30 percent chance Britain would swelter in its hottest-ever day, with warmer weather than the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and southeast Asia, the Met Office said on Tuesday."

According to Reuters, "The temperatures being experienced at the moment are higher than those in Miami, Athens, Ibiza, Crete, Malta, Nice, Tenerife and Saigon."

Daughter: "but Mom, it's this hot in Georgia!"
Mother: "but you have air-conditioning in Georgia and we don't!"

Wow!

2006-07-14T10:15:00.001+01:00

I just thought these are some pretty cool pictures of a rainbow and lightning all at the same time. Must be one hell of a pot of gold at the end of that particular rainbow.

Time is flying by.

2006-07-11T10:36:00.000+01:00

Krip took last week off so that we could take my youngest out and about. On Monday, we went to Brighton Beach (on the hottest day of the year, I might add), and had a great time on the boardwalk and all.

Tuesday, we rested.

Wednesday, we took the train to London. My daughter absolutely loves the city. We went to various museums (again), took her to Harrods, and then on to Hamley's Toys. Needless to say after approximately eight hours of walking the pavements, we had very sore feet by the time we made it back to the train.

Thursday, we had another great idea of taking a picnic lunch, renting bicyles, and going out for the day. Little did we know that the course would be all hills. I found muscles that I didn't know still existed in my legs after serious riding a bike, which I haven't done in 40 some odd years.

Um, Friday we rested.

I think we might be going to a cricket game tonight down in Canterbury. While I have been to a live game, my youngest hasn't. And even though she enjoys watching it on television, it will be interesting to see how she likes it tonight. I think I'll have her bring her book.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. So far, and I am writing this very softly so that the weather gods won't read this, the weather has been wonderful. Keeping my fingers crossed that it stays that way right through August.

When is a penalty not a penalty.

2006-06-22T17:44:00.000+01:00

Strange that the only person out on the football (soccer) field that saw a penalty in action was the German referee. The same German referee that had been called on the carpet for other outlandish pronouncements. Everyone else said that there was no penalty.

Ah, well.

The Americans are going home after a 2-1 score. We'll get 'em next time.

2006-06-21T19:52:00.000+01:00

You Are 52% Cynical

Yes, you are cynical, but more than anything, you're a realist.
You see what's screwed up in the world, but you also take time to remember what's right.

How Cynical Are You?

It was a hard-earned point.

2006-06-19T19:25:00.000+01:00

On Saturday night, the USA played against Italy, and it was a tie, 1-1. Seeing as Italy's odds are 15-2 and the USA's is 100-1, I think we did mighty fine. I am so proud of our team. They played with their hearts and souls, dispite having only nine men on the field (since two were thrown out due to being red-carded) to Italy's ten (they also lost a man for the same reason). Only complaint I have with the team is...why couldn't they have played their first game like that?

Ah, well. It was a great game. My fingers were so sore afterwards 'cause I had them crossed the whole game; but it was worth the pain.

What??!!

2006-06-13T16:47:00.000+01:00

Would someone inform Steve Doocy on Fox & Friends Morning Show that just because the USA lost their first game in the World Cup that they are not "out"? We need all the help with the fans that we can get and having someone throwing misinformation like that out is not going to help any. I guess he doesn't realize that each team has three games that they play to determine who goes on to play in the quarter finals, semi-finals, and finals. Unfortunately for us, we have a big fat zero, point wise, since we lost instead of three points for winning or even one point for a tie.

Aarrgghh!

Short and sweet.

2006-06-12T09:47:00.000+01:00

Well, as you can tell, summer's here. It's been quite warm here in our part of England. Expecting a thunder-bunder "moving eastward" today. That's from the weather people-on-high. And with that report, I'm expecting nothing.

We've been watching the World Cup. England did great in their first half and then the Sweed decided to take out Owens for reasons only he can explain and the second half remained 1-0 in England's favor by the skin of their teeth. Actually, the other games we have been watching have been far more exciting. I love watching the teams that have nothing to lose. They play the game the way it's suppose to be played. They make it fun and exciting. Today around 4:45 pm is kick-off for the United States. Hopefully, they will do well. It will be interesting to see them as I have never watched the Americans play yet.

We went to the beach yesterday...along with the other half of England. The wind was nice and cool, and we didn't appreciate it until we returned home to the heat. Ah, well. Summer.

Wrinkly skin and webbed feet.

2006-06-02T10:03:00.000+01:00

Last night my youngest daughter had her very first swimming lesson. She took to the water like a little duckling would. After her 30 minute lesson, she wanted to remain for another hour so that she could "practice" what she learned. She went from not even wanting to get water anywhere above her shoulders to holding her breath and dunking herself underwater.

Now I realize you are probably thinking, 'what's the big deal'; however, this is the same child who can take a shower, wash her hair, and still manage to keep her face dry. She's come a very long way with just one lesson.

Now we are getting her a summer membership for the gym for the use of the pool. She wants to go swimming every single day. She says she loves it.

You. Go. Girl.

Bless.

Summer's here.

2006-05-31T09:30:00.000+01:00

As you can see, I haven't had time to blog nor check anyone else's blog out lately. Yes, it's that time of year again. My youngest is here for the summer, and it's so good to see her. Lordy! Can that child eat! For such a little girl, I mean in size not in age - she's 11 years old now, my youngest can pack the food away. I mean at 4'5" she only weighs in at 56 pounds. Where does she put it? Since the law has declared that no one can ride in the front seat of the car until they are at least 80 pounds, my daughter says she'll be a Senior in high school before she'll have that privilege.

My youngest got High Honors this year. Which means that she got straight A's and all kinds of awards and such, including a Scholastic Award from Duke University and the Presidential Award. Way to go girl!

So if I appear to be sporatic in my writing on my blog or visiting others, it's not because I'm ignoring you, but it's because I can't get ahold of the computer cause it's in the clutches of an 11 year old! Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh!

Mr. Blair, unfortunately not enough people do.

2006-05-26T09:30:00.000+01:00

I just finished watching the news conference that President Bush and Prime Minister Blair gave last night. I have also had the opportunity to read and watched on tv what the MSM took away from this news conference. I'm not going to write about what the MSM grasped, it's the same old blah, blah, blah...

What I do want to point out was something that Prime Minister Blair spoke about which I thought should be the most important answer of the news conference; however, which will be the most ignored.

Q: You both presented the Iraqi government as a substantial vindication of the conflict. Do you also accept, as a matter of harsh political reality, that the Iraq conflict has also left both of you politically weakened and, whether justly or unjustly, less able to give the kind of moral leadership that you're discussing today?

PRIME MINISTER BLAIR: I don't really think it's a matter of our vindication. I think, in a way, that's the least important part of it. But I do think that occasionally we should just take a step back and ask, why are we doing this? Why is it so important?

Saddam was removed from power three years ago. Since then, incidentally, our forces have been there with the United Nations mandate and with the consent of the Iraqi government, itself, the Iraqi government, becoming progressively more the product of direct democracy.

So whatever people thought about removing Saddam -- you agree with it, you didn't agree with it for these last three years, the issue in Iraq has not been, these people are here without any international support, because we haven't had any United Nations resolution governing our presence there. The issue is not, you're there, but the Iraqi people don't want you there, because the Iraqi government, and now this directly-elected Iraqi government has said they want us to stay until the job is done.

So why is it that for three years, we have had this violence and bloodshed? Now, people have tried to say it's because the Iraqi people -- you people, you don't understand; you went in with this Western concept of democracy and you didn't understand that their whole culture was different, they weren't interested in these types of freedom. These people have gone out and voted -- a higher turnout, I have to say -- I'm afraid to say, I think, than either your election or mine. These people have gone out and voted -- [cut]

PRIME MINISTER BLAIR: They have gone out and voted despite terrorism, despite bloodshed, despite literally the prospect of death for exercising their democratic right.

So they have kept faith with the very democratic values that we say we believe in, and the people trying to wrest that democracy from them are opposed to absolutely everything we stand for and everything the Iraqi people stand for.

So what do we do in response to this? And the problem we have is very, very simple. A large part of the perspective with which we look at this is to see every act of terrorism in Iraq, every piece of ghastly carnage on our television screens, every tragic loss of our own forces -- we see that as a setback and as a failure when we should be seeing that as a renewed urgency for us to rise to the challenge of defeating these people who are committing this carnage. Because over these past three years, at every stage, the reason they have been fighting is not, as we can see, because Iraqi people don't believe in democracy, Iraqi people don't want liberty. It is precisely because they fear Iraqi people do want democracy, Iraqi people do want liberty.

And if the idea became implanted in the minds of people in the Arab and Muslim world that democracy was as much their right as our right, where do these terrorists go? What do they do? How do they recruit? How do they say, America is the evil Satan? How do they say the purpose of the West is to spoil your lands, wreck your religion, take your wealth? How can they say that? They can't say that.So these people who are fighting us there know what is at stake. The question is, do we?

These two lines should be tattooed on every appeaser out there; on every "hippie peace and love and flowers in their hair" type of individual; on every blame the military, blame America, blame the West type of individual; on people that believe that Naval ships and/or fighter planes are "killing machines" killing machines! and oh, "it's for the oil" donchaknow kind of individual.

Right. Keep on thinking that.

What's it all mean.

2006-05-23T20:44:00.000+01:00

You know on our comment section, there is a little guy in a wheel chair next to where you have to put in your letter code? Well, I took a deep breath and hit on it - on my own comment section of course, didn't want to totally delete someone else's blog just in case. I'm polite that way. And a male voice came on announcing some numbers and then a female voice announcing the numbers right after him.

What's up with that?

A whole year of nuthin's.

2006-05-23T07:43:00.000+01:00

Oh! Congratulations to me! I didn't even know that I have been writing this blog for a year this month. Thank you Alison for pointing this out.

Say. Are we having fun yet?

Eurovision 2006

2006-05-22T08:45:00.000+01:00

Okay, I'll admit it. I stayed home on Saturday night to watch the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest that was broadcast (this year) from Athens, Greece. Sent Krip on down to the pub; while I took a shower, got into my robe, gathered my junk food around me, and watched one of the funniest programs that is on every year.

Last year, apparently it was all midriffs and belly-buttons. This year it was legs, lots of hair-extensions, and the color that appears to be the 'in' thing to wear now is white or off-white. Most of the singers were steeped in the 1980's music theme, so I figured if we keep watching, perhaps by 2020 they might be up to the music in the here and now.

And what was up with the UK entry? I've seen better talent come from here on the X-Factor. White boys really shouldn't try their hand at rap. Very few have been able to do it. And his little go-go dancers didn't quite cut it either. They obviously are not true Chav girls. I've seen these little girls coming home from school in their uniforms. The girls that were back up for Daz Sampson had their skirts way too long. Most of the little Chav girls I've witnessed have their skirts barely skimming the top of their crotches. If you are going to be authenic, be authenic. Enough said there.

There were a few groups that I didn't get, okay there were quite a few groups I didn't get, but three really stand out for me:

Germany, what was with the stetsons, cowboy boots, mini-Dolly Parton, and a country song?!
Russia, I've seen women on pianos, but a woman in a piano?...that was plain weird.
Spain, what can I say. Their four girl group with two unisex dancers as back-up went by the name, Ketchup. Still scratching my head over what they were doing out there. Bless 'em.

Honestly, if politicians from any/every country want to see who one's friends are, just follow the votes that were cast. Nor did not one country waiver from the usual, and it was quite comforting to note that wars and regimes can come and go, but neighbors still tend to cling together. Krip came home early from the pub just to be able to watch the final scores as they came in from all the participants that made it through. So next year, it's off to Finland!

Did I mention that the United Kingdom got 25 votes? No? Well, it's a lot more votes than was predicted, and a hell of a lot more votes than France's five votes. That in itself made it worth watching. Heh.

Can't wait until next year. It's so bad, it makes for great entertainment!

Remember these.

2006-05-19T08:16:00.000+01:00

So last night, reading in bed, I come across a real flashback. How many out there remember S & H Green Stamps? Your mom, grandmother, or even you saved up these little green stamps to purchase different items.

I turned to Krip and starting talking to him about green stamps and he informed me that he remembered them. That was a surprise for me, not that he remembered them [that in itself is a revelation because he tends to have the memory of a goldfish], but I didn't know that green stamps were also on hand in the U.K. just like in the States.

What's even more amazing is that, while the physical green stamp is long gone, having faded away in the 1970's, you can still collect green stamps-aka-green points now on the internet . And if that's not enough, if by any chance you might have some books tucked away in cupboards or drawers, you can still redeem them 30+ years later at the S&H Greenpoint Web Site.

Go figure.

Just checking in.

2006-05-17T09:05:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone! I know I haven't written anything in a while; but honestly, I haven't had anything to write.

This past Sunday we drove over to Brighton for the day. You know, had to check things out for when Little One comes over. We had a lovely day. For some reason, we thought it would be about a two hour drive. Took approximately an hour, so that wasn't bad. We have come to the conclusion that Little One will love Brighton. I think we will go during the week while the kids are still in school, and hopefully pick a nice warm day.

I managed to get Little One in for swimming lessons. It's six lessons ~ once a week for six weeks ~ so that's not too bad. The price is outrageous though. However, I think it's a necessity rather than a luxury in life to know at least the basics when it comes to swimming.

And that's really all that is going on right now. I haven't written about politics on either side of the pond because, to me, everything seems to be going to hell in a handbasket what with Mexico threatening to sue the States if we put our National Guards on our side of the border to keep illegals out - go figure; or having a grandmother put in jail over here in the UK because she cuffs a yob on the ear for threatening her (along with a whole lot of yobs, causing havoc) in her own front garden, for cryingoutloud!

It could have been far worse.

2006-05-11T11:03:00.000+01:00

Okay, so on Tuesday, you remember I mentioned praying for nice weather for yesterday? Well, we had nice weather; in fact, we had glorious weather. Sun. No Rain. Just a gentle ocean breeze. I guess what I forgot to pray for was no mist. Yes. That's what kept us grounded. No flight to the Isle of Wight for us and our two friends.

So, instead we took the Eurotunnel on over to France. Had a leisurely drive down the coast, taking the scenic route, soaking up the rays, soaking up some liquid refreshment at a local, and winding up in Bologne. A day trip enjoyed by all.

What a nice way to get over hump Wednesday, wouldn't you say?

So, what's happenin' on Wednesday.

2006-05-09T10:21:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow it is essential that we have nice weather. With sunshine. And no rain or high winds. I mean really essential that we have good weather. Tell you on Thursday why.

Another petition bites the dust.

2006-05-03T12:27:00.000+01:00

Well, yesterday we received another Letter of Refusal from the council; which, of course, means that the guy we're fighting with received another Letter of Refusal. Another battle won for us in this unending war between us and the guy who wants to build his five-bedroom house behind us with a three car garage (with spaces for two more cars). We saw where he took it all the way up to the State and was refused by them too.

Now he has completely destroyed the property behind us, cutting down every single tree, taking out the stumps so that they can't grow back, and leveling down to approximately four feet I guess just to make sure that nothing grows back again. What we are left with is piles of debris all around us and dirt - just dirt. It looks like a minefield. It looks absolutely dreadful.

However, he lost...again.
*grin*

It's for the birds.

2006-05-01T08:49:00.000+01:00

So it's a bank holiday. The first of May. May Day. And it's raining.

Naturally.

Got up this morning. Looked out the back window and about eight birds, all different varieties were sitting on the fence staring in the window just willing someone to come out in the rain and lay out birdseed and raisins for them.

Didn't like the look in their eyes. They got their seed and raisins.

A moment in time.

2006-04-28T08:57:00.000+01:00

Afghans from the village of Khakeran in Qalat Province line up with their sheep and goats for de-worming medicine, provided by Cpl. Latchie Reginald (left) and Sgt. Jared Cross, from the 10th Mountain Division.
(Photo by Spc. Leslie Angulo)

Army 1st Sgt. William Wilder (center) gives a handful of candy to an Iraqi girl during a break in foot patrol in Mahmodyah, Iraq, on April 12, 2006. Wilder and his fellow soldiers are attached to Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.
(DoD photo by Senior Airman Desiree N. Palacios, U.S. Air Force)

You're it.

2006-04-23T13:29:00.000+01:00

Eeeck! I've been tagged. Never liked the game of tag; however, I will go forward gracefully and try to come up with something about me that's remotely interesting. Heh.

I've been tagged by Shooting Parrots.

Okay, let's see, these are the rules:

1. Go write weird facts/things/etc. about yourself on your blog, then tag six more people!

2. Then leave a comment that says 'You are tagged' in their comments telling them to read your blog.

My weird and wonderful facts are:

1. I have no sense of direction. I can literally get lost in a round room.

2. If I am ever found at the bottom of a tall building, a steep incline, or anything that is high or tall, call the cops because I will have been pushed. I wouldn't have jumped. I hate heights.

3. I can get sea sick in a bathtub. Enough information there.

4. And please, don't put me in the backseat of a car while it's moving. You got it, I have motion sickness too.

5. When I was little, I almost drowned in Yosmite National Park. My dad saved me, cutting his leg on a sharp rock, a scar that remained for the rest of his life.

6. I sang "Davy Crockett" on a stage at Disneyland (in California) with my older brother when I was about five years old.

The question is, who to tag back? I've decided on Krip, MonicaR, Mo, Alison, Birdy, and Poosh.

Happy Birthday, Ma'am.

2006-04-21T09:07:00.000+01:00

Let's give three cheers for Queen Elizabeth II on her 80th birthday:
Hip, Hip, Hooray!
Hip, Hip, Hooray!
Hip, Hip, Hooray!

Happy Birthday, Ma'am.

The landscape is a changin'.

2006-04-18T11:15:00.000+01:00

The person who owns the land behind us is having the trees cut down. It's eerily quiet out there. The birds are gone. The squirrels are gone. I'm very worried because many of the birds have started their nesting ritual.

He's planning on building a five bedroom house behind us. Krip, along with other neighbors, has fought to keep him from doing so for the last six years. The battle was long, looks like we lost out; however, we made damn sure how that house would look. No windows facing us. The line of his roof cannot disrupt our sun. And like Krip said, every single time we contested, he had to pay through his nose to get it resubmitted. Small victories. Sad.

R.I.P. to the lovely trees.
R.I.P. to the wildlife we see and hear everyday.
R.I.P. to our privacy now.

It does look like the one oak tree out there will remain standing tall and proud. One can only hope.

I have to revise this post. They have cut down the old oak tree. What a beauty it was. I always thought that oak trees were suppose to be preserved in this country. Guess if one has enough money to grease enough palms, even something as lovely as the oak can fall in one mighty swoop.

I miss it already.

No ringing in my ear.

2006-04-15T09:32:00.000+01:00

I am a bit upset. For some reason, my oldest daughter is able to call me; however, when I try to call her home number, all I get is nnnnnnnnnn. It's like it won't go through for some reason. It's been like this for the past three days now. And I haven't a clue why. I did try her cell phone, and that got me through her "Leave a Message..." type of thing. Obviously, it was turned off. But why her home phone?

See how we take things for granted? Picking up phones. Making calls from anywhere in the world. It's only when you can't, is when you realize how large the world can be, and how far away you can be from a loved one.

*sob*

p.s. Happy Easter everyone.

A flower grows in Afghanistan.

2006-04-07T09:08:00.000+01:00

I don't know who she is. She is just someone's daughter. But, as Stevie Wonder sings, "Isn’t she lovely...Isn’t she wonderful."

Happy Friday.

Pressing the flesh.

2006-04-05T08:29:00.000+01:00

Hm, for anyone out there that thought I bought my brand new swimsuit for some exotic trip to some enchanted island, think again. No, I decided I've gotten tired of using the weights down at our local gym and changed my routine. Now I'm walking on the treadmill; using the cross-country thingamajiggy (and what a bitch that is!); and using the rowing machine. And after all that, going into that lovely pool to start building up my laps. It's nice to reward yourself for that work by going into the steamroom, then the sauna, then the jacuzzi, and back into the pool.

The one thing I haven't done is let our trainer know that I've changed my routine. One of the personnel at the gym last night let me know that I should let my trainer know this, as he can change it all and set me up with a new one. Well, I don't want him to set up a routine for me. That's the trouble, I don't do well with someone telling me what to do. I have decided, that I will rotate when I wish. And right now? I'm enjoying doing what I'm doing.

It was getting to the point that for the last three months or so, I wasn't enjoying the gym. Now Krip and I are going together and we've teamed up with some friends of ours who have also joined the gym. Which is great; however, going out to a pub around ten o'clock for a couple of pints, kind of defeated the whole previous two hours of calorie crunching. Hm, maybe we will have to work on that bit.

After the next round.

Biting the bullet.

2006-04-04T07:49:00.000+01:00

Well, ladies, yesterday I did the one thing that I dread the most this time of the year. No it wasn't any kind of Spring-cleaning, you know scrubbing floors, doing the windows - nothing even along those lines. That I can deal with. It wasn't even going out and scooping up the dog's poop. Even that isn't as horrible as what I set out to do yesterday afternoon.

So what is it I set out to accomplish that was so damn depressing? Why, I went out looked for and bought a new swimsuit. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't have a model's figure. I mean, it's not bad, but it's not the best either. After trying on approximately ten suits, I finally chose the one that looked the best on me. Or rather the one that I looked the best in. The piccy shows the suit I chose (with straps). Comparing prices, it was also the most expensive. Go figure.

Anyway, I am at the stage in my life where black is really starting to look good. If you have to wear something like a swimsuit and you know deep down in your heart that you didn't do enough over the winter to keep yourself in shape for when that time comes, then black is best. So I'm browsing through the swimsuits, and I come across two racks of what appeared to be pink and/or lime-green lizard printed swim suits. Lizard. Most of the sizes left in that rack were on the larger size. I'm sorry, but all I could think of while gazing at those suits were giant lizards sunning themselves on rocks after a nice dinner of whatever lizards eat. Trust me when I tell you this. It was not pretty.

So after dragging my sorry arse down to the mall, buying my new black swimsuit, I actually volunteered to try it on and show it to Krip. He told me I looked great. I hugged and kissed him and told him what a wonderful liar he was. Krip said he didn't care what anyone else thought, he said I looked good enough for him. And that was definitely good enough for me.

*sigh*

2006-03-30T09:43:00.000+01:00

The new "Deposits"

2006-03-28T10:19:00.000+01:00

Last night, I was reading the Daily Telegraph, came across this article, and felt like crying while reading it. First we have abortion for any/all unwanted babies. Then along came partial-birth abortions, where a baby who is almost newborn can be taken out of the womb and killed. Now, doctors in the UK are announcing that premature babies are just taking up too much space, time, and money, and are not worthy to live.

"Baroness Warnock, the leading medical ethics expert, has said that Britain should follow the example of Holland, the only European country that says such babies should die. She believes that it would prevent doctors from competing to keep alive babies that may not survive in the long-term."

The op-ed of the Daily yesterday had an excellent comment about these esteem members of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists:

"But there is a huge difference between turning off a life-support machine and the Dutch model, in which the survival of a baby depends on subjective assessment of its chances of survival or degree of disability. There are healthy children alive today who would have been left to die under the Dutch model. The distinction between that and infanticide is wafer-thin.

Clearly, neonatal care needs more resources. But surely the NHS is "overstretched"? Only up to a point: although there have been some job losses, it is not overstretched when it comes to "race equality steering groups" and other instruments of social engineering. Something has gone badly wrong with a health service that vigorously creates non-jobs while entertaining a policy change that is reminiscent of nothing so much as Spartans leaving feeble babies to die on hillsides."

Eugenics is what the Spartans believed in.

Spartan eugenics
The first test came early. A ravine a few miles outside the centre of Sparta was known as the Apothetae – the 'Deposits'. It was also called the 'place of rejection', because newly born Spartan boys were thrown into the ravine if they were judged unfit to live.

Infanticide was common throughout ancient Greece. Unwanted babies – usually girls – were left on hillsides. Sometimes they would be placed in a basket or protective pot so that there was at least a chance of someone coming along and taking the child in.

In Sparta, things were, as ever, different. Boys rather than girls were the likeliest candidates for infanticide. The decision about whether the child lived or died was not left to the parents but was taken by the city elders. And there was no possibility of a kindly shepherd rescuing a newborn child after it had been 'placed' down here. The decision of the city elders was final, terminal and absolute.

Such state-sponsored eugenics has won Sparta many admirers over the years. Here's what one 20th-century leader had to say on the subject:

The abandonment of sick, puny and misshapen children by the Spartans was more humanitarian and, in reality, a thousand times more humane than the pitiful madness of our present time where the most sickly subjects are preserved at any price only to be followed by the breeding of a race from degenerates burdened with disease.

No prizes for guessing that these are the words of Adolf Hitler.

After reading those articles in the Daily Telegraph, all I can say is thank God that I am no longer capable of having a child. However, if I was still able, I would make sure that I had my child back in America. When I did have my children, I was considered "high-risk." What chance, nowadays, would my daughter or others like her have growing up to be the accomplished person that she is today with three healthy and robust boys of her own? It sounds like, if the high mucky-mucks of the NHS have their way about it, not much.

I wonder how Baroness Warnock would react if she or one of her children should have a pre-mature baby. Would she be so quick to condem that child to the rocky ravins, or will she make sure her would-be child/grandchild get the best care in a private hospital.

Go figure.

2006-03-22T12:18:00.000Z

So, I just walked back into the house, after taking the mutt for a walk in the woods, and I caught the tail end of a news burp about Gordon Brown's budget report.

Let's see, the price of a pack of cigarettes, a pint of beer, and a glass of wine are going up; however, the price of condoms and the morning-after-pill is going down.

Lovely.

Everything but the knee pads.

2006-03-22T08:45:00.000Z

Have you seen this? I just got this off of Drudge this morning. Apparently, it's not a joke, like I thought it might be. There is a company in Italy who has decided to design and make jeans for Muslims.

Al Quds, based in Udine, hopes to make an impact first among Italy's 1.1 million Muslims. If successful, it will reach out to the estimated 18 million Muslims living in Europe.

The company's Web site advertises the jeans as "a new expression for an old tradition."

So if you are interested in ordering for you or a friend, here is the website. Gosh, what will they think of next.

It ain't happening.

2006-03-20T08:44:00.000Z

Well, today is suppose to be the first day of Spring.
Right.
Looking around me, I think someone forgot to tell Mother Nature this little piece of information. I mean, look at the map of the US. That white blob that looks like a damn missile aimed at the East Coast is snow!
And as far as the UK goes, it's colder now than it was in January and February. We got the winds coming down from Norway, who got them from Siberia. Thanks alot for sharing guys; however, next time, don't call us, we'll call you. Okay?

Another year older.

2006-03-20T08:26:00.000Z

Yesterday was my birthday.
Yawn.
I'm at the point in my life where the number I am this year, feels just like the next number from last year. Oh damn, that probably makes absolutely no sense. Right. Let's try this again. Anotherwords, it's just a number. That's all. No more. No less. Like another notch on the bedpost. You know when you were younger, say 16, and you thought 30 was so damn old? Well, let me tell you, 70 is starting to seem right around the corner. Damn. Can't believe I said that.

Sniff, sniff.

2006-03-14T07:45:00.000Z

Well, I found out exactly what decided to invade my body at this time. I have one hell of a head cold. The crud took the scenic route before deciding that this is where it wanted to put down roots and stay awhile. I'm thinking it's because there is plenty of space up in my head to make a nice little nest and stay awhile. Anyway, that's why I have been feeling so damn poorly. Krip asked me yesterday morning how I felt, the only description I could give him was that my head felt like the cotton at the top of a Q-Tip. There is one big lesson that I learned through all this and that is to make sure that if one is about to have a sneezing episode, make damn sure that your bladder is empty. And no, I didn't pee my knickers and that's because I know how to double cross my legs. So now that I know what I have, I can definitely deal with it.

Yesterday was our second anniversary, and this afternoon Krip is taking me to London to celebrate it. I haven't got the faintest idea of what he has up his sleeve; however, he has been making plans for about a week now and has been walking around the house with a little twinkle in his eyes. I've never been "Surprise!!" so I am rather looking forward to it....I think. My lovely man said that we could stay home instead since I am feeling so poorly, but I said absolutely not; I am really looking forward to this. So, anyone out and about the city tonight, will definitely be able to recognize me; I'll be the one with the neon-red nose, carrying a wad of tissues, and trying not to leave a pattern of drip, drip, drip along the pavement.

Ho hum.

2006-03-12T10:34:00.000Z

I want to apologise to all for not writing much on my blog, nor visiting others on theirs. I'm not being anti-social, I've just been feeling a bit under the weather. I am coming down with something, but can't quite put my finger on what it is, but it's making me feel blahhhh all over. I think the weather changing and getting cold and damp didn't help things much. The wind coming down from Siberia is just too damn cold for my bones, and being March and all, it's too bloody late in the Winter season and too close to Spring to be rattling down our parts. Ugh. Haven't been able to walk to the gym for the last two weeks, and that's probably some of the problem.

On the bright side of things, I did get some wonderful news the other night. My youngest is coming over here early for Summer break! I will have her for three weeks more than last year. I am so delighted over this. Just can't wait to see her.

I'm hoping that perhaps in the next couple of days my brain will come out of hybernation and start doing its job, and if I'm really lucky (or if you are really lucky, heh) I will come up with something decent to write about.

So until then, I hope all are enjoying the remaining bits of your weekend, and don't let the Monday blues bite you in the arse.

Bullseye.

2006-03-05T12:57:00.000Z

Last night we had such a good time down at our pub. Krip and I joined up with two other friends of ours and had a rousing game of darts that lasted quite a few hours. Too bad I was the only wife that decided to drag herself away from the boob tube and imbibe in a bit of fun and adult beverages. Normally I am a bit bored down at the pub, being the only wife (as mentioned above); however, last night was a great time had by all.

Maybe that's why my head hurts just a little bit this morning.

Whoa.

2006-03-05T12:25:00.000Z

On Friday night we watched a movie called Wolf Creek. It was one of the scariest movies I have ever seen. I guess it effected me so much because it was one of those movies that you just know could really happen. Like the movie, Open Water, it left me unsettled for the rest of the night having me, much to my chagrin, dreaming about it and the fate of those people involved. Both of those movies were based on true accounts. Wolf Creek is (loosely) based on backpackers (since the kids were driving instead of walking) in Australia and of course Open Water was about scuba divers.

In Australia, there was a man, Ivan Milat, who was finally arrested in the serial killings of backpackers. This site actually chronicals the finding of his victims, talks about the sole survivor, and gives you a profile of said killer. Very interesting reading. Very scary movie. Not Freddie Kruger type of slasher movie, but Open Water and now Wolf Creek being the kind that gets under your skin and right into that primative area of everyone's soul when survival was everything.

These boots are made for walking.

2006-02-28T10:18:00.000Z

Well, I've been thinking about wanting to get my license here in the UK. The one thing I really miss is being able to drive. Just puttering down to the supermarket would be a thrill for me. I was already aware of how difficult and expensive even getting the privilege of being able to drive here is than in the States; however, now I am even having a rethink of whether or not I even want to consider it. For those living back in the States, let me give you a little heads up of what it takes to be able to drive here.

You have to get a provisional, which is the equivalent to having a learner's permit in order to even get an instructor to teach you how to drive. And this costs approximately £35 pounds. The main reason why I would have to go through this procedure is because I didn't drive within a year of getting my first visa. I could have legally driven in that first year on my state-side license. Now, after being here for more than two years, it would be (is) illegal for me to do so. It also entails sending paperwork in, including your passport, etc. Then, when and if you get your provisional, you have to line up an instructor which will find you digging into your wallet at about £20-£30 pounds a pop for an hour. Now I haven't a clue how many hours it would take for me to get the hang of driving, or rather of being able to pass the driving test; however, I would imagine I would have to take at least four or five lessons. At, say, £25 pounds a pop, that would be approximately £100-£125 pounds for lessons.

Now as far as the testing goes. The tests are broken up into two parts (just like the States). Theory and practical. The theory test costs about £20 pounds for each time you take it; hopefully, just the one time. The actual driving test is about £45 pounds each time you have to take the test, which is usually more than once, cause it's so damn frustrating!

If you add all of this up, it comes to around £225 pounds. And I think you may still have to pay for the actual license, which I think is £35 pounds. If, and it's a mighty big IF, I only had to have four or five lessons (ah huh, right), and IF I passed my theory and practical tests the very first time (ah huh, right), then all of this would only cost us approximately £260 pounds. For the privilege of me driving to say the library or the supermarket. And of course, that's not even taking into account the extra insurance, etc.

Something tells me that I don't want to drive. Seems to cost too damn much, both in the pocketbook and healthwise. Healthwise, because I don't think my nerves would be able to take the pressure of the said tests. Aarrgghh!!

Now if we should ever win the Lotto. Well, that'll be a whole nuther story. I won't care how many lessons, tests, whatever I'll have to endure to be able to drive down to the library or supermarket. Until then? Walking is really good for you. Heh.

Looking good in the old passport.

2006-02-25T13:47:00.000Z

So Thursday we took a drive to Croydon, leaving around 10 a.m. so that we would have plenty of time to get there seeing as we hadn't a clue where we were going. After a lunch of cardboard tasting burgers, we moseyed over to Luner House (Home Office of Immigration and Naturalization), which by the way is the easiest building in Croydon to find since, not only is it one of the largest around, but it's outlined in purple ~ nice and gaudy for the whole world to see.

Anyway, 1 p.m. finds us at the doors, shuffling in the cold like all the other people, just trying to stay out of the snow and wet, waiting for the magical 1:30 to come around so that we can be ushered in like cattle in the middle of a cattle-drive.

Finally, 1:30 arrives, we go in through security, a procedure much like going through security at an airport, arriving at our first of three stations in the process of getting my resident visa. The first station (window) is a nice guy requesting my application and all paperwork of proof of our living together (as man and wife in our case) for two years; then on to station (window) number two, which is the payment of that much needed £500 pounds for the privilege of processing said resident visa on same day. After these two stations is where all the fun began.

The time it took to go to window #1 and window #2 was approximately, what, ten minutes or so. Just about the amount of time we figured it would take. So far, so good.

We get to the final part which is our 2 p.m. interview, review of said papers, and visa stamp ~ all which is suppose to take about one hour tops. Which is exactly what happened.

So what's the problem you ask?

It's the four hours that we wound up waiting for that 2 p.m. interview. Our number was finally called at around 5:45 p.m. They were running late. Technical fault is what it was called. We wound up sitting at the Home Office of Immigration and Naturalization for five bloody hours.

Five hours.

I do have to say that they saw every single person that was there, everyone behind the glass was very nice. I haven't a clue what time everyone finally went home. All I know is that we were there at 1:30 p.m. as directed, and we got out of there at 6:30 p.m. It does make one wonder how late the people with 4 p.m. appointments got out.

And by the way, that little trip down there to Luner House (Home Office of Immigration and Naturalization) actually cost us £514.00 pounds. The £14 pounds was what we had to pay for parking.

However, in hindsight, who really cares. I have my Indefinite Leave to Remain, which means I am a full fledge resident now of the United Kingdom. And after two years (and five hours longer than anticipated), I am very much delighted that I don't have to do this again.

Now I have to think about whether or not I want to go for Naturalization in three years. Hmmmm.

On three, cross your fingers. One. Two. Three. GO!

2006-02-21T13:35:00.000Z

I am taking a break from blogging for the next couple of days. Thursday afternoon is my appointment with the Home Office of Immigration and Naturalization to go for my ILR, which is short for Indefinite Leave to Remain, or basically my stamp of approval for my passport that I am a full resident of the United Kingdom. It's taken over two years to be able to do this, what with two different visas beforehand, so now I am approaching the day of my final step for getting my resident visa. So this time will be, for obvious reasons, taken up with making sure I have everything in order for this process.

Hopefully, the next time I take finger to key (or as they used to say pen to ink) I will have that shiny new stamp and will have already danced a little dance of glee and perhaps celebrated with a drink (or two, or three).

So keep your fingers crossed my blogging friends.

Brit Awards 2006

2006-02-17T08:10:00.000Z

So last night we watched the Brit Awards for 2006. Not bad. Not good. I liked all of the performances except for Kanye West. What trash. Since Whites can be called "white trash," I suppose I can call him "black trash" since he is Black right? But then maybe I am bias because I cannot stand rap...whatever.

And what is it with Americans who come over to the UK for fuckssake? I almost cringe now when I watch some of my countrymen/women come over here because I know that they are going to be complete assholes. Ambassadors they aren't.

Firstly, we had some American guy presenting. Haven't a clue who he was and don't care either. First thing out of his mouth though was "George Bush is an idiot." Huh? No one else on that show made any political statement whatsoever. That was a joy in itself. The Brit Awards was about music and that's what people talked about. Music. Except for this American wanker.

Secondly, we had, what was referred to..."perhaps in the future...Lady Madonna!!" Oh fuck. Give. Me. A. Break. The old hag, Madonna, herself presenting and receiving an award. She gave a verbal blowjob to all of Great Britain. It was pathetic.

Thirdly, and this is my favorite part of the whole show. Whoever set this up has a great sense of humor and must have known who's song was going to be the winning album because they had Little Miss $30 Million Dollar Slut, 'I am the American Idiot!', Miss Paris Hilton!!!, presenting the best single song of the year, which turned out to be Green Day

and the song?

American Idiot!

Having those two words flowing out of her mouth, now that was a hoot and made the whole show worth watching.

American idiots...all.

Life in Iraq

2006-02-15T08:50:00.000Z

Wish I could say that I did this research, but I didn't. However, here are some very interesting statistics that did come out of the research that this person sent to the Daily Telegraph's Letters to the Editor yesterday. The gentleman writes:

SIR - During the past few weeks, I have done some careful research into what is happening in Iraq.

I have discovered that 47 countries have re-established their embassies there.

The current Iraq government employs 1.2 million Iraqis.

More than 3,100 schools have been renovated and 364 are being rehabilitated, with 263 under construction.

Twenty (20) universities and 46 institutes are operating. Some 4.3 million Iraqi children were enrolled in primary schools by the end of 2005.

The Iraqi police force has more than 55,000 fully trained and equipped officers, and there are five (5) police academies producing 3,500 new officers every eight (8) weeks.

There are at least 1,190,000 mobile-phone subscribers.

There is a fully independent media network of 75 radio stations, 180 newspapers, and 10 television stations.

As the gentleman says there is pretty much a normal life that is going on, although we rarely hear about it.

2006-02-14T07:45:00.000Z

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Winners and losers.

2006-02-07T13:10:00.000Z

Well, I haven't posted anything lately, not because we won the Euro-Millions; which, by the way, we did win some pocket change out of them, but because I haven't had a whole lot to say. Speaking about winnings, we went on to win a little more pocket change from the UK Lotto the next night. This mean that, in the last three weeks worth of lotto tickets, we have made enough money to go out and get a curry dinner for both of us. What can I say, we are definitely living the high life. Heh.

I also thought long and hard about maybe putting my two cents/pence in over the ruckus that some members of the "Religion of Peace" have been conjuring up, but then realized that they are getting far more attention than the immature souls that they are are already getting. So no commentary from me will be posted on my blog over them.

The mob of teenagers that gave Krip a hard time a couple of weeks ago somehow have multipled in a fortnight. They are now up to approximately twenty odd boys and girls. Saturday night found them, not only littering the sidewalks with bottles and trash, but we got to witness them knocking down and destroying 'For Sale' signs outside individual homes just for the sheer enjoyment of getting their little rocks off. Our neighbor has had to resort to putting up a spotlight to shine on the driveway and putting a deadlock on his door now. And we live in rather upscale part of town, and since I have never laid eyes on any of these teens in daylight hours, it makes one wonder what neighborhood these little darlings come from.

Well, that's all I can think of to write about. God! I've got to get out more. Heh.

Dreadcow.

2006-02-02T09:15:00.000Z

I found this great blog called Fun With Handgrenades. Here's what he has under his title "The mindless ramblings and exploits of a US Army infantryman deployed to Iraq". It's a great blog, written in a 23 year old's words of what is going on in his life on a daily basis in Iraq. His last entry was 15 January. I hope he is doing okay.

Go on. Check him out.

Me and the I.R.S.

2006-01-31T13:00:00.000Z

So today I made my third call this month to the I.R.S. Even though I had gotten the "all clear" message from the first two, I received my Form-1099-DIV in the mail today and got a bit freaked out over it. The second call to the I.R.S. had given me the information that if I earned more than $3200. (£1810.77) this past year, I would have to file and possibly pay taxes. So on receiving Form-1099, I added all the appropriate boxes up and still didn't come up with the $3200. Whew!

However, I felt like I was still doing something wrong, so I made that call again - kinda feeling like a moth to a flame. Nope, I'm still in the "all clear" zone. I was informed, though, that if my earnings from said stock, whether I roll them over (in which case I do) or not, do go over that amount, I will have to file a tax return and perhaps pay taxes. I informed the gentleman that if I ever went over that amount then I would gladly file because that would mean that my stocks/bonds soared for that year.

So, basically, I do not have to file at all this year.

However, there are two things that I have learned after making these calls:

1) It definitely does not pay for me to work here in the U.K. unless I am willing to earn well under $3200. (£1,810.77) on a yearly basis, because then I would wind up paying U.S. taxes as well as U.K. taxes.

2) I've been nagging Krip to also put my name on our savings account. Until today that is. I suddenly yelled, "hold all the presses!" I've decided that it doesn't pay for me to be listed on our savings account because...you guessed it. If my name is on the savings account, we would have to pay taxes in the U.S. of A. also since savings can be considered earnings, and the savings and my earnings from my rolled-over stocks/bonds would definitely put me over the $3200. mark.

Are you confused yet? Think what I have to go through. Every. Single. Year. Now, if we ever decide to return to the U.S. to live, which means Krip to immigrate, then it will be a whole nother kettle of fish with the I.R.S.

Aaarrgghh!!

Monday's musings.

2006-01-30T14:19:00.000Z

Well, as you can tell, we didn't win the £100,000,000. jackpot; however, it's so comforting to know that no one won the big pot either. Having the pot going for approximately £125,000,000. next week is, in some ways, rather an obscene amount, don't you think? Oh well, Friday's only four days away, and who knows we may hold that winning ticket [chuckling here while I write this].

I walked more than five miles today; back and forth to the gym, taking Barney to and through the woods, and back and forth to the post office. I'm tired of walking. I'm tired today, period. I woke up with a scratchy throat, bad omen.

While cleaning the house today, I had some idiotic show on that had an American contestant. She sounded just like a presenter on a show here in the UK called "The House Doctor." Obviously, by her accent, this woman hails from Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Michigan. God, was her voice irritating! Oh well, we all can't have that lovely southern drawl that I possess [smirk].

I was reading up on the driving test here in the UK. For my American friends, did you know that you have to use your "emergency brake" for everything including an emergency? I guess, on the test whether you have an automatic or a manual (stickshift), you have to use the emergency brake for braking at a traffic light, waiting at roundabouts, and even if you are going to turn around in the street ~ anotherwords apparently for what, five seconds on upwards. The more I read about this test, the less and less I'm inspired to take up driving here. Oh well, until we invest in an automatic, there is no chance that I will chance it. And this is a weird statement from someone who has driven manual all my driving life.

Anyway, what's the other thing I was going to mention. Oh yeah, it's nice sometimes to be the "only American in the village." At least when I go to the post office, I don't even have to tell them where I want to mail a letter/package to. The post mistress automatically asks. That's rather comforting in a strange sort of way.

Do you feel lucky tonight.

2006-01-27T11:00:00.000Z

Well kids, do you know what tonight is? It's the night. The Euro-Million Lotto Rollover Night. The night where someone, somewhere may win £100,000,000.00 or $178,569,000.000 or 145,795,973.00 (Euros).

And that, kids, is a hell of a lot of money.

So who's it gonna be?

We've plunked our money down and bought a ticket along with how many others? The odds are way against us winning, right? About a million to one - give or take a couple of thousand; however, just think, it only takes one set of numbers to win.

One. Ticket. Just one.

I almost dread the thought of winning a sum like that.

Almost.

And...if we don't win; the U.K. Lotto is tomorrow night. It's for £5,000,000.00. I could definitely live with that amount.

What you will never see on the nightly news.

2006-01-25T10:53:00.000Z

Army Staff Sgt. John Newland helps an Afghan boy try on new boots in Zanto Kalay, Afghanistan, on Jan. 11, 2006. U.S. Army soldiers are bringing medical assistance, donated winter jackets, sweaters, blankets, and food to the people of Zanto Kalay during a medical outreach program. Newland is attached to the Army's 492nd Civil Affairs Battalion.
DoD photo by Sgt. Andre' Reynolds, U.S. Army.

U.S. Army Cpl. Reginald Shronce with Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st. Infantry Regiment, 172nd. Styker Brigade, Combat Team, throws soccer balls to Iraqi children during a foot patrol in Mosul Iraq, Jan. 18, 2006.
U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. John M. Foster

Two teachers watch as Polish Army soldiers with the CIMIC group (Civilian Military Cooperation) unload supplies and toys to give to an elementary school in Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq on January 19, 2005.
U.S. Army photo by PFC Timothy Villareal

So how was your day yesterday.

2006-01-24T08:50:00.000Z

Yesterday was Monday, 23 January, 2006. Right? And I'm sure by now everyone knows that yesterday was the one day some nutcase actually earmarked to be the most depressing day of the year due to it being the end of the "holiday season," bills just now coming in, winter setting in, that type of thing. Yada yada yada...blah, blah, blah.

However, although I walked to the gym on one of the coldest days of the year, if not the coldest morning this year, I didn't get depressed; I froze my ass off walking both ways, but I never managed to get depressed. And even though I took Barney in the woods yesterday and he had in his little pee-brain that yesterday would be the day to stop and sniff or water every single hint of vegetation on our walk; depressed wouldn't be the word I would have used to describe myself; really, really annoyed maybe because I was freezing my ass off again, but not depressed.

And even though we had to keep the heat on all day long, knowing full well that our heating bill would be going through the roof; I still never managed to feel any sort of depression because, well, it's one thing to freeze one's ass outside, but I'd be damn if I was going to do it inside as well.

And! Even while watching the weather last night and hearing that parts of Kent actually had sun and knowing that we didn't, couldn't put me in a depressive mood. I just figured that if we were lucky it might spread our way sooner rather than later. And even with Krip being able to manuver Abe to do the right jumps and such on our PS game, where I couldn't get past go, just wound up getting my temperature to rise rather than plunging me into a downward spiral of a funk.

So, although, yesterday was earmarked for the one day that one could get depressed and actually get away with it because some nutcase announced that 23 January 2006, was to be the most depressing day of the year, really all day long I just couldn't bring myself to be depressed.

That was until last night just before I fell asleep. At 11:55 p.m., on the 23 January 2006, I finally realized I had something to be depressed about.

That's when it slowly dawned on me that someone, somewhere out there; and by the way, most probably with our tax money, was actually getting paid to come up with such a stupid idea. And the actual thought that I, although smart enough to have been able to come up with such a stupid idea, did not have the wherewithall nor the imagination to think of the idea of having the 23rd of January 2006 be considered the most depressing day of the year.

Damn.

What's that yellow thing up in the sky.

2006-01-21T11:38:00.000Z

It's Saturday, the sun is actually shining; God know's for the first time in I don't know how long. So Krip and I are going off for the day. Normal blogging will resume most likely Monday. Have a great weekend.

A toast to greatness.

2006-01-16T09:47:00.000Z

On President Reagan's 25th Anniversary of his first term in office, I want to tell you what this man meant to me. I was in the U.S. Navy under Carter. For me, having to see Carter's photo on a wall in practically every building that I walked into became a job in itself. I, along with so many others, got out of the service while Carter was in, because Carter was in.

Then along came Ronald Reagan. He was the first President I had ever voted for. And vote for him, I did. Something about him made me realize that as long as he was at the helm; my family, my country, and I would be all right. As his term in office progressed, I began to admire this man more and more. President Reagan stood up to anyone and everyone. He didn't pull any punches. Reagan in my estimation is the American President. He is America.

In his First Inaugural Address, Tuesday, January 20, 1981, President Ronald W. Reagan said:

'Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have. It is a weapon that we as Americans do have. Let that be understood by those who practice terrorism and prey upon their neighbors.'

He was talking about Communism; however, that part of his speech could be said in today's world. President Reagan, to me, was a man of vision. A man who truly loved his country and her people. A man who had faith in America and knew that we were capable of doing great things, have continued to do great things, and will continue to do great things.

'...and our willingness to believe in ourselves and to believe in our capacity to perform great deeds; to believe that together, with God's help, we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us.

And, after all, why shouldn't we believe that? We are Americans. God bless you, and thank you.'

This man, President Ronald Wilson Reagan is my hero. He will always be my hero. And to this, I say, "God bless you and thank you, Mr. President."

UPDATE: There are many out there that are toasting Reagan on the 25th Anniversary of his First Ingauration. First and foremost, Mike from Mike's America is hosting the party, so around of cheers need to go to him for coming up with the idea and including us. So far here are many who have contributed to the celebrations: Sparks from the Anvil, The Liberal Lie, The Conservative Truth, Grizzly Mama, American Crusader, Razor Sharp Claws. As Friday, the 20th slowly come around, stay tuned for more party-goers at Mike's house.

The 20th of January. Mark it on your calendar.

2006-01-13T10:27:00.000Z

On the 20th of January 2006, we (that's Mike and all the rest of us) will celebrate the beginning of the Reagan Presidency ~ one of the greatest, and in my most humbled opinion, the greatest President in the short history of my beloved country. And because of this, next week, I cordially invite one and all to share your thoughts on this great man.

Half-baked reality.

2006-01-12T09:08:00.000Z

So last night, we are perusing the tv schedule, trying to find something to watch. What a bunch of worthless nonsense on the television. I am so tired of the cheap-ass, so-called reality television shows. For an example last night we were presented with:

Celebrity Big Brother, a show with a bunch of players that not only would not make the A, B, or C list of any party, but they probably couldn't be trusted to park the cars.

What Not to Wear Holiday Special, a show about two snippy twits; one anorexic, and the other needing to be beside me on that treadmill, showing other women what clothes suit them best and managing to crush any self-esteem the poor women may have before they volunteered to be ripped apart by these two harpies.

Celebrity Fitness Videos: Not Fit for TV?, pretty self-explanatory. I'm sure that the celebrities that made the videos are thanking the media gods for promoting them. They are probably thinking finally one or two will get sold.

This is a sample of the shows that were on last night.

It was a long wait until the last two episodes of Lost came on at ten o'clock. That's the last two episodes of the first season of Lost. So if any of you from the States or here in the UK who have pirated tapes and are in the process of watching the second season's Lost...DO NOT WRITE ME TO TELL ME WHAT IS GOIN' ON! I just went over to here, and supposedly the second season of Lost will be starting in the Spring, we don't have that long to wait. Wondering why Poland gets the new season in January! Poland!! Now I just have to refrain from peeking at the spoilers.

Did I mention that the second season of Desperate Housewives is starting next Wednesday night? Life is grand.

It's the weather's fault.

2006-01-12T08:57:00.000Z

Okay, so I feel like I'm copping out just a bit. I decided not to walk down to the gym today, seeing as it is foggy, wet, and just plain cold. So, I've opted out to go with Krip this afternoon when he gets off work. I don't feel too guilty because being Thursday, I'll be doing my cardio stuff anyway. However, tomorrow morning I will have absolutely no excuse not to haul my sorry-ass outta bed and get down there. Hmmm, but that's another day.

Got on the scales for really the first time today in a very long time. Not too bad. Knew I have been putting on the pounds-stones-kilograms a bit lately, the feel of my jeans told me that...duh! However, not as bad as I thought. That helps. It's nice to know that your goal isn't quite as daunting as one might think when getting started - even if it's only a matter of a few less pounds-stones-kilograms then at first thought.

God, enough of this already. I'm even starting to bore myself, and I'm the author of this inane rubbish.

Oh. My. God. My. Feet (and legs). Hurt. Like. Hell.

2006-01-10T14:48:00.000Z

Last night, Krip and I decided to go to the gym after he got off work. So off we went at 5 p.m. That was one big cock-up in my most humbled opinion. Didn't get back home until around seven, and only managed six out of the 13 machines I was suppose to do. It wasn't due to lack of enthusiasm on my part...oh, no! Couldn't get on them. Felt like we had to have a reservation just to get on a bloody machine.

So this morning, I decided 'to hell with it' and went ahead and walked to the gym. So I wound up walking 2.77 miles (4.45 kilometers) round trip just to get on the treadmill and walk for an hour and 2.52 miles (4.06 kilometers).

Anotherwords, my little feet suffered two hours worth of walking for a total of 5.32 miles (8.56 kilometers). That's why they hurt like hell today.

However, I did burn 473 calories. So I got something outta it all.

Tomorrow, I walk there and back to work my little buns off on the exercise machines.

Finally.

Something tells me it won't just be my legs and feet achin' tomorrow.

Aarrgghhhhhhhh!

"Can you come around for some drinks?"

2006-01-09T12:57:00.000Z

Last week, we got invited to come around to Krip's Dad's home for a little party on Sunday, which was yesterday. We were suppose to be there around 3 p.m. We weren't there. We were at the gym.
[See post below you for that experience.]

Anyway, as I was saying, as Krip's Dad was once a widower, he remarried some time ago to a woman we all like to call Mrs. Bucket (as in Keeping Up Appearances), that's pronounced Mrs. Bouquet, just so you'll know because she is quite a snob and likes to put on airs, while having nothing to put on airs about. Anyway, it's fun to watch.

So, while we weren't there at three; I mean, who gives a "cocktail" party at three o'clock on a Sunday afternoon?

Uh, Mrs. Bucket does.

We did arrive around 4:30 p.m., promising ourselves that we would be outta that house within an hour. Unbeknownst to me, Krip told Mrs. Bucket that we were going out with some close friends of ours for dinner - uh, he lied. So, getting me aside Mrs. Bucket asked me what plans we had for later, and I said smoothly, "Oh, we have another engagement. Dinner with such and such." - uh, I lied. What I am so proud of myself for was the fact that devious minds think alike. Little did either one of us know what the other was going to say, and yet we actually came up with the same, exact alibi.

Cool, right?

We were outta there within 45 minutes; 15 minutes under schedule. No harm, no foul.

However, we did keep the answering machine on all night....just in case of you know who, Mrs. Bucket, uh calling for some odd reason.

Jumping on that treadmill.

2006-01-09T12:25:00.000Z

A couple of months ago we signed up to a brand new gym called Roko and now that it's all completed and the first rush of people have already arrived to work their little buns off, Krip and I decided to mosey down yesterday to test out the machines, etc.

Well, the gym is wonderful. All nice and computerized. Now I'm not saying that I'm computer slow; however, I did find it all a bit daunting to say the least. I have 13 machines that I am suppose to work out on. I did only nine of them because I found myself spending much of my time trying to figure out where each was located and how to figure out how to key in my personal info at each machine. For instance, you are suppose to put in the amount of weight you want to lift at each place, get your seat adjusted and such. Then you are suppose to extend and retract and set each of those postitions on the keyboard so that the next time, when you use it, it will be all computed for you. Sounds easy, right?

Wrong.

While you are extending to your max or retracting to you minimum, how in the hell are you suppose to be able to press the "OKAY" key at the same time? I felt a little bit like Lucille Ball in some of her routines, trying to balance the weights with one hand and quickly pressing the OKAY pad with the other. God only knows what I have set up most of machines to do for me.

So today when Krip and I go down there, I am taking a print out copy of the machines I'm suppose to be using with me and marking off which machine I have used so that I don't have to constantly run back and check which one I haven't gone to if the one I am suppose to go to is busy. We are also going to go in the evening...ugh. I hate going in the evenings.

Also, as an American we are used to weighing ourselves using pounds and ounces. Over here in England, they tend to use stones. That's 14 pounds to a stone. I've had no trouble computing that little tidbit. Now that the UK is tripping over themselves to align themselves with the EU, a lot of the scales are not using stones anymore, but kilograms. So now this little American has to convert my pounds to stones and now to kilograms. The only upside to all this is that one pound = 0.453 592 37 kilogram, so that being said, say one might be around 115 pounds, or eight stone three pounds, or 52.163 122 55 kilograms.

Bloody 'ell, I feel lighter already. Heh.

Flying thing-a-migs.

2006-01-07T16:42:00.000Z

About two months ago, I noticed that some of my houseplants were outgrowing their pots. If they had been kids, I would have said that their jeans were way to short and tight for them. Anyway, I decided it was time to transplant them. We went down to our nearest garden center and got some new pots for them. I really took my time in selecting exactly which pot would be best for each of the plants who were in dire need of a larger size pot.

What I should have done was made sure I had brand new potting soil.

Instead, I used the potting soil that we have had out in the garden. I knew that there were some worms in it, so I just made sure that the spoonfuls I was putting into each pot was minus any worm, or anything that even looked like it could be such a creature. Well, since then we have been invaded by some sort of flying thing-a-migs. They kinda look like a gnats, but not quite. They don't bite. They're just annoying as hell. They're not even partial to any particular plant, seems to prefer any and all of them. Doesn't matter whether the plant is wet or dry. These flying thing-a-migs don't appear to live very long, because I find their dead littered all around the plants. However, they are annoying because they are here, there, everywhere.

So, I bet you are wondering why I mentioned the worms or being mindful of not adding any worms to the soil, right? Well, besides these flying thing-a-migs that obviously came out of the soil that we used from a bag in our garden, instead of biting the bullet and purchasing some spanking new soil, I found out the other day after putting all my houseplants in the bathtub and giving them a nice tropical type of shower, that one of these houseplants of mine left me a present. A nice plump worm was sitting, well not really sitting, but lying in my bathtube. And thinking it was a stick or something, I went to pick it up.

Gasp! Oh. My. God.

I damn near had a heart-attack when I picked - what I thought was a stick - up. It wasn't no stick. No sirree. It was about a four inches long (ah, that's 10 centimeters to any and all you Euro-types who don't measure in feet and inches anymore). What a gawd-awful feeling, squishy and all. It even makes me feel yucky just writing about it.

Honestly, I have no ending to this monologue. I would just love to get rid of these damn flying thing-a-migs, and have some assurance that there are no more worms just waiting to show themselves. Maybe we should get some new potting soil, and do some replanting.

"Hey Krip...what we doin' tomorrow?"

Jezum.

2006-01-05T15:38:00.000Z

Santa brought Barney, the mutt, two brand new toys for Christmas. He is slowly, but surely tearing them to pieces to go along with all the other beat up toys in his basket.
Stupid dog.

Speaking about the mutt. You aught to see some of my beloved plants out in our garden. Now I realize that alot of their look at playing being dead could be due to it being winter; however, the fact that the bloody dog has taken to peeing on them on a regular basis is not helping the situation any.
Stupid dog.

Duh.

2006-01-05T15:32:00.000Z

Last night, since there wasn't a damn thing on television, at least until 10 p.m. when I wanted to watch Lost, Krip and I decided to do something else. We could have been very adult about it and watched one of the movies we have ordered...no. We could have sat down and did some reading; ah, no. What we actually did was play that stupid PSII game again. Of course it took us five minutes more than it should have to get started because after sitting there and staring at a blank screen, it slowly dawned on us the reason why that stupid game wasn't coming on was because we forgot to plug in the PSII plug-ins.

Aarrgghh!!!

Music for the soul.

2006-01-03T14:20:00.000Z

For Christmas, Krip gave me the CD of IL DIVO. These four gorgeous men creating the most beautiful music, well for me, is just breathtaking. I have fallen in love...with their music.

Awesome. Truly awesome.

Fein.

2006-01-03T09:41:00.000Z

So last night, while eating dinner, we decided to watch this program about couples who want to move and can't decide whether to stay in their own country or in this case, Scotland and/or move to another country, and in this case, Germany. Now they are an English couple who ran a B&B in Scotland, and decided that they wanted a bigger challenge in running the same type of business. So they had to choose between those two countries. Now, don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with moving away; however, moving to a foreign country to run a business when you have only visited it a few times and you don't even know the language, nor the legalities (as in buying a business) is rather more than a challenge. At any rate, this couple chose to do so. They bought this old B&B in a village that was way underprice and hadn't been doing any business in over two years. That would have rang warning bells as loud as Big Ben or the Liberty Bell in my mind and would have made me run away the other way as far and fast as possible. But not this couple, they didn't even flinch. However, they did think the place was nice.

Nice.

That's what this story is really about...nice. This couple, whom Krip called Mr. and Mrs. Dweeb, saw three business establishments in Scotland and three in Germany. For one solid hour, while watching this program, the viewers heard this couple say, sometimes simutaniously, nice 79 times. I know this because I counted each and every time.

Nice...79 times...in an hour.

Oh brother.

Done and dusted.

2006-01-03T08:56:00.000Z

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year. My young'un boarded the plane and flew back over that large pond called the Atlantic Ocean yesterday, going back to school today. While my daughter was here, we took her to see a pantomime called Aladdin; went ice-skating, well Krip and my angel went, I took the piccys..hey! someone's got to do it!; went tobogganing, now that was a blast and a half; and we all saw the movie Narnia, see the review on Krip's blog about it. [To find his review, go a few posts down, it's below the one about Why don't turds freeze?]

So last night, since I was in rather a blue mood and there was shit on the boob-tube, Krip and I decided to play one of the Playstation games that my young'un was playing while here. It took the two of us over an hour to get past the first challenge; something that took my daughter exactly five minutes for f*ckssake...what's up with these brain waves of ours? They can't seem to make it down to our fingers in time to do the deed before we get blown up. It didn't help that the two of us were laughing our asses off I suppose.

What can I say. Last night after our worldwind adventures with my youngest daughter, our bodies and minds were completely tuckered out like two old deflated balloons, found us in bed at eight o'clock and sleeping like the dead. Until midnight when my young'un called to tell us she made it okay. I'm so glad that she did. Haven't a clue what we talked about. Think I asked her, much to her annoyance I'm sure, the same thing over and over again. Looks like the old brainwaves got stuck there too.

Hmm, it''s just too quiet in this house today.

2005-12-22T10:10:00.000Z

Well, my youngest is here! We picked her up from the airport yesterday morning...so I feel so Hap-hap-happy now that Christmas time is near! I want to wish all my fellow blogging mates and their loved ones:

See you all again in January! HO-HO-HO.... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

We won't be seen to support the war, says M&S as it refuses to send gifts to British troops

2005-12-18T14:57:00.000Z

Some prime examples of being a scrooge is alive and well at various department stores here in the U.K. in the giving season known as Christmas. The primary scrooge in this article in today's Sunday Telegraph is Marks & Spencers (M&S). Apparently, soldiers from the Royal Irish Regiment, who are are flying the flag for Britain in one of Iraq's most dangerous hot spots in Iraq (Baghdad), wrote to five leading stores back home and asked for some stocking-fillers to give the troops next weekend:

The 70-strong Royal Irish contingent is currently the only British Army unit serving in Baghdad. A source said: "Baghdad is a tough assignment so we wrote to the firms hoping that we'd get some high-class figgy puddings, mince pies, brandy butter and so on, just to make Christmas a bit special this year...."
"...it's a shame that some of our letters don't even seem to have been read properly. They seem to think we're charity fund-raisers - we're not, we're just looking for a few mince pies for our troops."

They wrote to Fortnum & Mason, who answered them with this letter: "As you will appreciate, there are thousands of registered charities in England and Wales, many of whom at some point or other write to us requesting our support. We cannot unfortunately respond favourably to every action."

The soldiers received a letter from James Norrie, the M&S customer services manager wrote: "We do appreciate that work like yours is very valuable but unfortunately it is simply not possible for us to support every request. Please be assured that community work is very important to us."

Representatives from M&S went on to write, "...we couldn't send anything out as it would look like we would be supporting the war in Iraq. To my understanding, we can't be seen to be supporting the Labour Government's war."

Helen Megaw, from the John Lewis Partnership, said: "We cannot find any trace of the letter from Baghdad."

While Richard Gray, a spokesman for Harvey Nichols, said: "We have no knowledge of any receipt of such a letter."

A spokesman for Fortnum & Mason said food parcels had been sent to other units serving in Iraq but the request from the Royal Irish Regiment had arrived too late.

Last night, Marks & Spencer (M&S) tried to backtrack on its earlier comments and an official spokesman insisted that the company did not have a view on Iraq and would reconsider the troops' request.

"We have no stated policy on the war and we never have done," she added.

"The phrasing of the letter was an unfortunate mistake and the letter was dealt with incorrectly. We are apologising. It will be reviewed as a new request."

John Lewis, Harvey Nichols, Fortnum & Mason, and especially Marks & Spencers (M&S) ~ all of you are just fucking pathetic. I hope you all choke on your Christmas puddings and minced pies you stingy, tightass piles of...oh BAH-Humbug to the lot of you!

Shame on you!!!

Simon sez..."Santa..."

2005-12-18T11:07:00.000Z

This is a very novel Santa site. Try it out for fun!

Now this is what going to polls should look like.

2005-12-16T08:46:00.000Z

Iraqi voters line up outside a polling site in Barwana, Iraq, on Dec. 15, 2005. Iraqi citizens are voting to elect Iraq's first free, permanent parliamentary government.
DoD photo by Sgt. James P. Aguilar, U.S. Marine Corps.

A little girl clutches an Iraqi flag as her parents vote in a polling booth at the Al-Kunaytarah School in Jurf as Sakhr District, Iraq, on Dec. 15, 2005. Iraqi citizens are voting to elect Iraq's first free, permanent parliamentary government.
DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Michael J O'Brien, U.S. Marine Corps.

I find both of these photos awesome in their own right. I love the little girl's shy smile, knowing that she will remember the young American Marine who took her photo for the rest of her life. And look at the lines of people waiting to go vote! Western democracies eat your heart out. I don't think we in America have seen such lines since early times in our history, and as far as Western Europe, when's the last time you have had such a robust turnout for an election?

That wonderful aroma in the wind that is blowing from the direction of Iraq is the sweet smell of a perfume called Democracy.

What a slam-dunk!

2005-12-15T11:23:00.000Z

Kudos to Mike over at Mike's America (whom I fondly call "lowcountry" because he lives in a beautiful part of South Carolina) for getting on to the BBC News Americas' Media react to Bush Iraq speech.

"The site Mike's America - run by a former staffer with the US Environmental Protection Agency, hit out at the Democrat response to the speech.

"Once again, a point by point recitation of our goals, our methods, how they have adapted to events and a response to his [the president's] critics.

"And the Defeaticrat response? More of the same defeatism which paralyses that political party from offering anything constructive at a time of war."

I find it exciting that someone went out of their way to pick up on Mike's comments on his blog. Someone out there is definitely keeping their pulse on how many are feeling, not what is just being reported.

Notice who Mike is shaking hands with? Sigh...my hero, President Reagan.

Again, kudos to you, Mike. You deserve it!

Look who the President has in his corner.

2005-12-15T09:19:00.000Z

I shamelessly knicked this off of Drudge this morning; hopefully, the big guy won't mind. Thought it was pretty cool though.

BOXING PROMOTER DON KING: 'BUSH IS A REVOLUTIONARY'

CNN, THE SITUATION ROOM 4:00 PM EST

WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Don king is known worldwide as a big-time boxing promoter. But has also taken some new fights on recently...

You love George Bush?

DON KING; I love George Walker Bush because I think he's a revolutionary. He's a president that comes in with conclusiveness. What they're doing in tomorrow in Iraq is a demonstration of that for the vote for democracy. The fundamental process of democracy is freedom of speech, law and order, being able to have freedom, working with people and working and governing yourselves. George Bush is that. He included in...

BLITZER: Do you have any regrets supporting him? Take a look at that picture when you and I were there at the diner last year. Do you have any regrets supporting him as enthusiastically as you did?

KING: No, I don't. In fact, I want to support him more now because it seems like everybody is punching him. You know what I mean? But he's fighting back, and he's throwing great combinations. And I think he's the guy that is really a revolutionary president.

I think he's a president that cares about the people he represents, but doesn't compromise himself to the extent that he acquiesce and accommodate. He goes out there and says like it is, and tries to make things better. Inclusiveness, education, is fighting for that.

These are the things that many guys that don't fight for -- George Walker Bush is a tremendous advocate to America, a great president for the great American people, and he's decisive. He's doesn't equivocate.

Don King, being a well-known boxing promoter, has backed more than his fair share of boxers. Since King's career as a promoter spans three decades and includes more than 500 world-championship fights, I feel he knows who to back and who to dismiss.

And Mr. King backs President Bush. Now there's a smart man.

The Christmas mood is starting to creep in.

2005-12-14T15:14:00.000Z

Christmas lights in Sofia : A pedestrian walks by Christmas decorations tree in downtown Sofia.
AFP/Valentina Petrova

That's Sofia, Bulgaria. Beautiful country. Lovely people.

Ho, ho....right.

2005-12-13T09:21:00.000Z

Is anyone else out there just having a hard time getting into the holiday mood? We haven't got our tree yet, his father's present yet, friend's presents yet; hell, we haven't even bought the Christmas cards yet. My youngest daughter is arriving in eight more days. I think that's when I will feel like celebrating. However, if I wait until eight more days, it will leave us only four more days until Christmas ~ too little time to do too much work.

You know, it's not Christmas that is making me feel like a humbug. I love that day. I do. It's all the months and months and months AND months that seems to lead up to the 25th. Kinda makes one think of going through labor...again... and that left me worn out, wringing wet, and just purely exhausted.

Hmmm, now that I think about it.

It left him speechless.

2005-12-13T09:14:00.000Z

We decided yesterday to go and join up with Cosco yesterday. I kinda had a feeling how much our cart of goodies would come to at the checkout counter having shopped at Sam's Club in the states quite a bit; however, since this was Krip's first trip to a bulk type of store, he was well....gobsmacked when they totaled up everything.

He's still stunned this a.m.

Looking on the bright side of things, we have enough laundry detergent to last us about 6 months.

Bongo, bongo.

2005-12-13T09:01:00.000Z

As I'm writing this little monologue, I can hear the droning of FNC over the execution of "Tookie" Williams. I also can hear over the dialogue of the various reporters/presenters a sound of drums and chanting. For a moment there, I thought it might have been an overlay of a program that later would be shown about Africa before it dawned on me that no, it was in California and it was just some of the "peaceful" supporters there to continually announce this scum's innocence over his murdering of four truly innocent people 20+ years ago.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Who I feel sorry for is the surviving families of those that "Tookie" murdered. They will forever be in hiding because they are deathly afraid that they will be hunted down and murdered in revenge for executing a ruthless murderer.

Funny, I just heard that "Tookie" left two sons behind. One is now currently sitting in some jail cell. I guess he didn't bother to read his father's book. Maybe the words were just too complicated.

19-25 December - Thank a Soldier Week.

2005-12-10T11:58:00.000Z

U.S. Army soldiers from Task Force Strength and Egyptian soldiers give donated clothes to Afghan children during a joint humanitarian aid mission at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, on Nov. 17, 2005. Task Force Strength conducts humanitarian missions along with coalition forces to aid the Afghan people.
DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Jose L. Rodriguez, U.S. Army.

Marine Lance Cpl. John Paul Schilling and his military working dog Bosco search for weapon caches during an operation in Saqlawiyah, Iraq, on Dec. 5, 2005. Schilling and Bosco are attached to Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.
DoD photo by Lance Cpl. Mark E. Morrow, U.S. Marine Corps.

Army Pfc. Janelle Zalkovsky hands out humanitarian aid items to local citizens in Thyad, Iraq, on Dec. 4, 2005. Zalkovsky is attached to the Civil Affairs Unit of the 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division deployed from Fort Campbell, Ky.
DoD photo by Spc. Charles W. Gill, U.S. Army.