2007 Overview

I did this last year, looking back at 2006, hell, that seems like such a long time ago! Anyway, I thought it would be good to do it this year too and see how my life and my outlook on it has changed.



What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
I met a blog friend that I had known online for about 2 years. Began an AS Course. Obtained an A* grade for a GCSE. Dedicated a lot of time and energy to an incredible voluntary organisation.

Did you keep your New Years' resolutions and have you made more for this year?
Last year I promised not to be so hard on myself, and looking back, I think I did pretty well at keeping it. I have found acceptance this year in an event in my life that scarred me terribly and have successfully moved a long way forward. This year I was too knackered to make one..lol

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yet another nephew became a father making me a great aunt for the second time. The first time was last year and both babies were born on the very same day of the year... spooky!

Did anyone close to you die?
No, finally a year without loss.

What countries did you visit?
Spain. Had a lovely weeks break in sunny Spain with my sister and both my daughters.

What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
Better health I guess has to be at the top of my list, it's not that I mind being ill, but it sure doesn't pay the bills. On second thoughts, I do mind being ill, it has become VERY boring!

What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The three days I spent in London during the first week of October meeting Laney. We had become good friends online and those first few minutes of actually meeting in the flesh seemed like the most natural thing in the world. We talked, and then talked some more. We went into the city, still talking like there was no tomorrow, even when we climbed into bed at night we didn't shut up and chatted away contentedly til 2:30 in the morning. It was fantastic. Laney is fantastic, and I cant wait to meet up with her again soon.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting my A* was a pretty big deal for me, but the part I'm most proud of is the time I gave freely to training and attending call outs to search for missing people in my voluntary work, most often at obscene times of the night. I have missed being able to be a part of this whilst I have been off work.

What was your biggest failure?
You know, I don't consider I had any failures last year. A few minor mishaps perhaps but not failures. For those few of you that know about the last 12 years of my life, you will know that is a huge advance for me.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Oh God, the dreaded question again. I would list them all but I would sound like a hypocondriac!!!! No seriously, the only one that had a lasting effect was the ME which I am still fighting.

What was the best thing you bought?
A new car. Well it was 3 years old, but that's NEW to me. It had no rust, all the doors closed without creaking, it starts every time you turn the key even when its frosty and I can crank the CD player up to full volume without taking my hand off the steering wheel. What more could a girl want?

Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My sons, for dealing with a split from his long term girlfriend with so much dignity, and as always, my husbands just for being himself and completing the other half of me.

Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
My boss for the inexcusable pressure he put on me at our meeting in December to return to work in the new year.

Where did most of your money go?
Money?? What money?

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Meeting Laney, see above. Getting my results for the GCSE and gaining my first 20/20 mark for a competition at the camera club.

What song will always remind you of 2007?
Damn, if only I had a memory, I would be able to tell you.

Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer?
A lot happier with life in general and with the inner me definitely. A lot fatter due to having to give up ALL my hobbies, pass times and exercise, but am already working at getting rid of that. Much poorer, again because I have been unable to work since the beginning of September.

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Everything. Life is too short

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Sitting on my arse wasting time watching TV and sleeping the days away

How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas was pretty much cancelled in my house this year. No energy. No money. No organisational ability. We did however have a lovely dinner with all the kids and my mother-in-law

Did you fall in love in 2006?
Not with anything/anyone new, but continue to be grateful for all the love I share with my nearest and dearest.

How many one-night stands?
None.

What was your favourite TV program?
I don't watch a lot of TV really. As always, I do get drawn into the reality shows like I'm a celebrity and Dancing on Ice

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I try not to waste precious time and energy hating, it's very destructive.

What was the best book you read?
Didn't devote much time to reading books last year, most of my reading material involved photography. I did finally read Dave Pelzer's trilogy beginning with 'A Boy Called It'. Very moving.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
I heard of lot of things I liked, mostly through the ceiling courtesy of one or the other of my daughters, but I couldn't tell you the name of the bands!!

What did you want and get?
A wide angle lens for my camera.

What did you want and not get?
A home studio to set my business up with! One day, one day.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 41, and again, I was too knackered to do anything. Being 2 days before Christmas I was dreading Christmas too much to care. Health willing, I'll make up for it this year!

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Better Health.

What kept you sane?
My family and the few really good, close friends I have. I have to say that my sanity level increased 100 fold from 2006, so it's not all bad.

Who was the best new person you met in 2007?
Last year I said it was Miss U, even though I had not met her in the flesh. This year it has to be Miss U, now that I have met her in the flesh.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007?
That sometimes a 'good friend' is actually the most selfish, uncaring, power hungry ********** on the planet, and I really shouldn't take people at face value ALL the time.

Flying!

I had an email from a friend this morning with the link below. It explained that it was a simple game involving flying a helicopter and it was so simple because it only involved holding the left mouse key down to fly up and releasing it to come down again. Easy or what?

It did however say that if you were in a busy office you should NOT forward the email to co-workers as it was very addictive.

With a little time to please myself I thought I would give it a go and I hope that you will too, let's see who can rack up the fastest distance without crashing... I challenge you to have a go!

But..

Before you click the link....

Clear your diary....

It really is SERIOUSLY addictive...

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!

Click here and have a go and then leave a comeent to let everyone know how far you got. So far, I have travelled 1102, but that said, the window is still open and I guess I am gonna beat it at some point today!!!

Hmm... I wonder if the family will notice if I don't get the dinner cooked??

Wedding Photography.

Thx to everyone for your encouragement and comments over my photos, you guys rock.

The trip to Middlesbrough went well, although there was no time for sight seeing, it served it's purpose and was very worthwhile. Of course I paid for it yesterday and spent the entire day doing absolutely nothing!

Have been recouperating so that I have the energy for tomorrow, Saturday, when I am shooting a friends wedding!!! God help me!!! It's the first one I have ever done. I have not been hired as a 'professional', neither have I been paid as such, so I am sure it will be fine, but I want to do the happy couple proud, and am quite nervous about it. It's the glare of the white dress with flash that scares me most I have to say, but I am well prepared and I guess what will be will be.

My friend works in an area that means she is in contact with Photoshop everyday, and is very accomplished at using it. She has simply asked me to shoot in RAW and put the photo's on a disc so that she can choose her own images and will do all the manipulation herself too, so I get to shoot the photo's with none of the post processing/album sorting/print worries. Suits me just fine!

Will let you all know how I get on.

Exhibition & Theatre

Each year, for our wedding anniversary, G and I try to spend time together to celebrate, at least since this kids were old enough to look after themselves we have.

Last year, some of you will remember the post I did about our trip to London and the Champagne Flight we had on the London Eye, courtesy of our kids.

This year, I booked tickets to go and see STOMP the musical in London. We have both wanted to see this show for several years so I thought our anniversary would be a good time. Having booked the tickets several months ago, the theatre contacted me to say the shows run was ending a little early and so instead of going next month, we had to go this month.

We travelled up to London by train to save the hassle of driving into the city and finding appropriate parking etc. Exiting at Charing Cross, we walked along to the Embankment and across the bridge to the South Bank where the London Eye is situated. There is a festival on at the moment and the whole area is alive and jumping with all sorts of cultures and stalls and entertainment. The atmosphere was just fantastic. We made our way through all the excitement, slowly, soaking up the noise, and commotion. Breathing in the aromas from the food stalls as we passed each one. Fresh cut fruit, BBQ meats, roasted nuts.. the choices went on.

The younger children were wide eyed with fascination as they witnessed clowns and jugglers and uni-cyclists doing their thing to entertain the crowds. Older people were enjoying the group of bongo drummers, the stalls selling unusual items, such as digeridoo's and having henna tatoos.

Our destination was the Dali Exhibition. Dali is one of my favourite artists, I have several of his prints on my hall walls. I especially like his dream images.
As we approached the steps, a young lady thrust 2 booklets at us and asked if we would like a discount. £1 off each!! I looked at G and smiled, 'I don't think we'll be needing those darling'.





Before we had left home I had quickly looked on the internet for an offer - I am getting wise in my old age, it is rare that you have to pay full price for something like this when you have the internet to hand!! The ticket that I had printed off at home was a '2 for the price of 1' offer... total saving.... £12.00. Oh yeah, she could keep her measley £1 off each!!! I felt so chuffed with myself. Even more so when the couple infront of us paid £24.00 to get in!

It was fascinating not only to see in the region of 500 of Dali's paintings and sculptures, but to read about the meaning of them and the symbolism of certain elements that repeat throughout his works such as the melting clockface and the open drawers.

This last image is another of my favourites, I'm not sure how much detail you will see here but I love the two almost identical figures which are actually created by different means. The image on the right is actually a hand.



After the exhibition, we retraced our steps back along the South Bank towards Charing Cross and into The Strand where the theatre was located. I had booked a matinee performance so that we could have dinner afterwards.

I had never seen a show at the Vauderville Theatre before and was quite taken aback at how small it seemed. It was a cosy sort of feeling though, and I liked that.

STOMP's musical sound is unlike any other, the idea behind it is finding music in noises which we usually try to block out. There is little or no melody in a strict sense so it doesn't matter whether you prefer jazz, rock, classical, dance or pop, STOMP is about rhythm which is the basis of all music. STOMP combines the raucous with the delicate creating complex soundscapes which are endlessly inventive. STOMP's music is uncannily orchestral and joyously infectious.~Quotation from internet ticket site.

The show started with one guy walking onto the stage with an ordinary, run-of-the-mill broom. He was making 'sweeping' sounds to which he soon added banging sounds by tapping the broom head onto the stage. Every 10 seconds or so another cast member joined the stage, each with their own broom, adding to and building the full rhytmic 'tune'. It was incredible to watch.



This was the stage set, the backdrop to the perfomance. Even here though, they encompassed the road signs, metal poles, oil drums, saucepans and wheel rims in a truly magnificent orchestral piece in the latter half of the show, and all this was accomplished with two of the eight performers suspended on a rope and swinging from side to side to reach all the different 'instruments'.



Other 'Instruments' included many everyday objects, and here are a few pictures of some of them:













The finale involved 3 of the cast members using oil drums like stilts, with others playing drums on plastic water butts, cymbols with drum lids and a myriad of other complimentary percussion. Absolutely amazing.

This is a list of all the instruments I could recall, although knowing my memory there are some I have missed:

Plunger, Sink (with water), Saucepans, Brooms, Basketballs, Oil Drum, Plastic Containers, Platic Bottles (from water cooler), Road Signs, Metal Pipe, Rubber Pipe, Platic Bag, Paper Bag, Matchbox with matches, Cigarette Box, Metal fold up Chairs, Dustbins, Dustbin Lids, Zippo Lighters

The other thing that I wasn't aware of is that the show actually incorporates a great deal of comedy. It is brilliantly written and superbly executed and if anyone wants to see it, get your finger out and do it.

*Please note, that as cameras were not permitted in either the gallery or the theatre, the images here are from various online sources, and not my own work.

Holidays

The week is half way through and my mind is firmly on my upcoming holiday.

I fly out to Spain on Sunday and still I only have a packing list in my head. That really isn't a safe place to store anything in my world! More stuff gets lost in there than in the Bermuda Triangle, I swear.

I really should start making a list, on paper. Better still I should actually start putting things in a suitcase.

My first ever 'girly' holiday. No men. My travelling companions are my 2 daughters, aged 17 & 21, and my younger sister. The plan is simple. Get to Spain, behave like teenagers. That's it!

Of course, as is life's way, there's always more to consider than just the preferred 'simple' plan! Other plans involve copious amounts alcohol, food and factor 60 sunscreen for me. I have an allergy to the sun. *help*

I have just checked the weather forecast for the next 10 days and the temps are ranging between 77 & 85º *ouch*, for the rest of the world thats 25 & 29º. Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that a high dose of sun early in the summer builds a little resistance to it for the rest of the season, so I have been having sunbeds for the last 3 weeks in the hope that I won't get bitten quite so violently when I get out there. We shall see if it works.

I am so excited, I already feel like a teenager. My youngest and my sister have never flown before and so the excitement for them will begin immediately. I have only flown once, 2 years ago when I visited the east coast of America; nothing like jumping in at the deep end with a long haul!!!

The diet of course will go out the window, totally!!! 'All Inclusive' holidays seem like a good idea at the time, but I'm sure it's just a pen name for 'I'll make you all friggin fat you greedy fekking gits' holidays. What are you to do? You pays your money ... you makes your choice! Why does my brain already tell me that because I am on an all inclusive holiday I have to eat and drink as much as possible to get my moneys worth!!?? lol.

The drinking definitely won't be a problem, but the food, I really should make myself behave. I should make that inner voice go on it's own flippin holiday, the other side of the world, but I know it won't. Food is one of my few vices in life, and I'm addicted to it.

Losing the Link

Is an object with sentimental value any less valuable to the owner than an object which was purchased for 10 times the amount?

As one of those people who put more emphasis on family, friends and non materialistic things in life, I too have one or two material items which have a far, far greater value to me than their monetary worth. This picture, that I took for a 26things entry in March is one of those items.

I was unfortunate to lose my father when I was just 28, 12 years ago. It was unexpected and a very traumatic time for me and my family. The legal side took some time to complete. Partly due to the fact that he died intestate, and partly because he was, at the time, acting as the executor of my Nan's will who had died a few months earlier, and this had not been legally finalised. That job, eventually, then fell to us too.

Once all the formalities were done and dusted. I fell apart.

I brought this ring with some of the money that I inherited from Dad, and it has been on my finger almost every single hour, of every single day since then. To me, it was a constant reminder of him. The last link I had to a father I loved dearly. Maybe we put too much emphasis on these things in our life, but it was my way of having him with me, always. The last, the final, precious gift from him to me.

Last month I lost the ring.

I was distraught.

I went home, in tears, and told G what had happened. Then he began to search. Bless him.

He began with the obvious - moving cushions, hands down the sides of the sofa, under covers and pillows. He lifted the top end of the mattress and felt around the underneath of the bed. He told me to check the pockets of everything I had worn the last couple of days, my handbag and the washing basket.

I walked into the kitchen, and there he was, head stuck under the sink, removing the trap to check for misplaced rings. Next time I looked he was draining the filter on the washing machine, and checking nothing had been lodged there. He didn't find my ring, but he did come across my sons front door key, the key he was adamant I still had and that I had sworn I gave back to him!!! lol.

I carried on, like a demented chicken, checking my handbag, then re-checking, just in case I missed it the first time I entered the entire contents of the house out of it across the dining room table. I rechecked everywhere I could think of.

Finally, out of ideas, and certain that it was gone forever, I caught site of G, on his hands and knees on the kitchen floor, newspaper layed out infront of him, and the contents of the vacuum cleaner spread across it. There he was, working his way through the dust, fluff and hair balls in search of my most precious possession.

Now how's that for love?

This isn't one of those happy ever after stories, unfortunately. The ring never did turn up, and although I was very sad about it, I was determined it wasn't going to drag me down. What's gone is gone and there wasn't a whole lot I could do about it. (This for me, was a milestone in itself, but that's another story).

Lots of people, trying to offer their help, told me to claim on my insurance for it. I explained that I really didn't care about the money side of it. It was my last link with Dad, a special, sentimental piece of jewellery and that I couldn't ever replace it. They didn't seem to understand, but I knew how I felt.

Then about a week later, a good friend of mine said the same thing. When I explained the sentimental value of it and that I couldn't replace it he looked me straight in the eye and asked:

"Did Dad give you the ring?"

"No, I bought it with the money he left me" I replied.

"Exactly! So claim on the insurance and replace the money your Dad left you." he said. "You can buy another ring, or you could buy something completely unrelated, it'll still be from your Dad because you will have replaced exactly what you got from him, the money"

It made so much sense. The first time it had. So I phoned the insurance company up and I now have up to £500 to spend on another ring.

I am in the wonderful position at the moment, of looking for the one I want to buy.

I am still wondering "Do we put too much emphasis on these things in our life"?

Quick Hello

No time, what's new, so here is a little catch up of my last couple of weeks

* Eldest daughter now fixed, fit and back at work after 6 weeks off
* Had a great Christmas Dinner out with the footy team players and supporters
* I am broke after Christmas, like the rest of the world no doubt!
* I turned forty, yikes.
* Have spent hours on my college work while I have been off work over Xmas
* Had a fantastic Day on the 25th with all my kids coming for Christmas Dinner
* I became a Great Aunty for the very 1st time
* Watched the Boxing Day Dip for the very 1st time too
* Had a wicked New Years Party, getting home at errrr, uhmmm, 4am (ish)
* Have decided that within 2 years I want to be working for myself as a photographer
* Did I mention I became a Great Aunty for the very 1st time?
* Took some photos for our 26things December list, only a handful though guys, sorry.
* Back to work today, yuk, how depressing

OK have to go. Will post Decembers 26things photo's when I have confirmed which day with Miss U.

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and an even better New Year.

Oh, and did I mention.... yes I think I did well here she is, one day old!

Charity

When you are pounced on by a charity collector asking for money, or a donation to some worthy cause, it can be difficult to say 'No'. At least, for most people it is difficult to say no without feeling pretty damn selfish.

Then there are those who strike a deal with the supermarket, and perch on their seats in the foyer or entrance with their little tables covered with leaflets about how this child or that animal may die if you don't help them raise £50,000 to help the needy.

You walk in, and no-one says anything. You walk through the first door, fix your gaze on the second door, thinking this somehow makes you invisible, or at the very least, the fact that you haven't acknowledged their existence means it's not that you are a right stingy bugger, you just didn't see them!

Why should anyone have to feel guilty in that way? If you gave to every charity that asked or suggested that you should, or that your donation alone would make such a huge difference, you would be in need of charity yourself. It is not possible to donate to them all. I, myself, tend to reserve my donations for children's charities.

This said, I still try the 'I'll just pretend I haven't seen you' technique with the rest.

Last week, whilst exiting the supermarket with a loaded trolley, barely able to steer it with the use of both hands, I was approached, asked if I would like a leaflet, and before I had time to answer, the leaflet had been unceremoniously stuffed into my 'still clutching trolley' right hand.

Cheeky bugger, I thought, but hey, I had it in my hand now, I may as well read it right.

To my surprise, it didn't involve giving money to anyone. What they wanted was time. They were on a recruitment drive for volunteers.

This caught my interest. I have been considering trying to get involved in some sort of voluntary work for a couple of years, but have never been able to determine what kind of work I could fully ccommit to and give 110% to without pay. Working directly with the elderly just doesn't appeal to me, rightly or wrongly, it's really not my cup of tea, and I couldn't bear the thought of assisting in a charity shop for several hours at a time. So this leaflet was appealing.

What was it I hear you ask?

It was for the County Search and Rescue (Lowland) team. A voluntary organisation, that is mobilised via the coast guard, RAF and police forces with in the county to assist with the searching for missing, vulnerable people.

Just up my street. Interesting and challenging and helping to hopefully minimise distress caused to victims and their families at difficult times. Search and Rescue training together with general first aid training has to be completed before you can become operational, if you are accepted as a volunteer. I realise that sometimes, the SAR team have to deal with the not so pleasant results of a missing person, but life is all about balance, and I feel sure that the good results will far outweigh the bad.

Anyway, I decided to check out their website and then emailed the coordinator to see if working full time meant I would not be of sufficient use. Turns out, it's fine. So I have filled in all the relevant application, medical and vetting forms, which I put in the post today.

Fingers crossed.

Flashback

Hell. Why does your brain throw random information at you when you least expect it?

Has anyone ever had one of those 'light bulb' moments, where your brain, for absolutely no apparent reason, retrieves some previously insignificant piece of information from your on board recycle bin and not only restores the item to the location it used to be at without you requesting it, but whilst it's on a roll, it digs around in the recycle bin and retrieves a few more items which it deems have some sort of link to the newly recycled information and stores them right at the front of your brain. Just in that part which comes to the foreground of your involuntary thought processes at the most inconvenient of times?

The reason my on board computer decided it was calling the shots - it thinks it's found a link with the present.

Let me explain.

I was visiting the little girls room at work, minding my own business. I don't recall having been thinking of anything in particular at the time, when all of a sudden I was bombarded with names and memories and information from my past. My brain had this little flurry of nostalgic moments and continued to overload on them.

The motherboard must have had a power surge or something, the information came thick and fast...

"Steve W..., - Stephen W..."

"Of course. Holy Shite. Stephen W..."

"Thought he looked familiar"

"Went to primary school with a Stephen W..., I wonder if it's the same person"

"Steve W... the landlord of football teams pub, of course"

"That's why he looked so familiar"

"Michelle C..., Amanda S..., Stephen W.... holy cow."

"Of course, it makes sense, I can see it in his mannerisms"

"Stephen W..., damn, why didn't I spot it before"

"What are the chances of that? It must be him"

"I can see it now. Hell, wait till I see him at the weekend!"

That was the gist of my brain function. There was a few more similar thoughts and they came at such a rate of knots I felt almost dizzy.

I wrote about the footy team last week and of having gained back some of that 'family' feeling I used to have years ago when I played darts for a pub team.

Well, Steve W... is the landlord of this current pub. I have been a regular in the pub and at the footy games now for over a month. At first I thought he looked familiar, then I thought he just had one of those faces and personalities. Some people get you like that, they are so cheerful, and so at ease with people that you feel like you have known them for ages.

The landlord and landlady are both like this. On one of the walls of the pub is painted the phrase

"There are no strangers here - only friends that haven't met yet"

And that is exactly how they are with all of their customers, whether it's the first time they have seen you or the 100th time they have seen you.

The more I have thought about it, and believe me my brain has been thrusting this info at me constantly for the last 24 hours now, the more I am 100% certain. He has the same looks, the same smile, the same mannerisms.

It is 28 years since I saw him regularly at primary school, although I think in the 5 years following that I saw him a handful of times around the estate that I lived on at the time.

It truly is a small world.

Fancy making a 'new' good friend, only too find out he was an 'old' friend of sorts.

My Heritage

Miss Understood, you have a lot to answer for.

Your post on Wednesday, although quite enlightening, had a link. A link to My Heritage. Do you have any idea how impossible it is to sit and look at a hyperlink and not click it? Well do you?

Well of course I clicked the damn link, what was I meant to do with it! Not only was it sitting there calling me, begging for it, 'My Heritage' sounded like a site that would tie in with my enjoyment of genealogy too, double whammy!!

The site says that if you upload a photo of yourself, it can tell you which celebs you most look like.

What fun I thought, always a sucker for a bit of corny entertainment.

I only had one photograph of myself on my computer, I hate having my picture taken and avoid it at all costs as a rule. The photo to be uploaded is supposed to be a large facial picture, facing directly forwards. The picture I had was slightly side on, but I thought what the heck, lets do it.

The uploading was quick, the face recognition and comaparisons took a little longer, as I sat there itching to know if I looked like anyone famous, or more to the point, anyone famous and beautiful.

Hey, a girl can dream can't she?

Eventually, there it was, my own mini list of celebrity look-alikes. They were pretty unlike me I have to say. I put that down to the bad photo, and decided to try another.

Aha - camera in hand, could I hold it at arms length and still get the whole of my face in shot?

Click - flash - blind - blink - oh yuk, do I really look that bad? I had already had my evening shower by the time I tried this and so this was a bare faced, unmade, pure, raw version of me!

When I ran this image through the website, it said I looked a lot like Ashley Olsen - wow, she's gorgeous. Katie Holmes - OMG, she's beautiful...

.... and

WTF?

How the hell did that happen?

Did I miss something?

WTF?

Where's that flippin' mirror?

OMG, don't EVER let me out of the house without my make-up, it says....





How in God's name did Mick bloody Jagger get in at 7th place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not one to be beaten, and not wishing to retain the Mick Jagger image every time I look in the mirror, I decided to try again in the morning after I had dressed and applied my make-up for work.

Yes - that's what I would do. Take another pic, with my war paint on. Not that I wear much for work, but it might even things out a little!

So, this morning I took another shot, in what I hoped was better lighting too.

The results? Well not wanting to bore you (or have you all wetting yourself laughing), Kofi Annan was amongst them!!

So... what's a girl to do?

Yep.

Take another photo. Set the camer to self timer, and try taking a shot that is not close enough to produce an x-ray image when the flash explodes!

Yes. Success. At last, no Mick Jagger or Kofi or any of the others I can barely remember the names of!





So girls - the moral of this story is, be careful where you click, and if you must take a self portrait, do it from a little distance!!

Football

Football is a game I enjoy watching, but only when it means something to me. I don't support any league team, and in fact find it extremely boring to watch.

International footy is something else entirely. I'm as big a supporter for England as anyone when the World Cup comes around. Out goes the big white flag with the red cross, the flag of St George, and England. No right minded English football supporter would be seen dead with the Union Jack displayed, unless of course England were already out and Scotland or Wales were still in the running - nah, not even then.

Our neighbours across the road from us think we 'lower the tone of the neighbourhood' with our flag, but we hang it out anyhow, where's her patriotism? Most of the games are watched in the pub of course, it has nothing to do with the beer you understand, it's just that their screen is so much bigger than our T.V's!!! Honest!!

Just recently, I have begun to watch my son play on a Sunday morning. He has played for years, but I have never gone and watched him before now, which I regret. The thing is, he is currently playing for a pub team, and football and the pub go hand-in-hand, as does the social life and the big 'family' team spirit from the various wives, girlfriends, parents and pub regulars with a genuine interest in the game.

Sunday morning is becoming a routine. Get to the ground, usually giving another couple a lift, for about 10am to watch them warm up and share a bit of friendly banter with the other supporters. Kick off is at 10:30 when the supporters all turn from a friendly, laughing, good-humoured bunch into a marauding group of referee abusers with a splattering of verbal now and then at players from the opposing team, particularly when one of our own has had his feet taken from under him in a needlessly rough tackle. It can get quite heated on the sidelines, and I have soon learnt that the men's characters change completely when there is a game in progress.

No longer do they acknowledge that there are ladies present.

The air can be blue with the language sometimes.

No longer do they even acknowledge that they have a partner with them, for all intents and purposes they are single, with not a thought for whoever is stood at the sidelines cheering them on.

And every one's a critic.

The manager will shout from the touchline, occasionally telling one player to get his act together, cover the midfield, or shout across to another player, keep your eye on the ball, who the hell was that meant to be for? Only the manager is not quite so tame with his language!

In fairness, he gets plenty back from the players too. It is quite amusing to view the Jackal and Hyde personalities whilst the game is in progress. The lads really get steamed up about it, they are all passionate about the game, and deservedly so, they are heading there league by 8 points clear.

After the match, it's all back to the pub where the landlady feeds us all and the social niceties are once again brought to the surface. Unless there is a big game on the box, the team and the supporters usually make up about 80% of the numbers in the bar for the first couple of hours.

Yes, I said first couple of hours. Some have managed to turn it into an art form. Everyone partakes in pool, darts, a bit of friendly 3 card brag for 20p a hand or just having a good old chin wag. As people start to drift off home you can hear "oh, you off already?" or "you're not going are you?" It almost feels wrong to leave..lol

Last week, the team had a tough game. One player had got married the day before and was not expected to be showing up -

- one player down.

10 minutes into the game, after an awkward and particularly hard tackle, one of the strongest players had to be lifted from the field, squealing in agony. After the ambulance arrived and gave him pain relief he wanted to watch the rest of the game, but they convinced him he needed to go to hospital and took him away. Result - broken ankle, no footy for at least 6 weeks maybe longer.

- two players down.

The remainder of the first half was tough. The lads were obviously finding it difficult keeping their minds focused on the game, whilst waiting to find out how their friend was fairing at hospital.

Just before half time, the goalie caught the ball whilst making a spectacular save, unfortunately he caught it awkwardly and damaged 2 fingers on his right hand. When half time was over, he was asking for help to get his gloves back on!!! Hence, with them swollen, and seriously looking broken, he had to be withdrawn and replaced.

- 3 players down.

The groom, who had been married for less than 24 hours showed up, "just to watch" at least that's what he told his new wife!!! He was itching for half a game though..lol He begged to be allowed to play, but didn't have his kit so he stood on the sideline swapping clothes with one of the guys that had come off the field!

Whilst the goalie was struggling just before half time, another of our players clashed heads rather hard with the opposition. It was a fair knock, but when he came off he had a lump the size of a kiwi fruit on the top of his head. He was adamant he was going back on though.

Within 10 minutes of the second half starting, the poor lad couldn't see straight and felt very dizzy and so he too was taken off the field.

- 4 players down.

The groom grinned as he was put on the field.

- 3 players down.

It's all good fun!! They won the game 3-1 too. Way to go boys.

The Age 'Old' Question

I always used to say that I would worry about getting old when I was older.

But how will I know when I'm 'older' and older than what anyway? I have never furnished this thought with sufficient time before now to consider an answer to the question.

So what is the definition of 'old' and at what age does it strike?

As an adolescent I thought:

A person of 30 was old.
One of 40 was just about past their sell by date.
At 50 you were really past your usefulness to any living human being.
By 60, well what the heck were you still around for at 60?

You had no place, by the great age of 60, in which you slotted into any category that could be mistaken for one of purpose. You could not possibly have a sense of humour at that age, you are much to crotchety because you have endured too many hardships whilst travelling down the road of life. Parts of your body are beginning to fail, you complain of aches and pains, comment that you don't see so well, everybody around you knows you don't hear so well, I SAID EVERYBODY AROUND YOU... oh forget it, you probably still won't hear.

By my early 30's my perception of 'old' had changed:

As an adolescent - you know nothing, so let's not pretend otherwise.
At 30, you are in your prime.
At 40 you have a world of knowledge and experience, and the ability to enjoy life to the max.
At 50... well, I don't even want to think about it, maybe that is old.

At a fast approaching 40 my thoughts have altered to:

As an adolescent - you can be rude, obnoxious and you know nothing, so let's not pretend otherwise.
At 30, you are still young.
At 40, you are in your prime.
At 50 you may only be half way through your life, with the better, more well informed half life still to come.
At 60, it's time to kick back and do all those things that you never had time to do whilst working for the last 40 years or more.


So, how OLD is OLD? I do not believe that any age is 'old', but that age is measured purely by the perception of the person answering the question.

There is a saying that "Age is merely a state of mind" and this I believe with all my heart. I always maintain that I am young for my age. What I mean when I say this is that inside, I feel no differently now to the way I felt when I was 16. It is merely the passing of time, the maturing of mind and the responsibilities we take on in life that stop us from doing those things we did as teenagers.

In my heart I would still like to:

• Engrave my initials next to those of my husband in the bark of a tree.
• Take the plug out of the bottom of a salt cellar in the cafe and watch from the next table as the waitress moves it to wipe the table clean.
• Run full pelt down the supermarket isle with the trolley and then, leaning over the handle, take my feet off the ground and glide down the remainder of the isle (ok, so I still do this on occasions, the last time was last week!)
• To go skating across the frozen pond in the park with no fear of the ice cracking and me taking a sudden, icy bath.
• To go scrumping, whether it be for apples or for some other delicious goodies (I once got caught by the farmer trying to take a corn-on-the-cob)
• To go on the swing in the park and have a race with a friend to see who could go the highest before you bottled out for fear of going right over the top bar
• With the same friend, see who could jump off the swing whilst still going higher than the other one
• Play my music as loud as the stereo would go, especially if there is a lot of base, regardless of who else is in the house, or the house next door, or the one across the road..
• To go to the club till 2am... on a mid-week night.
• Pull a sickie from work, for no reason other than I had been down the club till 2 in the morning, and I just couldn't be asked to get my backside outta bed

It doesn't hurt to take a hard look at yourself from time to time.

"The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans are suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're okay, then it's you." Rita Mae Brown

A visitor to a mental asylum, studying the 'age old question' and the effects that life has on ones mental well-being asked the Director what the criteria was which defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalised.

"Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."

"Oh, I understand," said the visitor. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than both the spoon and the teacup.

"No." said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?"

New Toy

I have been fighting the urge to update my existing digital camera with a digital SLR camera since I first signed up for the Photography course about 6 months ago. I had convinced myself that my little 'point and shoot' would suffice. Until, that is, I actually started the course. It quickly became apparent that in order to really learn about different shooting techniques and camera settings we were all going to need the use of a digital SLR as well as a 35mm film SLR camera.

The college have a few which they loan out, but because we are at the bottom of the pile, in so far as we are a once-a-week evening class, we cannot have them on permanent loan for the period of the course, but have to sign them out for a week at a time. I figured right off that creativity does not sit comfortably with enforced time frames of a week here and there.

The other option was to borrow one from a friend who was trusting enough to loan out their expensive equipment. In this scenario, I was lucky enough to be offered the loan of both the 35mm and the digital SLR's. I nervously took possession of the film camera before the course began, but the digital was not so forthcoming. The lender needed to use it on a trip away during the first week that we were required to take a series of shots for a project, so I began to wonder if I could justify buying my own.

I have always been a bit backwards in coming forwards when it comes to spending a large sum of money on myself. I have no problem spending it on other people, or the house. I think the difficulties I have with spending on myself, particularly when it is for pleasure, stem from the years of financial hardship I endured in the early years of my marriage when I had a young family and rarely enough money to clothe and feed them. I would always go without so that I could afford to provide for them as best I could, and this involuntary reaction became so ingrained in my nature, that I sometimes have difficulty in putting myself at the top of the list occasionally now

At christmas time I usually receive a bonus in my salary, which varies in amount and is dependant on how well the company has performed during the previous year. This, I decided, is what I would use to buy my camera, although I thought it would be better to buy it now from our savings and put it back from my bonus; no sense in waiting until my course was a third of the way through if I was buying it anyway!!

So I spoke to G, and asked if he minded me doing that. He was very dis-interested at first, which I found a little disconcerting. He said "why buy one when you can borrow one?" I explained that I really wanted to be able to use it in London this week and I couldn't borrow one til next week. His next reply was "Why don't you wait for the sales in January?" Hrrumph. He didn't seem to be getting the point. If I was going to spend a great deal of money on a good quality camera, why miss half the course before I bought it?

Finally he relented "OK, if you really must have one now, but you have just spoilt my surprise for your birthday. I wanted to get you something special as it's your 40th!" lol, trust me. So we agreed that we would go and look, after researching on the internet and choose a camera, and that he would buy it for me as an early birthday present!











And here it is.

It's a Canon EOS 400D + a 75-300mm zoom lens which came half price if purchased with the camera.

I am just waiting for my compact flash card to arrive which I ordered from an online store and I'm fit to go. I hope to be able to take some amazing shots in London later in the week.

A Centenery

At the time of the commencement of this entry, my side bar stats are reading 99 visitors in 17 different countries, who will be number 100 since I added the country counter I wonder. If you are reading this, and the counter is on 100, congratulations.

Now don't get carried away, you don't actually win a prize but it would be nice if you left me a comment to tell me you were my 100th visitor, then perhaps ALL other visitors who read this entry can pay your blog a visit...you never know, maybe we can up your regular traffic!!!

Come to that, I would love to hear from anyone who visits here, just a little 'hi' would suffice, I still sometimes can't believe that so many people, from so many different countries actually read my words... (maybe you don't, maybe you get to the first sentence and hit the 'Next Blog' button!!)

Moving on.

For those of you who are interested, (those of you who are not should cover your ears at this point) it is my 40th birthday in December. Yes I said 40, but don't tell everyone. (ok... I said OK... you can uncover your ears now)

I think I am a pretty young 40, and I hold my children responsible for that. Having my children at the young age I did, has meant I have always been able to relate to them and their lives, and their time.

Having 3 children aged 5 and under by the age of 22 was hard work, it was, especially when money was scarce. Sometimes it was more scarce than an ashtray on a motorbike but I always knew that I would reap the benefits of lost youth and financial constraints at the other end of my mothering duties, and never, ever, not once have I ever regretted it.

It was about 5 years ago that I first signed up to the Friends Reunited website (like the Classmates.com site in the States) I was surprised that so many of my old school friends and acquaintances were just giving up work to start a family. Some were still single, and granted, a couple were lucky enough to have travelled to and worked in some fantastic places. These lucky ones though were just that. Lucky ones.

On the whole, the majority of my year at school were just about to or had just started their own families. They had pre-school aged children whom they doted on, having built up careers, they were now putting their lives on a back burner, putting everything they had spent the last 15 years working for on hold. It was a bit of a reality check at first.

How strange, I thought, that so many of them were only just beginning down that road. A road I was oh-so familiar with having already travelled it 3 times over. A journey that has shaped and moulded, and occasionally battered me, into the person I am today. The same journey that has made my children such warm, caring, fun-loving people.

Maybe I should explain where this gushy, outpouring of love and admiration for my children has come from. Not that I don't love and cherish them each and every day, but I had this urge today to put down what has caused this warm glow of unbelievable joy at having such wonderful kids.

If any of you have checked out my "Countdown to..." link in the side bar, you will know that next Wednesday is my Wedding Anniversary. But it's a biggy, it's our 20th.

We are both on leave from work for the week and are planning a trip into London to do all the touristy things that we have never done believe it or not. An hour and half by train, an hour by car and we have never actually been purely to be tourists! Isn't that dreadful. The capital city of my country. So we are going to put it right. Maybe visit the London Dungeon's and the Tower of London, a ride on the London Eye, Madame Tussuad's, watch Tower Bridge open from the land side, the possibilities are endless.

Tonight however, whilst my eldest daughter was visiting, they sat us down and told us that as the 20th is the China anniversary, they have booked us a table at a local All-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant for Tuesday evening, for just the two of us. Isn't that just the most lovely thing to do. I was very touched, if just a little mystified as to why Tuesday and not Wednesday.

That brief query in my mind was soon laid to rest.

The girls then presented us with an envelope each. Curious! Opening the envelope revealed a pre-paid voucher for a ride on the London Eye, but not just any ride, a Champagne ride, at a time of our choosing.

How fantastic is that. They said they wanted it to be a bit special, well I think they succeeded. God they're great kids.

PS - Whilst writing this blog the 100th person has been on and I missed you, my apologies. OK, visitor number 101, would you be kind enough to leave a comment, we're all coming to visit your blog instead!

PPS - This counter only counts NEW visitors, so if this is your first visit, and the counter is on 101, (heck missed that one too), on 102, PLEASE, Please leave a comment and I will plug your blog for you, it'll be fun!

OK, no-one wanted to play, so I have changed my counter to show how many unique visitors I have had in the last 24 hours!

Fast Forward

Who the heck put the clock into super fast forward mode?

I have been on holiday this week, all week, and since my entry for Memory Monday the week has just zipped by. I feel like I have been stood still whilst the clock has been speeding at a great rate of knots, in a hurry to get me back to work and back to life's routine.

I often think it's funny that the more 'time' we have on our hands the less 'time' we seem to have to accomplish the things we want to. Is this just me? Does anyone else have this problem?

Maybe it has to do with organising your time better. Whilst at work during the week there is much more necessity to be truly organised. My typical work day would be along these lines:

I get up early, shower, dress and have breakfast straightaway. Then I decide whether I need to greet the cold, icy inside of my freezer to retrieve an item for the days evening meal that needs defrosting before cooking. Once breakfast is cleared away, I will jump on here. Gosh, so much to do, so little time to do it!

Important things first. Sign into blogger.

Check out my fellow bloggers to see if they have a new entry up today. Cherrie will almost certainly have some scintillating tale of her sexual encounters with Hardin, but can I read it before work and still have my mind on the job? hmmmm, I'm not sure that I can. But heck, I can't just leave it there, alone, unread and unappreciated. Perhaps I'll just have a quick peek, yes that's what I'll do. Just read the first paragraph, then I will be able to give it my full attention at lunch time. So I shoot over to Cherrie's blog, and there it is, today's entry in all it's gloriousness. I begin to read...

... HAHAHA, (... Perhaps I'll just have a quick peek, yes that's what I'll do. Just read the first paragraph...) who am I trying to kid. I only get as far as the first sentence and already I have to know more; second sentence and I am hooked, I am just going to have to read the entire entry - right now.

Next I call in on Miss U's. Will she too have an entry up for today? Oh God, do I even have time to read it now? I'll make time, I know it will be worth it, it will be some brilliantly written piece, and whatever topic she has written about it will be funny, light-hearted, entertaining and memorable. What a fantastic start to the day, how could I not make the time. So I click my link to Miss U's blog, and oh my God, there it is, I scroll down with the wheel on my mouse in an attempt to ascertain whether I will have time to read it all. (my Christmas list is going to include a new wheel for my mouse, as a treat for it for working so damn hard!) Again, I think maybe just one or two lines, again I fail, miserably. Miss U's entries are always so damn captivating that after having read the first couple of lines, I have to keep reading, how can I leave something so entertaining to go to work?

Then, and only then, can I turn my attention to checking my emails and replying to any that need/warrant a response. At some point I sign into the bank to see how depressing those big red numbers are..lol.. and currently, I try to squeeze a short amount of time in to advance the research I have to do for a college project.

Shape's blog is calling... oh no.. really I don't have any time left, I have to do some work, I have to. So I decide to catch up with Shape at lunch, read about his travels yesterday and see some more truly amazing photographs of the places he has visited.

Oh hell, the clock has moved way too fast, I have to go tame this hair, put straighteners on to heat whilst I put my face on, just a little foundation and mascara. Straighten hair super flat. Throw on some shoes, grab a jacket and get my arse to work.. phew, just in time.

A typical day this week whilst I have been on holiday is:

Get up early (no sense in wasting time in bed)
Make a cup of tea and have breakfast.
Think about what I want to do today, the possibilities are endless.
Realise I have been sat procrastinating for an hour, go jump in shower.
What to wear? Partly depends where I am going today, haven't decided that yet.
Procrastinate some more. Get dressed.
Sign into blogger, and follow procedure above. Only have more time, so I can read slower, heck I can read Cherrie's twice, just to make sure I didn't miss anything you understand!
Wonder what to write about today? Procrastinate.
Check emails. Check Yahoo Answers as I put up a question to do with coursework and the answers deserve my attention. Wow, 15 answers already! God. Will have to check out each and everyone of these names they have given me.
Lunch time.
Shite! Lunch time! I haven't done anything yet. What shall I do this afternoon.
Procrastinate.

You get the picture. I guess I have clarified my earlier thought. When I am not at work, I do not organise my time so well. That's OK with me though. It's pretty nice not to be beholden to the clock for a week or two. Chill out a bit. No stress. Go with the flow.

In truth, I haven't wasted my entire week procrastinating.

Monday was spent mostly doing the dreaded food shop and house work, it has to be done and I didn't want it hanging over me like a black cloud of conscience for the rest of the week, interfering with my enjoyment of the lack of time constraints. This was interrupted by having to take my brother in law to the hospital to visit my sister who was admitted over the weekend.

Tuesday I had planned to spend with my daughter, shopping. The nice kind of shopping though. I have a wedding reception to attend on Saturday evening and I wanted to find something to wear. With my new 2 stone lighter figure, clothes shopping has become something I particularly enjoy again, and my daughter comes in the context of my style guru. She protects me from myself!!!! Late afternoon was spent in the kitchen preparing dinner and a raspberry mouse souffle for afters. I had invited my eldest daughter and one of her flat mates for dinner, but first I had to attend 'fat club'..that's what I call it, it reminds me of why I keep going.

Wednesday, yesterday, I decided to take myself off on a field trip. I have been lent an SLR 35mm film camera to use on my college course, and I wanted to practice with it and familiarise myself with the controls. Together with my own little point and shoot digital I drove back out to Langdon Cliff

This is the view from the vehicle entrance to the Cliffs.

Dover Castle, in all it's glory.

The Norman Castle in Dover has the longest recorded history of any British fortress. The story of Dover Castle stretches as far back as the Iron Age, and continues up to and beyond the Second World War.

King Henry II rebuilt the castle, realizing its strategic position just 20 miles from the shores of France. The castle was always strongly defended as Britain's front line fortress, guarding not just the town of Dover but the whole island.


Once on foot I followed the 2-mile pathway towards the lighthouse at Foreland Point. I won't bore you with the pictures I took of the cliffs as I have posted those here previously, but here are a few other things that I enjoyed whilst following the meandering chalk path high above the ocean.

Flora...

... and Fauna

... and these

I never got quite as far as the lighthouse, due to time restraints, (how the heck did they slip back into my week?) but I reckon I walked about 3 miles along the top of the cliffs, just me, myself and I, it was fantastic. I drove home and arrived just as my daughter finished her driving lesson. Then it was off to the cinema for the early part of the evening.

Song Lyrics

Songs can be so powerful. They have the ability to mirror your mood, and then multiply it many times over.

Do you have a lyric or a few lyrics that get you right down deep inside?

When I am feeling happy.

I love listening to something loud, fast, heavy or catchy, especially if I know all the lyrics and can sing along at the top of my voice, obviously this is a passtime best kept for when there are no spectators. It is also something that I am much less able to do since my thyroidectomy in July.

A really, hearty sing-a-long to such songs pumps you up and gets the blood streaking through those veins at breakneck speed as if on an endorphine overdose.


When I at the gym.

On my mp3 player I have one folder in which I copy just such music. Anything and everything that has a really steady, reasonably upbeat tempo. I call the folder 'workout' and it is what I play whilst I am at the gym. I sing along to these, in the privacy of the sound-proofed room in my head, the beat helping me to keep the pace going.

If I can just make it to the start of the next track.. please... concentrate.... keep going .... if the next track is a real belter, I can last another 5 minutes!!

I could tell you how many 'steps per minute' the beat of most of the tracks are too!! Sad I know, but a girl has to keep herself fit, and all those workouts really keep your stamina levels up so it is time VERY well spent.

When I am feeling sad.

It's the fateful old soppies I turn to. Crazy really as slow, sad songs definitely get you right inside and tug at your heart strings til you think they might break.

So often you can relate to the songwriters intended feelings and it almost always brings to mind one person. One person whom you could have written the song about, or for, even if you have to swap 'her/she' for 'him/he'.

There are many songs which provoke memories of times past.

• The typical 'Our Song', you know, the first track you ever slow danced to with your partner.
• Your favourite track from the first pop star you had a crush on, that guy that made you go weak at the knees. (OK, so that was just me then was it?)
• A song that was a favourite at school, for reasons other than you fancied the pants of the lead singer!
• The first track you ever bought on single, (uh-oh, showing my age! When I was at school we still had vinyl and I could usually only afford to buy a single and not an album).
• A track that reminds you of someone close that you have lost.
• The track you sat and cried your eyes out to when you split up with your very first boyfriend 'cos you loved him and it hurt so damn much. (Surely that wasn't just me too, come on people, own up!)

The question for this post however was a song lyric that means something, rather than a whole track. So, after racking my brains as to which track/s really get me right in the core of my being, I guess this is one of them. I sometimes wonder if someone in my past ever considered these sentiments about me:

And the thought crosses my mind, if I never wake in the morning,
would she ever doubt, the way I feel about her in my heart.
If tomorrow never comes, will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way, to show her every day, that she's my only one.
and if my time on earth were through, she must face this world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past, gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes.
~ Ronan Keating, If tomorrow never comes.

And these lyrics are my response to that person:

Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?

I must be strong
And carry on,'
Cause I know I don't belong
Here in heaven.

Eric Clapton ~ Tears in Heaven. Written after he lost his son in a drowning accident.

What lyrics stir strong, emotive feelings in you? All comments welcomed.

Healthy Eating

We are all told that to stay fit and healthy we should eat at least 5 portions of fruit & vegetables every day.

For one who’s not keen on vegetables this can be quite tricky, so how do you get enough portions and who the hell ever tells you how much a ‘portion’ is?

Granted, many manufacturers now include this on the packaging of their products:

“This provides one of your recommended 5 daily portions”

and for those of you who can’t read they include a nice clear pie chart. Fair enough, even I can add up to 5, I have enough fingers, which is lucky because taking off your socks and shoes to get your toes out in the supermarket is frowned upon. But what if your eating strawberries, cherries or some other small fruit?

How many strawberries constitute a portion? If you ask my kids, a portion is as many as you can pick and eat from the garden before I catch you, but that’s not a lot of help if you are trying to follow the government guidelines for healthy eating.

I decided at this point of my ranting, I should maybe do a little research and see if I could find some answers on the net to illustrate my point… and I found a full list of the quantity of fruit and vegetable that represent 1 portion. So for all you lovely people who are just itching to know the answer to my question you need wonder no more:-

1 portion is equal to:

7 fresh strawberries or 14 fresh cherries!!

I bet you were all gagging to know that weren’t you! If you want the full list, you can download a PDF file from here, the Department of Health’s website; but please ... don’t all rush at once, we’ll eat their bandwidth (and no that won't count towards your 5 daily portions!!). The following is an extract from the guidance given on that website, now pay attention, because I'll be asking questions at the end!!!

The health benefits of fruits and vegetables.

Increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. It has been estimated that eating at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day could reduce the risk of deaths from chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer by up to 20%.

Higher consumption of fruit and vegetables also reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. A recent study found that each increase of 1 portion of fruit and vegetables a day lowered the risk of coronary heart disease by 4% and the risk of stroke by 6%.

So, my question is this:

If you buy your salad as a pre-packed item at the supermarket, does the protein content count as one of your 5-a-day?

Well - does it?

and if it does..

... is it really fair...

... to make them eat it?

Have a nice lunch!

What Emoticon Are You?

Take the test and see what kind of emoticon you are today!

Or maybe you are feeling a little brave and will try the 'Kissing' test...

Your Emoticon Is Laughing

You've got a wicked sense of humor. You're everyone's favorite IM buddy... at least today!

What Emoticon Best Represents You Right Now?

Your Kissing Technique Is: Perfect

Your kissing technique is amazing - and you know it. You have the confidence to make the first move. And you always seem to know what kissing style is going to work best. Sometimes you're passionate, sometimes you're a tease. And you're always amazing!

Are You a Good Kisser?

OH MY GOD ... It's official, and you read it here first.
I AM JUST PERFECT!!

I've Been Rasterized..and I liked it!

Yep, I have to admit it, I have been openly rasterbating, and boy have I enjoyed it. I rasterbated this morning and have been rasterbating this afternoon, and I have played with rasterbator this evening too. No, get your minds out of the gutter, I didn't need to enter any credit card details - it was free!!

Actually, I think I'm all rasterbated out! OK, let me explain.

Whilst reading through a 'Money Saving' weekly email I receive, I spotted a link for 'The Rasterbator' which briefly explained what it was, but I was still intrigued, so being the nosey cow I am, I went for a peek. After all, I thought, what harm can a quick peek at a bit of rasterbating online do? Yeah, yeah, I know, my mother told me the same thing!! I clicked the link that took me to the website, and began to read the instructions. Hey, there's nothing wrong with a bit of light reading to make sure you're doing it right! Then I began to rasterbate too. It's a pretty neat idea, and now I have a picture of my rasterbation I'm going to stick it on my wall so I can admire my handy work!

Why don't you have a go too? Go on, it doesnt have to take long, just a quick rasterbate now, and I guarantee you will want more! I have put the link in below, and will add it to my list of fun sites in the side bar.

http://homokaasu.org/rasterbator


I will also add a link in my side bar to the Money Saving newsletter/site for any of my fellow Brits that are interested. You can sign up to a weekly email, and can easily scan what money saving tips are included so that you only need to read the bits that are relevant to your needs/interests. The site is owned/written by Martin Lewis, the guy that had a show on CH.4 recently where he helps couples with Money Makeovers.

It regularly features the latest/newest deals and explains which are best and why, on things like Credit Cards, Bank accounts - Current, Savings and ISA's, insurance, utilities etc etc. There is always a section which gives you 'loopholes' in loyalty/bonus schemes, and he is the main weight behind the 'Ask your bank for the last 6 years charges back, they are illegal' campaign. Last week, he was first to break the news about Virgins new Gatwick to New York route, and to celebrate Virgin were offering seats at £160 return. Yes you read it right. I went onto the Virgin website, and they weren't even promoting it there, not a mention.

So you see, it's not just useful if you have loads of money to invest, it always has loads in it which is a must for ordinary folk like me!