Naughty

I've been a naughty girl.

A naughty, naughty girl.



And wearing them makes me feel even naughtier.

Excellent *rubbing hands*.

The Long-Awaited Second Canal Holiday Post

I have no excuses. I don't even KNOW why it's taken me so long to post again.

On the plus side, we now have the benefit of my brother's (that's Commodore "SuDoKu" Lucia to you) photos, too.

Anyway. Shall I re-commence?

One of the wonderful things about a canal holiday, is how close you are to England's and (Wales'!) gentle wildlife. As we embarked, the sunlit waters lapping softly at the reed-grown margins, images of Wind in the Willows, Beatrix Potter and The Animals of Farthing Wood ran, soothing, through your mind.

Reviewing the week, with wildlife in mind, I am truly impressed by the sheer variety of wildlife that alternately pooped on us, used us to help kill things, attacked us or demanded food with menaces.

In fact, on the subject of squirrel poop, I have some sage advice for would-be narrowboaters - Don't Moor in Woodland.



Yes, the views at dusk are gorgeous. But after dark, big things rustle in the bushes, and pooping squirrels use your boat for target practice. Ask Lock Master 1 "Beer Me" Scamans. He got pooped on, too.

You have been warned.

Our first significant encounter was with one of the Ubiquitous Herons, but it was only late in the holiday that we realised some of them were watching our bow wave to see if it disturbed fish... and then stabbing down with that vicious dagger-beak. We felt so used. ;-)



Then there was the swan. Mention an angry swan to anyone, and they're usually compelled to tell you that a blow from a swan's wing can break your arm. I don't know if this is true, but it is true to say that this one tried to bite Galley Slave "Flora Britannica" Lucia's backside...



But then he was defending his mate's nesting site. Alpha male, anyone? Aggression included, this one negotiated a soft corner of my heart.

But The Lord High Mandarin, well... he just was just stunning.



Then so was the scenery.




Even if getting to it was sometimes hard work...





I could say more, but suffice it to say, good fun was had by all. I'd love to do it again someday.



Bye for now...

Holiday!

Let me start by saying this. A narrowboat holiday is no place for vanity. By day two you're resigned to wearing the same clothes for the rest of the week, usually zipped into a tatty waterproof. And you don't care....

Here Lock Master 2 "My Hair! My Beautiful Hair!" Scamans is modelling the latest narrowboat fashions. Hey, Lock Master 2? Duck!



We had a wonderful time. We had a priorities sorted right from the start - here you can see Commodore "SuDoKu" Lucia and Galley Slave "Flora Britannica" Lucia loading essential supplies...





Now boating on the canals is hard work. See the concentration on Captain "Ramming Speed" Lucia's face here, and the dedication on Lock Master 1 "Beer Me" Scamans' face, too.





It's a quiet holiday, but that's not to say you don't meet people. People like The Angry Swan, Ubiquitous Heron and family, Diverse Dodging Ducklings and The Lord High Mandarin

But I'm overloading this post with photos, so I'll have to introduce you to them, and to more views and vistas later this week.... enjoy!

Be seein' ya!

So I survived the fast-diesel loaner. My own car, however, is still languising in pieces in a garage... poor dear is still cutting out and they can't figure it out.

So, once again, we're going on holiday on our old, decrepit, only-bought-it-to-do-short-journeys-in Micra. Happily most of our holiday will be spent on a boat.

Doing less than 4mph.

This is a pace I can go with.

Today's Learning

Today's Learning is this: I should never own a fast car.

Don't worry, I haven't had an accident, or even a near miss. Honest.

Only the garage leant me this courtesy car for the day, while they fix my Megane. It's not as if it's a Subaru or anything - it's only a Renault Clio. But after years of driving a diesel, and a few weeks of driving a 998cc Micra, I was... enjoying myself.

Enjoying myself rather a lot. Enjoying myself for 40 miles, from one town centre to another, including two sets of traffic lights, five roudabouts and two sets of roadworks, and only a few miles of dual carriageway. In the 30mph speed limit zones, I was doing about 28mph.

Enjoying myself for 40 miles..... in 40 minutes.

Holy Moly.

I really need to know what's under that bonnet, because that thing MOVES.

But I should never own a car that makes me go, when making a decision on an overtaking manoeuvre, "ah, what the hell."

Mind you, it did it safely every time, with yards to spare, but still. I should never own a car like this.

No.

Blimey.

Smooth

I adjusted to life without blogging when my computer was defunct, and now I'm struggling to get back into the routine... please excuse some fairly random and irregular musings....

So, smoothies. I am moved to broadcast a request for your favourite smoothie recipes after experimenting with a pear, strawberry and raspberry smoothie, with yoghurt and apple juice.

Interesting. I was slightly put off by the curdling, and by the texture, but I'm sure it was powerful good.

Husband swears the best instant hangover remedy he's ever encountered is my orange, grapefruit and strawberry smoothie. With or without yoghurt and honey.

My favourite bought smoothies are from the blessed people at Innocent. I love anything they put ginger in, and once in a while a beetroot smoothie pops up and I buy a bunch, coo at them, stroke them, and drink them a lot. Mmmmmmmm. Worship the fruit.....

But nine times out of ten, I make my own at home. Do you? What's your favourite recipe for that morning smoothie???

Looking Ahead...

I think I misled people. In my rushed confusion I implied we were going on holiday this coming week... it's actually the week after! Must arrange cat sitter...

Thanks for the good holiday wishes! I'm very excited. :-D

I also have a completely blank blog-brain, so excuse me that. I'll leave you with this view of the canals in autumn...

I'm BACK!!!

The computer's back and appears to be holding... but I'm still likely to be scarce for a while, I think. I have 2.76 GB of files to sort through and either restore to my newly wiped hard drive, archive, or delete.

Oh joy.

And I'm about to attempt to fit about a month's worth of day job into one week. And then we're *bliss* on holiday.

So, since I have my eyes firmly on the priorities of life, let me show you where we're going on holiday with Brother, Mother and Father....

We're taking a narrowboat down the Llangollen Canal.

A week of pootling down the waterways in springtime, with life's pace reduced to something less than 4 miles per hour.

That'll do.

Visits

This house is about to have a baby in it for the very first time....

Julie is battling the M6 as we speak, bringing herself and her fecklet for a long weekend. On Saturday, I will have TWO big Harlequin M&B talents in my house, when Michelle and her daughter visit, too!

Hooray!

I'm still standing....

... better than I ever did.

But my computer's still not fixed. In fact, they can't find the problem yet. I wonder if, in my regular communications with the IT shop, I'm injecting enough of the earth-shattering panic and soul-searing withdrawal I'm experiencing?

The computer in my car is still not fixed, either. So when we've had that done (after Christmas) and finished paying for it (sometime in the new millennium) we're going to trade in that car and get something else. Note to prospective Renault Megane buyers: the engine has been the most incredibly reliable engine we've ever owned. The brakes, suspension, dashboard array and, most notably, the windscreen wiper motor, have been... crap. You have been warned.

Anyway. I just wanted to let you know I'm still around, but computer-less. In all honesty, I'm quite enjoying the break. But I MISS YOU ALL!!

(And Husband's keyboard is lagg-y and has coffee stains on it... *whimper*)

Some of Husband's key sayings this morning:-

"If you're looking at me, I'm going to poke you in the face, and I don't know where because my eyes are closed."

"I would never forget Imperial Purple knickers."

"Oh sod you and your telephonic vision."

ME: "Purr for me Pillow Pippi? Awww, Pillow Pippi is Sulky...."
Husband: "Pippi is being sulky because you're baby talking at her."
ME: "Your Highness, I would deem it a signal honour if you owuld deign to purr for me."
Husband: "And now you're patronising her."

My New Trick

I have a new Trick! I've long struggled with resting when I need to, when there's so much I want to do... It's especially hard when I have a day off and want a lie-in. Now, we're not talking about student level lie-ins, I hasten to add. Even dozing till 8am would be good. But inevitably I'm half awake at 7am and immediately thinking that I ought to be doing something.

So what's my new trick?

Watch closely now... I get up when I wake up. I do some chores or some writing. But THEN... I go back to bed.

Oh, bliss! I take a book and maybe a slice of toast. I acquire a cat or two. And I feel that I have permission to lounge. I am wallowing in the luxury of rest-time earned. Fabulous.

Then, when I get up again around lunchtime, it actually feels like I've somehow already spent a day, when actually there are hours left to fill with fruitful and fun things.

I recommend it.

RTB

Well lookee there. I have a post up at Romancing the Blog today.

Love is...

... cake.


There. Part of my Valentine's gift to Husband, a special meal involving Beef Wellington (a smidge too rare and therefore not completely photogenic!) and Victoria Sponge.

The residential was lovely, thank you! Chief memories are sitting in a tent by candlelight, while the darkened woods outside dripped with rain, reflecting on the day, and making trifle from leftovers, served in a saucepan. Excellent.

Oh, and we watched Gosford Park last night. Sela will punch the air when she reads this - I finally get Clive Owen. Yup. NOW I understand.

But I'm still not going to look at him in King Arthur more than I have to. So there.

Misc Weekly Catchup

The Wardrobe Rides Again
Brother would like to point out (in reference to our Valentine's Day activities) that things Husband and I might do for each other that come under the 'gutter mind' heading are indeed still practical and useful. However, if Husband continues to point at discarded items of clothing and growl awfully, "Put that in your new wardrobe!" when I am stripping for him, all such activity may well cease.

The Navel on the Middle of Nowhere
On Thurs I'm off on a team residential. The venue is rather remote. We've had three sets of maps and directions, none of which give instructions if you're travelling from the north. I am travelling from the north. One map shows a vast expanse of forest, three hamlets and a number of wriggling single-track roads, but does not mark the venue... I should be back on Friday night. On the other hand, I might never be seen again. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it...

Let them Scoff Cake
There is a cake conspiracy afoot. Everywhere I go, there's gratuitous free cake. Ordinarily, this would be a good thing. But I really want to lose some more weight pronto, and I'm not very good at resisting temptation.

To Do
I haven't posted my To Do List update this week. Please don't make me post my To Do List update this week. I'm holding on to the idea that I can catchup at the weekend. I may even clean the bathroom then, too. If I'm lucky.

Patience, Patience
Many people told me that the time between sale and publication date would fly past. It's not flying quickly enough! Waaaah! I'm so impatient, it seems like decades away. Especially with exciting things happening at Medallion Press on an almost daily basis.

See you at the weekend!

Wardrobe - Sleeps Four

Last night I dreamed about my new wardrobe.

This isn't as wierd as it sounds. No, wait. It IS as wierd as it sounds, but there are mitigating circumstances.

Every year, for Valentine's Day, Husband and I do stuff for each other (get your minds out of the gutters, now). Practical, useful stuff. Last year he dug the garden for me. This year he converted our old airing cupboard into a wardrobe for me.

Now, for all you US readers, you need to be aware that UK-ers rarely have large closet space. Usually there's just a freestanding wardrobe, or a fitted bedroom suite with hanging space for clothes. My old wardrobe was... well, insufficient to my needs. My new one is, to me, ENORMOUS.

I wish we'd taken before pictures, but we didn't, so I'll have to describe it for you.

Imagine a large, tall cupboard, spacious enough to stand inside, if it wasn't for the fact that it's piled to the ceiling with boxes. There's my wedding dress box in there, and Husband's famed Scalectrix set. There's boxes of bar towels (don't ask), un-used pictures, old boots, unwanted blankets and stacks of old pillows.

Now, take all that... stuff out, and see the rough-cut shelving, with traces of cement and plaster from a past life, still on the splintered wood. See the gappy, dusty floorboards, with the big hole where the new pipework came through. See the crumbling horsehair plaster and the cracked ceiling.

Husband has plastered, filled, sanded, painted, floored, carpeted and fixed countless shelves and hooks and things.

And now...





Ain't it purdy?



It has all these lovely, clever shelves, too, right up to the ceiling.

And last night I dreamed about it.

In my dream, I was remarking to Husband that if we were desperate, we could always use it as a spare room. Because it had a double bed (on the left, headboard to the back wall) and a set of bunk beds in it. "It sleeps four," I said.

I love how my lovely large wardrobe became even more massive in my subconscious.

Reasons to be Cheerful

In honour of the soul-healing Ian Dury song, some Random Reasons to be Cheerful:-

1) Acupuncture. The only time needles leave me smiling.
2) Strawberries.
3) Proper, tea-pot brewed, leaf tea.
4) Herdwick ewes, in their rough and grizzled grey fleeces, stamping their feet at interlopers.
5) Borrowdale.
6) Lindor chocolate eggs.
7) University Challenge & Top Gear (Husband and my only two must-snuggle-on-the-sofa-and-watch TV moments.)
8) Snowdrops.
9) Imagination.
10) My right ovary.

Share a couple of yours?

Pure Indulgence

Well, I'm home, (actually I got home Tues night) sore but happy, having seen my ovaries with my own eyes. Well, a full colour photo of them, anyway. Wow. They're really.... white.

Now I have not only permission, but ORDERS to rest for three days.

I'm just going to pause for a moment to absorb the wonderfulness of that concept.



Ah. Bliss.

So, since I've been working really hard lately and because... well, because I deserve it, I'm going to have a few days of pure indulgence.

This will involve:-

1) Cake. I lay in bed in the day surgery unit, drifting in post-anaesthetic stupor, wondering if they'd have to keep me in because I take a while to come round, when I suddenly remembered there was chocolate cake with my name on it waiting at home. From that moment on, full consciousness was my goal...
2) DVDs. I may even watch BITS of DVDs. You know. Like Brad Pitt storming the Trojan beach. That bit in the Big Easy where wotsisface has his shirt off. All of The Transporter.
3) Cheese. I eat so little cheese when I'm losing weight. I miss it so.
4) Books. I'm currently reading Julie Cohen's Driving Him Wild, after devouring Kate Walker's Sicillian Husband, Blackmailed Bride. I also have Artemis Fowl to get acquainted with, and a clutch of books by fellow Medallion authors that Amazon just kindly delivered.
5) Bed. I did really well yesterday, but today I'm frankly knackered. So all of the above actvities may well happen while lying down.

What would your Pure Indulgence be?

Ten Commandments

I re-post these on a fairly regular basis, because I think they're worth the reminder.

Ten Commandments for Good Mental Health

1. Thou shalt not be perfect

2. Thou shalt not be all things to all people

3. Thou shalt leave some things undone

4. Thou shalt not spread thyself too thinly

5. Thou shalt learn to say no

6. Thou shalt schedule time for yourself and network support

7. Thou shalt switch off and do nothing regularly

8. Thou shalt be boring, inelegant and unattractive sometimes

9. Thou shalt not feel guilty

10. Thou shalt not be thine own worst enemy

Honestly, I'm doing pretty poorly at all of them at the moment! But... Ha. I was just about to put, "Must try harder." No.

Must Try Less Hard.