31st December 2017 - Cartoons and Collections

Thought for the day:"Apparently having sex while drunk is banned in Iceland - not sure about Farmfoods though."

Found this in my wandering today - a photo remake of a Giles Cartoon
Excellent :

I enjoyed that...

And apparently the collections are still going on ...

Though Carl Giles died in 1995 - the collections are still carrying on ... they started in 1946...
I also did not know that there was a statue of Grandma in Ipswich... made of Bronze where he lived for most of his life,

And yes - we have a few in the Warehouse...

and with those few words and a wish for a Happy New Year

And last festive post for the year .....

30th December 2017 - Just another day

Thought for the day:"I could give up sarcasm - but that would leave interpretive dance as my only means of communication "


Funeral in Aberystwyth ...  Family in from USA... Busy day .. no time to blog !!!

Cheers

29th December 2017 - Take your Pick...

Thought for the day:"Been buying much cheese for Christmas. Sadly, none of it has been little baby cheeses."

So, one of my Christmas Presents turned out to be super useful and Plectrum Factory
Well a Pick master - and I seem to have so many old credit cards I think that it is unlikely that I will ever need to buy a pick again ...

It is such a simple little device, but as with all great ideas it only needs to be simple .

The rest of the day has been as decent a boxing day as any other. Christmas Day yesterday (late) was a day for eating too much and lazing around and learning how to play Munchkin - thus catching up (sort of) with my other geek friends.......

Today is likely to be a little bit the same ....
So - I will reflect upon the fact that there are only a few days left of the year....
Enjoy them ...
Cheers!

28th December 2017 - Missed that too

Thought for the day:"I made a graph of my past relationships: there was an ex axis and a why axis"

Day ran away with me I think

but this sums up the day I reckon
Cheers

27th December 2017 - Missed it

Thought for the day:"Marks & Spencer say it wouldn’t be Christmas without M&S. They’re right – it’d be Chrita"

oops - got caught up in family stuff - back soon 

cheers

26th December 2017 - Boxing Day - Sort Of

Thought for the day:"I think I have reached unproductive o'clock - beer me"

By tradition, this, the second day of Christmas (by most views) is deemed to be boxing day. It is also St Stephen's day and something to do with horses apparently. but enough of that. I have too many boxes in the warehouse to be worrying about traditions.

So yesterday (being a not Christmas day as we were celebrating my daughter's birthday which falls upon the 25th December and not Christmas at all) was a quiet day of birthday celebration with a nice birthday meal of Prawn Cocktail, Spare Ribs and baked potatoes (with butter and sour cream) and for those who could manage it (not me I am afraid) apple crumble and cream!

Good thing that we went out for a walk around Swiss Valley Reservoir first to build up a little appetite...

wet dog !!  wet Scarlett

In other news - I saw this little ditty on a Viking Board and decided to keep it for posterity ...

"Mail links ring,

Are you listening?

On our blades,

Blood is glistening.

We're here for a fight,

We're happy tonight,

Raiding in a Viking wonderland.

In the meadow we will fight the Saxons.

We will form shield wall and cut them down.

We'll get lots of loot out of the abbey.

And then we will incinerate their town!

Later on we'll conspire,

While around the campfire.

To plan a new raid,

With the money we made,

Raiding in a Viking wonderland."

So - on with the day .. Susie, Bunnie and Scarlett are going to the Pantomime today - oh no they're not! Oh yes they are ! so a few minutes to myself later - Seems the cost of theatre tickets is just rising more and more. There are newspaper articles about the rise in prices due to the increase in governmental cuts

prices in 2015

- and it seems that we are now looking at £28 plus per seat... even for littlun's though I suppose everyone takes a seat ...  No longer a cheap day out !!

But then I do not go to the cinema so I have no real point of comparison....

And though Boxing day is a secular holiday - let us return to the religious theme for a moment..
Cheers!

25th December 2017 - unWhammed

Thought for the day:"This holiday season, in lieu of gifts, I've decided to give everyone my opinion. "

So finally got through the 24 days...

and in other news  

and the tree is up

Cheers

24th December 2017 - Christmas Eve - here we go again....

Thought for the day:"Never catch snowflakes with your tongue until all the birds have gone south for the winter."

So - ready for Christmas - Bah Humbug !

and for the moon....

(Original artwork - Widewallpapershd.info)

And the decorations are brought over from the Warehouse and are sitting waiting for sunset

Long day yesterday - down to Barton and then up to Heathrow to collect family and finally home in the early hours of the morning. House is like an oven - will need to look out my summer clothes I think!

And on the subject of wrapping presents...
How to wrap a present: 1. Cut paper smaller than present 2. Have a drink 3. Rip paper on one of the present’s corners 4. Have a drink 5. Cover hole with sellotape and scraps of paper 6. Place in a bag from last year 7. Feel tired. Have a drink 8. Lose scissors forever

Cheers

23rd December 2017 - Taking Care with 2 days to go

Thought for the day:"Is being afraid of Santa Claustrophobic?"

In olden Scandinavia - where standards of behaviour...

Damp and dreary in Barton on Sea this morning.... but so far I remain unwhamm'd
But I must foray into the wild world - wish me luck


"You had one job!"

22nd December 2017 - On the road again

Thought for the day:"When scientists finally work out the centre of the Universe - a number of people I know will be sad it was not them"


Off to the South Coast again - hopefully for the last time this year..
Thought I would share these tapas as we should have the family with us for Christmas ..

May have time for a few words later - or not - probably not

21st December 2017 - Random Thoughts

Thought for the day:"Saint Patrick walked bare-foot as an act of contrition, which made his feet rugged and blistered, he ate an ascetic's diet, which made him weak and incidentally gave him bad breath - so all of this made him ..
A super-calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis..."

On other thoughts - here is a nice look at the "Love is" theme

Getting near to finishing the Christmas shopping and tasks ... 
Might get around to the paperwork one of these days
Ho Hum!

Best change the profile picture...

And in the theme of Whamageddon

Yes - that is  the chalet from the song  in the background...

Day 21 and as yet #unwhammed
(shhh)

Cheers

20th December 2017 - Day 20 - Braving the Shops

Thought for the day:"If I swallow more magnets will I be more attractive?"

Day 20 - Survival skills
A foray into danger this morning! Armed only with a list of required provisions and household essentials for the forthcoming family encounters, bulbs for the spotlights, sealant for the edges of the bath, a fluorescent starter for the bathroom lights, whisky, gin, wine, furniture polish and crisps - you know the sort of thing - a standard shop at this time of year, I checked for the enemy and made my way to the local shopping centre...  heart in my throat!

I had seen those who had fallen in the good ship Tesco, but it had to be!!  Dashing along the isles, trying to dodge the incessant music, knowing as each track started it gave me a couple more minutes of safety until the next track change - but shock and horror, no bulbs or starters, no sealant ... B & Q it would have to be!!  Entering to the sounds of Nat king Cole, and a short discussion with the lady at the front regarding why I had left my senior card behind and could not get the 10% discount and an examination of the bulbs - screw in spots seemed to be no longer the rage!!... Managing to restrict to 2 tracks and Wilko it was.... Once more the sounds of Christmas commercialism struck me as I entered - and once again it seemed that we were cursed with the originals, Call the cavalry and Do they know it's Christmas passed all to quickly, and Fairy Tale of New York was at least over 4 minutes long as I confirmed the bulbs, starter and sealant - and made it through the check out to the safety of the car park...

Now firmly ensconced in the house ... the Adrenalin is subsiding and a cup of tea is called for.. and some quiet moments to reflect #unbowed #unwhammed #unrepentant

In other news - the Queen is doing well for her age ...

and on a musical note - this

Best go and do some housework now ..
Cheers

19th December 2017 - Smells a little like Christmas - Not !

Thought for the day:"When I catch people staring at me - I just reckon they are taking notes on how to be awesome"

A day clearing the back yard - this does not sound much but the months of devastation and neglect there meant that it was more of a task than I was expecting. The drains had clearly been blocked - causing a smell in the bathroom but the blockage had passed leaving much debris.

The Karcher came into its own and the battered old shovel managed to clear most of the greenery that was sprouting like Triffids from the broken paving..... The smell of Jeyes fluid is still with me - despite a shower and change of clothing - I think it may be there for a while !

But the back yard is clear - it is clean and smells (sort of good if you like Jeyes fluid).

Talking of smells - it appears that the dog has blocked anal glands and will have to be cleared regularly for ever! But she had a visit to the vet today and is smelling sweet - well smelling dog rather than sweet.

And so we moved towards Christmas - only a few more rooms to complete ready for Birthdays and Christmas. Complete in the sense of clearing and hoovering and sticking wallpaper back into the bathroom walls. Tomorrow is find some wood to cover the holes in the bedroom left by the smaller size radiators and take stuff back to the warehouse - the ladders, the mead goblets, some other rubbish that has drifted into the house.

So on other thoughts - I found a list of bingo calls today and decided to collect them here as a source for the future ... and put them here as I think the pictures remain ..

 
Just in case I need a new job as a bingo caller...

Cheers.
Chateau 41  (white) is very tasty this time ..

btw Day 19 #unwhammed