Bank Holiday Madness!

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a good bank holiday weekend!
I spent this bank holiday Monday in the grounds of my favourite walking spot, Saltram House . For some mad reason I suddenly felt caged in at home and desperately needed to stretch my legs, so I decided a nice walk to Saltram would do me good. Ha! Over an hour later, one blister and a lost jumper I made it to Saltram. I quietly died for half an hour sitting on a hill whilst pretending I was 'appreciating' the beautiful views. Only wish now I had a digital camera, as some of the views from that place are stunning... and before anyone suggests it, it's just not quite the same when you take photos with your mobile!

Well, anyway, once I had recovered from my near asthma attack (ok, maybe a slight exaggeration!) I was joined by my good friend Claire and her two sproglettes, Jazmyne and Alix - bless their cotton socks! All went well as we pulled the kids (on little trike things) around the scenic walk... until we found out that the trikes were secret kid killing machines!! Then the fun really began! Just kidding. It turns out, if the kids get their feet in the way, the trike goes right over and smashes the small child's head on the hard concrete floor. Now, I am not known for my maternal streak but even I felt sorry for the little ankle biters as their legs waved in the air and my ear drums burst with the manic screaming. Luckily there was no necessary trip to the hospital and it seems a few hugs from Mum and a face full of blackberries was the perfect medicine. And everyone lived happily every after!

Thanks again to Claire for keeping me company and if you haven't been to Saltram and fancy a walk, get down there now!! Except Stimpy - whose dogs always go home smelling and looking like walking mud baths after a trip to the beach there!

Modern TV Sucks

Sorry I've been uncommonly quiet for a while, most unlike me, I know(!), but I have a good excuse - I've been ill! I really really hate being ill. Well, that's a given! No-one enjoys being ill but the one thing I really hate about being ill is Daytime TV.

There are only so many programmes about flower arranging, home improvements and antiques a girl can put up with without wanting to kill herself. If there is nothing wrong with you to begin with there certainly will be after 'David Dickinson Hour'. The worst part was I just couldn't move. Not only because I was in too much pain to stand but because I started to become mesmerize by the glint of light on David's glasses... possibly from his playful winking eye.....and I really started to care if those silver curtains would compliment those cork pouffes... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh.

Then I remembered why I'd stopped watching TV when I left school - it just plain sucks now.

Then, thank the gods, I discovered new channels. Channels that played old classics like Quantum Leap, Quincy, The New Adventures of Superman, The A Team and Knight Rider and I was back in the 90's and on the mend.

They just don't make TV programmes like they use to.

Rock and Roll!

What better excuse to get all your friends together and indulge in large quantities of alcohol for an entire day than rock and roll?! I spent yesterday practicing my newfound vocation as a groupie of Neo's new band. I think a good time was had by all though I am certain many of them will be hard pressed to remember the later half of the day!

The day began with the reason for the gathering, which was to record a few songs. I am not talking about the old fashioned method of a tape recorder and the familiar overpowering hiss after many attempts to record layer upon layer of sounds onto two cassette tapes (anyone else out there try that in the 80's?!). No! Mark, the lucky sod, has a full on recording studio in his bedroom. Every kid's dream! Very professional piece of kit, including a spit guard on the singer's mic! I was very impressed.

After a shaky start, and an increasingly frustrated bass player nearly exploding, the band finally managed, with the help of Carlsberg, to complete 4 songs. It was impressive stuff and I was amazed by my own capacity to find the musical wiggly lines on the computer screen fascinating for a whole 6 hours!

As the hours ticked by I felt more frustrated with my own lack of musical talent. To these people it all seemed to come so easily. Maybe they earned it by sacrificing hours upon hours of their youth practicing in their bedrooms, but a small part of me knew it was also a gift. A gift from whom, I do not know, but a gift all the same. These people all sat round microphones and seemed to be able to feel their way through the music - naturally knowing when a key or tempo was changing and I was particularly jealous of the singer's knack to be able to listen to a few tracks of drums and bass and know exactly when she was to come in after a missing solo. Damn them all!

After recording, we all moved onto a pub. My ego was momentarily boosted when a very nice Irishman removed his very drunk friend from drooling on my shoulder-blade and asked if I would have a drink with him! AN IRISHMAN!! In Plymouth?!! I go all the way to Dublin in April this year to find a hoard of Indians, Americans and Germans and am hard pressed to find one cute Irishman, as was my want, and ironically I find one in Plymouth, my home town! Go figure.

As the cocktails started flowing we all then put up our weary feet at the house of the very hospitable Mr and Mrs Earl, where Keely precedes to try and kill us all off with the dreaded Home Made Punch!! At this point my stomach informed me it was time to go home!!

I had a good evening so thank you to everyone for your pleasant company!

Fireworks Competition!

God, I love fireworks! Of course, any sane person has to wonder why half a city flocks to a windy coastal road to watch some colourful flashes and booms in the sky. Last night I remembered why I went and why I loved it so much - Family. As I sat there on the sloped hill trying not to hurl to my death through crowds of unsuspecting spectators (it was very steep OK and well, I'm not exactly the most graceful of people on this planet!) I felt myself get carried back to the days of my childhood. To the safe, unpressured, fun days of yore.

I forgot I was sitting on the hill with my friends (Sarah and Mark - thanks again guys for letting me tag along!)and suddenly I was lovingly wrapped up for an Arctic winter by my mother and my father's protective hand was a mere arms reach away at the local park firework display. I could remember the smell of bonfires and kids screaming around trying to write their names in the black sky with a sparkler. My little brother crying and being taken to the car to hide with Mum, whilst I laughed and screamed at Rockets, Catherine Wheels and those weird fireworks that had parachutes that I don't seem to see anymore. For some reason there always seemed to be a bag of homemade toffee pieces at hand. Bonfire night was special... of course it isn't anymore as people seem to have back garden firework displays for any old reason...a birthday, a haircut, the family hamster dying etc etc.

I oohed and aaahed with the best of them in remembrance of those good times!

The highlight for me was surprisingly the first interval. Quality entertainment was laid on for the spectators to fill the lull between displays... or so we thought! A man on a boat floated in front of the crowds with a bright light/flame in his hand. He shouts above the crowds asking for quiet and begins by commending the beautiful display of fireworks and the light they produce.... which then linked nicely with The True Light, our lord God! Groan. The man gamely continued to a chorus of booos and hisses but didn't seem to get the hint. Bless him, he obviously thought he was achieving something... which to my surprise was not a face full of seaweed and mud from the crowd. The churches must be seriously empty for anyone to attempt such a desperate act of masochism.

If there are any fellow firework fans out there I suggest you get down to Plymouth next year and watch with me what is becoming one of Plymouth's main crowd pullers!

Willkommen!

Well, here it is! I have spent many months talking of my own website and finally I have achieved that rare state of putting my money where my mouth is. For the mere price of a Spagetti Bolognese my own private IT Engineer showed me the light and this is the fruit of our labour. Now I forsee many previously industriously spent hours being replaced by hours of monologuing about nothing particular! Hurrah! Be just like being back at Uni!

Anyone out there who wishes to share their pearls of wisdom with the world please feel free to email your thoughts to me and I will put on this site!

Let the pontificating begin!