Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Viola players

I'm spending a bit of time on the computer while L tests out his new X-Box downstairs. I was trying to find a reference and perhaps a playing of some viola music when I came across this... Now I knew there were many viola jokes out there, but haven't violin players got anything better to do with their time??? (dare I say that some of them made me laugh....)

I then went back a page to this - there's some good stuff here too!

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Money

Well, embarassed myself in Somerfield today. I wanted to buy a drink so I left the office with just a pound in my jacke pocket. Got to the shop, chose drink and on way to checkout felt in my pocket - no coin. Felt in the other - no coin. So I'm thinking I left it behind or something, but on way back to the chiller cabinet realised there was a hole in my pocket. So there I am contorting myself in Somerfield trying to get the coin out of the lining. On the way home, relaying this to Leigh suddenyl realised I could have just taken my jacket off....

We were talking about people who hoard stuff at work today -one of my friends was telling us about a friend of hers who just will not throw anything away. Apparently one day one of her cats killed a blackbird. she didn't throw it away or bury or anything like that - but cooked it up in one of her pans (!) and then fed it to the chickens as protein!! My friend's a bit dubious about accepting eggs from her now....

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Interesting day

Spent a lot of it in the car travelling Norfolk. Off to King's Lynn first thing to collect a medical cert from the hospital and then to register the death of one of our clients (a really lovely lady - what will happen to her budgie now??). The first time I've registered a death and fortunately I had the encyclopaedic information they need for the form. Then to the crematorium to collect another of our clients (...yes I do mean that...). Back to Watton to collect the cremation forms which also "had" to be returned today and then out again to Northwold to deliver them to the undertaker. Lots of firsts today.

Also, was watching Will & Grace from Friday (channel 4) - Seth Green really is quite short. I hadn't realised before how small he actually is!

Monday, May 22, 2006

Busy

You know how you agree to things because they'll only be once a month, or 4 times a year, or a one-off lovely visit to the Good Food Show, but then somehow fate conspires against you and a load of things happen together in a week which is already busy? That's a bit how I feel after last week and although it pains me to say it, roll on Monday and the start of a new week!

Last week, had a party in Nottingham for Richard on the Saturday but had to come home early on Sunday because I'd already put my name down for the Church lunch and AGM (annual event). Monday was fine, Tuesday was Worship Committee in the evening (4 times a year), which would have been fine had it not followed immediately after a course in Norwich which finished at 7! (This is partly my own fault for assuming the course would be 2-5 like any sensible course would be!!) Wednesday spent most of the afternoon, evening and night travelling to Salisbury for a presentation on Thursday and stuffing carrier bags full of goodies. Thursday was the course in the morning and journey back pm. Got home, straight out again to go to Derby for the Good Food Show on Friday (fantastic!). Came home Saturday, unpacked, cleaned the house etc. Then this morning had Praise & Worship service at church (playing viola - once a month) and then Suffolk Strings (viola again! - once month but not the same Sunday each month...!) this afternoon. Have just crawled in at half 5 ready for dinner.

At least that's got some stuff out of the way for another few weeks! And hopefully can now spend some time booking a trip for Leigh's birthday and sorting out a trip to Vinopolis with my sister and her fiancee!!

Paffer

Having watched the BBC series Mayo and really enjoyed it (lovely gentle detective series along the lines of Agatha Christie) I thought I'd have a go at some of the books (by Marjorie Eccles). Reading what I think is the first one I came across the phrase "the rain paffered against the window." Assumed this to be typo at first, but I then wondered whether it might actually be a new word to me, so I looked it up on Wikipedia. No results sadly so I'm putting it down to a typo, but what a great word it would be! I can almost imagine it - the sound of rain when it's not hard droplets but more like a mist or spray, like you get on your windscreen on wet roads. To paffer. Great.

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Parties and such





Went to a great party at the weekend - Richard's birthday, Heroes and Villains theme. The hubby and I went as a silent film villain and damsel in distress. Costumes worked out really well, despite having cobbled them together on Saturday morning (being too lazy to sit and stitch a cloak on Friday!). and although only about a dozen of us - 2 Cruella De Viles! Hurrah!



Then...heard as a "vestry tale" from one of our ministers at the Church AGM on Sunday - apparently a joke told to him by a church steward one morning ... two mice sitting in a field and they see a lady mouse run past. "Look at the legs on that" says one, "doesn't it turn you on?" "No," says the other, "I'm a titmouse!"

Well it made me laugh.

Friday, May 12, 2006

Annoying!

I have been faithfully completing the Google Da Vinci Code quest for the last few weeks. Yesterday the last 2 puzzles were up but because I didn't get on the computer until 11 at night I thought I'd leave them for today. When I logged on today it said it was finished - I completed 22 of the 24 puzzles!!!! How annoying! I would have done had I known I'd never get the chance again...grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Revision free...

Had my taxation exam today - one of those where it wasn't great but not awful either (like the Trusts exam which just made me feel panicked...) and hopefully I've done enough to pass. Another one of those where the questions just aren't focussed where you think they will - all the past papers have been heavy on inheritance tax, with calculations relating to discretionary trusts and distributions, but this was the paper of capital gans tax. Oh the joy!

But at least it's over so no more revision for a while - at least not until the next course starts in July - it's trust and estate accounts and hopefully the last of the exams (providing I pass this one...). So tired though - left for London at half eight this morning to meet a friend beforehand so we could worry each other, exam was at 2 at a venue at least a half hour's tube ride from Liverpool Street. Exam 3 hours 15 minutes, then back on the tube and the train (not seat on either and got very hot and light headed on the way home!), and finally getting home at about eight. Can't wait to go to sleep!

Have been really nervous about this exam - couldn't get off to sleep a couple of nights ago, which was a mixture of going over in my mind all the things I needed to go through because I didn't really know them, and painful blisters from the weekend! fortunately the blisters are now well on the way to being healed.

Back to work tomorrow.

And one more thing...why are there long slug/snail trails beside our sofa and across the middle of the floor in the front room? we had them last year - didn't find any crawly things in the house - the trails stopped, and have started again now. Have we got a little nest somewhere? If we have - how do they live??? Are they getting into the house somehow? Suggestions on a postcard...

Sunday, May 07, 2006

And this is me at the end...


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Originally uploaded by Leighbob.
Blimey I look flushed - yes and I was pretty sweaty as well - what a lovely car ride back to the house it was!

Race for Life baby!


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Originally uploaded by Leighbob.
Well, here are the three of us fresh-faced girls ready at the start of the Race for Life at the Norfolk Showground yesterday. It wasn't particularly sunny, but great weather for a run, and it didn't start to rain until we'd finished - hurrah!

We all managed our three miles (although I know I held my sister back a bit...) and I now need to get new trainers as the pair I wore gave me HUGE blisters. Three miles can seems such a long way...but it was a great event - about 4,500 women there running and about the same again in supporters to so the atmosphere was great!

And all running for a great cause - it's at these kind of events you really start to appreciate how many lives are affected by cancer - the majority of the runners had someone specific named on their back they were running for - and some had pictures as well which were particularly poignant.

Felt quite knackered at the end but proud of what we had been a part of and now all I need to do is collect in the cash!

Friday, May 05, 2006

Will your anchor hold?

G&S auditions for Trial by Jury and HMS Pinafore last night. The least said about mine the better but Leigh was great. We were also introduced to the first in what will surely be a long line of innocent innuendo caused by the horrendous character name "Dick Dead-Eye."

Enquiring of who is reading dialogue with one of the people auditioning for that part - "is Doug doing Dick with Ros?" Various questions during rehearsals as to how many Dicks we have and one poor nervous auditionee claiming the character is Dead Dick Eye... I'm sure this is just the beginning of things to come!

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Give me a "T"!

Leigh's got me to do a meme. I've been thinking about it on the way home and hopefully have enough ideas...

"T"

Travel - Easy one to start with. I do a lot of this for work - including my 90 mile round trip to actually get to the office! as a firm, we have 5 offices spread out across East Anglia, so there's the journeys between them, and also because of the nature of my work I have a lot of elderly clients and if they can't get to an office I travel out to see them at home. Takes me about an hour to go to my usual office, but at least I'm moving all the time, not stuck in jams, or spending an hour getting to work on the underground - yuck!

Tea - hurrah, the drink of gods! Like a good strong cup myself, and had a disastrous one out for lunch at the weekend. It really didn't taste of anything! I quite like green tea as well, but have never really got one well with fruit teas.

Tax and trusts - this is basically what I deal with at work (amongst other things), but this is the team I am designated to! I find it really stimulating and challenging (despite what others may thnk of the private client department - one comment being 2oh you work with dead people"...) and better than that have a tax exam on Wednesday... No, not really looking forward to it.

Thrillers (crime) - my favourite kind of reading. Started with Agatha Christie many moons ago and still love them. Read all sorts now, and usually attribute a wide range to inspired birthday and Christmas presents from one of our friends.

Trial by Jury - the next production of the Ipswich G&S society. I haven't sung it before, but the music sounds great, although not a huge amount for the female chorus - as the Judge, Counsel, Usher and jury are all men!! Humph! I've decided to audition for the part of a bridesmaid - initially this was just to get more things to do in the chorus (not because I really think I'm any good) but since finding out the only song is a duet rather than a solo solo, I really want the part now! So...I imagine do most of the women's chorus...

Treble clef - this is a bit of a cheat really, but I wanted to include music in general because I love it so! G&S, orchestra - hmmm, something about ensemble playing and singing really seems to make me feel really positive and lifted. This subject is a bit of a cheat because playing the viola, I use alto clef...although treble clef for singing, so that's nearly there!

Hmmmm...now what else was there...oh yes,

Teachers - I have been surrounded by them all my life - my parents were both teachers (and one still is), my sister is a teacher and our best adult friends when we were growing up were teachers as well. Get togethers generally involved talking shop, and still do!! I hope I have a bit of an insight into the life as a result - I certainly don't think I could be one! My mum used to teach at the first school I went to and there was something a bit exciting and illicit about being able to roam the school after all the pupils had left - also really enjoyed sorting out the library and reading books in my summer holidays and helping get the room ready for the new school year. Have I shared too much??

Blast, that's only 7 - thought I had more than that in the car...

Tango - one of my favourite ballroom dances, all kind of serious and passionate and tight movements. We're still going to classes which I love, and kind of wish we had more time to do more dancing. Recently passed our second social dancing test (unbelievably - said in the voice of Geoff from the League of Gentlemen [is that the voice I mean Leigh?]) and am still lusting after those sequinned dresses!!!

Seems a bit sad, but I reckon TVshold be in here too. "But how do you have time for TV when there is so much going on?" I hear you ask...well, it can always be fitted in somewhere!!!! Such brilliant shows I have watched and remember - too many to name them all, but often involving mystery, or games, or puzzles, or comedy basically!!

Just one to go then...

Tents - how could I forget this one? I did a lot of camping when I was young, with the Guides and with the school and also Duke of Edinburgh (no, not with the Duke of Edinburgh - with the scheme...) and to be honest these times probably had a lot to do with shaping the person I am today. Have fantastic memories of those times, despite camping also introducing me to some of the coldest nights (Sandringham and Weave '93) and wettest days (North Wales - need I say more) of my life. and soon hopefully the windiest beach (Shell Island). Have fantastic memories of these as a child and am glad to say am building more fantastic camping memories with my husband!

Hurrah!