Well we're back down to normal numbers again, Jimmy (the Maddie of the rabbit world, in case you've forgotten) and Pedro (sweet wee walking rug that squeaks) are off back home - Emily even hoovered up after them!!
Here's a wee film of the darling duo..just before I fed them which is why they are dropping serious hints about the emptiness of their bowl!
30 August 2011
23 August 2011
What happened to Service?
As Sue and I traipsed through bus and train stations on Sunday I noted the demise of service, crumbled under the onslaught of money and efficiency. The bus station was redeveloped to make way for the shopping centre which also took in the front of the train station - so now it's almost impossible to pick up or drop someone off, you have to park in a basement and walk for about 5-7 minutes for the train station, I don't know what the bus equivalent is, I parked in the shopping centre carpark (and had to borrow money off her to pay for it as I forgot I'd need to and didn't take my purse).
Once she eventually purchased her train ticket she decided to visit the toilets - but it's 20p, which she had, but not in the right change. There was no change machine so that was out. Well OK, we thought, how about seeing if the cafe would give her change or she could buy a biscuit or something (she didn't want to go into the pub for this purpose) - no, the cafe was now closed. Right. WH Smith? She wouldn't mind a magazine for the journey... no, WH Smith was also closed. Sigh.
So never mind that it's a public place supposed to be providing a service. Never mind that people might want a comfort stop, a biscuit, a drink or a magazine before they embark on a 3 hour train journey. Let's shut everything down after about 5 on a Sunday. Who cares about all those other people travelling after then? There's not enough of them to make it worth our while! Capitalism at its best.
Once she eventually purchased her train ticket she decided to visit the toilets - but it's 20p, which she had, but not in the right change. There was no change machine so that was out. Well OK, we thought, how about seeing if the cafe would give her change or she could buy a biscuit or something (she didn't want to go into the pub for this purpose) - no, the cafe was now closed. Right. WH Smith? She wouldn't mind a magazine for the journey... no, WH Smith was also closed. Sigh.
So never mind that it's a public place supposed to be providing a service. Never mind that people might want a comfort stop, a biscuit, a drink or a magazine before they embark on a 3 hour train journey. Let's shut everything down after about 5 on a Sunday. Who cares about all those other people travelling after then? There's not enough of them to make it worth our while! Capitalism at its best.
M & M Updates
Meanwhile I had been receiving intermittant messages from R about the dogs. Murphy, it turned out, had run off in the woods (did return as usual) and Maddie filched the 3 rolls which were meant for our tea on Sunday (luckily she didn't get the burgers as well). While getting the wrapper back from her bush I found some more evidence of her exotic tastes. These included the white chocolate chip cookies I thought Nick & Elle had eaten, the remainder of the Parma ham for the pizzas and even a chunk of Parmasan cheese!
Updates
Guide Camp now successfully passed - extremely good weather, well amazingly good considering how horrible this summer's been rain-wise. It only started raining as the girls were being picked up - result! And another result - my book got all signed off so apart from having to go through the system, I've now got my Camper's Licence! Yay! Now we can go camping anywhere without going through all the tests, notifications & visits.
I even managed to make it to Church on Sunday to "help" with the singing for Norma & Bob's 60th Wedding Anniversary - wow!!! They're a lovely couple, he's a retired colonel and they're def. of that upper-class ilk if their accent's anything to go by, but of that extremely courteous type. They had their entire family there so we were singing to about 60 Campbells of various ages, all packed into one side of the church. I didn't do too bad, standing there on the altar in my Guide uniform and sunburnt face!
The downside was dropping my sister off at the bus station - due to the bad design of the station (which was moved & redeveloped to make way for the new shopping centre) we couldn't find the bus (which wasn't on the Board anyway!) (turns out I did see it but it was cunningly disguised as the London bus - how were we to know that meant via Glasgow?) and thus she missed it; there were no seats on the next one so she had to go and get the train for an additional £46.50 - at least it got her home 10 minuters earlier I suppose.
Thus a busy weekend with quite a lot achieved.
I even managed to make it to Church on Sunday to "help" with the singing for Norma & Bob's 60th Wedding Anniversary - wow!!! They're a lovely couple, he's a retired colonel and they're def. of that upper-class ilk if their accent's anything to go by, but of that extremely courteous type. They had their entire family there so we were singing to about 60 Campbells of various ages, all packed into one side of the church. I didn't do too bad, standing there on the altar in my Guide uniform and sunburnt face!
The downside was dropping my sister off at the bus station - due to the bad design of the station (which was moved & redeveloped to make way for the new shopping centre) we couldn't find the bus (which wasn't on the Board anyway!) (turns out I did see it but it was cunningly disguised as the London bus - how were we to know that meant via Glasgow?) and thus she missed it; there were no seats on the next one so she had to go and get the train for an additional £46.50 - at least it got her home 10 minuters earlier I suppose.
Thus a busy weekend with quite a lot achieved.
18 August 2011
The Menagerie Grows
Here we are again! Emily's away on holiday and her mum's away for a month with her husband so we've got half their pets to add to our own. Jimmy the Rabbit is back (I've removed all the cables this time so sorry Jimmy, nothing to chew on now!) and this time is accompanied by Pedro the Guinea Pig. They get along well so are both in her room with the open hutch for food etc. (Parkin the bruiser cat and Poppy the feral kitten are being looked after separately. We can do rabbit/guinea combo but Gizzy might leave home if we introduce another two cats.)
Maddie is as fascinated as ever and has spent most of the evening lying by the closed door, nose pressed to the crack at the bottom. I'll get a photo when I can but she hates the camera being pointed at her so that may not happen. You'll just have to imagine it!
Update - did get one...
Maddie is as fascinated as ever and has spent most of the evening lying by the closed door, nose pressed to the crack at the bottom. I'll get a photo when I can but she hates the camera being pointed at her so that may not happen. You'll just have to imagine it!
All quiet on the Northern front
Not much happening; I'm (supposed to be) looking for a job and trying to take the opportunity to spend more time with the dogs. They had a whale of a time yesterday, took them with me to the Guide campsite while I did my risk assessment and made up one of the games. Murphy excavated a large rabbit hole - if I hadn't left I'm sure he would've made it big enough to get down! Maddie's getting bad at running away at the end of walks again and did it again yesterday - she's cottoned on that when I pretend to be extra nice and give her treats at the end of the walk I'm going to catch her collar, so that's not working any more. After 15 minutes yesterday I had to take Murphy back across the field to the rabbit hole and let him continue his operations until she became so curious she stuck her head right in (he kept digging, the earth going all over her head) and I managed to grab her collar. Boy was she a state!
On the down side the schools are back in so it's difficult to get out and about between 8 and 9 am and then again between 3 and 3.45. sigh. I can't wait not to live opposite the dam' thing (and down from the primary school too), whenever that happens.
On the down side the schools are back in so it's difficult to get out and about between 8 and 9 am and then again between 3 and 3.45. sigh. I can't wait not to live opposite the dam' thing (and down from the primary school too), whenever that happens.
16 August 2011
business as normal
Just a quick entry to reassure the M & M lovers out there that they are still up to their old tricks. this time it was one of those crusty "Pain de Compagne" loaves which had had one slice cut and been left wrapped up on the bread board. Cue return from dinner visit about 10.30 last night and voila! An empty wrapper found on the kitchen floor - and not a crumb was visible. Dunno how they do it but some of us could learn table manners from them on that front!
13 August 2011
Meanwhile, back at the ranch..
the dust settles
Things seem to have calmed down now and there's been, obviously, a lot of discussion on what and why. I can see why the police don't want ordinary people out on the streets at such times, in case they get carried away and cause more trouble - viz the EDL which were apparently trying to muscle in on groups of people out with the intention of protecting their property. But I do still think people forget that the police are part of our society, people the same as us, and they need to have our support. As someone said on Question Time, they get criticised when they use strong-arm tactics, and criticised when they don't. They can't win.
At least this may have alerted the politicians to the problems there clearly are in society - or under it, as these people don't seem to have any engagement with what we call society. How did that happen? There must be a multitude of causes; hopefully soon there will be a multitude of ideas to address them. Hopefully.
At least this may have alerted the politicians to the problems there clearly are in society - or under it, as these people don't seem to have any engagement with what we call society. How did that happen? There must be a multitude of causes; hopefully soon there will be a multitude of ideas to address them. Hopefully.
09 August 2011
Heavens.. and hell
I don't know how these monks do it! I've been roped in to sing at the new Bishop's installation next week and got the last of the music yesterday - second rehearsal tonight (I missed the first one I was away) so am having to learn several new tunes including parts of the Missa de Angelis. Old Catholics (at least, older than me) will remember this apparently - it's Gregorian Chant and used to be sung at Sunday masses when they were in Latin. Of course I was in primary school in the 70s, after they abolished that so I'm having not only to get my head round the words (I did Latin at school but Church Latin pronunciation is completely different), the music but even how the music is written! no proper notes like I'm used to - weird wee squares instead, vaguly indicating if the tune goes up or down and apparently if they're all on top of each other it means you start at the lowest note and work your way up - and a dot means you double the length of the note...
sigh. I've had to go onto You Tube and get clips of it being sung which has helped a lot. Kyrie & Veni Creator Spiritus learned, still got Sanctus and Agnus Dei to go plus Haydn & Vaughan Williams..
Mind you, once you get your head round it the rythms and undulations are very soothing. Perhaps it should be played over loudspeakers in the streets of London & elsewhere to try and stop the madness that has taken hold of those kids.. I am afraid for the police and innocent people down there. I find it hard to comprehend that so many kids are so lacking in respect and decency that they would simply grab a chance to steal and burn as much as they can regardless of the consequences - I think they (if caught) should be made to rebuild what they have destroyed. Otherwise the cost will come out of the decent people's pockets, who haven't got anything left to give.
I wonder if it will ever get to the point where the majority come out onto the streets, not to fight but just to stand and face down the kids. There must be so many more law-abiding people than vandals, thieves and arsonists (the so-called rioters), would not sheer numbers work? The police can't do it all on their own. But we've all got used to handing that sort of thing over to the authorities and of course we're afraid of being hurt. The kids don't seem to be. But we must at some point stop standing on the sidelines and put our voices and ourselves up behind the police, the lawkeepers, and make those kids understand that we as a society will not accept this.
Update
Am attaching pics of all the priests etc at the Ordination (and a lot were Abbots and bishops, impressive!) and of the stained glass at the back of the choir loft - lovely.
sigh. I've had to go onto You Tube and get clips of it being sung which has helped a lot. Kyrie & Veni Creator Spiritus learned, still got Sanctus and Agnus Dei to go plus Haydn & Vaughan Williams..
Mind you, once you get your head round it the rythms and undulations are very soothing. Perhaps it should be played over loudspeakers in the streets of London & elsewhere to try and stop the madness that has taken hold of those kids.. I am afraid for the police and innocent people down there. I find it hard to comprehend that so many kids are so lacking in respect and decency that they would simply grab a chance to steal and burn as much as they can regardless of the consequences - I think they (if caught) should be made to rebuild what they have destroyed. Otherwise the cost will come out of the decent people's pockets, who haven't got anything left to give.
I wonder if it will ever get to the point where the majority come out onto the streets, not to fight but just to stand and face down the kids. There must be so many more law-abiding people than vandals, thieves and arsonists (the so-called rioters), would not sheer numbers work? The police can't do it all on their own. But we've all got used to handing that sort of thing over to the authorities and of course we're afraid of being hurt. The kids don't seem to be. But we must at some point stop standing on the sidelines and put our voices and ourselves up behind the police, the lawkeepers, and make those kids understand that we as a society will not accept this.
Update
Am attaching pics of all the priests etc at the Ordination (and a lot were Abbots and bishops, impressive!) and of the stained glass at the back of the choir loft - lovely.
07 August 2011
Eating my Words
WE were down in Glasgow this weekend, to catch up with R's cousins who were over from Canada as one of the kids was swimming in the International Children's Games (she achieved a personal best every time she swam - well done Katrina!)
Anyway, R had bought (yet another) satnav machine. Now, I have a bit of history with those machines. For a start I don't like them. I agree they occasionally have a use, but I don't trust them. I'd much rather use a map. The last one we bought in Duty Free on the way to Sardinia was so we could use it on holiday as we were driving around a bit there. Unfortunately the first evening, as I pried it off the windscreen, it suddenly pinged off, flew under the seat and hit the metal bar underneath, smashing the screen. Oh boy, R was furious! And for the record, I really DIDN'T do it on purpose!
Anyway, I sniped at the new one most of the way down and was delighted (well not really but my point was proved) when it took us all to the middle of a housing estate in Mount Vernon instead of to Candleriggs in the Merchant City for our dinner. See? Not to be trusted!
Thus on the way back today when it was my turn to drive, I requested that the bleedin' thing (which had been mispronouncing all the street names all morning) be removed as I kind of know the way home! And what happened? For the first time in 12 years I missed the Stirling exit! I have no idea what I was thinking - I don't think I was thinking at all - just mosying along the M8. So the hated machine reappeared and I had to use it til at least we got over the Forth Road Bridge. Sigh - the shame!
Anyway, R had bought (yet another) satnav machine. Now, I have a bit of history with those machines. For a start I don't like them. I agree they occasionally have a use, but I don't trust them. I'd much rather use a map. The last one we bought in Duty Free on the way to Sardinia was so we could use it on holiday as we were driving around a bit there. Unfortunately the first evening, as I pried it off the windscreen, it suddenly pinged off, flew under the seat and hit the metal bar underneath, smashing the screen. Oh boy, R was furious! And for the record, I really DIDN'T do it on purpose!
Anyway, I sniped at the new one most of the way down and was delighted (well not really but my point was proved) when it took us all to the middle of a housing estate in Mount Vernon instead of to Candleriggs in the Merchant City for our dinner. See? Not to be trusted!
Thus on the way back today when it was my turn to drive, I requested that the bleedin' thing (which had been mispronouncing all the street names all morning) be removed as I kind of know the way home! And what happened? For the first time in 12 years I missed the Stirling exit! I have no idea what I was thinking - I don't think I was thinking at all - just mosying along the M8. So the hated machine reappeared and I had to use it til at least we got over the Forth Road Bridge. Sigh - the shame!
04 August 2011
mistypes?
Reading Hogday's post on NHS medical secretaries' mistypes reminds me of a few I saw during my years as a lawyer (hopefully behind me now) -
1 - "..our client's property manager advises .... your client has advised that he will deal with the leek in the toilet himself"
2 - [address] - "Northern Rock plc, Ceiling Department, Residential Lending & Insurance, Northern Rock House.." [the Sealing Department deals with signing deeds]
3 - "We do not know if you are aware of this new procedure or whether it has in fact been leeked out by the Law Society.."
4 - "We have requested the title deeds from the Building Society and shall drop the Security as soon as we receive them." [presumably too much to hold?]
5 - "Mrs xxx (deceased)
We write to advise you that the above-named dieted on 7th September 1999. We enclose a copy of the Extract Death Certificate for your records."
6 - [in a deed] - "..the late xxx, who resided at Flat One, Upright, One thousand and Ninety Nine x Street, Glasgow.."
7 - "....The figures we have at the moment are £1,200 for your wife and £20.10 for the medical treatment." [the wife's not worth much, seems a bit harsh!]
8 - "IN WITNESS WHEREOF these presents are subscribed by me at x on the y day of z before these witnesses Mrs d, Housewife and d, Plastered, both of.." [a drunk witness?]
1 - "..our client's property manager advises .... your client has advised that he will deal with the leek in the toilet himself"
2 - [address] - "Northern Rock plc, Ceiling Department, Residential Lending & Insurance, Northern Rock House.." [the Sealing Department deals with signing deeds]
3 - "We do not know if you are aware of this new procedure or whether it has in fact been leeked out by the Law Society.."
4 - "We have requested the title deeds from the Building Society and shall drop the Security as soon as we receive them." [presumably too much to hold?]
5 - "Mrs xxx (deceased)
We write to advise you that the above-named dieted on 7th September 1999. We enclose a copy of the Extract Death Certificate for your records."
6 - [in a deed] - "..the late xxx, who resided at Flat One, Upright, One thousand and Ninety Nine x Street, Glasgow.."
7 - "....The figures we have at the moment are £1,200 for your wife and £20.10 for the medical treatment." [the wife's not worth much, seems a bit harsh!]
8 - "IN WITNESS WHEREOF these presents are subscribed by me at x on the y day of z before these witnesses Mrs d, Housewife and d, Plastered, both of.." [a drunk witness?]
truisms
It is truism that when a dog misbehaves it is almost always the owner's fault. This was evidenced for me today - yet again - by our very own Mrs Trouble. I may have mentioned she has a bush at the back of the garden we can't really get to, which is her den and to which she repairs at the first hint of trouble or when she's got something she knows she oughtn't to have.
I was heading out this morning and couldn't find her anywhere. Eventually I went outside and called her and heard a very suspicious rustling in the bushes..oh-oh! Going and peering in revealed that she had - eek! - walked off with the plastic bag full of used cat-food sachets which I had taken out the bin in the utility room before putting a fresh bag in - and completely forgetting about the full bag. It just goes to show, if you're not paying attention you won't even realise something is missing!
So I breathed in and ducked down into the back of the bush (a wee cave between the bush and the back wall) and had an interesting 10 minutes fishing out not only the remains of the bag but also the remains of her previous nefarious exploits.. a ragbag of glass dessert pots(!), empty crisp and popcorn packets, catfood sachets, plastic lids(?!)..the list goes on. (sigh)
I'm surprised we don't have rats! But then again there's no actual food around, it's all licked and chewed clean.I finally made my destination, hopefully having removed all the twigs from my hair. That'll teach me - maybe.
I was heading out this morning and couldn't find her anywhere. Eventually I went outside and called her and heard a very suspicious rustling in the bushes..oh-oh! Going and peering in revealed that she had - eek! - walked off with the plastic bag full of used cat-food sachets which I had taken out the bin in the utility room before putting a fresh bag in - and completely forgetting about the full bag. It just goes to show, if you're not paying attention you won't even realise something is missing!
So I breathed in and ducked down into the back of the bush (a wee cave between the bush and the back wall) and had an interesting 10 minutes fishing out not only the remains of the bag but also the remains of her previous nefarious exploits.. a ragbag of glass dessert pots(!), empty crisp and popcorn packets, catfood sachets, plastic lids(?!)..the list goes on. (sigh)
I'm surprised we don't have rats! But then again there's no actual food around, it's all licked and chewed clean.I finally made my destination, hopefully having removed all the twigs from my hair. That'll teach me - maybe.
02 August 2011
RAM's the word!
I was thinking of getting a new laptop for Christmas, this one has been slowly spinning to a halt for over a year now and had got to the stage where it couldn't do more than one thing at once or I'd get the popup saying "your computer is low on memory - you must shut everything down.." or words to that effect - and then it wouldn't let anything shut down at all, everything would be "not responding" - aaaarrrgghhhhh!!
On a bad day it used to take about a minute (a WHOLE minute) for anything I typed to come up, never mind anything more complicated..
But NOW...
whooopeee! Those wonderful men at PC World have given it a Tune Up and added 2GB of RAM - what a difference. Now my laptop works! Like it should! It's like getting a new one, how fantastic.. technology is once again in my good books.
On a bad day it used to take about a minute (a WHOLE minute) for anything I typed to come up, never mind anything more complicated..
But NOW...
whooopeee! Those wonderful men at PC World have given it a Tune Up and added 2GB of RAM - what a difference. Now my laptop works! Like it should! It's like getting a new one, how fantastic.. technology is once again in my good books.
dogs and food..
blinkin' dogs - there's been Travellers set up camp in the carpark of our most popular local dogwalking woods for a coupla weeks now. I'm assuming the Forestry Commission know, don't know what if anything they'll do. Wasn't fussed til today, when the increased amounts of rubbish and food left lying around is starting to attract the dogs and I had to go and get them twice, put them on the lead and drag them off. There's three of the travellers' dogs there already, all relatively small and on tethers so not fussed about that - although today there was a wee man, about six I'd say, there and saw Murphy heading over purposefully. His reaction was perhaps telling - a clear voice says "There's going to be a dogfight, Daddy!" (with every appearance of interest if not enthusiasm!) Not on my watch! - I stride over, saying "No there isn't" in a normal voice and drag Murphy away from the food, swearing at him under my breath..
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