HOLIDAYS A COMIN!

It's summer!!!!!!!!!!! School ends next week and I've taken time off the office job...... so I'll be away. Hope every1 has agood week. Apologies for 1 finger typing - but Dixie likes best sitting in my way.

We plan to go to Wales on Tuesday hopefully, and stay til Sunday or Monday, as my cousin gets married there next weekend. I haven't seen her to speak to since she was 10 years old so I find this inviting of relatives a bit weird. I can't help but wonder whether it isn't more to do with her mum and my dad than being her own choice.

Still it's nice to have a reason to go back for a visit to Anglesey. It's home for my Dad, and we have been there many many times over the years!

I'll post pictures for you when I get back as it's beautiful. Annelisa - hope you're still doing ok x

For Annelisa's friend Julia:

Happy Birthday!!!

Thursday Thirteen #17

Thursday Thirteen (Lost count of how many I've done now)
13 things we'll be cooking on the barbie on Party Day (2nd July)

1 Sausages

2 Burgers

3 Kebabs

4 Spicy Chicken

5 Minty lamb ribs

6 Chinese-style pork ribs

7 Steak (aye right... when we wake up millionaires)

8 Courgettes

9 fish... possibly

10 vegetarian sausages

11 veggie burgers

12 marshmallows

13 bananas with chocolate

CATS ON TUESDAYS

CATS ON TUESDAYS

DIXIE SAYS HELLO!

but it seems to have exhausted him...

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY PA!

for Dad: Happy Fathers' Day!

Britain (has not) got Talent

wtf!

I've just watched a replay of the semifinals of Britain's Got Talent.

I firmly believe that there is plenty of talent in Great Britain. For some reason though it has all successfully avoided appearing on the new Simon Cowell show "Britain's Got Talent".

It was HORRIBLE! I haven't managed to stay watching it throughout as I found better things to do (such as peeling potatoes, cleaning out the sink overflow pipe, gouging out my own eyes.... you know, the usual) however the bits I have seen have been unbelievably appalling. Oh yeah - they also had to remove a contestant as he turned out to be a known sex offender. (although it seems he's a foot fetishist rather than a paedo or rapist etc.. and is off the register this year... I don't know the facts... think it's a bit odd to put yourself on national tv if you're on the sex offenders register though)

I am off now to try to find a clip or two to show you. Trav - you should love these!



This made me want to vomit. I hate singing toddlers anyway. Wouldn't you know it - she got through.



I didn't hate this. They didn't get through.



This one involved alcohol (sort of) and is therefore automatically ok by me. They are through.

Gift Exchange

A message for Judy - my partner in the gift exchange - I haven't heard from you... have you e-mailed?

Otherwise: it's another French Horn testing day today. It will be finished though at 12pm and I am SO looking forward to an afternoon off. Need to do some practise really but I might just NOT - because an afternoon of watching rubbish telly or making stuff sounds so much nicer.

No need to decide now anyway.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Travelling Journals & other news

Craftiness ahoy!

I like to make things - think it's one of the reasons I do Brownies still (despite many hassles involved).

A few weeks ago I asked Uschi to be part of her project:

"I would like to find 12 people who each start a journal writing/drawing/painting/glueing/sewing something about their part of the world, the way they live, the art they do, the things they like and...so...on...

After one month, the journals should travel to the next participant...and... so... on....

and...after 12 months they will come back to their author, like a small ( or big) all-around-the-world-treasure-box, filled with emotions, impressions and inspiration. "

Well it seems I was promoted from the reserve list - and the project is now afoot! I believe that Uschi is still looking for a couple of participants if anyone feels like some hard work.

____________________________________________________

Other news: The gig last night was great fun. I went to the pub afterwards, as most of the people playing were friends of mine. My boyfriend met me before the gig, and came to the pub afterwards. I asked him what he would like to drink at which point he said "oh, I don't know. I brought the car, but I could just leave it here. I wouldn't need to pick it up til 9.30 according to the meter". So I bought him a beer. SEVERAL beers later we left by taxi.

This morning we left to pick the car up at around 9am. We got off the bus at Great Western Road (where he had left it) to find NO cars parked. My immediate thoughts were: It's been towed. Or stolen.

I guessed correctly with 'towed' - and when I checked the parking meter I discovered that he had parked in a no parking zone(between 7am & 9.30am). I can see how he made the mistake, as the no parking zone description was written in smallprint under a big sign that read:

CHARGES EFFECTIVE 9.30 am - 4.30 pm

list of charges

no parking zone 7am-9.30am, 4.30pm-6.00pm

SO I feel quite sorry for him. I phoned the council and found the address of the vehicle pound. We went there, coughed up £135!! then took our car home. So what if we are back to celery for dinner every day - things could be worse!

back!

Phew! That's two gigs down - and one VERY different one to go.

Keep thinking I can come round to visit everyone but I have SO much work to do it really will have to wait. I hope everyone is well - and thanks for your comments on Peace globe day etc...

any1 left not vomiting?

Apologies for my irritatingly chirpy outlook earlier! Hope I didn't p'ss you all off too much.

Just wanted to let you know I'm away this weekend (most of the time) at various gigs (Diversimode gig tomorrow - Genius of England is my favourite thing in the programme. Think it's my audio on my profile page, Vivaldi double tpt concerto this Sunday and Bernstein & Gershwin etc on Monday) so I don't have time to visit all TT participants who've left comments. I will try to catch up on Tuesday so please bear with me!

Thursday Thirteen # 20

Thirteen things I LOVED about Peace Globe Day

1 The Blogosphere (in the most part) was SO happy overall yesterday.

2 Not just happy - thoughtful too.

3 This meant my morning started off well!

4 School was fine - my pupils all played pretty well.

5 I had good reports back that my little 7yr old boy pupil (at the all girls school)
played really well in the junior school concert on Tuesday.

6 The weather was STUNNING on the way home from school, making the drive beautiful.

7 I picked my boyfriend up from work, and when I arrived he was actually pretty much
ready to go! That NEVER happens. I'm glad too, as on Peace Day I wouldn't have been able to rant at him.

8 We decided on the way home to have a bbq.

9 My fella went a-shopping and came home with a burger challenge: Could I make burgers to rival Morrisons' 'Best' range burgers.

10 My burgers won the challenge! (wise boyfriend overall yesterday...)

11 The cat played in the garden near us the whole time we were outside. It was nice.

12 When I got in I listened to Blogtalk radio - Dr Blogstein's Happy Hour and loved it.

13 Bed-time was not TOO late, and I have woken up feeling good!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Dona Nobis Pacem

Peace

I think the idea is that everyone today post deep meaningful messages on their hopes or plans for peace.

'fraid I can't help you there. Deep and meaningful just isn't my thing.

In fact - I'm not overly hopeful that peace is possible on a great global level, so doubted the wisdom or function of the blogblast.

Until I thought - Unless we all individually do our bit then of course peace cannot be.

So I'll try my best and do my bit - and I'll hope that one day all of us do this together.

p.s. AAGH! Just tried to use Mimi's Mr Linky thing - but hit refresh coz I didn't think it was taking - and have ended up on the list 3 times!!!!!!! I'm so embarassed.

Peace Globes

I've been avoiding posting a globe for ages coz I haven't had time to do it properly.



The time has come: 6th June is the blogblast for peace day (as decreed by Queen Mimi).



Here is my globe.... I'll re-post on Weds.

P.S. DIDN'T REALISE MORGEN WAS MANIC MONDAYING 'PEACE' TODAY.... OR I'D HAVE WRITTEN SOMETHING MORE MEANINGFUL.

WHO AM I KIDDING? I'D HAVE AVOIDED THE TOPIC AND SAVED THE GLOBE FOR WEDNESDAY!

Testing, testing, 1,2,3.

This morning I have been testing potential French Horn pupils. The region offer primary kids (P6 who I think are 9yrs old) the opportunity to test out 'endangered species' instruments. I was in a room and 2o-30 kids approx came to try horn, and my job was to get them to try playing it and to say 'yes' or 'no' to whether we should call them back.

I actually enjoyed it quite a lot. And many of the kids were great!

The point of the exercise is to select children who will be offered the chance to have lessons for a year for free. They'll get the instrument, and the lessons for the year paid for by the region. It's a great initiative - unlike anything we were offered back in the Shire. Having taught some of last year's selection I definitely think it's worthwhile.