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Duh ! When it comes to taking pictures some people just have what it takes. They can make the mundane interesting and capture people. Others don't. I belong to the later category. On Sunday I spent the afternoon with somebody I had not seen since school. The whole time my camera was in my bag, with extra memory added by Him Indoors in case I ever managed to take more than a handful of snaps at any one time. So what did I do. I only remembered/thought about it once we had reached Karl's stop. I got the camera out and he posed from the platform. The end result is rather funny. I hope the ones he took while we were eating cakes and walking around are a lot better. A good thing my memory is more likely to be set in motion by smells, tastes and sounsd than visual clues then...
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1.11.04 23:21 |
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Note to self Get Him Indoors to check bike brakes as it would not do to stop momentum by hitting the bumper of cars with no break lights everyday. Thank my father for providing an X chromosome to my genetic make up rather than a Y so that the subsequent landing on the bit between the saddle and the handlebar, though uncomfortable was not as bad as it could have been had I been a man. |
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3.11.04 23:46 |
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Say it like it is why don't you... When somebody starts a sentence with "no offense but" you know you are about to hear the most offensive thing ou have heard to date. So when my friend started with "I don't mean to offend you but..." I braced myself. I thought I was ready for the blow. Except she broke the unspoken rule of friendship amongst mothers and stated it was a good thing I had Him Indoors as his fathering skills made up for my shortcomings as a mother. I always thought that it was ok to self-mock ones mothering talents or lack of them but in a world where mothers are made to feel guilty whatever their choices by parents, parents in law, the media and politicians in general the last thing that is needed is for friends to join the chorus. The blow was low enough to hit hard and I thought of striking back, it would have been easy, stones and throwing and glasshouses and all that. I didn't. I put it down to too much drink on her part and oversensitivity due to lack of sleep on mine (been wearing my comfort jumper far too much the last couple of weeks - I need some sunshine and I need it soon). Thankfully I bumped into Christine on my way home at the week-end and she took me under her wing, we collected food and bubbly from my house, went back to her place where she cooked for me food that you can pick at (I am not eating much better than I am sleeping) and we drowned our lunch in bubbles. When you feel a bit fragile some friends are better than others... |
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8.11.04 22:41 |
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To hobby or not to hobby A number of people including Him Indoors have suggested I join them in the pursuit of their faourite hobby. So far the list goes as follows: Smallbore target shooting - Are you out of your mind? The way I feel sometimes about my "customers" it can't be a good move to give me an accurate aim. Rowing - Possibly, since the last time I was at the gym the only machine I enjoyed was the rowing machine it is not totally insane as ideas go. Then again from what I remember of my Oxford days, it involves getting up early... maybe in a parallel universe where I am an early bird. Yoga - Not for me I am afraid. If I am going to bother with exercise it has to involve some sweating and feeling like I am working hard and you know those exercises of relaxation you are taught before exams and during pregnancy, well they never really worked for me, I was the one desperately trying to picture the stupid place and failing miserably. Pilates - As above, and I did 10 years of ballet as a child and hated it. My posture is fine thank you very much and I need a hobby that requires more brute force and ignorance than co-ordination. Now if somebody wanted to join me for walking around aimlessly in the local streets while chatting or listening to music in the evenings whatever the weather I would happily go for it. |
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9.11.04 21:46 |
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Simple pleasures for simple minds How about that for a quick pick up on a crisp morning... This morning as I looked into the garden I spotted that some raspberries were begging to be picked.
How about that for a mood booster on a crisp November morning !!!
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10.11.04 20:52 |
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Fireworks a go go The fireworks have been going non stop tonight. I get a feeling this is how it would sound if we lived close to an army training range. The local shops must have been doing a roaring trade. To celebrate Diwali today at work we had chinese takeway in the office (nobody fancied curry ok!), we dimmed the ligths, lit tea lights (loads of them) and put some music on. Later we pigged out on Indian sweets. It was nice, fun and friendly. |
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12.11.04 23:30 |
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Aaaaaarrrghhhhh!!!!!!!! When do we stop craving for our parents' approval? Why is it that even if I know I will not get my father's approval do I still talk to him about my dreams and aspirations? I know he will manage to crush them in 3 seconds flat yet I still do it. I must be a sucker for punishment. The put down is a mixture of clear despise for the choice and certainty I will fail. I have managed to escape for a few minutes. I have just spent the last 2 days tending to his every whims and knowing whatever I do will come under criticism or at best indifference. So far: - it is my fault if the M25 was closed between junction 5 to 6. It is also my fault if my mother decided not to relay my instructions to my father (who had not taken a map) and they had trouble rejoining the M25 from my mother's choice of route. I also have some influence over the reopening of above mentioned section of the motorway and I am clearly being uncooperative by not ensuring it is reopened in time for his lordship's return journey. - no feedback on the food I have served this week-end. Saturday lunch homemade pizza and fruit, dinner roast chicken with the trimmings and a plum brioche, sunday lunch chicken, bacon and spinach pie, tomatoe salad and fruit, sunday dinner confit duck, mash and green salad in walnut dressing, sultana and apple cake with ice cream. I take it it is a good thing. He has only criticised the fact the chicken came from the supermarket and the spinach came from the garden. - contempt has been expressed at the lack of progress in DIY/ buiding/decorating the house. - Areas of messiness have been duly noted with a snigger, areas of tidyiness have been noticed and mocked. - Attempts at serious conversation about my plans for the future have ended up with me walking off with a tight knot in my throat and loads of deep breathing in the kitchen. - Him Indoors has expressed serious doubts over the wisdom of spending Christmas at my parents' house. My sister is organising it I feel I cannot let her down. - Him Indoors has gently updated the countdown before their departure everytime I looked about to burst - "only X hours to go dear, just breathe deeply !". - Him Indoors a reminded me I am a grown up now and I can do what I want and since nothing I can do will ever please him I might as well do as I please. - I found myself humming a tune while taking my dad around his favourite shop and hoping I would not sing the lyrics out loud wihout realising it, they go: "je deteste pour toujours les familles, plus tard je donnerai mes raisons...". Better go out in the Lion's den. |
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14.11.04 22:31 |
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