Bugger.
Lost my phone in Jaxx last night.
How do I know I lost it & it wasn't stolen ; simple, have you seen my phone ?
Please e-mail me your mobile numbers, ta.
Cx
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Ken Dodd’s Dad’s Dog’s Dead
Day 2 of overcast & unpredictable weather, welcome to an English summer MilkyNZ ! Bloo texted to say ‘She’s here’ at 1915 hours last night. She went on to elaborate ‘I’m here, tired & smelly’ and informed me that ‘traffic on the M3 was light’. See, acting like a local already MilkyNZ, apart from the smelly bit, sort that out love.
You won’t know whether you’re coming or going for about a week, but I know the Bloo’s will look after you, hope to catch up with you Friday if I can get the night off work.
After a 3 week absence Tuesday saw the return of quiz night and our team of ‘Ken Dodd’s Dad’s Dog’s Dead’. These nights are becoming increasingly well attended and we fielded an embarrassingly large team of 14. There have been mutterings of separating into 3 teams & claiming 1st, 2nd & 3rd prizes but I fear we’d never make it out of the pub alive.
Our 4 newest team members included Maggie (Demolition Derby) & Colin (The Silver Fox). Also boosting our numbers were the very welcome and normal (ie non-job) MTM & the lovely Mrs MTM.
I had heard very good things about Mrs MTM from someone whose ‘people judgement’ is second to none, and I am delighted to say they were spot on. She is gorgeous, funny, charming, and well-travelled. And she rides a sports-bike. And she is introducing ‘throws & sh1t’ to a certain ‘bunker of doom’.
At one point whilst Mrs MTM & I we were in conversation, Colin asked how long we had known each other, ‘We met tonight’ I replied. That’s how easy she is. On reflection, a word other than ‘easy’ may be more suitable, I can’t think of one, but I know you’ll understand what I mean.
Introducing the MTM’s was amusing. I’m starting to realise that none of my Forum/Blog friends have normal names. It occurred to me during the night that Bloo was at the pub quiz, when one of the guys said to me ‘What’s Bloo’s real name ?’. Firstly, I thought ‘That is his real name’ then I found myself struggling to think of his real name.
Aware that it might sound a tad odd to say to the ensemble ; ’This is MTM & this is Piggy’ I asked them how they would like to be introduced. Even then I couldn’t bring myself to introduce Mrs MTM as ‘Piggy’, it seems so harsh. For the rest of the night whenever someone addressed MTM as ‘Ali’ I had to look around to see who they were talking to.
On a similar note, people who know me post-Blog refer to me as Briggsy, whilst my work friends know me as Carol out of work, or Mighty Mistress of Doom in work. On balance I prefer Briggsy, which is odd given that I used to hate my name as a kid as it was the source of much teasing. I’ve grown into it now though. Whenever I was referred to as ‘Briggsy’ I could see a look of confusion on my work colleagues faces.
I’ve said before, one of the things which gives me great pleasure is introducing different sets of friends & watching the interaction. Bloo was accepted very rapidly and the MTM’s continued the trend. I fully anticipate the joining of Forum & D team in the not too distant future and a team which will take over all seating areas in the pub.
The MTM’s had a game plan which assured them of a return invite. They would get all the difficult answers correct between the 2 of them, then deliberately stuff up on a simple one. After all, no-one likes a smart-arse do they ?
As for the quiz itself, we embarrassed ourselves with a 3rd win. It really was embarrassing, given that in the final round we scored something like a measly 3 from 10 points. We had to wonder how atrocious the other teams were. Clangers of the round included an ex travel agent who couldn’t recall which ‘Costa’ Benidorm was on and someone who attended a military school who didn’t know whether 11 o’clock was the 1st or final stroke of Big Ben on Remembrance Sunday.
Jonesy saved the day by telling us that JP2 visited England in 1982.
Colin disagreed & thought it had been 1980. I asked Steve how he could be sure of the date & he replied ‘I went to see him, I’m a Catholic aren’t I ?’
If you saw Steve this wouldn’t seem an odd thing to hear as he has stereotypically Italian looks. I think his surname confused me, you don’t get many Italian Jones’. I’m just pleased I didn’t forward the ‘uneaten Easter egg joke’ onto him by text ?
This is part of what I enjoy about quiz night, the chance to actually talk to one another out of work. Because we usually socialise with a mixture of loud music & alcohol, talking is some times over-looked in favour of hurling oneself around a dance-floor or avoiding a drunken Phil.
Right – enough blogging, time to go clear out Henry. After having Barley for 3 days he’s looking distinctly unloved. It was very embarrassing yesterday when after attending a meeting, one of the Inspectors asked for a lift to the local train station. As he sat gingerly amongst the sand, dog-hair & hay I found myself babbling about how Henry is normally a lot cleaner. I don’t think he believed me. I didn’t have the heart to point out he had a white hairy bottom as he exited the car.
Cx
Day 2 of overcast & unpredictable weather, welcome to an English summer MilkyNZ ! Bloo texted to say ‘She’s here’ at 1915 hours last night. She went on to elaborate ‘I’m here, tired & smelly’ and informed me that ‘traffic on the M3 was light’. See, acting like a local already MilkyNZ, apart from the smelly bit, sort that out love.
You won’t know whether you’re coming or going for about a week, but I know the Bloo’s will look after you, hope to catch up with you Friday if I can get the night off work.
After a 3 week absence Tuesday saw the return of quiz night and our team of ‘Ken Dodd’s Dad’s Dog’s Dead’. These nights are becoming increasingly well attended and we fielded an embarrassingly large team of 14. There have been mutterings of separating into 3 teams & claiming 1st, 2nd & 3rd prizes but I fear we’d never make it out of the pub alive.
Our 4 newest team members included Maggie (Demolition Derby) & Colin (The Silver Fox). Also boosting our numbers were the very welcome and normal (ie non-job) MTM & the lovely Mrs MTM.
I had heard very good things about Mrs MTM from someone whose ‘people judgement’ is second to none, and I am delighted to say they were spot on. She is gorgeous, funny, charming, and well-travelled. And she rides a sports-bike. And she is introducing ‘throws & sh1t’ to a certain ‘bunker of doom’.
At one point whilst Mrs MTM & I we were in conversation, Colin asked how long we had known each other, ‘We met tonight’ I replied. That’s how easy she is. On reflection, a word other than ‘easy’ may be more suitable, I can’t think of one, but I know you’ll understand what I mean.
Introducing the MTM’s was amusing. I’m starting to realise that none of my Forum/Blog friends have normal names. It occurred to me during the night that Bloo was at the pub quiz, when one of the guys said to me ‘What’s Bloo’s real name ?’. Firstly, I thought ‘That is his real name’ then I found myself struggling to think of his real name.
Aware that it might sound a tad odd to say to the ensemble ; ’This is MTM & this is Piggy’ I asked them how they would like to be introduced. Even then I couldn’t bring myself to introduce Mrs MTM as ‘Piggy’, it seems so harsh. For the rest of the night whenever someone addressed MTM as ‘Ali’ I had to look around to see who they were talking to.
On a similar note, people who know me post-Blog refer to me as Briggsy, whilst my work friends know me as Carol out of work, or Mighty Mistress of Doom in work. On balance I prefer Briggsy, which is odd given that I used to hate my name as a kid as it was the source of much teasing. I’ve grown into it now though. Whenever I was referred to as ‘Briggsy’ I could see a look of confusion on my work colleagues faces.
I’ve said before, one of the things which gives me great pleasure is introducing different sets of friends & watching the interaction. Bloo was accepted very rapidly and the MTM’s continued the trend. I fully anticipate the joining of Forum & D team in the not too distant future and a team which will take over all seating areas in the pub.
The MTM’s had a game plan which assured them of a return invite. They would get all the difficult answers correct between the 2 of them, then deliberately stuff up on a simple one. After all, no-one likes a smart-arse do they ?
As for the quiz itself, we embarrassed ourselves with a 3rd win. It really was embarrassing, given that in the final round we scored something like a measly 3 from 10 points. We had to wonder how atrocious the other teams were. Clangers of the round included an ex travel agent who couldn’t recall which ‘Costa’ Benidorm was on and someone who attended a military school who didn’t know whether 11 o’clock was the 1st or final stroke of Big Ben on Remembrance Sunday.
Jonesy saved the day by telling us that JP2 visited England in 1982.
Colin disagreed & thought it had been 1980. I asked Steve how he could be sure of the date & he replied ‘I went to see him, I’m a Catholic aren’t I ?’
If you saw Steve this wouldn’t seem an odd thing to hear as he has stereotypically Italian looks. I think his surname confused me, you don’t get many Italian Jones’. I’m just pleased I didn’t forward the ‘uneaten Easter egg joke’ onto him by text ?
This is part of what I enjoy about quiz night, the chance to actually talk to one another out of work. Because we usually socialise with a mixture of loud music & alcohol, talking is some times over-looked in favour of hurling oneself around a dance-floor or avoiding a drunken Phil.
Right – enough blogging, time to go clear out Henry. After having Barley for 3 days he’s looking distinctly unloved. It was very embarrassing yesterday when after attending a meeting, one of the Inspectors asked for a lift to the local train station. As he sat gingerly amongst the sand, dog-hair & hay I found myself babbling about how Henry is normally a lot cleaner. I don’t think he believed me. I didn’t have the heart to point out he had a white hairy bottom as he exited the car.
Cx
Monday, April 25, 2005
Snakes & Ladders : 2 years on
Location : Bedroom
Time : Commenced at 1905, completed at 2153
Listening to : Kisstory ; Rewind to the 90’s
Accompanied by : A beautifully clean, recently bathed Barley.
I’ve just re-read this prior to posting, it’s been hard being this honest, I almost didn’t publish.
The heating has just kicked in. I have a large mug of tea. Sharon has headed off for a swim having worked from home all day, so I have the flat to myself. I have a keyboard, time on my hands and as I know I’m not early turn tomorrow, I’m not tired. I have the urge to write & that tremendous sense of well-being which follows a hot bath after outdoorsy stuff.
My sloth this morning was unfairly rewarded by a break in the torrential rain at the same time as I left to set off for some much anticipated neddy-pestering in the fresh, clean Surrey countryside.
After a big cuddle with CB we set out for the Mickleham long ride.
CB is restricted to walking at the moment (navicular for the horsey types) and I can’t say I minded. I had a very nasty scare a few weeks ago involving galloping and a busy main road & my confidence was a little shaken. It would appear I’m not, as I had previously thought, immortal. A long, calm ride at the walk was just what the doctor ordered and I enjoyed CB’s company hugely today.
One of the things I relish most about riding is the opportunity the peace & quiet affords me to marshal my thoughts. I frequently ride on my own and don’t consider myself alone with Barley & a neddy. I would even admit to you lot that I frequently avoid other riders just about to leave the yard. With the exception of a couple of companions, I prefer my solitude. My work environment is one of constant noise & I don’t have the luxury of being able to tune out the ickle voices in my left ear.
When I worked at Kennington nick which was much busier than Kingston, I would go find a quiet place to sit for my break away from the Control Room. Invariably, just as I had settled into my noise-free sanctuary some PC would join me with their radio blaring. I can remember asking them to turn their p/r’s off if they wanted to sit with me because even if they could ignore them I couldn’t.
I’ve thought about it & I think it’s why I’m so anti-tv & anti-phone, it’s the ceaseless babble from both of them which irks me so much. It would explain why I’m happy to communicate via MSN & text, I guard my peace very jealously.
I’ve been aware for some weeks now of the significance of the 22 April : this being the date which indicates a whole year back since returning from NZ. My thoughts lately have been a bit of a happy jumble with a nudge from NZ every now & then. I’ve chased the NZ thoughts away each time thinking ‘I’ll think about that on the 22nd’. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t want to think about NZ, it’s just I’ve been avoiding introspection, knowing that I needed some uninterrupted time to get some perspective.
So where am I up to with plans for returning ?
My first move was to join an equine college with a view to studying equine physiotherapy. How have I done ? Rubbishly. I could give you excuses but I respect you too much (although that ingrown toenail is really sore). The truth is, I haven’t done it. Bad Briggsy.
On the upside, I had 3 loans to pay off. By saving & increasing the payments, I was hoping for a time-scale of 3 years to pay them off and return. The thinking behind this is that the loans will take 3 times longer to pay off in NZ thanks to the weak Kiwi dollar and I wanted to have a clean financial slate before considering emigration.
Some weeks ago I paid off the first of those loans, which puts me on schedule for paying off the remaining 2 in the next 2 years. Receiving the letter saying I had paid off the loan was immensely satisfying. Saving towards paying off the next 2 is the only thing stopping me buying a Fireblade, more of which later.
The rest is stuff for a later day. The application itself is judged on a points basis. Earn enough points, get invited in. I’m not stressing the application at this stage, what’s the point in fretting for 2 years ? As I’m trusting more and more these days ; if it’s meant to be it’ll happen. Not only tremendously soothing but a wonderful mantra for us lazies everywhere. Laissez-faire ? Bring it on.
As for life in the UK these days ? I consider myself to be in a very similar position to Bloo. We’ve both had a glimpse of the type of life we want and have plans to help us achieve it but are quite happy to live the life we have until then. And when the chavs become too much ? His salvation is football, mine is neddies. Is this pretty accurate Bloo ? I guess I’ll hear about it if not ? ?
As for me personally ? I’ve re-read 2 previous entries from Q4A this evening to help me remember how I was. The first was explaining who I was & why I was leaving for NZ. I covered up a lot of my unhappiness with humour but the fact was I was a mess. My self-esteem was at an all time low. I had allowed someone whose intellect I admired to let me feel worthless. I realise now that the fact that I was willing to leave mum and all my friends to escape the situation was the best indicator of how painful being in England was.
The second entry I read was my 1st day back at work in the UK after my year away. Raw wasn’t I ? I didn’t think I’d ever settle here again. I haven’t in some ways, my heart belongs to NZ but there are things about my life here that I enjoy very much.
I am lucky in having a great circle of friends. They’re a weird bunch sure enough but great nevertheless. Some of them I’ve known 15 years, that’s the longest I’ve known anyone (barring family). Others I’ve only known a year but know we’ll stay friends. I feel very settled in Kingston, I wouldn’t have ever chosen town life but if you have to live in town, Kingston’s as good as it gets. The river is 150 metres away from my flat. I’m learning to love the Thames. The flat is lovely and you couldn’t get a more amenable flat mate than Sharon (especially now the tap’s been replaced & she can’t leave it dripping. Just need to get her to close the bin lid now ?)
I have access to stunning countryside, endless bridleways and neddies the quality of which I could never afford. My shifts allow me to appreciate my riding at times of the day when no-one else is around. My golf is going well, I have numerous society days coming up this summer and I plan to take lessons with the same pro who allowed Andy to convincingly beat his dad after lesson number 2 of 10. It’s fair to say Andy’s dad didn’t take it well ?
I have a reasonably well-paid job which I enjoy. It has it’s fair share of dodgy politics but doesn’t everyone’s ? It’s interesting, stimulating, exciting & rewarding and I work for a top Guv’nor. (sorry, I mean Inspector of course VGC) Even the constant change doesn’t bother me anymore, I’ve learned to pick my battles & let the majority of it wash over me. I can be the proverbial jellyfish washed this way & that with the tide, it doesn’t make me lazy or spineless just better prepared for the battles which matter.
The only thing causing me any upset at the moment is speed, or the lack of it to be accurate. I physically miss my Blade and the sudden influx of sports bikes on the road because of the good weather is a painful reminder of what I used to have. I’m at risk of causing an accident so transfixed am I when I see the rapidly approaching headlight in my rear view mirror. This is only my second summer since 1995 without a bike & the fact that without a garage no insurance company would touch a Blade does little to ease the ache. My plan is to hire a Blade of a couple of days to get it out of my system. Honest Weeny.
I’ve re-examined the things which were causing me upset at Christmas & realise that I’ve either dealt with them or allowed them not to matter any more. I’ve allowed 2 contacts to slip as they were causing me heartache and were one-sided. If someone never asks ‘How are you ?’ have a think about it.
I don’t think he’ll mind me telling you that I was a ‘bit waaah’ when Stuart first told me his girlfriend Kerry was pregnant. Eminently sensible friends (Angie) pointed out that even if you don’t plan on children, it’s still unnerving when an ex announces they are going to have them. To refer to Stuart as just an ex is a bit harsh, he’s more than that. Anyone who can put up with me for 5 years has to be special. When anyone who doesn’t know him asks, I describe him as ‘the man you’d encourage your best friend to date’. He’s kind, honest, decent & a bloody good copper who’ll end up as a Commander. We had a few boundary-exploring ups & downs when we first separated 5 years ago, but I’m proud to report that we remained true to our promise to stay friends.
He & Kerry dropped off Barley on Sunday and both talked enthusiastically about their impending arrival. She is due in 2 months time & has a very neat & tidy bump & no excess weight anywhere else. This means they are having a boy. (I know this because I am now a hexpert on other people’s pregnancies & baybees) Kerry has opted for a birthing pool & a home birth. Knowing Barley’s love of water I warned Kerry that Barley wouldn’t be able to stay out of the pool. Looking at her fondly, Kerry just laughed & said she was fully expecting Barley to join her. As I looked at the pair of them I felt a real sense of happiness for Stuart, he’ll be a terrific dad and well done him for picking someone who likes spaniels ! And well done me for being a growed-up.
I could witter on & on about what’s changed but I won’t for two reasons. Firstly, Hx won’t even have got this far as there are no pictures and secondly it’s summed up as easily as this …The reason I went to NZ is no more.
How can I be sure ? Because, get this Bloo, I can listen to all of White Ladder now, even ‘This Year’s Love’. Quod erat demonstrandum.
Cx
Location : Bedroom
Time : Commenced at 1905, completed at 2153
Listening to : Kisstory ; Rewind to the 90’s
Accompanied by : A beautifully clean, recently bathed Barley.
I’ve just re-read this prior to posting, it’s been hard being this honest, I almost didn’t publish.
The heating has just kicked in. I have a large mug of tea. Sharon has headed off for a swim having worked from home all day, so I have the flat to myself. I have a keyboard, time on my hands and as I know I’m not early turn tomorrow, I’m not tired. I have the urge to write & that tremendous sense of well-being which follows a hot bath after outdoorsy stuff.
My sloth this morning was unfairly rewarded by a break in the torrential rain at the same time as I left to set off for some much anticipated neddy-pestering in the fresh, clean Surrey countryside.
After a big cuddle with CB we set out for the Mickleham long ride.
CB is restricted to walking at the moment (navicular for the horsey types) and I can’t say I minded. I had a very nasty scare a few weeks ago involving galloping and a busy main road & my confidence was a little shaken. It would appear I’m not, as I had previously thought, immortal. A long, calm ride at the walk was just what the doctor ordered and I enjoyed CB’s company hugely today.
One of the things I relish most about riding is the opportunity the peace & quiet affords me to marshal my thoughts. I frequently ride on my own and don’t consider myself alone with Barley & a neddy. I would even admit to you lot that I frequently avoid other riders just about to leave the yard. With the exception of a couple of companions, I prefer my solitude. My work environment is one of constant noise & I don’t have the luxury of being able to tune out the ickle voices in my left ear.
When I worked at Kennington nick which was much busier than Kingston, I would go find a quiet place to sit for my break away from the Control Room. Invariably, just as I had settled into my noise-free sanctuary some PC would join me with their radio blaring. I can remember asking them to turn their p/r’s off if they wanted to sit with me because even if they could ignore them I couldn’t.
I’ve thought about it & I think it’s why I’m so anti-tv & anti-phone, it’s the ceaseless babble from both of them which irks me so much. It would explain why I’m happy to communicate via MSN & text, I guard my peace very jealously.
I’ve been aware for some weeks now of the significance of the 22 April : this being the date which indicates a whole year back since returning from NZ. My thoughts lately have been a bit of a happy jumble with a nudge from NZ every now & then. I’ve chased the NZ thoughts away each time thinking ‘I’ll think about that on the 22nd’. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t want to think about NZ, it’s just I’ve been avoiding introspection, knowing that I needed some uninterrupted time to get some perspective.
So where am I up to with plans for returning ?
My first move was to join an equine college with a view to studying equine physiotherapy. How have I done ? Rubbishly. I could give you excuses but I respect you too much (although that ingrown toenail is really sore). The truth is, I haven’t done it. Bad Briggsy.
On the upside, I had 3 loans to pay off. By saving & increasing the payments, I was hoping for a time-scale of 3 years to pay them off and return. The thinking behind this is that the loans will take 3 times longer to pay off in NZ thanks to the weak Kiwi dollar and I wanted to have a clean financial slate before considering emigration.
Some weeks ago I paid off the first of those loans, which puts me on schedule for paying off the remaining 2 in the next 2 years. Receiving the letter saying I had paid off the loan was immensely satisfying. Saving towards paying off the next 2 is the only thing stopping me buying a Fireblade, more of which later.
The rest is stuff for a later day. The application itself is judged on a points basis. Earn enough points, get invited in. I’m not stressing the application at this stage, what’s the point in fretting for 2 years ? As I’m trusting more and more these days ; if it’s meant to be it’ll happen. Not only tremendously soothing but a wonderful mantra for us lazies everywhere. Laissez-faire ? Bring it on.
As for life in the UK these days ? I consider myself to be in a very similar position to Bloo. We’ve both had a glimpse of the type of life we want and have plans to help us achieve it but are quite happy to live the life we have until then. And when the chavs become too much ? His salvation is football, mine is neddies. Is this pretty accurate Bloo ? I guess I’ll hear about it if not ? ?
As for me personally ? I’ve re-read 2 previous entries from Q4A this evening to help me remember how I was. The first was explaining who I was & why I was leaving for NZ. I covered up a lot of my unhappiness with humour but the fact was I was a mess. My self-esteem was at an all time low. I had allowed someone whose intellect I admired to let me feel worthless. I realise now that the fact that I was willing to leave mum and all my friends to escape the situation was the best indicator of how painful being in England was.
The second entry I read was my 1st day back at work in the UK after my year away. Raw wasn’t I ? I didn’t think I’d ever settle here again. I haven’t in some ways, my heart belongs to NZ but there are things about my life here that I enjoy very much.
I am lucky in having a great circle of friends. They’re a weird bunch sure enough but great nevertheless. Some of them I’ve known 15 years, that’s the longest I’ve known anyone (barring family). Others I’ve only known a year but know we’ll stay friends. I feel very settled in Kingston, I wouldn’t have ever chosen town life but if you have to live in town, Kingston’s as good as it gets. The river is 150 metres away from my flat. I’m learning to love the Thames. The flat is lovely and you couldn’t get a more amenable flat mate than Sharon (especially now the tap’s been replaced & she can’t leave it dripping. Just need to get her to close the bin lid now ?)
I have access to stunning countryside, endless bridleways and neddies the quality of which I could never afford. My shifts allow me to appreciate my riding at times of the day when no-one else is around. My golf is going well, I have numerous society days coming up this summer and I plan to take lessons with the same pro who allowed Andy to convincingly beat his dad after lesson number 2 of 10. It’s fair to say Andy’s dad didn’t take it well ?
I have a reasonably well-paid job which I enjoy. It has it’s fair share of dodgy politics but doesn’t everyone’s ? It’s interesting, stimulating, exciting & rewarding and I work for a top Guv’nor. (sorry, I mean Inspector of course VGC) Even the constant change doesn’t bother me anymore, I’ve learned to pick my battles & let the majority of it wash over me. I can be the proverbial jellyfish washed this way & that with the tide, it doesn’t make me lazy or spineless just better prepared for the battles which matter.
The only thing causing me any upset at the moment is speed, or the lack of it to be accurate. I physically miss my Blade and the sudden influx of sports bikes on the road because of the good weather is a painful reminder of what I used to have. I’m at risk of causing an accident so transfixed am I when I see the rapidly approaching headlight in my rear view mirror. This is only my second summer since 1995 without a bike & the fact that without a garage no insurance company would touch a Blade does little to ease the ache. My plan is to hire a Blade of a couple of days to get it out of my system. Honest Weeny.
I’ve re-examined the things which were causing me upset at Christmas & realise that I’ve either dealt with them or allowed them not to matter any more. I’ve allowed 2 contacts to slip as they were causing me heartache and were one-sided. If someone never asks ‘How are you ?’ have a think about it.
I don’t think he’ll mind me telling you that I was a ‘bit waaah’ when Stuart first told me his girlfriend Kerry was pregnant. Eminently sensible friends (Angie) pointed out that even if you don’t plan on children, it’s still unnerving when an ex announces they are going to have them. To refer to Stuart as just an ex is a bit harsh, he’s more than that. Anyone who can put up with me for 5 years has to be special. When anyone who doesn’t know him asks, I describe him as ‘the man you’d encourage your best friend to date’. He’s kind, honest, decent & a bloody good copper who’ll end up as a Commander. We had a few boundary-exploring ups & downs when we first separated 5 years ago, but I’m proud to report that we remained true to our promise to stay friends.
He & Kerry dropped off Barley on Sunday and both talked enthusiastically about their impending arrival. She is due in 2 months time & has a very neat & tidy bump & no excess weight anywhere else. This means they are having a boy. (I know this because I am now a hexpert on other people’s pregnancies & baybees) Kerry has opted for a birthing pool & a home birth. Knowing Barley’s love of water I warned Kerry that Barley wouldn’t be able to stay out of the pool. Looking at her fondly, Kerry just laughed & said she was fully expecting Barley to join her. As I looked at the pair of them I felt a real sense of happiness for Stuart, he’ll be a terrific dad and well done him for picking someone who likes spaniels ! And well done me for being a growed-up.
I could witter on & on about what’s changed but I won’t for two reasons. Firstly, Hx won’t even have got this far as there are no pictures and secondly it’s summed up as easily as this …The reason I went to NZ is no more.
How can I be sure ? Because, get this Bloo, I can listen to all of White Ladder now, even ‘This Year’s Love’. Quod erat demonstrandum.
Cx
Friday, April 22, 2005
Avian action
Yesterday I went to Birdworld.
It was a great day out.
I saw this.
And some of these. Sorry it's not a great photo, I was rushing to get to the John Deere.
It's precisely 1 year to the day that I returned from my year away in NZ, I'll be posting about it when I've finished thinking about it a bit more.
Bog Scar Girl x
Yesterday I went to Birdworld.
It was a great day out.
It's precisely 1 year to the day that I returned from my year away in NZ, I'll be posting about it when I've finished thinking about it a bit more.
Bog Scar Girl x
Monday, April 18, 2005
A pony ?
Stuart successfully completed the marathon & must be bitten by the bug as he's signed up for the Dublin one. You will recall he ran for Guide Dogs for the Blind & raised over a £1,000 in donations, (thanks to all those who sponsored him - it's not too late if you still want to) He says that some representatives from the charity came to the finish line to cheer him over - complete with guide dogs.
That would have finished me off - I'd have been a blubbing wreck.
Well done Stu - way to go :)
The amusing footnote was that Mummeh picked up on the cockney rhyming slang & texted me to say she'd sponsor Stu 'a pony'. I think she must have had to sit down when I told her she owed him £500 quid !
Cx
Stuart successfully completed the marathon & must be bitten by the bug as he's signed up for the Dublin one. You will recall he ran for Guide Dogs for the Blind & raised over a £1,000 in donations, (thanks to all those who sponsored him - it's not too late if you still want to) He says that some representatives from the charity came to the finish line to cheer him over - complete with guide dogs.
That would have finished me off - I'd have been a blubbing wreck.
Well done Stu - way to go :)
The amusing footnote was that Mummeh picked up on the cockney rhyming slang & texted me to say she'd sponsor Stu 'a pony'. I think she must have had to sit down when I told her she owed him £500 quid !
Cx
Friday, April 15, 2005
Puppies (oh and the Marathon ... or something)
Stuart is running the London Marathon on Sunday for Guide Dogs for the Blind. He entered under the mistaken impression that if he completed the course he would get his own retriever puppy. It would relieve his upset greatly if anyone felt like donating a fiver to the charity in reward for his effort. If you're in, leave your name on comments, I'll pay him for you, then send round the heavies to get it back (get it from you next time I see you).
I'm obliged.
Cx
Stuart is running the London Marathon on Sunday for Guide Dogs for the Blind. He entered under the mistaken impression that if he completed the course he would get his own retriever puppy. It would relieve his upset greatly if anyone felt like donating a fiver to the charity in reward for his effort. If you're in, leave your name on comments, I'll pay him for you, then send round the heavies to get it back (get it from you next time I see you).
I'm obliged.
Cx
Monday, April 11, 2005
Friday, April 08, 2005
‘Tap dancing weirdo’
Night duty
The warm weather brought the freaks out for a horrendously busy night duty and I was quite relieved to get the last few off. My favourite story was during my nights off & concerned Rachel & Nick who were paired together. Rachel is quick off the mark & takes no nonsense. Nick is her diametric opposite.
When officers are paired together, an unwritten rule suggests that the officer with less experience should go down as the arresting officer, thus increasing their experience. They were called to investigate the behaviour of a group of youths. Rachel read them the riot act then discovering that they were likely candidates for a theft warned them they were likely to be arrested, thus giving the chance for Nick (the officer with less experience) to step in & do the decent thing.
Nick’s contribution to the event was to lean in & intone ‘Yeah’ at the end of Rachel’s warning to the group.
Losing patience Rachel announced to the group – ‘Right, you’re all nicked’ … all 5 of them. A little while later after attending the custody suite with their guests Nick confided to Rachel that he was disappointed not to have gone down as the arresting officer for any of the ‘bodies’.
‘But you didn’t actually arrest any of them did you Nick ?’ was Rachel’s patient reply.
Yorkshire
After a couple of relaxing outdoor days sorting out my sleep pattern, I headed for Yorkshire on Friday. No unnecessarily heavy traffic & avoiding the Heathrow static diggers display had me arriving after 6 hours which is unacceptable (cue ‘I hate this country & our crappy, overcrowded roads, repeat to fade …). Luckily, a chat yesterday with Golden Balls, aka lovely Colin, revealed a different, allegedly quicker route, involving the M18 so I’m going to try that one next time. Colin’s currently off D team doing a job which involves a prodigious amount of driving, what he doesn’t know about routes isn’t worth knowing.
Regardless of my late arrival I was greeted with a delicious cooked meal which was to set the trend for my visit. I didn’t even get to eat fish and chips once – thank you Mummeh.
On Saturday we commenced with a visit to the vets for Mummeh’s moggies to have their annual booster. Hazel was unimpressed at going in the basket but accepted it with equanimity. Clancy however, had other ideas & having seen where his sibling ended up, decided the best course of action was to squeeze his large frame down the gap between the washing machine & work units in the kitchen. I made a dive for him & grabbed his tail until instructed by Mummeh to let him go. For the next 15 minutes we tried to pull out the washing machine, having failed to lure him out with assorted titbits. Having removed one of the kickboards at the far side of the kitchen, Mummeh then had the brainwave of fetching the ‘thing what scares a Clancy the most’ ie the hairdryer. Switching it on, she pushed it under the units & began waving it in Clancy’s general direction until he dashed terrified, into my waiting arms to be deposited into another waiting basket.
‘Well – he’s not underweight is he ?’ was the vet’s pronouncement as we plopped a disgruntled Clancy on his examination table 10 minutes later.
Later that day we headed for Boundary Mills to do some shopping. The disappointment of coming away empty-handed was tempered by the drive back which was stimulating. The drive there had been conservative due to Mummeh being a growed-up & advising me about fuel consumption. Sensing my disappointment at being on the twisties in bright, dry, clear conditions she relented on the homeward journey with the words ‘Oh go on then – drive it’ So I did. She was commendably calm too. The only indicators were her body language (her fingers left indentations in the seat) and her question ‘So – do you miss your bike then ?’ Well done Mummeh.
The day was rounded off with a lovely evening stroll along the river banks in Gargrave doing what Barleys like the most ; fetching tennis balls.
I have recently purchased 2 ‘throwing thingies’ which allow even ‘gurls what can’t throw’ to launch the ball a respectable distance. I have one & Stuart has the other. Don’t think from this that I am implying Stuart is ‘ a gurl what can’t throw’, indeed the mixture of the ‘throwing thingy’ with a bloke’s throwing produces some spectacular distances. So much so that Barley occasionally turns back from her run for the ball, unconvinced that the ball is still in the air.
On Sunday we visited Linton, one of my favourite places in England.
After a 3 hour riverside stroll in the sunshine Mummeh treated us to huge 99’s. I ate mine whilst Mummeh smeared hers over her face, prompting the proprietor of the ice cream van to approach her & offer a large wad of serviettes & a pitying expression. I nearly laughed up a lung, especially as we had been reminiscing about how messily my younger brother Lloyd used to eat his ice creams. I was kindness epitomised & used to offer to ‘tidy it up for him’ thus removing most of the ice cream. He never cottoned on, bless him.
I tackled the journey down late Sunday evening, hoping for a more respectable travelling time. 5 hours, rather than 6. Barley’s only contribution was a succession of choking bottom burps. Each time I looked at her she slept the sleep of the innocent, unaware of my streaming eyes & racking coughs. My props were the ubiquitous Red Bull & Pro-Plus, loud music and 5 hours worth of quiz questions from Milk Yuk. My favourite exchanges were these …
Milk Yuk : ‘What does SPAM stand for ?’
Briggsy : ‘Is is Self Promulgating Automated Mail ?’
Milk Yuk : ‘No – Shoulder Pork And haM’
Milk Yuk : ‘Name all 5 of the Marx brothers’
Briggsy : ‘Harpo, Groucho, Jello , Brillo & Brasso ?’
Briggsy : ‘Oh – and Chico’
Milk Yuk : ‘Wrong – the last two are actually Marky & Pollen’
After 7 lovely days, I took Barley back to Stuart’s on Tuesday morning. The downside of having her for such a long stint is the feeling when I have to leave her again. I get used to her being there very quickly.
Golf –‘ it’s not the winning, it’s the taking part.’
I didn’t have much time to dwell though after a 2 hour journey to return her I was soon collected by Darren as we headed to Fulwell for our 1415 tee off time & golf with Andy & his dad.
When Andy, Darren & I play there is much mockery & laughter & Darren & I remarked on the journey there that we would have to play ‘normal golf’ if we were to play with a ‘growed-up’. Andy’s dad proved to be as good a golfer as he was a conversationalist & we thought we’d played a pretty relaxed round until he subsequently remarked to Andy how quiet his friends were.
‘High-light’ of the round was Darren finding the island in the lake with three successive tee shots, this may not sound remarkable until you hear that each of those shots ricocheted from trees to find their mark.
I am relieved to report that I seem to have remembered how to drive a ball off a tee again, especially as this season’s Police Society Golf Days have commenced.
Quiz Night
Tuesday night saw the welcome addition of Bloo to our pub quiz night. Isn’t it gratifying when one of your friends meets a group of others & they hit it off ? Bloo wasted no time in fitting right in by shouting out answers & taking the pi55 out of Andy. On a serious note, I can think of no higher recommendation to prolonged overseas travel than the way Bloo conducted himself on Tuesday. There was not a hint of the miserable t**t. Well done you. Come again next time ?
Our team ‘Pope Idol’ covered itself in glory with its second win, which means we have been placed each outing & more prosaically a commendable £77.50 in the kitty. Notables on the night were Gemma who pulled ‘Hovis’ out of nowhere, Darren with ‘Persian’ which was the much less offensive and a more accurate reply than mine, to the question ‘What nationality was Aladdin ? The 2 questions I was gifted with were ‘Which fictional town did James Herriott work in ?’ and ‘What was Churchill’s wife’s name ?’
I heard someone mutter ‘I bet Briggsy’s read all the Herriott books’ in disparaging undertones. It’s true – I did, I still love them now.
That just about brings us up to speed I think.
Cows
I am hoping to take the 3rd, 4th & 5th of May as annual leave to assist Malcolm & Justine at a show with their cows. I told Malcolm this morning that I had requested the leave & would let him know as soon as. His reply was …
‘The show cows are shaping up well, one has a fifth teat, the other has warts.’
Great.
2 people I know are trying to do something which is very difficult at the moment, my best wishes are with both of you. I can’t name one without implicating the other, you know who you are.
Derv
Ps. If all has gone to plan, this will be the first ‘live’ Q4A that Derv has read. I have been promising for some time to send him the Q4A link & have him aboard. Welcome Derv. I look forward to your comments, it’s very quiet at VK without you.
Cx
Night duty
The warm weather brought the freaks out for a horrendously busy night duty and I was quite relieved to get the last few off. My favourite story was during my nights off & concerned Rachel & Nick who were paired together. Rachel is quick off the mark & takes no nonsense. Nick is her diametric opposite.
When officers are paired together, an unwritten rule suggests that the officer with less experience should go down as the arresting officer, thus increasing their experience. They were called to investigate the behaviour of a group of youths. Rachel read them the riot act then discovering that they were likely candidates for a theft warned them they were likely to be arrested, thus giving the chance for Nick (the officer with less experience) to step in & do the decent thing.
Nick’s contribution to the event was to lean in & intone ‘Yeah’ at the end of Rachel’s warning to the group.
Losing patience Rachel announced to the group – ‘Right, you’re all nicked’ … all 5 of them. A little while later after attending the custody suite with their guests Nick confided to Rachel that he was disappointed not to have gone down as the arresting officer for any of the ‘bodies’.
‘But you didn’t actually arrest any of them did you Nick ?’ was Rachel’s patient reply.
Yorkshire
After a couple of relaxing outdoor days sorting out my sleep pattern, I headed for Yorkshire on Friday. No unnecessarily heavy traffic & avoiding the Heathrow static diggers display had me arriving after 6 hours which is unacceptable (cue ‘I hate this country & our crappy, overcrowded roads, repeat to fade …). Luckily, a chat yesterday with Golden Balls, aka lovely Colin, revealed a different, allegedly quicker route, involving the M18 so I’m going to try that one next time. Colin’s currently off D team doing a job which involves a prodigious amount of driving, what he doesn’t know about routes isn’t worth knowing.
Regardless of my late arrival I was greeted with a delicious cooked meal which was to set the trend for my visit. I didn’t even get to eat fish and chips once – thank you Mummeh.
On Saturday we commenced with a visit to the vets for Mummeh’s moggies to have their annual booster. Hazel was unimpressed at going in the basket but accepted it with equanimity. Clancy however, had other ideas & having seen where his sibling ended up, decided the best course of action was to squeeze his large frame down the gap between the washing machine & work units in the kitchen. I made a dive for him & grabbed his tail until instructed by Mummeh to let him go. For the next 15 minutes we tried to pull out the washing machine, having failed to lure him out with assorted titbits. Having removed one of the kickboards at the far side of the kitchen, Mummeh then had the brainwave of fetching the ‘thing what scares a Clancy the most’ ie the hairdryer. Switching it on, she pushed it under the units & began waving it in Clancy’s general direction until he dashed terrified, into my waiting arms to be deposited into another waiting basket.
‘Well – he’s not underweight is he ?’ was the vet’s pronouncement as we plopped a disgruntled Clancy on his examination table 10 minutes later.
Later that day we headed for Boundary Mills to do some shopping. The disappointment of coming away empty-handed was tempered by the drive back which was stimulating. The drive there had been conservative due to Mummeh being a growed-up & advising me about fuel consumption. Sensing my disappointment at being on the twisties in bright, dry, clear conditions she relented on the homeward journey with the words ‘Oh go on then – drive it’ So I did. She was commendably calm too. The only indicators were her body language (her fingers left indentations in the seat) and her question ‘So – do you miss your bike then ?’ Well done Mummeh.
The day was rounded off with a lovely evening stroll along the river banks in Gargrave doing what Barleys like the most ; fetching tennis balls.
I have recently purchased 2 ‘throwing thingies’ which allow even ‘gurls what can’t throw’ to launch the ball a respectable distance. I have one & Stuart has the other. Don’t think from this that I am implying Stuart is ‘ a gurl what can’t throw’, indeed the mixture of the ‘throwing thingy’ with a bloke’s throwing produces some spectacular distances. So much so that Barley occasionally turns back from her run for the ball, unconvinced that the ball is still in the air.
After a 3 hour riverside stroll in the sunshine Mummeh treated us to huge 99’s. I ate mine whilst Mummeh smeared hers over her face, prompting the proprietor of the ice cream van to approach her & offer a large wad of serviettes & a pitying expression. I nearly laughed up a lung, especially as we had been reminiscing about how messily my younger brother Lloyd used to eat his ice creams. I was kindness epitomised & used to offer to ‘tidy it up for him’ thus removing most of the ice cream. He never cottoned on, bless him.
I tackled the journey down late Sunday evening, hoping for a more respectable travelling time. 5 hours, rather than 6. Barley’s only contribution was a succession of choking bottom burps. Each time I looked at her she slept the sleep of the innocent, unaware of my streaming eyes & racking coughs. My props were the ubiquitous Red Bull & Pro-Plus, loud music and 5 hours worth of quiz questions from Milk Yuk. My favourite exchanges were these …
Milk Yuk : ‘What does SPAM stand for ?’
Briggsy : ‘Is is Self Promulgating Automated Mail ?’
Milk Yuk : ‘No – Shoulder Pork And haM’
Milk Yuk : ‘Name all 5 of the Marx brothers’
Briggsy : ‘Harpo, Groucho, Jello , Brillo & Brasso ?’
Briggsy : ‘Oh – and Chico’
Milk Yuk : ‘Wrong – the last two are actually Marky & Pollen’
After 7 lovely days, I took Barley back to Stuart’s on Tuesday morning. The downside of having her for such a long stint is the feeling when I have to leave her again. I get used to her being there very quickly.
Golf –‘ it’s not the winning, it’s the taking part.’
I didn’t have much time to dwell though after a 2 hour journey to return her I was soon collected by Darren as we headed to Fulwell for our 1415 tee off time & golf with Andy & his dad.
When Andy, Darren & I play there is much mockery & laughter & Darren & I remarked on the journey there that we would have to play ‘normal golf’ if we were to play with a ‘growed-up’. Andy’s dad proved to be as good a golfer as he was a conversationalist & we thought we’d played a pretty relaxed round until he subsequently remarked to Andy how quiet his friends were.
‘High-light’ of the round was Darren finding the island in the lake with three successive tee shots, this may not sound remarkable until you hear that each of those shots ricocheted from trees to find their mark.
I am relieved to report that I seem to have remembered how to drive a ball off a tee again, especially as this season’s Police Society Golf Days have commenced.
Quiz Night
Tuesday night saw the welcome addition of Bloo to our pub quiz night. Isn’t it gratifying when one of your friends meets a group of others & they hit it off ? Bloo wasted no time in fitting right in by shouting out answers & taking the pi55 out of Andy. On a serious note, I can think of no higher recommendation to prolonged overseas travel than the way Bloo conducted himself on Tuesday. There was not a hint of the miserable t**t. Well done you. Come again next time ?
Our team ‘Pope Idol’ covered itself in glory with its second win, which means we have been placed each outing & more prosaically a commendable £77.50 in the kitty. Notables on the night were Gemma who pulled ‘Hovis’ out of nowhere, Darren with ‘Persian’ which was the much less offensive and a more accurate reply than mine, to the question ‘What nationality was Aladdin ? The 2 questions I was gifted with were ‘Which fictional town did James Herriott work in ?’ and ‘What was Churchill’s wife’s name ?’
I heard someone mutter ‘I bet Briggsy’s read all the Herriott books’ in disparaging undertones. It’s true – I did, I still love them now.
That just about brings us up to speed I think.
Cows
I am hoping to take the 3rd, 4th & 5th of May as annual leave to assist Malcolm & Justine at a show with their cows. I told Malcolm this morning that I had requested the leave & would let him know as soon as. His reply was …
‘The show cows are shaping up well, one has a fifth teat, the other has warts.’
Great.
2 people I know are trying to do something which is very difficult at the moment, my best wishes are with both of you. I can’t name one without implicating the other, you know who you are.
Derv
Ps. If all has gone to plan, this will be the first ‘live’ Q4A that Derv has read. I have been promising for some time to send him the Q4A link & have him aboard. Welcome Derv. I look forward to your comments, it’s very quiet at VK without you.
Cx
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