Week

I find composing blog entries directly in the Blogger create post form, saps the inspiration from me. I've had a few blog ideas this week but once I've not been able to get much further than opening up the web page before the ideas desert me. To avoid this happening again I am trying to write this blog while watching the telly not the laptop. Fortunately I can touch type, unfortunately I'm not the best typist out there so I've had to go back to correct the errors.

So this week, On Wednesday I took advantage of the new flexi scheme at work and left at 2:30 pm to go into town to see the solicitors about the information they needed from me for the HIP and other stuff, then my bank to tell them that I've changed my name and that I had moved (no need to rush these things) and then finally on to the estate agents to correct all the information that they had put in the particulars - phantom doors and missing radiators were the most glaring.

Friday saw another colleague of mine leaving for pastures new, she won't be replaced here because all our posts are relocated to the South West at some point in the future and no one wants a job with that level of insecurity. The office I work in used to have 16 people in it now there will only be 7 and most times it's emptier than that. We went to the pub to see her off there were plenty there but this is where my ears hinder me, they started to hurt and I couldn't hear people clearly enough to carry on a conversation so I ducked out early as there is no fun in not hearing peoples drunken conversations when you are sober.

Today we went into town, Simon got a new wallet and we looked at the small continental market. These markets are getting to be much of a muchness and they bear no resemblance to markets on the continent that I've seen.



We had my version of Jambalaya, no sausages or prawns, mushrooms and saffron instead and and emergency substitution of basmati rice for american long grain but it was very nice with white wine and watching Giles Coren and Sue Perkins dice with heart disease as they eat their way through the seventies some of it was very wrong but other seventies favourites are probably still favourites today, like prawn cocktail, steak diane and black forest gateaux.

Mmmmm black forest gateaux.

Happy Easter

The first proper snow all winter and it happens at Easter. We are off to my mother's this morning, I'm fairly sure that the snow won't stop us. I hope you all have a lovely day.

The Presents Have Landed

This morning the gift lift stuff arrived, well most of it did there is still some on order; being made as you read this by underpaid Vietnamese boat people in the heart of darkest Derbyshire no doubt*. We actually didn't have too much difficulty fitting the new stuff into our wee house, there is a home for just about everything but the bread maker which will get opened when we are both a little thinner. The paella dish posed a bit of problem, I'm certain it wasn't that big in the shop, I'm not sure whether I'm supposed to cook rice in it or sail down the Ouse in it so that I can catch the ingredients. Our new plates and bowls are lovely it's the first time either of us have owned proper expensive crockery and there is a real difference in feel, heft and quality of finish.

We've tried out the coffee machine and the coffee bean grinder: several times in the case of some people. Simon was gently shaking his way down the length of one of the sofas earlier on but the elephant tranquilliser dart* has helped put a stop to that.

Must go now I think the effects of the dart are wearing off.

*Possibly, I may have exaggerated a little bit.

Back

I'm back but I'm too tired for much more than saying look at this pretty picture.


More tomorrow

Duckface

On Tuesday I went to see the consultant at the QEH about my potentially dodgy right eye.

He did various test, he looked at my eyes under coloured lights and pressed various objects against their surfaces (not too hard and under a very local anaesthetic so it didn't hurt, just felt odd). He made his notes, consulted the chart from the last visual acuity field test I did and decided: yes this duck has wings. The pressure is markedly raised in my right eye and slightly too in the left and the field testing shows the classic arc of vision lose for the right eye. I have glaucoma.

I'm now on beta blocker drops which means that my snooker playing should improve but my hopes of being an Olympian have been dashed. I'm ok, although I will admit, I did have a little weep the next day I think that was more because I'm going to be on medication for the rest of my life and that seems so final. But really, the glass is more full than empty, it was spotted before any serious damage was done and with continuing treatment there's very good chance that I will never have noticeable sight loss.

Phew That Was Hard Work

I've just completed a job application form, they are never easy to do, I agonise over what to put whether it is what they want to hear or am I putting in too much or too little. I will get back to blogging nonsense tomorrow.

Meanwhile here is a pretty picture of a flower.



Not bad for a 2 megapixel mobile phone camera.

Useful shopping

We went to Saint Neots on Saturday with my Mum to sort decorations for the cake. That sorted we had a look at the stalls of the small market on the square. It was more farmer's market than fruit and veg. Local cheeses, chilli plants and chillis, superior plants, organic free range eggs and chicken and game and superior curry cook in sauces.

Drawn to the curries I tasted the garlic and chilli pickle and was completely smitten, it packs a punch but isn't just about the heat. We now have a pot of the pickle sitting in the fridge and the kitchen smells delish.

And then there were these

little pots of pure magic, even if I never use them in anger the colours are fantastic and owning them makes me smile. A worthwhile buy I would say

I Made My Cake

Well I made my cake, and with the yoghurt rather than the lemon curd too. It's not quite cake as we know it but, I think with a few more adaptations, like not making it lemon cake since Simon has told me he doesn't like lemon cake I could become a bit of a whizz at low fat, low calorie, gluten free cakes.

It's My Birthday

And I'll dine if I want to.

Si and I are going out for a meal in a couple of minutes I'll be taking my new bag (a present from Si :) for swishing around. I've bought a new mobile phone it's the same model as the old one except for it's silver and a fair bit cheaper (ignoring the fact that I'm buying it for the second time.).



It seems that I forgot to post this before we went out, it's now nearly the end of my birthday. It's been a lovely day, I wanna thank you all. :D

Dressing Up For Adults

All That Glitters Is Not Gold, originally uploaded by Jane Goth.

For the first time in ages we have had a weekend off. No decorating, no travelling to see family, no nights tripping the light fantastic in a marquee as the rain lashes down outside. So we took a leisurely bimble into King's Lynn, I think we had a successful trip into town, Si got himself a rather smart man bag for his stuff and will also be useful for the honeymoon and a couple of pairs of summer shoes. I also got shoes, a pair of summer sandals and these beauties above. At their full price £20 they would have been a bit too much to justify but at only £5 I can break them in (ha) around the house and stick them into the dressing up box waiting for just the right occasion to give them an airing!

Dwarf Bread

As part of our exciting get slim at a sensible pace regime we have been eating a lot of fruit and vegetables as you would expect but each diet or reducing methodology no matter how sane it claims to be and is in many cases has it's own quirks and favoured products which get frequently mentioned in recipes and "handy tips". So along with the cottage cheese and mullerlight yoghurt we've been trying scan bran



Scan Bran is the dwarf bread of slimming, it is exceptionally dry, tastes like plywood and can sap moisture out of anywhere, I've broken it up to see if it was possible to crumble it or whether that was just an urban myth and I could feel it wicking all the moisture from my finger tips. Our consultant swears by it, "look at so and so she eats lots of scan bran and she's managing to lose weight despite the pork pie habit." But she doesn't claim to eat it herself. It seems to work on the basis of: you're hungry, all you've got is scan bran but by the time you've managed to soften a small corner you've fallen asleep.

I Blame Ian MaCaskill

We're going to a ball tomorrow evening, I'm getting rather excited now, I picked up our tickets today, we are promised champagne, chocolate fountains, bands, cocktail bar and fireworks. Pimms and canapés on the Veranda, that sort of thing. It should be absolutely spiffing except this....



it's going to look like a posh Glastonbury by the dodgems so tomorrow I'm going to be scouring the shops of Lynn for gold lamé wellies.

Aww Shit

Aww Shit
Originally uploaded by Jane Goth A bit of a crap start to the month, we discovered this when we went out this morning with the intention of going over to the flat to do more decorating. Instead we spent the morning and early afternoon on the phone to the police, various banks and card providers because it was Simon's wallet they were after. Waiting for the police then Norfolk CSI