OK, so this isn't the Lakeland catalogue, but instead a picture of Corfe Castle in Dorset. We had a great holiday - I can't believe I'm back at work already. If only we could win the lottery, pay off the mortgage and spend all our time on holiday! But that would require buying a ticket, and a massive miracle.
So, back to work. Oh the joys. The trains are still rubbish - it was amazing how well they ran during the Olympics, like clockwork. Then the Olympics finished and all I can think is that the bonuses stopped. No more clockwork trains.
The dad of a very old friend of mine died while we were away. I went to the funeral on Monday. It was quite difficult (quite? I mean very - and he wasn't my dad!). I was so incredibly impressed by her strength as she stood up and said some words about him and about the wonderful life he had lived. How she could do that without breaking down I don't know. It made me think though, it made me think of how lucky I am to have Peter, my two monkey children, and to still have my parents and brother. I realise how many questions I have to ask my mum and dad - like how my mum makes her Christmas cake, what is was like to go on a big boat to Australia during the war, what the 60s were like for them! I should write a list and ask them so I don't ever wish I had but never did.
Anyway, onto more positive tones. Isobel has decided that she wants to be an ipad when she grows up. How we laughed we she announced that one! Arthur is running around cuddling everyone in sight which is lovely. And me? Well, I am still getting better I think. The pills aren't needed anymore and I can't believe its about 6 months since I stopped. It's still hard at times, but I'm monitoring it and can now quite clearly link it to the lovely monthly cycle. So at certain times I should really just stick a sticker on my head and say 'keep away, I'm grumpy'.
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| Durdle Door coastline (not the door itself of course). One of my favourite spots! |
It's a massive change. I don't want my old life back in terms of traveling a lot with work etc., but I do want a little bit of travel again. So, the plans are afoot. It's off to Delhi and Orissa next year (for work, to see some toilets - 2.5 billion people don't have access to 'improved' sanitation - basically they poo in the open. I'm off to look at work being done to try to help address this problem and understand how to do it in a cost effective way - i.e - build toilets that people actually use). Then, and this is the exciting bit. To Burma hopefully, with another very old friend. Just a week but even so. I am so excited at the thought.
To counter that excitement and help me sleep, I have found myself perusing the Lakeland catalogue. Now Lakeland, for those who aren't familiar, is a shop which sells all sorts of stuff for the kitchen (and home) - from baking trays to peelers and knives. And always some sort of crazy thing that you can't imagine anyone using. Peter and I had a competition - to find the most useless looking item. In the current catalogue, in order of perceived uselessness we have:
- the stuffing protector (£8) - not quite sure why string won't do...very closely followed by
- the tea tool 'no drips on worktops, no burnt fingers and no mess' - seems like glorified tongs for a teabag to us! (£4.49)
- the egg boiling machine (£11.99)
And finally, the Great British Bake Off - oh my, it's the final next week. What will I do when it finishes AND there are no Olympics to watch! I am going to place a bet I think, on James. The Tank Top boy. I love his flavours and use of Whiskey!
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