Friday, April 24, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Stinky Feet
So it's probably my own fault for buying shoes at Primark but my GOD do my feet smell at the moment. My £3 pumps were clearly that price for a good reason.... that reason being they are lined with the crusts of cheese wheels. But I can't blame Primark really because my espadrilles also stink and they came from Debenhams.
The worst culprits are my Primark grey slippers. A couple of days ago we went out in Nick's Mums car to go on a muddy countryside walk and we all grabbed a pair of clean shoes to wear on the way back as she'd just got her car back from the garage, it was nice and clean and we didn't want to muddy it all up inside. So we went for this lovely walk in the warm sunshine and I had hastily picked up my slippers as we ran out of the door. Being left in the nice warm car they started to pong so intensely that the entire interior of the vehicle was imprinted with their foul odour. Poor Nick & Den had to suffer it the entire drive back. I found it funny which didn't help the situation; for some reason when it's your own smell it's not so bad. I think it's like that with farts isn't it, lets be honest. Weird how certain shoes smell and others don't at all though, isn't it. Don't worry, they've been boiled in the washing machine and smell like roses now. My slippers not my feet.
I am still jog jog jogging across the common here in Southampton a few times a week. Not sure whether I'm actually improving as I still find it quite hideously tiring and am a bit start/stop every few minutes. Got to be good though, that's what I keep telling myself.
I don't want to drone on about the house right now but it is still happening despite the efforts of the surveyor and we live in hope that it will all be resolved soon. I am enjoying the calm before the storm, so to speak, as when it completes my life will begin again as 24/7 DIY torture which I am slightly dreading. Nick is looking forward to it and I am dreading it. At least we're coming into the Summer. At least I won't be around there in gloves, scarves and two jumpers.
This will be the third place I've tackled in terms of renovation/decoration. The second project was our last home in Guernsey which was a three bedroom maisonette. I was in the middle of doing that when I started this blog, all those years ago. Before that we bought and did up an apartment in Plymouth on the waterfront. That was a one bedroom top floor place and my first attempt. It was very hard work, not least because it had no lift and we had to carry everything up several flights of stairs. The Guernsey project was much bigger and took much longer. This is bigger still, and is a house not a flat. I am slightly scared, it will be a lot of work and I am quite workshy, let's face it. It is, however, a beautiful house and in my mind I can see it finished. I've just been watching flipping Kirsty flipping Allsopp on the telly with her new show where she does up her Devon farmhouse by prancing around making candles and blowing glass. If only it were that simple Kirsty.
Although I really do miss my old home in Guernsey I know we sold it at the right time. I think I will always feel a bit sad about selling it because we did that place up with such love and effort it was a real emotional wrench when we left. I think it has made me stronger to sell and part with it because it was only a possession at the end of the day. Anyway why I think we sold it at the right time is because they have just announced house prices in Guernsey are down by about 12% and also because the land around it is now being developed so it's surrounded by noisy building sites.
And now we've also sold our campervan which was kind of our second home after Guernsey so now I feel like I am really homeless and don't have any possessions in the world. Although that is rubbish becuase I have a Fiat Punto and a room packed to the ceiling full of possessions in a secure lock up here in the city. Still, I have that vagabond feeling. Can't really explain. It's a bit frustrating because I really like having my own place and taking care of it and having friends round and most importantly having my own space. I have the best in laws in the world, I really couldn't imagine any better people to live with but sometimes I crave my own space. I think it's because I'm self concious and a bit of a twat at times and it' nice to do embarrasing things in private.
Alex I love your reading suggestion. Right up my street I would think. I have just read Silence of the Lambs which was yes, very good, but my favourite was Hannibal. That is one of the best books probably that I have read. Just so well written. I have a lot of time on my hands for reading at the moment! This blog is turning into my weekly book review.
The worst culprits are my Primark grey slippers. A couple of days ago we went out in Nick's Mums car to go on a muddy countryside walk and we all grabbed a pair of clean shoes to wear on the way back as she'd just got her car back from the garage, it was nice and clean and we didn't want to muddy it all up inside. So we went for this lovely walk in the warm sunshine and I had hastily picked up my slippers as we ran out of the door. Being left in the nice warm car they started to pong so intensely that the entire interior of the vehicle was imprinted with their foul odour. Poor Nick & Den had to suffer it the entire drive back. I found it funny which didn't help the situation; for some reason when it's your own smell it's not so bad. I think it's like that with farts isn't it, lets be honest. Weird how certain shoes smell and others don't at all though, isn't it. Don't worry, they've been boiled in the washing machine and smell like roses now. My slippers not my feet.
I am still jog jog jogging across the common here in Southampton a few times a week. Not sure whether I'm actually improving as I still find it quite hideously tiring and am a bit start/stop every few minutes. Got to be good though, that's what I keep telling myself.
I don't want to drone on about the house right now but it is still happening despite the efforts of the surveyor and we live in hope that it will all be resolved soon. I am enjoying the calm before the storm, so to speak, as when it completes my life will begin again as 24/7 DIY torture which I am slightly dreading. Nick is looking forward to it and I am dreading it. At least we're coming into the Summer. At least I won't be around there in gloves, scarves and two jumpers.
This will be the third place I've tackled in terms of renovation/decoration. The second project was our last home in Guernsey which was a three bedroom maisonette. I was in the middle of doing that when I started this blog, all those years ago. Before that we bought and did up an apartment in Plymouth on the waterfront. That was a one bedroom top floor place and my first attempt. It was very hard work, not least because it had no lift and we had to carry everything up several flights of stairs. The Guernsey project was much bigger and took much longer. This is bigger still, and is a house not a flat. I am slightly scared, it will be a lot of work and I am quite workshy, let's face it. It is, however, a beautiful house and in my mind I can see it finished. I've just been watching flipping Kirsty flipping Allsopp on the telly with her new show where she does up her Devon farmhouse by prancing around making candles and blowing glass. If only it were that simple Kirsty.
Although I really do miss my old home in Guernsey I know we sold it at the right time. I think I will always feel a bit sad about selling it because we did that place up with such love and effort it was a real emotional wrench when we left. I think it has made me stronger to sell and part with it because it was only a possession at the end of the day. Anyway why I think we sold it at the right time is because they have just announced house prices in Guernsey are down by about 12% and also because the land around it is now being developed so it's surrounded by noisy building sites.
And now we've also sold our campervan which was kind of our second home after Guernsey so now I feel like I am really homeless and don't have any possessions in the world. Although that is rubbish becuase I have a Fiat Punto and a room packed to the ceiling full of possessions in a secure lock up here in the city. Still, I have that vagabond feeling. Can't really explain. It's a bit frustrating because I really like having my own place and taking care of it and having friends round and most importantly having my own space. I have the best in laws in the world, I really couldn't imagine any better people to live with but sometimes I crave my own space. I think it's because I'm self concious and a bit of a twat at times and it' nice to do embarrasing things in private.
Alex I love your reading suggestion. Right up my street I would think. I have just read Silence of the Lambs which was yes, very good, but my favourite was Hannibal. That is one of the best books probably that I have read. Just so well written. I have a lot of time on my hands for reading at the moment! This blog is turning into my weekly book review.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Achy Legs
Well I've just come back from two laps of hoofing around Southampton Common. It was my first jog for over a week and it really felt extremely knackering. Can't say as I particularly enjoyed it but I do need to fitten up. Because I've been doing nothing but fattening up for the last few months and I need to turn that around. I've invested in some Nike running shoes from TKMaxx so I'm not buggering up my knees any more when I stamp around with my head down and the earplugs in. I do have achy legs now though, hence the title of this post.
I was watching some old home videos the other day from about 8 years ago and I was a stick thin beanpole and didn't even know it. I think my metabolism must have altered over the last few years because I never used to bother to diet, just ate what I liked and didn't seem to have a problem. Arrrrgh cruel world! Now I have old ladies flabster upper arms that I want to lipo nad make a strawberry smoothie out of.
I have just come back from a week in mid Devon at my Dad's place. He was there with Maggie and the three of us went on some Devonshire rambles... across Dartmoor, Exmoor and through Lyndon gorge and it's big waterfall. I finally dug out my poor old cello and have been making lots of screeching wails on it... so depressing to think I used to be able to play grade 7/8 pieces and now I am so rubbish. Totally my own fault for not touching it for 11 years though... Anyway it's a lovely sounding instrument, must try to practise.
So the house is still being a nightmare. We are still trying to buy it but the surveyor was a right anus and put a 100% retention on it so we can't get our money. We're now having to get a buildings insurance claim instigated on the property by the current owner so we can satisfy the stupid bank. Even that might not do it, it's a total depressing disaster at the minute. We know it doesn't have subsidence, we've had our own surveyor plus a foundations expert look at it but that isn't enough for the dickhead surveyor that's doing the valuation for the bank.
And I've got unusually good hair today, which makes a change from the frizzy, mushroom cloud norm. Den has been at me with her original 1970's heated rollers and they are awesome! My hair looks Hollywood-curl chic. I literally feel like a filmstar from the neck up.
I've been feeling Jane Austen-tastic recently and am currently on Sense & Sensibility after just finishing Persuasion. I finished the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer which was highly enjoyable, in a kind of Christopher Pike/Point Romance teenage angsty way. Alex I see your point about it being Mormon propaganda but I still think you can read and enjoy them without having to take that on board. Very similar to CS Lewis and Narnia which I loved when I was little. There is some disturbing stuff going in the last couple of Twilight books which didn't sit that well with me, such as the imprinting, but in general I just like them in a Mills & Boon guilty pleasure kind of way... you know they're kind of shit and full of plot holes but you can't help enjoying them... kind of like a Big Mac or an episode of Hollyoaks. I will say that they arent anywhere near as good as Anne Rice's books if you're into your Vamp literature, but they are silly and easy to read.
I'm now also reading the Dr Strange and Mr Norrrel series, which is awesome. Adult Harry Potter set in 19th century London and written like a tongue in cheek Jane Austen novel... just genius.
I was watching some old home videos the other day from about 8 years ago and I was a stick thin beanpole and didn't even know it. I think my metabolism must have altered over the last few years because I never used to bother to diet, just ate what I liked and didn't seem to have a problem. Arrrrgh cruel world! Now I have old ladies flabster upper arms that I want to lipo nad make a strawberry smoothie out of.
I have just come back from a week in mid Devon at my Dad's place. He was there with Maggie and the three of us went on some Devonshire rambles... across Dartmoor, Exmoor and through Lyndon gorge and it's big waterfall. I finally dug out my poor old cello and have been making lots of screeching wails on it... so depressing to think I used to be able to play grade 7/8 pieces and now I am so rubbish. Totally my own fault for not touching it for 11 years though... Anyway it's a lovely sounding instrument, must try to practise.
So the house is still being a nightmare. We are still trying to buy it but the surveyor was a right anus and put a 100% retention on it so we can't get our money. We're now having to get a buildings insurance claim instigated on the property by the current owner so we can satisfy the stupid bank. Even that might not do it, it's a total depressing disaster at the minute. We know it doesn't have subsidence, we've had our own surveyor plus a foundations expert look at it but that isn't enough for the dickhead surveyor that's doing the valuation for the bank.
And I've got unusually good hair today, which makes a change from the frizzy, mushroom cloud norm. Den has been at me with her original 1970's heated rollers and they are awesome! My hair looks Hollywood-curl chic. I literally feel like a filmstar from the neck up.
I've been feeling Jane Austen-tastic recently and am currently on Sense & Sensibility after just finishing Persuasion. I finished the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer which was highly enjoyable, in a kind of Christopher Pike/Point Romance teenage angsty way. Alex I see your point about it being Mormon propaganda but I still think you can read and enjoy them without having to take that on board. Very similar to CS Lewis and Narnia which I loved when I was little. There is some disturbing stuff going in the last couple of Twilight books which didn't sit that well with me, such as the imprinting, but in general I just like them in a Mills & Boon guilty pleasure kind of way... you know they're kind of shit and full of plot holes but you can't help enjoying them... kind of like a Big Mac or an episode of Hollyoaks. I will say that they arent anywhere near as good as Anne Rice's books if you're into your Vamp literature, but they are silly and easy to read.
I'm now also reading the Dr Strange and Mr Norrrel series, which is awesome. Adult Harry Potter set in 19th century London and written like a tongue in cheek Jane Austen novel... just genius.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Christmas Art
Here's a couple of drawings I made for people for last Christmas. The one of Mickey came out alright and the one of the twins is OK but it's really hard to draw babies facial expressions. I also did one of Nick's Mum & Dad but I don't have a photo of that one. Nick made me take these two.Well I am off for another run this morning. My fourth time since coming back from Spain, I'm trying to go most mornings and I think my muscles are getting a bit less achy.
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