Some Pet Hates And Questions

View from our back window this morning.

I could not think of much to write about today and then remembered that just before the J-Land anniversary several people were asking others if they cared to put any question to them.  So I have decided to follow suit by way of a change and throw open the challenge for you to ask me some questions. That will come later at the end of this entry.

But first I decided to air some things about myself that maybe you do not know.  I think we all try and show the best side of ourselves to others, but we all have a different side and we all have things that we dislike.  So I am going to share three pet peeves with you.  I ask that nobody takes offence at this.  It is not a "dig" at any person in particular and it is not meant to upset or hurt anyone.  Well, here we go then.

1)  I dislike being called "Hon".  Not that there is anything bad about the word.  I know our American friends use it often and it is a term of affection to them.  However, I am not an American and this expression is alien to me.  Maybe it is an age related thing.  In a few days time I will be sixty-three.  Would I feel different if I were younger?  I do not know but I do know that it reminds me of the days when I used to shop a great deal.  How I hated going into those places and have the assistant ask "Can I help you, love?"  Or "Do you need serving, dear?"  It used to make me so mad.  As far as I am concerned, the only one entitled to call me "Hon", "love" or "dear" is my wonderful Mike.  There, that is something you did not know.

2)  I dislike being called "Jen".  My name is not Jennifer, my name is not Jean.    Yes, Jeannette is a mouthful to say let alone type, but nonetheless that is my name.  I had a person who caused considerable trouble in my life who used to call me "Jen".  When she found it annoyed me, she did it all the more.  So, if you cannot call me Jeannette, then please do not call me anything,  is how I feel about it.  I only shorten someone's name if that is how they are generally known to people  and they feel happy about it.

3)  Forwarded mail!  Sometimes I could kick the computer across the room.  Now, I like things that are inspiring and uplifting, I like things that are funny, I quite enjoy some of the quizzes.................but if I get one more forwarded e-email telling me that unless I pass this on to at least ten people within the hour, something awful is going to happen - I shall scream! 

I know why people do it, because I know why I used to do it.  There is always that little niggle in your mind that says "what if I don't".  In other words - superstition.  Oh yes, I used to forward it on as well but not any more.  If only everybody would delete it when they receive it and not pass it on, it simply would not exist.  "If you pass this on to ten people within the next hour your telephone will ring at exactly 11.15 p.m. this evening".  Oh really?? Well, people know better than to ring me that late at night and if the phone did ring at that time I would know it could only be bad news because people never ring me later than 9p.m. and that is rare.  My phone calls usually come in much earlier.  So, please do not forward this rubbish  on to me.  I shall only delete it so you are wasting your time. Whether or not that woman truly is "walking the world" in aid of a worthy cause I do not know.  I can only tell you that she has been walking even since I first logged onto the internet nearly ten years ago. I am surprised she has any legs left! 

So now you know a little bit more about me than you did. You know three of my main dislikes.  Like I said, this is not meant to cause offence and I do not want anyone feeling bad because they have done one or all of the above three things.  You did not know until today about my feelings on these matters.   I am just being totally honest with you all.

Now, on to the questions.  Feel free to ask me any question that you like, something you wish to know about me.  There are only two rules.  1) Do not make the question too long and involved because I am theone who will be sitting going through them and giving my answers  and  2)  Keep it clean!!

I am wondering what I am starting here and already trying to imagine what sort of questions I shall receive.  Still it is something a little different and it could prove to  be good fun.  So, get your thinking caps on.  What would you like to know?

The Computer + Jokes

One of those days.  Often when you make plans or try to, something throws a spanner in the works.  That is what is has been like.  Not that anything bad has happened, no it has been positive but has just taken a lot of time.

First I had a couple of sales on Amazon, totally unexpectedly so I had to find the books, pack them up, send confirming emails etc.  Then the phone kept ringing.

Next thing a knock at the door.  It is my new CD writer.  The one on my computer packed up last week and I was getting seriously worried because I have a lot of stuff on here including photos and video and I had no way of backing it up.  When I phoned the service deparment last week and had a long conversation with the chappie there, we came to the conclusion that was what the problem was and I was told a new one would be sent out to me today and I would receive it on Friday or Saturday.  Well, speedy service from them  because it arrived.    The company are not doing home visits now if they consider it is something the customer can fix for themselves.  So him indoors fits it and I sat down to check it would work.  Alas, more problems than ever.  It took 30 minutes to try and save four photos. Luckily I only gave it four to try - and then told me that there was an "error in writing to the disc".   "Oh bother, oh dear" said I - not!

Back onto the service department.  Well, they had sent instructions and ......whoopee a brand new screwdriver to do the job (as if we are not knee -deep in them already) but they had omitted to point out that this drive needed connecting a slightly different way.  Told me to get him indoors to take it out and then put it in again using a different method.   He did and yes, at last I can back things up from my computer and save things to disc. Of course, I had to try it all out afterwards saving different types of items just to be sure.

Then I had to phone a collection company to come and pick up the faulty part tomorrow.  Spent ten minutes trying to point out to some idiot that I was sending the item back and it was not coming here.  Grrrrrrr!

This has taken most of the day and I am so behind.  Now it is time to start thinking about getting the evening meal and I have a splitting headache and do not feel like it.  At least something positive has come from the day.

So, I hope to catch up on all your journals tomorrow.  Meal to get then  I want to back quite a few things up on the computer just in case something else goes wrong with it.

I will leave you with a couple of jokes,  I do hope you enjoy them and they make you laugh as they did me. I am never quite sure whether to post jokes or not as people's tastes are so different and I would not want to offend anyone.

A husband found himself in big trouble, when he forgot his
wedding anniversary. His wife told him, "Tomorrow there had better be something very nice for me in the driveway that goes from zero to two-hundred in five seconds flat."

 

The next morning, the wife  found a small package in the driveway. She opened it and found brand new bathroom scales.

 

Visiting hours for the husband at the hospital are limited due to the extend of his injuries.

 

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It's the Spring of 1957  and Bobby goes to pick up his date. He's a pretty hip guy with his own car. When he goes to the front door, the girl's father answers and invites him in.

"Carrie's not ready yet, so why don't you have a seat?" he asks.

"That's cool," says Bobby.

Carrie's father asks Bobby what they're planning to do. Bobby replies politely  that they will probably just go to the soda shop or a movie. Carrie's father responds, "Why don't you two go out and screw? I hear all the kids are doing it."

Naturally, this comes as a quite a surprise to Bobby, so he asks Carrie's Dad to repeat it. "Yeah," says Carries father, "Carrie really likes to screw,she'll screw all night if we let her!"

Well, this just made Bobby's eyes light up, and  so he immediately revised his plans for the evening. A few minutes later, Carrie comes downstairs inher little poodle skirt and announces that she's ready to go. Almost breathless with anticipation, Bobby escorts his date out the front door.

About 20 minutes later, a thoroughly dishevelled Carrie rushes back into the house, slams the door behind her, and screams at her father:

 

"DAMMIT, DADDY! THE TWIST!!  THE DANCE IS  CALLED THE TWIST!!!"

 

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Until the next time...........

Autumn In The Air

No doubt about it, here we are, still in August but already there is a bumper crop of berries, some of the leaves are starting to turn and the summer bedding is long past its best. I have never known things change quite this early especially as apart from a searing three week heatwave, we did not have any summer.

Here are a couple of shots taken in the garden this morning.  They always used to say that lots of berries meant a long cold winter.  Whether that is true remains to be seen

This next picture is the bloom of a marginal plant in our pond.  Mike has no idea why the background came out totally black, we have not played with it in any way, but it certainly makes the flower stand out and it is very pretty.

Over the weekend I was reading in the papers as many of you would have done,  about the new "spy" in our refuse bins. Apparently, unknown to us unsuspecting British public, around half a million bins contain a sinister secret - they are fitted with surveillance devices.  These devices are screwed under the rim of the bin and transmit information about the weight and contents of the bin to special sensors on the refuse trucks.

Apparently our wonderful Government thinks we are not recyling our rubbish and helping the environment.  Really, well around here we already have a collection for newspapers, one for tin cans, another for glass bottles and jars and that is apart from the other household rubbish.  Anything we cannot dispose of in the normal way, him indoors takes to the local council dump as does almost everyone else in this vicinity. 

The idea is to identify households who produce too much refuse and  charge them a "pay as you throw" fee as it will be considered they have not re-cycled enough.  Excuse me, but we already pay a very expensive Community Charge which is supposed to include the collection and disposal of our rubbish. This charge has been steadily rising over the last few years.

Just another way that our Government wants to screw more tax out of us.

Yes, something needs to be done about the vast amount of rubbish we produce. Our land fill sites will be full in around eight years but I feel this is not the way to go about it.  It is only likely to insense people (me for one) and if I find a spy on our bin I would not hesitate to remove it.  Mike and I already do everything we can to dispose of our household waste in a responsible manner.

What should be done is to make it even easier for people to recycle everything that they can but, of course, this would mean the Government spending money on us instead of getting more money out of us.

When George Orwell wrote "1984" it was considered a good book but a work of total fiction. Now we are seeing it become reality.  Today we have speed cameras on practically every road, CCTV in shops and outside shops and countless other places.  I am not against it in some ways.  If people drive more slowly because of them and thus cause less accidents, that can only be good.  If CCTV helps to stop theft from shops and crime in general that is another positive.  Yet, alarm bells ring in my head with this latest news.  Spies in our refuse bins -  it does not take much stretch of the imagination to envisage the day when we all have cameras trained on us in our own homes watching what we eat, what we talk about, what we watch and listen to.  You think it could not happen?  Well, twenty years ago none of us would have thought we would have cameras all over the place to start with and as for surveillance devices in our refuse bins, people would have roared with laughter and derision at the merest suggestion.

I hope there is a general outcry about the spies in our bins and the plans have to be dropped.  I can imagine how mad those people are who have found that their homes (bins) are one of  the half million currently being spied on.

Well, that is my rant for today.  You may agree, you may disagree, that is your choice

Now, I had better go and get the second lot of washing on, although the morning has been bright and sunny, they say rain is coming in and I want to get the washing dry. 

Have a good week everyone.  I am totally out of sync because I keep thinking it is Monday.  That is Bank holidays for you.

 

A Cure For Graffiti? & News About AOL

Over the last few years we have had a real problem with graffiti in this area.  The railway bridge is smothered in it.  But the real target has been the changing rooms at the local sports fields.  Mike takes the dogs here almost every day as do lots of people.  The council have provided doggy bins all around the perimeters so that any "accidents" can be scooped up and placed in them and so our canine friends and the sportsmen have a good relationship.

These changing rooms are not the prettiest thing to see, just a concrete block really that has always been painted white and what a magnet to those of the spray paint cans.  Lots of the graffiti has been obscene, either in words or pictures and the council have endlessly sent down workmen to repaint it.  Of course, within hours, the graffiti is back.  It has proved impossible to catch anybody.

So the police, the council and the local art college got together in consultation and came up with an idea.  How about some "good" graffiti.  If they actually painted it with something decent they were hopeful that it just might put people off from defacing it and solve the problem.

Well, a couple of months back they did one wall.  Since that day the wall has never been touched, it has been respected.  Two weeks ago they did another wall and that also has remained unblemished.  There are now two more walls to go and they are thinking about doing the four seasons on those, two on each side.

Could this be a cure for unwanted graffiti?  Time will tell but it is certainly an improvement on what people used to see there and is also very eye-catching. What do you think?

Amazing when you think all that is done with aerosol sprays but I do know that some graffiti art can be truly amazing.  At the moment it seems that it has certainly  solved the problem as well although I cannot help but wonder what new target will be found to deface.

Now for some news about AOL that was taken from the financial pages of "The Mail on Sunday" a little while ago. It remains to be seen whether any of us in the UK will ultimately be affected - particularly our journals.

*"It is already being described as a new wave of dotcom madness.  The planned sale of American giant AOL's business in the UK is leaving analysts and potential buyers scratching their heads in bafflement.

The internet service provider aims to sell the operation for £1 billion.  But it wants the service to continue being called AOL and it intends to keep control of the UK website and to retain all of the customers as AOL e-mail clients.

"It looks like they want to have their cake and eat it" said one analyst.  The buyer of AOL UK would be entitled to its 2.2 million customers and the minimum of £14.99 a month they pay for AOL's services.  But without being able to merge it with another internet business, the experts cannot see how the £1 billion price tag is justified.  "Half of that would be more like it" said another analyst.

Some say it is like a flashback to the £220 billion merger of AOL and Time-Warner in 2000.  Even then - at the height of the dotcom boom - some observers were incredulous at the price.

In the next three weeks, Citigroup will circulate documents on the next phase of the sale deal and ask for bids.  BT, BSkyB and Orange have all been tipped as potential bidders but the City favourite is The Carphone Warehouse, headed by Charles Dunstone.

One insider predicted that Dunstone would try to snap up AOL UK with a last-minute bid well below the asking price."*

Please forgive me if I do not get around to commenting on all your journals today.  What with the J-Land anniversary, making two videos of Daniel's Birthday and then having computer problems all day Friday and most of yesterday, the hours I have been spending on here have taken their toll.  My neck and shoulder are so stiff and painful so I  really need some hours away from my computer completely. I know that you will understand.

The weather is typical for the Bank holiday, overcast, threats of rain and a strong and cold breeze.  Almost September, it will be Christmas before we know it.  Take care everyone.

I shall leave you with a joke:-

A husband and wife were traveling by car from Key West to Boston.

After almost 24 hours on the road, they were too tired to continue, so they decided to stop for a rest at a nice hotel. They took a room, but only planned  to sleep for four hours and then get back on the road.

When they checked out four hours later, the desk clerk handed them a bill for $350.00.

The man exploded and demanded to know why the charge was so high. He told the clerk although it was a nice hotel, the rooms certainly weren't worth $350.00.

When the clerk told him $350.00 was the standard rate, the man insisted on speaking to the Manager.

The Manager appeared, listened to the man, and then explained that the hotel had an Olympic-sized pool and a huge conference centre that were available for them to use.

"But we didn't use them," the man said.

"Well, that's too bad," said the manager, "But they are here, and you could have," He went on to explain they could have taken in one of the shows for which the hotel was famous. "The best entertainers from New York, Hollywood and Las Vegas perform here," the Manager said.

"But we didn't go to any of those shows, " said the man again.

"Well, we have them, and you could have," the Manager replied.

No matter what facility the Manager mentioned, the man replied, "But we didn't use it!"

The Manager was unmoved, and eventually the man gave up and agreed to pay.

He wrote a cheque and handed it to the Manager.

The Manager looked at the cheque and said, "But sir, this cheque is only made out for $50.00."

"That's correct," said the man. "I charged you $300.00 for sleeping with my wife."

"But I didn't!" exclaimedthe Manager.

"Well, too bad," the man replied. "She was here and you could have."

 

Birthday Pics - Video Entry

We had a lovely day yesterday.  Little Daniel did not let us down with his sunny smile so the heavy rain did not matter.

Both the boys were so good considering them neither of them had their usual nap during the day.  Daniel almost took his first step!  He can stand unaided for quite a few seconds now and it cannot be too long before he is toddling around and getting into everything, not that he does not do that now.  He also loves to clap his hands along with Nathan when we sing their favourite songs and he just beams the whole time.  He also loves to play with the t.v. now he has discovered he can turn it on and off and we have to screen the computer so he cannot get to it as he loves to turn that on and off as well!

Of course, both boys enjoyed playing with the boxes rather than the presents but that is typical of children the world over.

We had a nice little cake and for once, I ignored my blood sugars, there was no way I was going to miss a piece of that. The boys love the bubble machine I bought for them and which I keep here.  I have to get it out whenever they visit.  Nathan giggles every time I start it, Daniel is a bit bemused but they both love to pop the bubbles when they land on the floor.

I have made a little video for you so that you can share in some of what the day was like. Somewhere there are pictures with Dean in as well but I think Becky has those.

So sit back and join in with our little family celebration.

 

Hope that you enjoyed that.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, a bank holiday for us Brits.  Let us hope the weather remains fine. Whatever you are doing and whoever you are with, have fun.

One!

A SPECIAL LITTLE MAN IS ONE TODAY!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR WONDERFUL GRANDSON, DANIEL.

How quickly a year has flown.  It does not seem that long since I was announcing to you all the news of Daniel's birth. It may be absolutely pouring with rain outside today but we have the sun in our hearts as we celebrate this happy occasion and your smile, Daniel, is brighter than any sunshine.

This is for you Dan-Dan, a little walk through the memories of your first year:-

 

Have a lovely day and enjoy your presents.  You have brought so much joy into the lives of your Mummy and Daddy and also into the lives of us, your grandparents.  May God bless you always.

           

Great big hugs and lots of kisses from Nanjay & Grandy.

Ring A Bell Ladies?