Very Bored in Catalunya has tagged me in the grumpyness meme.
I'm not especially grumpy but these are the things that I don't like to spend time dwelling on:
1.Doves nesting in my satelite dish - cooing constantly, interfering in my picture and generally being flappy and annoying.
2. The hanging basket mystery - two identical baskets of winter bedding, one each side my front door, have been flowering nicely since last September until one randomly died last week. The other is still lovely, they both are watered/fed exactly the same so this has troubled me somewhat.
3. Annoying toddler quirks. This includes but is not limited to: walking really slowly downstairs when I am carrying something heavy behind her, shrieking for no apparent reason, refusal to wear pants without having a long discussion about that day's princess of choice and which colour trim, shouting when I am on the phone to anyone vaguely important and vomiting whenever we are on the M1.
4. Unfairness. This covers kids getting ill, friend's losing precious loved ones in hasty succession and bad things happening to good people.
5. Running out of rum and/or diet coke. I get emotional.
6. Moaners who need perspective. Get a grip.
7. Judgy people. Don't tar everyone with the same brush, some people that you might stereotype could rock your world if only you'd open your narrow little mind.
That's me done, happy days :)
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
The Gallery - This is Lax Parenting
My entry for the Gallery Self Portrait. I do the same cheesy grin on every photo so my favourites are always the silly ones:
Monday, 17 May 2010
Review - Bomber's Moon at the Lakeside Arts Centre, Nottingham
Being Nottingham born and bred it's always lovely to see local references on screen and stage. Billy Ivory's latest play has these in abundance and bases this two man show in and around his Southwell birthplace.
Set design is strikingly simple, a room in a nursing home, a ceiling fan that becomes the propeller during WW2 flashbacks, a circular window in the door becomes the 'Bomber's Moon" and a walking stick in silhouette as the gun. During the raids the noise clattered throughout the tiny theatre and the lighting was superb.
The swearing is profuse and unabashed. Jimmy played by the talented Paul Greenwood is an ill old man, ex RAF gunner who takes out the frustrations of his old age and incapacity by being rude and difficult towards his carers. His new carer David acted marvellously by Tim Dantay is a nervous man, recently separated from his wife and eager to please. Jimmy's surliness and awkward questions expose David's many weaknesses that he is trying desperately hard to hide. His faux cheerfulness teamed with the occasional slip of temper and immediate guilt and remorse makes the paring fascinating to observe.
As the relationship between the men builds you witness some touching moments of tenderness, black humour, startling revelations from their pasts and a gritty viewpoint on life post war.
At two and a half hours long this is not for the fidgety of bottom but the dynamic between the two men and some stupendous acting make this a must see production.
Set design is strikingly simple, a room in a nursing home, a ceiling fan that becomes the propeller during WW2 flashbacks, a circular window in the door becomes the 'Bomber's Moon" and a walking stick in silhouette as the gun. During the raids the noise clattered throughout the tiny theatre and the lighting was superb.
The swearing is profuse and unabashed. Jimmy played by the talented Paul Greenwood is an ill old man, ex RAF gunner who takes out the frustrations of his old age and incapacity by being rude and difficult towards his carers. His new carer David acted marvellously by Tim Dantay is a nervous man, recently separated from his wife and eager to please. Jimmy's surliness and awkward questions expose David's many weaknesses that he is trying desperately hard to hide. His faux cheerfulness teamed with the occasional slip of temper and immediate guilt and remorse makes the paring fascinating to observe.
As the relationship between the men builds you witness some touching moments of tenderness, black humour, startling revelations from their pasts and a gritty viewpoint on life post war.
At two and a half hours long this is not for the fidgety of bottom but the dynamic between the two men and some stupendous acting make this a must see production.
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Coming out of the closet
I'm going to embrace my inner freak and just come out and say it. I'm a sucker for a tidy cupboard. I enjoy re-organising and decluttering more than what is healthy. I even go back and keep peeking in them when I'm done as I love it so much.
I am aware that this makes me a social outcast. To be fair I'm lucky to still have friends since my passion extends to cleaning out friend's cutlery drawers.
My biggest bugbear is Isabella's toys/clothes. She has a lovely deep wardrobe with storage space for all her bits and pieces but manages to run out of space regularly as she grows out of clothes/toys and the old ones sit taking up room and getting dusty.
Yesterday she was feeling under the weather and spent most of the day napping in my bed watching cartoons. I took the opportunity to empty out her wardrobe, bag up all outgrown items, box up baby stage toys to give away/donate and dust/hoover all the shelves.
I was in her wardrobe for over three hours and felt a real sense of achievement when I'd finished.
She is still unwell today but has taken her dressing up box into my bed and is watching Sleeping Beauty dressed as a Vet, wearing a dozen bangles on each arm so I feel sure she is on the road to recovery. As for me I think the only cure is another baby so I have less time on my hands.
I am aware that this makes me a social outcast. To be fair I'm lucky to still have friends since my passion extends to cleaning out friend's cutlery drawers.
My biggest bugbear is Isabella's toys/clothes. She has a lovely deep wardrobe with storage space for all her bits and pieces but manages to run out of space regularly as she grows out of clothes/toys and the old ones sit taking up room and getting dusty.
Yesterday she was feeling under the weather and spent most of the day napping in my bed watching cartoons. I took the opportunity to empty out her wardrobe, bag up all outgrown items, box up baby stage toys to give away/donate and dust/hoover all the shelves.
I was in her wardrobe for over three hours and felt a real sense of achievement when I'd finished.
She is still unwell today but has taken her dressing up box into my bed and is watching Sleeping Beauty dressed as a Vet, wearing a dozen bangles on each arm so I feel sure she is on the road to recovery. As for me I think the only cure is another baby so I have less time on my hands.
Monday, 26 April 2010
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Breaking news - we're still here!
After being due to fly home last Friday we are still here in sunny Tenerife. Although it's now raining.
Although unexpected and very frustrating we are trying to make the best of it and treat it as an extension to our holiday.
The atmosphere here has changed dramatically. A week ago we only knew the names of our neighbours (who own their apartment so are here part of the year) and another family whose daughter Isabella has befriended.
Now we know everyone round the pool, their circumstances, family, occupations, medications. It's created a close community vibe with people offering us the use of their washing machines, lifts in their cars, use of their ovens and drinks on their patios. A few days ago when Isabella was ill a couple knocked on our door bearing calpol for her as they'd been told she was unwell and others offered to drive us to the airport pharmacy or doctors.
Monarch have been pretty appalling and we still haven't managed to contact them by phone. A lucky few people have now secured flights to spain via their airlines with a connecting coach transfer back to the UK. We're out here with my parents, brother and sister who are all being really positive about the delay but we're all just wanting to be home now.
It's my brother's 16th birthday today, we have no presents or cards for him so I'm off now to cadge a life to the supermarket to get him a cake and we're going for tapas tonight to celebrate.
Although unexpected and very frustrating we are trying to make the best of it and treat it as an extension to our holiday.
The atmosphere here has changed dramatically. A week ago we only knew the names of our neighbours (who own their apartment so are here part of the year) and another family whose daughter Isabella has befriended.
Now we know everyone round the pool, their circumstances, family, occupations, medications. It's created a close community vibe with people offering us the use of their washing machines, lifts in their cars, use of their ovens and drinks on their patios. A few days ago when Isabella was ill a couple knocked on our door bearing calpol for her as they'd been told she was unwell and others offered to drive us to the airport pharmacy or doctors.
Monarch have been pretty appalling and we still haven't managed to contact them by phone. A lucky few people have now secured flights to spain via their airlines with a connecting coach transfer back to the UK. We're out here with my parents, brother and sister who are all being really positive about the delay but we're all just wanting to be home now.
It's my brother's 16th birthday today, we have no presents or cards for him so I'm off now to cadge a life to the supermarket to get him a cake and we're going for tapas tonight to celebrate.
Friday, 16 April 2010
Stranded
Well our lovely honeymoon has just been extended indefinitely.
We were due to fly home this evening but due to the current restrictions on UK airspace our flight has been cancelled.
Monarch advise on their website they won't rebook flights before Tuesday at the earliest - my poor brother is due to sit his GCSEs this Monday!
We were due to fly home this evening but due to the current restrictions on UK airspace our flight has been cancelled.
Monarch advise on their website they won't rebook flights before Tuesday at the earliest - my poor brother is due to sit his GCSEs this Monday!
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