Obama

I have to admit that I'm very excited that Barack Obama is now the 44th American President. I hope his arrival heralds a new era for us all.

Ok emotional bit over for the day - back to my evening lecture on "putting Java to work". And if you are still awake after reading that sentence you are doing better than I am :)

Road Sense or no sense

I've recently watched the latest DfT Tales of the Road "The Girl Who Didn't Dress Bright" safety films for children. This time I didn't find the characters too scary or "dark". I think its great they are mixing the types/genres of this films as its easy to fall into trap of producing same style films year after year, and kids being kids get bored of things pretty quickly. I like the darker style of the films and hopefully they get the message across to older kids too. I'll be getting some bright stripes for when I'm out on my bike in the dark mornings! Makes more sense :)

Quick Update

Ok I'm almost over the flu - just the remnants of a cough.

Completed 1st tma of my current course, signed up for another course with the OU. Means I will be extra busy (if not doubly busy than previous!).

Bought some Venezulan Black - no not drugs but Willy's Chocolate (fnar) pure cacao, and made truffles - no one really liked them in this house apart from me -well no surprise there, but here is a picture anyway :)

Venezuelan Black

my attempt at truffles (cacao OD)

Booked some private skiing lessons for Phoebe and I, also booked a weekend away with my kids, my friend and her kids to a holiday camp style place.

Started running again this week - managed to get to 2.4 miles without my lungs or heart bursting out of my chest like that part in Alien.

Painted the chimney breast to cover up little Miss Sticky Fingers marks. Did more DIY like de-scaling the shower head, blah blah blah.

Oh did some shopping - can't find any nice boots anywhere but did find a nice dress and jumper.

And finally Emily has started doing the hoovering (hurrah - now if I can get away from paying her pocket money for the next 10 years?

Can be hired out for hourly rate of £5.

Oh and cut my hair short! eeks!!!

Love ya all X

Bumper crop again!

Oh my god how many babies are due this year? LOADS
I'm so chuffed so many friends are expecting (some for the first time and 3rd for others!)
Just when I thought it was safe to put away the sewing machine - Wendy finds out she's expecting her first :), then Lucie tells me she's expecting her third and just after that Lisa tells me about her pregnancy (Girls where do you get the energy from) when finally an old friend from Aberdeen tells me she is just about due to have her 3rd too! Not also forgetting that Karen from Aberdeen has just had a little girl and so has Karen from my office! Thats an amazing 6 !! 6 babies :)

Anyone else want to tell me anything? :)

more virtual photos

Virtually weird

Welcome to the world of the Wii'rd! This is a game called Animal Crossing that Phoebe recently bought for her Wii. This is her friend Hayley playing with Phoebe in their "virtual world" - I find it a bit weird personally.
And this is the snowman that was made in this virtual world (it even talks to her!)

This production today was brought to you by Phoebe and her friend, and also thanks to LisaD who gave Phoebe the voucher that helped to buy the game!

2009

Happy 2009 everyone!
Well I'm still full of snot, coughing and look absolutely awful today. I went back to work yesterday as I needed to get some work done on my first TMA for my current Open University unit M257 - putting Java to work. I called my HR department to ask if I needed a sick note from the doctors and after being off for 9 days they said I had to. So I made an appointment that day to see a Doctor, drove back home, sat in a waiting room for 20 mins before I saw her and after discussing what had happened, you know high fever, aching like I've been hit by a bus, being sick, sinuses inflamed so badly that I thought my head would split, snot like you've never seen before and and a cough! She said no, she would not give me a note retrospectively! WHAT? I took it in good heart though as normally I would have kicked ass about it. I've not had problems before getting a sick note retrospectively! Sigh some people are a bit petty, I could go back and see another doctor I'm sure I would not have a problem. Lets hope my pay is not docked!

Merry Christmas everyone!

The Christmas Caterpillar and his big eared friend would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Santa Watch

Where is Santa ? http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html

Pass me the Lemsip

Yep I finally succummed to the dreaded lurgy yesterday. I wasn't feeling top notch yesterday, but I put it down to 3 nights out in a row and eating lots of rich food. After my laser treatment in the morning I made my way home but I just didn't feel "right". After some food and a hot bath I found some energy to take Emily out to see Santa at Frosts at Brampton. But I slowly went downhill after that. I really felt lacking in energy and my head started to hurt. I went to bed early but kept waking every 4 hours so I had to top myself up with paracetamol. I did not feel great this morning so I had to call in sick. I'm now sitting here in my new fluffy soft dressing gown and new PJ's from Sainsbury (I got a bargain!). I spotted the dressing gown about 6 weeks ago and when I popped into the shop yesterday it was marked down to half price so I just couldn't resist. I had some spare time before my appointment so I decided to check out some other bargains - I got 2 sleepsuits for £4 each, my dressing gown was only £7.50 and my PJ's £5! After using what nectar points I had the whole lot cost less than £3! Very chuffed, but still very stuffed with the lurgy. Cough, hack! Anyway here are some photos of Emly with Santa!

Ooh ooh look what I got!

thank you to Little Brown Book for this!

The rules of the award are as follows:

1 - Every superior scribbler must name other superior scribblers
2 - Link back to the author and the name of the blog that gave you the award
3 - Display the award and link to this post which explains the award
4 - Add your name to the Mr Linky List here so there is a record of the super scribblers

Ok so I now tag KittenHead, Girls Are Weird, and Lamamad!

I'm open for business!

Ok this is my first attempt at selling stuff on Etsy - I've put up for sale 4 blankets that I've completed. The site is a bit basic at the moment but will update with some more detail as soon as I can.

Enjoy http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5774042

Exam Results Are In!

my friend Mark has just MSN'd me to say the results were now published. I felt so sick but this is what I got:

Grade 2 pass

Overall examinable score (OES) : 73 %
Overall continuous assessment score (OCAS) : 90%

I'm pretty chuffed as I thought I would get a grade 2 pass but I was worried when I spoke to the previous years students and even though they scored well inthe 90's with their OCAS they mainly got a 3 for their exam result.

Today I am WELL CHUFFED - so no-one please ruin this!

Sad Day

Today I read on the news that the creator of Bagpuss has died. Bagpuss was one of my favourite programmes to watch when I was a child and I still love that old saggy cloth cat.

Feeling Cold?

Made 2 of these blankets on friday night. What do you think?

Bought more fleece and will be making a couple of stripy blankets, one for a friend! And that should be me done sewing for the year. As soon as I make them I always find someone else who is either pregnant or just had a baby and the blankets go! There must be so many children at Citrix now who have these blankets :) xxx

Blankets again!

Just made this one today - nice pink rose flowers.

Not my day is it?

Ok still in dispute over the Ebay stuff - I'll let paypal decide as at the end of the day the tickets didn't cost me anything and I could possibly still get the postage back from the Post Office. Next the inconsiderate freecycler who said they would appear at 11am this morning to pick up the keyboards didn't show! Grrr rude people really really annoy me. So I sent an email to him saying asking him to let me know if he was coming for them or not and it not then I would relist.
So he turned up at 7.33pm without even an apology until I stared at him and said he should have let me know if was not able to make it - no excuse was forthcoming so I handed him the keyboards with a disgruntled look.

Fricking heck - people eh!

Keep em rolling!

I dug out some stuff from the bathroom and put it on freecycle - the girls thought they would have play with them first.

I see followers

Just discovered blogger has this little tool that can list your followers. A bit strange but it's really nice to know who is looking at my rants and other things. *waves to Tosha and LBB*

Anyway I'm having a gripe to day as I've had to deal with a paypal/ebay dispute. I won some tickets to see the Good Food Show but wasnt able to go so i decided to ebay them. OK sold them, posted them recorded delivery. I then get an email on the Saturday (5 days after posting) to say the tickets hadn't arrived - ok so not much time to sort anything out. So I found my receipt and checked the ticket number and sure enough they had not been delivered, now this is not to say that maybe the postman didn't or did leave a ticket at the address, or even they have been delivered and not signed for. So I called the post office and got some advice, this I passed onto the buyer and asked them to check their local post office to see if it was there. No reply until Monday when I get this very pissy email asking for a ebay refund and to pay the difference in tickets as they had to pay full price. WHAT?? I don't think so missy!
So I've been polite and saying i didn't think I was at fault and it was the post office - so to cut a long story short (after her demands I pay in her 48 hours!) I asked her nicely to raise a dispute.
I also discovered the post office recorded delivery does not compensate for tickets - WHAT!
so it looks like I may have lost out but at least I hadn't paid for the tickets in the first place so I haven't really lost anything. I've got all my proof including her hissy pissy emails and have also escalated the dispute. I'll also photo copy the receipt and forward all her nasty emails to paypal.

Oh and also freecyclers who don't pick up when they say they will - will incur my wrath today!

Bugs everywhere

Ok I was vomiting for one night last week but poor Emily has suddenly turned into a snot making factory in the last 24 hours. Last night she was very sick in her bed, and I could hear her coughing and spluttering during the night (not much sleep for me!). She sounded very croaky today and tonight again she's been up and down. Though only a little bit sick tonight, but I feel I'll be on edge all night listening out for her. :(

On another note I've had an aggressive email from a ebay buyer. Not the kind of thing I really wanted to get today, but it's not my fault the Post Office have not delivered the letter. All I know is that it's not been signed for after 7 days of being in their hands. This silly ebayer was demanding I pay for her £42 tickets! Ha I have proof of postage and the recorded delivery barcode. Still the aggressive manner of the email is uncalled for. I think that's if for me and ebay now. If I ever win tickets to anything again I'll email everyone I work with and my friends first and give the bloody money to charity.

But what made me smile today was to find out I've got a follower of my blog! Woohoo how cool, welcome new blogger. :)